Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The morning light struggled to seep its way into a poorly lit room. The blinds congested any possibility to brighten the surroundings, but it wasn't like it mattered anyway. The girl who lived in this room has become well adjusted to the darkness. Though, if one were to ask her, the room was much less of a living space, and more of a blight. Photos of her loved ones adorned the wall, and yet she looked upon them with sadness.

These photos are of what she has lost.

The mother that fell ill and passed away, and the father who had fallen comatose.

While photos of happy memories lined the walls, the ground which she walked was more so papers and recipes than hardwood floor. The happiness of the past contrasted the misery of the present like black and white, and it felt like a prison to her. These memories served as a grim reminder of her situation. The girl wanted to save her father from his coma.

Her father was a good man. Before her, he worked vigorously as a cleric and a potion brewer. He was the sort of person to drop everything he was interested in for another, even if it was evident their intentions of him weren't for the best. He placed his faith in the people, and his principals and philosophies had left a great impression onto his daughter. He cared a great deal for people, and the girl wanted to follow in his footsteps to become a cleric as he was. But suddenly, as if in the spur of the moment, he collapsed while at his brewery - out clean. To the girl's panic, nobody could wake him up. Yet, he had no complications with breathing. It was just as if he fell asleep. Doctors and shrinks hypothesized he sunk into a stress-induced coma, possibly from over-working himself. He was placed under an infirmary wing, where his comatose body lies, even to the present.

While her grandmother supported the girl's funds for housing, she couldn't provide the ingredients for her studies with her budget. The girl found herself at an impasse for the longest time, not having the courage to leave her comfort zone, but needing to proceed with her studies. What was she even supposed to do? She was still a novice at everything she did. She couldn't work a traditional village job with her limited skill-set. She wasn't even half as capable as her father was, and she's supposed to take over the family business? She threw that idea out from the get-go. It would be an understatement to say the girl was at a loss. In her eyes, she was inept at everything she could do. But she had a brain, and she could think. Thinking was about the only thing she could do. And so, in the darkness of her room, she tilted her head to the ceiling, the last place in her room that wouldn't damper her thoughts.

That's when an idea slithered into her mind, like a garden snake through damp soil.

"If I were to join an Adventurers Guild, could I make money?"

No. That's ridiculous. The girl's social circle had plummeted to nigh non-existence, and plateaued with the occasional visits from the housekeeper her grandmother hired. Her arms were as brittle as dry noodles, and she would get winded from a walk across her house. "That's ridiculous. I'm going crazy." she told herself. "Am I really supposed to drag myself to somewhere like that, and throw myself at people I don't even know?" No matter how much she would try and convince herself that this train of thought was ludicrous, she couldn't help but entertain the idea. "If... If I were to sign up with an Adventurer Guild, maybe the people I meet could help me with my studies..." "This could provide new experiences, I could get my hands on ingredients I wouldn't ever even dream of..." "If I were to leave the house, would dad be proud of me?.."

She glanced to one of the photos on her wall. This one in particular hurt to look at. She was raised into her father's arms, with her mothers head on his shoulder. With age, the photo had begun to deteriorate. Most things do that. Half of the photo had rotted away, leaving a smiling simulacrum of the girl surrounded by rot and wither. The girl felt suffocated in the present, and longed for when that photo was still pristine. This feeling, this... this anguish. It was like a fist clenching her heart, a grip that wouldn't let go, no matter how hard she tried to pry the fingers off. She wanted to loosen this grip. Mulling over herself for what felt like an eternity, she made up her mind.

"These are my first steps."

She would have liked to throw on attire she felt an adventurer may wear, but that was extremely limited. Her wardrobe was excruciatingly lame, to put it in gentle terms. It was mostly the exact same outfit verbatim with light differences, if any at all. She cursed her own fashion and stylistic choices, but still decided to throw something on. While dressing herself, she noticed a small pendant underneath one of her father's old recipe books. She used to keep it wrapped around her wrist. She knew waiting for her within the pendant was another photo of her family, so she actively went against the will to open it. She knew it would only hamper her resolve. Yet, she didn't want to leave it behind. What if she got homesick? Rather than tying it to her wrist, she wore it as if it were a necklace. Or... maybe it was a necklace all along? She never really put any active thought into what she wore until now.

The girl looked to the ceiling once more, now at her front door. She turned behind her to gaze upon the surroundings of the home she voluntarily shackled herself down to, and took a deep breath. "My first steps." She slowly turned back around, and exhaled at length. "Wait. I forgot to leave a note for Ms. Mochizuki."

The letter was left for Ms. Mochizuki, the girl's housekeeper. Okay, now these were her first steps. She took another glance behind her, wondering if there was anything else she left behind. Once she ruled that there was nothing left for her to bring, she gripped the handle to her front door, a mix of doubt and hope circulating within her veins. The girl dismissed the past for just the briefest of moments, all in the name of her future. She twisted the door handle, and let the light of the sun above pour against her skin.

"The sun hurts my eyes."

That was a better first impression to the outside world than doubt, she figured.

She timidly stepped foot outside of her enclosure, and looked around. The streets of her village which she had grown up on may have been a playground to her as a child, but now, they felt like a jungle. A jungle populated by people who wouldn't understand the year of isolation she's endured. She knew the way to the local Adventurer's Guild, but its been so long, she had the slight presence of doubt that has sunk into the crevasses of her brain. "What if I get lost?" "Maybe I should just step back inside. It's not like anybody saw me."

She ultimately went against these thoughts.

Step by step, she apprehensively walked in the direction of where she assumed the Adventurer's Guild was. "What if somebody recognizes me? What would I even say?" The girl brainstormed ideas in the streets. The cogs of her brain turned like the wheels of the carts that surrounded her, kicking up a storm for every possible scenario. Her overactive mind turned to her surroundings to stay levelheaded. She noticed the signs hanging from the shops and taverns on both sides of the street blew in the wind. It was oddly serene. The only time she felt wind like this was when she cracked her window when the air in her room grew too stuffy, but it wasn't as pleasant as it was now. Could it be just the open-endedness of the outdoors, or could it be something more? Maybe it was the feeling of freedom that was entangling her lengthy silver hair, rather than the wind. These thoughts fueled her determination as she proceeded, and after a few more blocks, she made it to her destination.

"Weekend Garage, huh..." The girl was winded from the walk alone, but now she has to open the door? Talk about crazy. Without even thinking, she opened the door. The waft of the wood flooring instantly struck her like an arrow impaling a hay bale. It wasn't that she disliked the smell, it was just the first thing she noticed. The second thing she noticed were the sheer amount of people crowding the tables of the building. You could say the Adventurers Guild doubled as a tavern, but it wasn't much of one with the lack of any alcohol on the menu. Nervously, the girl peered around the corners, looking for where she could sign up as an Adventurer. She spotted a board with all sorts of requests detailed on them, and committed that to memory. She anxiously waded through the pool of people, paddling like a dog through these unfamiliar waters, until she spotted a man behind a desk. Surveying the people around her, and judging who may have been in line, she came to the conclusion there was no line. She walked over to the man behind the desk.

"Hi there, little lady." The man behind the desk greeted the girl kindly, a warm smile permeating his face. "Welcome to Weekend Garage, how can I help you today?"

"Oh, um... I'm..." The girl found herself choking on her words.

"I'm here to register as an Adventurer."

"Alright! Will this be your first time signing up for a guild?" The man enthusiastically pulled out a pen, and turned to the girl for her response.

"Y-Yeah. Is there an entry-fee? I came with a little bit of change."

"Not at all! Now, I'll need your name, age, and what kind of class you're interested in."

The girl stared blankly for a second, before realizing "class" meant her specialty. Some people are mages, some are knights. Some are rogues, and some are even paladins. The girl responded with what best fit her description."

"I'm Kanade Yoisaki. I'm 17, and I'm training to become a cleric."

Kanade was immensely proud to have been able to say that without stammering.

"Oh, Yoisaki..."

The man looked into Kanade's eyes.

"Are you related to Mr. Yoisaki, the old potion brewer?"

Kanade had no idea how to respond. She tilted her head to the ceiling once more to find the words to say, as if they would just simply be floating in the air. Words, of course, don't float. So she lowered her head, and solemnly brought her eyes to the floor.

"My condolences, Kanade. If it helps, Mr Yoisaki helped me when I broke my arm a few years back. He treated it with magic as if it were nothing. I'm glad you're trying to follow in his footsteps."

The man began to write down the information Kanade had told him. His gaze was locked onto the paper, so he failed to notice the confidence in Kanade diminish when he finished his sentence.

"Alright, Kanade. I'm glad to have you with us. Welcome aboard the Weekend Crew! I'm Ken Shiraishi, by the way. But please, just call me Ken. I used to run this place back in my day."

"N-Nice to meet you too, Ken..."

"If you need any help, don't be afraid to come ask me any questions, alright? My staff and I will be ready to help you with whatever you need at a moment's notice. The bulletin board is right over there." Ken pointed to the board Kanade noticed earlier. "If you see a request you want to tackle, come confirm it with us. We'll be sure to pay you properly. The more quests you complete, the higher your rank in the Weekend Crew will raise. You got it, kiddo?"

Kanade nodded slowly, as if she was rusting like metal.

"Alright, kiddo. Best of luck!"

Ken waved Kanade off as she slowly stumbled into the crowd of people. Her legs felt weak, she wanted to sit down at one of the tables in front of her.

But she needed to find a crew. No way somebody as frail as her could work on her own.

So, Kanade found a nice, comfortable corner, and slumped right into it.

It was comfortable, at least. She held onto hope somebody would approach her, but given that she was practically hiding in the corner, she doubted anybody would want to recruit the forlorn girl hogging the wall.

And so, she waited.

With each passing hour, people left little by little. Kanade only left her comfort zone twice, once to grab water, provided by Ken, and the other to be pointed to the bathroom. Both times she went straight back to her corner. "This sucks..." "I want to go home..."

It must have been 9pm before Kanade was about to give up "looking" for a crew, when Ken came up to Kanade.

"You know, there are better places to find a partner than the corner. Why not try talking to someone?"

"...People are scary. I'm not sure how to introduce myself, or if they're decent human beings."

"It's all apart of life, kid. How are you supposed to know the good from the bad if your eyes are shut?"

Ken towered over Kanade, but to Kanade, it never really felt as if he was looking down on her.

"Your horizons extend as far as you let them, Kanade. If you don't actively change your perspective, how are you to see the world in front of you?"

Kanade was silent. She couldn't think of anything to say.

"See that girl there?" Ken pointed to a girl Kanade hadn't even noticed, slowly flipping through some of the notices on the bulletin board. "Has she always been there?" Kanade thought to herself. She cautiously stared at her, keeping in mind to advert her eyes if the girl were to make eye contact with her. But in Kanade's caution, she made sure to meticulously study her apparel. She had a beautiful black and violet dress on, and had beautiful purple hair tied up into a ponytail. The ponytail drooped down her left shoulder, with a purple piercing on her right ear. Oh, and she had this large, black hat with a purple ribbon wrapped around it as well. She was, by every definition of the word, pretty.

"That girl is relatively new here, too. She's working solo, but she's had a few people come up to her for her assistance. She often helps, but she hasn't been indoctrinated into any specific party yet. Maybe if you ask nice, she'll join you." Once Kanade's gaze met Ken's once more, he gave Kanade a reassuring smile and nudged her in the shoulder.

"Get to it, kid."

Ken began to walk away.

Kanade didn't really feel like moving. She just kind of wanted to look at the purple mystery girl a bit longer. She seemed to be very confident in herself, her movements being defined with poise. Kanade admired the girl. Was this girl knocking some inspiration into Kanade? What is this feeling?

For the past year, Kanade had been motivated by her trauma and the desire to bring back her past, but now? Kanade felt a spark of something new, something hopeful.

The moonlight seeped into the tavern as Kanade began to approach the mysterious girl that caught her eye.

Chapter Text

Kanade's rampant and incessant thoughts failed to keep up with the pace of her footsteps. She was dead-set on talking to the girl who captured her eye, and there wasn't much that could stop her if anybody would even try. Her environments began to swirl and haze as she kept moving. Could it be her diet? Kanade wasn't much of an eater, she didn't have much nutrition in her. Is she just tired? Her social battery had already long drained, but that seemingly was put on hold. This was different, for some reason. Why? It didn't really matter in the moment. Kanade weaved through the hall of chairs and tables until it happened.

The side of her hip clumsily collided against the counter of one of the tables, teaching her the crucial life lesson of "first hand embarrassment". With a sharp, high pitched yelp that could only be compared to a puppy's anxiety driven bark, Kanade collapsed into a puddle of her own shame. Kanade stared at the floor. The trance the mysterious purple girl put her in had seemingly been broken, causing everything to sink in, including the pain. "Oh my God." Kanade's mind began to speed at velocities previously unheard of to human comprehension. "This will haunt me for the rest of my life." "I can't even do one thing right". "I shouldn't have left home." "If I duck away for another year, would anybody remember the stupid girl who sat in the corner-"

"Are you alright?"

Kanade looked up away from the floor.

The girl with the black dress was standing above her, a look of concern painted over her face. She was even prettier up close. Naturally, Kanade responded with the only rational thing she could have in that moment.

"I-I may be dying."

"Ah... You... don't seem to be dying. There isn't any blood." "O-Oh, is that right?" Of course, Kanade knew there was no blood. She frankly had no idea why she said she was dying.

The girl in the black dress extended her hand. "Here, let me help you up."

Kanade surmised the situation. The pretty girl came up to her to check on her, without hesitation. She seemed genuinely worried, rather than walking over out of pity or amusement. She presented her hand with confidence, as if it was just another day... and Kanade was fascinated. She hesitantly placed her hand in the mysterious stranger's, placing her trust in a girl she just met. For somebody with little to no communication to the world around her for the past year, Kanade felt moved, impacted, touched right to her core. Her emotions were a wreck, yet the only thing she wanted was to be with the girl longer. The mysterious girl's hand was smooth, her fingers slender yet soft to the touch. But being in this hypnotic trance, it was like time was frozen, and before she even realized it, Kanade was pulled up to her feet as naturally as she fell to the ground.

The mysterious girl smiled warmly, nodded her head, and turned around to resume what she was doing prior. Her footsteps were silent, her tied back hair swaying gracefully with each pace. The mysterious girl helped Kanade as if it were a thankless act.

Kanade felt as if she had a million things she wanted to say in this moment, yet words, what should have been the most simple thing to grasp, remained out from her reach. She silently stammered as the girl in black resumed flipping through the papers stapled to the bulletin board. The embarrassment Kanade had been engulfed in had dissipated into the floorboards, and had a minuscule of confidence return to her. She turned to Ken, hoping that he didn't see the colossal blunder she had made, and, to her dismay, Ken had the biggest, dumbest grin on his face.

"Oops." It was not too late to go home for another year.

Kanade ultimately ruled that thought process out.

Before she knew it, she once again found herself walking towards the girl in the black dress, just a bit more mindful of her surroundings this time.

Kanade walked up to her side as she cleared her throat a little bit. Her brain was on auto-pilot, acting on instinct like a deer caught by surprise. The mysterious girl cocked her head to Kanade, before flashing a gentle smile. It was a pretty smile. It was warm. Though, there was something about it that charmed Kanade beyond its kindness. Maybe it was the way her eyes remained fixed as she grinned?

"I-I wanted to thank you for helping me"

The purple girl giggled, capturing Kanade's heart even further. Something akin to sheriff's lasso.

"It's alright, think nothing of it. I'm just glad you aren't dying, like you said."

The way she enunciated her words was magnificent.

"Though, you could have fooled me." She started. "The way you shrieked really took me by surprise! You must've been walking really fast, you nearly knocked the table over!"

That one hit Kanade like a metric ton of bricks dropped on her feet. "D-Did I really? Sorry for disturbing you..." "It's alright! Like I said, think nothing of it." The girl lightly bowed her head towards Kanade, the ribbon on her hat drooping over her face.

"I'm Mafuyu Asahina. It's a pleasure to meet you." The girl with the purple hair tilted her head with a smile, one filled with unprecedented warmth. "Though... People sometimes call me Yuki. It's an old nickname I'm trying to shake off from old acquaintances, but... it doesn't seem to work too well, hehe."

Yuki... That means snow, right? Kanade liked snow when she was younger. She never had any reason to play in it when she entered her teenage years, but she used to look back fondly on the times she and her mother went on walks through winter forests. While Kanade liked playing in the snow, one thing she couldn't stand during her self-induced isolation was when the winter nights froze her heaters over. The cold was a painful reminder of what was lost. Yet, Kanade couldn't detect any of that harsh ice from Mafuyu.

Glancing her eyes upwards, the only words Kanade could capture were the ones she said to Ken earlier. "I-I'm Kanade Yoisaki. I'm 17, and I'm training to become a cleric."

Mafuyu's eyes radiated warmth. "A cleric? That's wonderful, more people could use magic like yours. It must have taken a lot of studying and effort to get this far." Kanade meekly smiled. It seems like Mafuyu somewhat understood her. "Most people set out for the adventuring life for the thrills of questing, but it takes a certain selfless sort of hero to want to focus in healing. That's what I think, at least." "Wh-What about you, Ms. Asahina? What class do you focus in?" Mafuyu chuckled. Kanade couldn't help but feel as if it were a dumb question, but apparently, that wasn't what was funny to Mafuyu. "You can just call me Mafuyu. I'm 17 as well."

"No way! You're my age?!" "Did I look otherwise?" "I thought you were 18, or 19, or something of the sorts... You look very dignified."

Mafuyu placed her index finger to the side of her lips, resting her chin on her palm. She tilted her head with one of her trademark smiles, exposing the shine of her earring to Kanade.

"I get that all the time. I'm flattered you think so, though."

Kanade nervously placed her hand on the back of her neck. She felt that in this moment, the only two things that existed were herself and Mafuyu.

"But to answer your question, I'm training to be a sorceress. A sorceress who specializes in ice magic and darkness, in specific."

"That's... pretty cool..."

"Hehe, was that pun intended?"

"Eh? Pun?"

"Err, never mind. Forget I said anything."

Kanade was instantly taken aback. "So even someone as graceful as her can get flustered like that..." Kanade thought. "That's cute..."

"Mafuyu, would... would you like to sit down?"

"Oh, for what?"

"Ahhh... I'd like to ask you something." Mafuyu seemed to know where this was going.

"In that case, of course! Here, lets take a seat."

Kanade sat across from Mafuyu at a small, square table. Glancing over around her, the table where her little "oopsie" occurred was only two counters down. She didn't think she could forget what happened even if she got whacked over the head. The once busy tavern had nigh cleared out, with the exception of Ken and a few of the staff cleaning dishes and sweeping the floor. Some of the windows had been lightly cracked open, letting in a familiar breeze into the building, but there was more to this breeze to Kanade. It smelled crisp, fresh. It felt as if the light of the moon itself was carried by the wind, and it was extremely refreshing. The breeze exfoliated Kanade's skin, gently calming her nerves. It was nice to finally have human communication, if not a little nerve-wracking, so anything was appreciated.

"So, what is it you'd like to ask?"

The directness of Mafuyu's question caught Kanade by surprise. Mafuyu was leaned in on the table, resting both elbows on it, resting her cheek on the palms of her hand. She looked like a princess to Kanade. It was evident Mafuyu was clearly interested in what Kanade had to say. She choked down her anxiety as if it were a bitter medicine to swallow. No words could be found on the ceiling, so she forced them out from her lungs.

"I wanted to know if you wanted to form a party together."

"A party? As in, you would like me to join you?"

"That's right."

Mafuyu's eyes tinted a bit. Though, Kanade noticed it wasn't a tint of sadness, it was... It was something else. While Mafuyu still displayed a look of compassion, Kanade felt as if Mafuyu was hurt a slight. What could've shifted such an expression? Sitting upright and lowering her hands to her lap, she began the words that would jab Kanade.

"Listen, I would love to... but... I would like to further my adventurer experience as a solo."

"O-Oh. Why's that?"

"Well, when you complete a quest logged by a Guild, the payment is to be spread equally among those in the party. My mother told me she wanted me to stay a solo so I can make more money, all while making a name for myself."

Her mother?

"My mother was a famous solo when she was in her prime. She was revered for her proficiency and talent to accomplish whatever she put her mind to. Most people admired her, as I do myself. She made a name for herself as 'The Violet Grip'. Maybe you've heard of her before?"

Kanade slowly shook her head. For some reason, the words Mafuyu had been saying felt... hollow, in comparison to the words Kanade was infatuated with.

"While I may help out other parties, that's for a flat fee and to spread my name out, you know? Exposure helps us solos."

"I-I see."

Kanade looked down into her lap. She didn't know what to say, yet didn't want to lose this opportunity. Kanade was afraid of talking to other people, and Mafuyu was the only person who had ever captured her attention like this. She didn't know why, but she wanted to have Mafuyu by her side, no matter the cost. Kanade glanced up at Mafuyu, and noticed the smile on her face had been wiped clean. It wasn't sadness that had taken its hold on Mafuyu, it was something else entirely. Kanade knew she had to say something, or she would lose Mafuyu.

"How about we make a name together?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Together. I really want to work with you, Mafuyu."

Mafuyu sat in silence for a moment, before her lips returned to her warm smile once more.

"I'm not sure I follow..."

"If your mom wants you to become her next successor, why not find recognition alongside someone you want to be with?" Kanade's heart was racing. "After all, you're 17, almost 18. You're almost an adult, Mafuyu... Isn't it right to make that decision for yourself?"

Kanade instantly was taken aback by her own scathing critique. Silence filled the room, with only the sounds of dishes being cleaned down. "Oh God, I really mucked that up now... Mafuyu is gonna hate me, how could I say that to her?! She clearly loves her mother, I'm such an idiot..."

Mafuyu's gaze was neither warm, nor cold. Not compassionate, nor angry. It simply was.

"Do you really think so?"

"I... I know so."

Kanade looked to the ceiling.

"I wanted to join an Adventurer Guild to save my father. He's comatose right now, and I need money as well. But... if it means being around somebody I trust, I wouldn't mind. In the end, my end goal remains the same." Kanade tried to swallow the saliva down her throat, but her mouth was dry. Her voice was a bit hoarse, but she didn't want to lose Mafuyu. She continued on anyways. "You can still make money for your family while being your own person, you know? You're the only one who can make your own decisions, and define who you are. I had to make the decision to leave my house today, after trying to study a cure to wake my father for a year. Why shouldn't you make the decision to join a party?"

Mafuyu sat in silence, a light smile on her face. Was this smile genuine, or out of respect? Was it a facade Mafuyu had propped up to not hurt Kanade's feelings? Mafuyu parted the ribbon on her hat out of her face, and looked warmly at Kanade.

"We'll see how it goes."

"Wait, s-so, you'll..?"

"Yes. I'll join your party."

Kanade was throwing a celebration in her head right now.

"But... only for a little bit, okay? I would just like to see how I feel about it."

"O-Of course! I would love to have you around, even for a little bit!"

The words slipped from Kanade's mouth like a leaking faucet, she didn't even notice how embarrassing of a sentence that was. Kanade's face began to flush red.

"Then... we're a team. Once again, I'm Mafuyu Asahina. It will be a pleasure to work with you."

"O-Of course!" Kanade realized how excited she was. Consciously trying to readjust her temperament, she resumed. "It's a pleasure to work with you, Mafuyu."

Mafuyu's smile returned to its usual warmth. She picked up her belongings, and walked over to Kanade's side.

"Should we meet here again tomorrow?"

So much for readjusting her temperament. "Yes, that would be lovely!"

"Great! How about... 10am. Does that work with you?"

It does not. Kanade's sleep schedule is absolutely atrocious. There is absolutely no way Kanade could even bring herself up from bed at an ungodly hour such as that. 'Kanade' and 'wake up early' do not go in the same sentence together, unless if that sentence is 'Kanade does not wake up early'. To suggest the possibility was to suggest the notion that pigs could fly.

"Yes, that works!"

"Great, I'll see you then, Kanade! We can sort out the party name and our first quest together tomorrow."

"O-Oh, I should probably head home too. Can I accompany you to the door?"

"Of course."

Kanade was ecstatic. She's finally made a new friend, someone new to talk to. But... even so, this didn't feel like a normal friendship to her. Kanade felt moved in a way she hadn't before. But why? Kanade wanted to sort these feelings out, but they could wait for later. She wanted to be with her new friend. On the way to the door, she shot Ken a smile, which he reciprocated with a wink and a thumbs up. He was right, about horizons, or whatever.

The two partners stepped outside of the bar. The scent of fresh air had made Kanade come to realization how much the Weekend Garage had smelled like wood, and made her realize even further she sat in there all throughout the afternoon and evening. Kanade and Mafuyu walked in the silent streets of their village, lanterns and street light illuminating the ground and buildings besides them. Kanade, as she always likes to do, tilts her head upwards, gazing upon the sky. The stars were pretty, but The Unreachable stole the spotlight, as per usual. Though the structure always hung above everybody's head in the daytime, the dark night showed off the beauty of the lights blasting off from it. Kanade continued walking with her head held up high, until Mafuyu suddenly gripped her hand.

"K-Kanade, you almost tripped over that barrel."

"O-Oh, sorry..."

Mafuyu smiled. "You sure aren't very observant of your surroundings, K. Be a bit more careful for me, okay?"

"O-Okay."

Kanade was instantly flustered. "Be more careful for me"... and, that nickname, too. That was cute... Kanade wouldn't mind being called that again.

Mafuyu, still holding Kanade's hand, glanced upwards as well. "You think the stars are pretty, don't you?"

"Mmhm."

She lowers her head back to Kanade, where the two girls' gaze met one another. "Were you looking at The Unreachable as well?"

"Yeah, it's always been very fascinating to me." It was kind of hard to not look at it when it dominated the skyline at night.

"My mother has never been fond of it." Mafuyu looks at the floating, rotating metal structure in the sky as she recounts. "She says the rays of light coming off from it are way too distracting when she tries to get some sleep."

"Well, what do you think of it? Do you think it's pretty?"

"Hmm... I don't know. I guess I haven't really put much thought into it."

Kanade had always thought The Unreachable was pretty. She knew nothing of it, or why it was there just like everyone else, but she had always been intrigued by it. To see someone not reciprocate those feelings was outlandish to her.

"I think it's pretty. It kind of looks like one of those spinning tops kids used to play with."

Kanade looked up to The Unreachable once more, with Mafuyu following shortly after. Kanade smiles softly as she looks upon the enigma in the sky.

"It looks almost like a brilliant crystal, the way the lights shine from the inside. And the rings that circle it as well? It's all so stunning to me."

"Hm... I guess so."

Kanade turns to Mafuyu, seemingly not noticing their fingers have interlocked.

"Someday, I would like to try and reach to the top."

"It's floating in the sky, do you know how you're gonna reach there?"

"Nope."

Mafuyu stared blankly at Kanade, before chuckling into her fist, almost as if to cover her smile. It felt... genuine. Even more genuine than the warmth of the smile she proudly put on display at Weekend Garage.

"I'd love to see you try."

Chapter Text

Kanade lie motionless in her bed that night, both her mind and body restless. She wasn't expecting to return home so soon, but it was nice to be back after spending all day out. And yet, despite the comfort of familiarity, Kanade was stricken with insomnia. She would occasionally slump out from her bed and pace back and forth, finding whatever could capture her attention until she would try to fall asleep once more. She would double check her mechanical alarm clock to make sure it was set to go off at an appropriate time, and then reapply it once more. She gazed out the window, once previously blocked by the drapes, and stared into the stars. She would look wistfully at the lights of The Unreachable, then focus on her own reflection. Something was different about it. She felt... oddly confident. She found herself gently smiling at her reflection, as the prismatic glow of The Unreachable sat beside her. Having found enough amusement from the window, Kanade would, at random, pick up one of the many potion recipes and healing incantations that blanketed the ground beneath her like freshly fallen snow.

Snow. Like Mafuyu's old nickname...

Mafuyu did say she was practicing ice and darkness magic. How fascinating... Someone who can smile as warmly and brightly as her can contrast it with the output of carnage she could sling. Kanade's head was a stage, and spotlights shined upon the thoughts of Mafuyu as she danced. "I wonder how long she's been an Adventurer for?" "Does she have a reason she wants to cast ice and darkness in specific?" "Can I really keep up with her? I haven't tested my healing magic on the field before." "Does she have a cool magic wand? Or does she cast with her hands?" "If she were to miscast a spell, her hand would combust, wouldn't it? I wouldn't want her soft hands to get wounded."

"I wonder if she would want to hold my hand again."

Suddenly, a sinking realization. A picture of the moment glided gently into her brain, before obscuring her vision. The sight of two girls holding hands in the middle of an empty street market, staring at a glimmering crystalline structure in the night sky. Stars and constellations dotted the vastness of space, like spring rainfall leaving an impression on the concrete below. The realization she held another girl's hand in such a manner finally came into full fruition. Her heart raced even thinking about Mafuyu. "I... don't understand this at all..." If Kanade couldn't sleep before, she definitely wouldn't be able to now.

By the time dawn graced Kanade's window, she had thankfully fallen asleep. At this point, it was around 5am, and the confused nocturnal cleric of the night had fallen into her slumber. She was sleep deprived and exhausted by the time her body allowed itself to shut down. She was to meet Mafuyu in a mere 6 hours, and she spent the entire night letting her mind match her footsteps, racing back and forth. With each passing hour Kanade feared missing the planned meeting, but eventually her drowsiness overcame the anxiety. Mafuyu was worth trying to fix her sleep schedule for.

Brrrrr-dring-dring!!

"Ah, I'm up, I'm up..."

A sleepy hand protruded from beneath her bedsheets, reaching for the source of the noise. It was a noise she had gotten used to not hearing after a year of silence, so the sound and her grogginess was a stark and painful reminder of the time she went to bed at. Kanade's hand swishes around her bedside, clawing at where she placed her clock before she went to bed.  It wasn't there. Before she hadn't the need for the clock, Kanade set her alarm clock by her bedside, and yet, it was gone..? Kanade drags her feet from beneath the covers, and in a half-asleep state of mind, begins searching her room from her station of comfort. She placed it on the complete other side of the room. With a sigh of annoyance and defeat, she pulls herself out of bed. "I probably left it here deliberately last night. I probably would have put this stupid thing on snooze if it was right next to me, anyways."

After making like a slug and slowly shuffling around her room for her belongings, she stepped foot outside her room, and was greeting by a surprise guest.

"Oh, Ms. Yoisaki! I thought you left the house?"

Ms. Mochizuki, Kanade's housekeeper for hire. Kanade has known Ms. Mochizuki ever since her father's collapse, when she was hired to help around the house on the weekends. She stood in the center of the kitchen, preheating the oven, greeting Kanade with a lightly shocked expression, but not an unwelcoming one. Adorning the island was an assortment of bowls containing all sorts of foods, presumably to be used for whatever she was cooking. Kanade and Ms. Mochizuki haven't really had much time to interact with one another, as Kanade was always sleep by 9am, and Ms. Mochizuki came over to clean and cook before noon. Ms. Mochizuki looked to be a year younger than Kanade, but was infinitely more experienced in life ventures than she ever was. Kanade was completely inept at cooking and taking care of herself, hence the need of a housekeeper to begin with.

"Hello, Ms. Mochizuki. You saw my note?"

"Yes, I was under the presumption you were off to sign up for a Guild! That took me by surprise, but it was a welcomed change. Have you been well?"

Ms. Mochizuki's curiosity took Kanade by slight surprise. Maybe it was consideration, considering Kanade leaving the house was so out of left field. Had Ms. Mochizuki always been kind to Kanade? She never had paid attention to the housekeeper, and yet, she wanted to know how she had been holding up. "How have I been?" Kanade repeated, as if to verify. She let the words marinate in her ears before processing the definition further. It has only been a single day since Kanade had decided to leave the house, and yet... this is the most alive she has felt since her father's diagnosis. But... was it wrong to feel so complete because of somebody you just met the night prior? It didn't feel right to her.

"Yeah, I've been well. I actually went to Weekend Garage yesterday. I signed up under an Adventurer Guild."

Kanade said that with an uncharacteristically large amount of pride, so much so even she noticed it. "As a matter of fact, I think I've found my first party member. I'm headed back to the Guild now to meet up with her."

Ms. Mochizuki's azure eyes glowed with pride, as if she was watching a baby kitten take its first steps. "That's wonderful, Kanade! I'm very happy for you!" She leaned in over the island table, arms crossed over one another. The ribbon of her necktie drooped down her forearms, almost as if to invite Kanade to lower her guard and enjoy a conversation. Ms. Mochizuki was very good at maintaining eye contact, even if Kanade herself found it difficult to reciprocate. "Here, take a seat, Kanade! Tell me a bit about her."

It would be extremely disrespectful to turn down the girl who has been taking care of Kanade for the past year. More so out of obligation than kindness, Kanade sat down in front of Ms. Mochizuki. "...What would you like to know about her?"

"Hm... How about, her name, and what class she's signed up under? That should be a good start!"

Kanade didn't want to let the thoughts that plagued her mind overnight spill out of her mouth. She best choose her words carefully.

"Her name is Mafuyu, Mafuyu Asahina. She's listed as a beginner sorceress, who prioritizes in ice and darkness magic. She's really kind, and she was trying to be a solo adventurer, but I asked her if she could work with me for a bit." Kanade felt herself almost slip into fangirl mode towards the latter of her sentence, but was snapped out of her trance when she saw Ms. Mochizuki's eyes widen.

"Asahina... By... By any chance, could she be related to The Violet Grip?"

The Violet Grip... Mafuyu's mother, right?

"Yeah, Mafuyu said that was her mother. Do you recognize the name?"

"O-Of course I do! Who wouldn't? She's a living legend, one of the greatest solos of the century!"

Kanade was staggered by Ms. Mochizuki's words. "When you say 'one of the greatest solos', can you... list an example? How good could she be?"

"This was long before either of us were born, but have you read up on The Silent War 20 or so years ago?"

The Silent War... Kanade hadn't read up on too much of the details out of a lack of interest, but she knew the surface level specifics. It was when a terrorist group of thieves attempted to destroy The Unreachable. The Kamiyama Kingdom deployed its strongest warriors to defend The Unreachable from these terrorists, but a few managed to reach the shimmering beauty in the sky. That's when The Unreachable began to pulse sending vicious shockwaves for miles. Each shockwave caused those in the immediate proximity to collapse, and those within 20 miles to go deaf for as little as 2 years to as many as 7 years. As a matter of fact, her mother had fallen ill to the latter's effect. Hence, why it was called The Silent War. A great number of veterans were deaf for a few years following the war.

"I know of it." Kanade announced.

"The Violet Grip was a solo who could rival even the strongest of guilds all by herself. As if she was blessed by a God, not a single sword struck her body, nor a single arrow pierced her skin. She got her nickname from how she fell one of the leading commanders of this terrorist group, a grip so violent the commander's face went purple."

O-Oh.

"Yeah..." Ms. Mochizuki seemingly wasn't finished singing the horrifying praises of Mafuyu's mother. "She excelled primarily in ice and darkness, similar to your friend, Mafuyu. She was able to freeze the air with her magic, and could create a stairway to The Unreachable. Isn't that terrifyingly impressive?"

"Y-Yeah..."

Mafuyu was related to somebody that scary? A war veteran who throttled necks? Even worse, by the way Mafuyu spoke of her, it seems as if The Violet Grip has high expectations of her... Is she trying to groom her into a successor? Another solo legend? Kanade felt her stomach turn 50 degrees. If she had eaten anything yet, she would certainly have a tough time keeping it down in this moment. What was this feeling? Frustration? Fear? Maybe... sympathy? Whatever it was, it made Kanade feel as if it was her responsibility to be by Mafuyu's side. Maybe she was lonely.

Kanade's face soured thinking about Mafuyu's mother. Ms. Mochizuki seemingly caught on, and tried to change the subject naturally. "But... I think it's good her mother is letting her branch out to join a party like this." If only you knew, Ms. Mochizuki. "What about you Kanade? Are you still working on your healing magic?"

Kanade perked up. She felt energized to talk about herself today. "Yes, actually. Admittedly, I haven't any field experience, but I do believe this will be one step further in saving my father. And... if not my father, perhaps I can save more than just him."

"That's pretty noble, Kanade." Ms. Mochizuki tilted her head to the side with a tender smile. "You seem to be very committed to saving people. Is that why you began studying healing magic as you have?" "Right. I want to make a difference to those around me. That's the legacy I want to leave behind."

Legacy...

Mafuyu's mother left a legacy of violence and fear. People know her for how good of a solo warrior she was, and how efficient she was in combat. But... Kanade? Kanade wanted nothing of the sort. She wanted to be remembered as someone who could save others. That's the legacy she wanted out of becoming an adventurer.

But... what kind of legacy does Mafuyu want out of being an adventurer?

Kanade remained in silence after mentioning her ideal legacy. She broke eye contact with Ms. Mochizuki to look at the ceiling as she does, to find the words to describe how she wants to help Mafuyu. Though, almost as if to read Kanade's mind, Ms. Mochizuki seemed to have given the answer Kanade was most looking for in that moment. "Maybe you can help find the answer Mafuyu is looking for?"

"Right..."

Kanade smiled.

"I would like to help Mafuyu discover what she truly wants."

Chapter Text

Colors of all variety illuminated a dense, mushroom ridden thicket, yet the light of the sun nor The Unreachable penetrated the woodlands. Massive fungi the width of garden sheds populated the forest as far as the eye could see, and the caps of the mushrooms covered the skyline like a firmament. It wouldn't take a brilliant eye to notice where these lights were coming from - the caps of the mushrooms. Pink, green, blue, yellow, white. These were the colors that coated the elven village of the Shinonome Clan. There was only a small population of 60 within this tightly knitted community, so everybody knew each other. The dreams of the population were just as intertwined, all wishing to benefit each other in some regard. They all wanted to rely on each other without help from the outside world. The Shinonome Clan was a sustainable community, entirely built on pride and trust. However, there was one who wished to step out from the shadows of the world she lived in. One person who didn't want to be another thread in the net, who wanted to follow her own dreams.

The steps to the living room were always a slow, strenuous torture to the young elf. If she just wanted to grab a snack, or if she were to go practice her form, she had to brace herself for who may be waiting for her downstairs. On a good day, nobody. She wouldn't need to explain where she was going, or who she was going to hang out with. The girl was easily irritated, so nobody getting in her business always felt great. That was liberating to her. But, there was always the alternative. Her father, the leader of the Shinonome Clan, could always be downstairs. Either preparing a meal, or simply recalling his glory days through articles of The Silent War.

Today was the latter.

When he came into the frame of her eyesight, she clicked her tongue against her teeth, grimacing and glancing to her left to avoid eye contact with him. She wasn't particularly fond of him. Shinei Shinonome was once the captain of a two-bit party gone three-bit, hired to fight on the Kamiyama Kingdom's behalf in The Silent War. He had warrior's blood that flamed through his veins, but that fire had simmered down as he grew older. Regardless, he was still the Shinonome Clan's pride and joy, a hero and protector through and through. Ena had always been the ire of expectations growing up, people believing she would take the reigns of the Shinonome Clan when she grew older, but like her brother before her, she had no interest. The young elf wanted to pursue the sword of her own volition, not for another's.

And it wasn't like her father believed she was capable of doing so, anyways.

He made sure to tell her that again and again during the two's training regiments, training which left Ena bruised and wounded nearly every time.

She tried to walk past the aging warrior without making eye contact, hoping he would simply ignore her. It wasn't outside the realm of possibility, neither of them ever really had anything they wanted to say to one another. Outside the connection of blood, there was nothing that tied the two together. She walked to a rack of blades put on display, where the elf typically hung her own sword, and drew the sheath off of the display. Turning around, she began to make her way to the front door without her eyes even glancing on her father's figure.

"Ena." The father called out to her. "Where are you going?"

Dammit. Ena had her hand on the doorknob, she was so close, and she was caught by the person she least wanted to talk to. She coldly replied to her father while keeping her back faced to him.

"Out."

"It's early in the morning, even for you. A little communication would be nice."

Ena paused, and cocked her head towards his general direction, but avoiding locking their eyes. She didn't want to give him the pleasure of facing him directly. Even so, she was able to take a good gaze upon him. The robes he had wrapped around him were awfully gaudy, the look in his eyes saturated with age and tire. Ena wasn't sure if this was genuine concern, or more of his typical lack of faith in her. There was no way it was the former, so it had to have been the second option.

"I'm going out to practice at the range. The usual illusion magic training arena. Can you get off my back?" What Ena was 'lacking' in swordsmanship, she made up for with the sharpness of her attitude. Her father exhaled deeply, before shaking his head. Ena's bullshit radar was going haywire - she knew something stupid was about to come out of his mouth.

"I don't want you taking over the clan. You don't want to take over the clan. If you wont defend your people, why do you train under the sword?" His eyes, while the fire may have sizzled out, could still reflect the ferocity of who he was when he was younger. Ena couldn't help but be frustrated at the question. She pinched the bridge of her nose, and titled her head downwards. She knew why she wanted nothing to do with the clan, how could her own father not? She had gone all her life being told she didn't have the potential to take the mantle, so why the hell is he so concerned?

"You told me I have no talent with this blade, the blade I picked up to become like you. And now you act like you care about what I'm doing with it?" Ena's father furrowed his brow. "Of course I care. I'm your father." He looked away from her. Though impossible to tell through her anger-tinted lenses, deep beneath the surface, her father's harsh critiques and words were nothing more than efforts to motivate. Of course Ena had the capacity to inherit the clan's mantle of a hero, he just had to appeal to her core. The world is no place for a half-heated hero. If he could convey that, if he could convey how he truly felt, perhaps the course of their relationship as father and daughter could be remedied. "The title of a hero is not one that is just given to you. People and monsters would devour those who aren't strong enough-" Ena slammed her fist against the door, startling the man she once called her hero with her unexpected outburst. "I don't want your title, and I want nothing to do with this village. As far as I care, the title will be the only thing you have left when you've become a dilapidated old man. Now, will you get off my back, and leave me alone?"

Ena's pointy ears ferociously twitched with rage, almost as if they were trying to make like wings and flutter away. She had never expressed that silent voice before, and hoped it would be enough for him to leave her alone. Her father's softened eyes stared blankly at the enraged elf, as if he could convey his response with the sorrow in his eyes alone, but that was not enough. He was terrible with words. The two sat in silence until Ena was absolutely sure he had nothing else to say, then she turned her back to him once more. She opened the door and slammed it behind her. The hero of the village was left standing in the darkness of his own home, with both of his children resenting him.

While Ena may have said she was off training, she had lied straight to his face. She had no real problem with doing so. Ena had plans to escape both the shadow of her father, and the shadow of her clan in one fell swoop - she was going to run away, like her brother before her. She was already 17. She can make her own damn decisions. If Akito could make it out from the net, why can't she? She wasn't entirely empty pocketed, though. She brought with her enough gold for a few nights at whatever inn she could crash at until she could make up some money, and a blade she bought many years ago. Ena, while she may have a prickly exterior, enjoyed the simple things, like naming whatever her weapons were. In particular, the sword bound to her waist was called "Hermit IX". She thought it sounded cool.

Ena continued walking down the path, glowing mushrooms illuminating the road ahead of her. The people she grew up alongside with waved to her. They greeted her, said hello, and she flashed them warm smiles and return their greetings with heartful waves. It was bittersweet. Ena had no plans on returning, yet the people around her were none the wiser. This could potentially be the last time Ena would see any of them. She tried not to let it get to her, she had bigger plans. She wanted to become an Adventurer, and she knew just the person who would follow her to the ends of the earth.

Ena found herself by the gates of her village. There wasn't a soul in sight. This was the perfect opportunity to leave. The perimeter was gated off by an enchantment, protecting the village from the creatures beyond, waiting for whoever they could get their hands on. She frequently stepped out of the village, but never strayed far from the gates. But now, when Ena would find the courage to leave, she would truly begin to put the skills she learned to the test. She inhaled deeply, letting the scent of the forest she had grown all too used to fill her lungs. She knew what she had to do. She closed her eyes, and took her first steps into the world she would call her new life.

She opened her eyes to the same world she closed them to, but it felt different.

This was a new beginning.

Without looking back, Ena nodded as if to reassure herself this was the correct decision. It wasn't like she had any doubt, but rather, it was a nod that she knew this was what she wanted to do. She continued to walk forward.

"Five... Four... Three... Two..."

Ena was counting as she walked. She was expecting someone.

"Ya-hoooo, Enanan!!~"

There was a familiar voice, followed by a familiar face hovering directly over her shoulder.

Ena turned to her affectionate friend. They had a knack for suddenly showing up unprecedented out of thin air, almost as if they were teleporting. However, it was like Ena could predict when Mizuki would appear before her. Ena liked having Mizuki around. Most people only wanted to be around Ena because she was the daughter of the famous Shinei Shinonome. Most people she thought were her friends were really only interested in meeting her father, but Mizuki? Mizuki would be around Ena from the moment she would step out from the village, and stay by her side until she returned. Mizuki was a true friend, even if Ena had no idea who they truly were. Mizuki didn't live in the village, nor refused to come in.

"I'm glad you made it, Mizuki." Ena couldn't help but smile at her friend's energy. Mizuki's light pink hair bobbed excitedly with their every step, their loose curly ponytail barely being held up by their ribbon. It was hard to feel nervous when somebody so positive was by her side.

"Is today the day? Are you finally gonna become an Adventurer?"

"Yeah. I told my dad off and what I thought of him. It was riveting... I finally feel... free, you know?" Ena shifted her eyes to the dirt beneath her feet as she walked. She was proud of herself. She felt as if for the first time the ground which she stepped on was her own shadow, rather than another's.

"Yeah, I think I understand! Ena, the Adventurer... Do you have a guild you're thinking of signing under? By the way, killer outfit, if I do say so myself. That sword looks so badass and totally compliments that kimono you got on!" Ahh, Mizuki. They have such a way with words.

"If I recall, the closest guild should be in Carnation Village. I think it's called the Weekend Garage?" ... That sounds about right.

Mizuki bobbed and pranced around Ena in bliss. They smiled over the confidence Ena was exuberating. "Personally? I can't wait to embark on this new life with you. Think about it, Ena and Mizuki, partners for life! They'll be singing legends of Ena the Elven Warrior and Mizuki the... the... Mizuki the Mizuki!"

Ena giggled. She was glad to have Mizuki on this new chapter in her life.

The two continued through the forest, chatting excitedly as the lights of the mushrooms fell behind them, and the warmth of the morning sun slowly began to take shape in front of them.

"Here comes the future, Mizuki."

Chapter Text

The bustling sounds of the village were an ensemble of instruments. The wheels of carriages, the bells of shops whistling, and the gongs of the old clock tower in the center of town created a melody that could only scream the average morning. Kanade remembered that her father was fond of the music of the world, but once he fell into his coma, Kanade couldn't bring herself to tune into the noise. But this time, it was different. Kanade walked through these streets with purpose. It was a newfound feeling, and she was unsure why. She set off on her own personal journey to further her talents and to save her father, but now? She had more in her sights than just her dad. She wanted to help Mafuyu, too. She wanted to help Mafuyu with whatever she was going through internally. Looking back to the pained, empty expression that was plastered on Mafuyu's face while she was talking about her mother made Kanade wince. She didn't want somebody as kind as Mafuyu to feel in such a way, if that was an emotion at all.

Kanade brought alongside her any necessities for a first time Adventurer. She had no doubt Mafuyu would come prepared as well, but Kanade had to prove she could pull her own weight somehow. Kanade traveled light, and her equipment was no exception. She brought alongside with her a few lesser healing potions that she herself had brewed, a small handbag to carry these potions, what little spending gold she had, and an old staff that her father carved. The staff itself had no real magic value, it was essentially just a nice, laminated stick. But while holding it, like the locket around her neck, it would serve to be a reminder to her as to what she was fighting for. The staff humbled Kanade. She never liked casting without a surrogate to flow the mana into. Miscasting spells and incantations is a relatively common occurrence for magicians and wizards, and with miscasting comes explosions. She would prefer for her hands not to explode if she said a word wrong, or failed to pronounce something correctly in the heat of the moment.

If her long, silver hair wasn't a dead giveaway, Kanade figured Mafuyu could probably find her from the clacking of her boots alone. She was confident that even those who had fallen deaf from The Unreachable's shockwaves could hear her from a mile away. The cleric deliberately chose a pair of boots that would make her look somewhat taller than she was next to Mafuyu, but the cost of height came those aforementioned extremely loud footsteps. It was a bit difficult to adjust to her new height at first, but she liked it. She wanted to show off a little bit for Mafuyu. She thought that, but her attire was virtually the same as it was yesterday, a similar sky blue off-shoulder sweater with a black tanktop underneath. While she wanted Mafuyu to be impressed with her appearance, she was hoping Mafuyu wouldn't think she was wearing the same clothes from yesterday, like some sort of slob. How would she explain she keeps duplicates of the exact same outfit in her wardrobe? If it's comfortable, it's comfortable.

Kanade reached the Weekend Garage. She could tell she arrived to the same place she did yesterday due to the number of people crowding the outside of the tavern, and the even larger amount of bodies populating the inside. The wooden smell of the building invaded the outside air, reminding Kanade of her little slip-up, where her hip meet the business end of that wooden table. As embarrassing as that was, it didn't matter in that moment. Kanade had already mulled that accident over in her mind again and again. "Should I wait out here..?" Kanade thought to herself. "Maybe Mafuyu is inside? She could be waiting for me by the bulletin board, or maybe at the table we spoke at yesterday..."

"Oh, Kanade!"

Kanade looked up to where she heard the voice come from. Mafuyu was eagerly waving her hand from an open window on the second story of the tavern. She was clearly keeping watch for Kanade, perched like a watchful eagle. She seemed to be happy to see Kanade. The sorceress was a flag blowing in the wind, beaming with a beautiful aura of elegance. If Mafuyu's eyes were a beacon, their light could pierce even the densest of fogs, and Kanade was entranced. Kanade couldn't help but feel her ears turn red with the thought that Mafuyu was waiting for her. "Up here! It's a lot less crowded on the second floor!" Kanade nodded to her to signal she was on her way, and pushed open the doors to the guild.

It was packed. Was it typically this crowded here? Maybe because it's a weekend, more people are spending their time accepting quests and adventuring. Kanade made sure to watch her step, but while doing so, took in the scenery. People crowded tables in the dimly light shack, their conversations brought to life with soul and drinks. In between herds of people, she could see lines that formed in front of receptionists in what she assumed to be a sort of... verification process to solidify a party under the Weekend Crew's name. She and Mafuyu hadn't officially become partners yet, but that would soon change. Kanade felt... oddly excited. There was the aspect of helping another, yes, but she was also excited to learn more about the sorceress. Everybody had their own reasons to be an Adventurer, but everybody was united under one roof and common goal - to make change. Kanade wanted to help change Mafuyu.

Kanade walked up the rickety wooden steps to the second floor of the Weekend Garage. The planks beneath her boots creaked with each step. They reminded her a slight of the door to her room, and the noise it would make with even the most delicate of touches. The cleric found levity with the familiarity, easing her excitement to be with Mafuyu. She wouldn't want to embarrass herself any further than yesterday's table bump incident. Reaching the top of the stairs, Kanade could easily assess Mafuyu was right about the second story. It was significantly less crowded here than down there. It felt more... cozy. The hustle and bustle of the downstairs contrasted the silence of the upstairs, almost as if silence were required for the potted plants lining the side of the room to grow. Directly across from Kanade was Mafuyu, sitting at a table lined in the center against the wall. There was a small window behind her, letting in the morning sun. The light shined off her hair, highlighting how pretty and meticulously made it was. Mafuyu was wearing an outfit similar to what she wore the night prior, just like the infatuated cleric. Black dress, purple hair tied back, her hat decorated with a ribbon that swayed to the side. When Mafuyu noticed Kanade, she beckoned her with a curl of her finger and a cock of her head. Kanade obliged, and began to calmly approach the purple haired enchantress.

"Hello, Mafuyu. I didn't keep you waiting, did I?" "Not at all, I'm glad you could make it!"

Hell yes.

"Oh, that's good. I was afraid I would be late, I'm not too used to waking up early." Kanade itched her cheek, sheepishly taking a seat across Mafuyu. The two girls now faced each other at this small table, the light kissing their skin. "I'm more of a night owl, than anything." The sorceress smiled. "My mother usually has me wake up pretty early, but I take naps during the day when she isn't around. I guess you could say I'm a little bit of both a night owl and an early bird? Though, I would like to apologize for picking a time that inconvenienced you, Kanade! I had no idea." Kanade couldn't help but think about the kindness Mafuyu shown at all times. "You know, if you really couldn't do 10am, we could've just chose another time. Something later." "Oh, no no! This is fine! I've been meaning to fix my sleep schedule, anyways. Some of the herbs I like to collect for my potions are best picked during the day."

Mafuyu's soft, purple eyes warmed up. She didn't seem it before, but it was as if she was less tense in this moment. It seems Mafuyu was interested in learning about Kanade, just as much as Kanade wanted to learn more about her.

"You didn't mention you brew potions! You've got a pretty diverse skillset." "N-Nah, I wouldn't say that." Kanade couldn't help but deflect the compliment. "The potion thing is just a hobby. I concentrate on healing magic, but I'm still trying to learn the ropes with brewery." The cleric recalled the lesser healing potions she had made, gently tucked away in her handbag. "Oh, take a look! I actually made these last night, since I was a bit restless." Kanade reached into the bag and pulled some of the vials out from it. "Lesser healing potions. I hate the taste of mushrooms, so I tried to subtract them out from the recipe and workshop a new one myself. These ones use strawberries." Mafuyu's attention turned to the vials. She picked one up, and swished it around with intrigue. "I can't recall the last time I needed to drink one of these... What do mushrooms taste like again?" Kanade put her elbow on the table, practically speaking with the movement of her hands. "They taste like sewage, I'm telling you."

Mafuyu giggled. "H-Have you tasted sewage before?" "Uh, no. It's a metaphor." The two girls laughed to themselves over the absurdity of the question. This is it, this is what Kanade wanted. Mafuyu brushed her ponytail to the side, her striking earring catching Kanade's attention. The light reflected off of it, somewhat blinding Kanade for a second before she moved her head. "Believe it or not, I'm actually taste-deaf. I wouldn't know what mushrooms or even sewage would taste like even if it was all I ate that day." "Really? Taste-deaf, that's a thing? Is it like, when you can't taste food?" "That's right." "I've never heard of something like that before! Weird..." It was evident Mafuyu was testing to see Kanade's reaction, and it seems as if she passed the check. It was hard to get a good read on Mafuyu, but Kanade wouldn't have it any other way. She wouldn't judge Mafuyu for whatever oddities she may have lying beneath the surface.

The two girls continued to chat and make small talk with one another. With each passing moment, Kanade metaphorically found herself closer and closer to Mafuyu. It was nice. Mafuyu was nice. She wanted to hold her soft hands again.

Mafuyu peered at a clock nailed to the wall. Her eyes shot open in disbelief, then she jolted her head back to Kanade. "Holy cow, take a look at the time! It's already been an hour!"

The two got so lost in one another that they totally forgot why they even came to the guild in the first place. "Huh, you're right... Time flies, huh?" "We should probably take a look at the board. That's where people post requests and calls for assistance for Adventurers to pick up." Kanade nodded her head. "Right, Ken let me know. Civilians just come here and post notices, right?" "That's right!" Mafuyu's praise made Kanade's heart flutter momentarily. "Let's head downstairs. I'm hoping all the good requests haven't been picked up yet, did you see how busy it was?" Mafuyu stood up from her seat, and patted down her dress. Following in her actions, Kanade picked up her staff which she had leaning against the wall, and stood up from her chair. A critical lack of vitamin D caused Kanade's head to spin momentarily, but her staff kept her supported. When her vision returned to normal, she saw Mafuyu waiting earnestly by her side. Though embarrassed at first, Kanade waved her hand to signal Mafuyu she was alright, and the two began to descend down the stairs.

The cleric and the sorceress reached the bulletin board in due time. The moshpit of Adventurers, civilians, and tavern-goers populated the guild, and made it hard to push through to their destination, but they were able to stick close to one another and make it to the board pinned to the wall. Kanade couldn't help but smile when she reached this board. This is where she met Mafuyu. "Shoot, looks like a lot of the quests have been taken and signed off already..." Mafuyu had already began flipping through documents and requests stapled to the board. "Mafuyu, would you like some help? I can look at the other side of the board." Kanade's purple haired friend turned to her with a smile and a nod to let her know that would be greatly appreciated, before turning back to the board. Kanade was more than happy to oblige. She wanted to help Mafuyu.

Kanade stepped besides Mafuyu, and the two began to read notices and documents together. Though she was a bit cramped next to Mafuyu and a kimono cladded girl, she didn't mind. Kanade's heart was set ablaze being so close to Mafuyu, and if it wasn't contained in her chest, she was confident the fire would burn down the Weekend Garage. She really liked being with Mafuyu, and had no idea why. Mafuyu was just... pleasant to be around. She reminded her of what it felt like to be in her mother's arms when she was younger. It was a feeling of comfort, of safety. Flipping through, she noticed a request by a civilian, asking to retrieve an herb that grew natively in a forest nearby. That should be an easy first quest. Just her and Mafuyu alone in a forest, looking for a flower. That seemed easy, and that seemed fun.

"Hey, Mafuyu! Take a look at this one!"

Kanade placed her hand on Mafuyu's shoulder to grab her attention, but when the two girls turned back around, the paper was already taken off the board by the elf girl with the kimono who stood beside her.

Chapter Text

Kanade stared dumbfoundedly at the elf girl in the kimono who stood next to her, who had seemingly not noticed she took the paper Kanade had been eyeing. Her stature and attire were out of place in a place as rowdy and burly as the Weekend Garage, but it seemed as if she didn't mind too much. To Kanade, the outfit the girl had on was clearly trying to send out a message, one of independence. The kimono and the headband she wore were both a shade of charcoal black, with the former having beautiful contrasting pink highlights going up the sleeves, and the latter resting firmly by her long pointy ears. She was clearly here for business, seeing as she was armed with a crimson red sheath attached to her waist. She looked to be very graceful, and yet... she took the paper right from Kanade's hand?

Kanade's meek voice escaped from her lungs. "H-Hey, um..."

The kimono girl didn't seem to hear, despite Kanade's anxious fidgeting right beside her. She was absorbed in a world of her own, having completely tuned out her surroundings. After all, she just ran away from home with her best friend. She needed to focus on kickstarting her new life. Kanade let out a breath of resignation, and turned to Mafuyu with a face of similar proportions. She shook her head, and resumed flipping through the papers on the board. "Oh well." She thought to herself. "I guess I'm not strong enough to talk to a complete stranger like that just yet. Why did I even try?"

"Excuse me, ma'am?" Kanade was caught completely off guard, like a startled stray cat. Entirely to her surprise, Mafuyu had reached over Kanade's shoulders in order to get the elf's attention. The swordwoman's ears lightly twitched before she turned to Mafuyu. With a side glance, she made it very clear Mafuyu had caught her attention. "My friend and I were just looking at that request, could we have that back?" Mafuyu to the rescue. Thank you Mafuyu. "Ah, pardon me. Sorry about that." Thankfully, the girl in the kimono seemed to understand. With a polite bow, she handed the paper to Mafuyu, and proceeded to look onward. The cleric turned to the apparent symbol of courage with her mouth slightly open in disbelief. Mafuyu closed her eyes, nodded as if to say "Don't mention it", and took Kanade's hand to pull her away from the crowd.

Hell yes. Kanade was going to savor this moment and think about Mafuyu's hand in great detail again.

From the moment their fingers interlocked, Kanade felt a great sense of security. Reassurance washed over her like a gentle tide caressing the beachside, and it was a feeling she wish she could experience forever. Kanade's breath began to hitch as the girl decorated with violet gripped her hand and led her between the jungle of bodies. It was as if Mafuyu was a conductor, guiding Kanade's every sense into a song of harmony. Her chest felt... full, like the void in her heart from countless loved ones leaving her life was satiated in this moment. "This feeling can't be replicated by anything else," she thought. It would be a complete understatement to say that Kanade really liked holding Mafuyu's hand. But why? Why did Mafuyu make her feel this way? There absolutely was more to these emotions than just a surface level observation, but where would she even begin to start analyzing them?

The moment Mafuyu let go of Kanade was the moment she snapped back to reality. Gravity returned to the silver haired cleric's body, and she plummeted back from the sky from which she was dreaming in. She had to take a quick gander at where she was at, as she was entirely clueless. The two of them were at a table half filled with other Adventurers. "Here, found us a spot." Kanade nodded her head, following Mafuyu as the two girls sat down besides one another to study the sheet they took.

QUEST TYPE: Retrieval
CLIENT: Ichika Hoshino
DETAILS: Locate a "Silent Royalty", an endangered herb with restoration properties that natively grows in the Forlorn Forest.
Recommended Party Size: 3+

The two girls turned to one another. Obviously, a retrieval quest would be as easy as a snatch-and-grab job. Not only that, but they were tasked with finding a healing herb. If Kanade could find two, she could not only complete the quest, but have a new ingredient to try and help her comatose father. This was a win-win situation. However, the factor that caught the both of their attention was "Recommended Party Size: 3+".

Mafuyu broke the silence. "Three, huh..." The purple sorceress turned to Kanade, an inquisitorial look in her eyes. "Do you know anybody else who may want to join us?" Kanade sucked the air through her teeth, crossing her arms. "Nope. I don't really know anybody outside of you and my housekeeper." "Then... we're at an impasse." Mafuyu rested her elbow on the table, propping her head up with the palm of her hand. "I may have some experience under my belt and some light training from my mother, but this'll be your first quest. If we run into any monsters, or heaven forbid any bandits, an extra person along with us would be helpful." Kanade, keeping her head stilted in place, turned her gaze skyward. "Yeah, you're right. Should we look for another quest?" "No, no. This should be great experience for your first time!" Kanade felt her face slightly flush with that sentence, but caught herself in a nick of time, resuming her neutral expression. "We should just look for another person, somebody who might be alone, or looking for a party themselves." "Do you know where to start?" "The bulletin board, of course. That's where we were looking." Mafuyu confidently stands up, and pushes her stool in. "Maybe the elf we saw earlier would like to accompany us?"

Kanade recoiled at the suggestion of meeting the stranger, and turned her gaze towards her own lap. She was intimidating. Her graceful yet rough exterior imposed over the girl like a mountain, even with her boots on. Mafuyu, seemingly noticing Kanade's hesitance, began trying to reassure her that bringing the elf along wouldn't be so bad. "If you're nervous around her, you can stick by my side. Is that alright?" Kanade reluctantly glanced up at Mafuyu's comforting eyes. They were pools of amethyst, and Kanade was drowning. "A-Alright." "Perfect! I'll just..." Mafuyu looked around for the elf, to no avail. She disappeared into the crowd. "Kanade, will you stay here? I'm going to look for her." Kanade nodded. "I'll wait for you, don't be long. Someone might take your seat." That was the least of Kanade's worries. In reality, she just wanted to spend more time with Mafuyu. "Alright, I'll make it quick, K!" Kanade wanted to reach out to her friend as she bobbed through the crowd, until her signature purple ponytail disappeared into the mass.

The cleric fidgeted in her chair in silence as she waited. There were far too many people here for her liking, and her social tolerance had always been comically low. If anybody spoke to her, she would probably combust on the spot. She didn't want to be alone. Mafuyu made the tidal wave of people feel nothing more than a ripple in a lake, but without her, Kanade was struggling to stay afloat. She sat alone for a minute, before putting her head down on the table. People were on every side of her, including at the table she was at. But where else would she try and recharge? It was the only thing she could do. "This sucks." "I want to go home." Another minute passed until she rolled her head over to her right to see a familiar body sitting right next to her - the elf with the sword.

Kanade shot straight up, catching the eye of the warrior. "Oh, you again. Hello."

"A-Ah, um... hello..."

Kanade was unbelievably awkward, and she recognized that about herself. What was she supposed to say? "Hey, my friend and I want to know if you want to join our party. Are you interested?" That was harder than it sounded for Kanade. A year of social isolation does wonders for one's ability to speak, and not for the better. She began to sweat as the girl turned back around, placing her hands in her lap. She didn't seem to be talking to any of the people around her. Is she waiting for someone? Could she be a solo? Kanade had no idea how long Mafuyu would be gone for, so she knew she had to say something to the intimidating stranger. It's what Mafuyu would want of her, right?

What Mafuyu would want...

Mafuyu had no problem talking to strangers. From the moment the two met, she lent her hand out to Kanade to lift her from the ground. She could arrange a meeting like this, and could empathize with a stranger who she met the very night of. She was able to confront the very elf sitting besides her, and that went well. Kimono girl was kind. Could Kanade trust her? Could she try and talk to this dignified swordswoman?

"Heyyy, Ena! I got the cider you wanted!"

The elf turned her head to somebody holding two cups of (presumably) cider, and took a seat next to her. They were a stark contrast to the girl Kanade had been mustering up the courage to speak to. While the elf was dignified, stoic, and quiet, the person with their hair tied in a loose, curly pony tail seemed more of a wildcard, loose canon sort of person. Oddly enough, the presence of this pink haired enigma soothed Kanade a slight.

"Thanks Mizuki." The person called Mizuki leaned away from the table, gazing right at Kanade. "Who's your friend with the long hair?" The cleric jolted at the direct callout. She felt her stomach sink, almost as if an earthquake had swallowed her whole. "Are they talking about me?!" She thought to herself. Kanade's legs trembled, as if her body was fighting with her mind to bolt away from the confrontation. Her instincts were shouting at her to leave, but her head told her to stay for Mafuyu. That's what Mafuyu would want. Ena, the elf girl, took a sip of her cider, and shook her head. "I don't know her." Phew... "Oh, gotchya. Anyways, did you decide on a quest yet?" From the looks of it, Ena and Mizuki were already in a party together. Kanade figured she could tune out of the conversation, now that she knew her answer. She took a slight glance at Mizuki to gauge them, and to see how the two partners conflicted one another. Mizuki wore a disheveled white blouse, defined by the pink highlights in the center where one would button up the shirt. They wore a lengthy ribbon that tied their curly hair into one long ponytail kept to the side, and it was sloppily made at that. Kanade couldn't help but feel comforted in the sheer duality of the two partners. Ena was dignified, while Mizuki clearly wore what Mizuki wanted.

Ena shook her head. "There was this one quest I saw that I figured we could do together, but somebody else got to it first. We were to retrieve some herb called a 'Silent Royalty'." "That sounds easy enough!" Chirped Mizuki. "What say you and I go get it anyways?" Ena shot her a look as if to say "Are you serious?" "Are you serious?" Ena retaliated. "If we don't confirm it with the staff, we don't get paid for the job." "Ohh. Can you tell that I haven't done my research on this guild stuff?" "Mizuki, that was the one thing I asked of you to do." Mizuki raised their hands behind their head and leaned back in their stool. "I lived in a forest with no books, I can't read up on anything!" Silence broke between the two, before Ena turned back around. "Fair enough." She took a sip of her cider.

Kanade glanced over at Ena once more. "Ena wanted the Silent Royalty job, too... And... the both of them are in need for partners... We could work together, can't we?"

"H-Hey... Ena, right..?"

Ena turned to the quivering girl. "Yes, how can I help you?"

"W-We met a few minutes ago. Err, s-sort of met. You took that Silent Royalty request out from my hands, and my friend asked for it back. Do you remember?" Mizuki put their hand in front of their mouth, with a snarky "Ooooooh!~ You stole from this poor girl, Enanan?" Ena's ears twitched with annoyance, but her face reflected none of that emotion. "Oh, yes. Sorry about that." This was it. This was Kanade's chance to prove herself to Mafuyu. She cleared her throat quietly, and tried to swallow the fear lodged in the back of her throat. "I-I'm Kanade. Kanade Yoisaki. I'm a cleric." Kanade had difficulty making eye contact with the girl before her, so she quickly adverted her eyes to the page that was stapled to the bulletin board. "I actually have that Silent Royalty quest page right here with me. Would you like to form a party with me and my friend?"

Victory. Kanade talked to a stranger. She felt so extremely accomplished with herself in that moment, she could barely hide it. All that remained was the answer.

Ena and Mizuki exchanged glances, as if a conversation was being had through a telekinetic link. After a moment, Mizuki shot a thumbs up to Ena, and Ena turned around. "There will be four of us, correct? Isn't that only 25% of the payment?" "Y-Yes. But, while some of the reward money is provided by the client, a majority of it is from the guild. We'll still be making a good amount of money, especially if we s-stick together." Mizuki tilts their head, following with "Stick together? Like, you want to stay a party with strangers you just met?" Kanade had no idea how to respond, but she knew she had to force something out. "W-Why not? Might be fun." Those five words just... flew out of her mouth before she even had time to process them.

Ena nods her head. "Alright. That works with me." Kanade was in disbelief. Said disbelief was a concoction of Ena's response, and her newfound confidence to talk to someone like Ena. "Y-You mean it?" "Sure. We're new in town, and we'll need a guide to show us around. You think you can help us?" "Yes, that's fine with me! I look forward to working with you..." Kanade led on as if to ask for the two's last names and their classes, but only Mizuki responded with the former. "I'm Ena. I'm a swordsman. Nice to meet you." "And I'm Mizuki Akiyama! I just kinda do my own thing." That's... reassuring. Thanks, Mizuki.

"Kanade, you did great!"

Kanade swished her head around, and to her surprise, Mafuyu was watching from a close distance. How relieving. Kanade couldn't help but let out a smile. "I was watching from a ways away, but I'm glad things went along so well!" Kanade's heightened nerves lowered deeper than a ravine with the sound of Mafuyu's voice, and even deeper as she approached the three. "It's good to meet you, Ena, Mizuki. I'm Mafuyu Asahina, Kanade's partner." Mafuyu brushed her hair away from her face so she could look at her new party members a bit closer. "Kanade is still pretty new to this whole thing, so she's been a bit nervous. Are you okay, K?" "Y-Yes, I'm fine." "It's our first times, too!" Mizuki exclaimed, practically falling off their stool. "We're looking to move here!" "Oh, is that so? Then, I look forward to working with you two!" The tone in Mafuyu's voice was as kind as ever, but the tone seemed irrelevant to Ena. Ena's eyes were wide, and she looked like she had seen a ghost. She seemed physically unwell.

"Asahina... Like... The Violet Grip, Asahina?"

Chapter Text

Those words were all it took for the light in Mafuyu's eyes to dilute into an empty vat of purple, every facet of every expression shifting. The only constant was the usual smile on her face. Nothing about it changed. Kanade nervously glanced at Mafuyu to gauge her reaction, and it was clear she did not wish to think about her mother more than she had to. If what Ms. Mochizuki said about The Violet Grip was true, Kanade could see why any discussion of her would make her uncomfortable. She clearly only really wanted to talk about her mom when she had to, and yet...

"Ah, you know of The Grip's exploits during the war? I'm her daughter, I apologize for not letting you know sooner!" Mafuyu forcibly softens her eyes, clearly feigning an apologetic response. "Hopefully that doesn't get in the way, I wouldn't want to alienate anybody." Kanade was shaken up by the purple sorceress's word choice. "Alienate..?"  Why would a connection to The Grip turn people away from her daughter? Mafuyu was clearly her own person. How bad could The Violet Grip truly have been?

Mizuki was clearly in the same camp as Kanade. They somehow showed less awareness than Kanade about the topic, side glancing Kanade, then back to Ena, then Kanade, then Ena again.

"No, it's not that you alienate me." Started Ena. "It's more so... the fact The Violet Grip's daughter is at a guild, such as this... looking for a party no less." Ena was clearly put aback by Mafuyu's heritage, but quickly steeled herself better than Mafuyu could. She softened her eyes, and color returned to her face. "I just figured someone like your mother would try and raise you to be a solo as well." "Yes, well... I just decided to try something new for a little while. My solo experience will resume another time." Mizuki quickly whipped their gaze to Mafuyu, following with a "Whaaaaat? You mean you won't be sticking around for long?" The sudden and unexpected groaning knocked Mafuyu back to her usual self, as she giggled into her fist. "We'll see how it goes, Mizuki." Kanade noticed Mafuyu's answer was seemingly enough to satiate them, as Mizuki puffed out their cheek, crossed their arms, and nodded a sign of respect. Mizuki proceeds to take the first sip of the cider they brought for themself five minutes ago.

Ena was the first to stand from her stool, pushing it in. "Then, now that we know one another a bit, should we proceed with the registration?" Kanade was next, following Ena's behavior. "Yes, let's do that. Would any of you know where to start?" Mizuki was the last to stand, not bothering to push in their stool. "When I was asking around for where to pay, I thiiiink..." They pointed their hand out, surveying the sea of people. "I think that line is where we're supposed to wait." "Alright, then." Ena extended her hand out to Kanade with a confident smile. She glanced down at the hand before making eye contact with Ena, taking her grasp. "Partners now!" Smiled Ena. Ena's grasp was unexpectedly firm and strong, and yet... it was nowhere near as riveting as when Mafuyu would hold Kanade's hand. Ena let go, and approached Mafuyu. Mafuyu was the one to extend her hand out, as she gripped Ena's for a similar handshake.

From there on out, the four of them were a team.

Mizuki led the way to the specific line they were supposed to wait in, but Kanade was only halfway sure they even knew where they were going. They did eventually find themselves to their destination, but took notice that it was going to be a lengthy wait. No doubt due to how packed the Weekend Garage was today. It wouldn't have been this bad if they were to come on a weekday. Trying to make small talk, Kanade turned to her partners with a question that had been on her mind. "What should we say when we're up at the desk? What do they ask?" "Well..." Mafuyu sets her elbow on her left palm, touching her chin with her right. "Usually, they ask if you're a registered party already. If not, they ask for our names, where our places of residence are, and what we would like our group to be called." Mizuki's hand shot up. "Question!" "I may have an answer. Yes Mizuki?" "Ena and I don't have a home. Can we write down your address for our residence?" Mafuyu's expression went cold to an almost comical degree. "Absolutely not." "Okay! Kanade, can we write down your address for our residence?" "O-Oh, yeah, sure."

Almost as quickly as it shifted, Mafuyu's demeanor returned to its typical splendor. "So, uh, what's this about not having a home? Are you guys okay?" Ena cleared her throat, stepping in and assuming the reigns of the conversation. "Mizuki and I have been childhood friends for quite some time. I decided to run away from home, and Mizuki followed. That's why we're looking for a party and a place to stay." Kanade thought to herself "That makes sense", but accidentally let the words slip. Capturing the gaze of her three partners, she decided to play off it, continuing her train of thought. "We all have our own reasons for this Adventurer stuff." Ena smiled. Her smile was nice, but it wasn't as captivating as Mafuyu's, for some reason. "What about you, Kanade? Mafuyu said you were new to Guilds, just like us. Why did you want to sign up?"

Kanade wasn't prepared to tell anybody else her reason for coming out of her shell. She just made the courage to speak up, but now her two new partners want to know something personal? She wasn't ready to let anybody else in just yet. A little white lie was appropriate for this moment, right? A half-truth. Speaking up, the words she caught were "I signed up because I was short on cash." The silver haired cleric thought that was convincing enough, and Ena seemed to had bought it as well. Kanade did only leave the house for spending gold, she just purposely omitted the comatose father and the bizarre feelings she had for Mafuyu. Wouldn't hurt anybody.

The line moved up a little bit. "And you? What about you, Mafuyu?" Mafuyu's rested hand slipped from her chin, but she quickly pulled it to her side. "Me?" Ena was probing into Mafuyu's life again, but the purple haired sorceress seemed well-adjusted to the elf's curiosity at this point. "My mother told me I would be best suited as a solo, like her. She said we come from a long lineage of powerful magic, and she wants me to withhold that tradition." There it was again, her mom. Kanade felt her stomach twist. She couldn't help but subtlety grimace at how much of an influence Mafuyu's mother had over her daughter. Kanade jerked her head to Mafuyu, her hair whipping with the speed which she turned. She had no time to look skyward for words, as she already knew what she wanted to tell her friend. "You say your mother wants you to become a solo, but is that what you want to do?" Kanade, with perfect clarity, looked into Mafuyu's eyes. She blinked slowly, as if to process the question Kanade had just asked. Had Mafuyu really not thought of what she herself wanted to do? How long has she been taking orders from her mom like this? She slowly opened her mouth, as if to say something, but just closed it when no sounds come out.

Mafuyu's gaze didn't leave Kanade's, either. She was a startled deer gazing down the business end of a hunter's crossbow. She was caught into a question she had no idea how to answer, and Kanade could tell something akin to fear was building up in her friend. The two girls had no idea how to proceed with the line of topic, so they silently looked at each other. Mizuki was the one to break the ice. "Well, Mafuyu. Would you like to inherit your mom's title?" Mafuyu broke eye contact, to emptily glance to Mizuki. "My mom's title?" "You know. The Violet Grip." They placed their finger to their cheek, reaffirming what Mafuyu hadn't understood. "I don't know much about The Grip, or even the Silent War, but it sounds important. Ena didn't wanna take her dad's title, so what about you?" Ena was clearly unhappy with the sudden invasion of privacy, but ultimately let Mafuyu respond. "I don't know about taking her title. I don't want to be known as a Gripper."

Neither did Kanade.

Kanade wanted to help people.

Did Mafuyu want to help people, too?

How much of Mafuyu's decisions are her own?

Mafuyu shook her head, and came back to meet everybody's eyes with a smile and a refreshed look across her face. "So, everybody... What should we name our party? That's gonna be one of the questions the recruiter asks us."

The line moved up a little bit. Kanade knew the discussion prior was an important one, but she seemed to be finished with that topic. Kanade was happy her friend was able to open up, even if by a little bit. Something about her mom was clearly tearing her up inside, she just needed to put it to words. But this was neither the time, nor the place to do so. Mafuyu's three party members had a silent, wordless agreement to not pursue the topic any further, and began to think in unison for a suitable name. "Ah, got it." Mizuki snaps their fingers, catching the ire of their party. "Mizuki and Friends." "No." The bluntness of Ena's response was enough for Kanade to crack up. Ena was up next for a shot at the name. "How about... Another Day." Mizuki crossed their arms and leaned on their friend, groaning with a "That's super corny. Mine was better." "No it wasn't!" Kanade looked to Mafuyu with her own suggestion. She thought of it the other day, but didn't have the chance to bring it up until this moment. "How about... Silver Snow?" Mafuyu tilted her head. "Silver Snow?" Kanade nodded, confiding with Mafuyu. "I thought of this name yesterday night, so I haven't adjusted it with Mizuki and Ena here... But, it's supposed to represent us. Silver, like my hair, and snow, like your old nickname."

Mafuyu's eyes, which had only been pools of kindness or emptiness beforehand, shifted to another expression - one the cleric hadn't seen up to this point. Her eyes reflected... impact. The purple sorceress gripped the collar on her dress, blinking twice at Kanade's suggestion. It was for a brief moment, but Kanade could tell Mafuyu was moved. Maybe she was reaching, but in that moment, she could've sworn Mafuyu's ears flushed. But as soon as the sudden display of emotion was, she set her arms to her side once more, and laughed. Mafuyu returned to normal.

"I would be on board with that, but there's more of us now. A name that reflects just the two of us sounds selfish, does it not? We should include our new partners as well." "O-Oh, right. Suppose so. Just wanted to get that off my chest." Kanade sighed, looking down at her boots, still as clackity and tall as ever. Had Mafuyu even noticed the height difference from yesterday? Were Kanade's strange feelings reaching Mafuyu? She had no idea.

Ena raised a finger to chest-level, clearly about to propose her own idea. "If you'd like it to include us, I have an idea. How about 'Niigo'?" "Niigo?" Mizuki curiously turned their head to Ena. "Niigo means twenty-five, right?" Ena nodded. "That's right. If our cut is split 25% between us four, and we're looking for a name to include each one of us, wouldn't Niigo work?" Mafuyu put in some thought, before concluding with "I think Niigo is fine. It suits us!" Clearly one of the four thought otherwise, though."Being driven by monetary gain drives us? That's lame." Mizuki narrowed their eyes to the three girls. "Raise your hand if you think Mizuki and Friends is a cooler name." Unsurprisingly, Mizuki was the only one who raised their hand. Kanade pitched her hat into the ring next, with "Raise your hand if Niigo works." Also unsurprisingly, Mizuki was the only one who abstained from the vote.

The four were finally at the front of the line, and awaiting them was Ken's familiar and welcoming smile. "Kanade! It's good to see you again!" "Oh, hello Ken!"

Ken was quick to notice Kanade's new, friendlier side, which was a stark contrast from the girl he met in the corner just yesterday. And accompanying this new personality, three new friends. "Oh, you actually went and did it, girlie! You got yourself a party?" "Yes, I did. We've been getting along just fine." "That's great to hear!" Kanade couldn't help but feel good from Ken's overwhelming praise. Kanade was hatching from her egg, little by little, and she was aware of it. It was all thanks to Mafuyu. Cracks have begun to form on the eggshell. "So, I know Kanade and Mafuyu. The both of them have already signed up to be Adventurers, but what about you two? Ribbons and Kimono?" 'Ribbons' responded straight away, with the energy of a thunder spell. "I'm Mizuki Akiyama! I'm a Ranger, and you can just write my address down as Kanade's." Come to think of it, Mizuki hadn't spoken about themselves or their past in too much detail yet. Kanade was a bit surprised to hear Mizuki say they were a ranger, but knew she shouldn't show surprise. "Mizuki... Ranger... Kanade's address... Do you two live together, or is this a temporary arrangement?" "Temporary!" Mizuki chirped back. "Gotchya... And you, kimono?" "I am Ena, swordsman. I am also staying with Kanade under temporary arrangements." Ken lifted his pen from paper to look to 'Kimono'. "Do you have a last name?" Ena's ears twitched a little bit, but shook her head. She seemed relieved to do so. "No last name, I'm just Ena."

Ken finished filling out Mizuki and Ena's sheets, and he turned to face the entire party. "All of you are officially recruited under the Weekend Crew. Have you all decided on a party name yet?" Mizuki opened their mouth to respond, but the only thing that came out from them was a yelp. Ena had stomped her own shoe against Mizuki's, clearly to silence them from the 'Mizuki and Friends' name. Ena, as Mizuki's proxy, answered Ken's question. "We decided with Niigo. "Niigo it is! Welcome aboard, Niigo!"

Kanade pulled the quest sheet out from her handbag, where she had been keeping it during the wait in line. "This quest, for a Silent Royalty... We want this to be our first mission together." Ken picked it up, glancing at it. "I see, the Forlorn Forest, hm? There's some monsters out there, but with four of you, things should be okay." Kanade knew to expect monsters, but it still intimidated her a bit. "I'm obligated on the behalf of the entire guild to let you know, once a quest is accepted, you'll have 24 hours before we send a group of people out to look for you. That'll be docked from your payment, and it may even charge you if you fail the mission. Do you all understand?" The girls (and Mizuki) nod their heads in understanding.

The idea of being in the woods with monsters made Kanade nervous, and she couldn't help but tremble a little. She's lived her whole life in Carnation Village, and never truly had a run in with any real monsters. But just as soon as the jitters started, Mafuyu rested her hand on Kanade's shoulder, and her nerves were quelled. Mafuyu was looking out for Kanade, and the very thought of it made her heart skip a beat. When Ken got the response he was looking for, he smiled once more, and continued with his mandatory, routine speech. "Your client is one Ichika Hoshino, a girl a year your junior. She's going to be waiting for you at the local infirmary, where she'll sort the details of your quest from there. If you want to cancel the quest, be sure to report to us before the 24 hours is up, got it?"

Everybody nodded once more, as if it was routine. The four were ready to tackle their first mission together.

"Then... it's set! Get that Silent Royalty, Niigo! Get to it!"

The four stepped out of the Weekend Garage together, the sun blinding them all as the scent of an unexplored world surrounds them. The sky was cloudless, a canvas coated in blue. It was the perfect day in a busy market village like this one. Mizuki took the first steps in front of the group, turning with a smile just as, if not stronger than the rays of the sun. It was a pleasantly warm smile, egging everybody to keep walking together. This would be their first quest of many, a beginning to a new future. Anxiety of staring into the unknown was present, of course, but just as anxiety had filled their hearts, optimism was on the other side of the same coin. The four were ready to tackle this journey head on, and learn to trust one another.

Kanade, of course, was excited.

What she was dreading, however, was the fact the infirmary Ms. Hoshino was waiting for them at, was the very same infirmary her father was residing.

Chapter Text

They say that nothing in this world is certain, but death and taxes. Kanade, however, would argue a third: incredibly awkward situations. The infirmary was a place Kanade had grown all too familiar with. She would visit her father once a week without fail since he had fallen ill, so it was practically guaranteed she was going to be recognized by the receptionist at the front door. It was an inevitability, she knew she would have to open up to Ena and Mizuki sooner than she hoped. The infirmary the four had found themselves directed to was a two story building, decorated by flowers of many colors all around the perimeter. The walls were built on a foundation of brick, rising from the ground in stone. Two small fountains lie in front of the party, stray droplets dissipating into the air, and some lightly touching their skin. To the others, the exterior may have felt sterile and bleached of imperfection, a building of profession, but to the silver haired cleric, the scenery felt organic. She was accustomed to it all. How could she not when she came here so often? Kanade clutched the pendent drooped down her neck, looking down to her boots. Should she stop by to see her father? She was already here, after all. What kind of daughter goes to the infirmary her father is residing at, and wouldn't say hi?

"So, we're supposed to look for an Ichika Hoshino here, yes?" Mafuyu looked to her party as she asked, clearly knowing who they were there for. Kanade just assumed she asked the party to make sure they all knew. While Kanade and Mizuki nodded their heads, Ena took a few steps ahead, taking in the sights. She bent her knees into a crouch as she delicately held one of the flowers by its stem, caressing the petals. Turning to the rest of Niigo with a smile, she asked "Do you think anybody would care if I took one?" "Eh, go ahead! Not our infirmary." Mizuki said with a smug, half-joking half-serious tone. Ena shifted her sight back to the flower she was holding. "The infirmaries back in the clan I grew up in were nothing like this. They were small, rather shabby places that made me and my friends feel grim as we passed by." Mafuyu, while interested in the rest of what Ena had to say, followed with "I think most infirmaries make everybody feel that way." Ena furrowed her brow. "I guess. But the air around that place just felt... sadder. I don't feel that way with this one." Mizuki smiles. "Perhaps it's the weather? We never did see much sunlight in the forest." "Maybe..."

With that, Kanade began to walk forward to their meeting point with Ms. Hoshino. The clacking of her boots caught everyone's attention, acting in place of a verbal reminder to continue on, and the other three followed in pursuit. Despite Kanade's head-start, Mafuyu caught up quickly. She went ahead of Kanade, and held the door open for the three. As Kanade stepped through the oh-so familiar doors, she was hit with a wave of uncertainty. "Is this quest even worth it?" Her mind began overworking. 25% isn't a lot, like Ena said earlier. If she got called out, would it be respectful to show her new friends her father? Perhaps it was the cold environment of the infirmary that had her nerves tense up, the sound of her footsteps ringing even louder with the marble flooring beneath her. She was tense, her shoulders stiff, like she was left out in the cold.

The four reached the receptionist behind the counter. Kanade was familiar with her, and the same applied to the woman behind the counter as well. The two have had exchanges like clockwork every time she would visit her father, so she knew exactly what was coming. "Hello, Kanade!" Kanade stiffly nodded a greeting to the lady, no words escaping her breath. "I see you've brought some friends with you, this time. That's a first!" Ena turned to Kanade, but she made sure nobody had a second to interject. "We're actually here looking for a guest under the name of Ichika Hoshino, would you happen to know where she may be?" The receptionist was taken aback. This was the first time Kanade came here to visit somebody besides her father, and it was especially strange considering the person she was looking for was a visitor, not a patient. "Are you friends with Ms. Tenma?" "No, but Ms. Hoshino put out a quest at the Weekend Garage, and she told us to meet her here." "I see..." The receptionist wrote down something on a sheet of paper, then pointed down the hallway to Kanade's left. "That'll be room 106. You all have good luck with your quest!" She bowed her head, and Ena reciprocated out of respect, following with an equally respectful "Thank you very much."

The four reached room 106 without a word. It would've been disrespectful to have been loud in a place such as this, so they kept it to a minimum. Mizuki took the initiative and knocked on the door. They shifted their weight to one side of their body, and turned their head over their shoulder. "And now, we wait." Almost immediately after they spoke, the door slowly creaked open, and out popped a young girl with blue eyes. She seemed to be younger than the party, seeing as she was around Kanade's height (even with her boots on). She wore her lengthy black hair loose, hair which contrasted her sleeveless white blouse like night and day. She glanced Mizuki from their shoes up to their ribbon, and paused to look at the rest of Niigo, clearly evaluating them one by one. She opened the rest of door to greet them all properly, but it was evident to see she was uncomfortable. "You... must be the party who accepted the request, right?" Ms. Hoshino's quaking voice was as confident as her body language.

Mafuyu nodded her head taking charge of the exchange, seeing as she had prior experience with quests. "That's right. We're Niigo, it's good to make your acquaintance, Ms. Hoshino." "O-Oh, please." Ichika let out a bashful sigh, as if to let out tension she had kept within her lungs.  "Just call me Ichika... You're all older than me, anyways. Here, come inside." The four took up Ichika's request, stepping inside the infirmary room. The interior was nearly identical to the room her father had been residing in, but with the tables and chairs being in slightly different positions. The view from the window showed a row of flowers that expanded nearly out to the horizon, the variety of the flowers meeting the beauty of the sky.

Ichika led the party to a golden haired, bedridden girl gazing out the window. Her back was turned to the party, as if she hadn't even noticed people came in, but Kanade was sure she would have noticed Mizuki's knocks. Ichika gently takes a seat on the bed besides the girl in the infirmary gown, and places her hand on her shoulder. "Saki... I have some Adventurers here for us..." Saki, which Kanade presumed was her name, tries to lift her trembling hand up, and Ichika takes it. The bedridden girl then turns towards Niigo, and the party were instantly taken aback by the catastrophic state which she was in. The color of Saki's skin had clearly turned to an off-shade goldenrod yellow, almost like a decomposing corpse's. The pupils of her eyes were also all sorts of disturbing, having dilated to the point where her pink irises were barely even visible. Staring into Saki's eyes, you were looking into a void of predominately black. Mizuki couldn't help but grimace and suck the air through their teeth, while Ena covered her mouth, but failed to hide the shock in her widened eyes. Mafuyu and Kanade were the only two who remained composure at the sight of the poor, dilapidated girl.

"This is Saki, my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Kanade couldn't help but let that one slip.

Ichika placed Saki's hand on her own lap, and faces towards the party, her azure eyes filled with desperation. "Saki hasn't had any issues in the past, especially none to this degree." She lowers her gaze to Saki's waist. "She returned from a trip visiting her brother in the Biei district, and a few days later, she suddenly collapsed. The doctors don't know what happened, but they think she must have been pricked by a poisonous flower, or infected by some sort of curse." Mafuyu's hand raises, her thumb to her cheek and the index to her chin. Something Ichika said had clearly caught her curiosity. "Brother in the Biei district? That's to the Southwest of Kamiyama, correct?" "Right. He and his party do performances in that area, and sometimes for the royal family. But none of them practice in any shaman arts, so I don't see any of them as a likely source." Mafuyu nodded her head, her intrigue being satiated. "I see..." "Since her illness, she's been getting worse and worse by the day. Just yesterday, she's lost the interest to even speak..." Ichika's voice begins to falter, tears swelling in her eyes. "And I... don't want her to lose anymore of herself..." Kanade noticed Ichika's shoulders beginning to quiver. She was clearly trying to keep a lot inside. "I... don't want to lose her..."

Kanade knows what loss feels like. She's lost her mom. She's almost lost her dad. But this kind of fear was a fear she had yet to understand, a fear she couldn't put herself in immediately. The fear of losing a significant other. Kanade hadn't had a partner in her 17 years of life, nor had she really cared about finding one up to this point. She could just be by herself and focus on her brewery and magic, there was no need for anybody else to distract her, and yet...

Kanade glances to Mafuyu.

"Is that what this feeling is?"

Ena slowly approaches the trembling black haired girl, and puts her hand on her shoulder. She bent over to make their eye contact leveled, and once she caught Ichika's attention, she smiled. "We're going to get you that Silent Royalty, alright?" It seemed as if Ena's compassion was enough for Ichika's tear filled eyes finally give in, as she started quietly sobbing. "If you think this rare herb will help save Saki, we'll get it." Mizuki bobbed their head to agree, their positive energy lighting the already sun-filled room ever-so-slightly. "We'll be back before you even know it!"

The four stayed by Saki and Ichika's side, as the latter's cries echoed in the small infirmary. Even Saki tried her best in her wordless, physically inept state to hold Ichika.

The four stepped out of Saki's room, turning to one another. Mizuki broke the silence in a hushed voice, saying "This herb is supposedly endangered, right? Have any of you even seen one before?" The three girls Mizuki directed their question to exchanged nervous looks at one another.

With a slight, somewhat lightly-strung tone in her voice, Mafuyu speaks up. "I'm sure we'll find it before nightfall."

Chapter Text

The trail leading to the outskirts of the village was a beautiful sight for the reserved cleric. In her 17 years of life, she had always neglected to travel beyond the confides of her comfort, remaining stationary in the shelter of her home. That's how she always preferred it, and when her mother died, it only put out whatever ember may have even simmered. But, as she and her newfound friends began their trip together, she began to notice things about the town she never had paid all too much attention to. Merchants and customers bartered in the heat of the day, the sunlight pouring over everybody, topped off with a gorgeous breeze that rectified the heat. The scent of fresh carnations that dotted the perimeter of the town were carried by said breeze, filling the cleric's lungs with clean air she had denied herself for so long. However, it wasn't just Kanade taking in all of these surroundings for the first time, either. Mizuki and Ena hadn't had the opportunity to truly see Carnation Village's thriving marketing business, they were blown away by the world before them as well. Ena caught the public's eye from her out of place black kimono, her elegance and poise catching the eye of nearly everyone on the sides, while Mizuki caught the eye for a different reason. Neither seemed too affected from the attention, other than the moment when somebody offered to buy Hermit IX off of Ena.

The four knew they had reached the edge of town when all they saw was green grass and carnations to stretch as far as the eye could see, the horizon acting as a fine line separating the green earth from the blue sky. A path split down the middle, separating the field into two beauties of their own. On the left were carnations of all sorts of colors, be it white, pink, or even brown, while the right was predominately a beautiful shade of light purple. Ena and Kanade both were mesmerized by the beauty and contrast of the field of flowers they found surrounding the beaten path, while Mizuki crossed their arms with a sly, yet friendly chastising tone, saying "We were just here not even a couple hours ago, Ena." Ena, seemingly having taken genuine offense to this, bites back with "Can it! I like flowers, they're better than mushrooms." Mafuyu turns to Kanade. "You said you weren't a fan of mushrooms earlier, didn't you?" "That's right. You remembered?" "Of course! Why wouldn't I?" Kanade tugs at the sleeves of her off-shoulder sweater. She turned her gaze away from Mafuyu's compassion out of instinctual self-preservation, knowing full well Mafuyu could probably tell that her heart had skipped a beat in that very moment. Without much to turn her ire to, she began looking at the carnation field before her. She walked over to Ena, who had been lightly feeling the stems and petals of different flowers, and crouched down besides her.

"Hey, Ena." "Hello, Kanade. You want to join me?"

Admittedly, Kanade had no idea what Ena was doing. The elf was appreciating them, sure, but appreciating them in what way in specific?

"Sure, that sounds nice." "Great!" Ena's ears perked up, as she points to a purple carnation close to Kanade's feet. "There was a bee on that one earlier, but I must have had scared it off. In my village, bees were an oddity." Mafuyu walks to Ena's other side, but opted out of crouching. She could view the flowers just fine from where she was at. "An oddity how so?" "My clan lived in a very dense mushroom forest. The stems of giant mushrooms were more of a commodity than trees, but I still saw my fair share of them. Sometimes, people hollowed out the mushrooms, furnishing them and turning them into their homes." Mafuyu warmly smiles at Ena, half-jokingly remarking "Sounds like everybody loved mushrooms there, hehe." That joke seemed to had fallen flat with the rest of Niigo, Ena scoffing, and Kanade and Mizuki scrunching up their noses. Ena plucks one of the many flowers out from the ground, and slowly rotates it with her thumb and index fingers. "Mushroom caps blocked the skyline, so flowers couldn't grow that well where I lived. So..." She turns to Kanade, who was looking right at her as well. "It's a nice change of pace."

The four gathered their bearings and proceeded onward from the carnation valley. As they walked among the flowers, Kanade kept thinking to herself the familiarity in the prettiness. Her mother had kept a vase of flowers maintained and cared for when she was still alive. Kanade had never thought much of them, simply appreciating them as nothing more than decoration, but these flowers felt... fundamentally different. Different to their core. Kanade turned to Mafuyu, the purple haired sorceress walking by her side. Close, but not touching. She held her head up high and stared down the road as she walked, determination festering in her eyes. But, as Kanade thought of Mafuyu, she realized she hadn't heard what Mafuyu thought of flowers before them. Ena loved the flowers. She didn't get to see much variety of the plantlife around her, so it made sense she took every opportunity to appreciate them. Mizuki, while seemingly had been friends with Ena for a long time, had yet to say a word of their origin. What confused Kanade was that they clearly weren't an elf, but lived in the surrounding woods close to Ena. Mizuki seemed adjusted to the carnations, while still being able to factor their beauty into their mind. But what about Mafuyu? She hasn't really talked about what she likes, or what she doesn't. Putting some distance between the two girls and Ena and Mafuyu, Kanade cleared her throat.

"Hey, Mafuyu..." "Hm? Yes, Kanade?" "What do you think of the flowers?"

Mafuyu tilts her head, her signature smile beaming across her face. "What do you mean?" The curious cleric gazed skyward to catch the words in her mind, resulting with "You seemed to be the only one who didn't have much to say about the carnations. I was just curious, how do you feel about them?" When Kanade shifted her eyes back to Mafuyu's, her violet eyes seemed as colorful as ever, yet the three, very simple words that came out of her mouth were unexpectedly desaturated."

"Oh, I don't."

Kanade's eyes tense. "...You don't what?" Mafuyu's expression seemed to had widen, as if she caught herself making a mistake. She fumbled on her words, her smile still being as prevalent as ever, as it hadn't even left when she spoke those words. "Ah, I don't mind. I see flowers all the time, so their impact has been lost on me." Mafuyu cuffs her hands together, and brings them down to her pelvis. "My mom decorates our house with plenty of similar flowers, so I see them more so as an average factor of life, than anything. Why do you ask?" The inquisitor role had shifted, and now Kanade was on the receiving end of the questions. "A-Ah, I was just... wondering if..." Kanade had found herself suddenly sweating from the heat of the sun. She used her index finger to air out the top of her sweater, as she nervously looked to Mafuyu. "I was wondering if you'd want to visit these fields again some other time, just the two of us." "The two of us?" Mafuyu blinked to Kanade, clearly caught by surprise. "Not for a quest, just to visit?" "That's right. Maybe we can have a picnic, and we can talk more about stuff we like. If I'm a cleric, and you're a mage, I'm kinda responsible for making sure you don't tire out or get hurt, right?" Kanade shifted her gaze, looking to the wand equipped to Mafuyu's belt. "I just feel like we should get to know each other a bit more, you know?"

Mafuyu was a complete enigma. Despite the beauty and warmth of her eyes, her smile being as bright as ever, Kanade had begun to realize something is very wrong with Mafuyu. She's hiding something - she just had no idea what it could be. She figured her mother was the root of all of Mafuyu's secrets, but how bad was it? How much of the Mafuyu Kanade had grown attached to was real? Mafuyu's earring glistened in the sunlight, shining a deep, radiant purple. The light reflecting through it revealed a small core in the center of the earring, one difficult to see under the light of a lit building, but ever so present. It was a reminder to the cleric that the girl of her eye was still Mafuyu, regardless of who she was on the inside. That resolve to protect Mafuyu still exists, no matter the cost.

Mafuyu's smile still shined brightly as Kanade proposed her the offer. No matter how one approaches the question, it was unequivocally a date, whether either girl realized it or not. Mafuyu toys with her hair, twirling it in her index finger as she relaxes her elbow in her palm. "I might need to check my schedule, but I think that sounds like fun! If I'm not busy with my studies, I would love to spend time with you, Kanade."

Trumpets rang out as confetti fell from the sky, for this was the celebration of the century. It was a monumental moment in human history, billions of years of evolution all culminating to this very moment. The king of Kamiyama himself personally approached Kanade with a hearty walk, and handed her a trophy. "Here, my girl. You deserve this. Congratulations." Kanade looked to the king with a validated smile, her eyes watering from joy. "Th-thank you sir!!" From off stage, Mafuyu runs up to Kanade and embraces her in a tight hug, the cleric's heart racing as fast as a horse gallops in an open field, free of pain. Kanade throws her arms around Mafuyu as she picks her up, and tosses her up in the air. "Hip hip, hooray!!" Everybody proceeded to clap as Kanade gazed upon the crowed, takes a bow, and holding the trophy over her head.

"W-Wow, yeah! Okay! I'd love to spend time with you too, Mafuyu!" "We can talk more about the plan when we finish up this quest, okay Kanade?" Mafuyu's reminder snapped Kanade out from her victory delusion, seemingly seismic tossing her back to reality from the orbit of space. "O-Oh, right. Yeah. We can discuss it then!" "We only got 24 hours, don't forget K. And I have to return home by 10, I can't stay out too late." Kanade solemnly nodded her head. She wanted to spend the night with Mafuyu, but decided it would be in better judgement to leave that part out. "I understand." Some considerable distance had been put between Ena and Mizuki before the latter finally noticed, turning around with a massive wave of their arm. "Heeyyy!! Slowpokes!! Catch up!!" Ena clearly did not appreciate the sudden shouting, as she gripped the handle of her sword and fiercely stared down Mizuki, her jaw protruding outwards with a menacing scowl. Mizuki clearly got the memo and stopped screaming. Mafuyu reciprocated with a slightly less enthusiastic wave, calling out "We're coming!!"

Mafuyu nods her head to Kanade, closing her eyes as she smiled to the infatuated girl, and began to run up ahead, leaving Kanade to catch up. The cleric stops in her tracks to observe the sorceress run further down the path, her purple ponytail swaying with the ribbon of her hat with her every step. Left, right. Left, right. Left, right. The daughter of The Violet Grip, surrounded between two fields of flowers, was clearly trapped between two worlds.

Chapter Text

The path before the crew had become blanketed in a mesh of the dark green leaves that scattered the dirt, and the thick fog that circulated in the air. No doubt about it, they had reached their destination - the Forlorn Forest. The trees were tall, ancient, husks of decay, leaves and vines draped across one another. The scent carried by the fog was of earth and moss, nature, in its prime. It was as if whatever that was once here had been lost to time, and that it hadn't really mattered to nature's cruel tides. As Kanade stepped forward through the mist, it moved as if it had a mind of its own, swirling, rolling around her, obscuring her view, but adding a sense of wonder and fear she hadn't felt before. This felt magical, surreal, even. Just yesterday she only made up the courage to leave her room, and now she was exploring a forest for the first time.

"This fog could be dangerous." Mafuyu says aloud. "We all need to stay very close to one another, if somebody gets separated, they can get lost for good." Ena frowns, but the sight was only really comprehended by Mizuki, who was right besides her. The fog was so thick, one could barely tell facial features apart. "What, do you wanna hold hands with everybody? Play Marco Polo if somebody lets go? What we need is light. Does anybody here have that sort of magic?" Mizuki snapped their fingers twice, each time sparks flew like steel striking stone. They were trying to cast some sort of flame spell from their hands, but it wasn't working too well. "U-Uh, I'm still working on this one. Fire magic isn't my thing." Kanade stepped in towards Mizuki's voice. "Y-You shouldn't cast spells with your hands. That's not safe." "Yeah, I know, but what's life without a little risk?" "What's opening a door without your fingers?" The fog obscured the ranger's face, but the silence plainly painted exactly what expression Mizuki had plastered. "I do like opening doors."

Mafuyu stepped towards her huddled together allies, her hands extended outwards to not bump into anything, but caught hold of Kanade's arm much to her surprise. "None of us thought to bring torches or anything, right?" The four party members looked to one another's vague outlines, wordless. They weren't expecting this kind of fog, so why would they? In retrospect, a place called "The Forlorn Forest" is bound to have fog. They probably should've seen this coming. "Then, Mizuki may have been on the right track. They tried to cast some magic, even if they did it without a surrogate to flow the mana into. Anybody practice with light or fire magic? Ena tilts her head, covering her lips with a clenched fist. "Hermit IX has a trigger that begins to rapidly heat up the blade, but that's internal. Can't be used to light anything up." Kanade's tired eyes glow open, her intrigue clearly caught. "Heats it up? That's pretty cool, what's that used for?" "Cuts through metal easier. I have to rev it up a few times before it gets hot enough to do anything, though." "That's so cool..." Ena smiles bashfully, clearly taking the compliment to heart. Mizuki butts in to answer Mafuyu's question. "I don't have much magical prowess, but I can manifest this chakram that glows a bit. It might not light up very much, but it gets the job done." Kanade and Mafuyu turn to Mizuki with confusion. The latter of the two girls asking "Mmmmanifest?" "Yeah. Watch." Mizuki strikes a pose, lifting their hand above their head, and with a sudden flash, a glowing bladed ring appeared directly into their grasp. Kanade let out a gasp of wonder, as Mafuyu smiled and nodded her head in amusement. "Excellent, that should work. Great job, Mizuki." "Heehee, it was nothing. I'll lead the way, stay close everybody!"

The four continued throughout the forest, practically single filed as Mizuki held their chakram as a torch, illuminating the path covered in roots and decay. Ena turned to Mizuki with a question for them, the tone of suspicious curiosity in her voice. "How have you not cut yourself catching that ring when you throw it?" A confident chuckle rang loose from Mizuki's lungs, swishing their head over their shoulder, their curly ponytail smacking the elf in the face. "Ena, please. I'm a person of many talents, and catching blades is one of them." "You're going to catch these hands if you hit me with your hair again." Mizuki nervously giggles, a stark contrast to their cocky laughter a second ago, and bellows "Hey, Kanade!" The cleric lifts her head up from the ground. "Yes, Mizuki?" "I was just wondering, you haven't actually fought any monsters before, have you?" Kanade tilts her head back down to the fallen leaves, nervously admitting "...No. I've never needed to use my magic offensively, either." "What kind of magic CAN you cast, besides healing?"

Kanade looks to her father's staff to think for a moment. What CAN she do? She hadn't had the need to practice prior to this, and any skill she had learned beforehand have clearly diminished with time. She had barely dabbled in fire and electric magic before her mother's passing, but afterwards had dedicated a majority of the time afterwards to healing magic, like her father. The cleric shook her head, and answered Mizuki's question with a solemn "...Not enough." Mafuyu came up behind Kanade from the line, and put her hands on both of her shoulders. "Everybody, stop for a moment." Ena and Mizuki stopped in their tracks, and turned to face the purple sorceress. "I'd like to tell Kanade something."

Kanade lightly turned around to face the girl she had these strange feelings for as the sorceress reapplied her hands to her shoulders. "When I was younger, I wanted to be a cleric as well." Kanade's face flushed, her eyes beaming with admiration, but she tried to keep her feelings underneath the surface. While her eyes screamed otherwise, her lips remained a neutral fix, not budging. "I wanted to help people that got hurt, just like you. I even studied a little bit on my own time." Mafuyu turned away from Kanade, looking off into the vastness of the fog. "My mom had other plans for me, though. As I'm sure you know, she wants me to be a solo, like her." Kanade's ecstatic eyes softened to a more somber look, her mouth and heart both dropping. "But... that doesn't mean I forgot how to do it. If you'd like, I can show you something I learned?"

Kanade looked deep into Mafuyu's beautiful purple eyes, clutching her staff. "You... mean it?" "Mmhm. Here, let me help." The sorceress gently placed her grip on Kanade's staff, pulling it outwards between the two girls. Even with her boots, Mafuyu was still taller than Kanade, and it made her heart race. "A cleric's duty on the team is the anchor. They alone keep everybody alive. But, support doesn't have to just be delegated to healing, you can do something more." "Something more..?" Kanade's head began to swirl as she started to wonder if Mafuyu could hear the beating of her heart. Mizuki and Ena had fallen suspiciously quiet, so she had no doubt in her mind Mafuyu could at least sense her tension. "There are traditional spells, yes. Spark, fire, cure, to name a few. But, I think there's a way somebody can cast while mitigating the risk of misfire. If you close your eyes, and think a variety of things, you can cast magic with ease." "What kind of things..?" "Colors. You find names for these colors, and define them with confidence. Want me to show you?" Kanade's head felt light enough to roll off her head, but she still managed to nod to the beautiful girl holding her. Mafuyu turned Kanade around to face Ena, and cheerfully leaned over the cleric's shoulder. Mafuyu was clearly excited to exercise her knowledge, and Kanade was happy she had an outlet to express. "I want you to think of your mana pocket like a large vat of soup. Stare it down, and search for the color white in this pot, okay?" Kanade, completely breathless, nodded her head, and closed her eyes.

In the recesses of her mind, the cleric stared down this figurative pot of soup. "Look for the color white..." She would tell herself. "...All I'm seeing is ramen." Kanade sat in silence thinking of the color white. She didn't doubt Mafuyu, but found this analogy to be a strange one. Imagining a pot of soup to cast magic? This was an interesting approach, to say the least. Maybe The Violet Grip taught Mafuyu this way? As Kanade thought of Mafuyu, something peculiar shined from the depths of the soup. She clearly saw a glint from within the broth, which oddly stunned her. Aloud, Kanade told her tutor "I... think I see something." "Great, don't lose it. Define this feeling, how you want it to help us all."

"How I want to help..?" Kanade stared at the sparkling color from within the soup. How can she help in a way that isn't just to heal? Can a cleric be more than that?

"I want to understand."

That... That was it! The process of understanding... That's what this color was. She just had to give it a name.

Kanade opened her eyes, the tip of her staff glowing the same white sparkles she saw from within the soup. Mafuyu's violet eyes were filled with pride as Kanade confidently stared down the elf. "H-Hey, Mafuyu. This isn't gonna hurt, right?" Mafuyu shrugged her shoulders, with a dismissive "I dunno", patting Kanade's shoulders. Kanade took a deep breath, speaking aloud:

"Spyglass!"

Within a whim, the light of Kanade's staff enveloped Ena, who shrieked from the sudden brightness, which dissipated just as quickly as it engulfed her. The elf's ears rapidly twitched as she nervously looked around her, expecting something different to have happened. When she ruled out any physical changes, Ena's irritation took hold as she gripped the handle of Hermit IX. "The hell was that about?! Why me?!" However, Ena's frustration failed to reach Kanade, her eyes wide open, her head overwhelmed, and not just from Mafuyu this time. Her mind was racing with Ena's analytics - analytics of all varieties. From her health, her MP, to numerical digits portraying her proficiency in certain fields. Things she liked, things she disliked, and what kind of elements she couldn't tolerate. Kanade had effectively opened Ena up like a book, and could read her as one. "Well?" Mafuyu turned to Kanade, the cleric glancing to the girl over her shoulder. "What do you see, Kanade?" "I see that Ena doesn't like carrots." The elf's shoulders trampoline with shock as she sputters exasperated whimpers that formed a coherent sentence. "H-How did you know that?!" Kanade looked to Ena, trying to calm her down. "I was able to see your statistics, I think. Things you were good at, your combat prowess, things you're weak to." "Th-That's a total invasion of privacy! Don't use that on any of us again, got it?!" Mafuyu stepped towards Ena, ushering her to calm down and relax with the gestures of her hands. "It's okay, Ena. I'm sure Kanade didn't learn anything embarrassing from that analysis." Mizuki chirped in, turning towards the cleric with beading eyes, pleading "Pleeeease teach me that skill, Kanade. It would be REALLY funny."

Kanade turned to Mafuyu once more, a smile across her face. "I did a good job, right?" "K, you did great!" If Kanade had a tail, she knew it would be furiously wagging with enough speed to kickstart a dust devil. "You were able to improvise your own spell, not everybody can do that! That'll come in handy, I know it!" Kanade looked to the staff in her hands, rotating it as she studied the laminated stick. "I'll be able to use this skill for us, for Niigo." She thought to herself. "If we come across monsters, like goblins, slimes, or mimics, I can be of use." Her eyes, filled with admiration, shift to focus on Mafuyu. "And it's all thanks to you, Mafu..." Kanade's happiness and pride shined as brightly as the sparkles from within her soul, but they began to damper as she remembered what the sorceress said about herself. The sorceress wanted to be a cleric. She wanted to help people, just as Kanade does, and yet... Yet her mother forced her to be a fighter. The Mafuyu standing before Kanade, the Mafuyu who found pride in Kanade's ability, is the product of somebody else's will. She was her mother's own canvas, painting her into a picture of who she should be.

"Sooo... Are we all done here?" Kanade and Mafuyu turned towards Mizuki, who was waiting impatiently with their glowing chakram. "K's got a cool new skill, but we don't have all day, you know?" "Right..." Mafuyu lets go of Kanade, to her utter dismay, and gets back into line along side the moping cleric. Ena, clearly still feeling invaded, narrows her eyes to Kanade, whispering "Forget about the carrots thing." She flashes a thumbs up in place of an answer, and their search continues onward.

Chapter Text

Led through the fog by Mizuki's chakram, the party stumbled throughout the tattered path littered by roots and branches. They've been vehemently exploring together for the latter half of two hours now, and their faith had begun to diminish a little bit. An endangered herb shouldn't have been so hard, so why is it so tough to find a single one? Small talk and questionnaires would only keep the on-edge mind satiated for so long, and the fog had been getting to them. Perhaps they all had underestimated the definition of 'endangered'. While they came across moss and mold of many varieties, they had yet to find the object of their quest. Mizuki turns to their allies, clearly exhausted from their journey. "My back is killing me... Anybody wanna take 5? I need a rest..." Ena and Mafuyu turn to Kanade, who nods. It was her assigned duty as leader of Niigo to call the shots, but in truth, Kanade's legs have practically given under a long time ago. She just wanted to put up a front before her party.

Mizuki scans the area with an outstretched arm, pushing against the fog with their glowing blade. "How about... That grotto there?" Mizuki directs the exhausted eyes of the party to a small cave entrance by a moss coated swamp. The grotto was decorated by thick trees with vines draping across one another, propped nicely up against a cliff-side. The cave seemed pure from the fog Niigo had grown all too familiar with, which seemed to be the most vital factor to the four. Ena lets out a sigh of relief as her ears droop downward, stepping forward. "Can we take more than 5? How about 20?" "Can't do 20." Mafuyu rebuttals. "Mom wants me home by 10pm." "Damn, that's right..." Ena clicks her tongue, visibly annoyed. Mafuyu steps ahead to walk by Ena, her kimono having begun to dirty from the muddy trail. "I hope I'm not dragging you guys down. I do want to be with you all, but..."

Mafuyu sorrowfully glances downwards, and Kanade knew she had to step in. "You aren't dragging us down, Mafu. We just have to work around your mom, is all." "Working around my mom? If you put it like that, it makes me sound like a bad daughter..." Mizuki scoffs. "Not at all, Mafuyu. Don't think that, 'kay? From how you've described her, she's the one who sounds like a bad mother." Ena glares daggers at Mizuki, practically shouting their name in shock. "C'mon, Ena! We're all thinking it, aren't we? Mafuyu, how old are you again?" "...Seventeen." "Seventeen! And she's still not allowed out past 10!" Kanade couldn't deny their claim, opting to instead check up on Mafuyu. "...You good, Mafu?" The violet eyed sorceress turns to Kanade, and nods. "I'm alright... I think we all just need to sit down." Ena peers over her shoulder to Mafuyu, asking once again: "Is 20 minutes alright?" "20 is fine."

With Ena having hacked away at vines and shrubbery with Hermit IX, in time, the four reached the small cave entrance. Mizuki's assessment was right about the fog being minimal from within the cave, but the fog wasn't the only thing that dissipated from the air. The sounds of nature dissipated too, leaving only the voice of droplets and Niigo's collected breathing to populate the air. Stalagmites took root in the ground and the ceiling above them, with some glowing strange yet entrancing auras of amber. The cave itself must've been no bigger than your average bedroom, but anything worked, considering the four had been out in the fog for so long. The air from within was a tad chilly, which made sense given the absence of sunlight. Kanade couldn't help but catch herself shivering, which Mizuki took note of. Slumping against the edge of the cave, they whined "Enanaaaan, K's cold. Help her out, will you?" "Alright, alright... Kanade, will you come here for a second?" Kanade approached the elf who had been swayed solely by Mizuki's whining, though the silver haired cleric was confused. Ena doesn't cast magic, how would she help heat her up?

"Let me see your palms, K." Ena asked bluntly. Reluctantly, Kanade did as told. To her surprise, Ena had placed the the face end of her blade onto Kanade's hands. Cold steel melted into Kanade's already cold hands, making her squirm in the cold. "Don't grip. You'll cut yourself open. Stay still, okay?" With that, Ena twisted Hermit IX's handle, letting out a roaring sound. Mafuyu came to Kanade's side, curiosity building from the roars of Ena's steel. "What are you doing?" Ena, who was clearly irritated and tired, shifted her eyes to Mafuyu without moving her head. "I said earlier the sword heats up, remember?" When the roar of her sword died down, Ena would twist the handle once more, letting out further roars. She proceeded to do this until Kanade felt the steel in her hands get warmer and warmer, the heat coming from the blade being enough to regulate the temperature from within the cave. "All better, K?" "Yeah... Thanks, Ena..."

When Kanade had enough and felt her hands were well toasted, she took Mafuyu's side, sitting besides her on the cave flooring. The brim of her hat was in her face as she peered downwards at her knees. "Doing okay, Mafu?" "...Yeah. I'm alright. Would you happen to have the time?" Kanade was sure she packed a pocket watch. She held up her index finger as she went rummaging through her handbag. When she came across it, she popped open the silver clock, her voice as soft as her eyes. "7pm." "Shoot... We don't have much time left..." Kanade solemnly looked to her friend. She was clearly distressed, but what could she even do about it? "What's on your mind? Wanna talk about it?" Mafuyu turns to Kanade, the sorceress placing her hands onto her own knees. "What do you want to know?" "Whatever is on your mind right now, at least." Mafuyu's gaze turns to the floor once more, then back to Kanade. "Will I have to walk back home alone?"

Kanade stopped, pulling her head back. In her mind, she was thinking that Mafuyu could just go home, and the other three could keep searching through the night, but how would Mafuyu find her way back without a light source to guide her through the fog? That seemed hopeless, she could get lost, or hurt, or maybe attacked. Kanade turned to the ceiling of the cave, the stalagmites forming walls for the words in her head to bounce off of. "I don't mind if we fail to complete the mission. We can find the Silent Royalty for Saki any other day, but making sure you're..." Kanade stops herself, rerouting her phrasing. "...We're... all safe is my priority." Mafuyu took some time to look into Kanade before softly smiling. "We could all meet back at the Weekend Garage tomorrow. Again, 10pm sounds good, doesn't it?" "It does." The two girls smiled at one another in silence, seemingly appreciating the silence and the company. However this peace of the moment didn't last. Ena's voice broke out with a tone mixed of confusion and fear, concocting articulation the two girls hadn't heard up to this point. "Guuuuys... Take a look, please..."

Mizuki rushed to Ena's side first, before tilting their head. "What..? I don't see anything..?" Ena sticks her finger out, pointing into the fog. "Those, the vines!" Mafuyu and Kanade stood to Ena's side, once again looking into the abyss of gray. Mafuyu swished her head to Mizuki. "Mizuki, your chakram." "R-Right." Mizuki lifts their hand to the top of their head once more, re-summoning their chakram from thin air, and stretching it outward to remove the fog. Much to Niigo's surprise, several clumps of vines were approaching the four, and fast. The vines were tangled into one another, forming several blobbed creatures the size of foals. With their every step, the sound of sloshing water permeated the air, leaving behind a trail of ooze. They were clearly alive, and fueled off of primal instinct to hunt alone. Mizuki takes a step back, letting loose a cry of disgust. "Th-The hell are those?!" "I-I don't know. But our backs are to the wall. We're cornered." Kanade and Mafuyu turn around. They knew the cave they had barricaded themselves in was small, but the two needed the verification in their panic. Steeling herself and reading her blade, Ena determinedly stares ahead at the rapidly approaching foes."K, what's your call?"

The cleric clutches her staff, her legs quivering in fear. This was her first test, and they were facing an uphill battle. No doubt about it, the fog and their tactical position hampered their success, but now wasn't the time to panic. To waver in this moment would be certain death at the hands of the first monsters they even fight. If Ena could see where she strikes, the fight should blow over with ease. "M-Mizuki. I want you to accompany Ena's side. Light the path for her, and make sure she can see where she swings, okay?" Mizuki strikes a running stance, their chakram in hand. "Got it! Don't trip me, 'kay Ena?" "Wasn't planning on it. Don't get too close to Hermit, it's still hot." The sloshing of the vine creatures continuously got louder and louder, to the point where their footsteps felt deafening to Kanade. With her body trembling, her meekly shaky voice shouts "GO!"

Ena and Mizuki began running at pace with one another towards their targets, leaping over roots and holes that blocked their path. Their coordination for first time Adventurers was impressive, and Kanade found herself pleasantly reassured. When enough distance had closed between the two aggressors, Mizuki raised their chakram over their shoulder, throwing their glowing blade through one of the vine creatures, slicing it in two nigh instantaneously. Matching the pace of the chakram, which was lighting her path as she ran, Ena cleaved Hermit IX clean through one of the vined abominations, slicing upwards to sever it. The two partners had clear synergy together, as if they hadn't even needed to plan or practice their actions with one another. Ena and Mizuki continued to slash their way through the monsters, until they were no more than sliced rags on the floor.

Mizuki's chakram returned back to their hands, as if they summoned it like a boomerang, and they let out a deep sigh as they let their arms go limp. "So much for our break, huh..." Sealing away Hermit IX into it's crimson sheath, Ena smiles to Mizuki. "You did great, Mizuki. Didn't know you could run like that." Mizuki itches the back of their head, evidentially flattered. "Aww, shucks, Enanan... You really flatter me sometimes!" Kanade sighed a breath of relief, and glanced to Mafuyu. The cleric was proud of her command, being able to take charge of the situation despite the fear in her mind. She wanted Mafuyu to praise her again. Mizuki and Ena turned their backs to the mess they had left, and began walking towards the duo who stayed behind. With Ena's beaming pride and Mizuki's playful smirk, Kanade couldn't help but be reassured she had a good party with her. Just as sudden as Kanade began feeling pride in herself, Mafuyu lets out a shriek. "BEHIND YOU!!"

Mafuyu's call met the two's ears just late, as Mizuki went tumbling down to the ground, their chakram falling from their grasp. The vines of the discarded monsters had wrapped around their leg, pulling them into the fog. Kanade lept out from the cave with Mafuyu following, the two tumbling their way towards their party members. "Mizuki!!" The chakram by Ena's feet went barreling into the fog and into Mizuki's hand, casting light on the reanimated vine monsters who had seemingly reconstructed themselves back together. Ena chased after Mizuki, who was being dragged against the ground, as she revved up Hermit IX's blade at a rapid pace. With a leap in the air and a swing of her sword, Ena had completely severed off Mizuki's foot, stopping the vine creatures from pulling them away any further. The ranger's scream was bloodcurdlingly awful, but Ena shot a look to Kanade, nodding her head. Kanade knew what this look meant, but was utterly bewildered this was the approach Ena decided to take. The cleric lifted her staff to the fog, the rod in her hands shining yellow, and casts a cure spell to Mizuki.

Within an instant, Mizuki's foot had regrown itself from the cauterized stump in their leg, leaving behind the discarded foot to be taken in by the vine creatures. The pain had seemingly stopped, but the sudden adrenaline and fear in Mizuki hadn't as they watched their old foot get devoured by the vine creatures. Ena used this time to lift up Mizuki's panicked body, and carry them over to Kanade and Mafuyu. With Mizuki's huffing and puffing, Ena turned to the cleric, her voice clearly ridden with fear as well. "Can't get too close, that's too dangerous. I thought we killed them, how are they still alive?!" Mafuyu puts her fist to her mouth, racking her brain. "You cut them up, and they reanimated. Could it be... you disturbed them on our way here?" Ena tilted her head in anger. "Disturbed them?! How the hell would I have done that?!"

It struck Kanade like Hermit IX's blade piercing through the monsters. "Ena, that's it! It was when you were cutting through the shrubbery on our way to the cave!!" Ena's eyes shot wide open, turning to Mizuki's panicking face. "Dammit... What do we do?!" Kanade turns to Mafuyu, the sorceress clutching the wand strapped to her belt. "Before we make any more decisions, I have an idea." Kanade left her other three party member's sides, and stepped close to the carnivorous plants. She extends outward her staff, illuminating the same white it had 2 hours prior.

"Spyglass!!"

{Death Bloom}
HP: 200 MP: 50
Striking physically will prove to be insufficient. Death Blooms possess the power to reassemble themselves, and may even multiply into smaller, numerous versions of themselves. To fell a Death Bloom, one must melt all the vines, or freeze the center into submission.

Kanade turned to her sorceress ally. "Mafu, you're up!" "Me? On it." Mafuyu ran up to Kanade's side, pulling out her wand. Waving it like a talented conductor, Mafuyu summoned five icicles over her shoulders, aimed directly at the beasts before the two girls. Pointing her wand outwards, the violet sorceress shouted "Ice Arrow!", and out went the icicles soaring through the air. They whizzed past Kanade with speed outpacing Ena and Mizuki's sprint, precisely piercing the core of each of the Death Blooms before them. One by one, the Death Blooms fell to their "knees", collapsing into the ground. The vines begun to shrivel to frost, shattering and sprinkling into the soil by the girl's feet.

"They're... dead, right? For real this time?" Ena asked, clutching onto their friend. Mafuyu turns to Ena, the gentleness in her voice contrasting the lethality of their spell just now. "We're safe now." "Thank God..." A silence filled the air as the three began to catch their breaths. Ena's ears droop as she turns to Mizuki, tilting their head to meet her gaze. It was a nurturing side she hadn't shown yet, a side of her of kindness. "Hey, Miz. They're gone. You need to sit back down a bit longer?" Through exasperated, pained breaths, Mizuki lets out a string of noises that resembled a yes, and a "Shoe." Ena turns to Kanade, letting out a chuckle. "I think they want their shoe back. Can you two go find it?" Kanade gently smiles. "Leave it to us." Mafuyu steps on ahead, gripping Kanade's hand. "Stay close. Don't want to lose you too."

The two girls step to where the vines had made their last stand, a puddle of blood coating where they had begun to devour Mizuki's foot. Within the blood lie tattered fabrics and leather, clearly torn beyond repair, much to Kanade's dismay. "Mizuki's gotta walk back with only one shoe. That's a bummer." Mafuyu giggled playfully adding "Well, they kind of watched their own foot get eaten. I think that's worse than walking barefoot." Flustered by Mafuyu's laughter, Kanade averted her eyes into the fog, and placed her eyes upon something strange sparkling in the distance, piercing the fog. "Hey, Mafuyu... You see that?" "See what?" Mafuyu pointed her head in the direction Kanade had been facing, narrowing her eyes. "That... blue stuff in the fog?" "Yeah."

Hand in hand, the two slowly approached the shimmering blue light in the sea of gray, Kanade reaching her hand out cautiously. She grabbed hold of something soft, something fresh. It was clearly a flower, but it was different. It felt out of place, as if it belonged in a garden, or on a windowsill. It was a far cry from the plant life she had been brushing up against in Niigo's trek through the forest. The silver haired cleric plucked the herb from the ground, pulling it close to the two of their faces. To their utter astonishment, to their complete surprise, in their unfortunate dangerous encounter, they had found exactly what they were looking for.

They found a single, stray Silent Royalty.

Chapter Text

Kanade placed the Silent Royalty in front of Ken, stationed as always behind his desk. "Oh, you all found it! Great job everyone!" Kanade nodded her head. "Only one, but we had a vicious encounter in the forest. Things could've turned messy had we all not been together." "Damn... I'm glad you're all alright, though. Forlorn Forest ain't no joke, you know?" The four nod their head in silent agreement. "Alright, you all. Seeing as this is your first quest complete, let me explain what happens after you drop the payload off." Ken interlocks his fingers, placing his fist on the table. "I'll put this in an envelope, and hand it back to one of our lovely staff. In the night, they'll find Ms. Hoshino and bring this directly to her. If you want to see the fruits of your labor, you can request a meeting, or simply try and look for her. We all clear?" Mafuyu nods her head, softly answering "Crystal." Ena smiles. "I'm sure we know where Ms. Hoshino will be." "Right." Ken slides a sheet of paper in front of him, pulling a pen out from his breast pocket. Taking pen to paper, he begins to write in a form of Niigo's successful venture. As he does so, Mizuki turns to Kanade, the infliction in their voice being one of sarcastic glee. "Y'know, K, from here on out, you should probably cast Spyglass at the beginning of the battle, not the end." "Yeah... S-Sorry, Mizuki." "Like I said, it's all good, man!" Mafuyu narrows an eye and raises a brow. "Even if you lost your foot?" "Naw. Blame is on Enanan for that one." Ena raises her hands up over her head with a loud groan, her eyes darting to Mizuki. "We're lucky I aimed for your foot instead of the Death Bloom, it would have reanimated wrapped around your leg!!"

"You're all set, Niigo. Your payment, split into 25% shares." Ken placed four cloth pouches in front of the four Adventurers, tied loosely with string. "Each bag's got 200 gold in it, half provided by Ms. Hoshino's request fee, the rest being from us. We'll be seeing you again, right?" Kanade couldn't help but have a grin plastered on her face as she smiled, nodding her head. "Of course. We look forward to working with you, Ken." The massive man nods his head, and stands from his seat with an outstretched arm. Kanade takes his hand, giving him a common workplace handshake. "See you all next time, everybody."

One by one, the four step foot into the crisp air of the night, the bustling market having died down with the hour. It was approximately 9pm, and stars had begun to dot across the inky sky. Mafuyu smiles to her party, praising them once more. "We all did great. I'm glad today was such a success." Kanade looks at the pouch in her hand, physical evidence of their hard work paying off. "200 gold is quite a lot, even for 25%. 1000 a haul in one day, that's pretty good." Mizuki sighs, the weight of their body on the side with the shoe still in tact. "Can we do our next mission on Monday? I wanna spend tomorrow looking for new clothes, since mine are kind of torn to shit now." Kanade nods. "Sure. Monday, 10am?" The party unanimously agree upon the proposed time. Kanade brushes a strand of hair in her face over her ear, and peered to Mafuyu, her blue eyes suddenly washed with timidness. "H-Hey, Mafu." "Yes, Kanade?" Kanade shifts her feet as she speaks. "Remember earlier when I said I'd like to hang out again, just the two of us?" "Yes, I do." Gazing into Mafuyu, she pops the question she had in mind from all those hours ago. "How about tomorrow, at noon? We can meet up at the Weekend Garage."

Mizuki covers their smile with the palm of their hand, turning to Ena. The elf side eyes Mizuki, raising an eyebrow, oblivious to what the ranger had clearly caught onto by now. Mizuki rolls their eyes in annoyance, and turns back to the conversation unfolding. Mafuyu's eyes soften, her lips turn upwards. "Sure. Noon is alright." Letting out a sigh of relief, Kanade reciprocates the sorceress's smile. "Great. I'll see you then. We should probably make our separate ways, then. I don't want you to miss your curfew." Mafuyu bows to her party. "See you all Monday!" She turns, letting her purple ponytail gently swing with each of her delicate steps. Before Kanade knew it, she had disappeared down the street, and into the night. The cleric turns to her remaining party, and nods. "See you all Monday." Kanade begins to walk towards her house, but Ena calls out. "Uh, aren't we going in the same direction?" The silver haired girl turns to the other two in clear confusion, as if she were just struck over the head. "Same direction?" Mizuki and Ena exchange nervous glances, before the former specifies in further detail. "We, uh... don't have a home." Oh. Oh, right. Ena drops to her knees, assuming an apologetic position, with Mizuki following shortly after. "Please let us stay with you until we can sort out our housing situation. We don't really have anywhere else to go." Kanade begins frantically looking around her, the embarrassment of the two party members before her asking for help in public getting to her head. "I-I'll help, I'll help! J-Just please get up off the ground, its dirty..."

The three make it to Kanade's house, which was only in a presentable state from Ms. Mochizuki's assistance. "W-Welcome, Ena. Mizuki. Do you want me to make you some tea?" Ena nods. "That would be much appreciated." "What about you, Mizuki? Want any tea?" Mizuki's eyes are barely open. "No thanks. I don't like hot drinks." Kanade nods, and begins walking towards the kitchen. "Take a seat, both of you. I can help with your clothing situation in a second." Ena and Mizuki take a seat at the kitchen table besides one another, both letting out a massive sigh in unison. Mizuki tilts their pink hued eyes to Ena, who had begun to rest hers. Swaying their head side to side from exhaustion, they delicately lean their head to Ena's shoulder, their pink curly ponytail cushioning the side of their head. "Mizuki, what are you doing?" "My best. Let me sit like this for one minute." With an irritated yet complacent sigh, Ena allows for Mizuki to rest close to her like this.

Once the water had boiled, Kanade took out a cup from a rack, and began pouring the kettle into the cup. Ena chips up. "H-Hey, Kanade. You shouldn't hold the cup up while you pour. You can burn yourself." "O-Oh. Sorry." The cleric set the cup down. She then placed a tea bag into the boiling water, and stared in silence at the cup. The swordsman had more to say. "...Aren't you gonna mix the tea into the water? It doesn't spread on its own." "Oh. I didn't know, sorry." Kanade rustles the tea bag in the water. Once it had dissipated a proper amount, she slides the cup to Ena, the tea within clumsily spilling on the table. In silence, Ena looks at the spilled tea having now streaked across the table, and shifts focus to Kanade, her head held in place. "You aren't good at this." "I'm trying." Kanade backs up from the table. "I'll get a rag to clean this up, and I'll find you both some clothes to wear for the night. I'll be right back." "'kaaaay." Mizuki mumbled.

Ena and Mizuki sat alone at the table in silence, only broken up by the sound of Ena sipping her tea. The moment was oddly tranquil, a small pocket of time that had fallen to a stand-still. In the years Ena had known Mizuki, they weren't one to ever really get exhausted, or, at the very least, visibly show it. This was a nice change of pace. Ena made conscious effort to match Mizuki's gentle breathing as they rested on her, as if she didn't want to disturb her friend's peace. The elf was nearly certain Mizuki had fallen asleep on her, but knew there was no way somebody could fall asleep in such a short amount of time. The corners of the swordsman's mouth tilted up, her eyes softening. Ena liked this tender, peaceful side of Mizuki. They had always been by her side throughout her years in the Shinonome Clan, being a reliable shoulder to lean on when she needed help most. If her dad made her frustrated, Mizuki was by her side. If her brother did something annoying, Mizuki was there to lend an ear, in their own charming, bubbly way. It was nice to have someone dependable like Mizuki, someone who can light up a room just by being present, and yet... Ena looked to the sleeping ranger attached to her shoulder and sighed. The elf rested her own head on Mizuki's, the two appreciating one another's company in the silence.

And yet, Ena knew nothing about them.

Chapter Text

The crunching of leaves beneath Mafuyu's feet kept the sorceress company as she absentmindedly approached her doorstep. She liked to empty all thoughts, acting autonomously whenever she would come home after a long day of being out. With the stars of the night sky and The Unreachable as her witness, she gripped the doorknob, closing her eyes. This could go a number of ways, from her mother being asleep, to her wanting to know everything about her day. She loved to pry into Mafuyu's life, asking how her solo quests had gone, how much gold she made from them, and anything she had learned from the day. The Violet Grip was incessant with her doting curiosity, all while taking the reigns of Mafuyu's life. Her mother wanted her to stand on her own two feet, without needing to rely on others, but what if she wanted to? Of course, she would never tell her this. The Grip very well could give Niigo a visit if her hand had been swayed - and there wouldn't be much the sorceress could do about it. The best she could do was accept it, and follow what her mother wanted. Mafuyu twisted the knob, and let herself in.

"I'm home." Mafuyu called out to the house for her mother, but there was no response. The lights throughout her abode were turned off, the sole light coming from the porch light through the glass window of the door. The sorceress took off her boots and hat in the dark by the front door, and proceeded through her home. She didn't mind the dark, nor did she need the light to see. She knew where everything was in her house, and her eyes adjusted to the night well enough. She walked to her mother's room, opening the door to an ever present inky-darkness. No sign of her mother asleep, she had to be out and about somewhere in the house. Mafuyu stepped out of her mother's room, and shut the door behind her. The Grip preferred doors to be shut behind them, for chairs to be pushed in, for things to be organized. That's how Mafuyu had led her own life as well, following in her mother's footsteps. Mafuyu's next thought was to check the living room. Steps in the dark felt like an eternity, but it was an everlasting silence Mafuyu had grown used to. She silently walked into the living room, avoiding the floorboards known to creak loudly, and to the sorceress's expectations, there she was. Curled up on the couch silently asleep under a blanket was her mother, The Grip.

Mafuyu sat on the couch adjacent from the one her mother had been resting on. The sorceress knew she would prefer to be woken up to know Mafuyu had returned home, rather than continue to sleep and panic later. The sorceress leaned over to her mother, and gently tugged on her shoulder. "Mom, I'm home." It took a few tugs before The Grip came to her senses, her eyes adjusting to the dark. "Oh... Is it that late already..? I didn't even notice..." Mafuyu feigned a smile to her mother, her eyes swelling with faux kindness. "You were asleep like a rock. Were you waiting for me?" "Oh no, darling. I was just tired, is all." The Grip sits up from her slumped position, her long, purple hair entangled and messy from her nap. Her eyes were a mirror into her consciousness, being very evident she was only half awake. With a lengthy yawn and a stretch that evolved into a roll of her neck, she stood up. She fixed the white cardigan she had equipped, and looks over her shoulder to a firepit of brick nearby. Snapping her fingers, in an instant, the entire house had been lit. From lanterns that decorated the walls, to the firepit itself, they all went up in flames replacing the dark with a brilliant light. "How was your day, honey?"

"It was fine. I spent the day at the local library studying up on spells." Mafuyu lied through her teeth directly to her mother in what felt like the first time in forever. But then again, she was always lying. To the purple sorceress, lying came to her as natural as breathing, it was practically a vital part of her life. If she ever wanted to drop her guard, let somebody in through her jaded mask of kindness, would need to make a conscious effort to do so. "I see, I see. A good use of your time, I hope?" "It was. I studied plantlife and forest monsters today. Ice magic is strangely effective against Death Blooms." Mafuyu's mother rests her cheek on the palm of her hand. "Hehe, I remember my first time facing against a Death Bloom out on the field. That was before I became a solo, when I was around your age." That comment caught Mafuyu off guard. The sorceress had never heard her mother reminisce to a time before her title as The Grip, and it was to a time she had been vehemently been steering Mafuyu away from. "Mom, you were in a party before?" "Oh, yes. They all died." Mafuyu lowered her head. "Ah."

Mafuyu's mother smiles warmly to her product. "But that was that, and this is this. You won't need to face those hardships yourself, because..." The Grip points to Mafuyu's chest, mother interlocking eye contact with her daughter. "...the self is the most important." Mafuyu's feigned smile persists through her conflicting opinion. "Right." "A solo needs not to worry about a party. They make more money under the Kamiyama kingdom, and they never need to fear about losing a loved one. Their safety is their own responsibility, their knowledge shaping the world. It would kill me to see you go through that pain." Mafuyu's eyes solemnly soften. "You're right..." The sorceress recalled earlier that day, the fear she felt when Mizuki was dragged away into the fog, and their racing breath in Ena's arms as they watched their foot get devoured. Had Ena not done what she did, or aimed to cut the Death Bloom instead of Mizuki's foot, Mizuki may have suffered worse injuries. The fake kindness in the sorceress's eyes slipped for a moment, welling with sorrow. Had her mother really felt pain further than that degree, watching her friends pass at the hands of monsters, or even worse, other humans?

Maybe she was right about parties, and yet...

The empty hole Mafuyu felt defined her heart felt satiated when she was with Niigo. Something about them made her feel better. Something about Kanade made her feel a genuine emotion, emotions she which had long discarded to follow her mother's will. "Mafuyu?" Her mother was looking into her eyes. "Are you alright, darling? You don't look well." "A-Ah, I think I'm just tired. I might head to bed soon." The Grip smiled, and nodded. "You rest well then, love. Be sure to wake up early tomorrow to focus on your studies, okay?" "Yes mom." Mafuyu turned her back to her mom, and began making her way back to her doorway. But with each passing step, curiosity swelled within, bursting out like a geyser. She had no idea what was about to happen with such a simple, yet insensitive question. Perhaps if Mafuyu could gauge the sensitivity of the question, she could've avoided what would have happened next.

"Hey mom?"

"Yes, Mafuyu?"

"How did your party die?"

Within an instant, the smile on Mafuyu's mother's face had completely dissipated, leaving only the emotionless stare a husk of a corpse could make. In a monotonous voice devoid of emotion, she looks to Mafuyu. "You really want to know?" The sorceress nods her head slowly, her chest growing cold. "What is this feeling..?" Mafuyu thought to herself. The coldness in her ribcage continued to violently crash against itself, like waves in a typhoon. She felt something bad was about to happen, like a seismologist detecting a raging earthquake about to strike. "Come, Mafuyu. Let's look at The Unreachable." The mother gripped her daughter's hand, pulling her to the front door. She opened it, leading the two outside into the night. Despite being outside not even five minutes ago, the temperature felt colder, it felt worse. It felt like the windchill was a tornado, her mental state being the poor brick house in wake of the storm. Mafuyu's mother points to The Unreachable. "That accursed Crystal Palace." Mafuyu turned to her mother. "Crystal Palace?" "That's what my party and I called it. You know of my heroics during the Silent War, yes?" "Of course. You were an untouchable legend, not a single blade had struck your skin." Mafuyu's mother stares down the wonder of the night, the light beaming from it surveying all of the Kamiyama Kingdom. "You know how I climbed my way into the sky, and reached The Unreachable?" "Y-Yes?" The Violet Grip looks her daughter in the eye, her own having been completely devoid of color. All that remained were pupils of gray.

"I was up there long before The Silent War."

"R-Really..." "Oh yes. It's really quite something up there. The walls are of holographic crystal that reflect everything, like a maze of mirrors." The Violet Grip stops. In a deep, chilling voice, she slowly enunciates "Mirrors." Mafuyu felt the terror swell in her body as her mother tightened her grip on her hand, squeezing it with the might of the strongest warrior. The circulation of blood in her wrist had long since stopped, and she was reminded why people called her mother The Violet Grip. The hand tightening around her own was the same hand used to snap a fearsome warrior's neck in two. ...But Mafuyu couldn't do anything. Her heart began to race as she felt her bones grow weaker and weaker by the second. The pain was swelling in her lungs, and had nowhere else to go but up. In a weak voice, she began to sputter and spit upon herself, "P-Please let go."

The Grip lets go of Mafuyu's hand. Mafuyu couldn't help but fall to her knees before her mother, as she held her hand in pain. Tears had begun to form in her eyes, coating her vision in a blur as her mother walked in front of her. "Solos don't die." Her mother said, holding the pained sorceress's head up to make eye contact. "Come, once more." The Violet Grip turned around, and made her way back into the Asahina household. Mafuyu staggered to stand, but came to her feet as her mother called for her. "Mafuyu. Inside." Mafuyu's face was drenched in her own saliva, wiping it and the tears off her face. Steeling herself, she re-entered the home.

The sorceress stood by her mother's side, having re-entered the living room. With a wave of her hand a flick of her wrist, Mafuyu's mother shifted all the furniture to one side of the room, the same emotionless expression painted on her face as she looked upon The Unreachable. Leaving her daughter's side, she stands on the side of the room in which she had piled all the furniture. "Across me." Mafuyu looked at her mother in horror, trying to comprehend what her mother had said. She understood, and had the faintest of ideas what she had in mind, but needed to verify. The fake kindness returned to The Grip's eyes, her smile one of a gentle complexion. "Stand across from me, Mafuyu."

The sorceress, wracked in fear, slowly walked over to the opposite side of the room, peering at the floor. She side-eyes her mother, that damn smile forged on her face. "I want you to kill me", her mother says. Mafuyu, in shock, takes a step back. Her eyes and jaw both shot open, her violet eyes staring at her mother in disbelief. "K-Kill you..?" "I just wish to see your skills. The fruits of your labor, if you will. You cannot improve if you do not show me what you are capable of, so go on." The Violet Grip claps her hands together, and engulfed herself into a purple light. When it dissipated, the cardigan and blouse she was wearing had been replaced by a black and gray suit of armor, the rims of her boots and gauntlets highlighted in purple. An emblem adorned the right side of her chest, taking shape of a violet enclosed fist, and a cape of the same color draped over her shoulder. "Try to kill me, Mafuyu."

"I-I can't do that. You're my mother." The sorceress choked back the fear in her throat. "Then what have your studies all been for, then? If you cannot land even a single blow on me, then it was all for nothing." The Grip stares down her daughter. "If you cannot prove yourself to me, this Adventurer shtick ends here. Are we clear?" Mafuyu's dread rose to an unparalleled level. She needed to hit her mother, or else it was all over. Niigo would be over, and she wouldn't be able to meet with Kanade tomorrow.

"...Crystal clear." Mafuyu furrowed her brow, pulling out her wand from her belt. The Grip scoffed. "A wand, Mafuyu? Really?" She snapped her fingers, sending the sorceress's wand skyward, lodging itself into the ceiling. "Wands are training wheels. In a life or death situation, if you become disarmed, that's it. You're done. Mages cast with their hands." Mafuyu stares at her own two hands, staring from the palms to the back. Kanade had always chastised people who cast from their hands, but Mafuyu was left with no choice. The sorceress clearly couldn't use the hand her mother had nearly shattered, so she had to rely on the other. Her broken hand clutching the wrist of the arm she would use to cast, she took a step forward, shifting her weight to that foot. Mafuyu's frustrated, anxiety ridden eyes met her mother's, compassion and kindness spinning within them. It was now or never.

The sorceress outstretched her arm. "Ice Arrow!!" Five javelins of icicles appeared over her shoulder, suspended in air. Closing her fist, Mafuyu launched the five spears straight towards her mother, who stone-faced stared at her daughter's attack. Without moving a muscle, only darting her eyes, the five arrows sent whizzing in her direction melted into water before they could reach the holy mother. The droplets fell from the air into a puddle of water. The same skill that felled the Death Blooms had no effect against her mother, taking Mafuyu by surprise. "Sometimes, the best counter-attack is to not attack at all, Mafuyu." The compassion may have been fake beforehand, but something was off. It was as if the advice she has issued was coming from the heart, in some weird, twisted way. "Next one, Mafuyu."

Grimacing, the sorceress curled her fingers as if to scratch at something. Extending her shattered hand, Mafuyu scraped the floor with her casting arm, sending a wave of darkness hurdling towards The Violet Grip. The Grip made no attempt to deflect or even counter. The wave simply struck her mother's armor, bouncing off and reflecting straight towards Mafuyu's direction, which she took the full blunt force of her own attack. The wave lacerated her clear across her chest, knocking the wind out of her lungs. With Mafuyu collapsing to a knee, her mother laughed to herself. "An important rule as a solo is to make sure your enemy isn't protected by a barrier. Physical barriers, magic barriers, mental barriers. Barriers will reflect anything which strikes it back to the user, you know? Make sure to keep Dispel Stones on your person at all times." The Grip smiled. "See? I had a magic barrier up. I hope that was valuable lesson for you." The Grip watched her daughter stumble back to her feet, and held her index finger up to her lips. "One more, Mafuyu."

Mafuyu stumbled back up. It was now or never. She needed to improvise something, something her mother had never seen before. Tears streamed down her face from the combined pain in her hand and chest, knowing full well it had taken over her thoughts. Mafuyu wiped away her tears, and closed her eyes. She closed her eyes to the pot of soup she had told Kanade about earlier that day. She needed to cast something born from her soul, or else Niigo was through.

The world around Mafuyu had swelled into a void. The living room and her mother were non-existent in Mafuyu's closed off world, with all that remained being the purple sorceress herself, and her black caldron.

She stared.

And stared.

Mafuyu stared into a vat of soup - but there was no glimmer from within, and there was soup at all.

Her voice trembling, her casting hand began to glow a deep violet color. Mafuyu's eyes slowly opened, her purple eyes shining with fury. She looked upon her mother, whose smile and pride beamed across her face, and the sorceress scrunched her face in rage. "F-Fffrom the soul, huh..." Mafuyu's broken chuckle accompanied the sound of the crackling coming from her hand, as she stretched it outward, supported by her shattered wrist. "Sss-Seventy... Seventy demons of..."

Mafuyu's hand erupted into shadow of flames. The sorceress recoiled, letting loose a pained, chilling scream. Kanade's warning of miscast spells had been disregarded, and now Mafuyu had to pay the price. The Violet Grip rushed to her side, freezing over her hands, and slowly applying pressure to the hand caught in flame. Mafuyu pulled her arm away in terror, her eyes bloodshot, her voice strained. "DON'T TOUCH ME!!" The Grip furrowed her brow, and struck Mafuyu across the face with her palm. "Don't you dare shout at your mother like that. Let me help you." Tears pouring down her face like a waterfall, Mafuyu reluctantly gave her hand up to her mother, who continued applying icy pressure to the daughter she had been testing.

When the flame had been put out, The Grip pulled out a greater healing potion from a pocket in her armor. "Drink. You'll feel better."

The Grip gently took Mafuyu's shoulder, and guided her to the fireplace. She and her daughter both sat down by the pit, as she took the blanket she had wrapped herself in earlier, and draped it across Mafuyu. It was silent. The two sat together in silence for a few minutes, with only the crackling of the fire and Mafuyu's sobs providing ambiance. The fire was comforting to Mafuyu, who had just endured the worst night of her life. And yet, the person who lit the fire was her mother. The person who had inflicted the pain was her mother. Mafuyu was admittedly all too used to irrational actions such as this, but this hurt. It hurt worse than it usually did. Mafuyu's first and only friends were about to be ripped from her, how could she not sob? The Grip took hold of her daughter's chin, hoisting her vision up to her eyes. "Mafuyu." The sorceress's eyes, having returned to their usual empty, desaturated hue, lazily stared into her mother's. "For what it's worth, you held your own quite well." She let go of her daughter's face, the sorceress's head glazing downwards. She didn't have the strength to keep it held up high. "You can continue your solo studies, my daughter. I'll let you keep your training wheels for a bit longer." The Grip curled her finger and pulled it inward, delicately hovering the wand that hand lodged itself into the ceiling into Mafuyu's lap. "Just know that one day, you will surpass me, Mafuyu." The Violet Grip smiled warmly. "You will be the next Grip."

The sorceress stumbled into her room, wand in hand. She felt her legs give out beneath her, tumbling to the floor onto her knees, then flat on her stomach. She didn't have the tears in her to sob, she could only lie in silence on the hardwood floor. The shattered hand had healed itself from the healing potion her mother issued, and the pain from the lashing on her chest had completely faded away. All that remained was a black scar from the hand that had combusted into flame. The pain from the miscast remained, and it was real. It hurt. It hurt like hell. Mafuyu looked at her hand, eyes having hollowed out from today's horrifying experience, and closed them. What else could she do in this moment? She was exhausted. She was tired. And she was done. She didn't intend to, but in that moment, she found herself back in the inky void of her imagination. It was once again her and the pot of soup, the pot that had failed her in her moment of need. Mafuyu approached the soup, gripping the rim, and peering into the recesses of the bowl. There was no soup.

But there was a sparkle. A soft, white sparkle.

Closing her eyes, she reached into the pot, thinking of Kanade, the first friend who wanted to be with her.

She recalled Kanade's proposition for Niigo's name.

"...Silver snow..."

With a small light, her wand had created an outline of what appeared to be a syringe. Mafuyu examined her wand, feeling along the outline which extended off of her wand. It was all tangible, as if it were real. This syringe spell was the result of Kanade's impact on Mafuyu's soul, and she knew it. "Kan...ade..." Mafuyu took the syringe born from her feelings, and slowly injected it into the scar her mother had left on her. When the thumb rest of the syringe had reached the barrel, it had returned to the regular wand, the wand Mafuyu had been reliant on. The black scar that had engulfed her hand remained, but it didn't hurt as bad now. She felt a little better. She had Kanade to thank for this spell born from her care.

Kanade...

That's right...

The two of them are meeting tomorrow at noon...

Without the will to stand back up, Mafuyu remained collapsed on the floor. Closing her eyes, she found herself drifting to sleep.

Chapter Text

Gray clouds overcasted the sky on a chilly afternoon, but that didn't deter the cleric from meeting with her friend. She stood outside the Weekend Garage, much less busy than it were the day prior, but she preferred it that way. While the weather may not have been ideal, the atmosphere was tranquil nonetheless, so Kanade didn't have any real problem with it. She wouldn't let any factor get in her way to enjoy her time with Mafuyu to the fullest. As a matter of fact, the morning was already hectic enough, making sure Ena and Mizuki could take care of the house while she was gone. ...Come to think of it, Ms. Mochizuki was supposed to come over today for her housekeeping. Kanade neglected to mention that fact, so she silently hoped things would go over smoothly between the three of them. The cleric held her hands together by her waist, shifting her boots patiently, stepping on her own foot and keeping her balance to pass the time. It felt like an eternity just waiting alone, but in time, the sorceress reared her purple hair past the street corner she had disappeared into last night. Equipped with a grin, Kanade started waving to Mafuyu, who waved back at a distance.

"Hello, Kanade! I hope I haven't kept you waiting." Kanade was happy to be with Mafuyu again. Nervousness and excitement danced in her gut, but she didn't want to show it. The purple sorceress before her had a wardrobe change, the black dress she wore the day prior now being replaced with a black skirt and purple wool jacket. She kept the same earring to her ear, but it was slightly obscured due to the fact she had let her long, wavy purple hair loose. Most strikingly, Mafuyu wore new black gloves with studded silver by the openings. She looked dignified, like she was applying for a casual job interview. In comparison, Kanade must have looked like a bore. She was wearing the same outfit she had worn for three days straight now, but it wasn't like she was reusing clothes. She just had duplicates of the same outfit. Of course Mafuyu had noticed by now, but the cleric was just hoping she could explain it away if she were to be asked about it.

"No, it's fine. I just got here, I was sort of late myself." Kanade was straight lying through her teeth, having been there for at least 20 minutes prior. "That's good, that's good. Oh, I actually wasn't able to have breakfast this morning, do you think we can grab something?" The silver haired cleric scratched the side of her head in subtle embarrassment. "Yeah, I'm down for some breakfast. Though, uh... truthfully, I don't remember what's around all too well." "That's fine!" Mafuyu giggles to herself, it's a laugh that reassures Kanade. "I'll lead you to a nice place I know." "I thought you were taste-deaf?" "Oh, well... yeah. It's more of an atmosphere thing, you know?" "Right. Shall we?" Mafuyu nods her head, and turns around. Kanade follows the former, matching her footsteps and pace through the market street.

"So what kind of place are you thinking of?" Kanade asked, curiosity building within. "You trying to keep it a surprise, or something?" Mafuyu raises an eyebrow with a playful smile, confusion in her tone. "You hadn't asked yet." "Oh, right." "But now that you have, I was thinking of this small coffee shop that's somewhat close here. I passed it on my way by." Kanade purses her lips and nods her head a few times while slowly turning to the road ahead. She doesn't do coffee. Not only is it too bitter for her, but it felt as if caffeine also made her sleepy, rather than the intended effect. Her father used to drink coffee a lot, he would be a working machine when he had his fix. He'd be up all night with a few coffees, tinkering away at the perfect potion recipe, but Kanade? A few sips, she's tired. And yet, Mafuyu proposed the idea of her own volition, and the cleric didn't want to ruin their day together by brushing off her idea. Best Kanade could do is suck it up. "What about after?" Mafuyu asked Kanade, who was caught up in her own thoughts. "After coffee?" "Yes." The cleric put her index finger to her lips, looking skyward. "I was thinking maybe we get our photo taken, and look at the scenery outside of town together. That sounds like a relaxing day off."

Mafuyu smiled. "I don't really get the appreciation for flowers... but admittedly, it was nice." Kanade turned to her loosely worn purple haired friend. "Oh, really? Well, what about it was nice?" "I think it was being with you." Kanade's face flushed, her thoughts hitting the brakes at 90mph. She fumbled her step, but continued trying to match the sorceress's pace. Did Mafuyu really not think what she had just said was weird? Her face showed no difference from her usual smile and narrowed gentle eyes, so she must have not? And yet, here was Kanade, stumbling over in embarrassment. Mafuyu turned her head back straight, continuing her train of thought. "Flowers are flowers just another part of nature to me. I don't really see the intrigue of them like you or Ena, but that time... that time felt different." She clutches her chest. "It felt warm. Not just that it was beautiful yesterday, but it felt warm inside, too." Kanade side glanced her pretty friend. Mafuyu's being a lot more... blunt than usual. The edges of Kanade's lips turned up, seeing this weirder side of her. "Want to look at the flowers again?" "Yeah, that sounds nice."

With a ring of bells, Mafuyu opened the door to the coffee shop for Kanade. The aroma in the air was strong, the decor of the building one of utter coziness. Dimly lit lights shined upon the softly painted, neutral-colored walls, neatly contrasting with cushioned chairs and tables, and Kanade was pleasantly surprised. "Huh, you were right. This place is totally atmospheric." Mafuyu's gentle eyes give the cleric a look as if to say "I know, right?" as she took her hand, pulling her towards the employee behind the counter. The black leather glove Mafuyu had gripped around Kanade's hand still held the cold of the outside air, which jarred her, but was just happy to be holding her hand once more. She probably wouldn't mind holding Mafuyu's hand no matter the temperature.

Before she knew it, the two were in front of the man taking their orders. Mafuyu started. "I'd like a medium coffee, black." "Any sugar, sweetener, any of the sort?" "None." The sorceress turned to her cleric. "What about you, K?" "U-Uh..." Kanade scratched the side of her head in confusion. Should she just repeat what Mafuyu had said verbatim? What even is 'black coffee'? Isn't sweetener just sugar? Kanade's eyes darted across the menu propped up on a stand in front of her. She cleared her throat, having retained none of the material she had just consumed. The safest bet would be to just say what Mafuyu had. "B-Black as well." The man behind the counter nodded, and began to heat up a kettle. "That'll be 10 gold." Mafuyu nodded and began to reach for her purse, but Kanade interjected. "Hey, wait! I was the one who asked you out, shouldn't I pay?" "No, I insist K! I wanted to come here. It's only polite, is it not?" The two girls began back and forth with one another, neither one giving up their stance of modesty, until the man behind the counter reached his hand up. "You two could just do separate checks, could you not?" The two girls exchanged glances at one another, then the cashier, then back to one another again.

Kanade and Mafuyu sat across from one another at a small booth by the front entrance, the window shining the gloomy weather into the cozily warm interior. Both girls were now 5 gold short of what they came with, but were already having a good time. Their coffees were piping hot, nearly as hot as what felt like hell on earth. Kanade wanted to give hers time to cool, but Mafuyu went straight in, much to the former's utter shock. Mafuyu took a large, hearty swig of her coffee, not even blowing on it beforehand. "M-Mafu, I know you're taste-deaf, but isn't that hot?" "Better hot than cool, I think." "Sheesh, did you melt your taste buds or something?" The sorceress set her coffee down and smiled to the girl across from her. Perhaps her gloves made the heat of the cup not burn her hands, but it was still outlandish to Kanade. "You know, I probably have. C'mon, give it a shot, K." "G-Give what a shot?" "The coffee. Don't let it get too cold." The peer pressure was undeniable. Mafuyu's hazing has gotten out of hand. "Nnnno. I'm not gonna do that." "You could fight those Death Blooms yesterday, but you can't drink a cup of coffee?" Kanade laughed to herself at the absurdity of the comparison. "Okay, okay... I'll do it..." Mafuyu was suddenly very pleased, resting her elbow against the counter, her palm to her chin. Kanade lifted up the cup of nigh boiling coffee, and held it to her lips. She knew it was going to suck, she knew it was going to be bitter. Pushing the cup to her lips, she took the most minuscule of sips, before setting it down once more. Even resting on her tongue, the small droplet she had ingested was rancid to the taste. "See? Not so bad, right?" Kanade swallowed the coffee, her eyes narrowing and her tongue sticking out. "Tasted like crap." "Whaaat? Does it actually?" "Bitter. Bitter bitter bitter." Mafuyu looked a tad saddened, but quickly snapped in a realization. This realization came a smile to her face, smugness washing over her eyes. "Kanade... Do you not like black coffee?" "The heck is 'black coffee', anyways? What about blue coffee, red coffee? What's wrong with those?" Mafuyu laughed to herself, standing up from the booth. "Wait here, K."

Kanade watched Mafuyu stand up from the booth, admiring the prettiness of her hair. Mafuyu's hair was naturally wavy, so seeing it let down all the way was a nice sight. The cleric's was naturally straight, she could never pull of a look that she or Mizuki could. She couldn't help but smile as she stared at Mafuyu, talking once more to the man behind the counter. It was embarrassing to remember how hard Kanade struggled to talk to the employee, but it was even more embarrassing when she recalled her word choice up there. "I was the one who asked you out..?" Kanade's eyes shot open, her smile zoning to neutrality. Silence flooded the air as the world went quiet to her. The cleric interlocked her fingers, resting both elbows on the table. What... what is this? Asking her out? Is this a date? Her face wasn't red before, but it certainly was now, much to her confusion. She hadn't had these thoughts like these in a long time, much less towards another girl.

Mafuyu returned with three small, circular cups, setting them in front of the cleric. "What are these?" she asked. "Coffee creamers." Mafuyu's eyes tilt to express her playful confusion. "You have heard of creamers before, right?" Kanade slowly shook her head, picking one of the creamers up. "Uh-uh. Never seen these before." Mafuyu laughs through pursed lips, letting out a "Pfftt." Kanade smiled in similar playful confusion. "Am I weird for not knowing?" "Super weird, silly. Crack these open, pour them in." The cleric rolled her eyes and did as the sorceress had asked of her. One by one, the pitch black coffee was painted a shade of milky brown as Kanade poured them in, to Mafuyu's pleasure. "Alright, give it another shot." Kanade clicked her tongue, then did as she was told. She picked her coffee cup up, now considerably less hot, and takes a sip.

The new concoction she had just brewed was an utter delight. With each sip she took after the initial, the smooth, creamy texture that coats the palate left behind a rich, vanilla aftertaste. Kanade looked to a smiling Mafuyu in disbelief, who had been watching Kanade's horizons expand within real time. "Is it good?" "Yeah... Is this vanilla?" "Mmhm!" "How did you know this would be that good?" "This is how my mom prefers her coffee. Whenever she would take me here, that's how she'd order it." Kanade beamed warmly. "Your mom must know her stuff. I've never had anything like this before." Mafuyu turned to the gloomy weather outside, as if she was refreshing her own palate from the dimly lit coffee shop. "I suppose she does."

The front entrance rang as the door gently swung open. Kanade turned around to see who it was out of instinctual intrigue, and was surprised by a familiar face. "Woah, Ms. Mochizuki?" Ms. Mochizuki's shoulders sprang as she turned to Kanade, caught off guard. "Kanade? Good to see you!" Ms. Mochizuki was wearing her usual housekeeping attire, but was accompanied by a girl with scruffy, short gray hair with striking green eyes. Her eyes were as sharp as her resting face, firm and cold. Kanade had turned to Ms. Mochizuki's friend, slightly pointing to her. "Who's that?" "Oh, sorry... Where are my manners? Kanade, this is my friend, Shiho, Shiho Hinomori. She's the bard in my party." Kanade's uneasiness suddenly faded away. The girl may had been intimidating, but if she was in a party with someone as kind as Ms. Mochizuki, she couldn't be all that bad, right? "Shiho, this is Kanade. I go to her her house for my housekeeping job."  Kanade bowed her head to the girl before her. "It's nice to meet you, Ms. Hinomori." Ms. Hinomori reciprocated the gesture, bowing her head. "The feeling is mutual." The byocket hat she had was decorated by a lone feather, with a similar one in the breast pocket of her blouse. She had on a small green jacket wrapped over her shoulders, with her making a conscious decision not to stick her arms through the sleeves, and she had a guitar strap that went over her shoulder. From an outsider's look in, she seemed very strict, but welcoming all the same.

"So, Ms. Mochizuki, what are you doing here? I don't want to sound rude, but I thought today was one of your housekeeping days." Ms. Mochizuki reaches over her shoulder, touching her back. "Yes, sorry about that. I was visiting a party member at the infirmary before heading into work. I wanted some coffee with Shiho here to keep me going." Kanade smacks her lips, her head bobbing to signal understanding. Ms. Mochizuki continued. "She was doing pretty bad before, but in some kind of miracle, some Adventurers helped fulfilled a request my friend made for some endangered herb. Now? She's actually doing pretty good!" Kanade tilts her head. That sounds eerily familiar to what she and her three friends accomplished yesterday. "...By any chance, is your friend Saki Tenma?"

Both Ms. Mochizuki and Ms. Hinomori's eyes went open, with the former expressing much more shock than the latter. "Wait... That was you? Really?!" Kanade softly laughed to herself. "Small world, huh?" "No kidding!!" Ms. Mochizuki turned to Mafuyu, who had been sitting patiently for the pleasantries to wrap up. "Then, I assume you're... Ms. Asahina, right?" In a chipper voice, Mafuyu nods and says "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm glad Saki is feeling better now." "Kanade had told me a little bit about you, it's nice to meet you!" Shiho stepped in with a curious question in mind, one Kanade had grown familiar with. "Asahina, like... The Violet Grip?" Kanade had heard numerous people ask that question before, and it seemingly hadn't bothered Mafuyu in the past. Or, at least if it had, she put up a good front against it. This time was different. Surprisingly, out of character yet with the same faux smile on her face, Mafuyu responds coldly to the bard the two they had just met. "Does it matter?" The three girls were taken aback by the sudden impoliteness. Shiho frowns. "No, not really. Just wondering." Mafuyu stood up from her seat and pushed in her chair. Concern took over Kanade's face, as the sorceress began to walk to the front door. "I'll wait for you outside, okay?" "Y-Yeah..." The bells by the door ring as Mafuyu swings the door open, with the wind slamming it behind her.

The three girls stared at the door from which Mafuyu had exited from, all portraying different, varying expressions. For Shiho, offense. "The hell is her problem? It was just a question." For Honami, reassurance. "Sh-She probably gets that a lot. Maybe she's had a bad morning?" And for Kanade, concern. "I don't think so... She hasn't exploded like that before..." The cleric stood up from her seat, and bowed her head. "I'm so sorry about that, Ms. Hinomori. She isn't normally like this." "Hmm." Kanade quickly turned to Honami. "Ms. Mochizuki, will I be seeing you later?" "Yes, probably." "I'll explain things later. Again, so sorry." Honami's eyes softened. "Maybe it's a touchy subject, I get it." Kanade picked up her handbag from her chair, and pushed it in. "I'm gonna go after her, I'll see you later. I hope to meet you again under different circumstances, Ms. Hinomori." Shiho lightly smiles a wordless gesture of appreciation, and Kanade took that as her memo to leave.

Kanade stepped foot outside, the gray clouds still coating the sky, the wind getting in the way of her lengthy silver hair. Waiting for her, true to her word, was Mafuyu, a familiar, hollow look to her face. Kanade hated seeing her like this. Even though she knew the light in her eyes was a lie, this... dead, corpse of a face broke her heart. The date had only just begun, and things had already went astray. "Mafuyu... What was that about? Are you okay?" Silence filled the air as the wind blew in between the two of them. The purple haired sorceress turned to Kanade, her eyes empty and desaturated.

"Kanade, if your mother died, would you cry?"

Kanade stood in silence. Had she mentioned yet that her mother has already passed? Where is this question coming from, how could Mafuyu ask such a strange thing? Kanade wanted to address the screwed up question she had been proposed, but could only look to her with heartbroken, trembling eyes. With no answer coming from Kanade's mouth, Mafuyu continues. "I wouldn't. I don't think I would cry even a little bit." Kanade looked into her amethyst eyes, the life having bled out from them. No tears rested within them, for they were completely dry, devoid of any coherent emotion. Kanade opens her mouth a bit to let loose a quaky, wavering voice. "...Mafuyu, my mom is already dead." The two girls stood with further silence, being broken up by Mafuyu. "Hm."

The sorceress slowly buried her face into her hands, and took a deep breath. "Kanade, I had a rough night. I don't know if I can do today." The cleric clutched her fists, and looked to her boots. She was holding back tears at this point, but knew it was too soon for her new friend to see that side of her. She sniffled softly, but blinked the tears away. With the tilt of her head back up to Mafuyu, she reached her hand out, and hesitantly rested it onto the sorceress's shoulder. "That's okay. We can reschedule for another day. We can see the flowers and get our photos taken another time, when the weather is actually nice." No smile cracked on Mafuyu's empty expression, but the cleric could feel the tension in the air slightly dissipate. "If you ever want to talk, Mafuyu, I'm here. I'll listen no matter what." Mafuyu took a step closer to Kanade, and slowly wrapped her arms around her. "I appreciate it." The cleric was taken aback at first, but followed the gesture, wrapping her own arms around her friend. The two held this embrace for an extended time, with Mafuyu digging her nails through her gloves into Kanade's back with a shaking deep exhale. "I... appreciate it."

The sorceress began to walk away from a saddened cleric who stood in the center of the street. It felt quieter than usual, but that could be addressed as the feeling in the air in the moment. She wanted to say something to her friend, anything to make the rest of the day tolerable, but couldn't find the words. She looked to the gray clouds in the sky, tiny droplets of rain splashing against her face. From her lungs, the first thing she could think of came out. "Mafuyu!" The sorceress stopped in her tracks and turned to face her sorrowful friend. Capturing her attention for the last time today, Kanade feigned a smile, a loose attempt to bring Mafuyu comfort in the moment.

"I really liked the coffee."

It was faint and hard to tell, but in that moment, the edges of Mafuyu's lips tilted up, her eyes softened into a familiar state. The purple sorceress turned around once more, and disappeared into the street.

Chapter Text

Come 1pm, and Mizuki and Ena were still wearing Kanade's parents' old clothes. The cleric had absolutely no idea how to do the laundry, much less wash her own clothes without Ms. Mochizuki's help, so the stand-in outfits had to do. Ena's kimono and Mizuki's blouse had been thrown over the chairs in the Yoisaki household's kitchen, mostly out of a lack of anywhere else to set them. Normally, Ena would step in and wash the dirty outfits on the behalf of her critically lacking ally, but the moment she had filled a bucket with water, the elf noticed there was absolutely no soap to use, other than shampoo and a single, worn bar of soap. It had started to rain out, so even Mizuki's shopping plans had to be put on hiatus. The best the two could do was kill time until Kanade returned home. The both of them sat on the couch, Mizuki's arms outstretched over the couch, with Ena hunched over, bouncing her leg impatiently. Had they paid close enough attention, Mizuki could probably watch smoke come out from her sock with how rapid her tapping was.

"Mizuki." "Yeah'nanan?" "I am really bored." Mizuki turns their head over to their friend, who had been wearing Kanade's father's old button down shirt. She wore it to bed last night, but just hadn't changed out of it yet. Mizuki, while they admittedly were bored out of their mind as well, smirks to their restless friend. "Really? I couldn't tell." "I wish there was like, busywork to do, or something." Ena turns to the ranger, her foot still tapping a frustrated rhythm. "How is this house still standing? She doesn't even have soap." Mizuki placed their finger to their chin. "In the forest yesterday, Kanade said she hires that housekeeper, right?" "Still doesn't excuse the lack of soap." "Maybe the housekeeper brings some with her?" Ena throws her hands up to the ceiling, leaning back on the couch with a groan. "That's dumb." "Yeah, it totally is."

The two friends sat in silence together, Ena having now thrown her hands over the couch as well. She let out a mighty sigh while gazing at the unfamiliar ceiling above, closing her eyes. Her incessant shaking stopped, a grandfather clock ticks and the droplets pattering against the roof acting as the only ambiance. It was just the two of them together, like how it was growing up in the elven woods. The downpour from above reminded Mizuki of the sound of rainfall against the mushroom caps above, crevasses of the firmament letting stray droplets loose to exfoliate the soil. Those woods brought Ena stress. As the years went on, the elf had expressed the distaste for her father and his expectations more and more, and Mizuki had even comforted her during a boiling point when her brother ran from home. Mizuki liked being with Ena through thick and thin, and they were pretty confident as to why. Ena, however, despite how smart and talented she was, hadn't come to the same realization, if those feelings existed at all. While Mizuki couldn't step foot within the barriers of the Shinonome Clan's gates, they made damn sure to make sure nothing else could, either. They didn't need much sleep, nor really needed to eat at all, so a lot of their time was spent protecting the very same woods Ena had grown to resent.

Mizuki rolled their head to gaze at Ena. Even like this, she was pretty. The ranger wanted to satiate their friend's boredom, and had just the dumb, out of pocket question to ask. It was a stupid question, sure, but it also doubled as a test they had in mind. No confidence required, Mizuki lets loose their question. "Hey, Enanan." "Yes?" "Isn't it obvious that Kanade likes Mafuyu?" Ena raises an eyebrow and sits up, looking at the ranger, whose ponytail hung off the couch like a weather doll. "What do you mean? The two just met." "Well, yeah. But I think it's like a crush." Mizuki sits up to match Ena's line of sight. "People can have crushes on those they just met, right?" Ena protrudes her lips and shifts her eyes to her right. "I mean... I guess?" Ena, completely serious, turns back to her friend with an even dumber question. "How could you tell?"

Okay, that confirms it. Ena had totally flopped the test, she is completely oblivious.

"Well, it's just a matter of watching somebody's body language and the tone of their voice. For example, yesterday, she kept fidgeting, stuttering, she even went all red in the face asking Mafuyu out on that date." Mizuki looks out the window to the downpour of rain. "I mean, she chose a shitty day for a date, but like... still a date." Ena's eyes widened with shock, her voice raising. "Wait, was that a date?!" Mizuki could do nothing but hit her with that stare of disbelief. "Yes." Ena smacks her lips, and slowly slouches back down. "Huh." She fixes her eyes back to the ceiling, and Mizuki shifts the corner of their mouth to their cheek. "...In the village, Ena... Did you like anybody like that?"

The elf doesn't change her focus. She continued to gaze at the ceiling in silence as Mizuki looked to her with eager, yet patient eyes. "...There... was a time, yeah." The ranger softly scooted closer to their friend. Ena spoke quietly and slowly, as if she were choosing her words carefully. "There was... somebody I knew who let me talk my ass off ad nauseam. I liked being with them, and I think they liked being with me too. I don't know if I would define that as a crush, though." Ena lifted her head up, still slumped into the couch. "What's the difference between loving someone as a friend, and loving someone as a partner, you know?" She lowered her head back into the couch cushions. "I dunno if I've found that answer yet." Mizuki pursed their lips, nodding as they turned away, but Ena hadn't finished yet. "I think those feelings are still there. But I want to understand them a bit more, first."

"Still there?" "Yeah. Still there." Mizuki's keen eyes picked up that Ena's ears had twitched a little. They knew from their time with her that an elf's pointy ears twitch from strong emotions and curiosity, so they could tell at a moment's notice that she was being honest with herself. Ena sits up, returning to her signature dignified form from her slumped, lazy posture a moment ago. She clears her throat a little. "On an unrelated note, Mizuki. I've been meaning to ask, actually." "Yeah, what's up?" Ena scoots a bit closer to Mizuki, her voice as gentle as an angel's. "Who are you?"

Mizuki laughs, resting an arm on the couch. "Wow, Enanan. Take me to dinner first before popping a question like that, would'jya? Got me all embarrassed here." "I'm serious." Ena places her hand on Mizuki's knee, completely freezing her friend up. Mizuki had lost all train of thought, dropping their witty remarks and silly comebacks across the floor. ...Is this how Kanade feels when she's with Mafuyu? "I've known you practically my entire life... And yet, I don't know a thing about you." Ena's eyes grow gentle, the usual determination from within being hidden from sight. "Why won't you let me in?"

Mizuki may have been on the offensive just a few moments ago, but even they can admit when they need to go on defense. They felt their face burn up, which... they hadn't felt in a long time. In this vulnerable moment, now was the chance for honesty, transparency, something Mizuki had been avoiding for all their life. They sputtered on their own words, choking out "I... don't even know where to begin." "We can start small. First steps." Mizuki took a deep breath trying to flush away the redness in their face, and reopened their eyes. "Where do you want to start?" Ena looked down to Mizuki's lap in thought, then turned her sight back to Mizuki's pink eyes. "Where are you from?" Mizuki flapped their lips as they turned their head away from their crush, but eventually got up from the couch, an imprint of where they had been panicking a moment prior being left behind. With Ena's hand off their knee, they could think about their word choice rationally once more. "This stays between us, okay?" Ena nods. "If you tell another soul, you're going to Hell." Ena furrows her brow, nodding again. "I'm not kidding. I will be very upset if you--" "I won't tell anybody, I promise."

Mizuki looks to their friend, gauging her resolve. They... could trust Ena. Mizuki turned their back towards their friend, the old, ragged clothes sticking to their skin in nervousness. "Here, come with me." Ena stood up in compliance, walking behind Mizuki. They led Ena towards a window that faced the drenched market street outside, and cracked it open a little. The smell of the rain was refreshing, which helped steel their nerves a bit. Ena was patient for an answer, which was a stark contrast to her frustrated demeanor minutes prior. For Mizuki, Ena would drop everything for them, and that small, in the moment reassurance was what made the ranger's heart open. Why not trust her? Why not let her in? With a deep, lengthy breath, Mizuki pointed out the window.

"There."

Wordless disbelief, Ena slowly turns her head to Mizuki. The elf's eyes were shot open from the location which Mizuki had pointed to. Mizuki's poker face left her speechless, as neither party spoke a word while the ranger lifted their arm back to their side. In the silence, a new sound broke the airwaves, the sound of the front door opening. Out stepped a completely drenched Kanade with the brown haired housemaid neither Mizuki nor Ena had been introduced to, the former holding an equally drenched wooden stick. "I'm back. A bit earlier than expected." Kanade points to the generic, average stick in her hand. "On the bright side, I learned how to improv-cast a cool umbrella spell, watch." The stick in Kanade's hands suddenly materializes outlines that extend off the stick, taking shape as an umbrella. "Pretty cool, huh?"

Chapter Text

Ena didn't have time to articulate a response to Mizuki's truth, especially now that Kanade had returned home. Mizuki, however, immediately assumed their typical wacky self, running up to Kanade to examine the ordinary stick she had plucked off the road. "Woahhh, that's cool! What else can your new spell do?" "Just the umbrella." "Just the umbrella!" In Ena's silence, the brown haired housekeeper approached the elf who was still in shock. "Hello, you must be Ena, right?" Ena slowly turned her head to the housekeeper, as if the weight of the world was pulling her face away. "I'm Honami Mochizuki. I'm Kanade's housekeeper. I was told you and Mizuki are living here temporarily?" Ena smacked her lips to regain composure and look presentable in front of their guest. "Y-Yes. Nice to meet you, Ms. Mochizuki." "The pleasure is mine... Er, sorry... I wasn't given your last name?" The elf pinches one of her pointy ears. She's been avoiding using her last name this entire time, and would frankly prefer not to use it anytime soon. "Ena is fine."

Honami bows to Ena, seeing as Mizuki is still occupied with their curiosity over Kanade's new spell. "Kanade told me the four of you were the ones who found the Silent Royalty yesterday. I wanted to thank all of you individually for your help." Ena tilted her head, her ears twitching a tad. "Thank us? Thank us for what?" "Saki Tenma is one of my party members. Ever since she had that flower, she's been recovering a lot quicker! Which... is a blessing." The elf smiled, relieved to know that Niigo's efforts had not gone to waste. "That's great to hear." She said. "We Adventurers need to look out for one another." "Both my group and yours work under the Weekend Crew's guild, right Ms. Ena?" "That's right." Honami placed her hand to the back of her neck, looking somewhat sheepish before Ena. "I ran the idea through Kanade, who didn't seem opposed to it. I was thinking... when Saki starts feeling a bit better, why don't our two parties team up and take on a larger quest?"

Mizuki swished their head around, whacking Kanade in the face with their long, curly ponytail. "Larger quest?" Honami smiles. "Oh, you were listening?" "I got the ears of an elephant, nothing escapes me--yowowowow!!!." Kanade had started to pull on Mizuki's hair in payback. Ena recaptures the housekeeper's attention with her own question. "What exactly does this 'larger quest' entail?" Honami's gentle grin was a display of glee, her smile from ear to ear. "I was thinking a dungeon." "Dungeon?" "Mmhm! There's plenty of old ruins here in the Miyamasuzaka district, with a large enough crew, we should be just fine!" Honami pushes her index fingers together. "Admittedly, this is something my crew has always wanted to do... we just hadn't had a large enough crew to feel comfortable doing so. But... you guys managed to hold your own in the Forlorn Forest, so I think you all would be perfect!" Despite trying to hold up her image as the stone-faced swordswoman with the badass sword, Ena wasn't big on creepy decals. She knew her weaknesses, and fear was one of them. Even so, one cannot be brave if they are not scared, so she knew this would be perfect practice.

"...Yeah, I think we would be okay with that." "Great!!" Honami nearly bounced in the air with her response, but cleared her throat and collected herself to face Kanade. "I could let you all know when we're ready!" "That would be great." The cleric said. "...I think our usual meet up time at the Weekend Garage is gonna be 10am. You could probably find us then." Honami bowed to Kanade in thanks, a smile plastered on her face. "This means more than you know, seriously. Saki's always wanted to explore ruins, so I have no doubt you all would be a great help." Mizuki, having finally recovered from the grave offense of getting their beautiful locks yanked, looked in confusion. "What's got Saki so fascinated with ruins?" "Well... I think it stems mostly from curiosity. She's pretty excitable and impulsive, one of those 'live life to the fullest' types." Mizuki puts their thumb on their cheek. "One of 'dem, huh?" "She's spent pretty much her entire life in infirmaries, so I think that's why." Honami looks down to her shoes, her beaming smile saddening. "We tried our hardest to be there for her, but things sort of fell apart... Until recently, at least. That's why we want to fulfill her dreams."

Kanade sat in silence from what Honami had said. Who would've thought they were so similar, when they hadn't spoken to each other much at all this entire time? Ms. Mochizuki wanted to fulfill her sick friend's wishes, and the cleric wanted to fulfill her father's dream to save people, including himself. They had similar goals, and would frequently be under the same roof. Perhaps had Kanade left her shell sooner, she wouldn't have felt... so... isolated. A small smile formed on Kanade's face, seeing a bit of herself in her softspoken housekeeper. "That sounds pretty admirable, Ms. Mochizuki. We'd love to partner up sometime."

Ena raised her hand patiently, to which Mizuki had noticed and brought attention to. "You got something to say, 'nanan?" The elf put her hand down and turned to Honami once more. "So... you're a housekeeper, right?" "Yes, yes I am! Why, do you need something?" Ena furrows her brow. "Where do you keep the soap for the laundry?" Honami looks to Ena, as if she's trying to process the inquiry, but starts to giggle to herself. "Kanade doesn't bother to do the laundry, so I just bring my own. Saturdays are housekeeping and cleaning, and I usually dedicate Sundays to the laundry." Mizuki, who had been standing right next to Kanade, slowly looks at Kanade. It was as if you could practically hear the rust and the grinding of metal in Mizuki's neck as they stared sharply at the unkempt cleric in disapproval. "You don't even bother to do laundry?" While Kanade began to her pathetic attempts to defend herself, Ena knew Mizuki was bluffing. The ranger had (probably) never done laundry either, considering they lived out in the woods. Ena breaks Kanade's defense with her own loud voice, capturing everybody's attention in the room. "Today is laundry day! Kanade, you're learning how to clean your own clothes!"

Kanade felt her entire body melt into a puddle. She really did not want to do that.

It must have taken about an hour and a half to go through the entire week's worth of clothes (including Ena and Mizuki's mud covered outfits), from washing, to rinsing, to hanging them up to dry. Though, with the state of the weather, hanging them outside wouldn't do. They just had to string a clothesline over newspapers that protected the hardwood floor. The four had a lot of scattered topics to share with one another throughout their time, learning more about Honami's party, Leo/need, Ms. Mochizuki herself, and even a little more about Saki and her older brother from the Biei district. "Saki's older brother is a strange one." She started. "He's the ringleader of a party who travels city to city over in Biei, so he doesn't get to see Saki all too often. But while acting as... admittedly uncoordinated Adventurers, they also preform original stageplays on the side!" Ena looked to Honami in curiosity, her ears lightly flapping. "What's a stageplay?" "It's... when they write a script, and preform it on a stage to entertain an audience." Mizuki looks to their friends, excitably suggesting their own idea without having been asked. "That sounds cool! K, Enanan, if we're in the area we GOTTA check one of them out!" They clasp their hands together, caught in their own world. "Maybe... we could partake in one ourselves?"

While the idea of preforming in front of an audience was massively unappealing to Kanade, the thought of dancing together with Mafuyu made her heart flutter a bit. She thought of how the purple sorceress wore her hair today, imagining it drape beside her head like curtains. But when she thought of Mafuyu, when she thought of how empty her eyes were outside the coffee shop, the cleric could've sworn her fluttering heart had fallen into a pit of despair. She didn't want to see her feel that way. She didn't want to see anybody feel that way. What the hell happened last night to make Mafuyu panic at the sheer mention of her mother's title? ...It wouldn't be smart to ask her directly when they met up at the Weekend Garage tomorrow, so that would have to wait for the right time.

Lost in her thoughts and recollections, the cleric hadn't notice Honami standing up from the buckets of soap and water, drying her hands on a towel nearby. "That should do it, then. We're all done with the laundry." Mizuki playfully punches Kanade's shoulder, wittily commenting "Did'jya learn anything, K?" "Ow." "I didn't even hit you that hard." Ena stands up as well, bowing to Honami. "Thank you for all of your help. I had a lovely time today." "Oh, don't be so formal... It was great getting to know you all a bit better, and I look forward to meeting with you all again!" The housekeeper began packing her things as the four made more small-talk, wrapping up whatever loose threads of conversation they had forgotten to close. While the morning may had been rough for the three Niigo members (for different reasons, admittedly), Kanade was glad everybody was able to enjoy themselves despite the rainy weather. And yet...

When Honami had left the Yoisaki household, bravely running through the rain with their jacket held over their head, Kanade found herself thrown on the couch in exhaustion. She let out a hefty, exhausted sigh of defeat right in front of her party members without any real care. She was tired. Maybe it was the coffee she had, since Kanade and caffeine don't mix well, but she doubted it. She figured it was her time with Mafuyu today. The morning treated her emotions terribly, and to top it off, she was now physically tired from all the labor. As she looked to the walls, the spaces in between family photos, she felt the energy drain from her body as it sunk into the cushions, sorrow seeping throughout her veins. It certainly wasn't helping that the rain was so noisy, too. Her ears were sensitive to loud, oppressive noises, so she hated heavy rainfall. In her silence, Mizuki, unable to help themselves, curiously pokes Kanade's cheek. "Hey, you good?" "Tired. Please don't poke me again." "'kay." Ena leans over the back of the couch, looking down at Niigo's forlorn cleric. "You... said you were gonna be out all day, didn't you? Did things not go well with Mafuyu?"

Kanade lazily turns her gaze to the elf. "Yeah." "Oh." Ena looks away to Mizuki, who had a similar saddened expression that she herself had on. "I'm sorry to hear that, Kanade." Mizuki rubbed the top of their head, proposing their own question. "What happened?" The ranger clearly couldn't help but pry, but maybe that wasn't a bad thing. Ena just found it comical that the person with the most secrets wanted to help others with their own. It was just in the mysterious ranger's nature to try and help, even if they deny that they themselves need someone to talk to. Kanade took a deep breath, and let it all out. "I think something bad happened to Mafuyu last night." Mizuki's eyebrows lower. "Something bad? What do you mean?" "You all have noticed how she gets a bit sad when somebody brings up her mom, right?" While Mizuki had no response to Kanade's question, Ena slowly nods. "She froze up when we first met, when I realized she shared the same last name as The Grip. Why?" The cleric rests the palms of her hands on her cheeks. "The two of us went to get coffee, but Ms. Mochizuki's friend recognized Mafuyu's last name. She asked about it, and Mafuyu suddenly blew up at her." Kanade's hands had shifted from her cheeks, to covering her eyes with her palms. "She ran away, but I went after her. When I tried to talk to her, she then asked me if I would care if my mom died, because she wouldn't if hers did." Through a weighted breath, Kanade tells a truth about herself to her party members. "I cared a lot when my mom died. So I dunno. I think I'm just a wreck right now."

The air in the room was heavy. Ena and Mizuki looked to one another, sympathy interlocking within their eyes. Mizuki clearly didn't have anything to respond with, so Ena knew she would have to. She lightly placed a hand on the couch she had been leaning up against. "I... think I get why she asked you that." Kanade uncovers her eyes, looking into Ena's. They were empathetic, understanding. "Why?" "I think she was trying to see if it was normal to feel those things." Ena looks to Mizuki, thinking of her father for the first time since she left home. "I don't think I would cry if my dad were to die. He wasn't anything special to me, either." Shifting back to the cleric, she continues. "She might think of her mom the same way I feel of my dad. Weighted down, fear, frustration. ...But that's just my guess. There's no way for any of us to know why she's afraid." Mizuki nudges in closer to Kanade, having finally found the words they wanted to contribute as well. "I think we should just give her time to hatch. People open up over time." They look to Ena, thinking of their heart to heart from earlier. The ranger felt more close to the swordswoman than ever before thanks to just one conversation, even if that conversation were years in the making. "We can't apply pressure to that egg yet, though." Kanade looked to Mizuki with confusion. "Egg?" "Mafuyu. If you apply pressure to an egg, it'll break, right? Basically, what I'm saying, is we should stay by her side until she's ready to hatch." Mizuki smiles. "That's what friends do, right?"

Kanade sits upright from the couch, looking to the both of them. 'Friends'... What defined a friend, anyways? The four of them only became a party yesterday, and yet the two of them can confidentially call themselves her friends? It was strange, and yet... the cleric would consider them friends as well. With getting lost together in a forest for hours, to inviting total strangers into her home, to having fun with a menial chore such as laundry, Kanade's thoughts had articulated a definition for friendship. Friendship isn't about rights and wrongs, a good deed repaid with another good deed, as she thought... It was more so of a bond, something she had already formed with the ranger and the swordswoman. It was as if the two of them had said all the right words that Kanade needed to hear in that particular moment. It felt... close. Maybe the fact the two of them had been wearing her parents' clothes this entire time had something to do with it, but it was a familiar sense of reassurance she hadn't felt in a long time.

Kanade looked to her friends, her eyes still filled with sorrow, but her lips finding the determination to smile. "Thanks, guys. Let's try to make tomorrow better, alright?" Ena and Mizuki nod to their leader, the two taking a seat on the couch beside one another, listening to the combined sounds of the rain and the clock nearby. The air had returned to its light self once more, and it was calming. The sound of the rain that had oppressed Kanade moments ago had become much more... therapeutic. After a minute or two, the peaceful silence was broken by Ena.

"Hey, Kanade?" "Yes?"

"I am extremely bored."

Chapter Text

The rest of the night was uneventful, with heavy rainfall trapping the three indoors. In their isolation, the three satiated their boredom with simple questionnaire games, reading books Kanade had been letting dust over, and drawing on scratch paper. Ena was a surprisingly good with a pen in her hand, drawing detailed and stylistic portraits of each of her party members. Mafuyu's portrait may have been from memory, but the elf had rectified that fact by using a plethora of strokes to shade in her face more than the others. The drawing of Kanade portrayed her in a steep hole looking up into the sun, which had impressed her for the detail of perception and field-of-view. Kanade couldn't help put it on display up on the fridge. Ena proposed a sketch to Mizuki for what she had in mind for their portrait, but Mizuki declined. The draft the elf had offered was of Mizuki in a dress leaning back, their face obscured into shadow, but the ranger had turned it away, instead opting to draw their own portrait.

Needless to say, Ena thought her drawing was a lot more flattering.

"Mizuki, did you draw yourself as a pirate?" The ranger was clearly offended. "What do you mean? I drew the clothes I like to wear." "Yyyyou look like a pirate." Mizuki put their pencil down and frowned, crossing their arms. They would not take this clear attack on their person lightly, they would rather die standing than live kneeling to Ena's oppression. They faced God and walked backwards into hell with an extremely confident and effective rebuttal: "YOU look like a pirate." "No I don't!" "YARRRGHH" In order to break the two's fight, the cleric stepped up, issuing her own statement. "I like your drawing, Mizuki. You've captured your essence pretty well." Mizuki had failed to realize that was not only a compliment, but also a friendly insult. They lean onto Kanade, putting their hands on both her shoulders in display of affection. "See, Ena? Kanade has a true taste for the arts. She's my best friend now." Ena rolled her eyes, and just continued on with her flattering portrait. The three of them continued with their various entertainments until tiring themselves out, calling it quits for the day.

The night went and passed with no real problems, the cleric sleeping well enough, but waking up a few times in the night. Mizuki called the couch with no objections from Ena, so she just slept on Kanade's parents' old, neatly made bed. Through the night though, she heard what sounded like voices coming from the living room, a pair having a muffled conversation through the walls. She didn't feel like rolling out of bed to check, so she let who she assumed to be Mizuki and Ena converse throughout the night. While Kanade and Mizuki woke up relatively early, Ena had to be forcibly shaken awake from her slumber, much to Kanade's surprise. She went up kicking and grumbling, but Mizuki said she's always been bad with mornings. The cleric found it as an endearing quirk for someone typically so formal and respectful, so she gave Ena her time to wake up. With time, the three were ready to head out to the Weekend Garage, the sky finally clearing up.

Puddles decorated the streets of Carnation Village, reflecting the canvas of a blue sky. Though it wasn't entirely clear of clouds, Kanade enjoyed the shade of them either way. She's always thought the clouds complimented the sky, feeling lacking one or the other makes the day intrinsically less pretty. The air may have been humid, but otherwise, it was a beautiful day in Kanade's eyes. A better start than the gloomy skies of yesterday, at least. The trio proceeded onward to their agreed meeting point with their heads held up high. It was a shorter walk now that Kanade knew the directions, but there were still hiccups here and there with merchants trying to buy Hermit IX off of the increasingly more irritated elf, and Mizuki needing to make a pitstop to purchase new shoes. Other than that, it was a smooth walk, and things would go even smoother seeing a reinvigorated, smiling Mafuyu waiting for the three outside the door to the guild.

"Hello, everyone! Good to see you all again!" Mafuyu said, her eyes not showing a trace of emptiness from the last time Kanade had saw her. She was holding a quest paper in her free hand, so the cleric had just assumed Mafuyu went ahead and scoured the board already. The cleric noticed she'd dressed herself how she did the prior days, her hair neatly tied up in a ponytail with her black dress, however the gloves she had worn the day before had remained. Kanade felt a little let down, seeing as she wouldn't be able to feel the warmth of her hands again. Ena bowed to the sorceress, her typical cordial greeting to everyone. "Good morning, Mafuyu. Did you decide on a quest while we were waiting?" "Yes, though there were a lot of high leveled notices posted today... Not exactly to our skill level yet. But I found one we could probably handle on our lonesome." She hands the quest notice to Kanade, whom Mizuki and Ena circle around.

QUEST TYPE: Retrieval/Combat
CLIENT: Shousuke Otori
DETAILS: Locate stolen family pearls from Goblin Encampment
Recommended Party Size: 4+

"Family pearls?" Kanade looked to Mafuyu, asking for further clarification. "I asked about that too. I came relatively early to scout the board and make sure none of the easy ones were taken yet, so I was able to ask Ken without a lengthy line to sit behind." She touches the back of her neck. "The name 'Otori' was kind of familiar as well, so I made sure to ask. Turns out, 'Shousuke Otori' is some sort of... How did Ken put it... some sort of 'shady hot shot rich kid from Biei?" Mizuki nodded. "I know what that means." "That's great, Mizuki. Anyways, he was ambushed by a pack of goblins on the trail from Miyamasuzaka to Biei, and they snatched up a family heirloom he had on him." Ena suspiciously looked to Mafuyu, doubt circulating. "He was attacked by goblins, didn't fight back, and they let him run off without harm? That doesn't sound right to me." "Mmhm. I'm a bit wary myself." Mafuyu raises her index finger up, a smile strewed across her face. "That's why I asked Ken to shorten the rescue time from 24 hours to 8 hours for this mission. If this is some sort of ambush, we'll have ample time to be rescued." Kanade looked to Mafuyu, admiration in her eyes. She really thinks of everything, doesn't she? "Thank you, Mafuyu. That's much appreciated." "Just doing my duty, dear leader."

The four step foot into the Weekend Garage, once again being met by Ken's shining personality. "Niigo, how nii-goes it?" Ena's face scrunched up in response, while Mizuki had the opposite expression. "That was a pretty good one! Mind if I use it from now on?" "Nii-go ahead!" Ena firmly shoved her face into her palm, silently cursing the world she had to wake up this morning. Kanade and Mafuyu were wholly indifferent, the latter proceeding as normal. "We're ready to accept the quest. Where should we meet the client?" Ken takes the paper from Kanade, addressing the Adventurers in documents. "Mr. Otori paid directly up front. Seems like he doesn't want to meet with anybody in public." Ken glazes his eyes to Mafuyu, still signing off the papers. "He's kind of a draconic dickhead." This caught Kanade's attention. "Draconic?" "Yep. Seems to be half dragon, half human. Interesting guy. He left me with all the info you'd need though, so I suppose there isn't a problem with paying up front." Ena turns her face up in curiosity. "So... wait, half dragon, half human? Does he, like... have the face of a dragon with the body of a human, or... the other way..?" "Nah, he's got scales on his cheeks and a tail. I would be horrified of somebody with the body of a dragon with the face of a human. Sounds like some nightmare fuel."

Mizuki's hand shot up. "Question. Can he breathe fire?" "Um... Probably?" They crossed their arms in smug admiration. "That's cool." Mizuki was satiated. "Only thing is, Niigo, is that the encampment might be a ways away on foot. I'm not sure if you'll make it back in 8 hours." Mafuyu's smile turned to a slight frown. "We can't have that. What do you suggest to cut back on time?" Kanade glanced her eyes to her sorceress friend. Is there a reason she doesn't want to be out too late? "...Could always rent out a carriage and some horses for the day." Ena's compassionate smile let loose, bowing in thanks. "Thank you very much, Ken. We'll do just that." "Then... It's settled, then! Now that you're confirmed on board, you'll need this." Ken hands Kanade a map detailing where the encampment is, and resumes addressing the papers assigning Niigo to their second official quest as a team. "You four have 8 hours to retrieve Shousuke's pearls. Any later than that, and we'll send our retrieval team after you all. Stay on your toes, everybody." With the four unanimously nodding, determination in their souls, their time limit had begun.

The cleric wound up a pocket watch she had in her handbag to 8 hours. They had until 6pm to get back to the Weekend Garage, and not a moment to spare. First things first, however, was renting out a carriage and horses. Kanade turns to her allies, asking aloud the question they all had been thinking. "Anybody know where to start?" "Kanade." "Yes, Ena?" "Mizuki and I just got here yesterday." Kanade rolled her eyes. Maybe it would've been wiser to find this rental service before they started their 8 hours, but it was a bit late for that. Mafuyu crossed her arms and placed her thumb on her cheek. "When I was younger, my mother used to take me to this horse track by the edge of the village. We might be able to rent some there." The cleric smiled. That's her Mafuyu. "Good thinking, can you lead us there Mafu?" "Of course, let's hurry."

The four sped-walked their way through the village, ignoring vendors and pushing their way through the dusty street paths. The shadow of the clocktower loomed over the four, an ever-present reminder of the time weighing down on them all. The further they moved from the clock's shadow and to the edge of town, the crowd and noise began to die down. However, with the silence came an insecurity. Mafuyu stopped in her tracks, looking at the surrounding, worn-by-weather buildings. Mizuki looked over to Mafuyu's shoulder. "What's with the sudden stop?" "...I could've sworn it was around here. It's been too long... Could I have misremembered?" Ena let out some sort of disgruntled cry, something like "Guh", and approached a lady in a straw hat walking her dog. "Excuse me, ma'am... we're looking for a horse rental service, we were under the impression it was around this area, but we think we may be in the wrong location. Can you point us where to go?" The lady looked confused. "Horse rental service? The one here closed their doors about 3 years ago." Mafuyu clicked her tongue with an apathetic expression, as Ena shot her a glare. "Womp womp." "No, this is not a 'womp womp'!" The lady Ena had stopped off the street reached out, having not finished what she wanted to say." "H-However... The former owners still live in that old building there, the one connected to that barn house." The lady directed the four's attention to a small brick house with an even smaller wooden barnyard attached to its side. The house itself was considerably old fashion, as the outer circle of Carnation Village had less renovations than the center, so it was a miracle it still looked as in tact as it did. It was nestled in between a field of flowers, much like the ones that surrounded the path leading out to the Forlorn Forest. "It may not be likely, but you could ask to borrow the horses at a price?" Ena's ears twitched at the word 'price', but kept up a front of agreement. "I see, thank you very much! You've been a great help ma'am, sorry about that." "Oh, my pleasure! You all take care."

Both Ena and the lady began their separate ways, with Ena clenching her fist in considerable frustration. "Hopefully it's not too expensive. You guys are chipping in too, got it?" "S-Sure." Kanade made sure to step clear out of Ena's way, her frustration steaming off from her head. Mafuyu leans in on the cleric, whispering to her "...Why's she so frustrated?" Whispering back, Kanade found her answer relatively easily. "Not a morning person." "Ah." The four approached the front door of the small brick house, with Ena taking the charge. The elf turns to her allies with a proposition in mind. "25% from all of us." Mizuki clears their throat. "A-Actually, I blew a lot of my own gold on buying new shoes. Can you guys do 33%, and I do 1%?" Mafuyu doesn't even have it in her to attempt to comprehend Mizuki's attempt at bartering, therefore, she doesn't even attempt to smile. "How is that even fair?" "Ahhh... I guess not." Mizuki's arms sink and they drop their head in shame, as if trying to garner sympathy. Unfortunately, no sympathy is to be had. Kanade looks to the saddened ranger, reiterating Ena's suggestion. "25%. It's literally our namesake." "Okayyy." Ena turned back around to the front door, gathering her composure to prepare to barter. With three swift knocks to the door, she brought her arms in front of herself, interlocking her fingers.

And so they waited. When the door had finally opened, a familiar, reassuring face had greeted the four. Lengthy black hair and striking blue eyes brought the party's nerves back to ease, as if they were all blessed by the miracle of coincidences. Greeting them all was Ichika, the client who issued the Silent Royalty quest.

Chapter Text

The party couldn't help but pull back in shock. The swordswoman, in particular, let out an audible "Ichika?!" "O-Oh, you all? It's great to see you guys again so soon!" Ichika tilts her head to the side, a gesture of general confusion. "But... how did you find where I live? Do you need something?" The four look amongst one another, the sheer odds stunning all of them to silence. Mafuyu spoke up on behalf of her allies, breaking the silence when nobody else could. "Hello Ichika, sorry for the sudden intrusion. We were looking for a place to rent out horses and a wagon for a few hours, but we were told this place shut down a few years back?" "Oh, right. Yes, my parents used to run that rental service, but it's been since discontinued." Ichika smiles softly, her posture softening up a bit. She seemed to have reached the same conclusion that this was one big coincidence. "Would you all like to come in? I'd love to chat with you all now that the quest has been complete." Kanade sticks her hand out to respectfully decline, shaking her head gently. "Sorry, we can't currently. We have 8 hours to complete a quest, and our destination is a ways out of town." Ichika raises her head as if to nod, but stops midway through. "8 hours?" "That's right. The quest we accepted is a bit shady, so Mafuyu requested for the rescue team's deployment time be shortened." "I see, I see..."

Ichika seemed lost in her own thoughts, twirling a strand of her well-kept lengthy black hair around her finger. She let out an unvarying soft hum to keep her mind at bay as she pondered something, looking skyward. Mizuki interrupts Ichika's silence in curiosity for her thoughts, and for the fact precious time is currently on the line. "What's on your mind, Ichika?" She looked down to the party standing before her, contemplating something while gauging the party. "We do still have a pair of horses and an old wagon, yes. Though... the horses are a bit old and tired now." Ena's face glows, her mood clearly brightening with this revelation. "I know the services have been discontinued, but could we rent them for a few hours? We could really use the help." Ichika's eyes soften, her lips turning downward. "I don't think my parents would let me do the transaction by myself. Besides, they're too old to be on their lonesome these days." "Ah, shoot." Ena kicks the ground with her right foot, but the rain on her parade became sunny in a moment's notice. "However... I think if I ask my them, my parents might let me accompany you four and the horses, just to make sure things turn out alright." This whole interaction has been one big surprise after another. Kanade's eyes widened in glee, disbelief evident in her tone. "Really? You'll help us?"

Ena's eyebrow raises. "You'll help without payment for the horses?" "That's right! You can consider us even, since you've saved Saki's life." She bows her head to the four. "Saki means more than you could imagine to me... This is the least I can do." Kanade recalls to when the four had met the blue eyed girl. The sight of Ichika holding Saki's frail hand stood out in her memory like a sore thumb, but it was a happy feeling. The fact Saki has been recovering so quickly was the fruit of their labor, and the party were able to reconnect the two lovers. ...Lovers. It kind of slipped her mind the two were dating up until this moment. The cleric smiles to herself, reflecting on the party's accomplishment. The fact they did good is why someone would selflessly want return the favor. Why wouldn't the four accept this offer? "Ichika, it would be a tremendous help to have you by our side." The black haired girl found her face slightly flush with the sudden flattery, but graciously accepted the compliment. "Then... I'll ask my parents if it's alright, I'll let them know the situation. Can you all wait here for a moment?" "Of course."

Ichika held her index finger up, and closed the door behind her. The four were left alone on the porch, looking to one another. "Did anybody else forget they were a thing?" Mizuki shook their head. "I have the memory of an elephant. I never forget anything." Mafuyu puts a hand on her hip, testing Mizuki's apparent intellect. "What's my favorite food?" "U-Um." Mizuki frowns and scrunches up their lip, their mind rusting from overexertion like an old garden tool. "Uhhhhhh-hh. Fruit salad." "Wrong. I never told you what my favorite food is." Ena snorts in light of Mizuki's blunder, much to their annoyance. "Oh, bite me, Ena." "You bite me!" "Is that supposed to be a threat or a promise?" "Ugh, gross!!" Kanade turns to the sorceress, who winked one of her amethyst hued eyes to the cleric. Kanade knew the answer to Mafuyu's question: 'none', considering she couldn't taste a thing. The two softly chuckled, and listened to Ena and Mizuki's bickering until Ichika's return.

When the front door had reopened, Ichika emerged from within wearing a long, unbuttoned blue cardigan over her blouse, a staff and a blue tome in both her free hands. She had a key ring on her belt, and a smile on her face. "I got permission to accompany you all. We'll be back in 8 hours, promise!" Mafuyu bowed. "Thank you so much, Ichika. We won't forget this." She smiled, stepping foot off the porch and taking the charge. The four had cheered up, following Ichika to the barnyard. Ena nudged Kanade's elbow, catching her attention. Whispering softly, she asked the cleric: "Her outfit is pretty, isn't it?" "Hm? Oh, yeah. I guess so." The girl with the black hair unlocked the gate, and the smell of farm animals escaped the building into the open air. "Mizuki, could I have a hand? I need help setting the wagon up." "Oh, of course!" Mizuki jumped at her request, following Ichika's lead in hooking the horses up to the reigns.

"Sooo, Ichika!" "Yes?" "Did Honami fill you in about our dungeon plan?" Ichika's face glows, painted in excitement. "She did, yes! She gathered all of us to visit Saki last night when the rain died down and let us all know! You should've seen Saki's face, so was so excited!" Kanade chips in, asking her own question. "Saki, how's she doing?" "Much better! Her voice has returned, thankfully. I was there when she regained her strength back, I felt so blessed..." Ichika clasps her hands together and warmly shuts her eyes. "Her eyes and skin are returning to normal, too. She might even be able to walk tomorrow!" "That's great, I'm glad to hear." Ichika faces Kanade, sliding reigns across the muzzle of one of the horses. "It's all thanks to you guys. Really... I can't thank you all enough."

The cleric smiled, but looked down to her boots. They did so much to help, but... she felt a sharp pain in her chest. Kanade felt amazing having done the right thing, but... had she been a bit more selfish...

Could her father have been awoken from his coma?

If she were to take off with the Silent Royalty, he could've came out from his shell once more. The father who had loved her dearly could return, and continue to help people across the village. Maybe he could have helped Saki with a concoction he could brew. ...These thoughts were selfish, sure, but... she missed her father. The cleric clutched the locket draped around her neck, lightly grimacing as her teeth clenched behind her lips. The golden reminder in her grasp felt cold to the touch, only serving more fuel to these strange and painful thoughts. She did the right thing, so... why did it hurt so bad?

A familiar feeling of leather tugged at her arm. "K?" Kanade loosened her jaw and turned to the one pulling at her, her purple haired companion. "Are you alright? You look stressed out." The cleric had noticed she was clenching her other fist as well, intensely looking downwards. She quickly attempted to collect herself, interlocking eyes with Mafuyu. "Yes, I'm fine. Just had an intrusive thought, is all." She whispered, out of earshot from the others. Mafuyu smiles, letting go of Kanade's forearm. "I get those, too. Try not to think of it, alright?" "A-Alright."

By the time Kanade had finished wallowing in her own doubts, Mizuki and Ichika had been wrapping up attaching the horses to an old cloth covered wagon. "Ta-daaa!" Mizuki struck a pose with their arms outstretched, presenting a humble sight. It was an old, wooden family wagon used by the Hoshinos, but it seemed well equip to make the travel. It wasn't dilapidated, just a bit worn. Ichika pats one of the horses on the side, welcoming the four into the carriage. "I can hold the reigns. Do any of you have a map to your destination?" Reaching into her handbag, Kanade approaches Ichika with the map. "Oh, do you think you can store my staff and my tome in the back with you guys? I'm afraid I might drop it..." Kanade smiles, knowing she would probably have the same clumsy fear. The two girls exchange wares, and Kanade steps foot onto the elevated carriage, mostly with Mafuyu's help. From within the carriage lie two benches across from one another, with a small table in between them. It was a bit cramped, but there seemingly was enough room to get comfortable. Ena and Mizuki had sat down next to one another, with the former sitting with their posture upright, her hands clasped in her lap, and the latter with their legs spread open and arms outstretched on the railing. Hermit IX lie rested on Ena's lap, the hilt being quite presentable if the occasion occurred for her to threaten Mizuki, but the ranger seemed to be ignoring this. The sole seat remaining was next to Mafuyu, who was gesturing Kanade to sit beside her with a smile. The cleric naturally inclined, sinking deep into comfort on the wooden bench.

Ichika turned around to face the party, all sitting comfortably in their positions. "Everybody set?" She asked. With a unanimous "Yep!" for her answer, Ichika faced the road ahead and lightly whipped the reigns. The two older horses saddled to the wagon let out grumbles, and slowly trotted out of the barnyard in unison.

Niigo felt the humidity of the air the moment the carriage had stepped out from the shade, but they were at least protected by the sun from the carriage's overhead. The sound of hooves meeting the ground left a soothing pattern of sounds to the cleric, finding solace in the situation. The wagon wheels weren't creaking even a little bit, which came as a shock given the age of the structure. It was overall cozy. Ichika's voice rang through like a loudspeaker's announcement as she addressed the party. "So, what kind of quest is this?" Ena turns to Ichika, answer in hand. "Retrieval, but also some combat is to be expected. A man from Biei had some family pearls stolen by a troop of goblins, and wants us to fetch them for him." "Goblins? You guys gonna be okay?" "I appreciate the concern, but we'll be fine. We have Kanade, she's our healer." Kanade found herself embarrassed by this statement. "Yeah!" Mizuki chirped. "Ena cut off my foot and Kanade grew me a new one!" Ichika's turned back froze, before she reached her head around for clarification. "Huh?" "It's a long story." The girl at the reigns turned back around, giggling to herself. "We've got a long way, might as well let me know."

The party had left the village, where they once again laid eyes upon a field of flowers. Ena and Mizuki had lifted the tarp over the railing to view together, while Kanade looked out from the carriage on her lonesome. When Niigo had left town for the Silent Royalty, Mafuyu had said she lost interest in flowers, so the cleric hadn't asked her to watch alongside with her. The sorceress cleared her throat, catching Kanade's attention. "Hey, K." "Mmm?" Mafuyu placed her hand on the railing, the leather glove protecting contact from the wooden wagon. "What about the flowers are so pretty to you?" As Kanade shifts her jaw while thinking of an answer, Mafuyu glances out to the carnations the party had been trotting past. "I can't seem to find much appreciation for them, like you can."

Mafuyu turns her head back to Kanade, finding her eyes looking gently into her own. "When I think of flowers, I think of them as a symbol." "A symbol? A symbol for what?" The cleric looked to the carnations once more, with the sorceress matching her gaze. "Every single flower means something to somebody. Their colors, their shapes, their textures, their scents. On their own, they don't mean much. Nothing means much." Kanade brushes a strand of hair away from her face as Mafuyu looks back to her. "But we're the only ones who can define worth, we're the ones who define symbols." She turns back to Mafuyu. "To me, flowers are pretty. But to you, they can be whatever you want them to be. You understand, right?" Mafuyu blinks, her face resting neutrally in stillness. She didn't look hollow as she typically did when she made this expression, she just looked... curious. "I think I get it." Kanade looks to Mafuyu's gloves, calculating if now is a good time to hold her hand. She ultimately went against her own judgement, but met her gaze once more. "When you look at the flowers, Mafuyu, what do you think?" The two peered together from beneath the tarp, looking once more at the flowers. The wagon was about to leave the field behind, but the two still looked intensely together.

"...I think of colors." "There's a lot of them, aren't there?" "Mmhm." Kanade smiled to her friend as the carriage finished passing through the outer ridge of Carnation Village, entering a hilly, green field of bushes and forestry. "What do you think of the colors?" Mafuyu looked to the flowers in the distance, being left behind and out of sight from the hill. "There's a lot of them. I think they compliment each other pretty well." "They do, yes. That's pretty to me." "...I think they're pretty to me as well." Kanade looks to her friend and smiles. The two gaze in silence as the last of the color from the carnations leave their field of vision, disappearing over the hill. Once there was nothing else to look at, Mafuyu lets out from a heavy breath, and turns to face Kanade. "I think I understand a little bit now." "I'm glad." "...I think I feel the same way looking at them that I do when I look at you."

"Eh?" Mafuyu's expression remained in her neutral resting face, seemingly not thinking what she said was strange. "M-Me?" "Yes." Kanade sat in silence dumbstruck, her mouth open a tad. "Are you well? Your face is a bit red, K." "A-Ah, everything's fine. Sorry about that, Mafuyu." The cleric looked away in flustered heat, mostly so she wouldn't turn an even brighter shade while looking at Mafuyu, but found herself preforming a double-take when she noticed Ena and Mizuki had been attentively paying attention to the two's discussion the entire time. Mizuki was equipped with a coy smile and a single "heh", while Ena had been leaning forward with her ears twitching. Kanade frowned sternly and waved her hands away, much to Mizuki's displeasure. They resumed their slouched posture, and the carriage fell into blissful, relaxing silence complimented by the horses' steps and the wagon's wheels.

Over time and several conversations later, Mizuki and Ena had once again fallen asleep on each other over the course of the peaceful ride. Kanade found herself gently smiling at the sight of her sleeping allies, but couldn't help but feel a mutual drowsiness. It didn't help that an angel's presence was right besides her. She smelled like lavender. "Hey, Mafu..." "Yes?" "Aren't you tired, too?" "I'm not." She said rather bluntly. "I slept pretty well last night." "I see, I see..." Kanade was a bit disappointed, but that didn't bother her too much. "Why, do you need a rest?" Kanade's eyes blinked slowly at two different times, but the cleric was able to push out an answer. "I think so..."

Mafuyu slowly placed one of her leather covered hands to Kanade's cheek, catching her by surprise. "M-Mafuyu?" The cleric may have recoiled in shock, but didn't resist or push the hand away. She just wished it was her bare hand. Mafuyu gently guides Kanade's head onto her lap, the sorceress's dress making for a nice fabric to rest on the firmness of her legs. "I was thinking this is probably comfier than my shoulder." Kanade's heart began to race and skip beats, but it evened out as her mind began to flatten, her veins coursing with serotonin. She was comfortable. "Yeah... I think you're right..." Mafuyu lightly stroked her hair, brushing it around her ears. With the surprise of the sudden affection dying down, Kanade's drowsiness had returned, much to her dismay. She wanted to stay up for as long as possible to cherish this moment, but found herself drifting away in the comfort of the wagon, surrounded by her friends.

Chapter Text

The sleeping cleric awoke, finding her cheek being pulled lightly. Her voice broke through her lungs coming out as a responsive hum as she opened her eyes to Mafuyu smiling warmly over here. "Hey, we're here." Kanade lifts her head up from Mafuyu's lap, still groggy from how well she slept. "...How long was I out for..?" "You got a pocket watch on you, right?" "Ah... Right..." Kanade fumbles through her handbag until she found her watch. Two hours had passed, with six remaining. "I slept for two hours..?" "Mmhm." The cloth draped over the wagon lifted up, and in came Mizuki's peeking head from the railing. "G'morning, sleeping beauty!" "Mmmn." Kanade stood up from the bench, placing her hands to her hips, arching her back and stretching her shoulders. Her body felt stiff, but it wouldn't be a bother. Mafuyu stood up next, but her legs wobbled as she struggled to stand up. "Woah, Mafu, careful. You okay?" The sorceress looked up to Kanade, reaching her hand out to support her. "Yes, I'm fine." She takes Kanade's hand, hoisting herself up. "Turns out having somebody sleep on you for two hours makes your legs a bit sore." "Oh, shoot... So sorry..." "Don't be." Mafuyu smiles warmly, flustering the cleric. "I think I liked it, anyhow."

The two stepped out from the carriage together, greeted by Ena, Mizuki, and Ichika, all stretching similarly. Ichika confidently nods her head, turning to face Niigo. "Alright, here we are. This should be the place." Kanade surveyed the landscape, looking side to side at her surroundings. Flat, dry grassy plains outstretched as far as the eye could see, the sky above shining blue without a cloud in sight. Before the party was clearly a camp constructed by goblins, wooden towers and scaffolding scattered all about. Within the center of this tiny slice of civilized savagery lie a stone building in the shape of a dome, spikes having been craved from the top. Weapons of many varieties lie resting up against the scaffolding, seemingly to be used at a moments notice by the goblins. There's a good risk that they would be hostile, so Kanade tried to commit the locations of the weapons to memory.

Mizuki leans over Kanade's shoulder, breaking into a whisper. "Hey, K." "Yes?" "I just figured you would want to know something." Curiosity began to churn within the cleric, an eyebrow raising as she side-eyes the ranger. "Know what?" "When you were sleeping earlier, you had your arms wrapped around Mafuyu like a baby." Kanade freezes, the others taking notice, turning to face her in confusion. "Everything good?" Ena asked. "Bwuh- Uh... yes. Sorry, I thought I heard something weird." The sorceress looks over her shoulders just to make sure, before turning around to face Kanade. "Doesn't seem like anything is around." "J-Just gotta be cautious, y'know?" "Mmm." Facing Mizuki once more, her face gone red, Kanade mouths "Did I really?" to which the ranger silently nods, a goofy smile on their face. Kanade felt lightheaded, as if she were sick. Maybe she was. This wasn't typical embarrassment, though... it was something different. It's been in line with how she feels when she touches Mafuyu, but... the fact she clung onto her like that? Kanade screamed internally, her face reflecting no such pain.

The five take cover behind a stone wedging from the ground. Ichika seemed a bit one edge, but confident to get the mission over with. She turned to Kanade, her voice low strung and quiet. "So... what's the plan?" Kanade brings the ridge of her index beneath her lower lip and narrows her eyes in thought. These pearls could be anywhere, but where would they be? "...We should obviously be keeping an eye out for jewelry. The question is, where? I have a few thoughts, but I'd like to run them by you all first." Ena nods without breaking line of sight with the stone dome structure, her hand on the pommel for Hermit IX. "Go ahead. We're all ears." "More you than us, Enanan!" Mizuki says, nudging her with their elbow. The elf with the long, pointy ears slowly lets go of her unwavering gaze just to angrily stare at the ranger, much to the amusement of the latter, a grin strewn across their face.

"These pearls could be anywhere. For all we know, they could've been thrown in a pile of jewelry, or one of the goblins may have the pearls on. However, there's also the possibility they were discarded and thrown somewhere. We just need to keep our eyes peeled." The party nodded. "Where should we start?" Mafuyu asked, looking to the cleric. Kanade pauses, looking to her knees for a moment to think. "I say we split up to search the exterior, but keeping a low profile is ideal. When we're ready, everybody regroup back to this rock, and we'll investigate the dome in the center together." Mizuki smiles, their eyes filled with excitement. "No limb chopping this time, 'kay Ena?" "Stop bringing that up every opportunity you get." The ranger sticks their arm out, the back of their hand facing the sky. Mafuyu furrows her brow in confusion. "What are you doing?" "It's our new thing. Everybody put your hand on top of mine." One by one, the five had their hands stacked into a small pile, as per Mizuki's command. "On three, we lift our hands up and say 'Niigo'. Got it?" Ena tilts her head forwards, her eyebrows raising to her forehead. "Why are we doing this?" "It's fun. One. Two. Thhhhree! Niigo~!" Mizuki shot their hand up, while the other four slowly raised their hands from the pile. "N-Niigoooo~."

"You guys suck at this. It's a team building exercise."

The five began to make their way towards the settlement, cautiously looking around them for any goblins that may be roaming, or keeping an eye from small, wooden watchtowers. They kept their heads low, trudging through the tall grass towards the site while keeping their weapons in hand. Mafuyu looks to Ichika, grasping hold of her book and staff. "Say, Ichika... You haven't told us what class you are." "Me?" The girl with the black hair tugs at her blouse to air it out. "I'm a sage." "A sage?" Sheepishly nodding, Ichika clarifies in further detail. "Saki, Honami, Shiho, and I were all friends at a super young age. There was a time though where the four of us had split apart, and in that time I was the only one who visited Saki when she was sick." Kanade looks to Ichika, whose eyes softened, as if they were mellowed out in pity. "She didn't have a lot to do in her stay at the infirmary, so I wanted to make it more interesting for her by researching some of the things she was interested in." Ichika rubs the back of her neck. "I, uh... accidentally ended up stealing the class she wanted to learn, haha." The cleric looked hung up over the fact nobody visited Saki, not even Honami. There was no way in knowing everybody's reason for their actions, but it made her hurt a slight. Even in his coma, Kanade would visit her father once a week, so why couldn't either Honami or Shiho visit Saki?

Mafuyu nods. "So... what about Saki? What class is she?" Ichika giggled and smiled softly, her voice still in a whisper as the five trudged together. "She's attempted a bit of everything, but hasn't really found her niche yet. Right now? She's aiming for swordsman. Ena perked up with this, her ears fluttering finding someone else with a similar interest to her. "Hey, I'm pretty good with a sword! If she needs help, I can gladly teach her some!" "Now's your chance to demonstrate." Mafuyu grips Ena's shoulder to capture her attention, and stretches out her finger from the grass in the direction of a wooden tower. Waiting beside it was a lone, raggedy goblin. Most goblins fell under the same archetype, practically skin and bones with little bodyfat, but with ears practically twice the width of their heads. While they failed to pack a punch on their lonesome, the threat came in their barbaric, primitive battle tactics that usually boiled to "gang up, and hit really hard 'til they die". This goblin was by itself, meaning that they could pick it off with ease. It seemingly was distracted with stocking a wooden crate, stuffing it full of an unidentifiable content, which meant this was prime time to strike. Ena looks to Mizuki. "You want me to get it?" "That's right."

Kanade looks to Ena and Mafuyu, both eyeing their prey from the safety of the bushes. Seeing her opportunity, Kanade blocks Ena from rushing. "One second. Better safe than sorry." The cleric reaches for her staff, the cane glowing in a white glint as she cast Spyglass.

{Goblin}
HP: 150 MP: 300
Goblins, while typically lacking in intelligence, are instinctively talented creatures. The species are naturally skilled with construction and combat, provided they are within a pack. They typically travel together in herds, with markings and colors dictating their hierarchy and specialty from within the troop. Goblins typically have an increased pain tolerance, but are not immune to the effects of bloodloss. Strangely enough, a common, debilitating fear within goblins is hemophobia, the fear of blood, mostly their own. With enough focus and dedication, a goblin can develop magic archetypes of their own, including offensive, defensive, and restorative spells.

Kanade lowers her arm. "Careful. It's got a dagger on its side. I don't think I saw any pearls on it, either." Ena's face steadies, a determination settling deep in her eyes. She clasps hold of Hermit IX's hilt, holding firm a position to make a dead sprint. "Good luck, Enanan!" Mizuki chirps. The elf closes her eyes, collecting herself and steeling her nerves. Admittedly, she hadn't fought creatures of higher intelligence before. She was used to monsters like slimes and spore infected animals, but this felt different. Goblins may be smarter than your average monster, but one thing she had that they didn't was a conscious. She shouldn't feel bad about slaying one because they don't have a conscious, right? Ena opens her eyes, and begins to charge at the goblin. She kept her body low to the ground as she sprinted, her run as feral and quick as a stray dog's. Each step she took would lift off the ground night instantaneously, as if she were floating in the air. She revved up Hermit IX's handle, letting the blade roar as if it were a calling card from the grim reaper, which did not go unnoticed. The goblin quickly turned to face the source of the noise, the girl who had been barreling straight for it. The goblin let out a slight shriek, attempting to quickdraw its blade from a small sheath to its side, but Ena's hand was quicker. With the grace of a trained warrior, she pops Hermit IX from its sheath, severing the goblin's arm off in one, clean, vertical slash.

Ena's sprint had failed to come to a stop, the elf launching herself straight into the monster, both tumbling to the ground. Disarmed and defenseless, it began to squirm and shriek under Ena's weight. She pressed the sole of her shoe against her target as she stood herself up, the other four quickly rushing to Ena's side. The elf flicks the blood off her sword in a dignified motion, sheathing it once more. Ena takes her foot off the goblin, whose blood had been gushing from the space which its arm used to occupy. The goblin scurries to its feet, looking to Ena's cold glare. While the creature may not have understood human speech, it could understand the most universal language of all: violence. With Ena's cold mercy, the monster scampered like an animal away from the party, making a break for the hills. "...What are you doing?" Mafuyu looked to Ena, a similar coldness in her eyes. "Why kill it if it can't defend itself?"

Mafuyu turns to the goblin once more as it flees the pack in terror. Without a word and a wave of her wand, a javelin of ice had formed from the air above her shoulder, aimed directly towards the scurrying goblin. She was aiming to skewer the defenseless monster. "Mafuyu, what are you doing?!" "Why let it bleed out of its misery? Doesn't that sound a bit inhumane?" Kanade quickly stepped in front of Mafuyu, looking into her amethyst eyes. They were as icy as the weapon hovering beside her, but nowhere near as cold as her intent with the arrow. The silver haired cleric looks behind her shoulder, seeing the goblin vanish over the hill. She turned to face the cold sorceress once more, grabbing hold of her wrists.

"Don't."

Mafuyu looked down to Kanade, their eyes meeting again, the coldness dissipating from within. She blinks the emptiness away, the hue shifting to its normal saturation with each flutter of her eyes. She lowers her wand back to her belt, and pushes out an obviously faux smile. "Alright." "...Thank you." The sorceress is an utter enigma, and this train of thought has arrived to all of Niigo at this point. One second she could be gentle, another she can be... devoid, for a lack of a better word. Ichika looked amongst the party members in general confusion, but kept questions to herself. She had no idea what she just witnessed, nor really had the interest in asking.

Mizuki crouched down to the wooden crate the goblin had been filling, cracking open the hatches and lifting the lid off. From within was a disorganized assortment of various minerals, thinly cut wooden planks, and various trinkets and chains. They shuffled through the contents in search for the pearls, but disappointingly came up empty handed. "Nothing." "Mm." Ichika sat beside Mizuki to check alongside them. "Yeah, there's nothing." The two stood up and faced the larger group. "What's the call, should we split up now?" Kanade looks to her side, then nods. "Yeah. Don't forget the plan, guys." "Yeahh, yeah. Meet up at the start when we're done." Sang Mizuki. With wordless agreement for the group, Ena and Mizuki paired up, while Kanade, Ichika, and Mafuyu walked in the opposite direction.

The air was a bit tense, disrupted by the sounds of goblins chanting from within the dome structure and the tall grass swaying within the wind. The three kept close to the ground, sneaking through the cry grass like sharks in the water. They found themselves at another watch tower, stationed by a goblin with a quiver of arrows, armed with a bow. The three looked to one another, calculating a way to take the goblin out from a distance. Ichika proposes her own idea, flipping her book of spells she had researched open. "This one's called 'Disorient'. It's best cast on creatures of lesser intellect, like goblins. I can put it in a daze, and one of you can disarm it." Mafuyu nods, patting Ichika on the shoulder. Mafuyu equips her wand, and Ichika puts both hands on her staff, both pointing their weapons in the direction of the green archer. The sage's staff glows white, and within an instant, the monster begins to clutch its head in pain, struggling to keep its footing. "Now!" Mafuyu preforms a scooping motion with her wand similar to an uppercut, and a wave of darkness cut through the air like a razor, severing the arm which held the bow and arrow. Flipping to another page, the sage motions her staff to the side, tripping the goblin over itself, making it tumble into the tall grass with a screech.

The three approached the goblin who had fallen to the dirt, looking down on it. It was still clutching its head from the Disorient spell, writhing in its crippling headache. Kanade turns to Ichika. "How long does this last for?" "Only a few hours." Kanade purses her lips and nods, looking back to the pathetic creature wriggling on the floor. "Maybe days." Kanade cocks her head back to the sage. "Maybe weeks." "Oh my God." "What? When I get a migraine I can't even move. He seems to be doing just fine." Mafuyu looks to the black haired sage. "How is this more humane than putting it out of its misery?" "What is up with you and violence all of a sudden?"

Mafuyu shrugs. "I just don't see the point in keeping these things alive. They're in pain, aren't they?"

The cleric looks to the sorceress. She would probably need a degree in psychology in order to properly assess the damage her mother had done to Mafuyu's psyche. "They're in pain now, sure, but they can heal. Goblins are capable of magic, they could regenerate their limbs with focus." "And if they regenerate, can't they continue to attack more people?" The two look at one another in silence, with Ichika awkwardly glancing between them in the middle. "Can... Can we keep looking for those pearls? We're wasting time." "Oh, right. Sorry." Mafuyu rolls the goblin over to its side, investigating its belongings. "No pearls. Let's keep going."

The party had been searching for these pearls in the blistering sun for upwards to 20 minutes, when they all had unanimously decided they had enough. The five regrouped by the rock where they had made their initial plan, all of their legs sore from crouching for so long. Mizuki moaned a stressed cry of annoyance. "We're never gonna find these pearls, man..." Ena glares to the ranger. "We haven't even investigated the center yet." "And it's so hoooot, too..." Mafuyu quietly walks to Mizuki's side, lightly tapping her wand to their neck, to which the ranger recoils in shock. "G-Gyaahh!! Mafuyu?!" "Ice. Ice magic. Stand still." Mizuki blinks, reluctantly loosening up their shoulders as Mafuyu massages their neck with ice. Ichika puts her fist to her chin. "I think I saw three or four goblins inside the dome when I peeked my head in. There was a campfire and what looked to be a makeshift tunnel burrowing into the ground. That's probably our best bet to look." Ena raises a question. "Four of them, and only one small, narrow entrance. We won't get through without being noticed. What do we do?" "We don't even try to be stealthy. We fight." Kanade says. "They're dangerous in numbers, but I think we can handle four of them." The party look to one another, steeling their resolves. "We all ready?"

The five trek towards the dome's entrance, chanting and the cackling of fire growing louder with each pace. Ena took the charge, leading the party with her sword in hand. When she stepped foot into the dome, she revved her sword, capturing the attention of all four of the goblins. As if instinctively, the monsters all armed themselves with weapons, and flew into a frenzy towards the party. The five scattered out the interior of the dome, circling the monsters. The first of the four goblins to fall was the one who led the charge towards Ena, which was carrying a club spiked with crooked nails. A primitive weapon such as that stood no chance to the technological wonder of the elf's blade, the heat of the sword slicing right through the club with a swift strike. In effective brutality taught to her by her father, she impales the monster's abdomen with Hermit IX, cauterizing the wound with the heat. Mizuki was attacked next by a rusty broadsword wielding goblin, letting out a rather weak war cry as it directed its blade to the ranger. The monster's blade swung in with a thrust, to which Mizuki caught through the gaping hole of their chakram. In a swift, talented motion, they slid the chakram down the sword which it had been caught on, using their weapon to slit down the goblin's arm, stopping to the shoulder. As if it were a grater, Mizuki repeated this act to yank it off, kicking the goblin to the ground when they had finished. Mizuki winked and flashed a thumbs up to Ena, who rolled her eyes.

The remaining two monsters came both lunging towards Ichika, one carrying a small handaxe, and the other's hand glowing yellow. The glowing goblin extended its hand out, jolts of lightning branching out from its fingertips in a sudden display of magic. Ichika narrowly spins out of the way, but the axe wielding goblin had stood right above her, its weapon above its head ready to strike. She reached her staff out, casting a blinding spell in a nick of time, causing the goblin to disorient in a shriek. The electric-casting goblin just as quickly made its way to Ichika, grabbing her shoulders as its hands sparked with thunder. Held in place, Ichika prepared for the worst, but was narrowly saved in a nick of time by Mizuki's glowing chakram having lodged itself directly into the goblin's arm. Recoiling to the ground in pain trying to lodge the blade out from its arm, Mafuyu creates four icicle javelins, staking the goblin's arms and feet to the ground. "You okay?" Mizuki asks. "Y-Yeah. A little shaken, but I'm fine."

Kanade looks to her allies. "Anybody hurt?" "Nope. I do need a bath, though." Ena remarks. Mizuki holds their palm out, the chakram returning to their hands. "All's well ends well, huh?"

The party turns to the makeshift stairway digging down into the earth, supported and held together by wooden beams. Ichika looks down the stairs, the darkness consuming the path the further it continues. "What do you think is down here?" "Dunno... We gotta stay prepared, though." The cleric says, clutching her staff. "Well, at least we got my chakram for light, right?" Mizuki enthusiastically states. Kanade nods, patting Mizuki on the shoulder. "You lead the charge again, Mizuki. Just... watch your step, okay?" "Alright!" With one last look around the first level of the dome, Mizuki takes the first step down the stairs, with the party following in suit. Kanade wasn't a fan of the dark or tight enclosed spaces, so she found herself subconsciously drifting close to Mafuyu's side, who pleasantly reciprocated, letting her stay close. The five began anxiously heading into the darkness below, into a den of monsters and a labyrinth of tunnels.

Chapter Text

"Again."

The clashing of metal rang once more through the elven forest, the dense darkness only being broken by the illumination of the mushroom caps. A man draped in beige robes oversaw a swordfight from his two star pupils, his very own blood. The man was the founder and protector of the Shinonome Clan which resided in these mushroom woods, and he had long left his glory days as a warrior in the Silent War. Many years had passed since he fought on the front lines, bearing witness to and fighting alongside the wrath of The Violet Grip. The man was getting old, fast. If he were to lay down his life for his community, he needed a successor, and was down to two options. The older sister, strong willed and hot-headed, but lacking in skills. There was no doubt about it, talent had not smiled upon her. She was clumsy with a blade, failing to master even the simplest of strokes. On the other side of the coin, her younger brother. While he may put up a front of an easy-going, stand up citizen, he harbored a fiery determination for greatness. Heat would boil in his veins to surpass the expectations others laid upon him, and had a deep-seated resentment for people who can't put their heart on their shoulder for everything they do. Akito was much more like his father than Ena was. Despite being younger, Shinei Shinonome had Akito Shinonome in mind to pick up the mantle as the leader of the clan. He could live up to the legacy of a warrior.

"Kh-gyaa!!"

Ena had fallen once more. Shinei shook his head in disappointment. The sister had fallen in combat against her brother once again, dropping to a knee, clutching her shoulder as blood spilled from the crevasses of her pressed fingers. The father approached Ena with a concoction from a nearby brewery from within the forest as she silently glared at him, his footsteps coming closer and closer. Her bloodstained hand grasped the vial, downing it in a swift chug. Ena tossed the glass vial at Akito, who dodged the projectile with celerity. She stammers up to her feet, grasping at the sword which had failed her seven times already today alone. "Dad, she's clearly not well. Can we call training off here for today?" "Again."

Akito's eyes filled in sorrow, pressing his palm to the hilt, his fingers lying gently on the handle, the blade pointing directly at his pitiful sister. The orange haired elf knew there was consequences to denying his father, so all he could do was swallow his sympathy, and set her on the business end of his blade once more. The sister lets go of her bleeding shoulder, wiping away her tears. A streak of her own blood was left smudged across her face, but this was a sight Akito had long been adjusted to seeing. These sparring sessions between the two siblings had only fueled the sister's bitterness to her brother and her father. Ena attempts to follow through with the form which her father had taught her, but still can't understand the placement of her hand on the hilt just yet. Step by step, the two draw closer slowly, eyeing to see who would make the first move. It was a quickdraw of blades, Ena's Hermit IX, and Akito's blade, which remained nameless. He felt as if naming an inanimate object were childish, so he felt no bother. Ena makes the first move, dragging her sword upwards clumsily before Akito countered with a stroke aimed at Hermit IX's blade collar. Using the velocity of Akito's strike, Ena swiftly turns the blade's hilt to Akito's direction, aiming to ram it against her brother's side. Taking a leap back, the brother places a hand on his sheath and raises the sword above his head, dropping the blunt side of the weapon against his sister's hands. With a yelp of pain, she loses her grip on the sword, and drops it to her feet.

That makes eight times.

"Again."

Ena returned to her room, throwing herself onto her bed. She stared up at the beige ceiling, lit by the pollution of the mushroom rooftop peeking through her blinds. This place was suffocating her. Choking her. Killing her. The sky above was a painting of God, but she couldn't see it. She wondered if Mizuki could. She turned away from the ceiling, looking to a portrait she drew of her friend. Mizuki was free, unlike her.

A knock rang to her door. "Ena? You there?" Ena didn't respond. It was her brother, the same brother who slashed her body as per her father's command. She had no words for him, but he had some for her. "...I wanted to say sorry. For today." Ena closed her eyes and scoffed. He always apologized to her after each sparring session, as if it were routine. She wouldn't be surprised if her father put him up to it, but that would be as if to say he gave a shit about her. Her father was always telling her directly to her face her skills were lackluster, that she was in no shape to protect. If she cannot protect herself, how can she protect an entire village?

Akito left a heavy breath from outside the door, his shadow peering in from beneath the door. "...I have something I want to tell you, Ena. Can you please let me in?" Akito rested his forehead to the door, awaiting for an answer. The answer he got was nonverbal, but the door cracked a peek, a single eye meeting his own. "What do you want?" "I... don't want to become the next leader of the Shinonome clan." The sister's eye widened in disbelief as she stared at her brother, who solemnly stared at his feet. She opened the door for him, her mouth open ever so slightly. "You... don't?" "No." Akito step foot into his sister's room, and sat on her bed in contemplation. He brought his own nameless blade with him which lie within the sheath, and he had propped it on his lap. Burrowing his face into his hands, he sits in silence, a far cry to his usual antagonistic self. Ena slowly shut the door behind her, locking it. She sat in front of him on her knees, looking up at her tired, worn out brother.

"...What... changed? I thought you wanted to be the best?" "Nothing changed." Akito lowers his hands, catching his sister off guard. Akito's eyes were empty and hollow, devoid of the life and fire that burned within his green eyes. "Nothing changed. I never wanted this." Akito slowly stood up from the bed, pacing back and forth in his sister's room. "Do you seriously think I want to cut my sister to pieces every single week? Why do you think I apologize to you every time?" Ena stared in shock, her face scrunching up in depression. "Truth be told, I've long since been fed up with dad reliving his life through us. He's trying to chase his past through us to find pride once more." Akito crouches down to Ena's level, resting a hand on her shoulder. "And I'm done being his surrogate."

"You're... done? What do you mean?" "I'm leaving the clan." Ena shot up from her knees. "Leaving the clan? What, are you just gonna... waltz out the front gate?" Akito stares directly into his older sister's soul. "That's right." "You can't do that. Dad'll kill you." "That's why I'm not telling him." Ena takes a step back, words failing to articulate in her mind. All she can do is look at her brother, a factor of her torment. "The other day, I decided to leave on my own. I stepped foot outside of the forest." Akito looked to his dumbfounded sister. "I saw the sky, Ena. I saw flowers. ...And when I came back, I was reminded once more of a dream that is not my own, a dream that I don't want to follow." "What... is your dream?" Akito looks to the window covered by the curtains, rubbing the sheath of his sword. "I want to become an Adventurer. My own Adventurer. An Adventurer undefined by his namesake, not shackled down to anybody." Akito looks to his older sister, frozen stiff, as if she were locked in ice. He takes his blade, and rests it gently in her hands. She recoils under the sensation of the cool iron pressing up against her palms, as mere hours ago this very same blade had been slashing her skin open. Akito takes a deep breath of the air around him, and looks back into his sister. "I want you to come with me, Ena."

The eldest Shinonome sibling looks up to meet her younger brother's eyes, her ears twitching in fear. "H...Huh?" "I mean it. If we stick together, we can get out of here. Change our own destiny." Ena's brain was being torn apart with confliction, emotions viciously fighting for territory in her head. Her younger brother had been a symbol of her own imperfections for years, and now he wants her by his side? This has to be a joke. "I'm planning to leave before tomorrow morning. It should be easiest to leave unnoticed then." Akito looks to his side with his head stilted still, and scratches the back of his neck. "I really do mean it when I say you should come with me. And... I know I said it was childish, but..." Akito smiles, pointing at his sword. "You can go ahead and give it a name. I'm not good with this sort of thing." He chuckled to himself. Honesty was unprecedented in the youngest sibling, who found it easier to put up a front and mask his true feelings. Akito looked to her earnestly, awaiting for her to give her thoughts. Ideally, she would come with. Family would be the only thing he would have out there, and whether she knew it or not, she still had potential to grow. Her heart was discouraged, she couldn't face Akito without fear or anger. But... if she were to let go of that fear, then...

The older sister gritted her teeth, her eyebrows furrowing. She clutched the sheath of the sword, and rammed it away against her brother's chest in a fit of rage.

"E-Ena?!" "Is this some kind of sick joke?!" Akito took a step back. "You... have no idea what this is like, Akito!! To be the lesser sibling, to be inferior!!" "Ena, I-" "What, you're sorry?! For being dad's lapdog?!" She turns away, her face turning red in anger, tears welling in her eyes once more. "And..." She sniffles. "...And you want me to name the sword that's tormented me for years?! Is that funny to you?!" Akito was in utter shock, as Ena had never been this vitriolic yet honest before. In the one moment he showed vulnerability to his sister, she blew up in his face, but... she had been holding this all in for so long. It has hard to not understand, but it was even harder to stop her rampage. She outstretches both palms, pushing Akito away. "I'm afraid of that damn thing!!" She pushes him again, nearly losing his balance. "I'm afraid of our dad!!" She gives Akito a final, violent push, his back slamming against the wall. "And... I'm afraid of you, Akito!! Why would I want to be anywhere near you?!"

Her breath was heavy, her voice raspy. She was a complete, utter mess, a stark contrast to her dignified and graceful self in the coming months. If she wasn't crying before, she certainly was now. Tears of frustration flew down her eyes like a waterfall as her glare was like a dagger, stabbing Akito's vitals. Footsteps raced up the stairs, capturing the two siblings attention. It was their father, who was now rattling the doorknob. "Ena? Akito? What's going on in there?!" The door began to furiously shake as Shinei slammed himself against Ena's door. "Open this door!! Right now!!" Akito looked to his sister in fear, gesturing a zip motion over his lips. She may have hated her brother, but there was someone she hated more. Her eyes narrow as she mouths "This changes nothing", unlocking the door, and swinging it wide open. She pushes her father out of the way, and storms down the stairs and out the front door, leaving both Akito and her father behind.

Ena raced through the streets of her village, running straight towards the front gates. Tears streamed down her face, she couldn't help but sob as she pushed her way through the night. This was unfair. Akito was better than her in every way, and he's the one who wants to run away? He's the one who has the strength to escape?! The eldest sibling finds herself on the outskirts of the village, having left the perimeter behind. She had made a good distance away from the village, sitting in the darkness of the woods. She checks to make sure not a soul was in sight, looking every which way. No slimes, no goblins, no bears, no spore infected animals. Not a single detectable existence was around. She was safe, where nothing could disturb her. Ena presses her back against one of the mushroom stumps that pierced the sky, and slowly slides down it. She covers her eyes with her kneecaps and sobs, curled up in a ball.

"Crying doesn't suit you, you know that, Enanan?"

Ena looks up. As expected, Mizuki had materialized out of thin air, almost as if they had been present there the entire time. She was expecting them to show up at any moment. "Oh, Mi...zuki..." Through pained breaths, Ena continues to cry. The anomaly of the forest clicks their tongue, and sits besides the eldest sibling on the messy soil. "I'm here for you, Ena. I'm here." The sister throws her arms around an unsuspecting Mizuki, who looks to her in shock, but eventually returns the gesture with a hug. "I'm... glad you're here, Mizuki..." "Why wouldn't I be?" Mizuki smiles to their distraught, broken friend. "I promised I'd always be with you, didn't I?" Ena's eyes, bloodshot from the tears, meet Mizuki's tender pink irises. She buries her head against their chest, clutching and crying into their shirt. "Ena, you're gonna ruin my shirt." The girl was unresponsive, continuing to cry and breathe heavily into their clothing. With a heavy sigh, Mizuki rests their chin on her head, caressing her back to soothe her softly. Ena had been clinging onto Mizuki as if to never let them go, but they were alright with that. They had a crush on the eldest sister, after all.

When the sobbing had died down to a plethora of deep breaths, Ena lifts her head up from Mizuki, her arms still wrapped around the latter's torso. "Akito's leaving me." "Akito? Your brother? I thought you hated him?" Ena wipes away her tears, sniffling heavily from her ugly sobbing. "I do. But besides you, he's all I have in those walls." "Then... why not go with him?" Ena sniffles, letting go of Mizuki's back. The anomaly, however, uses this opportunity to take hold of Ena's hands, interlocking the two's fingers together. Mizuki lowers their hands into their lap, and patiently looks to her for her response. "I... don't want to be with him. I'm afraid of him. And..." Ena shifts the two's interlocked hands into her own lap. "I don't want to leave you." Mizuki smiles warmly, their eyes softening before Ena. This softness was reassuring to the elf, whose lower lip had been trembling the entire time.

"How's about this, Ena. Take a page out of Aki-bore's book. Become stronger for yourself, not for your dad." Mizuki brings their head closer to Ena's. "When you're ready, we can ditch this coop. Me and you. Think of it, Ena the swordswoman, and Mizuki the..." The anomaly puts the ridge of their index under their lip, stopping to find the word best to describe themself as. "Mizuki the Mizuki." "Mizuki the Mizuki... You... have a way with words, you know that..?" The anomaly runs a hand through the eldest sister's hair, petting her softly, their voice in a whisper. "I am a very linguistic individual. Did you know my middle name is 'Dictionary'?" Ena's heavy breathing finally breaks as she snorts, tilting her head to the side to wryly look at her friend. "Your name is 'Mizuki Dictionary Akiyama'?" "Nnnno. But I made you smile, didn't I?"

They were right. Ena had smiled.

She takes a deep breath, and wraps her arms around Mizuki once more. Lowering herself into Mizuki's lap, she closes her worn, tired, exhausted eyes. All of that crying and running did a number on her, and she needed a break. She needed a rest. She wanted to sleep. Without a word being spoken, Mizuki allows for their friend to collapse onto them, the only place in which she knew where to find comfort. The anomaly smiled, leaning their head back against the mushroom stump, keeping their eyes open for approaching creatures.

9pm. 10pm. 11pm. 12am. 1am. 2am. The time passed, Mizuki not moving a muscle nor sleeping a wink. They didn't need sleep, anyways. All they wanted to do was make sure Ena was safe, which they had done a pretty good job with. In her slumber, Mizuki had protected Ena from snakes and slimes, warding them off with their chakram. "How can she sleep like this so well?" Mizuki thought to themselves. "Isn't the ground filthy? Wouldn't she prefer to sleep in her own clean bed? Or... does she like me just as much as I like her..?"

From a distance, a branch cracked. Mizuki's head twisted to the direction of the sound, reaching above their head to summon their chakram. They take hold of their glowing weapon, throwing it indiscriminately at the source of the sound. With a quick reactive clank, the chakram fell to the ground, illuminating the orange haired elf ducking through the darkness, clutching his sword which he used to deflect Mizuki's attack. "Oi, the hell was that fff..." Akito looked to his sleeping sister curled up on Mizuki's lap, who had now assumed a defensive position to protect her. Mizuki outstretched their palm, and the chakram went flying back into their hand. "You're the older brother?" "Who are you? The hell did you do to Ena?!" Mizuki pressed their index to their lips. "She's sleeping. Be quiet." Akito's eyes filled with rage, pressing his palm to the hilt, his fingers lying gently on the handle, the blade pointing directly at Mizuki. "Who... are... you?" "I'm her friend. Plain and simple." Mizuki looked back to the sleeping brown haired elf in their lap. "You really did a number on her today. She's exhausted." Akito uncleaned his jaw, both his guard and blade lowering in unison. "...You didn't hurt her?" "Nope."

The younger sibling reluctantly sheathed his sword, and took a step forward. While Akito may have lowered his guard, the protective anomaly had not. They coldly looked him in the eye, shaking the chakram in their hand as if to warn him not to take another step, to which Akito had duly noted. "She... really hates me, doesn't she?" "I think hate would be an understatement, lil' bro. She, like, detests you. She looooathes you." Akito nods his head, looking away. "Yeah. Yeah. Thanks for the clarification." He sighs, and hangs his shoulders. "I..." He rests the temple of his head against his palm, and closes his eyes. "I... never wanted this for her." Still hesitant, Mizuki studies Akito in silence. "I never wanted to be Shinonome Clan's head, and I never wanted to hurt her. This whole thing is our dad's grievances." Mizuki tilts their head in further observation and suspicion. "I must've told her hundreds of times, but I just... want to let her know I'm sorry." Mizuki blinks. "Sorry for what?" "Everything."

The anomaly who had been clutching Ena's sleeping body studies the complexion of Akito's face, before dissipating their chakram. Akito took this invitation, slowly making stride to Ena. He drops to a knee, looking at his sleeping sister.

"Stay strong, Ena."

Akito pulls himself off the ground, looking down Mizuki, who had been very cautious of this entire exchange. Akito smiles, his eyes relaxed having made peace and finding closure. "You take care of her, whoever you are." Mizuki nods slowly, and the younger brother bounces his shoulders in a single chuckle. He turns around and unsheathes his sword, making stride into the darkness of the forest once more, until he was nothing but dissolved into the inky blackness of the mushroom forest. Just like that, Akito had left Ena's life.

Chapter Text

Mizuki airs the darkness out with their glowing chakram, revealing an intertwining network of tunnels which span across as far as the eye can see. While each path leads to a new sector beneath the ground, it was impossible to see ahead due to the inky blackness all about. Kanade felt her knees quiver. Claustrophobic spaces were not her forte, feeling her legs shake as she clutched onto her staff. "What, afraid of a little darkness?" Kanade shot her head to Mizuki, but Mizuki's attention was not on the trembling cleric, it was rather to Ena. Ena had similarly gone a shade of white. If she were trembling, her kimono hid it well, but her face showed all the fear you needed to see. "M-Me? Scared? Don't make me laugh." "Start laughing, 'cuz I know you're scaaaaared!~" "I'm not!" Mafuyu grips Ena's shoulders. "Boo." "WAUGH!" The frantic and paranoid swordswoman practically jumped three feet off the ground, nearly banging her head up against the roof of the tunnel. "You jerk?! The hell was that for?!" "I thought it would be entertaining." The sorceress said without a hint of emotion in neither her voice or face. Mizuki snapped their finger, pointing directly at Mafuyu. "I believe you have a great future in the stand up industry."

Ichika approaches Kanade's side, tugging at her sweater. "Are you nervous too?" "...Admittedly, a little." Ichika looks to Kanade with a trace of confidence, but her eyes predominantly give a reassuring glow. "When my party and I explore a dungeon, we have a trick to make sure we don't get lost." "O-Oh yeah?" Ichika opens to a page of her tome, and slides through the bickering members to the right side of the wall. "Everybody, look here!" Ena, Mafuyu, and Mizuki turn to face the black haired sage, who clears her throat. She taps her staff against the dirt wall twice, softly whispering the word "Lantern", and a small, flickering ember was placed to the wall. The flame was faint and swirling with the draft of wind coming from the stairs, but if there were a word to describe the way the fire looked, it would likely be 'stapled'. Mizuki approaches the ember on the wall, waving their hand around it. "What's this supposed to be?" "Think of them as markers, or torches." Ichika smiles, holding her staff in both hands. "I put these embers on the right side of the wall. That way, if the tunnels loop around and we see an ember on the left side, we'll know we're backtracking in a circle." Niigo collectively let out a breath of amazement for the ingenuity of such a simple, weak spell. Kanade put her hands together in wonder. "That's pretty clever!" "Hehe... Isn't it? It was something Shiho suggested the first time we all went exploring together, she knows her stuff." The cleric smiled. Niigo would be in good hands working with Ichika's party in the future.

Ichika pulls Mizuki away from Ena's side, taking them to the front lines of the pack. "Mizuki, you light the path. I'll stay beside you and place the lanterns, okay?" "Sure! I'm not scared of the dark like those bozos there." The three girls which that remark was aimed at each had different responses, Ena frowning, Kanade rolling her eyes, and Mafuyu completely unbothered. The ranger takes the lead, leaving enough room for Ichika's staff to tap rhythmically against the wall. With each two taps came another ember stationed to the wall, little by little leaving a trail of fire where they walked. Had it not been for the lanterns left behind, the only definable, distinct feature of these tunnels were the small planks supporting the tunnel upright. Going down a single path, the five found themselves in a large, dark open room decorated by crates lining the sides of the walls. "Give me a second." Ichika called out, as she stepped to the center of the room. Slightly louder than her prior whispers, Ichika taps the center of the room with her staff, and casts Lantern once more. A larger flame than the ones created prior takes center stage in the room, lighting everything around it.

Kanade nods to herself, further understanding the spell Ichika had been casting. "So, Lantern's size is dictated by the volume of your voice?" "That's right! You just gotta be careful where you're stepping, you don't wanna burn yourself." Mafuyu hums a monotone tone, peering down at the flickering fire. "Could one use this spell on a monster?" "...Can't say I've tried it, but it might work..." Mafuyu looks to Kanade, the sorceress's face resting neutrally. "You might want to commit this spell to memory, K. It could prove useful if you're attacked." "R-Right. More than just utility." Within that moment, Kanade felt her brain dance with Mafuyu's consideration for her safety.

Ena approaches one of the crates to the side of the room and rustles with the chain latching it shut. She clicks her tongue, reaching for Hermit IX to cut it open. "Wait, Ena." "Mm?" Kanade steps up. "Probably not best to heat up Hermit right now. It's pretty loud, we'll draw attention to ourselves." Ena sighs in frustration, and puts away her blade. "And the pearls? What if they're in any one of these crates?" "We could just look for a key. No big deal." "Alright, alright..." The two turn around, attention caught to Mizuki who was trying to cut the chains with their chakram. Mafuyu and Ichika hovered above them, backseat commenting over their every attempt. "I don't think that's gonna work." "Mizuki... You'd think the first attempt would be enough." With a deep sigh, Mizuki similarly gives up. The five reconvene together in the center of the room where the fire flickered in place, looking ahead at two split paths in the road. The party look to one another, all having a similar thought in mind, but as leader, Kanade had to make the call. "It would probably be wisest for us to split into two groups."

Ichika steps up. "Kanade, can you demonstrate if you can cast Lantern as well?" "Oh, uh... alright." Kanade closes her eyes, and taps her staff to the ground twice as the sage had shown prior. Whispering lantern, a small spark was cast onto the dirt beneath their feet, stapling into place on the ground. "H-Hey, I got it!" "Oh, great!" A smile strew upon Ichika's face, showing immense pride in the cleric. "I say Kanade and I lead the two groups. The two of us can cast Lantern, so it only makes sense, right?" The others nod in affirmation. Mizuki chimes in with their own suggestion. "Kanade's scared of the dark, ain't she? I say I tag with her, since I can light the path further. She'll have less to worry about." Ena kicks up a fuss, stomping a foot lightly. "Hey, what about me? I don't like the dark too!" "Oh, noooow you're scared of the dark, Enanan?" "Wh-- Bleh." Ichika turns to Mafuyu and Ena, her long black hair casting a defined shadow on the wall. "Would the both of you accompany me, then?" The swordswoman and the sorceress both nod, the former looking a bit forlorn to be separated from Mizuki, but still ready and willing. Kanade interlocks eyes with Mafuyu, who gives a small smile to Kanade. That smile, as little as it may have been, was more than enough encouragement to face the road ahead. It made her feel safe, even if the two would be apart.

"Then... it's settled?" "Looks like it. Don't forget, Kanade. Lanterns on the right side." "Right." Ichika holds her index up to issue a rule of thumb. "If anybody gets separated, wait in this room here. The last thing we would want is to lose one another." Kanade felt her arm tug as Mizuki clung to it, extending their chakram outwards to the dark. "Nothing to worry about, Ichika! We all got pretty good heads on us, we won't get lost. C'mon Kanade, let's get going!" "W-Wait, Mizu..." Before she knew it, the ranger had already begun pulling her to the left path, separating the crew from one another.

Tap, tap, lan-tern. Tap, tap, lan-tern. That was the pattern Kanade had been slowly singing in her head as she lit the path alongside Mizuki. Besides wooden pallets and wheel barrels of cobble and dirt, nothing seemed too out of the ordinary. Sometimes they found shackles on the floor, the others gold coins, but no signs of pearls nor life through the tunnel. At times, her overworking mind sent chills down her spine, forcing her head to turn around to check her surroundings, but there was nothing but the path she had left behind. "Sheesh, K. You're real paranoid, aren't you?" She turns to Mizuki, the same as ever. "Paranoid? What makes you say that?" "Your shoulders are all stiff, and your skin is all pale. Try and take some deep breaths, okay?" Trying to make light of herself, Kanade giggles and sheepishly smiles. "My skin, pale? What if I just look like this?" "Ohhh, you know what I mean." The cleric clicks her tongue. She knows exactly what Mizuki means. "I guess... I've always kind of been like this." Mizuki smiles and tilts their head to their cleric ally. "Like what?" "I guess... on edge? I kind of just live in perpetual anxiety."

Mizuki stops to look to Kanade, still equipped with a smile. Kanade follows in suit, stopping alongside Mizuki. "Here." Mizuki presses their back up against the dirt wall, and slumps to the floor. "Take a seat." "Huh? Right now?" "Yeah." Despite the absurdity of the request and the time and location, Mizuki asked with an aura of confidence, it would've been hard to decline their offer. The cleric slowly slumps her back against the opposite wall, sitting right in front of the ranger. She felt her silver hair get messy as she slid down the wall, particles of earth falling down her neck and sweater. It was highly uncomfortable, but she could take care of it after this concluded. "What's up, Mizuki?" "Back when Ena and I were young, we would find a nice mushroom stump in the forest, and sit under the shade. Whenever she had tension weighing her down, we would just talk together. Didn't matter where we were, if she needed help, I was there." Kanade stared blankly at Mizuki. "You know we don't have the time for this, right?" "Nope, not at all. But it'll be real quick, and I promise you'll feel better. Who doesn't like a little bonding time, hm?" Kanade raised her eyebrows in slight annoyance, flapping her lips. She took a deep inhale, letting the tension in her lungs out. "Alright."

Mizuki wraps their arms around their legs, huddling into a ball as they looked to the cleric. "First things first, I want you to close your eyes. Don't worry, I'm looking out for you." Kanade purses her lips, but complies slowly and hesitantly. "Alright. They're shut." "Excellent. Now, I want you to forget all about the pearls. Forget about the quest, forget about the tunnels. The only thing right now is me and you." Kanade slowly nods, taking in another deep breath. Mizuki's voice was the only thing she could hear in this moment, and they spoke softly. They spoke gently. It was different from their usual bold and confident tone. It was... calming. "Think about a few things that's on your mind. Things bothering you. The first few things. No filters, no holds barred." "Things bothering me..?" "Mmhm. Forget the dark. What's bothering you?" The cleric's eyes remained shut, wracking her brain to collect her thoughts. Little by little, words formed like puzzle pieces, connecting a pattern of phrases and images.

"I... can only think of two things." "What are they?"

Silence. Kanade mustered up courage from her lungs, pushing the words out. "Have... I told you guys about my father?" "Not much." Kanade opens her eyes to Mizuki's usual smirk having transformed into a smile of patience. "He's... in a coma. That's why he's not around." Mizuki nods, their eyebrows lowering in sympathy. "He's been in a coma for the past year. I try to visit every week, but... it's not the same." "Not the same?" "His presence. It's like I'm looking at a husk, rather than looking at my dad, the man who raised me." Kanade rests her arms on a knee. "When we... went to retrieve the Silent Royalty, I felt..." The cleric sighs, adverting her eyes from her friend. "I felt guilty, I guess?" "Guilty?" "Mmhm." Kanade looks to the ranger once more. "I know we did the right thing with saving Saki, but... I could've saved my dad, too." Kanade looks in between her legs. "Had we kept looking in the forest for longer, or if I just... gave my dad the Silent Royalty instead..." She clears her throat, choking back the hoarseness inside. "I-I know it's a selfish thought, but... I do miss him. I miss him a lot. He's the only family I really have left."

Mizuki looks to their shoes in silence. They weren't taken aback, or shaken up like Kanade thought they would be. They seemed... empathetic. Understanding. They weren't offended, nor did they look shocked that Niigo's reserved leader would think like that. "In your shoes, I think I'd feel the same way." Kanade looks up to Mizuki in something akin to disbelief. "You would?" "Mmhm. I don't have much family left either." The ranger rests their fist against their cheek, smiling warmly. "You were dangled with the key to solving a factor of your pain, and you sacrificed it for someone else. Don't your actions speak louder than your words?" Kanade fidgeted with her boots. "I guess..." She tilts her head. "What about you, Mizuki? What would you do?" They sheepishly laughed, rubbing the back of their neck. "Like I said, I don't got much family left. But... if I were to put Ena in your dad's position, I don't think you would like my answer, haha. I don't know if I'd have the resolve you did." The honesty was appreciated. Kanade giggles to herself, and finally smiles back to the ranger. "Is Ena family to you?"

Mizuki closes their eyes, flashbacks of their time together reverberating in their mind. From finally opening up to Ena, to when she slept in their lap, to when the stern and hotblooded swordswoman let them rest on her shoulder, Mizuki thought of everything the two had been through. They smiled. "I don't know if family is the right word for it." "Then... what is?" "Love, maybe?"

Love?

"Yeah... Love."

Kanade slowly blinks, processing what Mizuki had just insinuated. "Love..?" "Yeah. I like Ena." "Like... Like, like? Like, you'd want to date her?" "That's pretty much what that means, yes." Mizuki's cocky smirk returns with a laugh. "Did you not figure that out? C'mon, I'm always teasing and bickering with her." Mizuki's smile widens even further, pointing at Kanade. "And I know you got a bit of a crush too, don't you?" Kanade felt her face flush for some reason, a reason she couldn't quite discern. "Me? A crush?" "Mmmhmm." Kanade itches her cheek, adverting her eyes and breaking eye contact with the pink haired ranger prodding into her emotions. "I-I don't know. I've never really felt that sort of thing with anybody before." "Not up until recently, right?" The cleric felt her face grow shy and taciturn. She sheepishly turned her eyes back to Mizuki without moving her face as she felt it burn up. "Can you... describe that feeling?" "The feeling I get with Ena?" "...Yes please."

She just needed to verify one thing.

"Hm." Mizuki looks up, crossing their arms and furrowing their brow. Their lips shifted to their cheek, clearly lost in thought. "I feel light. I feel safe. I feel... considered for. Even the smallest conversations are enough to make my day, even though I like to tease and bother her. That's just in my nature, that's just who I am." Mizuki smiles to Kanade. "But I can tell Ena likes who I am. She doesn't care who I am, or where I'm from. She likes to spend time with me, just how I like to spend time with her." Kanade slowly blinks, putting pieces together in her brain as Mizuki speaks further about love. "And... when we hold hands, or when she makes contact with me, my head goes numb, my body on autopilot. It feels nice, even if I feel my face burn and my heart race." The ranger smiles, looking upon the cleric who has yet to figure herself out yet. She needed this, and Mizuki knew it. "If you were to ask me what love is, I would say... 'love is safety'." "Safety..?" "That's right." Mizuki leans in to the cleric, tilting their head and bringing their voice to a whisper. "Do you feel safe with Mafuyu?"

Chapter Text

The scent of earth and ember mixed together throughout the tunnels beneath the goblin encampment as Ichika led the way. Darkness was broken by the rhythmic tapping of her staff, one by one lighting the trail ahead of them. Little small talk was to be had, as Ena was overly cautious, her hand ready on Hermit IX, and Mafuyu wasn't much for conversation, anyway. All that remained was Ichika, trying not to let things get too awkward. Keeping optimistic, she clears her throat. "So, Ena?" "Yes?" "That's a pretty unique sword you have... who crafted it?" Ena keeps her hand on the hilt, closing her eyes and feeling the metal of the handle which she held on to. "I'm not sure who blacksmithed this thing. Whoever they are, they're some kind of genius." She places her hand on the sword's throttle and squeezes the clutch lever, being careful not to rev it up. "My dad was a veteran in the Silent War. He took home all sorts of spoils of war from the Mirror Shatterers, so... I'm guessing this blade probably one of them." Ichika turns to face Ena, intrigue building up. "Your sword is from the Mirror Shatterers?!" "I think so, at least. My brother had a similar sword, but he never gave his a name like I had."

Mafuyu looks to Ena with similar intrigue, albeit not as excitable. "You have a brother, Ena?" "Yes, but he's not important." Mafuyu nodded, figuring that was her cue to stop asking. There was probably a reason she had neglected to mention much about her family, or even reveal her last name to the party for that matter. The only thing the sorceress knew of her ally was that she lived in the forest and her father was a veteran. Mafuyu closed her eyes and thought to herself in silence, footsteps being the only sounds filling her head. Her line of thought trailed to: "Her dad is a veteran, like my mom is. If Ena's dad got a hold of Mirror Shatterer weapons, he was probably on the front lines... I think." She turns to her nerve-wracked ally, eyeing her up and down. Perhaps they had more in common than she initially had thought. "Which battle did your dad fight?" Ena attempted to compose herself, looking back to Mafuyu. "He fought in Hiraizumi against The Plea." "...My mother was there, too." Ena widened her eyes, her shoulders finally relaxing. "Really? Who would've thought..." Ena smiles, appearing to have come to the same conclusion Mafuyu had. "Maybe fate brought us together?" "Probably."

Ichika holds her hand out, stopping Mafuyu and Ena. "Wait, look." The three had stumbled upon another open room, but this time, no diverging paths. They reached the end of the line for this particular tunnel, and what awaited them was a space occupied with chains, cages, and most disturbingly of all, bones. The three darted their eyes through the dark and what the light had illuminated, but soon ran out of places to look. They needed more light. Ichika tugs at Mafuyu, the only one with no discernible fear in her eyes. "Hm?" "Walk with me, please." The purple sorceress slowly nods, turns her eyes back ahead, and walks side by side with Ichika to the center of the room. She taps the floor twice with her staff, repeating a louder "Lantern", casting light upon the room in its entirety. The sight which they saw was unexpected, but welcomed - jewelry and gold scattered against the furthest most wall.

The three girls looked to one another in apprehension. If all the gold and treasure was kept in this space, why would cages and bones also be scattered about? Something wasn't adding up, and they all knew it. Ena slowly begins to slide Hermit IX out from its sheath, muttering under her breath. "Maybe all this gold is some kind of trap..?" "Hm..." Ichika slowly walked up to one of the cages. Within lie what was presumed to be a human's skeleton, stripped of its clothing and wares. The bones themselves were rattled, covered in cobwebs, as if they were there for display purposes rather than a foreboding message. "These skeletons are pretty old... I don't think these people died recently." "Then, what's this room for?" Mafuyu presses her fist beneath her chin. "Maybe a warning?" "A warning?" Mafuyu puts her hands together by her waist. "If anybody like us were to come down here, they'll be off put by the skeletons. They'll be wary to take the treasure." Ena and Ichika look at one another, the latter bobbing her head. "That makes sense."

The pile of treasure before the girls was impressively wide, each piece glimmering and shining under the ember's light. "Where are we even supposed to start?" Ena asks, furrowing her eyes and putting both hands on her hips. Ichika shrugs, laughing off Ena's irritation a slight. "I guess we'll just have to start digging. Better start now than later, you know?" But before either girls could begin their search, Mafuyu pulls her wand out from its holster. She extends her left arm outward, lining her wand out parallel with her right. Before Ena and Ichika's very eyes, little by little, Mafuyu began to sort the landfill of treasures into three separate piles. "Woah, how are you... doing that?" Ichika asks, leaning in on Mafuyu. "No spell book, you just have that committed to memory?" "My mom doesn't like spell books." Ichika nods, turning back to the piles. As someone who practiced magic herself, the black haired sage could recognize the talent one must have to memorize spells, and have the confidence to cast them as well. Misfiring was always a risk, and more often than not left irreversible damage and scars to the object casting, so seeing somebody so sure of their magic was... uncommon, to the sage. Brushing away her admiration for the talented sorceress, Ichika resumes observing the progress of rapid-checking the lot of treasure.The leftmost pile was dedicated to gold. Gold coins, gold ingots, gold jewels. The right pile was of weapons, consisting of knives, arrows, brass knuckles, all sorts of unique, metallic, shiny armaments. And finally, the middle was of miscellaneous objects that fell in neither of the two categories. The pearls Niigo were after, if present in the pile, were to be in the middle one.

Ichika quickly rushes to Mafuyu's side, pulling out a pen and swiping her tome to an empty page. "Mafuyu, how are you doing that? What kind of spell is this?" Emoting like a brick and not adverting her eyes, Mafuyu replies monotonously. "I'm using magic." "Well. Yeah. But what spell is this?" "The basic organization spell." Ichika nods, putting her pen to paper. "It's not actually called that." The sage narrows her eyes, slowly lifting her pen back up. In reality, this was an average levitation spell slightly modified to sort based on intrinsic values, an adaptation her mother had taught her. While her mother used it in her days exploring as a solo to locate treasures and weapons, Mafuyu primarily used it to organize the house. Two very different uses for a simple spell, but neither Asahinas cared much. Mafuyu had this spell committed to something akin to muscle memory, thus not requiring vocal incantation to cast, which was very convenient when it came to mundane cleaning chores. The black haired sage looks to the swordswoman, raising an eyebrow. "Um... sorry to ask, but is she always so blunt?" "Uh, sometimes."

Precious time went by as Mafuyu sorted the treasures one by one. Ena had been flicking Hermit IX in and out of its sheath for stimulation, while Ichika had taken a seat on the earth beneath her feet, flipping through her tome's pages. Both girls were relaxed and comfortable with their killed time, while Mafuyu tended through the jewels - to no avail. The sorceress let out a hefty sigh, turning back to her allies. "...Nothing? Really?" Groaned Ena. "We've been here for at least 30 minutes." Mafuyu set her wand back in its holster, rolling her neck back from stiffness. "No pearls, but we should at least take from the piles. Whatever we can carry." Ichika stands up in compliance. "Yeah, it would be a huge waste if we didn't. Besides, it was doing nothing but building cobwebs sitting down here."

Mafuyu tilts her head back to rest her eyes as Ena and Ichika leaned into the piles, with the former investigating the weapons and the latter scooping coins into her pockets. Focusing for so long was tiresome. In her blacked out vision, the sorceress thought of how the carriage ride back may go. Maybe this time the roles could be swapped, and Mafuyu could rest on Kanade. The visions within her mind were pleasant, but impractical. The cleric was smaller and presumably more fragile than she, so the sorceress wasn't so sure about sleeping in her lap. It might hurt both of them after a while. Kanade's legs would probably grow sore quicker than her own, so that was out of the question. She didn't want to make the cleric uncomfortable. Mafuyu opened her eyes, and looked down to Ena. The elf had been fidgeting with knives and blades, but ultimately taking none with her. She was entirely content with Hermit IX. Perhaps... what about the shoulder thing those two did? Mafuyu thought of the ranger and the swordswoman, where Mizuki had rested peacefully on Ena's shoulder. Maybe Mafuyu could do the same with Kanade?

Yeah, that sounds nice.

This moment of relaxation and fantasy indulgence was short lived, however. Mafuyu's ears perked up, catching the subtle sound of rope being strung back from the path in which they came. She slowly turned her head to the tunnel of torches, only to be with the noisy release of string, and an arrow whizzing right towards her. In this moment, it was as if herself and time had halted to a crawl, as she felt all her movements in slow motion. The shock of the sudden ambush froze her in place momentarily, but instincts soon kicked in. The sorceress let out a warning cry for her unsuspecting allies, successfully capturing their attention, but she had failed to react soon enough to move out of the way. The arrowhead had cleanly lodged itself into Mafuyu's right arm, piercing through her robe and leaving her to recoil in the sudden wave of pain.

When her focus shifted from her breached skin back to her assailant, dread shot down her spine as she looked upon two goblins on both sides of a larger, more muscular monster wearing chainmail. One of the smaller goblins had the bow which was used to strike, the other having a metallic axe, and the larger goblin coming with a broadsword, a cocky grin, and an outstretched finger. With Ena and Ichika's attention drawn, the two quickly leapt into action, as the smaller, axe-wielding goblin stormed the cornered trio. Ichika grasped the wounded sorceress, pulling her back to the piles of treasure behind them as Ena drew Hermit IX, the blade roaring to life. The axe-wielding monster sprang into the air with a gleeful shout for an aerial assault, to which Ena countered swiftly with an upward stroke, vertically gashing and burning open the goblin symmetrically. The green, wrinkly assailant dropped to the floor in graceless fashion, clumping into a wounded ball in a cry. Ichika having pulled the sorceress away from the fray, steps in to cast Disorient on the wounded goblin. With a light from her staff, the crumpled monster had become incapable of partaking further in the combat.

Seeing its comrade fall, the bow-wielding goblin draws another arrow, with the larger goblin drawing its sword and rapidly storms the three. Ena prepared herself for a bladelock against a much larger, more physically formidable foe, but she was not the target of its attack. The larger goblin steered clear of Ena's blade as it dragged its sword against the dirt ground, leaving a trail behind its wake. No, the swordswoman was not the target. The target was the more vulnerable sage, who was trying to protect Mafuyu and tend to her wound.

Ichika had no time to put up a guard. She was frantically looking for a way to numb Mafuyu's pain, scrolling through the pages of her book to treat the injured sorceress. Ena was too far away to reach the pursuing goblin in time, and Ichika's panicked attention was drawn elsewhere. Mafuyu knew in that moment... it was up to her to protect the girl who generously offered her help, unknowing of what may happen to her. The arrow in her arm held the limb in place, as if she were stilted like a marionette. She couldn't reach for her wand in time. The only thing she could do was... once again, disregard Kanade's wishes, and listen to her mother's advice.

"A wand, Mafuyu? Really?"

"Wands are training wheels. In a life or death situation, if you become disarmed, that's it. You're done. Mages cast with their hands."

Mafuyu snapped the fingers of her corroded, scarred black hand, the noise accompanied by her strained voice. "I-Ice arrow."

An icicle the shape of a small, thin javelin aimed straight towards the larger goblin's shin, penetrating the hide of the orange, raggedy monster. The assault was quickly halted as it momentarily lost its footing, but this delay was all that was needed for Ena to successfully catch up, lodging Hermit IX straight through the goblin's abdomen, heating up the chainmail rapidly. The blade still resting from within the monster, Ena begins to rev Hermit IX further, the booming sounds of the blade muffled from within its guts. The larger goblin let out a bloodcurdling cry. Ena's attack was clean and successful. However, with her back turned and her focus drawn to the massive goblin, another arrow whizzed right by Ena's pointy ears, narrowly missing her head and catching her off guard. Her heart skipped a beat or two, the shock and adrenaline rush of near death locked her in place. With this spiked fear, the swordswoman failed to keep her attention on the orange goblin, which was now capable of moving freely. The muscular monster dragged itself off Ena's blade, its blood spilling out from the opening which she had left behind, and with a powerful, terrifying kick, sent the elf flying.

Ena went barreling toward the metallic cages against the walls with a clang, knocking the wind out of her. She pressed her fist to the earth and the other against her knee trying to stand up, but breath failed to emerge from her lungs, and she tumbled back down. With Ena out of the picture, the orange goblin turned to face Ichika and Mafuyu once more, now equipped with further rage from its wounds. The monster towered over the two girls, their backs pressed against the wall as its shadow loomed over them. The black haired girl cowered in fear, clutching onto the wounded sorceress. This wasn't to say Mafuyu wasn't fearful, though. She was petrified. She doubted in this state a pitiful spell could stop the monstrous hulk before her, but she couldn't even move. What the hell could she do? How could she counter-attack?

"Sometimes, the best counter-attack is to not attack at all, Mafuyu."

A moment of clarity. The sorceress heeded her mother's advice once more. While the orange goblin swung its arm back wide, ready to hack into the trembling sage, Mafuyu's attention was redirected to the bow-wielding goblin, who had been pulling back another arrow straight for Ena's head. Mafuyu lined her free arm parallel with her corroded arm to her side, focusing directly on the arrow. With the sound of the bowstring releasing, Mafuyu took control of the arrow as she had with the treasures, defying its trajectory and sending it straight into the back of the skull of the larger goblin.

The larger goblin dropped its blade, its arm flailing into its failed swing as it collapsed to the ground with a thud, a dust cloud sprouting from where it fell into the dirt. Mafuyu sprang away from the quivering sage, leaping to the bow-wielding goblin. She gripped the area in which the arrow had pierced her arm to support it from flailing as she ran towards the surviving monster, confused and overwhelmed from the sudden physics defying friendly-fire. The sorceress's corroded hand glows black once more, as she drags it against the ground, scraping darkness from the earth and flinging it as if it were a projectile at the green hided monster. In a ferocious and gruesome sight, the dark projectile she had thrown had implanted a hole in the goblin's chest, blood bursting out from its exposed innards. With exasperated, strenuous gasps of air, the exposed goblin fell to its knees, and planted its body face first into the ground.

The fight had concluded. Mafuyu had successfully slain two of the goblins with her pure ingenuity and on the fly thinking. The quivering sage looked up in fear, realizing the fight had concluded in intense bloodshed. Her breath was sharp, panicked. Ichika crumpled to the floor, holding her chest, looking right at Mafuyu's direction. The sorceress, however, knew what this reaction was. She used to react in the same way whenever her mother showed excessive violence to her foes. She knew Ichika wasn't looking at Mafuyu, if she were looking at anything at all. The sorceress quickly ran to the unconscious Ena, dropping to her knees as she attempts to shake her awake.

"Ena. Ena!" No response. Mafuyu drapes her head down to the elf's chest, listening for a heart beat. It was still hitched off the heels of combat, but it was present, at least. The sorceress sighs a breath of relief, lifting her head back up. Her hair was a tangled mess from the running. If she wasn't tired before, she certainly was now. She herself was still pumping adrenaline, the rush negating the unbearable pain in her right arm from the arrow. However, the pain in her arm was pitiful compared to the rot in her hand.

It hurts.

The burning sensation in her corroded hand had returned from all the spells she cast from it. Mafuyu collapsed beside Ena, clutching onto her hand and breathing in through clenched teeth. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. The three girls had been thoroughly damaged from this encounter, but they're all alive. Where were Kanade and Mizuki? They should've heard the screams and sounds of combat. Surely they're on their way. Mafuyu's train of thought diverged from Kanade back to the pain inside her hand. It was as if her cells were deteriorating, or if a fire had erupted from inside her skin. It felt like circulation was being cut from her hand, and it needed to breathe. The sorceress, in desperation, pulls the glove off her corroded hand, the hand her mother had scarred so heavily. Her hand had rotted so far to begin showing shades of purple. The mere sight of her body in this state sent her mind empty, her lungs in overdrive. With her free hand, she unbuckles her wand from its holster.

"S-Silv-ver Sn-snow."

Once again she transformed her wand into a syringe, plunging the needle deep into her rotting hand. With a hiss of compressed air, the thumb rest reached the barrel of the syringe, defaulting it back into her wand. The pain slowly began to numb once more, and Mafuyu's panic had slowly subsided into a resting state. When the worst of it had concluded, she closed her eyes and sighed a breath of relief. She turns to the arrow lodged in her arm and looks to it in frustration, her eyes hollow and devoid. She sat in silence, looking to the walls for courage.

"Just know that one day, you will surpass me, Mafuyu."

"You will be the next Gripper."

Mafuyu clenched her teeth, ripping the arrow out from her arm, dropping it to the ground with a clank. The wounded, bleeding sorceress tilts her head down, looking between her legs and staring at the dirty floor beneath her. The trail of blood mixed poorly with the ground, which created a disgusting brew of mud. "I don't want to be the next Gripper." She says through grinding teeth and empty eyes. "Mafuyu..." The sorceress looks up from her apathetic state, swiftly turning to the recomposed Ichika. "Your hand..." Oh shit. Mafuyu quickly attempts to switch to a more presentable persona, one you could hold a conversation with. "Ichika... Are you okay?" "Yes... But you..." Mafuyu reaches for the glove thrown to the floor, quickly throwing it back on. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it." The sorceress attempts to change the subject, redirecting focus to Ena. "Ena's okay. She's still breathing, we just need to get her to Kanade." "That syringe... What was that?" The sage looks to Mafuyu with worried eyes, only to be met back with a gaze that had failed to shift to presentable. "Ichika... Please don't mention this to anybody. We need to focus on helping Ena-" "Why is your hand black?? Are you sure you're okay--" "It's nothing!" Mafuyu catches herself. The frustration falls back to silence, as Mafuyu once again regulates her breathing.

"Ichika. Please keep this a secret." "K-Keep your hand a secret..?" The sage scooches closer to the two girls, a small yet subconscious display of sympathy. "Why..?" "It's just a burn scar. Think nothing of it, I certainly don't." Ichika holds her fist by her chest, practically feeling her heartbeat. "How did it happen?" Mafuyu pauses. What is she even supposed to say?

"I miscast a few days ago with my hand. I don't want to talk about it." Ichika solemnly looks to Mafuyu, tilting her head. Her black hair was a mess similar to Mafuyu's, strands of it draping her eyes like curtains. She brushes one out of the way as she turns her head to Mafuyu's black leather glove, now knowing what lies beneath it. She looks to the strained sorceress covered in black once more, and slowly nods. Mafuyu sighs. "Thank you." "Y-Yeah... Is your arm okay?" "I'll be fine." Mafuyu slowly stands up, crouching over to lift Ena's head and back up. Pulling her up by her armpits, the sorceress props the unconscious elf up to her back, her legs quivering under the weight.

"Grab Ena's sword. We need to get her to Kanade." The sage quickly nods, rushing over to the blade lodged in the monster's stomach. When Ichika had caught up to her side, Mafuyu begins to take staggered steps towards the dirt tunnel in which they came. They were illuminated solely by the sage's previously lit lanterns, presenting a trail to the initial center room they had split up in. If she could hold herself long enough, then they all would be alright. "Ichika... go on ahead, find them, okay? Bring them here..." "Will you be alright on your own..?" The sorceress stops, readjusting Ena. "I'll be fine. I'm always fine." "Okay... I won't be long, I promise..." "Hurry, go."

With Mafuyu's command, Ichika begins running down the tunnel, growing further and further until she was no longer in Mafuyu's immediate vision.

Kanade was right about a lot of things. Goblins were bigger threats together than on their lonesome, and... The sorceress feels the numbing pain in her hand, wincing at the thought of the fire that burned within it. She was right about miscasting, it was dangerous. But at the same time, her mother's advice had saved her life. Her mother was right, just as much as Kanade was. Had Mafuyu not casted through her hand, they most certainly would have perished under cool steel and arrowheads. Both Kanade and her mother meant well, even if one was more... violent than the other.

What else could her mom be right about?

"Solos don't die."

Chapter Text

With Ichika out of sight racing to retrieve the cleric and the ranger, Mafuyu's legs buckled under, collapsing under Ena's weight. Truth be told, she knew she wouldn't be capable of carrying Ena far, anyhow. She hadn't the muscles nor the energy to do so after a heart-racing encounter such as that. She found herself wedged between her ally and the trampled soil as she staggered to pull herself up. She rolled Ena off of her as she picked herself up to her knees. The sorceress looked to her gloves, from the back to the palms, and let out a heavy, tension-driven sigh. "What am I doing..?"

Mafuyu laid her unconscious ally against the wall, which she herself had slumped over on. Ena was softly breathing, and Mafuyu hardly at all. "This whole mess could've been avoided," Mafuyu thought to herself. "Had I just listened to mom, people wouldn't get hurt like this. She was right, solos don't die." The sorceress closed her eyes as she felt the pain drip down her arm like a slow, compromised river dam while she tried to clear her head. Clearing her thoughts was never a difficult task for her. She's gotten good at shutting down in difficult, strenuous situations, it was only a matter of looking away from within. She inhaled deeply, sucking in the air of the earth and flame, only to expel more than she let in. One by one, Mafuyu stopped thinking until her guilt, her pain, her shame all washed away under the tides of apathy. When she felt as if she had looked past all of her anguish, she continued to keep her eyes closed and looked past some more. Playing the part of who people expect you to be was much easier than facing your own identity head on, so why not forget? That's the best she could do her entire life, no other solution could arise.

Yes, there was no Mafuyu Asahina. Only an expectation of what she should be.

She felt herself treading the lines of consciousness and unconsciousness with how long her eyes had been shut for. It wouldn't be wise to pass out from exhaustion when you're bleeding, so she lifted her eyelids, eyelids that felt as if they were being weighed down with bags of sand. She looked to Ena. Still out. She wondered if her ally would turn out alright. For reassurance, the sorceress took hold of Ena's wrist, feeling for her pulse. Still present, steady. Her heart rate was still leveled, there thankfully wasn't a sudden nosedive in vitals while Mafuyu was clearing herself.

"Mafuyu..!!" The sorceress turned her head over her shoulder as a trio of footsteps began to rapidly approach. Ichika led the way as Kanade and Mizuki followed closely behind, but it wasn't long before Kanade displayed an uncharacteristic outburst of energy, sprinting past the sage. She dropped to her knees by the sorceress's side, leaving ample time for those behind her to catch up. Mizuki followed in suit sitting in front of the unconscious swordswoman, acting similar to Mafuyu and checking for a pulse. Kanade held Mafuyu's cheeks in both of her hands, tilting her head to match her gaze. "Mafuyu, are you alright?!" "Yes, I'm fine." "Fine..?! You're bleeding..!" The cleric quickly pulled out her staff, only for the sorceress to shake her head. "Ena first." Mizuki snaps their gaze to the party. "She's still breathing." Kanade's eyes may have been desperate, but she listened to the sorceress's wishes, healing the knocked out elf with a quick cure spell.

Green glow showered over Ena like falling snow, glistening in the embers lighting the tunnel. The four nervously looked over their fallen ally in silence, praying it would be effective. If the cure spell could regenerate Mizuki a new foot, it should snap Ena back into her place, right? Mizuki put a hand on her shoulder, shaking her softly. "H-Hey. Ena. Up you go." With the shaking came a sudden gasp of air as Ena's eyes shot open. It was almost as if she had something in her throat, as if she were choking on something, as she threw herself onto the ground in a sudden coughing fit. The elf's breathing was hectic, the coughing chaotic and heavy, but she was awake at the very least. "Ena..!" Mizuki threw their arms around her, surprising Ena even further.

Kanade looked to her purple haired friend. "Okay, your turn." Mafuyu closed her eyes as Kanade pointed her staff towards her, accepting the shower of green lights. She was curious how her wound would feel as it dissipates and restores itself back to normal, but knew she couldn't feel it with her glove on. She wouldn't want to draw any further unnecessary attention to herself, after all. When the light had vanished from her closed eyes, Kanade pulled her staff away and looked Mafuyu intensely with care. "Better?" "...Better." The stern and afraid expression on her face had faded into one of relief, a small smile strewn across her face. She was clearly relieved that Mafuyu turned out safe in the end, which... admittedly, Mafuyu herself couldn't understand. "...I'm glad..." the cleric said, closing her eyes and burying her face into the sorceress's shoulder.

...Was she comfortable like that?

...Maybe she just wanted contact.

Mizuki pulls away from their embrace with Ena, raising their voice in some concoction of annoyance and worry. "The hell happened in there?! You get ambushed or something?!" Ichika rolled her shoulders in response, a gesture of shameful affirmation. "Yeah... Three goblins, but one of them was pretty big. Nearly made short work of us, but Mafuyu saved us all..." The sage looks down to the sorceress, then to her gloves. Noticing this, Mafuyu's empty eyes slowly glazed to Ichika's, a nonverbal reminder of their agreement. Mafuyu didn't want the hassle of explaining how her hand had corroded, and Ichika didn't want to break the trust of a newfound ally, especially if that ally is the daughter of The Grip. No words were spoken between the two - just their silent agreement to not bring it up. Ena looked to the sorceress, a similar smile of pride on her face. "Hey... Thanks. For saving me, I mean." It took a moment for Mafuyu to process these simple words. They were plainly simple, no deeper meaning than gratitude, and yet... Mafuyu could only force out another fake smile, eyes truthful like a pathological liar. "It's my pleasure."

But there was no pleasure. Only platitudes.

Kanade lifts an index finger up, ushering control of the group once more. "No more splitting up. I don't want a repeat of this, I don't want to see anybody in pain anymore." Nigh universal agreement from the party, aside from Mizuki, who insisted about covering ground quicker, but majority vote had ruled their opposition out. The five stood up from their place, and proceeded as a group.

Together, the five ended up exploring much slower than split apart, but there were no notable happenings as they ventured further in the tunnels together. Environments blended, hollowed out rooms were stashed with treasures the five nicked, and scattered encounters with goblins broke out. Any injuries that were to be had were quickly rectified with Kanade's restoration, saving them all from a repeat of the danger of last time. The tunnels they were exploring were practically no different from an ant colony, with varying levels of elevation supported by wooden beams and pillars. The five had gotten used to the darkness and the stench of dirt that permeated their every turn, their nerves loosening as they grew accustomed to one another once more. Ichika took the lead alongside Mizuki, as Kanade stayed close to Mafuyu in the center, and Ena watched everybody's six. It was effective. With Ena looking out behind them, they could prevent any organized ambushes from happening once again. Underestimating monsters was how they got into such a dangerous situation, so it was pivotal to stay alert.

The five thoroughly investigated the tunnels - to no avail. They had made sure to incapacitate any instinctive hostile goblins they encountered, and lit nearly every tunnel's rightmost walls, but there was nothing... No pearls. Two hours fruitlessly passed as the five attempted to search every nook and cranny, hopes continuously being held high with each encounter or each new room, only for expectations to be shattered again and again. After one such search in a barrack of rags and pillows, Mizuki slouched against the wall, dropping down and sitting on the floor. "This sucks... We were totally baited, weren't we?" Ichika turns her head. "Baited?" Mizuki coughs awkwardly. The sage knew the quest was shady from the get-go. After all, Kanade had told her outright. Thing is, she just wasn't aware that Niigo had collectively figured this may have been a set-up. It wouldn't be wise to mention that fact, considering she had offered to help of her own volition, so Mizuki steered away from that fact. "We kind of figured something was up with this quest. The guy who issued it didn't want to meet us in person, and he paid up front." They readjust their posture, stretching their arms up. "That's why we thought this whole shebang was weird."

The sage nods, sitting down as well. She closes her eyes, rubbing her eyes with one hand, the other hanging onto the spine of her tome. "Yeah, you're probably right... This was totally a bust." Morale in the room hung low. It was entirely possible they all had thoroughly wasted their time. "Maybe a goblin took the pearls elsewhere, or your client got the wrong encampment." Ena smothered her eyes in her palm, sighing heavily. "I sure hope not. I'll be real pissed off if that's the case." Ichika perked up, clapping her hands together. "Maybe the client never lost the pearls to begin with!!" Ena lowered her hand to stare irritably at the black haired sage. "Was that supposed to be a joke?" "Was it not funny?" "No, not really." "Oh." She seemed genuinely down that her strange sense of humor was shot down so quickly.

Kanade checked her pocket watch. "We only have four hours remaining. If we're done here, it's probably wise to start going back." "If I ask nicely, do you think Ken will let me see Mr. Otori? I have a few choice words for him." Ena asked, clearly frustrated with the pointless endeavor. "What kind of words?" The elf narrows her eyes, lowering her voice to a gruff. "Vulgarities." "Nnno. We shouldn't get ourselves into any trouble." "Fine, fine..." Ena retracts her frustration as she walked over to the slumped ranger and sage, extending her hands to support them both up. "Up, you two." Mizuki eagerly takes her hand, while Ichika rather awkwardly accepts the help.

Mafuyu looks over her shoulder to the silver cleric, her mind still clean of deeper thought, equipped with a faux smile. "Well, if you think of this quest as less of a failure and more of an opportunity to grow, I'd say we made some fair progress!" Ena stepped out of the raggedy barracks and into the corridors alongside Mizuki, the former looking to the strangely optimistic sorceress. "Ehhh? Where's this coming from?" "We fought well together, didn't we? Aside our hiccup earlier, we got to learn more about one another, and how we work as a team." Mafuyu's words flew out of her mouth as if they were resting, waiting their turn to take off airborne. Even if she herself didn't think much of it and doubt coursed her veins, admittedly, she had learned a lot about those around her. Ena aims specifically for limbs in combat. She prefers to go for the wrists, incapacitating her incoming attackers with her roaring blade that can heat the coldest of rooms. Mizuki, though preferring to fight close quarters, has no problem using their chakram long distance, like their class's name would expect. They're pretty skilled showing off, preforming tricks and stunts to rile Ena's attention, which usually worked. The two worked well together. Ichika was fairly unique from the other active combatants when engaging an opposition - she preferred to cast spells that attack the mind, such as Disorient, or even sleep inducing magic. She would typically finish the job on the behalf of the former two, preventing lives from being taken. She was talented, no doubt, but Mafuyu viewed her stance on monster life as a bit... foreign.

The group of five began their trek back to the carriage, their paths already lit by the flames leaving an effective way point. Mafuyu glanced to the sage, her eyes softening as she wrapped her head around the girl and her allies. The four who surrounded the sage all preferred to leave life in tact, life that belong to savages. Monsters bridged a gap between humans and animals, acting with the potential to learn and grow, but still barbaric in nature. This barbaric intuition to pillage and raid was more than enough to separate them from humans in the sorceress's eyes. That's how her mom taught her, that's how she committed it to memory. It was strange for the large majority around her to feel otherwise, as if she were the outlier.

"Hey, Mafuyu?" The sorceress looked to the direction in which the meek, breathy voice came from. "Yes?" "You haven't been talking much," Kanade says, tilting her head. "You okay?" "Oh, yes. I'm alright. Maybe a little exhausted... but to be fair, I think all of us are." "Hehe, right." The two walked together side by side admist the chatter between the party, both silent. Kanade shifted her beady eyes to her friend, which Mafuyu noticed. Seemingly, the cleric's ears turned a shade of pink as she instantaneously and nervously looked away, darting her eyes to Mizuki. From the corner of her eye, Mafuyu could've sworn she saw the ranger winking to Kanade, as if it was a symbol or message. Mafuyu felt something brewing. Did... Kanade want to ask her something?

Kanade rubbed her forearm, glancing to the floor. "So... Um... Ichika is gonna help Ena with learning how to steer the carriage. You know, take the reigns." "Is that so?" The cleric timidly nodded. She was clearly trying to get something out, something she felt embarrassed or had difficulty with, but Mafuyu couldn't decipher it from that intro alone. She was a bit curious as to what she had to say. Kanade met Mafuyu's eyes, a silent, gentle plea crying within. "Seating is probably gonna be different, so I wanted to ask if we could sit together again on the way back." Mafuyu's smile grew a slight, affirming Kanade's question. "Why wouldn't we?"

Admittedly, Kanade was different from Ena and Mizuki. To the sorceress, the elf and the ranger were little more than allies, just temporary partners. Perhaps they could bounce off one another, and converse as if they knew each other a slight, but in Mafuyu, the river of connection was shallow between them, and she wasn't a fan of getting her feet wet. But... Kanade was different. The coldness in her chest that she felt was... warmer when Kanade was there. She felt safe when she was with her. The cleric was like a remedy to her, and she was unsure why. All she knew though was that it wasn't worth thinking much of. It wasn't like she was planning on staying around, anyhow.

Kanade was subtly, yet evidently immensely happy with Mafuyu's invitation. Mizuki smugly smiled and turned away. In truth, the cleric and the ranger had collaborated and confided in one another much earlier, when the two were alone in the tunnel together.

The cleric walked by the sorceress's left side with newfound confidence, matching the pace of Mafuyu's steps, her own clanking from her boots. Kanade took a deep breath in, remembering advice the ranger had instructed to her earlier in the day. She inched slightly to Mafuyu's side, expelling air captured in her lungs as she closed her eyes, lightly tapping the back of the sorceress's hand with her own. Mafuyu thought nothing of it, a small accidental bump, but looked to Kanade in curiosity when she tapped her hand again.

With Mafuyu's attention, Kanade smiled softly, her eyes a calm, tranquil lake of blue. They were like little beady sapphires looking at Mafuyu, gently polishing a mind that was wracked with stress hours ago. Kanade slowly looked back down to their hands with a smile, bringing their wrists into contact as she slowly wrapped her hand around Mafuyu's leather glove, their fingers intertwining. The sorceress's breath hitched, her hand recoiling a slight as her eyes shot wide. It was as if in an instant, her heart... went cold.

The last time somebody held her left hand like that...

"Mirrors."

"P-Please let go."

Mafuyu jolted her hand away in surprise, much to Kanade's shock. It was as if the pain of her mother crushing her hand had flooded back in a wave, a wave crashing against a tough mountain, scarring it irreversibly. When the shock had dissipated from Kanade's eyes, rejection and sadness took their place, the cleric looking to her feet. This sudden, instinctual rejection took her by surprise, utterly breaking her spirits. It felt as if a pitchfork went through her chest, striking true her heart. She felt the confidence within fade into embarrassment and fear as tears began to well in her eyes.

"A-Ah..." Mafuyu let out. "S-Sorry, you just... surprised me." "No, it's okay... I should've asked..." Kanade said in a whisper, not turning away from the ground.

The coldness in the sorceress's chest was replaced by... something new. A feeling she hadn't felt in a while. The feeling she had was incapable to be described with words alone... she could only think of the feeling as a color in her head - dark blue. Did she... hurt Kanade? She didn't do anything physically so... with a reaction like that, it only could have been emotional damage. Mafuyu's face shifted, a smile having been taken over in pity. "What was she trying to do..?" Mafuyu thought to herself. "...Hold my hand..? Why..?" There would've been no way Kanade could have known or understand Mafuyu's gut reaction to pull away - hell, not even Mafuyu herself could comprehend it. All she knew was that Kanade was hurt. Kanade was... embarrassed.

"K-Kanade." No response. She didn't look up from the floor. The sorceress cleared her throat, lowering her hand once more to Kanade's, the two swaying their hands with their steps in unison. Mafuyu repeats the tapping gesture Kanade had shown her, patting the back of her hand against her own to recapture her attention. The shamed cleric slowly looks up to Mafuyu with heavy eyes, the latter greeting the former's gaze with an empathetic smile. "S-Sorry." The sorceress whispered. "Let's try that again. No hard feelings?"

The cleric let out a meek, breathy hum of affirmation as she nodded her head, the two interlocking fingers once more.

The dark blue feeling in Mafuyu's chest faded away, warmness taking place within her core.

Chapter Text

The trip back to Carnation Village was uneventful, but Kanade wouldn't have it any other way. Other than the odd disturbance or two from Mizuki pestering Ena, who was steering the wagon with Ichika's assistance and tutoring, the air surrounding the party was calming. A serene view could be seen from beneath the cloth covering their heads, a blue lake glistening and reflecting the blue sky and the Unreachable back at it. In the distance across the lake, she could see the peak of Sanguine Outlook, the largest mountain in the Kamiyama Kingdom, all the way from the snowy Hiraizumi district. From the skies, a single bird flew high above the carriage, accompanying the party indirectly. It was nice to gaze skyward, following the bird up above. It was a fun, healthy exercise for the eye. From the dry plains and shrubbery they had been crossing, all of this beauty was a nice change of pace. Kanade took in a breath of the air, resting her head back as she shut her eyes. The air was crisp, sharp, clean with a tinge of the fresh scent of the lake nearby. She and Mafuyu hadn't let go of one another's hands since they started back in the tunnels, but there was something different this time than the last time they held one another like this.

Last time they held hands like this was on their date, but Mafuyu hadn't reacted negatively to her hand then. The sorceress was perplexing, her true feelings unknown... but it isn't easy to just ask somebody what's wrong, especially somebody as dismissive like Mafuyu. Even before their date, they held hands when they first met, when the two of them gazed at the Unreachable together. The cleric tilted her head to the sorceress, who had made a pillow out of Kanade's shoulder. Her head was nestled softly onto the cleric, much like how Mizuki had done to Ena on the ride to the encampment. Oddly enough, Mafuyu herself was the one who initiated this intimacy... From what she could decipher from her own perspective, it seems as if Mafuyu had no problem with issuing affection (albeit unintentionally), but would get taken aback from receiving it. Kanade took a mental note of this, letting out a sigh as she leaned her head on the slumbering sorceress. She wanted to know more about her... but how? How can she get Mafuyu to open her heart?

She lifted up Mafuyu's glove encased hand, looking down to it as she caressed her thumb over the silver studs. A small smile came across her face as she intertwined their fingers once more. She still felt... poorly from startling Mafuyu in the tunnels, but if Mafuyu was alright with it, the best Kanade could do was to just try to look beyond it and live in the moment. In specific, the moment was of two girls sitting side by side in the countryside, heading home after a rough day. The cleric felt her head go fuzzy when she was with Mafuyu, as if she physically was incapable of thinking of the negatives of the day, let alone the negatives of life. She felt stresses that weighed her heart slowly lift, letting her flutter her wings. She felt safe.

Mizuki was right... This feeling has to be love, right?

But that can't be true. They just met. Is it wrong to fall so head over heels for somebody you met only a few days ago? Kanade had never felt so strongly about somebody in her life, so... what else could it be, if not love? It was a strange sensation that made her heart race, made her blood feel warmer. The softness of the sorceress's breath grazed the cleric's neck, a heavenly sensation only making these conflicted feelings radiate even brighter. It was weird to even think about how much she wanted to learn more about her, her interests, what she likes, who Mafuyu Asahina truly is inside.

Mizuki sat adjacent from the two, occasionally peeping to the lovesick cleric with a sly smile, yet one filled with pride. Admittedly, the easy-going ranger knew more about this feeling than they let on, almost as if they were attempting to coach the cleric in her newfound emotions. All the more convenient, considering Mizuki and Ena are staying under Kanade's roof for the time being. The cleric knew she could approach Mizuki if things were to complicate, or if her emotions were overwhelming, and Mizuki made sure she knew that they were always welcome to talk. Kanade flashes a small smile in response to the ranger's smugness, using the movement of her eyes to bring Mizuki's attention to the slumbering sorceress on her shoulder. Mizuki winks, then peers away towards Ena and Ichika at the front of the wagon. Those two seemed to have been hitting it off, chattering amongst one another in whispers to not wake Mafuyu. To Kanade, there was a sense of comradery that had intertwined the group, like knitted together fabric. She wondered if the others felt the same way as she felt herself drifting away, cradled in a hammock of bonds.

"Hey. We're here."

Kanade awoke to her cheeks being poked and pulled by the pink haired ranger, a goofy grin drawn across their face. "Morning sleeping beauty. Rest easy?" The groggy cleric's mind had completely dumped during her sleep, so she didn't process the question. She only sleepily let out a hum of discontent, her head like a magnet to Mafuyu's. Mizuki frowned at the mere prospect of their question being ignored. They clapped their hand in front of Kanade and Mafuyu, the former waking up instantly and the latter coming to the waking world from the sound. "UP!" "Ow, jeez! I'm up!" Kanade looked to her surroundings from beneath the tarp. Looks to be they found themselves at Ichika's house once more, parked sloppily in the barn house they had departed from hours prior. "Ena couldn't figure out how to take sharp turns into here, so Ichika's just gonna fix it. It was really funny, you two missed the whole thing." "I imagine you were a great help..?" Kanade sarcastically remarked. "Nope. I didn't do shit." Mizuki unhooked the gate to the wagon, hopping out to the ground to meet with Ichika and Ena, already floorbound.

Mafuyu was still coming to, having slept comfortably and undisturbed on Kanade's shoulder for the past two hours. She murmured to herself unintelligible, indecipherable words as if to ask a question, but Kanade was unable to make anything of it. The sorceress lifted her head up, her eyes half open as she yawned, taking a drag of the air around. When Mafuyu met Kanade's eyes, she smiled. "Oh... We're back?" "Mmhm. Did you sleep well?" "...Yes, thank you." Mafuyu let go of Kanade's hand to stretch her arms skyward, rolling her shoulders and neck, to very large, startling pops that took the cleric by surprise. "Woah." "Hhm?" "That was loud." The sorceress exhaled through her nose in place of a laugh, smiling softly as she aired out her gloves.

Stepping out of the carriage after the long ride felt weird, almost surreal. Her legs could barely support the change, wobbling as she readjusted to flat ground, rather than bumpy, moving wooden planks. Ena puts her hands on her hips looking to the quaking cleric, a face filled with slight concern. "You good?" "Yeah." "You don't look good." "Give me like, 5 minutes. I'll be normal then." Mizuki throws their arm around Kanade's shoulder, further disorienting her with a smirk. "Sorry to say, I think this IS your normal." "It is not." Mafuyu, having slept more in the carriage than Kanade had, steps out to the ground with no wobbling or issues whatsoever, almost as to bring validation to Mizuki's claims. "See? See?" "I don't."

The four waited as Ichika properly set aside the two old horses worn from the journey, and aligned the wagon back where it had lie dormant. The black haired sage turns to Ena with a reassuring smile, issuing platitude. "You know, Ena. For your first time with horses, you did pretty good. Most people have trouble keeping them steady during long distance travel like that, but you seemed to do just fine!" Ena rubbed her shoulder, flushing a tad from the compliment. "Ah, beginners luck, I suppose." "No, really! You did good! It was great to get to know you guys better like this." Ichika's grin was reassuring, the sage's compliments clearly coming from the heart. If there was one word to describe Ichika with, it would be 'genuine'. "I think our parties are gonna get along just fine." Kanade smiles back. "You think so?" "I know so." She clasps her hands together, her icy blue eyes filled with warmth. "I'm sorry we couldn't find those pearls. But... I do agree with Mafuyu, this experienced helped further understand each other a bit more." Mafuyu blinked, face sketched with neutrality. "Did I say that?" "Yes, earlier in the tunnels." "I don't remember." Ichika pursed her lips. "Oh, that's alright. But... anyways, I'm gonna go visit Saki at the infirmary once I'm finished here. Don't let me keep you guys waiting, you have a place to be, don't you?"

Ah, that's right. Niigo still needed to let the Weekend Crew know the gig was a bust, that way the rescue team wouldn't go after them. Getting the rescue team called takes a fine, and they frankly didn't want to be charged for it. Kanade nods her head. "Ichika, thank you again for coming with us. It means a lot." "It's my pleasure!" She extends her hand out to the cleric, inviting Kanade in for a handshake. "Until next time?" She smiles. "Until next time."

The black haired sage waved the four off as they began their walk back to the Weekend Garage. The air had cleared of the humidity from the morning, puddles that had adorned the streets having dried up under the sun. To Kanade's slight dismay, the skies had cleared of clouds, but she was greeted by a much prettier sight - a lovely orange sunset. It's the time of sunset where the sky is a palette of orange before the purple of the night locks in place, gracing the sky with its colors. Complimenting the sky was the Unreachable, slowly spinning and mechanically whirring above the lands. With the absence of darkness, it didn't glow much. It just looked like a big crystalline structure rotating above, having a birds-eye view to the world below it. As Kanade and Mafuyu led the way, Mizuki had stopped to fervently gaze upon it, with a look akin to bitter-sweetness resting in their eyes and a solemn smile.

Ena took Mizuki's side, leaning to their ear in a whisper. "...Home?" Mizuki slowly nods, fixation remaining on the crystal palace. "...Home." The elf looks to the crystal alongside the ranger, the two gazing upon it looming over the orange sunkissed backdrop. Ena pokes Mizuki's shoulder, capturing their attention and greeting it with a smile. "Let's get going."

Casting a shadow over the four, the clock tower rang once more. The front of the tower wasn't facing the party, which proved to be of concern to Ena. "Shoot, what time is it?! Were we late?!" "Nope. It's 5pm. Still got an hour to go." Said Kanade, in true confidence. "How can you tell? Did you check your watch?" "Nope." Ena furrowed her brow, beginning to pick up pace. "How do you know the time then?" "My head is like a living watch. I only check the time for validation to make sure my inner-clock hasn't gone astray." The cleric pointed to her head. "It's like my innate superpower." Ena shifts her mouth. "Well, can you check the time for me?" "Oh, yeah. Sure." She reaches into her handbag, clicking open her pocket watch. "5pm." Mizuki gasped in awe. "That's really impressive, actually." "I know, right?" Ena clicked her tongue, somewhat amused with Ms. Time the Bumbling Cleric's intuition, but still taking the opportunity to make jabs. "Yeah, I guess that's kind of cool." She smiles in jest, poking fun at the cleric. "I'd say if that clock tower breaks, you would make for a good substitute, but you're a bit too short for that." The cleric picked up the pace to match the swordswoman's, furrowing her brow and crossing her arms. "I resent that." "Resent? That's a tall order for someone who wears platform boots." Mafuyu chips in to the cleric's defense. "Is everybody a critic these days? I think the boots are cute on her."

Kanade smiles to the sorceress, her comment and defense meaning more than she would have initially understood. Although... had Mafuyu noticed the entire time Kanade had been faking her height? That would be extremely embarrassing. Maybe she doesn't know what platform boots are? No matter, the four could make the walk to the Weekend Garage in less than ten minutes from where they were. They could afford to take it slow and joke and talk amidst one another, to tighten the knot of bonds between each other further.

...Even if one of the four ropes that made up the knot was frayed.

The party made their way to the center of town through the market streets. Weekend Garage had finally come into sight, awaiting them as a gust of wind crept through, blowing traces of the dirt path before them into the air. It seemed as if rush hour had already passed by for the guild, crowds having cleared from the Weekend Garage's interior to populate the streets instead. Kanade took the lone step to the bar, expecting to be greeted by Ken's cheery, boisterous personality, but before she could make way into the building somebody caught her attention. Loitering outside the door was a man with his back to the wall, leaning superciliously with his arms crossed. He had dark rouge hair with vibrant pink eyes that starkly contrasted a gray, unbuttoned suit with a black turtleneck. However, what was most striking to the cleric... was a string of pearls that glistened across his neck.

Kanade took a double-take when she noticed the pearls. Upon closer inspection, there was more to the man than his suit, his gaudiness, and his overbearing presence. His cheeks appeared to have slight scales, brown horns protruded from his head, and most notably, the man had a rouge tail, the same shade as his hair color. Kanade stopped dead in her tracks, and turned to face the man turned to the wall. Mizuki, who hadn't been paying much attention to where they were walking, bumped into Kanade from the sudden halt, resulting in Ena following in suit. "Hey, what gives?!" The elf said, raising her voice looking to Kanade. When the cleric proved unresponsive, Ena looked to the direction of her gaze, pausing her annoyance, transforming it into shock.

The man finally bit the bullet with four teenagers staring dead at him. "Can I help you?" The cleric opened her mouth as if to say something, but words came delayed as she scrambled to ask her question. "Are... you Shousuke Otori?" The man slightly bobbed his head, giving a small, quick hum in place of an answer. "Niigo, correct?" "Th-That's us." He closes his eyes, letting out a deep breath. He slowly takes off his pearl necklace, handing it to the stunned cleric. She lifts the expensive, flashy necklace into her hands, curiously studying it with confusion evident in her eyes. She looks back to the man, who turns away back to the streets. "Finish your quest. I'll be right here to explain when you're done." "U-uh... Thanks..." She turns to her allies, all with various levels of confusion across their faces. Knowing she needed to take initiative, she faces the door to the Weekend Garage, and turns the knob. "Let's... just go."

Chapter Text

"Hey, look at what the cat dragged in! Welcome back, Niigo!"

Ken's cheery tone was oblivious to the bizarre situation the four had found themselves in, clearly led on by Mr. Otori. "You guys find those pearls?" Kanade nods, gently placing the necklace on the desk in front of the optimistic employee. "Alright! You guys are killing it, y'know? All within 7 hours too, made it in a nick of time!" "Haha, right." "Glad you guys came out unscathed, though. Goblin encampments can be real dangerous for newbies." Ken studies the pearl necklace in front of him, nodding his head. "Matches what was described to us." He lies the necklace into a clear plastic bag, writing down 'OTORI - NIIGO' in ink, and sticks the bag in a drawer behind him. "...Alright, payment! You scored big, looks like!" The cheery employee sorts through the cabinets further, presenting to and stunning the party with a small, metallic chest. The chest itself must've been no bigger than 6 inches in length, a foot in width, but it had considerable weight to it. Not only that, but there was a strange crest engraved on the top that resembled a dragon, split vertically down the middle into a symmetric image. The cleric cautiously accepts the box, slowly unhooking the latches in silence. "Well? Go on?"

Kanade cracks the chest open, her party members looking over her shoulders to view at the contents within - and to their surprise, a surplus of gold had awaited them. It was easily way more than the 800 coins they received from the Silent Royalty quest. That wasn't to say Ichika hadn't spent big, it's just... this was overwhelmingly large. The four look to the gold in disbelief with pried open eyes coated in shock, each one grappling with their own words to express. Ena found hers the quickest, breaking the stunned silence with a question. "H-How much is this?" "4000 pieces of cold hard gold. Otori was a big spender." He shrugs his shoulders, waving his hand in a circle. "I guess this kinda cash makes sense for a guy like him. You know, dragon, and all." The party exchange surprised looks amidst each other. Given the party's namesake, each member gets 25% of the cut... so, with that logic, each one of them get 1000 pieces of gold, right?!

Each member of Niigo had their own drastically different idea with what to do with their share of the money. Ena, the most rational, thought of renting into a place to stay here in the village. Her ideal place would be something small and humble, as she wasn't exactly the type of person to dream of big houses. Of course, to Ena, it would be most ideal for Mizuki to move in with her. She wouldn't want to go anywhere without Mizuki close to her side. After all, they're a big part of her life. On the other hand however, Mizuki's first thought was one big extravagant thrifting spree for anything even remotely interesting. Not just clothing, but weapons they couldn't even dream of carrying or utilizing effectively. The ranger ironically could not use a bow and arrow, but dammit, that weapon sure as hell looks cool. Kanade thought of how she could use the money to better take care of her father. Perhaps she could issue her own request to the guild for someone to look for a Silent Royalty, or maybe she could try to fund further research into her father's condition. She always found it strange how 'stress' could leave somebody into such a dilapidated state. There had to be more to his coma than just 'he had a bad day' - just... if only she knew which decision to choose. Should she save her father as soon as possible, or possibly look into the condition to prevent this from happening to anyone else? She was unsure of herself, to say the least. And Mafuyu, well... Mafuyu didn't think much of the money at all. The sorceress was just hosting a facade to not look out of place, knowing full well her mother would just confiscate the half of her earnings to put into the sorceress's savings.

Ken chuckles as he watches Niigo's reactions like a theatrical play. "You four are doing pretty good. Do you mind a quick evaluation?" Kanade tilts her head, having not known of such measurements. "Evaluation?" "That's right. It's where we see your group's total experience with combat, spells, whatnot. It's how we gauge your Adventurer Rank." Mizuki presses their fist to their chin. "You've lost me. What're we talking about?" "Adventure Ranks. Pretty self explanatory. There are 5 ranks we guilds determine parties by. Different ranks get access to different levels of quests, varying in difficulty set by the client." Kanade slowly nods as she pieces together the two pieced puzzle Ken lays down. The gruff man behind the counter leans in, resting his forearms on the table in preparation for his explanation. "Everybody starts off at Novice Rank. You have access to base quests, simple stuff. With a few levels, you become an Initiate. Third, Rising Star. Fourth, Kamiyama Star. And the final rank... Kamiyama Myth."

Mizuki blinks. "Can you just set our rank to Kamiyama Myth? That sounds badass." Ken snorts, smiling to the young ranger. "I'd be thoroughly surprised if I could. There haven't been a lot of Myths in the history of... well, as long as guilds have been around." He points to Mafuyu, sitting upright in his chair. "Your mother, though. She's probably one of the biggest legends around. She became a Myth all on her own. Ain't that impressive?" Mafuyu's default smile wavered momentarily, but steadied itself when Kanade suddenly took hold of her right hand. The cleric knew the sorceress tensed up at the mere mention of her mother - she had to do something. And, thankfully, holding hands worked. Steeling herself by Kanade's side, Mafuyu manages to push words out from her throat, syllables scratching the roof of her mouth as she spoke. "Yes, it's quite impressive what she was able to achieve. No doubt partaking in the front lines helped immensely." "Heh, wish I could've seen it myself... Takes some big cojones to reach the Unreachable, you know?"

While Kanade was focused on making sure Mafuyu was stable in this conversation, Ena had noticed Mizuki's smile had taken a sharp turn for wordless confusion. Ena turns her head to the ranger, her pointy ears twitching as she quickly surmised Mizuki. Did they not know of The Grip's accomplishment? The Grip had been inside of the crystal palace, the same place where Mizuki had originated from. Ena had no way of understanding the ranger's sudden emotional whiplash, but she could probably guess... they felt violated in some capacity.  Sure, Mafuyu's mother went up there to protect it from the Mirror Shatterers, but... even so...

"But... anyways. Let's start the evaluation, shall we?" Ena nods her head. "Yes, let's." "Hold your hand out, Kanade." The cleric extends her hand outward, the palm facing upright, and Ken places a green 12-faced shape in her hand. The dice was lightly transparent with some heft to it, seemingly glowing despite no source off light coming from within. "Clench your fist, will ya?" "Alright..." The silver haired cleric squeezes the object, and within an instant, her vision goes completely blind in a startling green light. It was only brief, but she felt within that moment washed over, as if a current of information had hit her mind. She staggers her head back in recoil, her eyes darting open as she lets out a small "Woahh." "Alright, K. Have the others repeat that process you just did." One by one, the party clutched the small object, getting appraised by this strange, foreign methodology. The cleric had noticed by observing her party members' reactions that during this 'evaluation', each one of their eyes would momentarily glow green, as if the reflection of the soul were being invaded.

Once Mafuyu had concluded her evaluation, she hands the shape back to Ken. "So... what did this do?" "Oh, right. I suppose you haven't had an evaluation before. Just started, after all." Ken leans back in his chair, clutching the object himself. "This bad boy is called an Eval. They're forged and imbued with magic by... like... alchemy wizards." Mizuki nods. "That makes sense." Kanade shifted her eyes to a very confused Mizuki. It did not make sense to the ranger.

"These dice determine your growth from when you started, your accumulated experience in numerical format." Ken shifts his eyes to the purple haired sorceress, pointing his index to her. "You've been working with us quite a bit before you joined a party, so you might be at a different level than the rest of your friends. Hope that ain't much of a concern." "Not at all." Mafuyu said, smiling as bright as ever. "Alright, Kanade..." The cleric's ears perked up. She figured since she held the device first, she was up for her evaluation. Now or never, it's time to hear if she's grown, if at all. Ken shifted his mouth to the side and narrowed his eyes to the cleric who had an anxious smile equipped. "...Still rank 1, but with some more combat experience, I think you'll meet the quota." The cleric felt a little let down, but didn't let that crush her spirits. It was just a glorified progress report, after all. Admittedly, she hasn't fought any monsters directly yet, so Ken was right about the combat quota. She's mostly left the fighting to her allies, because what is a cleric to do in self defense?

"Mizuki... Looks like you're rank 2." Mizuki crosses their arms in smug confidence. "I am rank 2." "Pretty standard looking stuff." Next up was Ena. When Ken called her name, she stood up straight, bringing her hands together by her waist in anticipation. "Rank 2 as well. Extraordinarily proficient with the sword, though. Good on you!" Ena portrayed no sign of giddiness in her face, only relief. However, that didn't stop her ears from fluttering from the praise. "She must've worked hard for her talents..." Kanade thought to herself. Ken turns in his chair to Mafuyu. "Alright, and last but certainly not least, Ms. Asahina." Mafuyu's smile hadn't budged. She didn't seem concerned, nor really interested in this whole evaluation. Perhaps she already knew she would be backed up with experience, or maybe the disinterest came from a general detachment from her solo work. "Rank 5! But that wasn't much of a surprise, was it?" "Not particularly."

Kanade stepped up. "So... with our total ranks, do we move up to Initiate?" "No, not quite yet, kiddo." Ken leaned forward, resting his hands on the desk. The sudden forwardness somewhat surprised the cleric, the girl who was still foreign to this world of guilds. "Rank ups aren't just given with a molecule of growth. It takes time, dedication. Can't just do a few quests and call yourself experienced." Ken pauses, and inspects the silver haired cleric. Just a few days ago, this same girl was sitting in the corner, incapable of even talking to strangers. In the sense of her growth as a person, she had come a long way from where she had started. Her first steps had led her down a trail of development miles long - but to grow is to overcome. While she has certainly grown, her experience had remained stagnant. "Nah, rank ups aren't just things we give to you. You gotta earn it. It's much less of a slope you tread, but a vertical wall you climb, you understand?" "Y-Yeah, I think so." Ken's perspicacious demeanor returns to his usual splendor as if flipping a switch as he leans back in his chair. "Alright. You got your reward, you got your evaluation. Do request for one of them now and again, alright?" Kanade nodded in compliance, committing his advice to memory. The gruff employee smiles, sticking his index outwards to Niigo as a whole. "Looks like we're done here, kids. You all have a great night, alright?"

Ken let the party turn loose, now 4000 pieces of gold richer. The four would've liked to make do with their money straight away, but knew somebody was waiting for them outside. The real strange factor of this entire quest - Mr. Otori. He set them up, he intentionally led them out into the country into a goblin encampment, knowing the object in which they sought was in his possession the entire time. Granted, the experience had benefited them all, but what did the half-dragon have to gain from this all? Kanade couldn't help but feel her chest grow cold, her mind wracking with anxiety as the four approached the exit. The wooden floorboards beneath her boots creaked with her steps, further building tension onto a mind supported by loosely tied bamboo scaffolding.

The sunset kissed the cleric's skin as she opened the door, Mr. Otori waiting for them all just as he had promised. The rays of the sun reflected off the scales on his cheeks, proving further how foreign he was to her. Kanade hadn't seen a half-dragon before, much less a full dragon, so she hadn't known what to expect from this encounter. The rest of the party seemed to share this same sentiment, with the exception of Mafuyu, who remained with her composure in check. The cleric wished she had even the slightest of emotional strength that her capable friend had.

"Mr. Otori?" The half-dragon cocked his head over to the party. "Come, sit." The man in the dignified unbuttoned suit led the four to a table on the patio of the building, one which he had prepared in advance. He brought chairs from the other tables to one on the edge of the perimeter, presumably so he could discuss with the crew alone and uninterrupted. He takes a seat on a metallic wire-framed chair, crossing his legs with a stern gaze. He fixed his rouge hair to the side as Niigo one by one sat in front of him, with Kanade taking the lead as their rightful leader. "You have the box?" "Y-Yes." Kanade looked to Ena, who had been holding the chest with their reward money. She recalled the methods and structure of how contracts with guilds work - with the money being partially from the client and the other half coming from the guild's funds. As the swordswoman handed Shousuke the metallic box, she thought to herself how much Mr. Otori had parted with for this contact. The half-dragon placed his palm to the crest engraved in the box, taking a deep breath in.

Light poured from beneath his hand, a holy sound muffled from beneath the palm. Ena recoiled her hand back. "Wh-What are you doing?!" When Shousuke raised his hand from the box, the crest of the dragon had begun to glow. His eyes turned to Kanade, sitting directly across from him, and narrows his glare. "You will not be receiving your payment until I am finished." "F-Finished?" Ena raises her voice, slamming her fist against the table. "The hell?! What do you mean?!" "I mean I'm not done with you four. I have another job I want you to do."

Kanade's eyes sunk as her mouth slightly gaped open. What on earth does this weirdo mean? Is this even legal? Her anxiety had been validated - there's something more to this man, there was something more to the strange quest than initially expected. "Do know, that once this job is complete the money is all yours. As a matter of fact..." Shousuke slides the box towards Ena's clenched fist, glazing his eyes to meet her betrayed own. "...I'll even let you all hang onto this." Ena swipes the chest away from the dragon, attempting to pry the hatches open - to no avail. Mizuki looks over Ena's shoulder. "Lemme have a crack at it." The swordswoman begrudgingly gives the ranger the box, who materializes their chakram from above their head, attempting to pry open the box - to, yet again, no avail.

Mizuki raises their eyes to the half-dragon, his own being narrowed and cold. "What the heck is this? What did you do?" "Placed a hex on it. Nothing you can do will open this chest. Bludgeoning, piercing, magic, not even the strongest of counter-hexes." He tilts his head closer to the party, raising his eyebrows. "Only I can open this box." Mafuyu took in a deep breath, and pinched the bridge of her nose. She clearly had given up on this whole ordeal, having already parted mentally with the payment for their efforts. "Oh well. No use listening to his demands. Let's just go." "I wouldn't do that if I were you." The sorceress turns around and shoots him a cold stare, her voice monotonous in response. "What do you mean?" "Hear me out, first. I wouldn't want to make any hasty decisions here."

The half-dragon leaned forward, placing an arm on the table. The tone of his voice was difficult to even listen to - he was talking down to everybody. "Truth be told, I only placed that request to scout for a capable party." Ena furrowed her brow, her face clenching in frustration. "What do you mean, capable?" The man, of course, let out a soft condescending chuckle to preface his response. "You see, I have a sister over in Biei. She's apart of a pack of traveling performers, but they also double as a party working under a similar guild." Kanade twitched her nose. 'Traveling Performer' sounded familiar to her. Thinking back on it, Ichika mentioned something about performers in Biei, didn't she? Shousuke let out a sigh, pressing his index and middle finger up to his temple. "Thing is though, while they admittedly make for good performers... they are utterly incompetent as Adventurers." The half-dragon chortled to himself. "I don't think their knight could hit a stationary target even if his life depended on it. He's so sure of himself, too. It's entertaining, perhaps on par with their shows."

Ena clicked her tongue. As a swordswoman herself, hearing somebody talk down on someone who specializes in the art similar to her pissed her off. She took beatings from her father and brother her entire life - no way she would want to overlook something like this. However, Shousuke hadn't finished rambling. "They're primarily located in a small hamlet called Hileah, however, they're traveling to a larger town called Digrove for their biggest performance yet." Mizuki crossed their arms. "What does this have anything to do with us?" "Digrove just so happens to have the highest crime rate in Biei. My sister chose this town, despite the risk and danger, to bring smiles to the people... or, whatever she said." Kanade starts to piece together what Shousuke wants of them. "My father wants me to babysit her and her little friends. You know, make sure their performance goes without a hitch. Thing is... I'm rather busy those days." "So... what, you want us to protect them in your place?" "Precisely."

Mafuyu sneers at the half-dragon, yet another side of her Kanade had not seen up to this point. Whenever frustrated, she's always kept her 'good-girl facade' up, but this time it was dropped. "And if we say no?" Shousuke's slanted frown tilted upwards into an asymmetrical smirk. He had successfully ensnared the party. The half-dragon raises his palms up, shaking his head in amusement. "I said those pearls were a family heirloom, didn't I?" Kanade's cheeks tense. "What do the pearls have anything to do with this?" "When Mr. Shiraishi gives me that necklace back, it would be a travesty if they weren't mine... One would recognize a family heirloom very quickly... don't you think?"

Ah.

That's the trap.

"It would be a disaster if the newcomers attempted to forge their objective... I don't think you four would ever be able to find work with a guild again with a crime like that on your record."

Kanade felt the weight of the world collapse within her stomach. Not only is their prize money being extorted from them, but their potential careers and newfound jobs were on the line... because of one sleazeball. Mizuki sputters under their breath. "Th-That's why you were scouting for people?" "That's right. I intentionally sent you into that goblin encampment to see if you were strong enough to protect my sister, and trust me - I liked what I saw." Kanade recoiled her head back. "Liked what you saw?" "That's right. I followed from a close distance."

Kanade blinked. Had he really stalked them throughout the entire trip? She wracked her head for any signs of where he may have been the entire time. Was he there when they met with Ichika? When they departed the village? Did he find them while they were on the trail? ...Then it hit her. The 'bird' she saw on the way back, the bird following high in the sky.

After stunned silence from the party, all exchanging anxious glances to one another, Shousuke puts his palms to the table with a sly smile and hazy eyes. "The performance is in a week and two days, to be specific. I estimate it'll take you two days to reach Hileah, and another day to travel from Hileah to the coastline of Digrove." The half-dragon stands up from his chair, his tail sliding to the ground while he ruffles his suit and readjusts his cuffs. He turns a side-eye to Kanade, the girl practically shivering from his leverage. "I do expect to hear good word of you all from my sister. Are we in agreement?" Ena and Mafuyu both answer in glares, but Shousuke had his eyes on the anxiety ridden leader of Niigo. With a chuckle, the man confidently walks off the patio of the Weekend Garage, and faces towards the setting sun.

"I'll hear from you soon."

The sleazy half-dragon takes off his suit jacket, slinging it over his arm. With the jacket off his back, large, wide, brown wings hidden underneath sprouted outwards, flapping vivaciously and kicking up the dirt beneath his feet. In a short, few seconds, Shousuke had lifted off the ground, soaring upwards in a gale into the sky. The four got up from their chairs and raced to gaze into the sky, watching him fly off until he was nothing but a speck in the sunset.

Ena clenches her fists. "God... dammit... We got played like cheap fiddles!!" Mizuki nervously laughs, their voice broken in fear. "H-Heheh... F-Fiddles are actually pretty hard to play, s-so I've heard... W-Wouldn't it make more sense to say 'cheap kazoos'?" The cleric looked to her ranger friend, clearly attempting to cope through comedy. However, there was certainly a time for humor, and this wasn't it. Ena clicked her tongue and looked towards the setting sun over the market streets. The few people who populated the roads before them had no idea what the party was going through - and a feeling like this was isolating to the swordswoman. "...The hell do we do now?! Are we supposed to follow that asshole to Biei?!" The cleric's heart began to race. She's never left the Miyamasuzaka district before - not even when she was little. This would be an entire new setting to her, an entire new culture. She let out a deep, quaking breath, and turned away from the elf to the sorceress, who... evidently had the realization of the situation come to her head as well.

Mafuyu clutched her ears with her palms, and had sunk to the floor in a crouch. Her eyes were tightly shut, blocking out all sounds and sights.

Seeing Mafuyu's distress, Kanade quickly dropped to her knees to Mafuyu's side, swiftly holding onto her arm. "M-Mafuyu, Mafuyu!!" No response. Mafuyu was still twitching, blocking out the world around her. Her breathing was irregular, coming and going in rapid and violent huffs. Mizuki sits to their knees in suit, with Ena crouching down besides the party shortly after. The three sat beside the trembling girl, trying to bring her back to her senses. Mizuki rubbed her upper back, Ena held onto her hand, and Kanade sat in front of her, waiting for Mafuyu to open her eyes. It took a little while, but with the combined efforts of the trio, Mafuyu's breathing stabilized. The purple haired sorceress slowly opened her eyes with strained breaths, meeting Kanade sitting before her.

"M-Mafuyu... Are you okay..?"

The sorceress sits in silence. She inhales deeply, letting out one, quivering short statement.

"My mom is going to be very upset with me."

Chapter Text

Mafuyu's breathing had leveled at a proper pace, yet it was still shaky and quivering. The girl squeezed herself to restrain the trembling. She was trying to force composure in front of her allies, but it was clear to everybody that she was anything but. She was as unstable as she was afraid. Kanade sat in front of her, sliding her hands down Mafuyu's arms to assist her. The touch of another was comforting to the sorceress in her moment of stress. It was what she needed. "It's gonna be okay. We can do something about this." "...Like what?" Mafuyu tilts her head down, peering up at the silver haired cleric. "What can we do?" She was vulnerable - she needed to hear the right things, or else she felt as if she were going to collapse. Kanade cocks her head away, letting out a stammered breath. She too was nervous, she didn't know what to say. Mafuyu needed help now, she couldn't wait for Kanade to catch her words in the sky this time. Neither Mizuki nor Ena, who had stationed themselves by her side, knew the sorceress as close as she did. It was up to her to make sure Mafuyu could be pulled from this panic trance. In order to properly help her though, Kanade needed to understand why the sorceress was so afraid.

"Why? Why would she be upset with you?" Mafuyu turned her gaze away, spitting out a strained breath. "She doesn't want me in a party. She wants me to be a solo, just like her." Ena interrupts the sorceress. "She doesn't know about us?" "Not a word..." Mafuyu sputters out several breaths, attempting to continue her train of thought with numerous retries. "I can't leave town. She'll come looking for me - she'll... she'll ask the Weekend Crew staff about me." Ena interjects once more, from a place of heart. "Mafuyu, you don't need to come with us... If it's not safe, then-" "B-But... I... I want to..." Ena pursed her lips and nodded once. Mafuyu knew what she wanted - she just was afraid. The panicked sorceress was focusing everything she could on her thoughts, but stringing together what she wanted to say felt impossible. The mere prospect of her mother's fury was enough to shut her down mentally. If she found out Mafuyu lied to her, then... what would she do? "She... Gahh, I... can't..." Mafuyu tightly shuts her eyes, the ribbon of her hat draping over her face. She clenched her teeth tightly, almost as if they could crack under the pressure at any moment. "If... they tell her about us, this party... About Niigo..." Mafuyu slowly opens her eyes, the quivering stopping within an instant. A horrifying realization came across her mind, an unexpected fear that had suddenly swallowed the girl whole. She spoke in a whisper as her eyes gaped open, staring without direction into Kanade's soul. "She'll... take you guys away, too..."

Mizuki slowly tilts their head. "...Take us... away?" Mafuyu took her time with a stilted, pained nod. The ranger, who had kept their hand on Mafuyu's back, slowly and instinctively lifts it off of the girl frozen in place. They couldn't help but anxiously laugh under the tension, shifting to their next question. "You... aren't implying that she'd..." Mafuyu sat still, not a word coming from her mouth. However, for a question like that, a wordless response is a BIG response. Though it may seem unreasonable to someone like Kanade or Ena, the possibility of the most extreme outcome was never zero with her mother. Just asking about the death of her mother's party was enough to fling her into a rampage, so she couldn't bear to think of what would happen if The Grip were to find out about Niigo.

Kanade, Ena, and Mizuki exchange intimidated looks to one another. The three of them had realized what she was implying - and none of them liked it. Not one bit.

"My... chest doesn't... feel good." Kanade watches the sorceress stiffly move her right hand to where her heart is, clutching the fabric of her dress. "...It doesn't feel good?" The sorceress nods. "It... feels cold." This coldness was the same chill she felt while facing down her mother that painful night... the night her hand had been irreversibly damaged. "It... feels like a hole, a... a void in my soul... I think... if you were to stick your hand inside, it would feel... breezy." She felt this frigid pain from within time and time again, this feeling reemerging whenever her mother was around. Ena lightly shifts her grasp on Mafuyu's hand. While Kanade may have known slightly more about the situation than the others, Ena knew firsthand what it felt like to be afraid of family.

The four sat on the single step to the wooden shack which they found themselves shackled to. Kanade gazed upon Mafuyu with forbearing, tender eyes, eyes which were incapable of looking elsewhere. She didn't know about Mizuki or Ena, but... she personally would choose to stay by Mafuyu's side no matter the cost. The cleric leaned in towards the sorceress, and wrapped her arms around her. Mafuyu's body hitched in surprise, but she eased her nerves in a moment of serenity as Kanade rested her chin on her shoulder. Ena followed into an embrace soon after, with Mizuki joining after the swordswoman. The three hung onto the stunted frozen sorceress, as the sunset melted her fears. "I don't know what's got you so scared, or why you think your mom would go that far, but..." Kanade leaned her head onto Mafuyu's, her voice a delicate whisper. "Whatever your decision, we'll be by your side." "Really?" "Promise."

The ranger took in a breath and issued their own advice. "Just know... it's okay to run every now and again." Mafuyu moves her head to Mizuki, pretty much ejecting the cleric off her shoulder. "Run?" "If you don't try to change your situation, you're just gonna keep wallowing in your own pain, right? That's how Ena felt, and admittedly... even I felt that when I was young." Ena shoots Mizuki an annoyed glare, but lets it slide this one time. The ranger continues. "If you can't run, you'll sink further and further into your own pain. The further you sink, the more you'll be trampled over. If you let yourself get trampled, you'll just end up killing your heart, right?" Mafuyu wordlessly nods her head. "Then... run."

Ena looks away. She too had ran, just like her brother before her. In a sense, it was as if they were all running from something - but Mafuyu hadn't crossed the starting line yet. It was like her feet were nailed into place, nails made of intimidation and abuse as she was being painted upon like a sentient canvas. If there were anybody who could help with giving the sorceress encouragement to stand up to her mother, it would be Ena. "Before you joined our party, you assisted others as a solo, didn't you?" Mafuyu looks to the kimono cladded elf, unsure with where she was taking this. "...Why not tell your mom you'll be gone for a few days helping a party in Biei? Outside, contract help, just like you used to?" "...I can't do that." Ena furrows her brow in confusion, but without signs of aggression. "How come?" "...I can't tell her another lie. I..." She looks away, a shamed pool within her eyes. "I might break if I tell another lie..." "Hey." Ena tightens her hold on Mafuyu's hand. "You can't let her change who you want to be. You need to stand up for yourself." Ena looks away. "Mizuki's right. If you need to run, you run. Run until your legs give out and you can't run anymore." The elf closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Looking at Mafuyu was like looking at an unpalatable reflection of herself years in the past - someone incapable of standing on their own two feet, needing help. In a sense, it frustrated her. Looking over your shoulder and seeing somebody poorly tread your footsteps, their balance fluctuating with each step, felt like a insult to what she had worked to become. However, she couldn't just not help. She couldn't turn a blind eye to someone afraid of family as she was.

"If you can't run on your own..." Kanade started, bringing Mafuyu's attention back to her. "...then we'll run with you. Okay?" Mafuyu looks down to her lap in silence, surrounded by her allies. A small, faint smile emerges from the corner of her lips as she tilts her eyes back up to the cleric. "...Okay." Mizuki perks up seeing the sorceress's minuscule smile. "What time is your curfew again, Mafuyu?" "...10pm." "We still have a couple of hours. Why don't we take the rest of the day easy while we discuss what we're gonna do?" Kanade turns to the ranger. "What we're gonna do? About Shousuke, right?" "That's right." They stick their index finger in front of them, commanding the conversation to their will. "I say we get something to eat. I think better when I have a full stomach." This was a blatant lie. Mizuki did not need to eat, like, at all. They were, however, thinking about the larger party with this suggestion. It was a rather round-about way of stating their selflessness. Mafuyu nods once more. "So! What do you think, guys? Food time?" Ena clicks her tongue with a smile. "I guess it can't be helped. Fighting those goblins did a number for my appetite, I suppose." Mafuyu raised her head up, much to Kanade's happiness. She was always pleased whenever she could be greeted with a genuine, earnest smile from the taciturn sorceress. "Okay. I think I'll be okay with that."

Under Kanade's direction, she led the three to an old noodle stand her father used to take her when she was younger. There would be days during her voluntary isolation where she would crack open her window, and catch the faint smell of noodles in the air - it always hit her like whiplash. The smell of the food stand was sentimental to her, but she hadn't the courage to step out to it until now. Kanade looked to her party. She knew that Mafuyu wouldn't be able to taste the noodles, but surely she could feel the aesthetic of the hole-in-the-wall building which they served from. The lady behind the counter wasn't a familiar face, which made sense. People come and go, every now and again. The smell and heat of the kitchen behind the counter flew out into the open market streets, the warm and inviting aroma from boiling noodles, grilling meat, and simmering broth sending the silver haired cleric into nostalgic reminiscence.

For Ena, beef ramen. She decided to go simple, stick with what she knew. In the village which she grew in, cows and beef were commonplace on the menu. Mizuki splurged out a little, perhaps to put up a front that food was little more than just pleasure for them. They got their ramen with eggs, a few pieces of pork, and dried seaweed from the Utashinai district. However, surprisingly enough to the party, Mizuki specifically requested for no mushrooms. The crew pegged them as the type of person to not be picky with food, so it came as some shock. "You don't like mushrooms?" Kanade asked, taking initiative. "Not my favorite." "Not my favorite either, hm." Mizuki smiles with narrowed eyes, having fully expected Kanade to be a picky eater. Kanade asks for wonton noodles, specifically with extra egg, and Mafuyu just requests for what Kanade had ordered. She wasn't going to be able to taste it anyways, so why not just stick simple?

The table the four selected was one protected from the sun with an umbrella hanging overhead. ...It wasn't like it was going to protect much, however, considering the sun had nigh fallen, the sky a beautiful dark purple color. Kanade chuckles to herself in thought. "If they really wanted an umbrella, they would just ask me." The cleric giggled to herself, remembering about the stick and umbrella from yesterday afternoon. What a cool spell. Umbrellas are cool. Magic umbrellas are cool as shit. Mizuki looks to the Unreachable, the crystal palace's glow beginning to highlight the world from up above. Ena, who had been paying close attention to the ranger's body language, leans in close. "It really is pretty, huh?" "...Yeah." Mafuyu and Kanade look to it for only a brief moment, but soon turn to their meals. Similar to her date at the coffee shop, Mafuyu digs into her wonton noodles straight away with no hesitation, not even needing a second for the soup to cool off. "M-Mafuyu that doesn't burn?" "Nope." Kanade blinks away the astonishment, chalking this up to common Mafuyu bizarreness, and blows on her soup.

Mizuki looks to Mafuyu, silently slurping her noodles. "H-Hey, Mafuyu. If it ain't a burden, can you help me with something?" The sound of slurping halts as Mafuyu shifts her gaze to the ranger, a large clump of noodles hanging out from her mouth from the bowl. The two's eye contact was prolonged without a crack of emotion in Mafuyu's face as she slowly resumes slurping the noodles, both refusing to look away. "Um." Mafuyu finishes slurping the soup. "How can I help you?" The ranger chuckles sheepishly, itching the side of their head. "I, uh... don't like when my food is super hot and steamy." Ena snaps her head around with a raised eyebrow. "You don't?" "Uh-uh. Mafuyu, I wanted to ask if you could cast an ice spell to cool off my food." Mafuyu waits a second to take in another clump of noodles, unbuckling her wand from its holster. "Sure thing." Mafuyu taps Mizuki's bowl with her wand, and clears her throat. "Ice Arr-" "WaiwaiWAITWAIT!! Not Ice Arrow!! Jeez, are you TRYING to break the bowl?" Ena snorts, refraining from breaking out in laughter at the sight. "Oh. What spell would you like me to use?" "Uh, any ice spell that wouldn't impale the table!!" Ena, mouth slightly full with pork, laughs to herself. "I'm still not over the 'I don't like hot food', part. Can we go back to that? That's really funny." "It's not funny!" Mizuki enunciates, clearly flustered and offended. "I have a sensitive tongue! I'm like a delicate little kitty cat!" The sorceress butts in, trying to establish connection. With complete sincerity in her voice, she asks: "What if it's a really small Ice Arrow?" "NO ICE ARROWS!"

Kanade laughs to herself. She rests her hand in her head, and smiles upon her bickering friends.

She wouldn't trade these people for anyone else.

They're kind of stuck together through thick and thin now, anyways. She probably couldn't trade them even if she wanted to. Shousuke may have driven a wedge between Niigo and prosperity, but she had faith in herself and her friends to overcome this ordeal. Kanade shuts her eyes, thinking about what she wants. What does she want? What does she want to gain from all of this, again? She wanted to save her father, to prove to him she could be capable and strong. Someone capable of change, someone no longer shackled to the recipes on the floor and the photos on the walls in her room. She also wanted to protect Mafuyu. By any means necessary, she wanted to make sure Mafuyu was safe... to make sure Mafuyu felt comfortable, no longer shackled to the destiny another had decided from her. If that means getting stronger, then she'll get stronger. Kanade wanted to be the one to save Mafuyu.

Maybe even become a Kamiyama Myth in the process.

Whatever it would take to stand up against The Violet Grip.

Kanade opens her eyes and looks to the bowl of soup before her. The bowl of wonton soup she loved as a child reminded her of the 'soup method' of improvising magic that Mafuyu had taught her. No magic to be found within the soup this time - but there was something else that made the soup taste... better than ever before. Magical, even. She took in the soup slowly, thinking about the taste as it tinged her mind. The word she was looking for was right on the tip of her tongue, she just needed to think a bit closer.

One bowl for each, filled stomachs, and a plethora of banter between the four later, they had settled down, ready to discuss their strategy to tackle their two biggest problem at hand: Shousuke Otori's extortion, and sneaking past Mafuyu's mother.

Chapter Text

"Are you sure this is something you want to do, Mafuyu?"

The sorceress looked to Kanade, the cleric showing extensive, visible concern in her blue eyes. The four were rounding out their discussion at the small table which they had been seated at, bowls of noodles stacked upon one another, a plan having been thoroughly discussed. The clock was closing in on 7pm as the sky had dissipated into a dark blue, leaving the party 3 hours until Mafuyu had to return home. That was plenty enough time, however. The party had three things they needed to do - begin preparing for the trip, reconvene with Ichika, and convince The Violet Grip that her daughter would be gone for a few days... the latter responsibility falling on Mafuyu herself. Preparing for the trip would be simple enough. They planned to begin the trip on Wednesday, two days from now. They could buy what they needed today, finish loose ends on Tuesday, and head out on Wednesday. Ena and Mizuki had planned to do this together, seeing as Mizuki really wanted to experience shopping, and Ena wanted to check out the stores and variety of their inventories. Kanade would be in charge of approaching Ichika once more, and letting her know about the situation with Shousuke. The ideal outcome would be for Ichika to assist the party halfway to Biei, where from there they could purchase their own horses or camels. Kanade had offered Mafuyu to come with and do some light shopping of their own, to which the sorceress obliged.

This, of course, left the issue of sneaking past Mafuyu's mother as the sole problem.

A problem which Mafuyu would have to tackle alone.

Hence, Kanade's question.

Mafuyu locked the fingers of her gloves together, pressing her hands against the table. Mafuyu didn't want to be left behind as her new allies traveled outward into the desert, into apparently the most dangerous town in Biei. And, to be fair, they didn't want to leave her behind, either. Niigo was a new party, after all. Their strength came when they were together. However, in order to come along without her mother growing suspicious, she would have to convince her a reason why she would be gone for days on end. Is this something she's even capable of doing? Could she really throw her mom off her trail? Nobody else could just approach her mom in such a way without her growing suspicious. It's... something only she could do. Even if she was scared, she knew this herculean task fell squarely on her shoulders.

The sorceress nods her head, the ribbon on her hat bobbing. "It's something I have to do."

The only time somebody can be brave is if they are afraid.

Kanade smiles. "Alright. Just... remember this. No matter what happens, we're here for you." The cleric places a hand on Mafuyu's, taking her slightly by surprise, but she quickly eased into it. "If you get scared, just remember what you're fighting for, okay?" "...Alright."

Mizuki's eyebrows were raised, their eyes the opposite in a half-closed sunken state. "You two done flirting? We don't have all day, you know." "R-Right." Kanade stands up from her stool, grabbing her things in the process. "Shall we?" The sorceress follows in suit, readjusting her hat as she pushed her stool in. "Mmhm. Ichika said she was visiting Saki, right?" "That's right. We'll see if she's still around. Visiting hours at the infirmary ends at 8, so she might still be in the area." Kanade turns to Ena and Mizuki, a light smile still equipped to her face. "I'll be home by 10, too. I'll see you guys then, alright?" Ena rests her head on her hand, similarly teasing the cleric. "You sure you won't get lost? Hard to see the streets from your elevation, don't you think?" "Stop that. See you guys later."

Mizuki nudged Ena's shoulder with a chuckle. "Heh. Good one." "Thanks. It took no effort." "Kind of a low-bearing fruit, don't you think?" Kanade having already started to walk off, whips her head back and shouts from a distance. "Don't you finish that." The ranger looks wistfully off to their ally, who turned back around to walk alongside Mafuyu. Once she was out of earshot however, Mizuki dramatically shifts back to Ena in a whisper. "...Wouldn't be difficult for her to pick it. Haha." "That was actually pretty good." Ena stands up from her stool, pushing it in as well. Taking the bowls of soup, she approaches the stand to hand them to the lady behind the register, bowing with dignity to the lady. "Thank you very much. The food was delicious." Forking over payment and tipping the waitress properly, Ena shuffles back over to Mizuki, who had been sitting up straight with their hands resting cozily on their knees. "You ready to go, Miz?" "Yep! Oh, but I'm so comfortable though. I need you to pull me up to my feet." Ena furrows her brow. "I'm not doing that. Stand up."

Ena and Mizuki went the opposite way which Kanade and Mafuyu begun to take. The majority of stores were closer to the center of the village, around the proximity of the Weekend Garage. The infirmary was a bit closer to Kanade's house, so as the cleric and the sorceress walked outward, the swordswoman and the ranger walked into the heart of the village. Streetlights and torches lit the market streets, the dirt path illuminating with life in the stillness of the night. A cold, gentle breeze fluttered through the pair's hair, shifting Mizuki into a chill. "Bleh, is the night always this cold?" They asked rhetorically, rubbing their arms. Closer to the ramen shop, the heat from the kitchen was more than enough to keep them warm. But straying away from that comfort came the chilling breeze. "Why don't you roll your sleeves down?" Ena asked. "You'll at least be a bit warmer that way. "I think I would rather die than give up my signature style. Oh, hey! Look!" Mizuki directed Ena's attention to a clothier vendor, sitting relaxed on a step to his shop. Mizuki bobbed into the air, hopping excitedly to capture Ena's gaze. "New clothes! We can probably find something fitting for the desert!" "Whatever happened to dying without your signature style?" "I never said that. Let's go check it out!"

Kanade and Mafuyu walked out together, sounds of the city muffling as the structures and architecture became more and more traditional. Above them, The Unreachable shined its usual green, blue and white colors across the night sky. The cleric smiled looking upon it, a sense of nostalgia mixed with déjà vu. It was strange, Kanade hadn't really felt so comfortable looking at the brilliance of the crystal above, but with Mafuyu, she felt complete. It was as if the crystal had new meaning, now that Mafuyu was apart of her life. This moment was just like the night where they had met, the two girls looking to it together. Even then, Mafuyu said she didn't think much of the crystal, nor had put any thought into it. It was only a matter of her mother's opinion, what she thought of it. Thinking on it in such a light, Kanade realized it was as if Mafuyu's heart had been suppressed even from the beginning.

She also remembered expressing to the sorceress a desire to reach the top one day.

The cleric exhaled a deep breath, her smile still on her face as she shut her eyes. She wondered about the thousands of people who look upon that crystal each day, and the fact it means something different to each and every person. As she expressed to the sorceress earlier in the day, the definition of objects are within the eye of the beholder. To her, The Unreachable was pretty, a compass to guide the individual in the night. To a civilian in Kamiyama, it could be a nuisance. Trying to sleep with lights blaring through your windows would probably be quite frustrating, to say the least. To a veteran of the Silent War, it could be a disturbing reminder of the widespread deafness across the Kamiyama Kingdom. To The Grip, it could be...

...What could it be? She was up there, before. Probably one of a very thin margin, one of only a small handful of people.

"Hey, Mafuyu?" "Yes?" "What do you think is in there?" Mafuyu thinks for a moment, putting the ridge of her index underneath her lower lip. "My mom says there are mirrors up there." "Mirrors?" "Mmhm. I haven't asked much of it, mostly because I haven't really cared much of it." As blunt as usual, but that was to be expected from her. Kanade nods, understanding Mafuyu's disinterest. The purple sorceress lets out a breath, tilting her head to the side, letting her ponytail drape off her shoulder. "I guess that's why the terrorists called themselves Mirror Shatterers." "Oh, I guess that makes sense. ...But if it were just mirrors up there, why would they want to destroy it? That sounds pretty harmless." "Heck if I know." Mafuyu turns to the cleric. She had the usual empty expression set to her face, but it wasn't hollow. It was as if this expression was a stand-in for happiness, for comfort. The sorceress wasn't the best at portraying her emotions, but with subtle cues of her body language, it was as if the cleric could read her just fine. "Are you still thinking about getting there one day?" The sorceress asks, looking intently into the cleric. "Kind of. Might be cool. Perhaps we could get some notoriety from a feat like that." Kanade chuckles to herself, stepping closer to Mafuyu. "I don't think we'd shoot to Kamiyama Myth that easy, but it's wishful thinking, don't you think?" "Hehe, I guess so."

The two would have a long way to go before they could make that dream a reality, of course.

The pair found themselves at the infirmary with the brick foundation once more, where Kanade's father lie comatose and where Saki remained, recovering and growing stronger with each passing moment. Mafuyu opens the door for Kanade, allowing for her to lead the way into the building. The cleric stops at the familiar receptionist once more. "Ah, back so soon, Kanade?" The lady smiles a toothy grin. "Hello. You're here rather late today." "Ah, yeah. I asked for more hours." Kanade nods, only half understanding. She hasn't held a real job before, other than lending a hand at her father's brewery now and again, so she wouldn't exactly know the workforce grind. "I'm here to see Saki Tenma again, but..." Kanade looks to Mafuyu. "After I'm done, I want to visit my dad as well." "Ah, of course! Gotchya, I'll write you down for both." The lady behind the desk smiles, and nods the two off. "Have a great night, you two."

Room 106 once more, where Saki lie dormant. Kanade knocks gently to not startle whoever may be inside, but loud enough to get whoever's attention. Kanade puts her hands behind her back in wait. Best case scenario would be if Ichika were still present, but if not, they knew where else she would be. The door before them opens, a familiar face, but one they had not been properly introduced to, greets the duo. The bedridden blonde haired girl from days prior had opened the door, wearing a blue gown and her hair down, loose, and wavy. "Oh, Ichika! Guests!" Saki opens the door fully, revealing Ichika sitting on a chair not far off from the infirmary bed. Seeing the two girls having visited, Ichika perks up with an earnest smile. "...Kanade! Mafuyu! Back so soon?" Ichika steps up, ushering the duo inside. "Come in, come in! Ah, shut the door behind you, please."

"You three haven't been properly introduced to each other quite yet..." Ichika started. She gestures her hand to Saki. "Kanade, Mafuyu, this is Saki, my girlfriend. Saki, these are Kanade and Mafuyu. They're the ones who got you the Silent Royalty!" Saki's face lights up, beaming almost as bright as The Unreachable itself. "Are you serious!? I... genuinely can't thank you two enough!!" Kanade sheepishly chuckled, itching the side of her face. "I-It's our pleasure. I'm glad you've recovered so quickly." Looking at Saki a bit closer, any semblance of the decay she had went through had miraculously healed, leaving nigh a trace of her dilapidation. Her overtly dilated pupils that had nearly covered her eye had retracted into normalcy, letting her pink irises radiate with their true and honest colors. The only remaining evidence of her sickness was slightly discolored skin, but it was no longer a disfigured yellow, rather a shade returning to what would be normal for her. For someone who struggled to lift her hand up to hold another's days prior, she had regained her strength within no time at all!

"Ichika's told me a little bit about you guys... You all went goblin hunting without me?" The black haired sage chuckles, ushering a calming gesture. "I-It wasn't exactly goblin hunting, per se. We didn't find what we came for anyways, so I don't think you would've found much interest in it, hehe." "Oh come on!" Saki points her index finger up, propping the other hand squarely on her hip. "Rule number one of the Tenma Testaments!" "Tenma Testaments?" "If you guys are doing kick-ass battle quests, I wanna come with!" Ichika narrows her eyes with an awkward chuckle. "Rule number two states that if you're dying in an infirmary you don't get to go on 'kick-ass battle quests'." Saki flaps her lips, crossing her arms. "That's a stupid rule." "No it's not. I like that rule." "It's kind of stupid."

Mafuyu clears her throat, ensnaring Ichika and Saki's attention both. "Oh, sorry." Ichika starts. "Did you both need something?" Mafuyu turns to the cleric, expecting her to finish what she had started herself. Kanade squints an eye in confusion, before coming to the realization Mafuyu didn't want to be the one to ask for Ichika's help.

That was pretty cute of her.

"I'm glad Saki is feeling better, but... that wasn't exactly why we came to visit." Ichika tilts her head, her smile turning to concern. "Is something the matter?" "We've... actually found ourselves in a bit of a tough situation, and we're gonna need your help again." Kanade cocks her head to the side breaking eye contact, attempting to avoid unwanted shame for acting on such a suspicious quest. "That quest was a set-up. There were never any pearls stolen, and now we're being blackmailed into a protection gig." Ichika shoots her eyes wide, her head bobbing backward in shock. "Wow, uh... Shoot..." She takes a step forward towards the cleric and the sorceress, her arms leaving her side and hanging loose in front of her. "What do you mean 'protection service'?" "Like... bodyguards for a troupe in Biei." Saki perks up. "Troupe in Biei?" The cleric turns to the bubbly patient, nodding her head in affirmation. "One of them is half dragon. Does that sound familiar to you?"

Saki's face yet again lights up. "Yeah!! That party is led by my brother!!" Mafuyu tilts her head, pushing out her faux, presentable smile. "Oh, really? That's certainly helpful... Maybe you could tell us more about him?" "Of course! But, uh... let's let Kanade finish first." "Right, right." Eyes turned back to the cleric, putting her on a pedestal with an audience. "The half-dragon's older brother was supposed to act as a bodyguard, but had important business to do. So, more or less, he's blackmailing us into acting in his stead. We have until next Wednesday to meet with them in Digrove for their performance." Saki interrupts, blurting out in distress. "Digrove?! Jeez, what are they thinking?!" "...But, anyways. We don't have a lot of time. We plan to depart in two days, Wednesday morning." Kanade takes a heavy breath, looking back to Ichika. If it isn't a bother, would we be able to use your wagon again? You can come halfway, until we're able to find our own horses, or camels, or whatever."

Ichika looks over to Saki, the two girls having troubled faces. With some time, Ichika nods her head. "W-Well, I'll have to let my parents know, first..." "Anything helps, please." The cleric sits on the floor on her knees, assuming an apologetic position, with Mafuyu noticing fashionably late, but still taking part. "I know it's a bother, but we could really use your help again." Ichika looks to Saki, who returns her gaze with a peppy smile. The blond haired patient nods her head. "A-Are you sure? You're still not 100%..." "I'll be fine! C'mon, live a little, Ichi!~" The black haired sage lets loose a small smile, one with relative doubt, but nods her head in compliance with her partner. "Alright. I'll make sure you four get to Biei." Kanade raises her forehead off the floor, sighing a breath of relief. "Phew... Thank you, Ichika..." "On one condition!" Saki announces.

Standing up off the floor, the cleric asks for further clarification. "One condition?" "Honami told me you guys agreed to go dungeon crawling with us! I know it's sudden, I know it's a bother, but... I haven't had much of a chance to experience what true adventuring feels like." Saki turns away, the energy in her eyes fading to something more forlorn, her smile still plastered across her face. "I'm always in and out of infirmaries and treatments. I don't know when the next opportunity for something like this can come up." The blonde haired patient puts her hands together, bowing her head lightly. Her eyes reminded the cleric of a begging puppy as she tilted her eyes upwards towards her and the sorceress. "I really do mean it. I've had my eye on this one dungeon in particular for some time now... we just hadn't had the group large enough to safely travel it. I promise, Ichika and I will have no problem helping you get to Biei if you have time to explore a dungeon tomorrow!" "Please do not speak for me."

Kanade turns to Mafuyu, her fake smile still equipped but indifference in her eyes. She shrugs her shoulders for further wordless communication, expressing a general lack of concern. Kanade looks to the infirmary ceiling, surmising the proposition being offered to her. They had just gotten off the cusp of their goblin quest, so she worried about fatigue setting in for her teammates. However, she herself felt capable for another quest. She needed to rank up, after all. And if it's just one dungeon, one day, and they get Ichika and Saki's help, then... there shouldn't be an issue, right? She'd just have to let Mizuki and Ena aware of the change of plans, and they'd be golden.

Kanade nods her head. "That's fine with me. We can do tomorrow." The cleric smiles loosely, her eyebrows raising in concern as she looks to Saki. "Though... Are you sure you can do it so soon? You still look a little sick..." Saki shakes her head, bobbing her shoulders in determination. "I'll be fine, honest! I've handled worse, trust me." Ichika leans closer to her girlfriend, wordlessly placing the back of her hand up to Saki's forehead. "...Temperature's certainly gone down, but... If you don't feel good, we leave immediately, okay?" "Ohh, fine. But it won't get that bad." The sage rolled her eyes, and at the apex of the roll she shut her eyes with a deep exhale. "Alright, alright..." Ichika approaches Kanade with an outstretched hand. "Tomorrow?" "Tomorrow. 10am at the Weekend Garage. Again, thank you so much, Ichika." Kanade smiles to the sage, nodding her head. "I don't know how we would do it without you."

The duo step out of Saki's room, having found new plans for tomorrow. Mafuyu looks to her silver haired ally, her smile dropping back to her typical neutral resting face. "Where to now, K?" "...If it isn't an issue, I'd like you to meet somebody." "Meet someone?" Mafuyu recalls minutes prior the encounter with the receptionist, the sorceress nodding as she deciphers who Kanade had been referring to. Kanade nervously chuckles. "Might not get the opportunity to do so tomorrow, so... I figured since we're already here, I could stop by." "Right."

The door creaks open, the two girls stepping foot into a lightless room only illuminated by The Unreachable peering through the window, shining dust which scattered throughout the air. There lie still a man with shaggy, lengthy gray hair, dressed solely in a blue gown resting at ease underneath a sheet of blankets. The light of the crystal palace hit his slumbering body, leaving enough of a visible impression of his appearance to Mafuyu. "...Hey, dad. I'm here with a friend." Kanade steps further into the room, leaving Mafuyu by the doorway as she pulls a chair to her father's bedside. Kanade, with a weak smile, beckons Mafuyu over to her side, curling her fingers. The sorceress joins the cleric by her side, and sits down beside her.

The world was silent. In this moment, it was as if the only three people in the world were Kanade, her father, and Mafuyu. 

It felt almost like the universe itself fell to a standstill, as Mafuyu curiously studied the slumbering man.

Kanade gently takes her fathers hand, shifting her thumb across his palm. "Sorry I didn't visit this weekend. I was a little busy." She tilts her head downwards, looking into her lap. "...You're probably wondering to yourself... 'Busy with what?' 'My Kanade? Impossible!'" The cleric chuckles as she continues to talk to her comatose father. "It's outlandish, I know. But... I actually stepped out of my comfort zone, for once. I met some people at the Weekend Garage." She turns to Mafuyu, who returned her gaze with the same neutral expression. "...My first real friends." Mafuyu tilts her head. "What are you doing?" Confusion dwelled within her amethyst eyes, the typical monotonous voice emerging from her lungs. "Do you think he can hear you?" Kanade sighs, her smile still present even with Mafuyu's blunt curiosity. "No. I know he can't." The cleric turns back to her father, shutting her eyes. "...But maybe I'm wrong."

"I'd like to be wrong." "Hm." Kanade opens her eyes, looking at her father's slowly beating chest. Life still filled his lungs, he was no different than the waking. The silver haired cleric sighs, clasping her father's hand in between the both of hers. "...I miss you, dad. I miss you every day." Mafuyu's tilted head returns upright, as she looks to Kanade's father alongside her. The concept of parental love was foreign to the sorceress. How could she and Kanade differ in such a way? The man was peaceful, not fidgeting an inch in his slumber. The moment was as tranquil as it was disturbing to her, an entire new world having been introduced before her very eyes.

Kanade lets out a sigh. "You're... probably wondering who this girl by me is. Sorry for not introducing you sooner... This is Mafuyu, Mafuyu Asahina. She's the first person I met before I started my party." Kanade turns to the purple haired sorceress with a smile. "She means a lot to me. I'm glad to have her by my side. She's really strong, and capable with magic too." The cleric shuffles her hands, still latching onto her father's. "If you could meet her, I'm sure you'd like her a lot. She's nice." The sorceress looks to Kanade, slight shock in her eyes. "...Nice? Kanade thinks I'm nice?" She thought to herself. Though she couldn't comprehend why Kanade was talking to an unconscious man, Mafuyu came to the conclusion it was a sort of closure kind of situation. She didn't want to take that away from her friend.

"...Can I say something, too?" Kanade looked a little baffled, but welcomed her to do so. "O-Oh, of course..." The cleric let go of her father's hand, and leaned back in her chair. Mafuyu began. "...Kanade is nice, too. You did a good job raising her." Mafuyu twirled a finger through her ponytail. She didn't necessarily know what she was doing... She was talking to a man who physically would not be able to respond nor comprehend what she says, so... whether she realized it or not, Mafuyu was using this moment to indirectly talk to Kanade. "She makes me feel safe. When I'm with her, the hole in my heart feels like it shrinks a little. It feels nice to feel a little complete." Mafuyu sits in silence, unable to come up with anything else to say. "I hope you recover soon. I would like to meet you for real one day."

The sorceress leans back beside Kanade, the cleric's face having flushed as her mouth draped open slightly.

...Mafuyu feels safe with her, too...

"Ah-hem..." Kanade attempts to clear away the embarrassment in her face, pushing out a front from her lovestruck lungs. "Dad, my party and I are gonna be gone for a bit. We're heading to Biei for a quest. It's a bit of a ways away, but... I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to miss you." Kanade leaned over her father, resting her head on his chest, placing her arms on top of him in place of a hug. "I'll see you as soon as I come back, I promise."

Perhaps Mafuyu had just imagined it, but it was as if the corners of his lips turned upward in that moment.

The two girls parted ways with the father, stepping out into the crisp, cool night air. The smell of the carnations were carried in the wind, a fresh scent filling both girls' lungs. Mafuyu tilts her head to the cleric. "What time is it?" "7:44." Mafuyu smiles a light, authentic grin, chuckling to herself. "You know the time to the exact minute without even looking?" "Is that weird?" "Hehe, a little. What now?" Kanade crosses her arms in thought. "Mizuki and Ena are probably still doing some shopping. Though..." Kanade shuffles her head back, blinking heavily before breaking into a lengthy yawn, tears subtly emerging in her eyes. Halfway through her yawn, she pushes out the rest of her sentence. "I'm a little tired, actually..." "I could tell. Do you want to go home early?" The cleric sighs to herself. "I guess so. You're welcome to join the others, though. Oh, just don't forget to let them know about the change of plans for tomorrow. Would be awkward if they didn't know ahead of time." "I won't forget, but you're right. Ena could use the extra hand babysitting Mizuki, I think." Kanade smiles, the chill in the air defining her breath. "Who knows what they're blowing their gold on? I don't think Ena can keep them on such a short leash." Kanade giggles to herself over her own joke, as Mafuyu's smile grows slightly. She couldn't help but echo Kanade, giggling as well. As pleasant as the time together was, the purple haired sorceress figured they were due to part ways for the night. She strangely couldn't come to grips with saying goodbye, so she asked another question. "See you tomorrow?" "U-uh, wait."

Kanade sheepishly lowered her head down, tilting her eyes up to Mafuyu. Her face had turned slightly red, as if she were embarrassed to ask what she wanted to. Nevertheless, she pushed it out anyways.

"Do you... want to walk me home? It's not far from here..."

Chapter Text

Was it the temperature in the air that weigh heavy on Mafuyu's lungs, or was it Kanade's presence by her side? She was unsure of herself. Given the chill in the air, she figured the former, but she felt the situation differ from other times when she was cold. She felt... something akin to restlessness in her heart, incapable of sitting still as the two slowly walked together to the cleric's house. Mafuyu's mind darted between thoughts. "I wonder what kind of house she lives in..?" "Does she live there by myself?" "Her hair is really long." "I want to touch her hair." "I can't do that with these gloves on." Mafuyu veered her eyes to her ally, looking to her boots. With Kanade's every step the buckles clacked loudly, polluting the silence as the two walked together.

Mafuyu felt a nudge against the back of her hand. The sorceress turned to the blue eyed cleric, who met Mafuyu's gaze with a smile. "Can... we try that again?" "Try what again?" Kanade lowered her head, looking up to Mafuyu with a small smile. "...Hands." Mafuyu slowly nodded, presenting her palm to the silently ecstatic girl. Kanade took her hand, lowering their intertwined fingers down to their hips. Kanade sighs, looking forward ahead towards the road. "It's surprisingly cold today." A shiver falling down her spine causes a twitch to her head, to which Kanade further comments on. "The windchill certainly isn't helping either. How are you not cold?" "I'm not wearing an off-shoulder sweater, that might be why." "Oh. Right." Mafuyu looks up to the night sky and adjusts her hat with her free hand. She wasn't the best at instigating conversations. She wanted to talk to Kanade a bit more, but couldn't find the words to do so. While she can hold a steady conversation with one, initiating topics came difficult to the sorceress. Even with this difficulty, though... she simply appreciated being around the silver haired cleric. ...And... she wondered if Kanade felt the same.

"Hey, Mafuyu." "Yes?" Kanade's face flushes a slight rose color, as she turns her head away in embarrassment. "I... feel safe around you, too." Mafuyu blinked. "Safe?" "Y-Yeah. Back earlier with my dad... you said you felt safe around me." Kanade smiles awkwardly, her cheeks tensing. "I just wanted to say that I feel safe with you too." Kanade gently steps closer to Mafuyu, bringing their shoulders together. "If... you ever need a place to find yourself, don't forget that I'm here for you, okay?" ...Where did that come from? 'Find yourself'? How strange... "...Thank you, K. I appreciate you." "Of course." The two girls face ahead once more, focusing down the streets before them. From the distance close to the horizon, they could make out the outer-ridge of Carnation Village, the circular border of flowers being illuminated by The Unreachable. Mafuyu huffs stiffness from her lungs, her breath being visible in the chilled air. Those flowers looked so clustered together, lacking any space to free their wingspan, but that wasn't always a bad thing, she thought. She didn't exactly know why, but being close to people felt nice. It made her heart feel a little complete.

"I... don't dislike when you're close to me like this." Kanade perks up. "You don't?" "No. I... think I like it." "I-I'm glad." Silence befell the air once more as the two walked hand in hand downhill. Kanade was trying her hardest to match Mafuyu's pace, having smaller legs proved to make keeping up with her taller ally's stride. Mafuyu glazes her eyes to the cleric, noticing the girl's trouble. Mafuyu slows her pace. She didn't want for Kanade to strain herself just trying to keep up. She was unsure if Kanade had recognized her conscious thought, but she seemed subtly appreciative for the slower pace. Mafuyu liked it when Kanade was comfortable. When the two were together, the cleric had this resting face of relaxation that contrasted her usual neutral, lazed expression, so it was easy to tell when she felt content. However, when she thought about Kanade's smile, a reminder had crept itself into her brain, displaying the image of the saddened cleric who was shocked into silence. Mafuyu hated the feeling she felt when Kanade was sad. She didn't want Kanade to be sad ever again.

"...Kanade." "Mm?" "I'm sorry for scaring you earlier." The cleric, though initially confused from how suddenly this was brought up, soon giggled to herself. "You're still thinking about that..?" She brushes her hair over her ear, looking to the sorceress. "You don't need to keep apologizing... I told you it's alright now..." "Are you sure?" "I'm sure." Mafuyu feels the corner of her lip perk up, nodding her head in contentment. She was just glad Kanade felt nothing of it. "...Hey, we're almost at my house. It's that one right there, do you see it?" Kanade outstretched her hand, leading Mafuyu's attention to a small house nestled between two flowerbeds. "...I see it." Though hard to tell from the infliction in her voice, Mafuyu was a little saddened that she and Kanade had to part ways soon. She wanted to spend more time with her friend, she wanted to come inside her house and stay a bit longer. Ultimately, that idea was out of the picture because of her mom's curfew, but the wishful thinking was nice.

The two girls found themselves on Kanade's front porch. A single, unlit lantern draped from the overhead, but it wasn't like it was necessary, considering The Unreachable brought more than enough light to illuminate the dark. Mafuyu looked to the wooden door, her eyes hollowing with slight sorrow.. "This is it?" "That's right." The cleric took Mafuyu's other hand, to her surprise. The sorceress's shoulders hitched, but she was eased back down to earth by the softness of Kanade's blue eyes. The girls were holding each others hands as they looked into one another's eyes, the eye contact being enough to keep them both warm in the cold. Kanade looks down to the ground in between their interlocked arms, and gently smiles. "...You're... welcome to come inside, if you'd like..."

What is she planning?

"Sorry, I don't think we have time to do so. I should find Ena and Mizuki." Mafuyu looks away from the cleric, admitting under her breath another factor of her hesitation. "...And besides, I don't think my mom would..." Mafuyu stopped herself. "...I understand. But..." Kanade tilts her head up to Mafuyu, stepping closer. The cleric brought herself close to Mafuyu, their torsos nearly touching. "It's cold. I don't want you to get sick." Kanade slightly smiles. "At least let me boil something for you, okay?"

Mafuyu shut her eyes. What would her mom think? What would she say about this? Her mother would probably tell Mafuyu to not take the invitation, to decline and go straight home. With Mafuyu's eyes shut, Kanade's smile drops, her eyes and voice growing empathetic. "Hey... Are you okay?" Kanade whispers, speaking right to Mafuyu. The sorceress could feel her breath up against her face, which made her heart flutter like the butterflies which flew in her stomach. Her mother was usually right about most things. She was right about combat, about fighting, about strategy. She fought in the Silent War, she's a hero. She knows what she's doing. But, at the same time... what does she know about Mafuyu? What does she know about what her daughter wants? ...Nothing.

What does Kanade know about Mafuyu?

She knows more than she thinks.

Mafuyu opens her eyes, meeting Kanade close to her face. "Alright. A little bit wouldn't hurt."

Kanade's house was well insulated, protecting the two from the chill from the weather outside. The interior felt much cozier compared to the sterility Mafuyu felt from her own house. There was something to it that just radiated an aura of authenticity, than the cold, oppressive atmosphere of her own house. Though, thinking on it, the layout of both their houses felt rather similar, in regards to the living rooms, the kitchens, and the pantries. It was almost as if there was something here that stood out to Mafuyu, despite the two homes physically looking the same. Kanade led Mafuyu to the couch, where she had insisted the sorceress sit for the moment. "Here, let me get you a blanket." Mafuyu giggled to herself. "I thought you said you were the one who was cold?" The silver haired cleric stops in her tracks, and clicks her tongue. "Well... I... just want you to be comfortable, is all!" Mafuyu nods her head and smiles. "I think I'm pretty comfortable." "Th-that's good. I'll still get you that blanket though, okay?" "If I can't stop you."

Kanade comes back with the aforementioned blanket, as well as a sheet of paper from the kitchen table. Kanade presents the paper to Mafuyu, who cautiously accepts. The paper had a drawing on the back of it, one sketched with pencil. It portrayed a 3/4ths angle portrait of a girl with long, wavy hair, the side of her face being shaded out into obscurity by complex strokes of pen. It was difficult to make out the shaded side of her face, leaving only the focal point exposed to the light. Perhaps that was the point, but with how detailed the shading was, you could make an argument the shading WAS the focal point. "...What's this?" "Ena drew it this morning." Kanade takes a seat next to Mafuyu on the couch. "It's supposed to be you." Mafuyu studies the portrait, her eyes focusing down the parchment in her hands. "...Ena drew this... of me?" "Do you like it? I think she really captured your eyes." Kanade puts her hands together and smiles her usual gentle smile, her eyes lazy and tired. "Ena is a surprisingly good artist. She drew all of us this morning."

Mafuyu stared into the expression of herself. "Is... this how Ena sees me?" She thought to herself. There was something about this drawing that... hurt. It wasn't unflattering to the sorceress, quite the opposite. Though she appreciated the gesture, there was just something that resonated to her core in such a... negative fashion. The sorceress turns her head to the cleric with a question in mind. "Can I ask you something?" "Oh, of course?" Mafuyu tilts the paper back to Kanade, letting her look upon it as close as she had. "Is there something weird about this drawing?" Kanade raises a brow in confusion. "What do you mean?" "...Something about it... makes my chest feel strange."

Kanade leans in towards the drawing. "...I don't know. It looks normal to me." She turns to Mafuyu, the purple haired girl scratching her head in confusion. "What about it strikes you as strange?" "Not strange... just..." Mafuyu focuses her attention to the shading of her face. "...The... shading." "The shading?" "Why is my face missing like that?" Kanade places her hand on the paper, Mafuyu letting go to delicately hand it over to her. Kanade sits in silence, articulating her own thoughts.

Mafuyu feels uncomfortable looking at Ena's art... but why? By the way Ena had drawn Mizuki and Kanade, it wasn't outlandish to think these portraits were the way which she thought of her allies, so... perhaps if there was a way to look at Mafuyu from Ena's perspective, she could understand why Mafuyu felt so strange? Kanade closes her eyes, bringing her voice to a thoughtful hum.

"I... got nothing. Sorry, Mafuyu." "That's okay. I like the drawing." Mafuyu takes the paper back, holding it up to her face to compare side by side. "It kind of looks like me, doesn't it?" The cleric giggles at this childlike display from the girl she admired. "Looks a lot like you, silly." Kanade stands up from the sofa, and places the drawing on the living room counter. "I'm gonna go check on the tea, okay?" "Okay. Don't be long." "I won't. It's probably ready by now."

As Kanade predicted, the tea was ready. It was a good thing Ena had schooled her for her inability to make tea, because she probably wouldn't have anything else to offer guests otherwise. Kanade brings a cup for herself and for Mafuyu to the couch, nestling herself by Mafuyu's side. "It's hot, be careful-" Mafuyu immediately takes a swig of the piping hot boiling tea, and swallows it with no hesitation. "I keep forgetting you can do that." "Do what?" "The... the boiling water." Mafuyu smiles. "I keep forgetting you can't do that." Kanade took a deep breath, shaking her head. Whether Mafuyu was noticing it or not, she had been smiling authentically more and more, and it made Kanade really happy. Mafuyu deserves happiness. She deserves the world. Kanade blows on her tea and takes a sip. The beverage was still way too hot, burning her throat as she swallowed it down. The pain only made her appreciate Mafuyu for her weirdness even more, but that really didn't change the fact her throat felt like it was on fire.

The two finished their tea, with one clearly enjoying it more than the other, considering the latter is taste-deaf. The former rests her head onto Mafuyu, the two of them underneath the blanket she had brought for her. Her heartbeat grew steady as she took a hefty, lengthy yawn, and buried herself by Mafuyu's side. To Mafuyu, she looked so peaceful. She didn't want to disturb her. The cleric shut her eyes as she nuzzled her cheek on Mafuyu, bringing the two close together. The sorceress, while comfortable, had no idea what to make of this situation. She hadn't come to the conclusion nor even scratched the surface of her feelings the same way Kanade had, so she was left with an assortment of confusing feelings. She was unable to make neither heads nor tails of this, feeling comfortable as Kanade purred gently into her. She was like a delicate cat, Mafuyu not wanting to wake her. Yet, at the same time, she was content with the situation too. This comfort was one she hadn't felt, in... well... her entire life. Her memories, while many still haunting her mind, felt as if they had their negatives annexed from her head. She felt... almost guilty that she could feel so relaxed despite the troubles weighing her down. She looked to the glove encasing her corroded hand, and didn't feel the shame of breaking Kanade's trust - because she knew Kanade would forgive her.

How? Just a feeling.

The ticking of the grandfather clocked served as a reminder of the time being spent together. While Mafuyu felt comfortable, she knew the sands within the hourglass were limited. She planned to depart at 9pm, just to make sure she doesn't overshoot her deadline and face her mother's frustration. Mafuyu gazed upon the slumbering cat nestled up to her chest in content. ...She wanted to play with her hair. In a whisper, Mafuyu called out to her to check if she were still awake. "...Kanade?" ...No response. Still sleeping. Mafuyu sighed to herself, bringing her lips to a smile. The sorceress slowly takes off the glove of her corroded black hand, and sets it beside her on the armrest of the couch. Mafuyu delicately places her palm to Kanade's scalp, sliding her hand down to the crown of her head.

...She's so cute.

Time flew by like a dragon's wings, taking off in dead-set flight. Mafuyu looked to the clock. To her dismay, an hour had passed with the two girls resting upon one another. 9pm. It was time for Mafuyu to go. The sorceress didn't want to disturb her sleeping friend, nor did she really want to get up off the couch in the first place. It was just... the fear of her mother was stronger than her desire to stay by Kanade's side. Mafuyu slowly lifts herself up off the couch, to which Kanade hummed in disapproval in her sleep. Now that she was up, Mafuyu gently leans Kanade's head onto the armrest, giving her a comfortable pillow to sleep on. Re-equipping her leather glove, she stood over the silver haired sleeping beauty sprawled on the couch, who had been sleeping peacefully undisturbed. It was almost as if she were put under a sleeping hex. It was cute. The sorceress brought herself down to her knees to study Kanade a bit closer, bringing her face near Kanade's. Mafuyu smiles with a nod of her head, and picks herself back up. She looks to Ena's portrait on the counter one last time, lifting the sheet up and staring at the shading of her face.

There's a lot about Mafuyu that Ena doesn't know of. Perhaps that's what the shading is supposed to be of?

Perhaps the shading is supposed to be the side of Mafuyu that she herself cannot comprehend? Or maybe it could be a 'secret dark side', or whatever? Whichever it was, it made her chest feel funny. She didn't want to take it away from Kanade or Ena, so she left it on the counter where Kanade had set it aside earlier. As she stepped to the front door, she once more turned to the slumbering cleric with a smile. "Thank you." Mafuyu quietly and slowly opened the door, stepping out into the cold, harsh wind of the night.

The sorceress began her walk back home. Kanade was right, the windchill was quite debilitating. If anything, the cold just made Mafuyu appreciate the cleric's compassion even further. Step by step uphill, Mafuyu thought of Kanade without interruption, until...

"You didn't need to spend so much money on desert gear, you know." "What if I wanted to spend that much? Shopping sprees are an intrinsic aspect of human culture, and as you know, I am human." "You're as human as I am a vampire." "You aren't a vampire." "That's the point." Two familiar voices conversed through the night. Mafuyu quickly caught ahead to investigate, laying eyes on her allies, Ena and Mizuki. "Oh, hello you two." The two partners jumped in surprise, having been completely startled by the sudden Mafuyu jumpscare. Mizuki, in particular, jumped high with a shrill cry. "WaaughH!!! Mafuyu, where did you come from?!" "More importantly..." Ena crosses her arms. "Where have you and Kanade been?! You left me all by myself with Mizuki!!" "Kanade was tired, so we went back to her house." Mizuki and Ena looked to each other and blinked awkwardly in silence upon this news. Mizuki leaned forward, their eyes widening. "You two were home alone?" "Yes, what of it?" Ena narrowed their eyes and protruded their jaw in smugness. "Nnnnoooothing. Don't woooorry about it." Ena tilts her head. "So, where's Kanade right now?" "Sleeping." Mafuyu answers truthfully. "She's on the couch. I didn't want to wake her, but I can't break curfew." Ena nods. "I see..." "Oh, and also... We have new plans for tomorrow, if you don't mind." Ena's eyes shoot open in confusion, body language translating as an invitation for the sorceress to elaborate further.

"I see... Dungeon crawling with Ichika and her party, huh?" "That's right." Ena pinches her left ear, fidgeting with it between her thumb and index. "It's a bit sudden, but I guess it shouldn't be a problem... It's just one day, right?" "Mmhm." Ena nods with a smile. "Got it. Weekend Garage at 10am?" "Yep." Mizuki claps twice with a hearty smile. "Glad you found us though! That would've been awkward had we found out tomorrow, right?" "Right."

It was strange. Mafuyu wasn't as privy to conversation as she was around Kanade. Maybe she just needs time to warm up to Ena and Mizuki, the same she had with Kanade. "I gotta get going. I don't want to keep my mom waiting for me." "Alright, gotchya." Ena smiles. "We'll see you tomorrow, okay?" "Of course. Good night, Ena. Mizuki." Mizuki raises their hand up with a response chirp as Mafuyu begins to part ways, cutting through the both of them in a slow stride. "Niiiight!~"

Oh, that's right... She forgot to ask about the drawing.

Perhaps another time.

Mafuyu had something else wrapped around her mind, like tense rope cutting off circulation to her body. She felt her chest grow colder and colder with each step, the breeze blowing through the hole within as she slowly got closer to her house.

She had to face her mother once more.

Chapter Text

"I'm home."

Mafuyu stepped foot into the home that caged her, announcing her arrival to her mother. Signs of life sparked and flickered, the lit up house containing the aura of a lively, cozy café even with only two people within. The scent of lanterns, candles, and the fireplace tinged the air, mixed with the smell of home cooking. No doubt about it, her mother was awake, and most likely in the kitchen. Mafuyu took off her boots and hung her hat by the door, stepping foot on the hardwood flooring. She stops in her tracks to look within the living room, the space which her mother had tested her resolve in. While the furniture had long been reset to their proper position, the sorceress found it difficult to isolate the memory from the location, the empty space having forever left a scar on her mind. Mafuyu closes her eyes to the sight before her, emptying out her thoughts the same she did earlier that day. Breaking her silence and startling her eyes open came the melody of a hum, coming from behind the kitchen counter with the pop and sizzling of food. With a deep breath and steeled nerves, Mafuyu puts on her usual pleasant facade, and enters the kitchen which her mother had been merrily humming to herself.

"Hello, mother." "Oh! Mafuyu!" Mafuyu's mother quickly turns around from the stove which she had been cooking over, having now been broken from her musical trance. Her mother wore a white dress with the sleeves rolled up, a blue apron hanging in front of it as she cooked. Her long purple hair, while usually worn loose and wavy, was tied up into a ponytail that draped past her shoulder blades. "I didn't hear you walk in, how was your day?" "It was alright." Mafuyu's thought process had always been that telling half-truths were easier than telling full lies, so she spoke without stutter nor hesitation. "I took another gig at the Weekend Crew." "Oh, how did that go?" "Do you remember the old horse rental service we used to frequent?" Mafuyu's mother raises an eyebrow in curiosity. "Mmhm?" "I had a retrieval gig outside of town, so I asked if I could borrow one of their horses for the day." The sorceress's mother smiles, her worn and tired eyes softening in pride. "Very smart. How far away was it?" "About an hour or two by horseback on one of the trails towards Biei. I managed to finish the job in seven hours." A large smile had spread across her face, pleased with this report. "How wonderful... You did good, Mafuyu!" The sorceress bowed a platitude, before asking a question of her own. "What are you cooking? It smells good." "Oh, this?" The Grip lifted the pan off the stove, presenting it to her daughter in showcase. "A bacon omelette." Mafuyu pauses, processing her mother's bizarre answer. "...At 9pm?" "That's right! Did you want one?" "No, thank you mother. I'm not very hungry, hehe." "Oh, suit yourself."

Her mother took a second look to Mafuyu, her eyes growing sad as she noticed the gloves.

"Your... hands. Do they still hurt?" "Hm?" Mafuyu slightly recoiled her hands back, now that they were the center of attention. The Grip moved the pan off to a cooler area of the stove so she could direct her attention to her daughter. "Here, let me see." Mafuyu felt her anxiety spike as she slowly reached her hand out, allowing for her mother to take it. The same hands which were delicately holding Kanade's an hour prior were now being held by her mother, and the feeling was harrowing to her heart. A single one of her hands was enough to snap the bones within the sorceress's - so it wasn't much of a surprise she felt wildly unsafe in this moment. Her mother slid the leather glove off the corroded hand, inspecting it closely. She lightly squeezed Mafuyu's hand, to which she whimpered as she braced herself. Thankfully, no pain was to come. "...Does it hurt?" "No, sorry. You just surprised me." The Grip looked to her, nodding her head. "Be sure to properly care for yourself. A rotten hand like this will be bad for your solo career." "R-Right..." ...Was that all she cared about? Not the daughter who the hand belonged to? Her mother turned back around, resuming her cooking, now with a forlorn smile.

Mafuyu took a seat at the kitchen counter, knowing fully her mother would appreciate the company and a voice to speak to. Her mother liked talking to Mafuyu about her day, and her progress as a solo. She was very invested in seeing her development, wanting 'the best' for the sorceress. The best, of course, was having enough power to be a one-man army like she was. The Grip wanted for her daughter to live comfortably for life, with no worries nor stresses from maintaining a party. Mafuyu sat upright, lining her shoulders to stretch out like a bridge with her proper posture. She still had a duty to do, a responsibility to her party. She had to make sure her mom wouldn't come looking for her when she leaves for Biei.

"Hey, mom..." The Grip's back remained turned as she focused on her cooking. "Yes, sweetheart?" "I..."

The purple haired sorceress choked back her words. By any means necessary, her mother could not find out about Niigo. One wrong slip up, and her mother could fly into a frenzy towards her allies, and properly teach Mafuyu another lesson. She had to think every word carefully - their lives very well could depend on it. Mizuki, Ena, Kanade... Mafuyu wondered if they could feel the weight of the dread that had settled into her stomach this very moment. Whether they realized it or not, their lives rested squarely on the sorceress's straightened out shoulders. All she had to do was avoid mentioning Niigo, and avoid mentioning Shousuke's extortion. Should be easy, right?

"I was sought out by a half-dragon from Biei earlier today for a quest." Her mom put down the spatula she had been using, not moving a muscle. The sizzling and popping sounds that had filled the air spoke for her. "...He requested for me specifically. He wants me in Biei in a week from now." "Do elaborate." Mafuyu had to restrain her voice from shivering in fear. She could only force out words, words muffled from the mask her mother made her wear. "He wants me to act as a body guard for a troupe doing a performance in Digrove." "Digrove?" The Grip turns around to face her daughter, slight worry in her narrowed eyes. "Yes... I already accepted the quest." Mafuyu's mother rested her head to her hand, humming in thought. "Hmmm." She lets go of her chin, crossing her arms. "You said a half-dragon asked for you?" "Oh... Yes." "Is, by any chance, his last name Otori?"

...What?

"O-Oh, yes." Mafuyu's nerves had begun to falter, the foundation falling apart under the weight of a single question. Mafuyu's mother smiles, nodding her head. "I've heard of their family before. The eldest sibling is the current leader of the Niccori Survey Team." She turns back to her omelette, prodding at it with the spatula. "Rather impressive how dragons have implanted themselves so... naturally among humans, don't you think?" With a chuckle, The Grip casually remarks a further addendum. "I used to slay dragons before the Silent War. Their scales fetched for quite the price for collectors and the wealthy." Mafuyu stared blankly, articulating a response in the bizarre statement. "Wh... What's the Niccori Survey Team, again?" "Oh, sorry. The Survey Team is the largest Guild over in Biei." The Grip turns 90 degrees, flipping the omelette over into the air, and catching it with the pan with a sudden, strange outburst of dexterity. "It's ran by one Keisuke Otori. His father and I were acquaintances during the war, so I met Keisuke when he was just a little kid..." Mafuyu's mother smiles solemnly. "Though... things trailed off between his father and I. I wonder how he's doing..." Mafuyu's mother turns her head with a warm smile, looking to her daughter. "Did Shousuke hire you?" Mafuyu's eyes shot open, her chest freezing over in fear. "H-How'd you guess?" "Well, I'd assume Keisuke is busy. It could only be Shousuke."

The Grip's smile fades to confusion as she tilts her head. "...You don't look well." "I-I don't?" "You're as pale as a ghost. Was it that cold outside?" "O-Oh..." Mafuyu runs her hand through her hair, nervously chuckling through her facade. "I guess I'm just surprised you used to slay dragons, is all." "Oh, yes. Have I not told you before?" Mafuyu shakes her head, forcing a composed smile despite her eyes screaming otherwise. "There's a lot of things you haven't told me of your past, mother. Perhaps you can fill me in one day?" Mafuyu's mother smiles warmly, nodding. "Ask, and you shall receive. But... Digrove, right?" Mafuyu nods. "That's right. We're planning to depart Wednesday."

The Grip pauses.

The Grip does not move a muscle.

The sizzling and popping from the heat of the stove is clearly beginning to burn the cuisine.

"We're?"

Mafuyu's heart stops.

"That's right. Do you remember how I said I borrowed a horse from the old rental service? Turns out, the rental service shut down a few years ago, so they only loan horses out if the owners' daughter comes along for the ride." Mafuyu's body trembles violently, hiding any infliction of fear in her voice from her mother's turned back. "She's planning on accompanying me halfway through the trip until I can rent my own horse, or camel, or whichever may prove efficient for the road."

Further silence.

"Hm."

The Grip flips the burnt omelette over with the spatula, no theatrics this time. "Her name is Ichika, correct?" "That's right. You really do know everybody in town, don't you?" "You could say that." The Grip turns her head over her shoulder, not making eye contact with her daughter. Somehow, the lack of connection between their eyes was worse than when she did dare to look at her daughter. "Digrove is rather dangerous. Do be a good girl and stay safe for your mother, okay?" "...Okay." "I'll be honest, sweetheart." The Grip turns back around, letting out a sigh. "I do worry for you. I'm not sure if you're prepared for this quite yet." "Ah... I see. Why do you think so?" Mafuyu's mother pulls the omelette off to the side, now content with the state it was in. She moves it from the pan onto a plate, and slides it to the chair that sat beside Mafuyu. "Because... you haven't quite reached Equilibrium quite yet." Mafuyu's smile, having been radiating brightness this entire time, fades away in confusion. "Equilibrium?" "Oh, yes." The Grip walks to the other side of the table, taking her seat next to her daughter. She places a hand on Mafuyu's shoulder, the sorceress not moving an inch in recoil. Her body was perfectly stiff, stiff like titanium. "I worry... the further you stray from my side, the further you stray from Equilibrium."

...The hell is 'Equilibrium'? Her mother had never mentioned this to her before.

Mafuyu knew she needed to further talk about her plans to leave, and yet... she was curious to know what the hell her mother was talking about.

Mafuyu tilts her head. "What's Equilibrium?" Mafuyu's mother smiles, leaning on the island table as she looked to Mafuyu with some sort of indecipherable emotion, but most closely associated with pride. "It's a concept I discovered when I was up in The Unreachable." "...A concept?" The Grip laughs, wrapping her arm around her daughter with an authentic smile. "As long as you listen to your mother, you shouldn't stray too far off your path. You won't need to worry, I promise." The Grip removes her arm from Mafuyu, and turns away. Her gaze escaped the window, her eyes pointing outward to The Unreachable with a hollow expression. "Perhaps I'll explain when you're ready."

Mafuyu knew this expression.

It was the same expression she wore when she asked about her fallen party.

It would be wise to not pursue this line of questioning any further.

"So... about my quest to Biei." Mafuyu's mother turns to her daughter with a nod and a sudden personality flip, smiling as she had prior. "Oh, yes. That's right." She leans to the table once more, resting her elbow on it and propping her head up with her hand. "Do you know when you will be back?" "I believe a week or two. I'll have to make sure the troupe stays safe during their performance for proper payment from Shousuke. "I see. In that case, you have my permission."

Mafuyu didn't exactly know if she was supposed to be feeling relieved with her mother's agreement. She only felt sick. She still felt as scared as she did moments prior, as if the weight of the world had still remained firm against her body. Pushing out a feigned smile and faux voice of gratitude, Mafuyu smiles and bows to The Grip. "Thank you, mother." The Grip raises a finger up. "Be a good girl, okay? Stay safe when you're there." Mafuyu stands up from her chair, and pushes it in while nodding. "Of course. I'm going to head to my room, okay? I'm rather exhausted." "Alright. Good night, love." Mafuyu smiles to her mom. At the end of the day, she was still her mother. She was owed courtesy.

"Good night, mom."

Mafuyu made a beeline to the bathroom when she made herself scarce from her mother's sight. She locked herself in, stumbling down to her knees by the toilet bowl, grappling the sides with a shaky grip. Her stomach was violent, twisting and trembling within, as the intensity of her stare swirled her vision into a blur of black. Her thoughts flushed away as she felt her skull go lightheaded, her body physically incapable of holding down the ramen and tea she had earlier. Vitriol spew from her throat as her sight had cut off, leaving only her hearing as the sole five senses she could recognize. In the aftermath of an empty stomach, her head hung low in the toilet bowl as she panted for air, pushing herself up from the bowl with her shaky arms. Huffing heavily with her nerves having returned to their senses, she pulls the glove off her corroded hand, and wipes the vomit off her mouth. All she could do was catch her breath above the bowl, staring into the mess she had made. She slumps against the wall, staring at her hand.

Utterly disgusting.

It would be best to not mention this to any of her allies.

The only thing that mattered in this moment was that her mother was not going to come for them. They were safe to leave town.

But at the same time... what the hell was this "Equilibrium" her mother spoke of? How does it apply to The Unreachable, and by proxy, Mafuyu herself..? Her mother said if she wanted to find Equilibrium, she just had to listen, follow orders, be a good girl like she always had been, but... Mafuyu clutched her head, curling into a ball with her back against the wall. Mafuyu isn't what her mother wants her to be. The Grip wants Mafuyu to be a successor, but there is no Mafuyu to imprint on. There's only a shell of a person, an empty canvas. A canvas, not woven with cotton, but rather composed of fear and anxiety.

But, if there was no Mafuyu Asahina, then... why would Kanade say all those things to her? Why would Kanade say she's nice, why would she say she feels safer by her side? Why does she want to be around an empty person so bad? Why would she purr so softly by her side? The sorceress's breath fluctuated and quivered as she sputters in thought, tears welling in her eyes.

Why does Kanade care so much about a girl who doesn't exist?

Thoughts of self-doubt violently threw themselves against the walls of the sorceress's brain as she held herself for comfort, knowing full well she had a long day ahead of her tomorrow.

She wished Kanade could tell her it was going to be okay.

She wished Kanade could let her sleep on her shoulder again.

She wished Kanade were here.

Chapter Text

The mushroom firmament which blocked the sky shined down on an older man, a man beyond his prime, dragging a large beige bag through his village. The contents within said bag were still alive, convulsing in pain. Onlookers stopped and whispered as he tugged and pulled the bag through the village paths, the creature whimpering and lashing out in vicious cycles. The man drags the bag to the side of his home, wiping sweat off his brow in the seclusion and privacy of his yard. Today, he had another task for his two children, though it was not a duel of worthiness and skill. It was rather to test their resolve, to test their willpower. He knew what he wanted to do was further risk to his own safety, but a lesson to his children was a lesson not in vain. Experience was everything to him, his sole goal to leave a successor in his death. Dropping to his knees by the bag, the father unraveled the rope that bound the sack together, letting loose the spore-infected creature which he had caught. Pinning its small head down into the grass, the man made quick work to use said rope to lash its legs together, binding it into place. Leaving the tied up creature in the grass, the man turned, stepping foot into the house he had carved into the base of a mushroom pillar.

"Ena, Akito. Come downstairs."

The father stood at the bottom of the stairway, his arms resting in the pockets of his tattered and ruined robes. His hair was a mess, his clothes stained in a mixture of his own blood and the creature's he had caught. Ena made her way to the stairs first, stopping in her tracks at the sight of her tattered father. The eldest sibling's eyes tensed in shock, her mouth gaping with an absence of sound escaping. Akito soon followed, furrowing his brow at the roadblock in his way. However, this scorn and annoyance turned to a similar expression looking upon his beaten father. "Wh... What the hell happened?" The elven village's leader sighs, dismay clearly resonating in his voice. Whatever he was about to have them do, he was not happy about it.

"I know today wasn't a training day, but I have a test for the both of you. Please, the both of you, bring your swords."

Ena and Akito looked to one another nervously. This was not going to end well.

The two siblings and their father stood over the bound-together creature. Ena's eyes had been nailed open, covering her gaping mouth with the both of her hands in her shock. Akito's face had been painted over in a coat of fear and disbelief, as if he couldn't grasp the reality of what lie before his very eyes. While Akito's chest had been filled with denial, Ena knew the reality of what her father had expected one or the other to fulfill - to put down the bound together animal, an animal the two siblings were quite familiar with. The bound animal was a large dog, its curly white fur having mottled in shades of brown and mud. The dog's name was Shiro, and she belonged to a local in the village. However, formerly, the Shinonome family had fostered the dog many years ago, back when Akito had hardly began talking. It was during this time Akito developed an irrational fear of dogs, forcing his father's hand to find Shiro a new owner, someone capable of taking proper care for her.

The orange haired elf slowly turns to his father for an explanation, to which Shinei shut his eyes in response. The father bellowed a deep, disgruntled sigh of sadness, and begins. A few weeks ago, Shiro had went missing into the neighboring woods which surrounded the village. There was quite the stir and commotion over this, as Shiro had become a beloved figure in the community. This, the duo of siblings were aware of. While Ena didn't take Shiro's disappearance too well, Akito remained rather uninterested in the topic. Shiro bit him when he was younger, even if it was because Akito himself was bugging the poor dog. For all he cared about, Shiro could waltz out of the woods itself, and mingle with the wildlife beyond the mushrooms.

"I finally found Shiro." Shinei started. "Or... rather... Shiro found me." He turned to the bound together dog, a dog once apart of this very same family. The dog viciously growling, jolting her head in sudden chaotic movements, trying to ensnare Ena's legs in an attack. "She must've gotten into the Ira Shrooms." Akito blinked, his father's words crossing into his mind. "The... Ira Shrooms?"

There were a lot of different fungi in the elven woods. As a matter of fact, everywhere they looked, a mushroom was typically present. However, with this variety, obviously not every mushroom was intended to be edible and safe for consumption. In particular, the Ira Shroom the father believed Shiro had gotten into. The Ira is a fungus utterly riddled with parasites desperately searching for a host, and in consuming the Ira, these parasites slowly begin to eat the host from within. The earliest sign detectable of the brain's corrosion from the parasites are unusual aggression and hostility, lashing out and becoming violent in psychotic indiscriminate outbursts. This, evidentially, was one such case.

When Shiro got lost in the woods, she no doubt would have gotten hungry. She was gone for weeks, after all. She must have eaten an Ira sometime during her lonesome, resulting in... well...

this.

"I was coming home after a hunt, and she suddenly leapt at me from the bushes." Akito looked to his father, then to the dog once more. "Did... Did she bite you..?" "No. She did get the jump on me, though. Scratched me up pretty good." The father sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I had to let go of my catch to bring her back here. I first took her to Ms. Sasaki, to let her know what I think happened." Shinei solemnly looked to the struggling dog, squirming on the grass letting loose growls. "She said trying to save her from this would be too inhumane. It would only prolong her pain." Ena choked down her tears, and in a whispered breath, asks her father what had been on her mind. "Are... you going to make us kill Shiro..?"

The father's response was loud and clear, despite having not even opened his mouth.

Ena tilted her head in shock, disbelief slowly being transformed into frustration. One would be able to tell each stage of emotion shifting just by observing her eyes tense, an eyelid twitching. She furrows her eyebrows, a single teardrop rolling down her cheek as her ears flutter furiously. "You're going to make us kill Shiro..? ...As training?!"

The father wordlessly nods his head.

Ena sputters out a breath, looking away. The grip on her sword tightens as she cocks her head back in an utter, yet completely expected, betrayal of emotions. Akito, however, was unable to turn turn his eyes away from the struggling dog on the ground. It lie there, wriggling and snarling, pupils having distend and red in bloodshot. This was the very same dog he had been afraid of ever since he was a child, and yet, here it was before him in such a state. "Kill... Shiro?" The father nodded. "Any method that may be easiest." "...But... why?" Shinei shut his eyes, not even looking at the distressed younger sibling. "One must be capable of setting aside their emotions for the betterment of themselves, or for others. If you cannot, suffering will no doubt find its way." Opening his eyes and pausing between breaths, he continues. "In battle, those you face may be people you once knew. People who once shared the same class together draw one another's blood with blades. People who sat at the table which you dined at draw their bows, flying arrows to your allies." The father turns to the eldest sibling, her back turned with her shoulders stiff. "...Even siblings fight." Akito blinked, processing his father's words. As a veteran, he was clearly speaking from experience, but... to teach this lesson in this way? It was just... cruel.

"One of you will do it. Neither of you will leave until the deed is done."

The two siblings stood over the dog in silence for what had to have been ten minutes. Ena, having buried her face into her hand, held tight onto Hermit IX's clutch lever. To put down a dog in such a manner was utterly devoid of compassion, of humanity. It made her sick. She couldn't fight back against her father, all she could do was take it. Akito, however, couldn't bear to look away. He stared in awe, eyes having hollowed and torn apart, his thoughts scattered and lacking cohesion. As tough as his inner core may be, this had prodded at his Achilles heel, completely catching him off guard. How else was he supposed to react? The eldest sibling looks to her younger brother who stood perfectly still, his hand loosely hanging onto his nameless blade, the very same nameless blade she hated. "Akito." "..." The boy remained wordless. "Are you going to do it, Akito?" The younger brother slowly lifts his head up, his mouth loosely hanging open. "Do... it?" Her face had long become puffy and red from the silent crying she had been doing, only up on her feet by sheer frustration.

"...Will you do it?"

The orange haired elf slowly sits to the ground, keeping his legs away from the grasping infected dog he once knew. He covered the both of his eyes with his free hand, slowly sliding it down across his face. His father sternly gazed upon him, this unexpected emotional outburst not being like him. Ena sniffled. "If you won't, I will." Not even a word came from Akito, who just tiredly looked to her, a small breath stammering out from his lungs. It was almost an act of defiance, but it gave in and lost meaning as it escaped his mouth.

Akito may have been better than her in her father's eyes, but if she couldn't do this, she would have nothing over him.

Ena wiped the tears from her eyes, pulling the blade in front of her face before revving it to life with a twists of the throttle. The sister took a deep breath as she stepped closer to the dog, raising the sword above her head. She loomed above the tortured soul with blazing hot metal, taking shivering breaths to try and soothe herself. Her arms trembled. Her legs quivered. Her heart buckled under. "Shit, I..." Ena backed away, dropping her sword to the grass. The sword let off steam as it began to burn the leaves, but was soon corrected as the father took the sword off the ground. "Be more careful. Are you trying to start a fire?" She threw her hands over her head, and pushed her forehead against the cool blades of green beneath her. Teardrops made like dew as they slid down into the soil, Ena sobbing to the earth. Unfortunately, the earth could not heed her call. Shiro was still suffering. The earth had done this to Shiro.

"Why... is this happening..?" Ena quietly whimpered. "Why... do we have to do this..?" She threw a fist to the ground, impact muffled by the grass. "Why... us..?"

The youngest sibling's chest recoiled as if he were gagging, only a staggered breath of exhaustion spitting out from inside. Using his sword to support himself, Akito slowly rises up from the ground, one foot after another. Still with an absent expression, he looked to Ena. His sister didn't have the heart to do it. She couldn't even do that, and... for once, he... couldn't blame her. His eyes shifted from the sobbing elf to the siblings' father, holding onto the steaming blade giving off smoke. His eyes were hardly visible under the scorn of his brow, clearly disappointed in the both of them. For all intents and purposes, the two of them had failed the test. Akito shuts his eyes, clenching his teeth as he grimaced in pain.

Akito began to rev his sword to life.

The last thing the boy remembered before his memory blacked out was the sorrowful, pained eyes of a white dog.

Frigid air crept its way through an open door, spreading out through a populated warm tavern. Eyes turned to the fresh face, a young swordsman elf from nowhere sporting a yukata and long, orange hair kept in a ponytail. The floorboards beneath his feet crept with his steps as he makes his way towards the receptionist, a lady who worked at the guild he had found himself in. The sheath of his nameless blade bounced against his hip, his stride and posture remaining uncaring for the ire he had drawn. Elves weren't exactly commonplace in the frigid Hiraizumi district, so his sudden arrival came to the light surprise to the townsfolk. If that weren't strange enough, the swordsman had found himself at a remote village by the foot of Mount Sanguine Outlook, a village not frequently visited due to its location. The lady behind the desk cocks her head to the elf with the emerald eyes, preparing herself for what he had to say.

"W-Welcome to Ghost City, Hiraizumi's number one Guild. How can I help you today?" The boy, confidently nodding his head with a loose smile on his face and lazed eyes, says "I'd like to register as an Adventurer." The receptionist blinks, before realizing what he had asked of her. It has been quite a while since somebody had signed up at this particular branch, much more their first Adventurer Guild. After all, who would go out of their way to sign up in Tendon Village? The looming threat of avalanches had always driven away potential work and civilization, effectively isolating the community from the rest of Kamiyama. "O-Oh, of course! Uh, one sec..." The lady opens a dusty file cabinet, having gone unused for some time, and sets papers across the desk. "Can you give us your name, age, and preferred class?" "Akito. Akito Shinonome. 16. Swordsman." He spoke with proficiency, having practiced and thought of responses which to say during his travel. He had only left the forest a few days ago, leaving everything behind except his name, the clothes on his back, and his sword. The lady nodded, writing down his response on a sign up sheet. Stacking it alongside a set of other papers, she returns the files back into the cabinet, and puts her hands together. "Welcome aboard. We're pleased to have you with us, Mr. Shinonome."

The orange haired elf sits down at a table, the eyes of warmly dressed villagers cutting away their stares at the new face. He bounced his leg as he rest his head in his hand, thinking of his next step. You see, Akito had a plan. He was going to cut away from the dream that was decided for him, and forge a new path for himself. He was going to become a Kamiyama Myth, and he had just the idea to do so.

Most people, when thinking about Myths, think of household names. The Knowing, The Violet Grip, The Legerdemain. The three examples Akito had researched in preparation for his trip had all accomplished monumental feats, feats most would consider beyond human capabilities, in particular, The Knowing and The Grip. Both women had stepped foot into The Unreachable, which is rumored to not take kindly to those who attempt to enter. Dragons and birdfolk alike who fly remotely close to it seemingly reroute themselves without even noticing, effectively derailing the mind momentarily. With this, it was easy to assume The Unreachable seemingly has mind altercation abilities to keep people away from it, and yet The Knowing and The Grip both were mentally resistant to its effects. Akito knew he would have no chance with making a name for himself by entering, so he had to think of another plan. He had to think of a way to get a title for himself, and make a new dream.

So, he thought of one.

It was the very reason why he marked Hiraizumi as his destination, rather than any other district.

He was going to free Hiraizumi from its snowy curse, he was going to destroy the fabled Core of Sanguine.

The Core of Sanguine has little documentation to it, but according to legend, this relic of frost is buried within the heart of Mount Sanguine Outlook. It's very existence is what swells the Hiraizumi district in chaos, in frost and bad luck. Within miles and miles of its radius brings snowstorms, hail, and misfortune to all who enter the vicinity... and Akito was going to be the one to destroy it. If he could save Hiraizumi, he could prove to his dad that his life had more meaning to it than just 'a successor'. It was going to be one giant middle finger to the man who had warped he and his sister to such lengths. He had the skills to back it up, he had the confidence to keep his stride. It wasn't a question of 'if', it was a matter of 'how'. How long will it take? How will he do it? How will he survive?

...He just needed to sort out a housing situation, first.

Closest hostal wasn't in this village, it was a nearby one a slight ways away, primarily traveled by traders and merchants. It was further up the mountain, meaning Akito had to begin to steel himself for the weather as it grow worse as he ascend. The only redeeming quality of this expedition was that the town itself, simply called SBY, was carved into the side of the mountain, taking shelter from the snow within the daunting peaks of Kamiyama. The frost resist potions he had bought could only last for so long, so he would need to make his trip quick. Better to suck it up and deal with it now, rather than remain without shelter for the night. He took a look to the men and women at the adjacent tables, drinking and laughing amongst one another, plenty warm in each other's company. Akito pursed his lips, slouching further into his seat. He was never one to turn tail after a decision, he was someone who followed through on his beliefs to the end of the road. And yet... he wished Ena had joined him. It would have made this endeavor a lot less lonely.

His sister hated him, and there wasn't really anything he could do about it.

If karma were real, no doubt this loneliness he felt in his heart was his comeuppance for his treatment over the years.

His sister had her faults and flaws, things about her that irked the young swordsman, but he wouldn't consider himself to hate her. He would consider the two of them victims to unfortunate circumstance. Maybe he was just lonely. Akito shut his eyes into his arms, thinking of the last time he saw her - and most likely would ever see her. She was sleeping, buried in the lap of, to him, a stranger. He just hope that they would treat her right. Now that he was gone, Ena's life would probably get worse. Her sparring partner would no longer be her brother of similar strength, but rather, most likely, the veteran warrior who called himself their father. No doubt that's the worst possible outcome. It would just make her hate him more.

Akito clutched his fists, and gritted his teeth. She made her decision, and he made his. There was nothing he could do than keep moving forward.

Akito took out the glass vial of frost resistance he had on him, and swigged it down.

Veins coursing with fire no different from his determination, Akito stepped foot into the frigid wind of the base of Mount Sanguine Outlook. A light, thin blanket of snow covered the frozen grass beneath his feet, to which he had to brush aside his fascination. As someone who lived under a mushroom ceiling his entire life, weather of any kind fascinated him. But sadly, the boy had no time for appreciating the weather. His countdown had already begun.

Conserving his energy was important. In the chance which he can't make it to the nextdoor village in time, he would need all the strength he could muster to continue to climb up, lest he become a body on the side of the road for travelers to pass and pity. Uphill he climbed, passing well-bundled merchants and hikers who looked to him in confusion. Not only wasn't he exactly the most appropriately dressed, he was also out of place, his bright orange hair sticking out like a sore thumb in the backdrop of white. Clutching the handle of his blade, he dragged his feet up the path one by one, shielding his eyes from the snow that had begun to pick up. The further up he went, the less passersby he encountered. The whip of the wind certainly didn't help his heightened sense of loneliness, already having elevated from his spat and final words with his sister. Snowy woods and white covered rocks surrounded his sides as he kept sight on the ground beneath him, carefully treading to avoid slipping on ice and tumbling back to the earth. While the snow had clogged his breathing, he knew that this was nothing, and the worse would be yet to come when he begins his journey to destroy the Core of Sanguine.

As Akito ascended and his thoughts grew more and more frustrating to bear with, he found himself looking off into the woods occupying the space around him. There really wasn't anywhere else to look other than the path, so he found it mildly interesting. Different shaped rocks of various sizes, broken off tree branches with no leaves, plants that had flourished on the snowy mountain, and... even the bodies of other travelers, having gone identified for God knows how long. All Akito could do was grit his teeth, and continue with determination.

...Is what he would've said, if he hadn't heard the protective, low grumbling growl of an animal peeking in from the woods.

It slowly approached the elf, the swordsman having drawn his blade in preparation. It would need more time to heat up than normal, so he was concerned if it was even worth revving. As the animal stepped out from the shadows of shrubbery, it bore its fangs with a snarl, its eyes sharp... yet scared. It was a single, gray wolf. The wolf was unexpectedly huge, much bigger than any dog Akito had seen prior in his life. His eye twitched as he stepped away, his heart freezing as cold as the weather around him. Akito wasn't good with dogs. It was almost as if they were his one weakness, his only weakness. He caught his legs frozen, not from the chill, but from flashes of a memory in his mind. ...The time he had to put down Shiro. He didn't want to feel that pain again, even if it were in self defense this time. In his fear, that was when it happened.

The wolf fell over sideways, collapsing into the snow.

Red stained the snow which it lie on, an icicle Akito hadn't noticed piercing through its back.

The orange haired elf stared in disbelief down to the wolf, panting slowly with its tongue pulsing in the cold. It was going to bleed out. Perhaps the wolf was attacked by a monster, or even attacked by another traveler in self defense. Regardless of the circumstance, it was dying. Akito felt his chest fill with oxygen once more, sealing away his blade into his sheath. He turned back to the road ahead of him, continuing his trek.

But... after only a few steps, he stopped. He turned his head back to the wolf, pain dwelling within its tired, worn and hollow hazel eyes. Akito stood higher in elevation above the bleeding wolf, but he felt just as low as he did when he had to put down Shiro. Akito clicks his tongue in self-doubt, sputtering short, breathy laughs to himself. He shouldn't feel bad for an animal like this - it could've hurt him had it not been hurt itself... but even so... Akito threw his head back, sighing in sympathy. He slowly slid down to the wolf, and knelt down by its side. Akito placed a hand on the head of the wolf, the animal recoiling as it shut an eye. It wasn't resisting, nor was it hostile. Akito's emerald eyes gazed upon the massive animal, softening in pity. It... was hurt. Hurt bad. ...But this time, Akito could do something, even if he had absolutely no obligation to.

He could save it.

Akito pulled out his nameless blade, placing his cold hand over the wolf's ear, as if to muffle incoming sounds. The elf revved up his sword over the course of several minutes, the sound of the blade roaring. He didn't want the wolf to get scared of the noise. Akito aims his blade to the base of the icicle lodged within the wolf, narrowing his eyes to steady himself.

"...Stay still."

The wolf whimpered and yelped as Akito burned through its skin, prying out the icicle with his blade and cauterizing the wound. The wolf was squirming in the snow as the blood poured from the injury, but Akito was trying his best to soothe it. "It's okay, it's fine..." He rummaged through his pocket for a vial - his last lesser healing potion. He was running out from his initial stock from the elven woods, but he didn't expect to use it here in such a way. He pursed his lips as he looked upon his potion in considerable doubt. There was always the possibility the wolf could just attack him after he saved it. What's the point of doing something like this if nobody is there to watch? He took in a deep breath of the frigid air that filled his lungs, exhaling it all out with an answer to the questions that plagued his mind. He poured drops of it into the palm of his hand, presenting it to the wolf. "Drink."

Little by little, over the course of ten minutes, the wolf had slowly lapped up the potion from Akito's palm. He stared to the animal as life began to slowly fill its eyes, yet it remaining bound to the blanket of red. Akito sighed, looking ahead. He was already halfway up the mountain, and he didn't want to turn back. Even if it was the smart thing to do, he just couldn't quit when he was almost to the town carved in the mountain. He scratched the wolf's head, looking into its grateful eye. Cocking his head away in consideration, he mutters to the wolf silently, "...Be careful out there." Using his sword to support himself, he slowly stood up from the snowy path, the blade steaming as he plunged it into the snow. He looked to the wolf tattered in blood yet slowly healing, and he nodded. The wolf would hopefully be safe. He shut his eyes, and turned back to the road ahead of him.

Akito walked.

And walked.

And walked.

He felt the fire in his veins slowly die out, the chill beginning to get to him. No doubt the effects of the frost resist potion he had downed had begun to wear off, but he was nowhere at all at his destination yet. The wind howled as every fiber in his body began to snap like strained rope, his lungs growing heavy as they overworked themselves. His rapid sweating certainly wasn't helping as it would freeze over, allowing for his skin being cut by the windchill. Icy wind had taken a toll on the orange haired elf's body, his legs unable to support themselves from their exhaustion. Tumbling to the ground over ice, he continued to crawl on the snow, his vision blinking in and out of consciousness.

The last thing he would remember before completely passing out was the comfort of touch, and the loud howling of a wolf.

Silent murmurs overlapped into his unconscious state, slowly dragging him by the arms into the waking world. Coming to slowly, the frostbitten elf found himself on a canvas cot in a closed off, tiny rectangular building. Similar cots lined the walls, people with various injuries lying still on them. In length, the room was no bigger than your average bedroom, but in width it felt like he was peering down an entire hallway. He slowly picked himself up to the side of the bed, clutching his head, his ponytail messy and slung over his shoulder. The swordsman kept blinking hard as he tried to surmise to situation and his surroundings. Where... exactly was this? This was clearly some sort of infirmary, and somebody had pulled him here from the path, but where to? He stepped off the cot he had recovered on, the stone beneath his feet jagged and rough. It was... rather comforting, after stepping through snow for so long. He looked around. His belongings were nowhere in sight, his clothes and sword having been removed from his person, being replaced with loose, baggy blue clothes. He sighed to himself. "Dear God. Please don't tell me it's been stolen."

Each step he took he slowly recuperated himself back to solid ground, his legs readjusting to the natural weight of his body. He wasn't sure how he felt so good after a near death experience. Perhaps there was a cleric or a healer nearby, or someone who was able to take care of him so quickly. There should realistically have been no way for him to feel so... healthy if there were not one within the vicinity, so he might as well search, right?

He approached a metal door on the wall as he squinted his eyes, evaluating his surroundings and searching for his equipment. There really wasn't anywhere else to go than out this door, so by process of elimination, it had to be here.

The door creaked loudly as he slowly opened it, finding himself to a sterile white lobby with chairs and tables lining against the walls. A voice rang out from behind the corner, coming from a girl behind a desk. She spoke timidly, but loud enough to capture Akito's attention, drawing him close. "O-Oh, excuse me... Can you come here, please?"

Akito furrowed his brow in confusion, walking towards the girl. She had brown eyes and blonde hair, which was tied into two twin-tails tucked neatly behind her ears. She clearly lacked confidence in her job, but she seemed to be the only... 'employee' around. "Where am I?" The girl nodded, weakly smiling. "You're at SBY's medical center, sir... We're ran by Ghost City's rescue team." So... he had successfully made his way to SBY? Thank God for that, at least. He just needed more information. "Rescue team?" "Th-That's right! Every Guild has a rescue team. You've been out for the past..." The girl checks a sheet of paper on her desk, then looking to a clock beside her before reuniting eye contact. "11 hours..?" Akito smacked his lips together, rubbing the back of his head. Sighing deeply, he adverts his eyes away. "Shoot..." He tilts his head, looking to the girl once more with another question. "How did I get here?" "One of our employees found you, sir... You were sprawled out in the snow down the market trail."

The girl with the twin-tails smiles weakly. "He said you were being protected, though." "...Protected?" "There was a wolf that was laying on top of you, keeping you warm and howling. I think it was trying to get you attention."

Huh. Karma.

Maybe it does exist.

"...I see. Thank you." Akito looks around the sterile lobby once more, peering over the desk itself. Asking rather bluntly, he narrows an eye. "Where's my stuff?" "The rescue team member who found you may be hanging onto it until you recovered. If... you'll come with me, I can take you to him." The elf nodded, his ears twitching slightly. "That would be good. Thank you for your help, Ms..." The girl with the twin-tails blinked, seemingly not understanding the question straight away. ".......Mmmmmmsss......" "Oh! S-Sorry. I'm Kohane, Kohane Azusawa..." Akito put out a respectful smile, a faux pleasantry out of respect to the shy and timid employee. "Akito Shinonome. Thanks for your help, 'ppreciate it."

Kohane led Akito into a hall by the door, presumably to where the employee who had found him resided. The hall was a stark contrast to the white marble of the lobby, looking more so like a shabby dormitory and shelter of wood. "What's this place?" "We call these the barracks." Kohane turns her head over her shoulder to Akito as she walks. "Ghost City has a policy that those who work rescue team get free shelter." Akito blinked, a thought looking both ways before it crossed his mind. "Free shelter?" "That's right... It's extremely considerate, knowing how the weather gets out here..." "You could say that again." The orange haired elf found himself tugging at his blue clothes in thought. If the rescue team gets free shelter, then he wouldn't have to worry about paying for his own, right? That could be the perfect way to keep a roof over his head as he worked on his goal of becoming a Myth. Akito looked to his side, peering out a window. From the glimpse he caught, the entire town truly was inside a cave, stalagmites having overhead, paths being intricately carved from the stone. There was a significant absence of light, only being remedied slightly by the overabundance of torches and lanterns illuminating the paths and houses. It was a sight he found himself familiar with from the mushroom firmament, but it felt... foreign, unique, otherworldly. He found it intriguing.

Kohane stops at a door towards the end of the hallway. She turns to him with a smile, and knocks firmly. "A-Aoyagi, it's Azusawa... Sorry to disturb..."

Kohane slowly opens the door. The room itself was small, only having a bed, a couch, a table with a few chairs, and minimal decoration inside. It was the bare minimum essentials, but you couldn't argue with free shelter. A boy with bicolored blue hair sat with his back turned at the table, having focused on something lying on it. "Aoyagi?" The boy turned, sharp eyes meeting Azusawa's, then meeting Akito's. "Oh, you're up. You recovered pretty quickly." Akito narrowed his eyes at the boy, finding his deadpan voice difficult to articulate. "Thhhanks." Loosening his demeanor and smiling, the elf bowed. "I heard you're the one who found me? I wanted to thank you." The boy shook his head, his expression the same as his voice. "Don't think anything of it. I'm just glad you suffered no serious injuries." Aoyagi points to Kohane, nodding his head. "Kohane here was the one who healed you. She's dabbled quite a bit into arcane healing." Akito looked to the girl, flushing with the adverted attention on her. "I-I'm just doing my job." "No. If there's anyone to thank, sir, it would probably be her." Akito chuckled to himself lightly, the uptight politeness never really being his thing. "You don't gotta call me 'sir'. Akito is just fine." "Well, then, Akito. It's nice to meet you. I'm Toya Aoyagi." The elf bowed once more, to both Toya and Kohane. "Thank you, Azusawa." "A-Ah... Of course!"

Akito looked to Toya, his emerald eyes meeting Toya's gray eyes. "...Where are my things?" "Your clothes are drying right now. They were quite damaged." "...And my blade?" Toya turns around to face the table, picking up what he had been examining. The boy with the bicolored hair approaches the elf, handing him his sword. "...Yours, right?" "...Yeah." "Hm."

Toya turns to face Kohane, nodding slightly. "Azusawa, if you would, I have a few questions for Akito. Could I ask you to wait outside, please?" The twin-tailed girl smiles shyly, and bows. "Take your time..." She steps out backwards, closing the door behind her, leaving Akito and Toya in the room by their lonesome. Toya guides Akito with his hands to the table he had been sitting at, his face remaining expressionless. "Here, sit." Akito's face stiffened, obliging with the boy who saved his life. Toya seemed the same age as he, so this sternness and his polite demeanor was strange to him. They should relatively... act the same, shouldn't they? Akito took a seat at the table, Toya sitting across from him.

"...Do you need something with me?" Akito asked Toya. Pinching his temple and forehead with his thumb and index respectively, Toya leaned in on the table. "Your sword is Mirror Shatterer tech, is it not?" Akito blinked dumbstruck. "Huh?" "Mirror Shatterer. The terrorists from 20 years ago. Their advanced weaponry." Toya squints an eye, evaluating Akito. "How'd you get your hands on it?" Akito frowned, narrowing his eyes. Platitudes and kindness were no longer required in the face of one who was suspicious of him. "This some kinda interrogation?" "You're welcome to think of it like that." Toya crossed his arms, pressing them against the table. "Can I ask how you got it?" Akito sighed with shut eyes, clicking his tongue as he looked for his words. "My dad was a veteran. He helped in the fight against The Twins. He nicked their weapons, and kept them as trophies. He gave one to me, and one to my sister." The elf lowered his head, tilting his eyes up to the rescue team employee. "That answer your question?"

Toya frowned, evaluating Akito further. "Not quite. I don't trust you." Akito scoffed. "Don't trust me? After you saved my life?" "I'd stay far away from SBY if I were you, Akito." "Huh?" Toya leaned in over the table, squinting and stiffening his face. "I don't know how you found me, but you can tell my dad I'm not coming back. I am not afraid anymore." Akito's face contorted in confusion. Is this a threat? On what basis? What is he talking about? "Hey, look. I got daddy issues too, buddy. That don't make you special, and it certainly doesn't give you permission to threaten me. Did daddy not teach you manners?" "Please don't play dumb. It looks incredibly stupid." "What?!" "I said it makes you look stupid." "I am NOT stupid."

The inquisitor narrows his eyes, sitting upright in his chair. He slowly tilts his head to the side, keeping his fixated glare to the elf. "...You really aren't with the Mirror Shatterers?"

Good, at least he's willing to hear him out.

"Mirror Shatterers have long been wiped off the face of the earth, jeez. They don't even exist anymore. Can you get off my back?" Toya's face softened, seemingly in amusement of what Akito had just said. "...What?" "Akito, you have no idea."

Chapter Text

Early morning rolled over a restless night, but Mafuyu felt the same as she always had - devoid. Had she not made plans, today would've just been another day she lie in bed, unmoving and staring at the ceiling above her head. Years of plateaued emotions had mellowed out much of a desire to do anything else during the night, so she simply bore with it. She rolled her eyes to the window, emptily staring out it. She wondered if Kanade could sleep well, if she had gotten up from the couch which the sorceress had left her on. The street lamps lit a quiet, morning blue tinted street, a street of empty air only filled with dust kicking from the wind. Watching the wind blow from the safety of her cage brought her this feeling of... complacency. She was unable to spread her wings from within the cage, but the wind would be unable to carry her beyond uncertainties. The unhatched egg remained still in her mother's nest, sitting quietly from beneath the pressure of her mother's weight.

Mafuyu brought herself up to her feet. Being home made her chest ache, the figurative hole within gaping and letting out more cold air, so she preferred to leave home early. They were to meet at 10am, but surely 7am would be fine enough of a time to head out. She knows where Kanade lives now, should she go visit? Would it make more sense to just wait at the Weekend Garage, in case if Ichika and her friends come early? The sorceress was unsure of herself, and if her morning routines were unnatural in comparison to those who surround her. Getting herself dressed in her usual Adventurer garb, she looks to the gloves on her nightstand, her empty expression turning to something resembling sadness. She didn't like wearing them. She found them a nuisance. Her hands got all hot and tense, sweating needing to be constantly aired out in the shadows. And yet, they were a necessity. She needed them as if they were no different than the mask she wore every day. They were the only thing standing in between her and confrontation, and she hated trying to understand her tangled web of emotions. Gritting her teeth and sucking in air, she slowly slides her hands through the leather gloves, and stepped out of her room.

"Oh, hello Mafuyu. You're up quite early." Mafuyu's mother sat on the sofa with a newspaper and a coffee, relaxing without a care in the world. "I could say the same to you! Did you have plans today?" "No, not really. I just went for a walk before the streets get busy." The Grip takes a sip of her coffee, setting it down on the table. The logo on the cup was of the same that Mafuyu and Kanade went to together a few days ago, so the sorceress knew from a glance the contents of the drink. Sugar and cream. Mafuyu smiled, quietly reminiscing on her time with the cleric.

"Your mom must know her stuff. I've never had anything like this before."

"I suppose she does."

Mafuyu's mother smiles, beckoning her closer with a curl of her fingers. "Hey, Mafuyu. Come take a look at this." The sorceress approaches her mother, who flutters her newspaper to crease out the wrinkles. "This girl, Saki Tenma. She contracted a disease a few days ago that left her on her deathbed. From the extreme dilated pupils and yellow skin, I'd imagine this is opticitillus." The Grip turns to her daughter with a smile. "It's an illness mostly caused by eating a type poisonous berry. Common mistake, but a fatal one." She returns her gaze back to the paper. "Turns out, a party hired by Saki's partner found a Silent Royalty. Most interesting, it was that party's first ever quest together. Isn't that impressive?" Mafuyu felt her skin break into a cold sweat, but the sweat wasn't enough for her mask to slip off. Her only hope was that Niigo wasn't listed by name, but seeing as her mother hadn't woken her over the news, that didn't seem to be the case. "That... really is impressive, wow..." "I mean... talk about luck. Even before retirement I've never seen one in the wild, so these newcomers stumbling across one is quite the shock."

The Grip folds the newspaper, setting it to the side. She inhales the aroma waving from the coffee in her hands, and takes another sip. Unlike Mafuyu, she couldn't drink the coffee fresh off the pot. She typically inserted an icicle created from her ice magic into the drink, letting it cool off rather than waiting for the air to work its methods. She turns back to her daughter with a smile, curiosity stemming from her voice. "Are you headed to the Weekend Garage early?" "Yes, I figured I might as well." "Of course. It's lovely to see your dedication to your practice." The Grip lifts a finger up, angling it to Mafuyu. "Just be careful, alright? Don't rely on your training wheels too heavily." "Of course, mother. When I'm confident, I'll let you get rid of the wand." Mafuyu's mother beams pride, and nods her head. She lightly taps the sorceress's arm with a clenched fist as if it were a punch, and looks her in the eye. "Stay safe, love."

As Mafuyu left the house with her hat and boots, she couldn't help but think to herself. Her mother was hiding things from her, just as she was from The Grip. There was more to The Unreachable than just mirrors, she was sure of it. And... what was this Equilibrium her mother spoke of? Why does she need to achieve it? The sorceress shook her head as she shut the door behind her, a fresh facade ready to start the day. Is it even worth asking questions you don't expect an answer to?

The sorceress walked the market streets with empty mind, not exactly going anywhere in particular. She just wanted to blend into the streets and escape from her home until the time being. She had three hours to kill, constantly looking to the clock tower in the center of the village, keeping track of time. She kept her hat low, looking to the ground as she walked. It wasn't often, but on occasion someone would recognize her as the daughter of a Kamiyama Myth, and she frankly didn't want that today. She stopped by the coffee shop, she visited the local library, she even considered seeing Kanade's father in the infirmary, though she ultimately went against that last idea. As she walked she dragged her feet, her eyes dull and tired. She found herself at the edge of town, staring into a sea of flowers with the morning sun shining down on them, dew shining in the light. The sorceress blinked slowly, crouching down to a pink-rose colored carnation flower. She caressed the flower with her thumb, a slight smile forming on her face.

The color was pretty. It reminded her of Kanade. Kanade was pretty.

Come to think of it, that was the first time she was able to find appreciation in a flower.

In due time the streets filled and the hand of the clock pushed onward. Mafuyu squinted her eyes to the clock, with a face reading 9:30 gazing right back at her. She supposed it was time to head on over to the Weekend Garage from the flowers which she stood.

The building still reeked with the stench of wood, as per usual. Nothing changed on that front. She wondered to herself how people could come in for work every day, much less come in for leisure with how the smell was. That wasn't to say she felt that with rude intentions - just blunt, silent curiosity. She looked around the building for anybody she may know, but couldn't find her fellow party members. She quietly went step by step up the stairs avoiding the creaky parts of the wood, and found a table lit from sunlight from the window. Taking a seat, she wistfully looked outside to the streets picking up in activity, waiting for whoever may come first.

"Oh, Asahina! Good morning!" Mafuyu looked over to her side, coming across Honami and Shiho once again. The two had evidentially arrived moments after Mafuyu, and had both come to a similar conclusion to wait upstairs. Honami bowed her head lightly as a greeting, kindness in her face. "Do you mind if we sit here?" The housekeeper politely asked, meeting Mafuyu's smile with her own. Mafuyu readied her good-girl persona, shaking her head. "Not at all. Please, feel free."

Honami and Shiho sat across from the sorceress, who found it slightly difficult to strike up a conversation. The most notable thing she could find was a moderately sized wooden guitar Shiho had brought with her, but that wasn't much of a conversation starter, especially considering how they met. What was Mafuyu supposed to say, was she supposed to apologize for blowing up at her, and then say "Oh, I like your guitar. It compliments your outfit"? She darted her eyes out to the window, but Honami recaptured her attention, lassoing her eyes back to the two girls. "So, Mafuyu..." "Hm?" I know you two kind of got off on the wrong foot back at the cafe, but Shiho wanted to let you know she didn't mean anything by her question. Right, Shii?" Shiho itched the side of her face, tugging at the hat with the lone feather resting on her head. "Yeah. Sorry about that. I didn't know it was a touchy subject." Mafuyu loosely smiled with a chuckle. "It's okay. I just wasn't feeling well, is all. Think nothing of it." Shiho tilts her head, a similar resting neutral expression to what Mafuyu typically had equipped. The difference between the two however, was that Shiho's eyes brimmed with life, while Mafuyu's resting face typically lacked it. "Are you sure? I wouldn't want for a misunderstanding from a few days ago get in the way of our teamwork." "Seriously, it's fine. Don't worry about it."

Shiho nods her head, crossing her arms and resting her elbows on the table. She leans in closer, her green eyes silently drawing in Mafuyu's focus. "I'm glad. Dungeon crawling can be pretty dangerous, so it'll be wise to have as little interruptions as possible." "Has Saki told you which she has in mind?" "Yeah. She's been wanting to check this dungeon out for quite some time now, since it's relatively close by." Mafuyu narrows an eye. "If it's close by, wouldn't the dungeon have been looted already?" "I thought that too. It probably has been. I think she just wants the experience of exploration with her friends, though." Shiho raises her eyebrows, tilting her head towards Mafuyu. "Still dangerous though. That's why we wanted more people before we could check it out." "I guess that makes sense."

Honami smiles, seeing the two having amended their sudden rift. "If you don't mind me asking, Ms. Asahina, have you been waiting long?" "No, not at all. I just got here not too long ago." Mafuyu feigns sheepishness, rubbing her neck. "Oh, but you don't need to refer to me with any fancy titles. Mafuyu is fine." Honami lightly clasps her hands together. "That's good! Then, you can do the same for us! I feel we'll connect a lot better if we're all on a first name basis, right Shii?" "Sure."

The three girls who had arrived early continued chatting together over various small topics over the course of several minutes, time feeling as if it were crawling to the sorceress. Light instruments and voices crept in from the downstairs, but it didn't interrupt their conversation much at all. Shiho was quite the inquisitor, prodding information about Niigo's team and capabilities. It seems as if she was a bit skeptical if they could keep up with her party, but nerves seemed to die down when Mafuyu praised highly of her allies and their skills. The sorceress tilts her head, the ribbon of her hat draping like an icicle hanging off of shingles. "What about you guys? What's your party like?" Honami gently laughs to herself. "You've met a few of us already. Ichika's the sage. She prefers to lean on simpler spells rather than offensive ones, but she's smart and applies them well." Mafuyu nods, recalling her experience with the modest black haired girl. The sorceress could only hope Ichika would keep her word, and keep the corroded hand a secret. "Saki is our swordsman. She originally wanted to practice magic, but Ichika unintentionally fulfilled that role while she was in the infirmary a few months back. Shiho's our bard, but I told you that last time we saw each other..." Mafuyu turns her head to the short silver haired poker faced girl, asking a question of her own.

"A bard? There's plenty of bard archetypes. What kind are you?" Shiho clicks her tongue. "The instrument's got all the magic. I learn the chords, they fulfill their purpose." Mafuyu squints in confusion. "So... the instrument is a conduit for magic?" "No. I can't cast magic. It's all in here, like I said." Shiho picks her guitar up off the ground, pointing at it. "It mostly has mental altercation spells, like buffs and power-ups. I got it from as a present from my sister a few years back." "Oh, I see... That's interesting." Shiho chuckles to herself, slight smile strewn from her lips. Shiho's de-saturated green eyes softened from their typical stern appearance, which was new to the sorceress. "Though, I gotta be real. I don't think she even realized it was magic when she got it for me. I think she was just trying to shower me in gifts."

"Heyyyy! Shiii-hoooo, Honaaaa~!!" The three girls had their attention pulled to a cheerful Saki, dragging along Ichika behind her by the hand. "We made it just in time! Hopefully we haven't been keeping you long?" Shiho shook her head, her face returning back to its usual self. "Don't worry about it. Again, you sure you're up for this? You're still a bit sickly." Saki furrowed her brow, placing a hand on her hip. "Don't be so precautions, Shi-shi. If you opened a dictionary and looked up 'healthy', you'd see a photo of me. Isn't that right Ichi?" The black haired sage catches her breath, leaning over and clutching her knees. "She's... got more stamina than me, that's for sure." Shiho shifts her mouth to her cheek, wryly staring at the duo. "I think that says something about you, more than it does her." "I-It doesn't." "It does."

Mafuyu turns back to Honami, as Shiho and the two lovers bicker back and forth about health. "Honami, what about you? What do you specialize in?" "Oh, me?" Honami pulls out a red pendant tucked in her blouse, showcasing it out to the sorceress. It seemed to be a ruby of some kind, outlined in a shell of gold. There was an image of an eye engraved into it, which stood out to the sorceress. "I'm an Augur." "An Augur? What's that?" "It's a fortune teller, of the sorts. I don't really fight on the front lines... I keep at a distance and watch for myself." Mafuyu nods, holding her chin as she surmised the definition provided. "So, you're a support?" "Yes! But what I can do for the team is quite helpful!" She looks to the red pendant in her hand, then tucks it back away. "This pendant lets me see 10 seconds into the future, and allows for me to detect danger and hostility nearby. I can only use it in intervals, but the amount of times it's saved us from ambushes and attacks alike is numerous to count..." Mafuyu nods with a smile, relieved there wouldn't be another ambush like with the Death Blooms and the goblins. "That's pretty useful. Where did you get it?" "It was my dad's. He let me have it when I expressed interest in being support." Honami nods with a smile, resting her index on her cheek. "Support are the backbone of the group, after all. They're the ones that keep the others fighting, you know?" "Right."

Saki takes a seat beside Mafuyu, leaving Ichika to pull a chair from another table closer to the larger group. Ichika smiles shyly, asking Mafuyu, "So... where's everybody else?" Mafuyu looked out to the window. Kanade, Mizuki, and Ena were unexpectedly late, which was a slight bother. Mafuyu was just kind of left by herself to associate with a group she hadn't really known much about. She wouldn't want it to be mistaken, she was holding up just fine, but she would've preferred the rest of her party to not have been dragging their feet for their meeting. "You know, I don't know." Saki protrudes her lips and narrows her eyes. "That's weird. Maybe they forgot?" "I would just give them time." "Sure, sure!"

In truth, the reason for the three's tardiness came from the fact Ena had overslept, despite having been woken up on numerous occasions throughout the morning. Mizuki had claimed dibs on the sofa, leaving Ena the sole comfort of Kanade's father's old bed. It was really comfy, it felt as if the blankets devoured the motivation to get up. Mizuki had to forcibly drag the elf out from the cocoon of warmth by the arms, much to her utter distraught.

Leo/need chatted amongst one another as Mafuyu stared empty-minded out the window, waiting for her comrades. It took quite some time, but they had eventually emerged from the streets. Mafuyu furrowed her eyebrows from the window. Kanade spotted the sorceress from below with a slight wave and an embarrassed smile, as Mizuki ran ahead leaving the cleric and the swordswoman in the dust. Loud pitter-pattering could be heard from the stairs, turning everybody on the second floor's eyes to the stairway, and out arose a disorganized Mizuki. "Wow, hi! Sorry we're late! Ena's lazy ass couldn't get out of bed!" Slowly came Ena, annoyance painted over her face. "You don't need to keep beating me upside the head with it. I messed up, big deal." Mizuki leaned onto Ena, smug smile and wry eyes trained towards her. "I woke you up like, three times." "Should've done it four times, sorry." Saki waved her hand with a smile, iterating "It's alright, no worries!" The blonde haired novice swordswoman looks around in confusion, before muttering up, "...Isn't there supposed to be one more of you?" As if on cue, Kanade huffs and puffs up the stairs similar to Ichika, but unlike the sage, nearly collapses at the top. "I hate running."

The 8 of them had conglomerated at a single table in preparation for their dungeon exploration, with Saki taking initiative in the conversation. She places a tattered and crinkled map on the table, parchment which had clearly seen better days with its off-colored tint. "This dungeon is just off the outskirts of town, just right outside the Forlorn Forest. You guys went there, didn't you?" Kanade nods. "That's right, it's where we found your Silent Royalty." "So we're not even gonna need the map then!" Saki comically slides the map off the table, the paper slipping between Shiho and Ena and underneath an adjacent chair. Ichika frowns as she looks to Saki. "Please do not litter." Shiho similarly scorns. "Pick it up. That wasn't funny." Ena scratches her temple as Saki left the table to pick it up in defeat. "Yeah, this dungeon is pretty close by. Are you sure it hasn't been looted yet?" Saki, returning, answers for the elf. "It probably has, but who knows? Maybe there's more to it that has remained undiscovered! It's a real sense of mystery, don't you think?" The sage giggles, nudging Saki's arm with her elbow. "You're awfully optimistic." "Of course I am! I've always wanted to do something like this!"

Kanade holds her staff close to her chest with her two hands, smiling lightly with lazed eyes. "I improvised a useful spell that helps reveal information to me. If you want to look for secrets, I can certainly help in that regard." Saki winks, pointing two fingers to the whispery cleric. "Nice! You're my girl, then!" Honami reaches into a pocket, and pulls out a few vials of potions, setting them to the table. "Considering we have Kanade, I don't think we'll need to worry about healing potions. What I was concerned about was stamina and mana, as well as poison or paralysis conditions." The Augur raises her index, commanding attention. "I do believe this dungeon has a bit of a giant leech and slime infestation, so we'll have to stay on our toes." Mizuki's eyes widen with a disproportionately wide frown taking over their face. "You said 'giant leech'?" "Yes." "That's disgusting. How big are we talking?" Shiho extends her arms out about 3 feet, palms parallel to one another. "This big." "What the hell. That's terrifying." Mafuyu, still wearing her persona on her face, smiles to the ranger. "Oh? I thought you didn't get scared easily?" "There's nothing to fear, but fear itself. And giant bloodsucking worms." Shiho looked squarely to Mizuki. "Just don't let them touch you." "Oh. Ohoho. Why didn't I think of that?"

Nearing the conclusion of their conversation, Saki looks around to the group with a smile. "So! Is there anything else anybody wants to share before we start heading out?" Silence spread between the 8 at the table, but a meek Kanade spoke up. "U-uh. I don't know how useful this will be, but I can do this." Kanade pulls her staff beside her, transforming the top of it into the umbrella once more. The cleric quietly nods her head, looking for affirmation of her unique little party trick. "Umbrella." Ichika awkwardly smiles in confusion. "That's... pretty cool?" "Thanks. I improvised it." Saki tilts her head, confusion alike but with no smile. "Does it actually protect from the rain? It just looks like a transparent outline." Honami turns to the blonde swordswoman with a smile and a nod. "Yes, it does actually! It's very pretty watching the raindrops fall onto it. That's a nice spell, Kanade."

Hell yes. Somebody else recognizes the badassary of the umbrella. The umbrella is cool as shit.

Mafuyu bluntly asks aloud, blurting between the conversation. "We're done here, right?" "I guess so!" Saki nods her head, drawing her sword up into the air with a metallic swish from its sheath. "Leo/need and Niigo's grand team-up begins now!" Ichika slowly reaches for Saki's arm, pulling it back down to her side from the air. The sage spoke quietly in a whisper, the infliction in her voice monotonous and quiet. "You're going to get us kicked out. Please put your sword away."

The group one by one stands up from their seats, with Saki and Ichika leading the way from the front towards the stairs. Shiho and Honami followed soon after, but only when they had finished returning the chairs to where they found them, leaving the Niigo crew behind to catch up. Now the others had left down the stairs, Mafuyu was able to drop her facade, returning to her husky, empty expression self. Kanade remained seated as she dissipated her umbrella back into her staff, as Mafuyu stood over her waiting for the cleric to finish. "All done?" "Mmhm." Despite the hollowness in her face, this was clearly her way of showing compassion. Kanade stood up, her long, silver hair fluttering behind her from the seat. The sorceress almost found it amusing how her hair was like a silver backdrop for her face. It didn't change the fact it was pretty, she just found it lightly silly.

"Hey, Mafuyu." The sorceress turns to the direction which the voice had called out to her, the voice from Ena. "Yes?" "If you don't mind me asking, how did things go with your mom last night?"

Mafuyu looked away, tilting her head down. She shifted her eyes to Kanade, who had intently been looking to her. The cleric slowly held onto Mafuyu's wrist, as if to support her in pushing the answer out.

She was extremely grateful for Kanade.

"My mom gave me the OK for the trip. She knows I'll be leaving tomorrow." The three other members let out a heavy sigh, tension evaporating from their lungs. "Thank God." Mizuki rang out. "I wouldn't want to have her on our asses." "She also told me a bit more about Shousuke. She's familiar with him." The three recipients of this info suddenly bore shocked faces, with Ena's lungs letting loose a very confused noise. "Huuuh?! How?" "His family runs the most popular Guild over in Biei. It's called the Niccori Survey Team, I think. In particular, Shousuke's older brother is in charge of it." Mafuyu rests her head in between her index and thumb. "So, if I'm getting this right, the older brother asked for Shousuke to protect the sister, and he didn't feel like it, so he's having us do it." Kanade furrowed her brow in annoyance. "Talk about cheap." Mizuki chuckled, clasping their hands together. "So, the number one Guild in Biei is ran by a bunch of dragons? That sounds like something straight out of a book, don't you think?" The sorceress nods. "Yeah." Mafuyu clicks her tongue. "My mom also said she used to slay dragons before the Silent War. We should probably avoid telling them that I'm related to her." Ena sucks air through clenched teeth. "Yyyyeah. That would be really awkward. You have a point."

Kanade's blank poker face tilts back to Mafuyu. "Is there anything else? I'd like to make sure we're 100% in the clear. Did she say anything else that we should know of?" Kanade turns downward to her boots. "I don't want to put you in any danger with her." Mizuki leans forward, bringing their fists to their chest. "That's right! We gotta know everything!" The sorceress blinks, considering what else to mention. Should she mention her mother is now aware of Niigo, given that their first escapade was lightly reported on? That might be important. Her mother also knew of Ichika, who would be vital to their trip to Biei. If Ichika isn't fully clued into The Grip's curiosity, that could spell danger for not only Niigo, but the sage as well. But at the same time... Mafuyu was curious about something else.

"...Do any of you know what an Equilibrium is?"

Ena raised an eyebrow. "Equilibrium?" Kanade turns to Ena, prepared with a definition in hand. "That's like, when things are balanced." "I know the definition, doofus." Mafuyu shook her head. "Not that. At least, I don't think it's that. My mom mentioned something about this, this... concept she learned." The sorceress tore her gaze apart from the group in front of her, looking away to the wooden legs of a table on her left. "She learned of it from when she was in The Unreachable during the Silent War, I think. She said she wanted me to reach Equilibrium, and that's why I had to become a solo." Kanade opens her mouth, making a slight clicking sound from her lips as Mafuyu looked back to her. "...Why you have to be a solo, huh..? The reason why she doesn't want you in a party?" "Right." Ena looks to her party members, trying to surmise if anybody had a clue. "I've never heard of this before. I mean, I hadn't even seen The Unreachable in person up until a few days ago, so I guess I'm out of the picture. What about you, Mizuki?"

The party turns to the ranger, who had been sitting in silence.

The ranger's face had nearly gone a ghostly white as they stood perfectly still, life and light having been drained from their eyes.

Their expression was empty, emotionless, a neutral expression contrasting their usual demeanor. It was nigh bloodcurdling to look at.

Mizuki wordlessly and slowly backs away from the party, before turning around and heading towards the stairs.

Ena, Mafuyu, and Kanade silently watched the ranger descend down, looking to one another in shock afterwards. Ena, in particular, did not like what she had just witnessed.

Perhaps there was more to Mizuki than what they had told her that rainy night.

Chapter Text

The eight Adventurers walked down the familiar trail that led to the Forlorn Forest, but there wasn't much of note or of interest that happened during the way. Conversations were had, environments were beheld, pleasantries were exchanged. The only thing of oddity was Mizuki, the ranger avoiding conversation as much as possible. They seemed unnerved, startled, rather stiff in comparison to how they've been up to this point. Mizuki had been confronted by the rest of Niigo shortly after they all had departed from the Weekend Garage, but the ranger would shut down any attempt at discussing their sudden demeanor within an instant. Not even Ena, who Mizuki had opened up to, could get them to spread their wings. They seemed... disconnected, disjointed from the rest of the group, frequently trailing behind, or stopping in the middle of the dirt trail.

On one such occasion, Honami part with the group to check on the forlorn ranger, who had been silently staring off over a hill into a blue horizon. The housekeeper slowly approached the ranger, her hands behind her back. She spoke soft, gentle, as if she were trying not to startle a frightened animal. "Hey... Mizuki? Is everything alright?" The red ribboned ranger glazes their eyes to the augur, taking in a deep breath. "Yeah... Yeah, things are fine." "W-Well..." Honami readjusts her hands to her front, leaning her head in a slight. "You seem tired. Are you sure you're okay?" Mizuki reaches their arm over their shoulder and massages their shoulder blade, as if to adjust a missing joint no longer present. "Never better. I wouldn't worry about me, if I were you." Mizuki clicks their tongue, and wags their index finger towards the considerate augur. "I'm just trying to get some funky emotions out my system. I don't wanna be a total buzzkill, you know?"

"Have you tried talking to your friends about them? Expressing your emotions does wonders for your health." Mizuki chuckled as the two began walking together at a considerable distance from the conglomerated group. "So I've heard." Mizuki smiles, pushing away their pained expression, smugness carrying in their voice. "I dunno. Let's just chalk it down to a moment of weakness and call it quits with the questions, yeah?" Honami's eyes had a sad infliction, but smiled alongside the ranger. "Is that really what you want, though?" Mizuki takes their time with an answer, pressing their tongue to the inside of their bottom lip in thought. In their shared silence, Honami breaks the ice with a follow-up remark. "You don't really need to share if you don't want to, but don't forget your friends are there to listen, okay?" "...Right."

A cool breeze picked up loose blades of grass, and carried them between the two. Honami nods her head with Mizuki's reply, seemingly content with the answer provided. "Let's not get too far away, okay? I wouldn't want to get separated..." The augur faces the road and begins to pick up the pace, but is interrupted by Mizuki, having found some resolve to open up further.

"I... used to have someone I could rely on, yeah." Honami looks back over her shoulder to the ranger, Mizuki catching up at their own pace. "My, uh... sister. She lives kind of far away." The pink haired ranger subtly shifts their glance to the crystal palace in the sky, trying to avoid coming off as suspicious. They hadn't told Ena about their sister yet, so it felt a bit off sharing with Honami this. Maybe because Niigo and Leo/need's alliance was only temporary, the ranger found it easier to speak up, but... even so, it doesn't change the fact Mizuki held so many secrets they couldn't bring themselves to share. The ranger continued, finding words as they emerged from their lungs. "We're kind of worlds apart from one another, so I can't really see her too often." "Are things between you on good terms?" "Ahhh... Sort of? It's a little hard to explain, but something along those lines. Maybe a bit distant, but no hard feelings." Honami nods her head as the two continued their shared pace. "What's stopping you from talking to the rest of your allies in the same vein, then?" "Guess I feel a little burnt? I dunno." The ranger chuckles, waving their hands close to their chest. "I don't really wanna talk about it, though. It's kind of a lot." "I understand." She smiles, icy blue eyes melting the stillness between the two. "Perhaps all you need is a nudge to get you started. Try not to shut your friends out, okay?"

Mizuki gave a silent, breathless nod, to Honami's approval. She began to resume her pace back up the rest of the group, leaving Mizuki a distance behind.

"Shutting my friends out, huh..?"

Protruding off the beaten path like a sore thumb lie an off-centered, slanted and jagged rock. It would be easy to not notice it in the distance - it just looked like any other massive rock or hill, but it became abundant when Saki extended her index out, calling out with a shout, "There! It's that one!" The two parties both stopped to examine the rocky peak from the distance, general confusion being the shared sentiment. Ena narrowed her sights on the rock, slowly enunciating her words while trying to understand. "That's it? That's the dungeon?" It wasn't anything larger than your average small house, but if you squinted your eyes and turned your head, one could have the assumption it looked out of place. Saki placed a hand on her hip, confidence oozing out from her voice. "Well, obviously the dungeon isn't just the rock. That rock's just the tip of the iceberg!" The silver haired cleric nods, processing the information given. "The tip of the iceberg, huh..? So... the rest of the dungeon has been beneath us this entire time?" "That's right! Pretty indiscreet, huh?" "Indiscreet is a word to describe it, sure..."

Ichika clears her throat. "I-If I may..." Everybody turns their heads to the sage, awaiting her timid words. "Apparently, back in the dawn of recorded history, these plains were once called the Valley of Sorrow, if my textbooks are accurate. People believe that this dungeon may have been a sort of... prison, or punishment for the people during those times." Honami frowns. "That sounds awfully dangerous... Are we sure this is the dungeon we want?" With a nod and a smirk, Saki responds with the answer one would expect from her. "Of course! That's why we have such a large group, after all! As a matter of fact, I welcome the danger." Mafuyu giggles to herself. "I sure hope you retain that confidence the whole way through. It would be saddening to see it crushed firsthand." Kanade grimaces a toothy cringe of disapproval, mostly because it was evident Mafuyu didn't intend to sound as creepy or demeaning as she came across.

The eight make their way towards the obtruding rock, with Saki naturally taking the lead. "Should be... around here somewhere..." Ena leaned in, taking Saki's side. "What are you looking for?" "The entrance... There's a lever that's camouflaged as apart of the rock." Shiho crosses her arms and sighs a breath of annoyance. "You'd think they would just make it easier to enter, huh. Guess not." Shiho begins to slide her hands across the rock, searching for crevasses within for the potential lever. The green capped bard looks over her shoulder to the rest of the group, raising her eyebrows. "You guys gonna help? We don't have all day." Kanade blinked. "O-Oh, right. On it." The remaining stragglers begin to investigate the rock, with Mizuki scaling it like a tree to search the top. The pink haired ranger looks down to the cleric, standing idly by Mafuyu's side, and calls down to her. "Heyy, Kanade! I've got an idea, come up here!" The cleric matches Mizuki's gaze and furrows her brow. "I-I'm not sure how I'd get up there." "Uh, you climb." Kanade nervously chuckles, loosely smiling as her eyes tensed. "I'm not as dexterous as you are, sorry."

Standing nearby was the bard, who proposed an idea of her own. "Mafuyu, you don't mind getting your gloves dirty a sec, do you?" The sorceress turned to Shiho, shaking her head. "Not at all." "Great." Shiho puts the sides of her hands together, palms facing up towards the blue sky. "Do this with your hands, and stand next to me. We can make a little platform for Kanade." "Oh... Yeah, sure." The cleric looked to both girls in relative confusion, this plan having not been made with her consent. "H-Huh? Why me?" Shiho's blank stare answered back, accompanying her response. "You're the smallest one out of the eight of us. You're probably pretty light too, which is why you're perfect for this."

Kanade was a bit embarrassed Shiho saw through her platform boots' added height so easily, but had to quickly brush it off as Mafuyu looked to her. "K, could I have you take off your boots first?" The cleric cautiously nods, but obliges. "O-Okay. Just don't drop me, please." Mafuyu and Shiho cuff their hands together, presenting said platform for her to step on. Shiho further elaborates her platform plan to the nervous cleric and the absent-minded sorceress. "I'll count to three. On two, I want you, Kanade, to leap onto our hands with one foot. On three, Mafuyu, we're gonna launch her up." Kanade nervously frowns, a slight stutter in her voice. "I-I'm not sure this is the safest plan." "Mizuki can catch you from there if you're still nervous." "I mean... I guess I'm nervous, but that's not it. I don't want to get hurt." "You're a cleric, you'll walk it off." Kanade clicked her tongue. Yeah, Shiho was right.

The cleric took a step back to prepare herself. The green eyed bard stared blankly at the cleric as she watched her steel her nerves. "You ready?" "Uh-huh." From above, Mizuki cheered. "Don't drop her! She'll blow away in the wind!" Mafuyu defensively glares to the ranger, who timidly backs off. Clearly Mizuki had made a mistake offending the nepotism practicing sorceress. Shiho nods. "One..." Kanade exhales a single quick breath, readying herself to step onto the makeshift platform. "Two..." Kanade nearly misses the mark trying to forgo her fear, but she knew she had to do it. It would surely impress Mafuyu, right? The cleric quickly stepped a single foot onto the platform, the two girls suddenly bending their knees to accommodate for the sudden shift in weight. "Three!" Within an instant, the lightweight cleric was sent hurdling into the air, her hair arching in the wind as she reached the peak of her ascent. She flailed her legs helplessly in the air, before landing squarely into Mizuki's chest, the two tumbling down to the stone beneath their feet. Mizuki, while clearly in pain from the tumble, smiles to Kanade as she lightly pushes herself off of her ally, silver hair draping over the two of them like a blanket of snow. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it? I even caught you." "My heart is still racing, give me a second..."

The two stood up one at a time, and the shorter cleric turned to the taller ranger. "What now?" Mizuki places their hands to their hips and smiles. "Unrelated, but take a look at this view! Ain't it pretty?" Kanade turns her head, staring into the valley they all had been treading. The wind lightly blew the grass in waves, indents of sunlight flowing like a current across the sea of green. Hills dotted with trees and shrubbery took space over the horizon, leaving a nice palette of contrasting color all over. From this elevation, she could look down to her allies still searching around the rock, which she thought was humorous. Even though realistically they weren't, Mount Sanguine Outlook, Kamiyama's Castle, and the Unreachable all felt closer than ever from this height. It must've been the fact there was hardly a trace of civilization out in the wilds like this, but it was a surreal feeling. A serene silence.

"Yeah... It's nice."

Kanade turns to Mizuki once more, her face having returned to its resting state after holding a tense expression from the anxiety. "So... Why did you need me up here again?" Mizuki nods. "Spyglass, dummy. Try casting it on the rock." Kanade mouths "Ohhh" to herself, surprised she failed to come to that idea herself. The cleric pulls out her laminated stick, pressing the bottom of it against the rock the two stood on. Kanade closes her eyes, channeling her focus through her staff into the stone like a funneling faucet. She faced the vat of soup Mafuyu had taught her, casting the spell from the heart once more.

The jagged point begins to glow white, an aura radiating brightly surprising everybody beneath them. With a bright light and a holy sound, the rock slowly returned to its normal hue, dulling back to a shade of gray. From below, the black haired sage timidly called out in confusion. "That... was Spyglass just now, right?" "That's right." Kanade responded in confidence. Ena follows up, looking to her two allies from the grass. "Did it work?" "I think so..." The silver haired cleric looks around, before pointing to an area Ichika was closest to. "Ichika, there's a switch right there. If you pull it, a door should open nearby." Ichika nods, sliding her hands throughout the course and rough rock, before her hand slips into a small crevasse. "O-Oh, I think I found it..." "Okay, push down now." The sage nods, and with a push of her hand, a door emerged right beside her, sliding off to the side with the sound of stone scraping against itself.

Kanade slowly and cautiously approaches the edge of the rock, looking downward to Shiho and Mafuyu. The purple haired sorceress nods her head, extending her arms out to console Kanade from the height. Her empty amethyst eyes had this mystique, yet nurturing feeling that rested within them. It soothed Kanade. "Y-You got me?" She calls out from above, voice staggering like her trembling legs. "Of course." Kanade took a shaky breath. She sits down to the edge, garnering courage to slide off. At the very least, Mafuyu could catch her. She trusted Mafuyu with all of her heart. Slowly scooching closer to the ends of the rock, Kanade slides down to the earth, leaping off and falling into Mafuyu's capable arms. Mafuyu collapses to a knee, but had successfully caught the lightweight cleric safely. Kanade threw her arms around Mafuyu's shoulders, hanging onto her as the sorceress gently set her down.

Within the safety of Mafuyu's arms, Kanade slowly opens her eyes, her blue eyes peacefully intertwining with Mafuyu's amethyst pupils. Her heartrate was still elevated, but at the very least, she knew she was safe once again. Kanade smiles lightly as Mafuyu holds her.

"Hi."

Mafuyu's deadpan expression crept into a slight smile.

"Hello."

From above, Mizuki looked down to Ena. "Enaaa, you have to catch me!~" "I'm not doing that." The ranger frowns, stamping their foot. "Oh, come on! How am I supposed to get down?!" "Very carefully." Mizuki clicks their tongue, rolling their eyes. "You make it extremely difficult to flirt with, you know that?!" "Yes, I know." From beside Ena was Honami, who was slightly surprised at first from Mizuki's casual 'flirting' comment, but brushed it off. "U-Uh, Mizuki... Do you need help?" The ranger sighs in defeat. "Yeah... I could use the help. Thanks Honami."

With the both of them down from the rock, the two parties regrouped to the now open wide hatch engraved into the rock. Indented decorated stone blocks lined the walls, a decrepit, weathered by time staircase leading downward into the earth. Kanade nervously swallowed, flashbacking to yesterday's goblin encampment infiltration. She had a similar vibe staring into the darkness of the dungeon that she had staring into the darkness of the encampment, but had to brush it aside. Besides, looking over to Ena, she could tell at a glance the elf was just as nervous, if not moreso. Saki turned to the whole group with a confident nod. "Are we all ready? We're gonna have to stay on our toes from here on out! Into the belly of the beast, so they say!" Honami adjusted her ruby amulet, letting it hang loose from outside her blouse. "I'm ready. If you guys feel nervous, just ask me for a foresight, okay?" Ena nodded, clutching Hermit IX's handle. "R-Right. Let's just get this over with sooner than later."

Mizuki summons their chakram above their head in their usual stylish fashion, and Ichika and Kanade prepare their respective staves. The three of them would take the lead, lighting the path for the entire party. The cleric nods her head, mustering out a light "Y-Yeah, we're ready." Mizuki nods with a prepared smile, having momentarily pushed away their anxiety of Mafuyu's Equilibrium, and begins taking the first steps into the darkness of the dungeon, the whole group following behind one after another.

The presumed danger of the monster infested dungeon was just the appetizer for the rest of the day. The eight of them wouldn't have even a fraction of an idea of what would be waiting in store for once they got out.

Chapter Text

Smoke emanating from Kanade and Ichika's lantern spells intertwined with the glow of Mizuki's chakram as the eight descend down the stone stairway into the darkness. As Ichika had instructed her, Kanade had made close attention to keep her torches aflame to the right, the duo swapping interchangeably to preserve their mana. While Mizuki led the pack in a single file line, they kept observation over each step they took, watching for potential traps and tripwires that may await the group. By the time they had been walking down for several minutes, the light emitting from the chakram and the torches alike spread thin as the parties stepped into an open corridor of dark gray stone. The stench in the air reeked of age, a scent so strong if felt tangible to the touch. Silence felt absolute as the only presence was within the group of explorers themselves, their combined footsteps taking up the airspace. The ceiling hung low, further echoing their footsteps and making each Adventurer collect a feeling of unease.

Ena in particular.

"I hate this place. I can't breathe here." Shiho turns nonchalantly, not much in the way of an expression. "Might need to suck it up for a bit. I'm not sure Saki is gonna want to leave until we've turned this entire place over." "That's right!" Saki interjected, firmly placing a grip on her sword's handle, taking a stand next to the ranger. "For now, let's think positive! If you can't, try and redirect your focus elsewhere!" Ichika walks off, facing a set of pillars that lie parallel with one another in the center of the room. "Like these pillars?" "That's right!" Ichika flashes a confused, slight smile, her eyebrows reflecting all the emotion needed in her face. "They're just pillars..." "Not just any pillars!" Saki rests her arm against one of them, leaning gently on it. "See these scratches, these indents? Someone might say they're worn from time, but these look like they were carved from a sword, don't they?" Mizuki shines a light on it, inspecting it closer. "I... can kind of see it, yeah!"

Mafuyu points down at a clump of ivory-colored thick sticks slumped against a wall, completely separate from where the rest of the group had been. "What's that?" Kanade squints her eyes into the darkness. "I... dunno." She cautiously walks close to Mafuyu, placing a lantern next to what had captured the sorceress's attention, before letting free a shrill scream of terror and falling backwards over herself. The rest of the party quickly turn their attention to the petrified cleric, before shifting their gaze to what her torch had illuminated. Kanade whips her head up to the sorceress, the pitch of her voice, which had remained a whisper, raising tenfold. "Mafuyu, that's a skeleton!" "So it is." "I-Is that really what you have to say about it..?!" From a distance, the elf swordswoman glazes her eyes to Saki, sarcastically remarking on the situation. "Where's the positivity in a corpse?" "You'll have to give me a moment to think about that."

Honami stepped forward to a solid oak double-door in the center of the furthest-most wall from the stairs, taking hold of her ruby fortune-telling amulet. She closed her eyes as she gazed upon a future ten seconds from now, and opens them once she had concluded. "H-Hey, everyone..." Eyes turned to the augur. "Monsters ahead... Good thing I checked, right?" Mizuki puffs out their lips, directing their index finger towards Honami. "Of the massive blood sucking leech variety?" "That's right." "Gross. Okay." The two parties conjoin together at the door which Honami had been waiting at, each readying their weapons. Shiho crosses her arms, looking squarely to the icy-eyed housekeeper. "What's our gameplan?" "It's a straight hallway with leeches hanging from the ceiling." Honami replied. "Kanade, Ichika, one of you two should light the right side so we can see where we're attacking, alright?" The two leaders look to one another, but Kanade nods first. "I can do it. I need a little bit more Adventurer Experience for my next evaluation, anyhow." "Then..." The bard lightly steps up, pulling her little guitar out. She adjusts her green feathered cap, and slowly plays chords while looking to Kanade's direction. The cleric raises an eyebrow. "And you're doing..?" "A speed buffing spell. Have you had one before?" She shakes her head. "That's alright. Your senses will feel overstimulating for a moment, but you'll quickly adjust to it." Kanade nods, turning her head away. Mafuyu stood by her side, looking to her friend. "You'll feel like your brain is moving too fast for your body. But you'll be okay." Kanade smiles lightly. "Thanks, Mafuyu..."

Honami backs away, allowing for Ena and Saki to stand up front. As the elf leans against the door prepared to open it, she cocks her head over her shoulder. "Are we ready to do this?" The pink haired ranger lightly puts their hand up, not quite prepared to fight just yet. There was something on their mind. "Honami, I have a question." "Yes?" Mizuki tilts their head as they look to the rusty haired housekeeper. "Your amulet lets you see ten seconds into the future, right?" "That's right..?" "It's been more than ten seconds. Shouldn't you have seen... I dunno, this conversation?" The augur giggles. "We're about to fight some monsters and that's what you're thinking about?" Shiho narrowed her eyes to the ranger, twiddling with the feather in one hand. "You can think about that later." "Sure, sure. I guess so." Though Mizuki was moments from dropping the thought, Ichika leans in close to the ranger's ear with an answer they weren't quite expecting. "She altered the future." Mizuki turns their head towards the black haired sage, who nods her head with a smile, turning back to the oak door with her book of spells in hand. "Huhh..."

Mizuki shifted their eyes back to Honami, utter awe dwelling inside, however lacking the expression to back it up. "'Altered' the future? Is doing something that powerful really that simple?"

With a numerical countdown on the elf's fingers, Ena and Saki open the double-doors in unison, slamming them against the walls with a loud thud. The stone flooring of the hallway itself was covered in an obscene liquid that dripped from the ceiling. It was pretty easy to put together that these were puddles of drool that had dripped like a leaky faucet into the stone. Shiho smiled confidently, patting Kanade on the shoulder. "You're up, Yoisaki." "R-Right..." Kanade took off into a sprint, clutching her staff with both hands. She began to practically slide against the right wall, placing torch after torch throughout the corridor, carefully stepping over the puddles from the monsters that hung from above. As she ran, she felt as if her steps were misplaced, her balance feeling off the further down she went. This must've been what Mafuyu described, the side effects of getting used to a speed buff. The cleric felt her vision deteriorate as her stomach felt woozy, but managed to keep herself composed for long enough. Her feet began to pick up at a pace which she never knew she was capable up, her legs jittering as if they were about to collapse, yet she kept moving onward. As she ran, she glanced to the ceiling, seeing the giant leeches spin to life, roaring, hissing, grumbling as saliva dripped down from above. In place of a mouth was a gaping hole, rimmed with sharp and jagged teeth on its insides. It made her queasy, but she continued running. At the end of the hall lie another oak double-door, to which the cleric had nearly ran into due to her accelerated thoughts and body.

From the opposite side of the hall where the rest of the party lie, the leeches began to unravel from the ceiling and fall from above one by one like a trail of dominoes. Saki smiled as she unsheathed her metal from its leather sheath, holding the blade at an obtuse angle from her waist. While the blonde haired warrior had been raring to go, Ena wanted to watch Saki's form first before leaping into the fray herself. She was trained to be a warrior, Ena wanted to make sure her allies were up to snuff as well, and if she could tutor them any way she could. The first leech to fall to the ground landed squarely in a puddle of drool, splashing Saki. This didn't seem to deter her, however, as she grinned while covering her face with the sleeve of her jacket. The leech squelched as it wriggled upright, moving like some contorted snail towards the party. Saki took steps towards the leech positioning her hand outward as a makeshift target for her sword, which she had coiled back in preparation. With a shift of her body weight and a quick and steady hand, Saki drove her sword straight through the leech's mouth, piercing its hide down her blade.

Ena nods her head. Saki had a very fluent form there.

More and more leeches dropped from the ceiling in splashes, hissing and squirming towards the party. Thanks to Kanade's torches, the party was able to see just fine, being able to carefully pick and choose their slimy, slow moving targets. Shiho strummed a strength enhancing chord directed for Ena, who nodded as she took off similarly to her fellow sword user. The elf had assessed the best way to combat against these mindless worm creatures would be with swift pierces down their exposed throats, seeing as it was effective with Saki's maneuver. There must be some sort of vital organ deep within, shutting them down at an instant when pierced. Driving home her heated blade, Ena and Saki continue picking off the leeches one at a time.

Kanade, catching her breath and her accelerated mind at the end of the hall, leaned her back on the door with raspy breathing. She wasn't used to running, especially with such celerity. Her face was flushed and her legs were shaky, but she rather deal with it than fall over into a puddle of drool. She looked to her heavy platform boots, her sped-up mind feeling every ounce of how drenched they were. She found it odd they were so slimy, considering she had tried her hardest to avoid puddles on the way to this side of the hall - but that's when she realized where she was stepping. She was currently standing in the center of a puddle herself. She looked up, seeing one remaining leech that had failed to un-stick itself from the stone ceiling above, sharp teeth dripping lightly. The cleric felt her chest grow cold and sink into her stomach as she stared into the jaws above.

Any straggler leech that managed to get past Ena and Saki were made quick work of with the combo of Mafuyu's darkness spells, her go-to reliable spell being quick lacerations of darkness, and Ichika setting fiery barriers across the ground with her lantern spell. The leeches were, by every meaning of the word, brainless. They pretty much stood no chance against a group as confined and talented as the two parties. Mizuki scratched their head as they hung from the back alongside Honami and Saki. With the squeals of the monsters, Mizuki chuckled to themselves, looking to the pair to break the awkward ice. "Uhh... Leeches, am I right?" The two girls wordlessly turn to the ranger in silence, before turning back towards the fight once again. The ranger sighed, watching their allies on the front lines.

The leech hanging above Kanade continues to squirm, growing looser by the second. Her racing mind felt as if it were outpacing her body - she hadn't successfully caught her bearings yet. In the heat of the moment, the cleric clutches her staff, squatting down to the ground and holding it above her head. She shuts her eyes tight, instinctively preforming the first spell that came to mind.

A loud splat came from above, but it sounded firm, almost as if something from above had halted the fall of the leech. Opening an eye and slowly looking above her, Kanade had realized she had done the most badass, most coolest thing imaginable. The goddamn umbrella. Hell yes.

Kanade's accelerated body quickly shoves the leech off of her kickass umbrella, the monstrous bug squirming in the air as it fell to the ground in its own puddle. It shrivels upright in stark, violent twists, almost as if it were snapping into place like a magnet. Kanade's face stiffens, her eyebrows firming as she dissipates the umbrella and lodges the re-transformed staff down the leech's throat. "Lantern!!" Like a observing a lit fire from the outside of a cave, heat began to rise from the back of the leech's throat, charring its insides in an instant. It was a fire that would be unable to be put out without Kanade's input, no matter how hard the bug tried. The leech rapidly contorted and twisted in pain, letting out its feral hisses before giving in and collapsing into its own puddle, twitching pathetically.

"I... I did it?" Disbelief transformed into pride as Kanade shot her gaze upwards to her allies on the other end of the hall. "I... did it!!" The cleric was immensely proud of herself, finally being able to slay a monster, similar to what the rest of her allies could do. She was pleased with the self-reassurance that she could be more than just a cleric, but a useful comrade in combat, too. A stronger asset to her friends. Kanade laughed gently to herself, thinking of her steps up to this point. If her father could see how far she's grown, he would be so proud. The look on his face would be priceless... However, despite how fast her brain was processing and thinking, it took quite a while before she realized no eyes were on her. Everybody was occupied with watching over the leeches, so nobody had really noticed the cleric's triumphant victory, her step for progress.

It made her a little sad.

In due time, the combined efforts of Ena, Saki, and Mafuyu had cleared out the hall of stray leeches. Their mangled, pierced hides lie scattered on the sides of the corridor, presenting a clear path for all involved to the oak doors Kanade had been waiting patiently by. Shiho accompanies Honami to the door, to where Honami proceeds a second fortune. She closes her eyes and hums lightly as she sees into the future, seeing what lies beyond the door.

"No danger. We should be alright..."

Kanade nods, opening the doors in front of her. The room the eight had found lying beyond the doors was a massive open space with pillars of stone protruding from a flooring of similar, dusty bricks. These pillars were evenly spaced apart, the ceiling forming arches in between them. Ichika walked alongside Kanade, the two casing the perimeter together in an emotion concocted of awe, wonder, and unease. "...Seriously, what is this place..?" Off to the sides were old, rusty prison cells with missing doors, evidence of a struggle provided by the fried hinges and torn apart bars. Skeletons hung shackled to the walls, bones having been eaten away and decayed with time to the point of being hardly recognizable. Mafuyu kicked a bone by her feet. "Gross." She muttered under her breath, but continued walking as if nothing had happened. Saki began opening boxes that had been lying against the pillars, pillaging them and investigating for the history which may lie within. Nothing but cobwebs, old uniforms, tattered clothing, and rusted handcuffs. Whatever valuables that once may lie within have long since been taken by prior Adventurers who dared travel through this prison. With a click of her tongue, Saki slammed the chest shut and rolled her eyes.

The blonde swordswoman slinks back over the the larger group. "Where to now, guys?" Mizuki extends their chakram out, surmising their surroundings. "There's a path down there," They said confidently. "We can give that a shot." Ichika nods. "Alright. I'll take the lead." Kanade allows for Ichika to take charge, merging back into the single-filed line. Behind the silver haired cleric was Mafuyu, who tapped her on the shoulder. "Yes?" "...You looked cool earlier."

Perhaps it was the accelerated mind, but Kanade felt her face flush nigh instantaneously. "You... saw that?" "With the umbrella? Yes, I saw." Mafuyu's expression was vacant, her eyes were empty as per usual, but this just furthered the authenticity of her words in Kanade's eyes. "I think you did good." "Th-Thanks..." She quickly adverted her eyes back to the front, watching her steps. From further down the line, Ena walked nervously, keeping her hand on Hermit IX while taking occasional peeks over her shoulder. She had convinced herself that if more leeches, or maybe even reanimated skeletons attacked, she would be the first line of defense for the rest of the party. The narrow and thin hallway wore heavy on her conscious, creeping on her nerves like mold on old bread. If she had to be in a hall such as this, she would prefer to be engaged in combat to take her mind away from it. She hated this feeling.

"S'cuse, pardon, pardon..."

Ena looked up to Mizuki cutting their way throughout the line, making their way right to the elf. "Enaaa... You alright there, 'nanan?" "Oh, yes... Yes, I'm fine." Mizuki shifts their mouth, frowning lightly. "Your shoulders are stiff. You need to relax them for me, okay?" The elf raises a palm to chest-level, shaking her head. "Somebody's gotta keep an eye behind us." "Yeah, but is hanging behind really helping your nerves?" Mizuki lightly grabs Ena's hand. "H-Hey, what are you..?" Mizuki tugs Ena close to them, keeping the kimono cladded warrior to their side, the elf flushing in a mixture of annoyance and closeness. "We're going to the front. You just gonna be a worrywart forever?" "W-Wait, wait!!" Mizuki dragged Ena throughout the line, taking her to the front alongside Ichika. The black haired sage smiled, assuming Ena had made the decision herself to watch the front, completely oblivious to Mizuki's meddling. "Hello, Ena." Ichika giggled to herself, her awkward sense of humor shining through. "Glad to see you didn't get lost back there. Decide to help the front?" Mizuki patted the two on the shoulder, looking to both of them with a smile. "Ena said she needs to work on her courage. She's afraid of the dark." The elf snapped her hand away from Mizuki's as she bore her fangs, raising her voice to a defensive shout. "That's a damn boldface lie and you know it!!" "Oh, c'mon. If you're scared, we can keep holding hands."

Ena's snarl had rested to a moderate frown, her eyes narrowed, reflecting the evident irritation. This was clearly Mizuki's devious plan of showing their affection and spending time with someone they... well, liked. That much was now obvious, considering it had been spelled out to her a few days prior. Even though the ranger's methods were bothersome... it wasn't as if Ena disliked it.

As a matter of fact, she felt... willing to entertain the ranger. Just this one time. She wanted to see how she felt about it.

Wordlessly, she grabbed hold of Mizuki's wrist, much tighter than they had held onto her hand. "Ow, ow. Ow. Ow." From their wrist, the irritated girl slid her palm down to Mizuki's, taking a lighter grasp on it than how she held on moments prior. Ena raised the two of their hands up before their faces, staring at Mizuki dead in the eye as she interlocked their fingers together. "Do not ask of me for anything ever again." Ena twisted her gaze back to the path ahead as Mizuki, yet again, froze up from Ena's contact. While Ena had went red earlier, the tables had quickly spun around, the ranger's face shifting to a rosy hue. "O-Okay."

Despite the uneasiness she felt staring into the inky black coldness of a winding, twisting corridor, Ena could feel the warmth of her closest friend's hand seeping into her own. This unexplainable, happy feeling washed over within her chest, her heart feeling content with itself. It felt nice. Though the time, place, and situation wasn't ideal, and she still felt nervous with each step into the dark, she felt just as comfortable in this moment as she did that night the two spent together in the woods. She remembered waking up to the sound of Mizuki's enchanting voice softly humming in the morning, finding it difficult to pry herself out from their lap. Ena's temper diluted to a minimum, finding relaxation in her friend. She tilted her eyes to the ranger, who she quickly noticed had been side-eyeing her with a nervous, embarrassingly red face. Ena takes a deep inhale through her nose, letting a heavy breath out as she shook her head.

Never change, you weirdo.

Ichika cleared her throat, attempting to ignore the strange competitive flirtation sparking right beside her. She's got a weird, musty stone hall to light, dammit!

At the end of the hall was a doorless frame leading into yet another room of stone - which was quite the shocker. Seeing it faintly from the outside, it seemed only slightly wider in width, a straight-shot towards another doorless framed hallway. It was inconspicuous, to say the least, but that ordinariness concerned Honami a tad. Before the three leading the line stepped foot, Honami held onto her pendant once more, a future being bestowed upon her. Within an instant, her eyes shot wide open, a desperate whisper ravaging the crew in shock. "SSSStooppp!!" Everybody suddenly halts, not a single step being followed through. Saki contorts an eyebrow, looking right to the augur. "What's up?" "Shhh..." Honami takes very quiet, silent steps to the front of the line, reaching the doorway Ichika had almost stepped through. She lightly peeks through, gazing upwards to the ceiling. "There..." Ena, Mizuki, and Ichika all look skyward, noticing what had spooked Honami so thoroughly. It was easy to assume what her foresight entailed, judging by what was above. Several, clustered spikes hung from the ceiling, skeletons and rotting bodies having long since been impaled through them. On closer inspection, there was this awful, rank stench of musty ancient blood that trickled throughout the room, a rotten smell that felt like poison to the lungs. Mizuki lightly smacks their lips together. "Wow."

Almost as if on cue, the ceiling began to rumble as dust fell from the stone ceiling, before it quickly dropped with the sound of dangling chains following. The spiked ceiling slams down into the stone, impaling directly through the floor below.

The ceiling slowly began to coil back upwards as the chain sounds rattled and stressed from above, bringing the ceiling back to how it was prior to Mizuki's exclamation.

Mizuki's completely widened eyes turn to Honami, who held her index finger over her lips. "Shh." The ranger nodded, having come to the conclusion it would probably be best to avoid making further noise.

The eight backtrack into the dusty hall. The future-telling augur looks to all her allies, her voice still kept in a hush despite being a far distance away from the trapped room. "That spiked ceiling is noise activated. We need to be as quiet as possible. Every footstep counts." Kanade cuffs her chin with her hand, her inexperienced mind having begun to adjust to her speed buff. "...There's an awfully large amount of us. I suggest we go one at a time to negate risk." Shiho nods, standing right beside both Mafuyu and Kanade both. "I agree. We knew the danger coming into this, but we need to stay smart. One at a time is perfect." Saki tightly shuts her eyes, and takes a deep breath. "Do... any of you magic users know a way to muffle footsteps?" "Oh, I know a potion recipe to, uh... lightly float off the ground..." Eyes turn to the cleric, who rubs her neck with her free hand. "...But... we obviously don't have the recipe for it, nor a brewing stand. I can't help you... Sorry."

Honami thinks to herself for a moment. She had an idea, knew it wasn't the brightest to mention. With how Mafuyu had boiled over like an overflowing kettle at the coffee shop, it would be a rather hit or miss suggestion, but she couldn't exactly think of any safer ideas. Of course, besides just hoping none of her allies would make a sound, but that was completely out of the picture. Kanade's boots were way too loud and heavy to do that. It would be easy just so suggest for the cleric to take off her platform boots again, but walking only in your socks throughout a dangerous dungeon didn't seem safe, either. Defeated with no other real option, Honami turns to Mafuyu.

"Mafuyu... how confident are you in your ice magic?" "I'm good at it." Honami nodded, biting her lower lip. "Do you... remember how your mother reached The Unreachable during the Silent War?" Mafuyu may have gone quiet, but Mizuki had frozen over. Honami continued, elaborating her idea. "The Violet Grip froze the air beneath her feet, creating a walkway for herself all the way up there. Do... you think you could do something like that?"

Mafuyu looked to Kanade, who had her beady eyes to the purple haired sorceress. Kanade brought reassurance to her. Mafuyu turned her empty gaze back to Honami, shaking her head in denial. "I don't think I can do stairs or platforms. That takes a lot of concentration and accuracy."

"Then what about a slide?"

Everybody looks to Saki, who had pressed the ridge of her index finger to her lips. "What if you make an ice slide across the floor for us? I can't imagine it would be too difficult, it's just a plank of ice resting against the floor." Her head stilted in place, she looks to one of the implanted flames on the wall. "If we crawl on the ice, we won't even need to worry about footsteps."

The two groups look amongst each other wordlessly. Each and everyone was quietly judging one another, seeing if anybody had an objection to the idea, but nobody came forward. Nobody really had any other bright ideas, and it was just stupid enough to possibly work. Silence spread across the hall, the only noise coming from the flickering flames from Ichika's spells. Everybody turns to Mafuyu once more, the spotlight of attention being shined down on her. She looked to everybody, before facing Ichika once more with a response. "I can do that."

Standing outside the trapped room, Mafuyu lines her wand to the ground. "Cryosis." A beam of light blue shoots from her wand, bringing the room temperature to a chill around her. The icy blast traveled against the floor, leaving a frozen trail across the ground like a paintbrush against a canvas. It almost glistened under the torchlight, like a sunny winter day. Mafuyu steadily cast the spell down the center of the narrow hallway, freezing the ground in moderation to avoid triggering the sound-based deathtrap lingering above. In due time, a thin strip of light blue ice had been laid from where the eight stood to the adjacent doorway. The sorceress turned her head over her shoulder, mouthing what was on everybody's mind. "Who's first?"

The eight look to each other in silence, a word not being spoken. All were nervous, but one knew they had to bite the bullet.

Saki clenches her lips, and nods slowly. It was her idea, after all. She suggested the dungeon adventure and the slide plan. It would be demoralizing had she not been the one to go first, right? That's how she thought of it, at the very least. It was terrifying, but enthralling. An experience she had always yearned for - a real adventure. She steps forward, sitting low to her hands and knees, She rests her body face-down on the ice strip, and slowly begins to crawl across it. The blonde haired swordswoman felt the chill freeze her body over, but knew she had to stomach it. Prior to the formation of the bridge, Shiho laid some ground rules for navigating the slide - "keep the laces of your shoes flat on the ground, and don't bring your arms up". Both were necessary to avoid the ice squeaking from underneath them, and in Kanade's case, to prevent her shoes from clacking. Keeping her pace slow and her movements careful, she crawled to the other side safely. She stood up off the ice, silently exhaling, raising an OK hand sign to the group.

So it's safe. It's possible.

One by one, the group made their way across. Ichika, Ena, Mizuki, Shiho, Honami. Each person felt cold sweat freeze over against their skin as they crossed, but managed to conceal themselves from making any noise. The silence in the air was deafening, the tension between the group being so sharp it could slice. All that remained were the anxious cleric and the quiet sorceress. Kanade looked up to Mafuyu, who returned her gaze with a nod. She flipped a thumbs up to her nervous ally, who weakly smiled in response. At least she had Mafuyu by her side. Kanade slowly dropped to her stomach, crawling against the ice. She tightly shut her eyes as she moved forward, not wanting to think about the distance she had to cross. She felt if she didn't look where she was going, then the time would pass quicker. It didn't, as time still felt like it was at a standstill, but it helped. She carefully kept her boots to the ground, making sure her soles were nowhere near the ice below her. Inch by inch she crawled as slowly as time moved, making sure she was steady and not derailing from the path.

Up until she bumped into somebody's shoe. The floorbound cleric looked up directly to Mizuki, who flashed a smile to the girl. Offering a hand, Mizuki pulls Kanade up to her feet from the ice, safely bringing her perilous trek to an end. All that remained was the sorceress, lightly smiling to the silver cleric across from her.

Mafuyu brought herself down similar to all of her allies before her, lying on her stomach as she faced the streak of ice ahead. It was simple, everybody else was capable of doing so - there really shouldn't be a problem for her. The ice had begun to lightly melt underneath the weight and warmth of the allies who came before her, but it was of no problem. She was capable of sliding nonetheless without issue. She kept her feet off the ground, shuffling her arms like ascending a ladder, all while keeping them planted to the ice. Things were going smoothly, though her dress had gotten a bit wet from the defrosting stone beneath her.

Up until she heard something fall off of her person, letting out a light clank from her side.

Mafuyu whipped her head to the direction of the sound, only to find her wand trailing off the icy path she had been crawling against. When she had created the bridge, she had neglected to buckle its holster together. Either out of neglect, forgetfulness, or trying to avoid activating the ceiling trap, it didn't matter now that she was watching it slide away. She felt her heart sink to her stomach. The ceiling above clicked, the sounds of chains rattling.

It was obvious what was about to come next. Kanade reached her hand out, her voice shrieking out in fear.

Almost instinctively, Mizuki brings their chakram over their shoulder, throwing it with precision squarely at Mafuyu. The bladed ring digs deep into Mafuyu's arm, leaving the sorceress to yelp in pain, coiling onto the ground. The spiked ceiling above begins to fall, sending everybody behind the door frame into a panic. The only one with a steady face and determined eyes was Mizuki - as they had a plan. It was an idea they had thought of as they watched their allies cross one at a time. "Grab on!!" Mafuyu quickly looks to Mizuki in panicked desperation, not exactly processing what had been told of her, but almost by intuition, had done exactly what had been asked. Mafuyu sinks a hand onto the glowing ring, her gloves only barely protecting her from drastic cuts. The ranger holds their palm up towards the sorceress, before yanking their hand back over their shoulder. As by command, the ring began flying back to the one who had thrown it... directly dragging the sorceress's clumped body on the ground towards the larger group.

The ceiling crashed down into the ice, the shattering of the slide echoing across the room.

Thanks to Mizuki's quick thinking and actions, Mafuyu had narrowly avoided the trapped ceiling. She had her eyes tightly shut, even as Kanade and Mizuki both ran up to check on her. A green light from Kanade's magic enveloped her body, rapidly healing the gash in her arm to where it looked like nothing had dug into her skin at all. The sorceress's hearing had momentarily gone out, as words from her allies evidentially sounded muffled, her vision blurry and distorted once she had opened her eyes. That was close. Way too close. She looked back to the trapped room, watching the ceiling slowly recoil back above, looking for her wand. The stick she'd been relying on lie scattered on the other side of the room, somehow fitting between the cracks of spikes, avoiding being crushed altogether.

She was relieved it hadn't been damaged, of course, but there was this sickness that she felt in her stomach. Her mother was right yet again.

"--e you a----ht?!"

Mafuyu turned to the muffled, almost nonexistent voice that emit right in front of her.

"Hm?"

"Are you alright?!" Kanade said, leaning close to her. Mafuyu takes her time with a response, silently looking to the cleric and back to her wand. "...My wand is over there." Kanade huffed a staggered breath, but quickly buried her face into the sorceress's shoulder. "You gotta be more careful next time, please..."

As the party attempted to console a quiet, unthinking Mafuyu, Honami stepped forward, lightly casting a telekinesis spell to bring the wand closer to the group as the ceiling yet raised. The wand rolled and tumbled over the shattered ice, but took no time in reaching the party. Honami crouched down to Mafuyu's level, delicately setting it into the sorceress's leather gloves. Assisting her in coiling her fingers around the wand, Honami sighs a breath of relief, icy blue eyes looking warmly to Mafuyu. "I'm just glad we're all alright..."

The sorceress still wasn't exactly piecing together her surroundings, but was quickly stood up to her feet by Ena and Shiho both. "C'mon," the former motivated through a strained voice. "Let's not hang around here."

Kanade took Mafuyu's hand, walking alongside her from the back. "Mafuyu, are you... okay?" The sorceress looked to her friend, and with an empty nod, hummed a light response. "Mm." "You seem a bit disoriented... Do you need any more healing?" "No, no I'm good. I do appreciate it, though." The cleric sheepishly nodded, not exactly believing her friend's response, but taking it into consideration nonetheless. "...Alright... Just... if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask, okay?" "Okay." Mafuyu took her time with a slow blink, eyes feeling weighted and heavy. "Thanks, K." "Of course."

The eight of them found themselves at a dead end in a room not much different from the rest of where they had been exploring. After a quick foresight from Honami, and the confirmation the room was safe to traverse, the two parties stepped foot within, looking about to the surroundings. Stone blocks, dusty floors, boxes on the sides, rotten and eaten chairs and tables, pillars and arches leaving the room perfectly symmetrically. However, while this may seem ordinary and samey to nearly everybody within the party, one had taken considerable confusion to it.

Mafuyu looked around her, letting go of Kanade's soft and warm hand and taking a few steps in silence into the room. "This..."

The sorceress turns to the closest person to her, Ichika.

"This is my living room."

Ichika, who had been investigating a rotted away bookcase, shifts her head around to Mafuyu and raises an eyebrow. "Did you say something?" "This is my living room." "What do you mean?" Mafuyu walks away from the sage, sliding her hand across the stone walls. "The... layout of this room. The furniture. This is my living room." Mafuyu walked past the swordswoman elf as she spoke, who caught similar intrigue. "Uhh, what do you mean?" Ena had genuinely thought Mafuyu was losing her marbles, but entertained the thought. The sorceress stops, pointing to various furniture that decorated the room. "In my living room, there's a plant there... and a table there... and a bookshelf there. ...And a painting there. And another bookshelf... and chairs at the dining table, too." Mafuyu continued to walk around in confusion, amassing the party's attention. Mafuyu curiously looked around, dread building within her body. The floorplan of the room was nearly one-to-one with her living room. It was almost identical.

Except for one detail that wasn't in her house at all.

Engraved on the wall was a carved symbol - a clenched fist. Mafuyu felt an eerily familiar tinge to this symbol, something she knew she has seen before, again and again. Perhaps it was due to her disoriented vision she had failed to realize what it was for so long - but when it clicked, she felt her lungs go cold. It was the very same symbol that decorated the emblem on her mother's armor.

The sigil of The Violet Grip.

Chapter Text

The sorceress was like a startled animal in a forest, incapable of moving nor letting breath escape her lungs. As if she was nailed into place, her feet were firmly planted into the dusty stone flooring, horrified eyes fixated to the massive clenched fist engraved into the wall. The hands encased in leather began to break into a cold sweat, the sorceress not even attempting to air them out this time. The only thing she could do was sit in terror, her mind unraveling like a ball of string, giving in. "Why is this here?!" "What is this place, really?!" "Why does this room look like my house?!"

"Why does she haunt me everywhere I go?!"

Similar reactions were had by Shiho and Honami, easily recognizing what that insignia meant. Kanade turns to the crowd of those who knew what it meant, unable to really help herself from asking. "...What is it?" Mafuyu couldn't speak, so Honami stepped up on her behalf. "That's... her mom's sigil. The mark of the Grip." Ena looked to the symbol on the wall, narrowing her eyes and tilting her head cautiously. "...What would it be doing here?" "That's what... has us so confused..." Mizuki rests their head in their hand in thought, silently looking to the stone with the marking. "It kind of reminds me of Shousuke's box, if you squint and kinda look at it funny." Mizuki turned to Kanade, searching for validation. "Don't you think so?" "I... guess. Do you think it's a hex?" Saki walks up to the wall, and presses her palm flat against it. "Could be. If it is, there might be more to this place than we initially thought!" Saki whips her head back with a smile, not exactly reading Mafuyu's fear very well. "Seems like a dead end though. However!! There's more to this dungeon than just this. We still have some paths we haven't gone down!"

Mafuyu blinks slowly. She doesn't know much about hexes, hexes are moreso witchcraft and wizardry, requiring your class to be of the warlock variety, or if you have a particularly powerful bloodline.

...The latter category, she just so happened to fall into.

Not exactly processing what she was doing, nor really understanding why she was doing it, she slowly lifted her right hand up - the one that had rotted to its core. It felt almost natural, she didn't need to think for this. It was like her movements were controlled via string, a puppet to fate, a marionette lacking the strength to cut itself down from the commands of destiny. With her palm facing outward, Mafuyu slowly closed her hand into a fist, staring emptily at the sigil with an eye twitching lightly.

The sigil on the wall began to resonate with Mafuyu Asahina. The symbol and the hand both began to glow purple, light barely seeping from the crevasses of the cuffs of her leather glove. The nigh perfect imitation of the Asahina living room had become enveloped into a hue of purple from the blinding light of the carving on the wall, sudden gusts of wind kicking up the dust beneath their feet into a whirlwind of grime and age. The deafening sound of wind whipped violently past everybody's ears, drowning out the screams of shock from the various members. It would be an understatement to describe the situation as 'sudden', because nobody could have guessed any of the variables that could have led to this. Furniture and long decayed plants were knocked over in the chaos of the sudden cyclone, each member of the two parties planting their feet firmly to avoid being blown away. A few of the members within their ranks had fallen over, pressing their weight to the floor to try and avoid being blown into the cyclone. On the floor, Shiho held onto her hat, protecting her eyes with her arm as she yelled for answers, "M-Mafuyu?! What is this?!" However, her dire question was left muffled under the lashing of sharp winds.

As suddenly as the pandemonium had begun, the world fell quiet. The dust that had circled the air fell to the floor, furniture and plants suddenly colliding with stone in a crash. Several of the ancient china and glasses crashed to the floor, glass shattering apart like dissipating ripples of a lake. Ichika, who had fallen over in the madness, opens an eye and raises her head to the brightly glowing fist on the wall. "Wh-What... in the world just..." Saki pulls Ichika up by the hand, not prying her eyes away from the source of the wind. "I-I don't know..." Mafuyu lowers her hand, mouth only open a slight, yet eyes gaping wide. She slowly turns her hand over, looking into the center of her glove.

"Did... I do that?"

The glowing purple sigil which once shined blindingly bright, within an instant, fades into black. Silence floods the room as everybody watched in disbelief, unsure of what was to happen next, or if anything was to happen at all. Everybody, barring Mafuyu herself, braced for impact. In this silence of preparation, Kanade cautiously stepped close to the frozen by fear sorceress, preparing herself to protect her friend by any means necessary.

The ground beneath their feet shook violently, the stone wall before them rumbling and emitting a low growling sound. The foundation lying in front of the eight Adventurers was about to cave in, seeing as the seal that had been placed on the wall had been disbanded. One by one, the bricks with the sigil engraved into it collapsed upon itself, sharply stirring stone dust and rubble across the room, infecting the lungs of all who breathed it in. Coughing up lungs and gasping for air, the group had to back away from the caved in wall, Mizuki bumping their side sharply against a rotted wooden table. Ena rushed to Mizuki's side, shielding them from any further dust and debris that may come their way.

When the dust of rubble had began to clear, Mafuyu opened her eyes to what lied beyond the wall - a hallway that looked like nothing the group had seen prior. Flooring of stainless steel had lined their path, the sides of the ground rimmed with dimmed glass, stretching outward into a cold, sanitized darkness. It felt almost as if gazing upon another time period, one much further advanced than what their normal was. While they were used to basic and primitive technology, such as soundspeakers and heaters fueled via magic, all were stunned to silence by wires loosely hanging off the ceiling, lightly sparking and zapping the open air. Not one person dared to speak a word, looking into the metal hallway that had conflicted so heavily with the world they knew. To say that they all had goosebumps would be putting it lightly, with disbelief and anxiety being the two most prevalent emotions shared within all eight of them. Nobody wanted to be the one to speak of their morbid curiosity as they all looked to each other, confused and afraid.

Mafuyu looked to everybody, one by one. She slowly glazed her eyes to her allies, each looking either into the darkness of the metal hall, or directly at her.

After what felt like an eternity of time's crawl halting, Ena speaks up.

"What did... you just do?" Mafuyu shakes her head slowly. "I-I don't know."

From beside Ichika, Saki wordlessly drew her sword from its sheath, the sound of her metal echoing in the now dust-cloud ridden room. She lightly cocks her head in the direction of the metal hall, the excitement that had once occupied her face being replaced with a tensely strung firmness. She was clearly nervous, but her silent act was the sentiment everybody had. They all wanted to see what lie ahead, and what Ms. Asahina had to do with this long forgotten dungeon. Shiho and Ichika both followed in suit, with Mizuki needing to drag Ena by the hand once more to the front. Honami, Kanade, and Mafuyu herself all stood in silence as the group slowly stepped over the collapsed bricks into the hallway of a foreign world.

Honami turned to Mafuyu, lightly tapping the unresponsive girl's shoulder. "Hey... Mafuyu... Is this something you want to do?" The sorceress felt her eyes were far heavier than usual, legs twitching. She wasn't exactly sure why, but she felt as if eyes were on her on this moment. It felt almost as if she was bringing her allies into the maw of a beast, allowing them to enter into the other world she was trying to protect them from. She didn't want to put her fellow Adventurers into risk, but at the same time...

"I... want to know what my mom's symbol is doing down here..."

Honami nods, still not exactly trusting Mafuyu's judgement, but respecting it nonetheless. "...I see... Kanade, be careful with her, okay..?" Kanade nods, giving the augur enough of a response for her to make with the rest of the slowly advancing crew. The cleric with the silver hair looks up to Mafuyu, her blue eyes meeting Mafuyu's hollow pupils. "...Hand." Timidly looking to the girl who she trusted most, the sorceress slowly nods her head, and silently interlocks their fingers together. At the very least, if anything were to go wrong, she would have somebody by her side. Somebody who she trusted. ...It was strange. Kanade certainly wasn't the athletic type, nor was she very tall or built, but Mafuyu felt as if... Kanade would protect her. Safety. That gentle feeling of compassion lightly bubbled within the waters of fear that made up her blood, which was enough for her to slowly walk alongside her. The two stepped over the collapsed wall, allowing for their footsteps to reverberate throughout the metal hallway with the rest of their allies.

The chill of the hallway was felt not only through the temperature of the location itself, but the mutual feeling of oppression the Adventurers had been surrounded by. One by one, Ichika lit the right side of the hall with her lanterns, and yet this stigma of eyes watching them had yet to fade. The steel below their feet was indented with bumps, mold and rot having settled in between the crevasses. To their sides were further branching-apart hallways, splitting away like a labyrinth of metal. The wall to their left had been painted with a single stripe of red that followed further down, turning corners, while the right side had numbers indented next to more metal doors, however, many of them refused to budge. Whatever this winding maze-like pathway was built for, it was clearly decrepit and out of use. It hasn't seen life in years. Through periodic intervals, Honami would receive foresight of the future, but there was hardly anything worth detecting. The occasional slimes that dripped from the ceiling were made quick work of with Ena's burning blade, proving no contest to the two parties as they cautiously pushed forward.

Mizuki shined their light through a window of one such metal door, gazing into the darkness. The glass window made it difficult to peer into the room, the chakram's glow mostly just reflecting off of it. It would be easier to pull the glowing ring away if they wanted to look through. Ena leaned her head close to Mizuki, peering through the same, thin slit of a window that had split vertically through the upper half of the door. "Do you see those weird silver things down there, Mizuki..?" "...Hard to tell. Think I might need glasses?" Ena chuckled loosely to herself, lightly nudging the ranger with her elbow in response. "Now's hardly the time, stupid." Mizuki smiled earnestly in Ena's backhanded compliment. At the very least, they were able to provide a figurative light in this darkness to their friends... It made them feel good. Ena places her hand on the metallic handle, as she had been with the other locked doors. The handles were always cold, not unlike the halls they had been traversing, some having an odd stickiness to them like old maple syrup that had gone uncleaned. However, differentiating itself from the other doors, the elf heard a click from the door she and the ranger had been standing in front of. With a strange whir, the door slid open on its own, startling the two members with light gasps. Shiho turns her head to the direction of the noise, quickly leaping into the fray and preparing her small guitar for any danger. "What is it? Danger?" The bard stops in her tracks, peering into the dark room alongside the two. "...This one opened?" Ena silently nods her head, picking herself up off the ground. Shiho fixes her gaze to the rest of the cautious party, calling out for them and bringing attention to the wide open door. "Hey! Over here!"

The air in the room was even quieter than out in the halls - it felt utterly devoid of life, despite its eight occupants. Listening carefully, one could likely hear the sound of their own heartbeat, pumping like wildfire in their chests. With an attentive strut, Ichika tapped the center of the room twice with her staff, creating a brighter lantern with a louder shout of her voice. The room became engulfed in its orange light, flames flickering upright in the sterile room. The entirety of the strange, cool room became visible, but that only further brought confusion to the parties.

The furthest most wall from the entryway was lined with strange, thin black rectangular strips which most resembled glass, barely reflecting the image of those who walked in front of it. Ichika, who wasn't exactly expecting results, pressed her index finger to one such strip, lightly imprinting her fingerprint to the screen. "...Huh..." She turned over to Saki, who had taken her side. Saki had begun similarly using the black glass panes as a canvas, transforming her fingertips into a brush. With a smile, she faces Ichika and presents a smiley face she drew with her fingerprint imprints. Shiho bops her on the head for slacking off.

However, most strangely, were what lie in front of those strange thin black shapes. Silver panels with all sorts of buttons and strips of similar variety to the ones on the walls sat in front of these screens, all molded into strange metallic tables. Mizuki and Saki both found curiosity catching the better of them, the two beginning to push the metallic buttons individually at random, each press letting out a satisfying clacking noise. However, nothing was to come of this, as nothing seemed to respond. The ranger nodded to themselves, satisfied with the neat stimulating toy they had just discovered.

"Hey, what do you think this is?"

Everybody turns their head to Kanade, pointing to a greenish-gray steel box on the wall. She had opened the latch off its handle, allowing her to see the contents within, which relatively confused all who approached. There were various switches and knobs, each labeled in a language they all had never seen before.

Well, aside from one.

Mafuyu steps close to the cleric's side. "...That's English, I think." Kanade turns her head upward to the sorceress, surprise brimming in her voice. "You can read this?" "My mom had me study it. It's considered a dead language to us." Ena blinked. "What's a dead language?" "It's a language that has become so lost in time and history it no longer matters. There's nobody alive left to speak it." "Then why have you study it if it's worthless?" Mafuyu cuffed her chin with her glove. Ena had a good point. "That's a good question. I don't know." The elf crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. "Honestly..." She shifts her focus back to the box with the strange writing on it. "So... What does it say?" The sorceress leaned in, recounting her studies. "...Power."

Ichika glances over to Honami, who had been similarly paying close attention to the box of switches. "Honami, can you preform a foresight?" "O-Oh, of course..." Honami clutches her ruby amulet, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply. With an exhale of tension, she shakes her head. "No immediate danger." Ichika quietly nods, hesitantly bringing her finger to one of the switches.

With a flick of the surprisingly hefty knob, a low buzzing hum began to emanate throughout the room, catching everybody off guard. Dim, white lights coming from clear panels in the ceiling flicked on, strange whirs and rattling coming from the panels that lie in the metallic tables. Mizuki and Ena took initiative, walking toward the source of the new noise. The elf cocked her head over her shoulder, looking to Mafuyu. "This thing is glowing. There's more 'English' here." The sorceress nods her head, approaching the glowing screen. "...Notice of Resignation." Shiho narrowed her eyes. "Like quitting a job?" "I guess." Almost as if on cue, the message changes, the screen now displaying further English. Eyes turn to the group's translator. Mafuyu silently gazes to her allies, before mouthing "Oh." She leans in, reading the text.

"Functionality throughout the rest of the facility has been redirected. The Knowing has fallen, the war is over. We were unable to sever The Bridge, more may fall susceptible to Equilibrium. Full scale evacuation is imminent."

As Mafuyu read the sentence, her words grew further and further apart, voice slowing and trailing off into a mumble. "More may fall susceptible to Equilibrium"...

The eight step out into the once dark hallway, which had now been lit similarly to the room they had been in prior. The glass that lined the metallic flooring had begun to faintly glow a fluorescent white, the tiniest of which had significantly expressed how run-down and decrepit this strange facility truly was. Rot, rust, mold, decay, all words which could be used interchangeably to describe the labyrinth of cold steel. The light emanating off of the torches cast by Ichika were mixed together with the new light like a brewery, but were still required to keep in their pathing in mind. Mizuki, once again taking charge alongside Ichika, proceeds onward in the direction they were moving towards prior. At the end of the day, they still had a... dungeon to explore, if this was even considerable to one anymore.

Corridor after corridor, the party began to show signs of wear and tear. After yet another combat encounter with slimes that sunk down from the ceiling, the black haired sage turns to Honami, breathing out an exhausted sigh. "Getting tired... Hona, still got those stamina potions? Running out of mana, I think..." The rusty haired augur smiled, pulling a vial out from her pocket, delicately handing it to the sage. Ichika tentatively downed the potion in intervals, gagging at the putrid thick taste yet hiding her dissatisfaction from Saki. It was mostly a front, but it was evident to anybody who paid attention to her she hated it. As the sage drank the potion, Mizuki decided to used this time to relax. They leaned their back on the wall, resting the heel of their foot against it and crossing their arms. "Think we should take a break? I think we're due a quick chat about what we've seen..." Ena sighed, nodding. "Yeah. Any more, and I'll probably get overwhelmed." Saki glanced to Shiho, the bard quietly nodding as she takes a similar slouched posture as the ranger. "I don't see why not."

Everybody looked to one another, unsure of where to start. They all have been treading territory simply unheard of, however equally growing adjusted to the sights of strange machines and architectures that were leagues beyond their comprehension. This facility has long since been abandoned, but when it was in operation, what was its purpose? That was one such burning question that had formed in the thoughts of the group. However, Ena had a different question to start off the group's line of thought. "Mafuyu... Does this place seem familiar to you, by any chance?"

The sorceress turned to the elf, shaking her head lightly. "I've never seen this place before in my life. I don't know why my mom's symbol sealed this place away." Mafuyu squishes the both of her temples with a single outstretched hand, tightly shutting her eyes in thought. "I don't think my mom has ever mentioned a place like this before. I don't like it." The cleric lightly scooches over to Mafuyu, subtly resting her head on her arm. For the once touch-starved girl, she figured any form of contact would lightly quell these anxieties, and she was mostly right. The contact did put her at ease. With the slight courage of Kanade's touch, Mafuyu continues. "If you've studied a little bit of history, you should know who The Knowing is." With a timid response and a tilt of her head, Ichika answers on behalf of the party. "That's... the leader of the Mirror Shatterers, right?" Mafuyu nods her head. It was basic knowledge, but she had to clarify for Mizuki and Ena's sake. "Yeah. The Knowing was another Kamiyama Myth, similar to my mom. Though, she wasn't just the Mirror Shatterers' boss, she was also the former head of a party calling themselves The Grievances. Each of the six members were a Kamiyama Star, with only The Knowing reaching Myth status in death." Mafuyu cuffs her chin, pausing to make sure everybody was following her recap. "They weren't a traditional party, though. They moreso caused havoc across the kingdom. She and my mom fought inside The Unreachable, but she fell in combat there." Mafuyu pauses for a moment. "That's all I know. I'm sorry."

Mizuki sighs a breath of relief, knowing now for certain that Mafuyu didn't know what an Equilibrium was.

"Don't be sorry, Mafu." Mizuki unlatches themselves from the wall, and pats the sorceress on the shoulder. Like a hurt puppy, she winces a little, but eases into the contact when she realized Mizuki was of no harm. "Your info helps. This place is extremely alien, so any help is appreciated." Mafuyu's poker face remains in-tact, but it was clear she wanted to faintly smile. The ranger turns back around to everybody else, furthering the conversation. "Does anybody have any new thoughts?"

Shiho casually raises a hand with furrowed in thought eyebrows. "Yeah, I think I got one. 'The Knowing has fallen, the war is over'. Do you think this place was used by the Mirror Shatterers as a base? They're known for their advanced weaponry, after all." Ena looks down to Hermit IX in quiet sobriety. It was true, their technology was extremely impressive. She herself knew nothing of the sword which she carried and the legacy behind it - all she knew was that its twin was in the hands of her brother... wherever he was. ...If he was even still alive. Shiho continues further with her line of questioning. "And... what's this 'Bridge' the memo mentioned?"

Silence. Not one had an answer, not even Mafuyu herself. Shiho lowered her hand, resting it within her crossed arms once more. She scoffs and clicks her tongue, gazing down to her feet. "Figures. We'll just need to think on it further, then." "D-Don't look so down, Shii," Honami encourages. "I'm sure we'll find answers. Answers about this place, and answers for Mafuyu. We just need to keep pushing forward." The housekeeper's cheerful optimism inspired Saki once again, following through with motivating the parties. "She's right! Nothing can stop us, I know it! We just gotta keep moving, right?"

A quiet, echoing "right" was shared between the two groups. Moral was low, but it wasn't like they wanted to turn back any time soon. For one, they were all nervously curious. They wanted to know more of this strange labyrinth of locked rooms and relics of a war-torn past. And, for two, they didn't want to endure the trial of the spiked ceiling again any time soon. This was the more prevalent of the two reasons for many. Best put visiting that ordeal off for as long as possible.

The two parties, once their pleasantries and discussions had been exchanged and their energy recharged, prevailed further into the corridors of mystery. Locked doors once more occupied the walls to their sides, with Mizuki deciding to follow the single stripe trail of red paint. It seemed effective, they didn't end up winding around back where they came through this oddly successful navigational method. At occasion, the wires which hung from the ceiling would spark and hiss, startling Ichika, but she would quickly recover in order to keep her brave front up. Ena accompanied Mizuki and the sage both up front, keeping her blade drawn by her hip in case of a sudden ambush, while Saki stayed in the back by Kanade and Mafuyu.

Mafuyu turned over to Kanade, the two's hands still interlocked. "K..." Kanade shifted her eyes from the path ahead to Mafuyu's hollow eyes, ready to respond to whatever she had to say. "Yes?" "If you don't mind me asking... What's inside the locket?" Kanade took a second to process this question, seeing as it was entirely unrelated to their current situation. "Where's this coming from?" "Curiosity." "Ah, hm. Yeah." She fiddled with it for a second, before leaning onto Mafuyu's shoulder. "...Here, I guess." The cleric almost thoughtlessly clicked the locket open, revealing a family photo to the sorceress. It was grainy, old, black and white. It looked a tad deteriorated, which came to a shock to even the cleric herself. This entire time she had avoided popping open what had hung around her neck in order to avoid being haunted by the memories of which she lost.

It was almost as if she had nearly forgotten what it looked like.

It was strange... she didn't feel the harrowing weight of such a thought when she was with Mafuyu, even though she had every right to. Kanade and Mafuyu wordlessly walked together, as the latter silently stared at the photo. She felt guilty. Was it wrong to feel weightless when there was somebody by her side? Kanade looked to the photo, her eyes softening at the sight of a tiny girl surrounded by loving parents who clung to her dearly.

"That's your mother?" "...Yes. That's right." "I saw a few photos of her in your house. I was wondering why she looked so similar to you."

Kanade's breath quivers a little bit. She was used to the photos in her house, the very same ones she had tormented herself with for years, but to think she had forgotten what one of them had looked like... Photos were all that remained, besides memories. To let a photo fade to memory was to lose a piece of that memory itself.

"Your mother was pretty. She had your eyes."

Kanade sniffles a little. "Thank you, Mafuyu..." "Of course." The cleric slowly closes the locket, letting it hang loose from her neck again. That was enough of those painful thoughts, at least, for now. Kanade looks ahead once more, thinking of something further to say. She didn't want to end the conversation awkwardly, with her tearing up. She wanted to know more about Mafuyu. "Can... I ask you a question myself?" "Yes." The question the cleric had in mind may be tricky. She knew it was a bit of a sensitive subject, but she wanted to have more connection with her closest ally. She prefixed her question with another, almost as if to ask if she could dip her toes into the waters. "It's, uhh... about your mother. Is that alright?" Mafuyu turned over and looked a tad dismayed, but sunk quickly into ease. "...If it's you, that's okay." Kanade's eyes twinkled, but resumed to what she wanted to ask initially. "Do... you remember outside the coffee shop..?" Mafuyu nods. "What about it?" "You said you wouldn't care if your mom... passed, right?" The sorceress didn't stop walking alongside Kanade, nor did she let out a sigh. It was just quiet between the two, as if she needed a moment to think to herself. "I think I would care. I was just going through something that day." "I see..." "I don't really know... what to think about her. It's easier not to think. It's easier to clear my head and forget."

Kanade nodded. She also preferred not to think. This desire to not think about the self was why she looked to the ceiling in her isolation - to avoid the potion recipes on the floor, and to avoid looking at the photos on the wall. It was like she was trapped between two worlds of the past and the present in her self-induced isolation. It was still a habit she had, even when there was no roof over her head. Looking upwards cleared her head.

Saki cleared her throat. "Hey, uh... sorry to interrupt your moment, but uh..." Mafuyu and Kanade both share similar shock to their quiet unintentional eavesdropper, the latter of the two girls' shoulders bouncing as if they triggered by a tremor. Saki points down a hallway to the group's right, disconnected from the red streak of paint. "Anybody else see that down there?"

Both parties suddenly stop, as if they were lassoed and dragged away by a sheriff. Slowly backtracking to Saki's side, the parties look down to where she had pointed to. A dim, faint sign glowed with English text at the very end of the hall. "What's that say, Mafuyu?" The sorceress squinted and leaned inward. "Emergency Exit." Ena's eyes opened wide in a responsive measure, clearly ecstatic with this information. "Emergency Exit?! Shouldn't we see where that goes, just in case we need it?!" Ichika nods. "I was thinking the same thing. There's no harm in checking. What about you guys, should we put it to a vote?"

No objections. With that, Mizuki nods their head with an earnest smile, taking the lead wordlessly. The black haired sage quickly tails behind them, lighting the right wall with torches with hurried and stammered paces. The eight proceed towards the glowing exit sign, but their attention is yet again diverted similar to jingling keys in front of a child lacking object permanence. Mizuki almost walks past it, but quickly makes a double-take with an abnormal grunt coming from their chest. Honami leans forward, her voice beginning to ask "What is it," but trails off midway through the admittedly short question. It was easy to see what had immediately caught the ranger in place - a second Violet Grip insignia.

The clenched fist dimly glowing purple engraved into the metal turned heads. Shiho furrowed her eyes. "...A second one?" Ena walked close to it, knocking on it lightly with the top of her knuckles. "Mafuyu, do you think you can do that... thing again?" Mafuyu silently stares in contemplation for a moment, a low, breathy hum emitting from her lips. "I don't know how I did it before." Mizuki rested their arm against the wall, leaning their weight on it as they looked to Mafuyu in patient disbelief. "If we're rollin' with the assumption this is a hex, you clearly broke the seal, didn't you? Do you remember how you felt in that moment, and the motion of your hand?" More silence filled the hall as Mafuyu recalled her thoughts.

The only emotion she could recall before her body went on auto-pilot was fear.

Honami raised an index finger up to chest-level, a recollection bubbling inside. "Mafuyu, before the seal was broken, you held your fist up, didn't you?" "No." "...What do you mean, 'no'? I saw you do that." "Oh. I don't remember." Mizuki snorted, but the amusement could barely be heard over Shiho picking up the pieces from where Honami had started. "Try that again. Hold your fist out to the hex, we'll see if it breaks from there."

Kanade looked a bit worried, but if Mafuyu was able to break the hex without her wand the first time, she should be capable of doing it a second time, right? She should trust Mafuyu, shouldn't she? The cleric bit her tongue and backed away from the sorceress, similar to everyone else. Nobody particularly wanted to get caught in the crossfire of the sudden wind blasts and collapsing metal.

"...Kanade, can... you stand by?" "Hm?" Mafuyu looked strangely timid in her request, which was much unlike her. "Could she be flustered?" The cleric thought to herself. "That's a cute side... I wouldn't have expected that from her..." Kanade's train of thought was interrupted, with Mafuyu slowly turning back to the insignia with a hollowed expression. "...I'd prefer if you were close." "O-Oh... Yes, of course..."

The cleric outstretched her staff, extending and transforming it outward into the sturdy umbrella. If rubble were to fall on them, the plan would be to shield Mafuyu from the dust, fumes, and whatever else may fall their way. "...Alright, shall we begin?" "Yes." Mafuyu held her hand in front of her chest, right palm towards the wall. She stared down the crest with determined and fervent eyes, trying to feel the same fear she felt when she had first laid eyes on the crest on the wall. She took in a drag of air, exhaling it thoroughly from the recesses of her lungs.

"I want to breathe," she thought.

Similar to the last time, light poured out from beneath her glove and the wall alike, the dimly lit white halls being encased in a harsh, blinding purple glow. Kanade shut her eyes tight as she held the umbrella up, angled properly for Mafuyu to focus down the target of her concentrated firepower. The hissing of snaps and wires could be heard above, shrouding the hall in a light fog as the walkway beneath them shook as violent as a small earthquake, one capable of knocking fine china off the shelves. And yet again, just as suddenly as the light had begun to glow, it went dark. Quiet. The eight knew what was to come next, so they firmly planted themselves down in preparation. As on cue, violent gusts of wind rush out from the wall like a leaky dam having given under, violently whipping and lashing all who stood near it. As if to keep Mafuyu in place, Kanade wrapped her arm around the sorceress's hip and tightly clung onto her - even if the latter frankly didn't need it. The umbrella did little to protect against the violent breeze, but it did protect the two's eyes from the metal wall that had caved before them, collapsing to the foundation with the harrowing echo of contorting steel scratching upon itself.

When the smoke cleared, what had lie before them was a more familiar sight to what they were used to - a stone corridor, with a large oak door on the other side of the room. Unlit torches brought the room a touch of symmetry, creating a path to said oak door. It felt almost as if it were an extension to the prison before they had stumbled into the labyrinth of steel, as if the metal halls were built smack-dab in the center of a much larger dungeon.

Surely a slight detour would suffice, right? The exit is right there, after all. If the situation goes awol, it wouldn't be tremendously difficult to turn tail and get out of there at a moment's notice. Mafuyu's shoulders hitch as Mizuki lightly pats them down with a grin. "Good work, Mafuyu. Though... work on the windy-thing, 'kay?" Mafuyu quietly nodded, neutral expression as prevalent as ever. "Good. You're killin' Ena with that breeze. You'll ruin her oh-so perfect hair." From the corner of her eye, Mafuyu noticed Ena lean into a shout of annoyance, her ears fluttering rapidly as if she were trying to take flight. "Shut up!! My hair is naturally like this!"

Preparing her staff to light the way, Ichika turns to Honami with cautious optimism. "Anything?" The augur clutched her amulet and cased the room with a foresight, detecting nothing of interest. "No... No, we should be okay..." "Alright... With that, then..." The two parties step forward into the returning aesthetic of the dungeon. Familiarity washed over the eight, losing the sensation of fear of the unknown and becoming engulfed in the aura of the stone jail. It truly felt as if they had returned back to their 'normal' after roaming the halls of another world for some time. To Kanade, the feeling of stone beneath her platform boots felt infinitely more satisfying than the unnerving stiffness of metal.

As they walked towards the oak door, once Mizuki had stepped past the first set of parallel torches, the two torches instantly went aflame by themselves in a roar. Catching everybody by surprise, they all immediately stop in their tracks to prepare for danger - danger which never came. Mizuki shoots their head back to Honami with gritted and anxious teeth. "You said it's safe..." "I-It is..." Mizuki clicks their tongue, and with an unsteady heart, nervously presses forward. With each set of torches the party passed, they would light up in a burst of flame. One after one, torch after torch, the room began to brighten in fire, so much so to the point neither Ichika nor Mizuki were required. It felt as if the remaining unlit torches were a countdown, the closer they got to the door on the other end, the closer they were to something bad, something dangerous. Passing underneath a stone arch, the final torches went ablaze. They found themselves standing in front of the oak door, a sense of danger permeating from it. A dangerous aura seeped from underside of the door, dripping through the crack below. Mizuki held onto the door's ringed handle, and looked to Honami once more. "Divination, please." Honami closed her eyes as she received the foresight, lightly humming a single note to herself. "...There's... a monster on the other side. We don't fight it straight away. It isn't hostile... well, at least, not within the first ten seconds..." Mizuki frowned in confusion from this response. "Not hostile within the first ten seconds..?" "That's right. It's armed, but it won't fight us the moment it detects us."

Saki draws her blade with one hand, and cuffs her chin with the other. "It might not be hostile, but we should prepare for the worst. The foresight is only ten seconds, after all. Shiho, do you think you can give us some buffs in advance?" The bard nods her head, taking hold of her guitar. String after string, each member of the party feels invigorated in their own way. For Ena and Saki, a strength buff was applied, seeing as they're the heaviest hitters of the party. Kanade, Ichika, and Mafuyu all received a magic boosting buff, for pretty obvious reasons. Mizuki received the sole speed buff to capitalize on their already high speed and limber body movements, totaling them to be the most capable of running circles around whatever entity lie before them. And finally, Shiho and Honami both were not much for fighting on the battlefield. The two of them shared a defense boosting spell, skin becoming hard like iron.

Mizuki held onto the door's handle as fiercely as they hung to their chakram. "Everybody, are we ready..?"

The two parties silently nod, all properly equipped with their weapons and having prepared themselves mentally for whatever lie ahead. With a slow turn of their head, Mizuki pushed the oak door open.

The wooden oak loudly and obnoxiously creaked as it glided over the stone flooring, only further fueling the tension in the air. The massive space the eight had stepped into was hot and stiff, the air feeling nigh suffocating and extremely oppressive to the senses. It was difficult to breathe due to a mixture of the warmth and stuffiness, clearly having no ventilation in any capacity for many years. The room itself was square-shaped, the center of which lightly inclining downward into shallow water, and... waiting within the warm water was the monster which Honami had warned the parties of.

A massive, hulking minotaur. It sat in the shallow pool with its legs crossed, five large golden blades implanted in the ground behind it - swords so big, only the minotaur itself could properly wield them effectively. It seemed almost as if it were waiting for something, or... perhaps someone. The golden swords carried this disgusting aura of danger down their sharp edges, each one reflecting the dim light of the torches that surrounded the walls. Purple eyes seem to glow from the shadows of its obscured in darkness face, its breath coming out in large, labored lunges. Everyone could feel the weight of its presence in the air, a presence almost as thick and dangerous as the stiffness of the room itself.

A bellowing, deep voice was heard echoing throughout the chambers, but no lips had spoken. It was almost as if the voice was projected into the very brains of the steeled Adventurers.

"Those who trespass within the Tomb of The Denial... Step forth."

"Wh-Who said that?" Ena shouted into void, sweaty fingers anxiously wrapped around Hermit IX's throttle. "You ask such a question when the answer lies before you..? ...Step forth." Individually, the realization clicked with everybody. The voice was projecting from the minotaur itself. Everybody nervously looked to one another... but found it in their best interest to comply with the commands of the beast before them.

The two parties slid down the into the shallow water, cautiously approaching the minotaur. It looked to each member of the two groups individually, gauging and judging them one by one. It emitted low grumbles as its head glazed to each Adventurer, quietly nodding... up until it saw Mafuyu.

"Fascinating..."

With the splashing of the water which it rested in, the minotaur slowly stood up from its puddle, the sound of snapping and popping following every movement of its joints. Standing upright on its own two feet, it was easily a hulking ten feet tall. No longer obfuscated in darkness and now lit by torchlight, everybody was able to properly digest the minotaur's appearance. It had the head of a cow with swirling, chipped horns that spiraled backward like jagged spikes which one could be pierced on, and a weighted golden ring hanging from its nostrils that held its head hunched forward. It had the torso of a hairless man with fiercely toned abs, which contrasted the legs of the beast, which were both hairy and mottled like a goat's hind legs. Its stern gaze felt powerful enough to drill a hole in the heads of those who it stared at, but the Adventurers held on, keeping their intimidated wills unshaken.

"I am the guardian of The Tomb. I am that I am."

"A great many years ago, I was created with the sole purpose of preventing any and all from proceeding further. I have indiscriminately slaughtered all who had the misfortune of falling in my path, in upholding my duty as per my contract. Which is why..."

The minotaur wraps a burly, veiny hand around the hilt of one of its golden blades, and pulls it out of the ground with a metallic swing.

"The daughter of my master... Why have you come?"

Chapter Text

Mafuyu's eyes sunk with the stiffness of the words projected into her brain. The air was thick with an aura of unresolved and confused feelings which steamed off of the purple sorceress as she stood in place. Her face shifted as she attempted to find the words to say, emotions ranging from confusion, fear, anger, sadness, neutrality. The minotaur's purple eyes fiercely gazed down to the Grip's daughter as she wracked her brain... before asking for reiteration. "You're... talking to me?" "You're an Asahina... I can see it within your eyes. You are the spitting image of your mother." The atmosphere within the room was heavy upon the minotaur's words, the beast sliding its pale hand against one of the golden blades. Mafuyu takes a step closer to the minotaur, the shallow puddle beneath her sputtering up, soaking her boots. "Your... master? Your master is my mother?" The cow-headed monster slowly nods its massive head, a steam of breath blowing out from its large nostrils. "Indeed... She spoke many a years ago of a daughter she wished to have, one who shall supersede her skills and overtake her title."

Mafuyu blinked slowly, processing this information.

"She... wanted me to take her place, even before I was born..?"

The minotaur once again asked the question it had posed prior. "Young Asahina... Why have you entered my domain..?" Mafuyu quickly looked to her allies, struggling to find words. It was only when her desperate eyes met Kanade's, she could formulate an answer. "W-We were just dungeon crawling. For fun." The beast growled an inquisitive hum, narrowing its eyes in suspicion. "Curiosity that bring you here, or utter stupidity..? Perhaps it is not my jurisdiction to judge."

Despite the passive aggressiveness, the minotaur had shown no trace of hostility towards the group. Seeing this for herself, Ena lowered her guard to speak to the monster. The elf let her blade hang loose, the tip of which dipping lightly into the water. "Minotaur... If I may..." "Speak." "...Why are you here? And... what is this place, really?" The minotaur tilts its head away, before turning around and revealing its hairless back to the two parties. Charred into its back was, once again, the fist of the Grip. Slowly turning its head over its shoulder, it looks to the elf with sternness. "I am a humble servant of The Violet Grip, created of magic by her desires. I am but a devout Familiar of her will, a weapon which she grips." Ichika follows with her own question. "A Familiar? As in... an animal servant, correct? And, you said 'created'?" "Indeed. While blood flows within my veins, I am naught but an Arcane Artificial." The minotaur turns back to the eight Adventurers, torchlight shining vividly off of the golden blade's brilliance. "As for where you have found yourselves, I must repeat my own words. You find yourselves within the Tomb of The Denial, one of the six Grievances. My purpose, as per contractually obliged by The Grip, is to indiscriminately smite any and all who reach this point."

A loud, echoing clap came from one of the eight Adventurers, all heads turning towards the source. "Wellp! It's been great to know ya, mister minotaur." Mizuki bellowed with a confident voice. "We'll just be on our merry way, turn around. You don't worry 'bout us no more, 'kay?" The pink haired ranger eagerly turns around and begins heading up the incline to solid ground, speaking nonchalantly to the beast as they ascended. "You worry about you'self and make you'self some money, we'll do the same."

"I believe you missed the part where I said... 'indiscriminately smite'."

Catching everybody off guard, purple flames arose from the outer rim of the inclined flooring, nearly alighting Mizuki. The blazes roared to life, the peaks of which reaching the heights of the ceiling above their heads. Everybody had found themselves entombed with the minotaur - confrontation with a hulking beast becoming inevitable.

"Oh God dammit..."

Shiho quickly jolts her head back to the towering Familiar, firmly planting her feet into place. Her voice was unusually frantic from her typical cool demeanor, eyes giving under, flooding with subtle panic. "Seriously, we don't mean any harm! Come on, we can just get outta here, like nothing ever happened!" The minotaur angled the golden blade clutched in its hands to its side, kicking the water behind it as it prepared for engagement. "No cuts of meat leave the butchery, not even the daughter of my master." With a tremendous step, the minotaur drew close to Mafuyu. The beast with purple eyes lift its blade up, pointing it directly towards the daughter of the Grip. "Slices of meat which hang from the slaughterhouse all drip red. Lineage means naught to a corpse."

Mafuyu takes a few, short steps back. She was the closest to the beast, the rest of the party a fair bit away. She was right in the line of fire.

Honami quickly nudges Kanade, the fortune teller tightly clutching her amulet. Her icy blue eyes had been torn wide open as she stared fervently to the cleric, voice quaking in fear. "Save her."

It didn't exactly take a genius to know what she had just foresaw.

Kanade's nonathletic body took off in a clumsy sprint, kicking up the shallow water her platform boots had sunk under. Even if her speed boost had worn off over the course of exploring the metal labyrinth, her body still felt engulfed in a flame of desperation. She was acting on instinct, on a fight or flight reflex - it was evident to see which of the two choices her heart had chose.

"Now, come... Put on a good show..!"

A clear mist of droplets bursts into the air as the minotaur kicked off in flight, running with its blade dragging behind it. The minotaur was making a beeline straight towards Mafuyu, each bellowing stomp sending shivers down the sorceress's spine. Caught in a web of her own fear, the strings that bound her limbs went stiff. She couldn't move. She was utterly frozen in fear as the monster came closer and closer, raising its blade to its side for a horizontal slash. With a violent flick of its arm, the massive golden sword twirled around to the front of its body, aiming to cut down Mafuyu like tall grass in a garden. The sorceress nigh stared down her own reflection in the harrowing blade, thoughts ending at thus.

She was repulsed by the way her reflection looked in the golden blade.

With a reverberating thud, the sword found itself on the business end of Kanade's sturdy umbrella, the cleric using it as a shield to protect Mafuyu. However, given the lack of muscle mass on the silver haired girl, the sheer velocity of the blade sent Kanade and Mafuyu both flying to the side, spiraling into the water likespinning arrows. Kanade quickly shoots her head up from the water, hair soaked in the pool the two lie down in. "M-Mafuyu, are you okay?!" "..." Mafuyu proved unresponsive, but conscious nonetheless. Wordless breaths sputtered from the sorceress, but her eyes answered in place of a voice. The cleric's staff had been knocked to the side, flung a distance away and leaving her defenseless. With the sound of loud stomps and splashes coming their way, Kanade crawled through the water towards Mafuyu, lying on top of her. Kanade wrapped her arms around Mafuyu's shoulders, bracing herself for impact. "I got you, I got you..." The last thing she saw before she clutched her eyes shut was the shadow of the beast emerging over the two, its silhouette raising its blade above its head with two hands.

Two swords caught the impact on Kanade's behalf, the sound of blades locking dominating the air behind them. Mafuyu slowly peered over Kanade's shoulder, looking over her savior's shoulder. In front of them were Ena and Saki both, holding the blade in place with their swords. Saki, in particular, had fallen to a knee under the weight of the sword, while Ena's firm stance was unshakable, almost as if she were a tree with roots tangled into the earth. The elf cocked her head over her shoulder, looking squarely to Mafuyu. "The hell was that?! Get up!!" The minotaur bounced its blade off the two swords, firming its glare and readjusting to its two new targets.

Ena firmed her glare to Saki, ordering commands. "Split!!" The twin tailed warrior nods in response, leaping left, Ena diving right. With a mighty roar, the minotaur spun its blade over its head, twirling it like a propeller before angling it outward to Saki. The monster bent over, preparing to break into chase after her, steam burrowing out from its nostrils - but did no such thing. Instead, Mafuyu watched as it raised a foot up in the air. With a tremendous, ear-shatteringly loud bellow that shook the walls and the flames defining the battle field, the minotaur stomped its foot firmly into the ground, summoning geysers of water which burst outward towards Saki. One geyser, two geysers, three geysers, four. Each spurt of the explosive water burst up, catching Saki in its wake and launching her flying into the air. Entombed in the geyser which had been lifting her upwards felt like she was trapped in a cage of water - she couldn't breathe. At first, she held her breath tightly, but that ceased when she reached the pinnacle of the geyser, sending her plummeting towards the ground. In a quick response from Mizuki, the ranger tossed their chakram into Saki's back, summoning the magic ring and Saki's flailing body towards their direction. Mizuki managed to catch Saki, only barely, against the inclined slope. The warrior was 'safely' brought back down to the earth, though bleeding from the gash which the chakram had lodged itself into. "You okay?!" Sucking the air through clenched teeth, Saki forces out a smile. "Y-Yeah, thanks Mizuki..." She was clearly in a lot of pain. She may need to sit out for a moment.

With Saki out of the picture , the minotaur quickly drafts its gaze back to Ena, still relatively close to the beast. The elf, now with the foresight the monster can do more than just swing a big knife, began to analyze every movement of its joints. It can launch geysers from the water, and it has near super-speed with a devastating burst of energy. If it has the crest of The Grip on its back, perhaps Mafuyu could break that seal and weaken it? That would be to say the sorceress was even capable of doing so - she had been freezing up a lot as of late. Ena tightened half of her face, bearing fangs as she stared down the minotaur. "Such a troublesome girl..." Ena thought to herself, her mind racing a million miles per hour. "I just need to distract it, and hope somebody can pop it from behind..." Ena firmly began to walk backwards, eyes stiff on the minotaur before her. Her back was hunched over, arms outstretched with the tip angled outward towards the beast. With each step back she took, the minotaur took a slow step closer. A single pace it took was three steps for Ena - it was approaching fast. Her ears twitched violently, brain wracking.

In her wracked desperation, her brain flashed a vivid memory.

A girl slashed and bruised lie still against the ground, sword knocked away from her collapsed body. Her arms supported her upper back as she lifted her head off the ground, taking sight through the blood that dripped over her eyes. The silhouette of the man she called father sheathed his sword, shaking his head in disappointment. When Akito had left the village, it left her without a sparring partner. Or... that would be true, if the village leader hadn't been there.

At least... Akito felt bad about slicing her like fresh fruit.

Her father felt no such thing.

"How can you protect another if you cannot protect yourself?"

These shitty memories were like coal fueling a furnace. They were all she needed to give her a spike in moral. The minotaur was faster than her, sure. But it was also larger. Much larger. And... she thought of a plan. She quickly shoots a gaze to the ranger on the other side of the arena, and cocks her head. Mizuki nods in response. The two allies were quick to come to the same idea.

In the midst of Ena's struggle, Kanade and Mafuyu lie spread out in the water still. The cleric buried her face into the sorceress's shoulder, nuzzling the side of her neck softly. Kanade's voice was raspy and in a whisper, almost as if trying to console her. "You gotta stop freezing up like that, Mafuyu... You're going to give me a heart attack..." "...Sorry." "That's the second time today... When this is over, you rest... okay?" Mafuyu slowly nodded, the back of her head still engulfed in the water. "Mmhm..." "C'mon... get up..."

Ena quickly began sprinting towards the minotaur, sword carried behind her with the both of her hands. She cried out a fierce and determined scream as she flew off the ground, her body hunched over as she kept a close eye on the minotaur's movements. The beast raised its blade to the side, readying itself for a horizontal slice mere inches off the ground, and came in with a swing that could chop a tree in a single blow. As if her legs were springs, Ena flung herself in the air, narrowly dodging the swing and landing back into a tuck-and-roll dodge, continuing her acceleration back on her own two feet. The beast had become immobilized from the velocity of its own swing, leaving it defenseless to any incoming attack from the swordswoman. Seizing her opportunity to strike, she slid to her knees beneath the minotaur's legs, driving her blade firmly into the back of the beast's left leg. Ferocious roaring let out from the blade as she revved it continuously, to the minotaur's loud and pained anguish. With the sharp vocalization of a cow's moo, the minotaur lifted its leg in front of it, kicking Ena out from behind. Plunging its hoof squarely into the elf's stomach, Ena went flying back, tumbling and rolling into the water. Her sword was still skewered into the minotaur's leg leaving her weaponless, yet her assault had been successful. With her damage buff, she had taken a considerable toll on the minotaur's super-speed. It would likely no longer be able to charge with the momentum of a rampaging rage-ridden bull.

The minotaur shakes its staked leg, almost as if to brush off the pain. It turns its head over its shoulder as it glared to Ena, scoffing loudly as steam blew from its face.

"Nice knife, elf..."

Ena grinned. "Distracted much?"

The minotaur squinted its eyes in confusion, before feeling the sharp pain of Hermit IX getting ripped out from its leg. The ranger, with their speed buff, had successfully blindsighted the minotaur in their assault. A pain-induced reflex forces the towering beast's leg to violently jolt, attempting to kick out Mizuki from beneath it, who managed to dodge each hooved attack with finesse. With the minotaur's attention squarely aimed to them, Mizuki takes several leaps back, shouting out to their friend. "Enaaa, I don't know how to use your sword!" "Mind your posture!!" Ena shouts from the other side of the arena. "Defend with the blunt end of the blade, slash with the edges!!" Mizuki continues to leap backwards as the minotaur's intimidating steps sends ripples through the water. "Uh huh, uh huh?!" "When trying to stab, shift your weight alongside the movement of the sword--" "This is stupid!! I don't care!!" Mizuki haphazardly chucks Hermit IX to the side, summons their chakram from above their head, and throws it firmly at the minotaur. The ring bounces clean off the hulking monster's pecs, falling to its side and rolling in the water like a discarded coin.

"Oh." Mizuki begrudgingly picks Hermit IX out from the pool of water.

Ichika, Honami, and Shiho all stand close by Saki's side, tending to her wound as Mizuki keeps attention funneled to themselves. Ichika kept her hands applied down to Saki's gash, staining her hands red in her girlfriend's blood, much to her discomfort. "Hey, hey. Ichika, stay strong." The sage looked up to the bard, who nodded her head. "Honami and I aren't fighters - you need to get your head in the game. We'll take care of her, okay?" Ichika's face soured in sadness, not wanting to leave Saki's side. "...But..." "Shiho is right... You need to help Mizuki and Ena, okay?" Ichika looked downward to her partner. Honami had already given her a lesser healing potion, making sure she would at least remain in stable condition. In due time she would recover, but Ichika couldn't help but worry. The sage looked up to both the augur and the bard with worried eyes. "Are you guys sure..?" Shiho nods. "Positive. We got this."

The sage looks a little disheartened, but stiffens her face in determination. Shiho was right. Ichika can fight. The sage nods her head, rinsing her hands in the shallow water. The color of blood dyes the pool beneath her, spreading outward in waves like food coloring. Drying her hands on her pants, the sage picks up her staff and tome, and rushes inward to the fight. Ichika was never one for downright offensive magic - she found it was too uncivilized for a girl such as herself. She doubted mental spells such as Disorient would be effective on a monster with a strong conscious, so she had to think smart, not hard. She had to utilize the tools which she had already known, rather than try and learn something new on the fly.

Metal manipulation... That sounds good.

Ichika quickly flips across page after page as she ran inward, rapidly peeking upwards at the minotaur to gauge where its attention had been focused to. The splashing of water accompanied her every step as she turned the pages of her tome, intensely studying their contents to see if they were applicable to her situation. "A-Ah, here..." Ichika stops in place, her eyes being guided across the texts by her index finger. "Ferreus Metallis... This one, maybe..." This spell, if utilized properly, could change fundamental aspects of objects composed of metal. However, it would take a significant amount of time and mana to alter larger objects, neither of which she had ample resources of. The sword the minotaur was carrying was a no-go, so she had to settle for something smaller. Ichika outstretches her staff, aiming it to the beast.

Mizuki deflected strike after strike of the golden blade, though they typically preferred to dodge whenever they could. They had no confidence in fighting with a weapon they had never used before, so planting their feet into the ground and blocking whatever came their way would prove most effective. The minotaur raised its foot up into the air, slamming it down into the stone flooring as it did prior. Geysers launched towards Mizuki's direction, but the ranger had successfully leapt out of harm's wake. Mizuki had found themselves on the incline on the opposite end of which they all came from, back against the fiery barrier. Mizuki gritted their teeth as they looked for an opening as the beast closed in, a massive cloud of steam puffing out from its face and engulfing the ranger. They were effectively blinded by the cloud, only gaining their bearings when they felt the grip of the minotaur's burly hand wrapping around their waist. The minotaur slammed Mizuki into the stone incline with the force of a mountain, cracking the flooring beneath them with massive thuds. Struggle all they could, Mizuki couldn't shove the clenched hand keeping them shackled off. The beast repeatedly slammed the ranger into the ground, further driving the ranger into the stone around them, creating a makeshift grave. Bloodied, bruised, and on the brink of passing out, Mizuki found their vision blurring and dimming - but could make one thing out: the sharp end of the golden blade, aimed straight towards them.

"Hhhrgh.... Grggh..?"

The minotaur began to make labored grunts, loosening its grip on Mizuki and letting go all together. Firmly planted into a massive indent of chipped stone, Mizuki attempted to articulate what the hell just happened. The minotaur began to struggle to keep its head lifted up, almost as if something was pushing it down with violent force. It was then when the ranger looked over to Ichika, standing a close distance away, a blue light dimly emitting from their staff. With an intense, labored moo, the minotaur's head was plunged into the stone, creating its own indent into the incline. Mizuki quickly stands up from their hole in the slope, but trips in their dazed state and stumbles down the incline.

Ena staggers to stand up to her own two feet, clutching her pained stomach. That kick got her good, but she could still fight. She just needed to get her weapon back from Mizuki, who had begun rolling and tumbling down the slope. "Ichika..!" The sage doesn't turn to face Ena, but shakes her head. "I'm... trying to focus!!" Ena narrows her eyes, trying to understand the spell which Ichika had been casting with such proficiency. Ena mumbles to herself as she begins to take pained steps towards Mizuki. "What... is she doing?"

Green light engulfs the elf, the pain in her stomach being lifted off of her like a massive, weighted stone. She turns around, facing Kanade and Mafuyu, the former healing the swordswoman back to peak performance with her staff. "S-Sorry about the wait... Everything alright?" Ena frowns in annoyance. "Better late than never, I guess. The hell took so long?" In place of an answer, Mafuyu points outwards with a monotonous and deadpan voice. "Metal manipulation." "Excuse me?" "Metal manipulation." Ena cringes. "Yeah, I heard you the first time. What do you mean?" Mafuyu tilts her head as if the answer was evident. "Ichika is focusing her energy on the minotaur's nose ring. She's applying weight to it, holding its head in place." Kanade smiles to Mafuyu. "So... basically, this is our opportunity." Ena takes in a breath, nodding her head. "Mafuyu... You see how your mother's symbol is burnt into the minotaur's back, yes?" "...Mmhm." The elf smiles nefariously. "Do you think that's a hex of some sort?"

Mizuki pulls their head out from the puddle, blinking heavily to get the water out from their eyes. Still rather dazed from the assault, the ranger struggles to stand up, swaying side to side with wobbly legs. "C-C'mon, Mizuki..." They murmured to themselves, sliding Hermit IX out from the water. "You didn't survive exile by being a goddamn pussy, what's one minotaur to you..?" The sword wielding ranger finds footing in the shallow water, slowly stepping towards the minotaur. They dig their fingernails into its side, scaling upwards the beast's back.

"G-Get off, you..!"

Mizuki raises Hermit IX above their head with two hands, both eyes twitching to stay awake in different intervals. "And a-one, and a-two, and a-one-two..."

The ranger plunges Ena's sword through the minotaur's back, the beast arching and twitching violently as the blade burrowed deeper inside. "GET OFF..!!"

Ichika dropped her tome, the book falling into the water. It was difficult to focus as pain began to surge in her head, stirring and popping like a pot of boiling soup. The sage clutched her head as she continued to try and focus on the minotaur. "I... I can't..!" The minotaur, head stiffly lodged into the ground, takes both of its burly hands and grasps firmly to the ring around its nose. With an exhausted and pained scream, the beast cleanly rips the ring clear from its nose, tearing out its own skin out in the process. The minotaur firmly shoots upright, knocking Mizuki off its back and sending them plummeting into the water once more. In a display of fury, the beast plants its feet into the ground, and angles its arms upward as it bellowed out a horrifying, bloodcurdling roar. It once more grabbed the staggered ranger, and firmly planted their head face first into the water.

"Don't you... think for a second... your actions will go unpunished!!"

Try all Mizuki could, they couldn't overpower the minotaur's grip. They flailed their limbs helplessly as the minotaur forcefully held their head in the water. With a final, violent shove into the water, Mizuki's efforts to loosen themselves stopped, their arms falling to their sides.

Ena shot her eyes to Kanade. "Stay here. Mafuyu, come with me." Kanade nodded, stepping back to let her allies take the assault. Ena easily outpaced Mafuyu, the former of the two shouting to capture the beast's attention. However, no matter how loud she shouted, the minotaur refused to let go of Mizuki. "Mafuyu!! The hex!!" The sorceress outstretched her hand, clutching her fist towards the beast. Light poured out from its back as it arched inward in a shriek of pain, giving ample opportunity for Ena to leap upward onto the beast and reclaim her sword. She wrapped both palms around the hilt, pulling her sword out and over her head.

The elf swiftly lept off the beast's back, circling around to Mizuki's side. Adrenaline and the strength buff pumping through her veins like a rampaging current, she quickly scooped the passed out ranger into her arms, and ran as far as she possibly could. "Wake up, wake up... C'mon..."

Ena quickly brought Mizuki to Kanade's side, the two of them falling to their knees. Ena spoke in desperation, but tried to keep the panic buried within. Traces of which bubbled up through her voice, but she couldn't help it. Mizuki was hurt, really bad. "Please - do something. Do something now, please." The elf was putting a lot of pressure onto the cleric, so much so it was a little intimidating. "Take care of them, now." Kanade stiffly nodded, her voice stuttering. "E-Ena, I got this... L-Leave them here. I'll save them." The elf took a drag of the air, trying to cool themselves down. "O-Okay. Alright." Kanade took out her staff, and began to cast her cure spell. She slowly lifts her eyes up to her scared partner, and whispers to her, "Protect Mafuyu. Don't let her get hurt, please."

The elf quietly nodded. She rubbed her thumb across Mizuki's lips. "Please help Mizuki, too." "O-Of course. That's my job." Ena's ears twitched, but she stood up just as quickly as she got irritated. The elf began to sprint full-steam towards Mafuyu and Ichika's side once more.

"Y-You... seem to have some skill, Adventurers... But... it pales in comparison to what my master was capable of..!"

Ena points her blade to the minotaur. "Oh, shut up about your dumb master, already!! Shouldn't you be focused on the fight?!" Mafuyu looked a bit pleasantly surprised over Ena's words, but quickly resumed back to staring down the beast. The minotaur laughed through strained breaths, blood trickling out from where the base of its nostrils once were. "Earlier... I asked if you ventured into my path out of curiosity... or stupidity..." The beast took a harrowing step closer, a loud thud shaking the room. "I... believe... I've found my answer..." Ichika gritted her teeth. "O-Oh yeah?" "You are all..." The minotaur grabs two of the remaining blades lodged into the ground, clashing them together. The noise from the collision of the two swords violently echoed throughout the room, forcing Ichika, Kanade, and Honami to clutch their ears in pain. The minotaur smirks as it angles the two blades outwards by its sides. "You... all are... extremely foolish..!"

The minotaur begins taking labored steps towards the three, all of who disperse outward. With a hefty stomp, geysers burst from the ground once more - but the sage made it to the safety of dry land from the inclined stone. She scurried across the ground as the minotaur hacked the earth with both blades as one would dice a vegetable, its swords nearly catching the sprinting sage a few times. From a safe distance, Mafuyu cast Ice Arrow after Ice Arrow, individually lodging each one into its already gaping wound - but it seemed too hyperfocused on its target to even care about the wound growing deeper and deeper. Using the beast's narrow perception of targeting, Ena quickly flanked the Familiar from behind, numerously slicing the legs in a hit-and-run attack. She spun her sword like a twirling propeller, gracefully swinging it in a new direction each time. With attention now on her, Ena quickly began to lure the staggering beast away from Ichika.

As Ena ran with the minotaur chasing after her, she heard her name get called out to from a distance. The elf stiffly turned her head to the source of the call, finding Shiho raising her guitar up in the air. The bard quickly strums a tune while looking to her, nodding her head rhythmically to the strums of her instrument. Ena felt further adrenaline pump in her arms, her joints practically being lubed by the feeling. Ena nods in gratitude, sprinting outward to Mafuyu.

Reconvening with the sorceress, Ena outstretches Hermit IX to her purple haired ally. "Hang on to this for me - I have a plan." Mafuyu frowned. "Is it a stupid plan?" "Oh, it's pretty stupid." "Okay." "Distract it for me, get its attention."

Doing as requested, Mafuyu underhands dark waves out from the water from her wand, one by one. With each wave and blast, the minotaur protected its face with its bulky, humanoid arms, shrugging them off and taking the lashings like a brick wall. The sturdiness of the creature was nothing to scoff at - and Mafuyu knew this. It was her mother's Familiar, after all. As the minotaur drew close, Mafuyu knew it was time to create distance and run away. She sprinted as fast as her legs would carry her, one hand holding Hermit IX and the other on her wand. She pointed her wand outward to the water itself, freezing it and creating a slide beneath the minotaur's feet. This proved... ineffective, seeing as the minotaur easily shattered the ice with each step. Mafuyu clicked her tongue, almost as if to say "Duh," as she continued to run.

Ena found herself to the other two remaining blades pierced in the ground. She took a deep breath looking to the both of them, smacking her lips as she assessed if this was even a good idea. It wasn't, but still. "This is so dumb." Choosing her target, the elf pressed the both of her palms of the blunt sides of one of the golden blades, and began to pull upward. She squatted her legs as she strained herself, careful not to cut herself on the sharp edge inches in front of her face. Inch by inch, little by little, Ena made progress pulling the sword out from the ground - until it fell to the water with a tall sploosh. The sword was easily her height, if not taller than her. If she attempted to calculate the size of the sword it was probably, at the very least, seven feet tall. Not only that, but it was a pretty thick blade too, meaning she would need some seriously fast reaction-speeds for what she had in mind.

"Oookay... Here I go..."

Ena began running with the sword larger than her dragging behind her, scraping loudly against the stone flooring beneath her. The water slowed down her speed, but she was still capable of moving with her enhanced strength. Bursts of geysers shot upwards from all directions as the minotaur repeatedly slammed its foot into the ground, spurting out and erupting like volcanoes. Droplets of water fell from above every which way, drenching all who found themselves within the arena. One such geyser, Mafuyu used her Cryosis on, creating a makeshift pillar to stand in the rampaging minotaur's way, to... expected results. The beast punched straight through the massive pillar, but that was the sorceress's plan from the beginning. Pointing her wand outward, the ice shards which had been lodged into the minotaur's hand sunk deep into its bloodstream, digging within its skin like an earthworm in soil. The minotaur shrieked a pained cry, writhing back in agony. "Not... a bad maneuver, Young Asahina..." Mafuyu furrowed her brow, her mouth contorting into scorn.

She wasn't sure why that made her so upset. But, more importantly...

The minotaur was clearly on its last legs. The speed of its movement had become significantly dwindled, the flailing of its blades similarly much less precise and much more clumsy. The two parties were on the verge of success - they just needed a few more good blows until...

"Hey, dumb cow!!"

The minotaur lifted an eye over to its side to the illogical, unexpected sight. Ena was carrying its own sword - a blade much larger than her, and flinging her body towards the monster. Raising the sword over her head with two tightly wrapped hands, Ena prepares a double-handed overhead swing as the minotaur scrambled to quickly lift one of its two swords up in defense. Like a bird taking flight, Ena leaps off from the water into the air, soaring as high as she physically could. The beast raises its sword to shield itself from the attack - but Ena wasn't aiming for the head. Catching her footing on the minotaur's massive blade, she takes a second leap and thrusts the blade down - cleaving the minotaur's right forearm into two.

The blades Ena and the minotaur had both been using fall to the ground with a unified clank, with the elf nosediving into the water and tumbling across. She genuinely couldn't believe that that just worked. Red stained her face, but she wiped it off with a self-fulfilled grin. Blood exploded out from the beast like a compromised dam, the beast dropping the sword from its remaining free hand into the water to clutch its wound. It covered the gashing cut, but no matter how tightly it hung to itself, it couldnt stop the blood from contaminating the waters. It was standing in a pool of red, mooing strenuously. It let out several strained, tortured cries, but it wasn't done. Not yet. Not when it still has its legs.

"I... will not give up... until the very end!! For I am... but a weapon to be held!!"

The minotaur begins to rapidly and ferociously stomp again and again, geysers spurting from the water, intermingling with rubble falling from above. The rocks which fell from the ceiling plummeted to the ground, exploding in bursts of water that loudly rang throughout the chamber. Ena and Ichika both reunited with Mafuyu. A smaller, dense group being more likely to evade the sudden onslaught of geysers and falling debris. Pillars of liquid shot from the earth as if to fulfill a quota, a line of geysers aiming directly the three's way. The sorceress cocked her head over her shoulder, looking to the two girls beside her.

"Hang tight." Ichika, with desperate eyes, drops her jaw. "H-Hang tight to what?!"

Mafuyu casts her Cryosis spell beneath the three's feet, creating a plank of ice below them.

Before either Ena or Ichika could prepare themselves, the plank the three stood on had gotten caught into the wake of a sprouting geyser, launching them all upward into the air. As instructed, the elf and the sage clutched onto the edge of the board, screaming the whole way to the top. There was a shared, terrifying sense of weightlessness that coursed through their veins. It was from this elevation that Mafuyu was able to capture a bird's eye view of the trembling room. The crashing of stone falling to the water and the individual bursts of sound that came from the geysers themselves had deafened the girls from above, but the sorceress knew this was her opportunity. From her height, she could see Kanade down below, worryingly staring upward to the three. She had her hands clasped together, covering her mouth as she stared in fear. Mafuyu faintly smiled.

It was her turn to look cool in front of Kanade.

Cryosis spell after Cryosis spell, Mafuyu created planks of ice to bridge across each rising geyser. Ichika reached her hand out, crying out in shock, "What are you doing?!" Mafuyu hadn't even a response. In place of one, she just flashed a thumbs up without even turning her head back, and simply continued forward. Leaping from each of her makeshift platforms, the sorceress carefully closed the distance to the minotaur from above, tightly carrying Hermit IX behind her. Each landing felt riskier and slippier than the last, further distancing herself with her allies. The original platform the three had been riding had long since sunk back to the ground, leaving Mafuyu completely isolated in the air. She felt cold sweat drip down her brow as she cautiously studied each individual leap.

Mafuyu looks to Ena's sword, squeezing down the clutch lever of the blade. "...I think she does it like this..." The sorceress twisted the throttle of the blade, a booming roar from above catching the attention of the minotaur. The beast narrowed its eyes, focusing and trying its hardest to see through blurred vision. Death called from above, its voice taking shape in the sound of an engine racing to life. The sorceress set her wand back into its holster, crouched down the platform, and held the sword outward. She sat perched on her elevation, waiting with a heartbeat frozen in anticipation for when the platform would drop.

The moment the platform began to descend, she felt her stomach fly up to her chest. She was terrified, and yet... she felt alive.

The plank which she had been riding had lowered itself to the point Mafuyu and the minotaur's similarly colored purple eyes had leveled with one another. "Asahina..." Mafuyu scorned at the beast. It was her mother's creation - something she had willed into existence solely to follow her command. In some twisted, disturbing way, it felt almost as if she was gazing into a reflection of who her mother wanted her to be... a monster solely capable of following orders. Mafuyu leapt off the platform, Hermit IX in hand, and lunged onto the minotaur.

Raising the sword above her, Mafuyu skewered the burning blade through the minotaur's head, shattering the mirror.

The world froze over, yet time still flow all the same. Debris fell, geysers concluded their ascent, blood trickled from the beast. Time proceeded onwards. The minotaur had locked into place, unmoving from its planted feet. No wailing cry, no pained moos, just silence.

"You truly... are your mother's image."

Mafuyu made much like the tranquil world around her. She spoke no words.

"...No. Perhaps you are different. Perhaps you are exactly what she wanted."

"Perhaps you are better."

The glow from the eyes of the beast faded to black. The minotaur had been slain by the hands of its master's own kin. Falling forward, the impact of its body nigh creates a tidal wave of the shallow water and blood. Mafuyu tumbled off of the beast, collapsing into the water on her back.

"...M-Mafuyu..!"

She was unfazed by the voice which called her name. She just wanted to stare at the ceiling in silence for a moment.

Chapter Text

The next time Mafuyu opened her eyes, she had been laid outstretched up the incline by the door which they all came from. With strained, difficult breaths she opened her hazy eyes, feeling the presence of shadows looming over her. Her mind had phased out. The sorceress felt her right hand tinge a little from beneath her glove, coursing this soothing sensation from within. She glazed her eye to the side. A figure with long, beautiful white hair sat beside her, looking to her with soft and blue hued eyes. "Finally awake?" Mafuyu squinted, trying to make out the blurry figure in front of her. "...Kanade?" "...Yeah, it's me. The minotaur is dead. You got it." Kanade brushed a strand of hair over her ear. "Are you... feeling okay? You didn't get too hurt during the fight, but I wanted to heal you, just in case..." Mafuyu opens and closes her hand, looking to both sides. There was still some water trapped inside her gloves, but that could be remedied when she had a free moment to hide. "...Yeah, I think I'm okay..."

Mafuyu strains herself sitting up, back aching a slight. The sorceress groaned, pressing her hand behind her to soothe the pain. "O-Oh, be careful..." "I'll be okay." Mafuyu looks to her surroundings, trying to see who else had been resting. Though she didn't immediately notice anybody, she did quickly find a lantern spell roasting right beside her. "Oh, that... We wanted to dry off the soaked clothes, so Ichika and I planted some fires besides those who got drenched." Mafuyu nods in understanding. Come to think of it, her dress had been significantly dried from before. She quietly thought to herself about how much time had passed, but assumed it couldn't have been longer than an hour. The cleric scratches the side of her face, looking a tad flustered. "...and, uh... besides. We didn't want people to get undressed. It wouldn't be wise to be indecent in a place like this." "I guess so."

From a distance, but not too far, Mizuki sat as complacent as a weathering rock, staring at the cracked slope where the Minotaur had slammed them into. They genuinely believed that would've been the end for them... had Ichika not came to their rescue. As far as Mizuki knew, there's no such thing as a revival spell. Well, besides necromancy, but Mizuki didn't particularly fancy the idea of being a mindless zombie. They shut their eyes, the weight of their eyelids soothing their indebted mind. Ichika and Leo/need as a whole, for little in return, had been helping them again and again. Even the fire drying off their clothes and comforting them in their silence had been lit by the sage without even expecting a 'thank you'.

"Hey, mind if I sit here?"

Mizuki looked over their shoulder, finding the twin tailed swordswoman standing above them. "S-Sure..." "Thanks." Saki gently sat beside Mizuki, resting their palms outstretched on the incline. Saki smiled brightly as she and Mizuki both stared emptily off into the arena, but no words were shared. Mizuki didn't really know where to begin to express their gratitude for everything Leo/need has done for Niigo so far. Honami's foresights, Shiho's spells and wits, Saki's positive energy and bubbly personality, and Ichika's continued selflessness and kindness. Without them, Mizuki doubted they would have gotten very far in the dungeon. "Hey, Mizu." Mizuki was caught a little startled from the sudden nickname. "O-Oh... What's up?" "Can I call you that?" The ranger found themselves stuttering over their words, but managed to give a coherent answer. "A-Ah, yeah... If you want, sure." "Hehe, alright." Saki leaned forward, looking to the ranger who sat beside her. "I wanted to thank you, Mizu." "...Thank me?" "Yeah! You saved me earlier, remember? You caught me from the air and saved my life." Mizuki slowly blinked. Perhaps the head trauma from the minotaur's assault had funked with their brain, but the battle post Hermit IX felt like a hazy memory.

"Oh... Yeah, I did that, didn't I?" The ranger put up a mask of fake confidence, and threw their head over the shoulder with a snide smile. "What can I say? Easy as pie for a stud like myself." "No, I'm serious!" Mizuki's mask dropped as immediately as they had put it on. This sudden praise was entirely unexpected. "You're the real deal, you know. You think quick and act quicker. Even when you're in pain, you get right back up and fight 'til you can't fight no-more!" Saki's smile and eyes soften. "I wish I could be more like you. You're pretty strong, you know that?" "Oh..." It took a few moments, but Mizuki found themselves smiling again. "Thanks..." The twintailed girl's energy shined as bright as the torch beside the ranger, filling Mizuki with an authentic warmth. "Of course! And besides..." Saki points to above the ranger's head. "How do you do that chakram thing? Where did you get it? Most people can't just like, teleport their weapon out of thin air like that." "Like this?" Mizuki raises a hand over their head, and materializes their glowing ring. "Yeah!!! Like that!!!" "Thrift store. On clearance." "You're joking." "I'm not."

Mizuki chuckled to themselves. Of course, Saki would have had no idea that they just lied straight through their teeth like that.

Clothes dried as slowly as molasses moves, but nobody was particularly complaining. After their encounter, they were all exhausted. The downtime was appreciated, especially for those who had been actively involved in deterring the minotaur. The fire that had closed the eight in had deteriorated once the minotaur gave its final breath, so nothing was locking them in any longer. They were welcome to thoroughly investigate the rest of the room to their hearts contents, which plenty of the party did on their own. All the way across the massive watery arena, adjacent from the oak door which they came, was an absolutely massive, towering gray door sealed shut. Just simply looking at the door gave off the same aura as standing in front of the minotaur, this sensation of feeling smaller than life. Ena knocked the back of her knuckles to the door, the sound traveling nowhere. Wherever this door led to, whoever built this dungeon didn't want anybody going in there. The only other thing of note was a small, ring shaped indent in the center of the door. Shiho slid her hand across the circular, donut-shaped engraving, and turned her head over her shoulder. "You think this is a key of sorts?"

The cleric tilted her head. "What makes you think that?" "Don't got much other options," Shiho bluntly responds. "And besides, doesn't the carving feel too... unnatural? I doubt this was just weathered down." Mafuyu narrows her eyes, and unhooks her wand out from its holster. With a precise eye and focused efforts, she carefully filled in the outline with Cryosis.

Didn't work. She turned around and shook her head in silence, face painted in a blank expression. "I didn't think that would work, anyway." Ena groaned, rubbing her forehead with her hand. "Then why even bother..?" "I don't know." The sorceress used her wand to shift the ice ring out from the hole, and threw it over her shoulder into the water.

"Alright. Another bright idea." Heads turn to the pink haired ranger, the secretive party member heartily chuckling. "This'll knock 'em dead, watch." Nobody asked who "'em" was, but they all followed the command regardless. Mizuki summoned their chakram, and pushed it onto the keyhole. The chakram was far too large for the ringed indent, which resulted in Mizuki plainly pressing the metal chakram against the stone wall with a loud thunk. That thunk was the only sound that was heard in the room for a solid five seconds, before the silence was broken by Saki snorting loudly. Mizuki's optimistic and confident grin shifted to displeasure almost as if it melted clean off their face, soaking in the shame and humiliation. The ranger coughed in the stiffness of the awkward air, and de-materialized their ring back above their head. They had failed to knock anybody dead. "Yeah, uh... That was the best I got." Ena smiled with narrow, mocking eyes. "That was smart. Real clever." "Oh, bite me."

"Wait a second." Ichika stared intently at the ring shaped engraving, failing to elaborate further than when they interrupted. "Uh... yeah?" "I... have an idea, I think." Ichika picked up her tome, still a tad wet from when it fell into the water, and started to walk away from the larger group. Kanade lightly reached out, "Hey, where are you going?" "Water!" Nobody particularly understood what she had in mind, but entertained the thought all the same. They followed after her with skeptic optimism. With caution, the sage slid down the incline into the debris and rubble infested water, and stretches her staff outward. "Ferreus Metallis!" It took a moment, but from where Mizuki's makeshift grave had been dug, the nose ring that pierced the minotaur's snout went flying to the sage, spinning outward by her feet. Fleshy bits of the minotaur's nose where still hanging off of it, the entire ring itself reeking of blood and snot. "Ew..." The sage quickly rinsed it off in the water, and brought it back up the slope.

Mizuki lightly gasped. "That's..." "The minotaur's ring, yes. If I'm correct..."

Ichika pushed the nose ring against the indent. Little resistance was made as the ring fit nigh perfectly into the keyhole, slotting in with a click.

Stone scraped violently against the floor as the thick door slides open, casting light upon a dark, marble room. The eight look amongst one another in bewilderment, Ichika having a pleasantly stunned expression stretched across her face. "Ta-da....." Shiho glances over her shoulder to the oak doors which they emerged from, as... mostly a precaution. They were still accessible. In the chance the room could be trapped, she would want the crew to have a plan B in mind. "Honami." "Yes, Shii?" "Can you do a foresight, please?" Honami nodded, preventing anybody from stepping ahead. "Right, one moment..." The rusty haired augur takes in a drag of the smokey air, before quickly coughing it out. "That was a bad idea," She says, still hacking up the smoke. "Let me try again." Attempt two of concentration begins, this time she takes in a breath buried in her sleeve. Honami hangs to her ruby amulet in silence, her allies intently awaiting her answer. It felt longer to wait than to count the seconds, different thoughts of what may lie ahead dancing on the Adventurers' minds. Treasure, traps, monsters...

Come to think of it, the minotaur said this dungeon was a tomb, didn't it?

Honami shakes her head. "No danger up ahead. We should be all set..!" Ena smiles through pressed lips, sighing out a lump that sat in her chest. "That's a relief." She lets go of Hermit IX's handle, interlocking her fingers in front of her. That minotaur was tough, I think none of us are really equipped to handle anything else." Kanade furrows her brow and interrupts. "I need a nap." "Okay, princess. Wait 'til this is over." "That's really mean." Mizuki nudges the cleric with their elbow, summoning their glowing chakram with their free hand. "Oh, I suppose Ena can't call you princess, but if Mafuyu did?" "Mafuyu can call me whatever she likes." "Yeah, I figured as much."

The eight begin trekking forward into the eerily dark room, Mizuki brightening the room with Ena close to their side. On Ichika's behalf after the combat encounter, Kanade found herself lighting the path, seeing as the sage had chipped in plenty enough at this point. It was the silver haired cleric's idea, anyways. Footsteps echoed on the marble path, the narrow hallway only decorated by pillars of limestone that attached the ceiling to the floor. It was quite the long hallway at that, only further building tension as they engulfed themselves in inky black darkness. They walked outward, the light burning through the stone door fading smaller and smaller as they proceeded, until something caught their eye. Something was hooked up against the wall at the end of the hallway, reflecting the light from Mizuki's chakram off it.

Mizuki, Ena, and Kanade all begin taking meticulously slow and calculated steps towards the source of intrigue. It had long since passed the ten seconds of forewarning Honami's amulet could bestow, and the interval between visions had not yet cleared. They had to proceed with the utmost caution, keeping an eye on the ceiling, the floor, the walls, the dark for whatever may be lying in secret.

...But nothing happened.

Mizuki reached the end of the hall, quietly staring at the reflecting surface. Pink hued irises grew tenfold as they took a step back.

"...Kanade, you... hold this." "Hm?"

Mizuki quickly shoved the glowing chakram into the cleric's free hand, and immediately took off back from which they came. The sudden shift in equipment was rather surprising, lightly slitting Kanade's palm a slight. "W-Wait!!" Ena called out, as the ranger split ways. "Where are you going?!" "I'm keeping guard!! Don't mind me!!"

Footsteps grew more and more distant until Mizuki left the hall, disappearing from the group all together.

"That was weird." Shiho comments, crossing her arms. "I guess we do need someone to watch our six, but talk about a total 180." The bard cocks her head over her shoulder, looking to the reflective surface that had frightened Mizuki so intensely. "Besides, this is just a mirror." Ena, though initially being concerned over Mizuki's sudden tail-turning maneuver, had become significantly more nervous once she put the pieces together. "Mirror..." She wanted to chase after Mizuki, but this... gut intuition screamed within, the thought burrowing into her mind: "I need to stay."

The cut on Kanade's hand was minimal, but bothersome nonetheless. She groaned lightly, to which Mafuyu peered over to her side. "You okay?" "Nothing a quick spell can't fix." Honami looks over to Mizuki's direction, lightly hanging onto her chin. "I hope they're alright... They seemed distraught." After quickly restoring the cut on her palm with a spell, Kanade lights the side of the mirror. It genuinely looked no different from any other mirror, other than its prismatic colored frame. The frame itself appeared to have been made of several multi-colored fragments, ranging from red, blue, white, and green. The poor lighting failed to do it justice. Kanade had no doubt that if presented under natural light, the mirror's frame would glow brilliantly like a gorgeous, translucent diamond. It almost gave her the same feeling she felt when she looked to The Unreachable in the dead, stillness of a quiet winter night. It brought her comfort. She slid her thin, slender fingers down the crevasses of its side, feeling the intricate craftsmanship of whoever carved and stitched this piece of art together. She was utterly enthralled with the mirror, to put it lightly.

Saki seemed discontent with the result of her dungeon crawling, puffing her lips out and smacking them together loudly. "...Is... that all? I mean... Is that all to this room?" The black haired sage itches the side of her head. "I mean, I guess..? I don't see anything other than that mirror in here." "There's gotta be something more," Saki chimes in a disappointed tone. "Why have such a tough monster protect a simple mirror? That doesn't make sense at all." Saki splits off, gliding her hand against the left wall. "Maybe there's something hidden, like a switch, or a trap door, or... something." The sorceress didn't hesitate a second to chime in her deadpanned two-cents, "Maybe you just had your expectations rather high?" "I... don't think so?"

As the two conversed over the lackluster contents of the room, something more about the mirror struck Kanade as odd. Despite sitting in this room for however many years, cut off from the world in its entirety... there was not a single speck of dust on the perfectly clean mirror. "Huh." She looked closely to the mirror, gazing into the girl who reciprocated her stare. The same blue eyes she's known her whole life. Ultimately, no matter how much she would grow, she would always be 'her'. But as she stared, she noticed the final nail in the coffin, the strangest thing of all about the mirror.

The Kanade in the mirror was not wearing the same outfit she wore.

At first, she thought her brain was simply playing tricks on her. A rough combat encounter had just concluded, she experienced a speed buff for the first time, she explored the ruins of an old jail and a dilapidated metal labyrinth of strange devices. It would be an understatement to say she was tired - hell, she could probably sleep tighter than Ena could once she got home. However, once she noticed the discrepancy, it was impossible to pry her eyes away. The reflection was completely different. While Kanade wore a black skirt and a blue sweater, the reflection wore a purple cloak as if it were a cape, the arms of her gray blouse not tucked through the sleeves. A black, cushioned sash was tied around her waist, perfectly matching a lengthy similarly-colored skirt that draped down to her knees like curtains. A rose colored flower rest delicately in her hair, carefully held in place by a purple headband.

She looked to her reflection, and back to herself again and again, almost as if to verify in her head the sight before her. "G-Guys. Guys. I'm seeing this right, am I?"

Those who had split away from the group quickly turn back to the mirror, looking to themselves. Similarly to Kanade, the reflections that met the Adventurers were all wearing outfits different from what they had been wearing all day - some even having drastic physical appearances. The Saki in the mirror was not a warrior, but a sage, instead. The Honami who met the augur's was missing her foreseeing pendant, having ruby colored crystal horns protruding from her head like antlers instead. The Ena who stared back in like-minded disbelief was not wearing her usual dignified kimono, but a gray, lengthy winter coat, purple stripes decorating the lower half of it.

...The Mafuyu in the mirror wore a thin, black metal suit of armor, with a purple cape adorning her shoulders. An insignia with a clenched fist rest firmly on her right side, proudly defining this Mafuyu's identity. She had short, trimmed hair and empty eyes - a shade grayer than her typical amethyst irises. Dried blood streaked the mirror Mafuyu's face, but there were no open wounds nor gashes on her face. That was clearly not her own blood. The reflection was not carrying a wand, but wasn't walking empty handed either. With metal gauntlets, she tightly gripped a massive, steel axe, letting the cutting edge rest adjacent to her thigh, and she hung onto it by the very top of its handle. The way she held it outwardly stretched the throat of the weapon behind her, almost as if trained rigorously with the proficiency of the weapon.

The real Mafuyu sputtered over herself, taking a step back. "Wh-What... is this..?"

Kanade slowly blinked, words leaving her lips at the same pace. "I... don't... know..."

The entire mirror slowly fuzzed over, the reflection blurring over to the point the silhouettes were no longer decipherable. It was as if the Adventurers had begun staring into glass fogged by a humid morning, colors meshing with one another in the sight. ...Until the sight in the mirror cleared, the silhouettes reshaping. Everybody who stared into the mirror, once again, was wearing a different outfit - outfits all differing from what it had previously depicted.

Except Mafuyu. She wore the same thin, black armor with a fist on her right side.

The seven continue to watch the image in the mirror change again and again. Each and every time, six of them wore a different outfit. Sometimes they were of a different race entirely, Ena occasionally losing her elf ears, someone else gaining them instead. The only constant was Mafuyu. She kept her hair short. She kept her axe out. Her metal gauntlets were disturbingly reflective.

Sure, the stains that spattered across her face were of different streaks, and sure, there would occasionally be scars on her cheek, across the ridge of her nose, or even over her eyes, but that mattered not.

The Mafuyu in the mirror was the same, each and every time.

A voice breaks out.

"I've had enough..."

Eyes turn to Mafuyu, the sorceress taking a step forward. She places both of her hands on the closest people to her's shoulders, Kanade and Saki, and lightly pushes them aside. Her face was twitching, her arms shaking. Though her breathing was slow and paced, it was disturbed and rigid. It sounded like several, shaky breaths in one... but it was consistent. Mafuyu found herself in the center of the mirror, staring into her reflection. The sorceress's lip quivered, her eyes welled with tears, her cheeks tensed and firmed. Mafuyu raised her right index finger to the mirror, meeting the pointer finger of the mirror's reflection. No matter how much fear had dominated Mafuyu's face, the reflection showed no such thing. It was only hollow and gray. Mafuyu lifted her finger away from the mirror, poking at her reflection's index once more.

"Who... do you think you are..?" Kanade couldn't restrain the fear in her heart from bubbling out her throat. "M-Mafuyu..?" "You're... You're a mockery of me, aren't you?" She lifted her finger away from the mirror, and once again poked at her reflection's index with much more force than last time. The sorceress's voice broke in and out as she choked back tears, words trailing into each other. "You go around, wearing my face and have the audacity... to wear that outfit..?!"  She pokes the mirror harder. "Do you know... what a blight that symbol is on my life..?!"  She thrusts her gloved index against the glass, lightly cracking it. As she spoke, the words that spat out from her mouth flew faster and faster. "Whose blood is that? Whose blood is on your face?!" She cracks the mirror further. The reflection cast by the glass fogs up and shifts once more, yet again giving light to the Mafuyu in black armor. The blood spatter on her face was different yet again. "Who are you... Who are you?!"

"Mafuyu..!" Ena tries to reach out to the sorceress, but she quickly snaps the elf's hand away without even looking to her. "Don't... touch me!!" It was at this moment everybody begins to step away from Mafuyu. ...Except for the cleric, frozen in fear. Kanade watched in horror as spit trailed out from her treasured friend's mouth in desperation.

"Why are you wearing the same thing every time?!" Mafuyu again thrusts her finger against the mirror, her voice now raising to a shout. "Why?! Why?! Who are you?!" Mafuyu curls her right hand, the one that had corroded hidden beneath the glove, into a fist. "You're not me!!" Mafuyu brings her fist to the mirror, the cracks spreading outward further. By this point, her fellow Adventurers had either fallen over in fear, or had gotten closer to stop her. "YOU'RE NOT ME!!" Mafuyu brings her knuckles to the mirror, the sound of glass sprinkling down to the floor like the teardrops that fell from her cheeks. "YOU'RE HER!!!" Mafuyu furiously smashes the mirror, shards of glass lodging into her glove. The sorceress grimaced in pain, sucking air through clenched teeth. It hurt, but this mirror hurt more. It hurt. It hurt bad. As Ena and Shiho try to pull her away, the sorceress rips off the leather glove concealing her hand, and tosses it off to the side. As she threw the glove into the darkness, emotion had finally painted across the hollow, blood stained Mafuyu's face.

Her mother's canvas had smiled.

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH!!!"

Raising her fist behind her ear, Mafuyu plunges her corroded hand through her reflection's head, shattering the mirror.

The world froze over, yet time flow the same. Every shard of glass that once rested firmly in the mirror's glowing frame falls to the marble like torrential rainfall, scattering against her feet. She huffed and gasped for air heavily as tears wouldn't stop pouring down her cheeks, the sorceress yet to lift her hand away from her final blow. Seeing the climax of the rampage had ended, Ena backs away slowly. The bard grasps Mafuyu's shoulder tightly, and turns the purple haired girl around. "What... the hell did you just do?!"

Mafuyu couldn't answer. Her brain was still in overdrive. She slowly clutches her ears, and sinks down to the ground in loud, harrowing wailing sobs.

From the other end of the hall behind the door, Mizuki sat with their back pressed up against the wall, covering their mouth in shock. Their eyes fervently trembled as they attempted to regulate their breathing from going haywire. While Mizuki had originally ran away from the mirror to avoid their allies seeing the ranger's reflection, what they just witnessed had confirmed exactly what they were afraid of from the beginning. If every Mafuyu in that mirror was to be the successor of The Violet Grip, that leaves only one Mafuyu remaining... a single Mafuyu before she would achieve her own Equilibrium.

A woman wakes up in a field of carnations, the gentle breeze around her delicately kissing past her skin. The sun was harsh and bright, but it felt good coursing against her face. She wished she could simply lay down for longer and bask in the light, but her memories weren't quite in tact. Last she remembered, she had a blade driven firmly through her abdomen, but it felt as if she had twenty years worth of fragmented and lost thoughts. She slowly sits up from the field, blinking slowly as her lungs lightly take in the nearby village's air. It was fresh, clean, it felt like drinking clean water by the lake. While the landscape was familiar, the flowers were not. They were not present from her last tact memory. She ran a hand through her short, brown hair, looking all around her as she attempted to regain her bearings.

"The Unreachable is still there..."

She sighed deeply to herself. Evidently, she and her allies failed.

That was a bummer.

From the direction of a village, the sound of ringing bells caught her attention. She slowly faced the source of the noise, gazing to Carnation Village. She sat in tranquil solitude as she listened to the ringing from the massive tower in the center of town. It rang insistently to signify the passage of time, the hour rolling over. When it concluded, she had only a single thought.

"That clock tower hasn't always been there."

The Denial steadily rises up from the multi-colored flowers, and begins to walk towards Carnation Village.

Chapter Text

Eyes locked on the clock tower, The Denial begins to walk through the field of flowers where her final moments were. While she held her head up high with steadfast and determined brown eyes, she also clutched her stomach, feeling where her wound once was. It was strange. It was almost as if the blade was still there. She could still feel the sensation of the cold steel of a knight of Kamiyama's weapon firmly lodged within, yet there was nothing present. It was almost as if the blade was a phantom of the past. She shut her eyes as the sun's warmth basked over her skin, recalling the last pieces of memories that remained in tact. Gray skies, knights, paladins, wizards in every direction. While she had put up a good fight, becoming blind-sighted would have been inevitable given the sheer size of the Kingdom's armada. Knowing the Unreachable was still high in the sky... it was easy to assume the rest of her allies had long since perished.

The Ferocity, The Plea, The Twins of Sorrow, The Knowing. The Grievances and the Shatterers had likely all fallen, given the crystal palace remained. If the Mirror Shatterers had lost the war, then... how did she come back to life? She doubted her existence, she doubted the scenery, she doubted the carnations and the blue sky. "Surely this is an afterlife," she told herself, not hesitating between steps. The flowers beneath her boots cushioned her steps as she walked, allowing for her mind to roam freely without a trace of nervousness. "But... if this was an afterlife... surely I would go to Hell, would I not?" She cuffed her chin, eyes tilting to the plant life. "Perhaps the definition of Hell has been muddied." With the shake of her head, she began to forgo that line of thought. It was ridiculous, anyways.

She recognized the landscape - she was in Miyamasuzaka, and if her intuition was to be correct, the village she had been approaching was Carnation Village. This was where her final stand was. When she had perished, there were no flowers here, and there certainly was no clock tower looming over her, piercing the sky. However, for whatever reason, the tower drew her eye. It brought her in like lassoed cattle, pulling her attention and dragging her closer, little by little. There was something about it that urged her to descend into the earth, almost hammering in this sensation of... 're-connection'. Something was waiting for her below ground.

The clothes she wore were limber and loose, the fabric of her jacket perfectly fit for her body - comfortably contrasting the stiff metal gauntlets and boots she wore. For someone who once specialized in martial arts and hand to hand prowess, an outfit allowing for free movement would be ideal. She wasn't the most magically inclined, but still had a knack for channeling mana through the metal that rest on her forearms. However, where she lacked in magical variety, she excelled in pressurized wind magic. She liked wind magic, twisting the breeze to her will was fun in her eyes. Oddly enough, despite being the clothes she last wore when she had perished, they were not stained in blood nor torn or ripped from combat. They were as clean as freshly cut cloth, untarnished from war. Things weren't adding up, from the flowers, to the clock tower, to her clothes, to her life. Her only hunch was what lie underneath the tower.

So, she pressed forward. She continued towards Carnation Village.

The streets were lively and populated, the scent of fresh market food being carried in the wind with the gentle breeze. Children of varying ages played in the paths and alleyways as parents watched after them from the comfort of their porches, blissfully basking away in the sun. However, this lax aura in the air would be cut short when parents would lay eye on The Denial, her metal armor clanking harrowingly with each step. Parents immediately arose, pulling their children to the side out of her path. Shopkeepers would eye her in stunned confusion, incapable of surmising the sight before their very eyes. She was used to fear being the immediate response to her presence, but this was different. This wasn't regular fear, it was moreso... disbelief, denial, a lack of trust in what their very eyes had told them. While she recognized some houses as familiar landmarks, the further down she went the more buildings appeared to be renovated and renewed. "How many years has it been..?" She thought to herself, taking in the glares of fear the adults had been spiraling her way.

A large, red rubber ball gently bounced by, slowly stopping by her feet. The Denial looks to the ball and picks it up with her two hands, patting it down coarsely. Each pat thunked the ball loudly, much to her admittedly slight amusement. She was close to discarding it over her shoulder when a shy voice broke out from the direction the rubber toy came from, catching her slightly off guard. "U-Uh, miss..." Her ears met the modest eye of a young boy, accompanied by another boy, who was presumably his friend. "That's... our ball..."

The Denial smiles, setting down the ball by her foot. "Here, kiddo. I got ya!" The timid child perks up with raised eyes and a smile as she lifted her armored leg, lightly kicking the toy towards the two. The ball heartily bounced with the sound of reverberating rubber, reaching into the arms of the boy's friend. The two smiled and thanked her before taking off down an alleyway, cheering up The Denial a slight. Even though the sounds of the street died down with her very presence, she attempted to liven it up any way she could.

She stopped in her tracks, looking to a dilapidated building.

"Oh... The Yoisaki Brewery..."

She stepped close to the old building, gazing up into the rafts of the porch ceiling. Thick cobwebs strung together like a second ceiling, clearly indicating this building has gone a long while without use. The windows were boarded up, the oak had been chewed out by rats and termites, and the notice on the door spelled everything out: "Closed Indefinitely". The Denial's face soured a bit as she took in a deep, forlorn sigh. "Him too, hm..?"

She quietly lamented to herself. In the new world she found herself in, time had clearly moved forward without her nor those she once called her partners. The Mirror Shatterers, though no doubt had left their impact, have been drowned out by the sands of time. However quiet as she wanted the moment to be, the loud stomps of footsteps interrupted her thoughts. A hand firmly grasped around her shoulder, spinning her around to face the street. "Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?!" "Hm?" The Denial's eyes met the stiff, rigid face of an angry constable, the rough older man pulling out a baton from its holster. "Walking around these parts with an outfit like that?! You think you're some kinda clown?!" The man leaned in near inches away from The Denial's face, his hot breath uncomfortably pressing up against her skin. "The Mirror Shatterers ain't a joke, lady! People lost their lives in that forsaken war!!" The lady clicked her tongue and furrowed her brow. "Who does this guy think he is, talking to me in this tone of voice?" She thought to herself. "I'm not even breaking any laws and I still get treated like this?" In defiance, The Denial looks over the man's shoulder and peers across to the adjacent sidewalk. Unexpectedly, a crowd had begun to form of furious parents and curious children, all play and enjoyment being lifted from the moment.

"Hey!! I'm talkin' to ya!!" "Your breath stinks." "Eh?!" The constable's initial response was a light whimper in shock with his face contorting in defense, before his expression shifts into fury. "The hell you just say, pig..?" "Pig?" The Denial frowned, not exactly taking the insult to offense, but still finding it mildly frustrating. "If I'm a pig, does that make you some sort boar, or hog, or..?" She snaps her fingers with a smile, tilting her head down and her eyes upward. "Ah, I got it. You're a shapeshifter. You're clearly halfway through transforming into a hammerhead shark." "Hands behind your back, lady." "Whaat? You're arresting me?" The Denial smacks her lips. Rolling her eyes, the Grievance murmurs under her breath, "Kingdom's gone to shit. Buncha softies now that we're gone." The constable smacks his baton in his hand, raising his voice further. "..You're under arrest for propagating Mirror Shatter armor and symbols."

"Propagating? Since when was that a crime?" "Pick up a Goddamn rulebook, lady!!" The constable raised his baton over his head, ready to strike. "It's illegal to dress as a Shatterer!!" "I am a Shatterer."

"...Huh?"

The Denial presses the fingernail of her middle finger to the inside of her thumb, and lined her hand directly beneath the constable's chin. She smiled cheerfully as she flicked her finger and spoke her next word:

"Bang."

The constable's head exploded into a red mist, spattering the raft of the Yoisaki brewery in bouts of red, gray, and destroyed bits of his skull. The sound of a head turning to mush was unexpectedly silent, the only sounds resulting from the burst coming from the droplets pattering against the wooden floorboards and from the ceiling. The audience watching the confrontation immediately erupt into screams of terror, scattering about in every direction like a rippling wave. The parents, the children, the elderly all flocked outward away from the scene, those physically incapable falling over and being trampled in the commotion. The Denial watched on as person after person ran, catching those who weren't even present for the act in the chaos and commotion. The once bustling and playful streets turned to a tidal wave of terror and fear as The Denial stood in the center of it all, the smile from before yet to leave her face.

"Maybe this is hell," she says cheerily.

She walks outward into the street, looking to an elderly lady who had fallen over. Her arm was dislocated from having been stepped on again and again by the stampede of fear, her voice howling in pain and terror both as The Denial approached her. "God, please don't hurt me!!" The Denial outstretched a hand, crouching over. "Let's get you right back up, miss." "St-Stay away!!!"

The Denial simply nodded with a smile, and complied with the demands of the suffering woman. What little magic she could preform was offensive, not support. That was The Plea's role in The Grievances - she was the one who knew all the support skills. If she were still here, no doubt this innocent bystander would have been fixed up just right. The Denial looks off to the crystal palace and clicks her tongue, silently ruing and stressing over the day she had to fall. However upset she was with herself, she knew it mattered not in the moment. Even if she was saddened by the Yoisaki brewery shutting down, it mattered not in the moment. What mattered was that clock tower. She proceeded onward towards the heart of the Carnation Village.

The streets had totally cleared at this point, providing little resistance in her path. It was appreciated, but once again mattered not considering any opposition would be swiftly dealt with. She took in the air, listening to the distant screams of fear growing further from her. Her peace and quiet, however, was cut short by the blaring sounds of speakers hooked up to poles and wires, each one wailing a deafening frequency.

"MANIFESTATION OF GRIEVANCE. STAY INDOORS. RISING STARS OR HIGHER STAND YOUR GROUND."

The message broadcasted from the sound-speakers echoed throughout the town on loop for upwards to a minute. While the loudness was startling at first, it just grew to be frustrating as time proceeded onward. It was getting hard to ignore the sound at this point. The Denial grit her teeth in annoyance, eye twitching lightly at a speaker lodged in a home. "Graghhh, you're noisy!!" The Mirror Shatterer in red flicked her middle finger off her thumb once again, a burst of air erupting from her hand and blowing a hole out of the home. Obviously, the speaker stopped working in that moment, but the irritating sound was still echoing across town. If she really wanted the noise to stop, she would have to blow out a loooot of speakers, which she frankly didn't have the time to do. There were people heading her way.

Various men clad in armor and weapons stood in front of her, coming in droves. An older man with a large shield points his spear at her, shouting in disbelief. "I... can't believe it..! It's seriously her!!" Another man cowers, taking steps back into the crowd. "No... What the hell, there's... There's no way..!"

"Finally, some recognition!" The Denial booms with pride, rolling her neck to the sound of pops and cracks. "So many dirty looks, with nobody having the bite to back the bark! Gets a little irritating, don't you think?" Not a word emits from the slowly gathering crowd of Adventurers who stepped up to the plate. From the corner of her eye and from within the crowd, a blast of lightning cracks out from someone's wand, hurdling straight towards the Mirror Shatterer. With swift and superhuman speed, she absorbs the blast into her gauntlet, twirling with the grace and poise of a ballerina, and throws it straight back into the crowd of soldiers. A single attack was all that was needed to kickstart the crowd into a fury, Adventurers of all genders, shapes, ages, and sizes charging at her with their weapons in hand. She smiles at the sight of a rallied, disorganized army, knowing the odds remained in her favor. She outstretches her left hand, summoning a metal spear from the ground which sprouting into her hand like a lively plant. Tightly gripping Gungnir, The Denial smiles before the dance of blood she was about to preform in.

The battle was nothing more than a few short minutes long. Within that time, bodies were made masterpieces of, exploded heads decorating the ground like a cheap festive carnival's confetti. For those who had failed to be within range, Gungnir emerged from beneath their feet like writhing and wriggling worms, skewering bodies like human shish kabobs. Strung up like holiday ornaments, still breathing warriors were staked into the air, the living gasping to retain any breath that dwell within their lungs. The last body fell before The Denial, whose smile shifts back to a resting face. "All done here, then?" Using her thumb to press down on her knuckles, she individually pops each of her fingers. "I guess that was to be expected," she says with a trace of disappointment lingering in her voice. "It's true what they say about good times creating weak men." With a sigh, she proceeds onward to the center of the town, the Shatterer closing in on her destination.

"Pardon me, ma'am."

The Denial turns her head towards a large, wooden building, meeting a figure standing by the doorway. The building itself was clearly the town's local guild, the Weekend Garage, which must have been built post her death. She, at least, assumed it was. She wasn't familiar with it. It must've taken the place of the former Guild that was in operation prior to her death. The figure who called out to her stepped off the Guild's porch, walking casually towards The Denial. She bore no fear nor any trace of aggression, which was especially odd if she witnessed the utter massacre that had just unfolded before her eyes. Other than a hardback book, she held nothing in her hands, presenting them both to show she was of no threat. The lady wore a thin, black metal suit of armor with a purple cape adorning her shoulders, and bore an insignia on her right with a clenched fist engraved into it. She had long, wavy purple hair that fell beyond her shoulders, which would tail behind her like a blanket dragging against the ground.

The Denial looks up to the lady in the armor, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "You aren't afraid of me?" She takes in a deep breath, closing her eyes momentarily. A light, thoughtful hum prefixes her response to The Denial's question, the lady opening her gray eyes once more. "I have no need to," she plainly responds. The lady with purple hair smiles and tilts her head, playfully asking "Am I supposed to?" "Most are." "Then... In that case, I don't mind being an outlier." The armored lady turns her back to The Denial, walking towards the Weekend Garage. "...An outlier just this one time, at least. Would you like to accompany me?" "Accompany you?" "For a drink or two. It's been quite some time since I've met someone as extraordinary as you."

Chapter Text

Deep below in the dungeon, terrified and confused eyes turned to Mizuki, the ranger slowly walking back to the larger group in silence. Each step was more agonizing than the last as they repeated the same sentence ad nauseam in their head.

"I shouldn't have ran. I shouldn't have ran."

"Mizuki..." Ena started. "What's going on..? What was that mirror?" She slowly blinks as she looks to the trembling sorceress, crouched over on the floor. "...What were those reflections?" The ranger buries their head in their palms, slowly rubbing their face and muzzling out any whimpers of discomfort. Honami takes a step forward, lightly reaching a hand out close to her chest. "Mizuki... Please, if you know something, then..." Answers were to be expected, but the ranger wanted to know how much they could dance around. Nobody deserves to know the truth yet - not about themself, The Unreachable, the mirrors. Mizuki cautiously looks away, the spotlight of tense eyes firmly locked down on them. Dimly lit torches flicked lightly in the corners of their eyes, but the slightest of movement felt harrowing and violent. The barely dancing torches felt like bonfires, heat that engulfed forests in ablaze. Sweat dripped down their neck as they wracked their brain for a way out of the situation.

"That... was a shard of The Unreachable."

Quiet and stillness.

Mafuyu slowly looks up, tears cemented in her eyes. "Huh..?" "Mirrors." Mizuki looks down to the ground, defeated. They swallow their pride, muttering out their words. "It's made of mirrors."

The sorceress sniffles loudly, wiping away the tears off her puffy red face with her sleeve. That lined up exactly with what her mother said, and she had been up there before. Twice, as a matter of fact. Before the Silent War, and during her duel against The Knowing. It was where she learned about Equilibrium to begin with.

"How... do you know..?" "It's a long story. But... what's more important to me is why the mirror is down here to begin with." Mizuki points to the empty frame, then to the glass shards on the ground. "...I'm terrified." Ichika narrows her eyes, speaking quietly out of fear. "...Terrified of what..?" "Who... brought it down here? Why were the Mirror Shatterers harboring a fragment of The Unreachable..?" Mizuki clutches the top of their head, wryly looking away. "They wanted to destroy it, why would they keep a piece of it?"

Shiho speaks up, her voice much more confident and upfront than Mizuki's staggering and wavering breaths. "It should be obvious it wasn't the Shatterers keeping the mirror here." She crosses her arms, looking down to Mafuyu. "It was her mom." The sorceress looks up, still hunched on the floor with broken glass surrounding her. "...My mom?" "She kept a Familiar down here to protect the mirror, and she sealed this entire dungeon off with various hexes and spells. It could only be her." Mafuyu spits out an exasperated breath before turning her eyes back to the ground. Kanade sinks down by her side, carefully crouching into the glass. The cleric lightly takes Mafuyu's right hand, carefully studying it.

Her hand was absolutely rotten, bleeding from the glass shards that pierced her hand. It looked like a shriveled raisin, the texture of her skin rough, dry, cracked. Kanade's mouth loosely and slightly hung open as she took in the air, blue eyes softening in empathy. She slowly leaned her head against Mafuyu's, delicately closing the sorceress's hand into a ball.

"But The Grip was hired by the kingdom, was she not?" Saki started. "Why would she hide a mirror in an old Shatterer base?" Rubbing the back of her neck, Ichika proposed her own answer to Saki's question, "...Maybe she helped both sides of the war?"

"Unlikely," Shiho interrupted. "Oh." "Think back to that weird glowy-device in the metal labyrinth." Shiho brings her arms to her sides, pressing her palms against her hips. She begins to pace back and forth as she allowed for her train of thought to carry her away. "It said 'evacuation is imminent'. This place was abandoned." "I see..." "Hence, all the hexes and the minotaur. If anybody came back for the mirror, they would be made quick work of by The Grip's precautions." Mafuyu looks up to the bard, the sorceress's voice returning back to its normal infliction, though her face showed no such composure. She was clearly having a tough time with this. "Why... keep it? And... what were those reflections..?" The sorceress wraps her arms around herself, trying to refrain her body from shaking. "I... didn't like them. I didn't like them one bit." "That much was obvious." Shiho says bluntly.

The cleric frowns and raises her voice slightly, however keeping it in its usual breathy and whispery tone. "Don't talk to her like that." "Sorry."

"I don't exactly have the answer to that." Shiho starts. "However... there's somebody who should." The bard turns her sharp gaze to Mizuki, staring intently. "You seriously gonna keep secrets from us after all this? How long are you going to hide? How much do you know?" Mizuki chokes back words, itching their head. They had absolutely no intention of sharing their secret with strangers, nor letting Ena in any further than they already had. "...I... can't say anything about the reflections--" "Why not?" "Just... listen to me, okay?" Shiho crosses her arms again, tipping her feathered cap downward. "Now... this is a big 'maybe', but I think I have an idea why the mirror was so heavily guarded..." Ena's ears twitch in nervous curiosity, the elf taking the time to ask a single worded question: "...Why?" "I think... somebody must have been sealed inside of it."

"A drink?"

"Why not? You don't have anywhere to go, do you?" The Denial shakes her head, following after the lady with the purple hair towards the Guild. "I do, actually. But I suppose I can spare a moment." "Oh, really?" "I don't think I should particularly share it with you, though." The mysterious lady chuckles to herself, holding the door open to the tavern for The Denial. "I understand. We all have our secrets, I suppose." The two step foot into the tavern, the scent of wood overtaking the air upon arrival. It was cozy and rather warm, albeit a bit stuffy. There were windows, but few were cracked more than an inch. Unlit lanterns hung from the ceiling, but that was a given considering how bright the sun was outside.

"I-It's her!!!"

A panicked man who had been sitting at the bar stands up from his stool, leaving his drink behind unattended with the bartender. He clumsily draws his sword from his shield and begins to lunge towards the out-of-time Shatterer haphazardly. "I-I'll kill yooou!!!" The Denial narrows her eyes with a tinge of annoyance. The man was extremely loud in his approach, it was like he never even studied the art of combat. The Denial summoned Gungnir from the ground once more, with the armored lady watching in quiet intrigue. Firmly nestled in her hand, she swiftly twirls in a circle, slashing out the man's legs with the sharpened blade and plunging the spear squarely between his eyes.

The Denial looks to the purple haired lady. "You know that guy?" "Cannot say that I do." "Hm."

The armored lady steps over the now deceased man, leading The Denial to the stunned quiet bartender. Taking a seat and setting her hardback book down onto the table, the lady smiled warmly and patted down the stool next to her. "Whiskey for me, please." She turns to face The Denial, a welcoming face equipped and presented to the Shatterer. "And you? I'll pay for your tab, go ahead and pick anything." The Denial sits in silence for a moment as she read the menu, before simply sliding over the now dead clumsy warrior's drink in front of her. "I'll just have this." "Hehe, suit yourself."

The Denial side-eyed the mysterious lady with the purple hair, lightly sipping the icy alcoholic drink. This was an unfamiliar taste. Back in her prime, she was quite the connoisseur for alcohol. It was strange she hadn't tasted this brew before, but found it stranger the drink hadn't been spiked in advance by the lady. This seemed too... civil. Organized. The Denial set her drink down and turned to the lady with the grayed eyes. Leaning in on the bar table and resting her elbow on it, she tilted her head onto her hand as she studied the lady. "I'm sorry, what did you say your name was?" "Oh... Where are my manners?" The lady laughed softly, turning her eyes to The Denial. "Most people just refer to me as The Violet Grip these days, but... you weren't alive when I started going by that name. Just call me Asahina." Ms. Asahina tilted her head similarly, the two's eyes matching over the table. "Is that name more familiar, or..?" "Wait... You were the first to ever reach The Unreachable, weren't you? You're a Kamiyama Myth?" The Grip clasps her hands with a smile. "Bingo! That's me. And, if I'm correct, you're The Denial, yes? Former Grievance, Kamiyama Star?"

The Denial takes another sip of her drink, the ice sliding across the glass and colliding with one another. "I am she, yes." "Well, it's lovely to finally meet you, Ms. MEIKO. We didn't get the opportunity to meet during the Silent War, so I figured this would be a prime opportunity to introduce myself." She cusps her gauntlet around her chin, looking inquisitively towards The Denial. "...MEIKO is spelt with English characters, correct? Is that your birth name, or did you change it as you grew old?" "...My birthname." "Fascinating... It was to my understanding English was a dead language, so, if I may, why the name?" The Denial firmly narrowed her eyes, sizing up the lady with the purple hair. MEIKO preferred to keep things lively and with a smile, but the lady in the armor was starting to bother her with all the questions. "I don't think it necessarily matters." "Okay, okay. Touchy subject. I understand." The bartender finally finishes Ms. Asahina's drink, setting it before her. "Ah, thank you, sir. If you may, can you leave us be?" The bartender timidly nods before bursting out into a nigh sprint out of room and into the street. "Ah. Fickle little guy."

"Pardon me, Ms. Asahina. I have a few questions for you as well." "Oh?" The Grip's attention had been firmly secured, the lady sitting upright and turning her stool to face the Shatterer. "You said you fought in the Silent War?" "Oh, yes." "Where, exactly?" Ms. Asahina dissipates her metallic gauntlet for a moment to scratch her head with a low hum, before re-summoning it. "I fought in Hiraizumi and Utashinai, against The Plea and The Twins respectively. I didn't fight them directly, but I was close allies with a man who fought The Twins." The Grip swivels her chair back to the front, taking another sip of her drink. Staring in mild annoyance, The Denial side-eyes Ms. Asahina as she takes sip after sip, practically chugging the drink. "That's not how you drink whiskey," MEIKO thought to herself. "Only chug if it's a shot, you especially don't chug if the drink has ice in it. You gotta savor it. What are you doing, lady?" The Grip sets down the glass with a heavy exhale, smacking her lips. "Sorry, this drink is rather strong. I'm not the greatest with alcohol." "That's alright." Ms. Asahina leaned on the table once more, her head fixated to The Denial's. "I was also the one to kill The Knowing." MEIKO, who had been silently judging her moments prior, froze completely still. Slowly turning her head towards The Grip with widened eyes, she stared in disbelief as she continued with her proclamation. "You were long dead by that point, so you wouldn't have any idea, but she also reached The Unreachable. The two of us dueled up in the crystal palace."

"...Huh, it was you..?" "That's right." Ms. Asahina smiled with gentle eyes, but there were more malice in those gray eyes than prior. There was a tinge of sadism behind it.

"That's not a problem with you, is it?" "...Not at all. You invited me for drinks, after all." "Excellent. I do have more to discuss with you, so... if you don't mind..." MEIKO takes another sip of her drink in silence, ice cubes bouncing off one another, awaiting for The Grip's next question. "...Do you know how you came back to life?" She thinks for a moment, wracking her brain. She had no idea, not a single clue came to mind. That was a question she wanted the answer to as well. The Denial sets her drink down, rolling her eyes back into her head as the alcohol tinged her throat. She lightly sighed, resting her temple on her index and thumb. "No idea. My last memory was being impaled by some random shmuck out in a field of dead and gray grass." "I... see..." The Grip lost all warmth in her face as it twisted to a confused and cold expression, voice softly humming in thought. "I... believe we're both at a loss, then." "Is that so?" "Indeed... I don't know how you came back, either."

"Do you know where you have been the past twenty years, by any chance?"

"Dead, in a field of flowers, I presume. Surely my body was charred, right?" MEIKO sips her drink quietly as The Grip looks to her in confusion. "There would be no burial for someone like me." "Your body was disposed of, yes..." The Grip rests the bridge of her protected finger under her chin, looking to The Denial in silent thoughts. "...But your soul was buried."

"Excuse me?"

"Mm. All six Grievances were sealed away into mirrors, each one graciously given by those who live in the crystal palace." The Grip shut her eyes, leaning inward onto the table. "As a matter of fact, the old king tasked me with protecting your mirror. If I had to make an assumption... the physical body you have now is just some sort of... 'spirit zombie', brought back to where your real body perished once your mirror shattered." The Grip takes a heavy sigh, running her hand down the crown of her head and tilting her gaze to the floor. "...But that would imply somebody broke your mirror... and that..." She laughed. "I find that hard to believe."

MEIKO stared in disbelief at the armored lady as she rubbed her head in silence. This lady, though The Denial had no memory of her own detainment, had practically been her captor for over twenty years. What was she supposed to think? What was she supposed to feel? Fear? Anger? Denial? It was surreal, it felt as if the walls of the bar had been shifting and melting all around her, twisting and morphing from the heat outside. It was tiring, it was tense on the brain.

Or maybe it was the alcohol. It could be that too. She had no idea what she was drinking, to be entirely fair.

The Denial rests her cheek down on the table. "Huh." "...Would you like a moment, MEIKO?" "...No, I'm good. I'm just processing that information." The Grip smiles with compassion, looking down at the stressed heretic with those same, grayed gentle eyes. They were almost nurturing, but there was something beyond that. Not just the malice she showed prior, but... some sort of weird sensation of sympathy as well. The Denial asks, with furrowed, empty yet fixed eyes, "...If you were supposed to keep me detained, why haven't you tried to stop me yet?" "Hmmm... I guess I wanted to learn a bit more about you before I put you out of your misery for good."

MEIKO lifts her head up off the table. "Put me out of my misery, hm..?" "That's right."

There was not an ounce of ill-intent in her voice.

"Do you really think you can kill me?" "Is the sky blue?" The Denial chuckled to herself, sitting upright. This was getting interesting. "Silent War was twenty years ago, Ms. Asahina. I don't care what fancy title you got these days, or if you managed to defeat The Knowing. You're out of your prime, miss." "I needn't be a fraction of my age to kill you, MEIKO." The Grip slowly finishes off the rest of her glass, delicately sitting it on the table without leaving a sound. She didn't even turn her way, she simply stared straight ahead with a smile plastered on her face. "Each passing second is a moment closer to your death. Let's savor your borrowed time and get to know each other a bit more, hm?"

The Denial smiled cockily, narrowing her eyes and leaning forward as she pressed her fists against the table.

"Sure."

Ena pinches the bridge of her nose, beginning to pace in a circle. "If... somebody was sealed inside, does that mean Mafuyu broke them out?" "...Right." "And... if it was her mom that had been guarding the mirror, then..." Mizuki looked away from Ena, the gesture being all the answer the elf would need. All eyes turn to Mafuyu as her widened eyes lose all light to them, hollowing out like a deep hole. "I see... so... I've... seriously messed up... haven't I..?"

Nobody wanted to answer Mafuyu's question.

She had.

Saki nervously butts into the conversation with her own question. "Whatever was in here, where are they now? If they were broken free... then..?" Mizuki scratches the side of their head, grasping at straws for an answer. "I-I dunno. On the surface, probably. Wherever they were initially sealed away. They have a new physical body, a Specter of sorts." "Then we have to stop them!! It's our responsibility!! This is my fault, I was the one who--" "Saki, this wasn't your fault..." Ichika started. The room grows quiet, noise only rising from Mafuyu's strained, yet composed breathing. "This was nobody's fault, okay..? Nobody could have predicted this was going to happen..." Ichika picks up her staff, carrying it in her two hands. "But... Saki has a point. If this person's 'Specter' is out there, we need to defeat it for good." Shiho adjusts her hat, flicking the feather resting neatly on it. "Got a plan for that, Ichi?" "W-We'll figure that out."

Ichika begins to walk down the corridor with her staff at the ready. "The exit isn't too far away. Let's just head back, okay? This is our responsibility now." "R-Right." Mizuki picks up speed, tailing after Ichika with their chakram in hand. Following those two came Ena, Saki, Shiho, then Honami. Kanade remained crouched down next to Mafuyu, surrounded in the fragments of the mirror.

"Kanade..."

"...Yes, Mafuyu..?"

"There's... something I need to tell you..."

Kanade sat quietly, sliding her thumb back and forth down Mafuyu's corroded hand. "...You misfired with your hand, didn't you..?" "...Yes. I'm sorry..." Mafuyu looked down away from the cleric's gaze into the reflection in the shattered mirror. She still saw her mother's canvas looking back at her, blood smeared across her face. "Please... don't be mad at me... I'm sorry, Kanade..."

The cleric fought back tears, slowly resting her head against Mafuyu's. "Why would I be mad at you..?" "My mom didn't want me to use my wand, and I... I thought... If you found out I didn't listen to your advice, you wouldn't want..." Mafuyu choked down her words, the inside of her mouth dry. It felt like swallowing a bag of rocks, despite nothing resting on her tongue. "I thought... you wouldn't want... to be my friend anymore." "I'm not that self-righteous of a girl, you know..." Kanade lifts her head away from Mafuyu, bringing the sorceress's attention to her. The two's gaze met, interlocking like a firmly tightened knot. While Mafuyu's thread of connections had been long since frayed, Kanade wouldn't let go of that rope. She wouldn't let go, no matter what.

"Why would I ever want to leave your side..?" "...Ah..?" Kanade smiled, bringing Mafuyu's corroded hand closer to her. She took the rotten black hand into her own two, lightly pulling it close to her chest. "Don't you remember what I said yesterday, Mafuyu..? It was after we met Shousuke?" Mafuyu slowly blinks, her eyes puffy and red from the crying and from the stress. "I said that if you can't run anymore, then... we'll run with you." Kanade slowly lifts the hand up to her face, cuffing her cheek with Mafuyu's hand. "I'll run with you."

"I know it's only been a few days... I don't really understand these feelings I have... and... I'm sure you don't either, Mafuyu. I've never felt this way before, not once... But I'm here for you, okay..?"

"...Okay..."

"The others are long ahead... We should get going, okay..? Things are going to be alright... We'll find a way around this. We'll take care of the Specter, we'll deal with Shousuke, we'll fix everything back to how it's supposed to be." The sorceress nods, finally finding the courage to smile in this awful and cold moment. Kanade's icy eyes had so much warmth in them, it was like laying sprawled out in sunlight casted through a window. She had a million things she wanted to say, but not a single one could be strung together into a sentence. Her brain was too tired and fried. She could only timidly stand up and fetch the glove she had discarded, and return to Kanade's side with wobbly steps.

"...Is your glove ruined?" "A little..." "A shame. It's a pretty glove." Kanade looks up to her taller partner, her soft smile radiating hope. "But... that's okay. I like holding your hand like this, no matter what it looks like." "Heehee..." Mafuyu shakes the leather glove, pieces of glass falling out from it against the stone flooring. Stuffing it into her pocket, the two chase outward after their parting allies.

Mafuyu felt safe by Kanade' side.

However, you cannot feel safe without knowing peril first.

They would soon further find the definition of peril.

Chapter Text

"See, everyone? Still there."

Mizuki outstretched their chakram towards the glowing red sign that led the way to the emergency exit. Not that there was any particular doubt the sign would have up and vanished, but the slightest of reassurance could've been enough for anybody. Niigo and Leo/need may have found themselves once again the oppressive halls of sparking wires and mold, but at least they wouldn't be there for long. None of the eight had any clue where the lit red path would lead them - but it was better to take the gamble than to risk their lives with the sound-trapped room again. Stepping over strange, dried puddles and exposed wires, the group found themselves to a metal door with a bar in place of a handle. "Is it locked..?" Ena calls out close from behind the ranger, cautiously peeking over their shoulder. She hung on tight from behind, holding onto Mizuki's shoulder. "...One way to find out, I guess." The ranger pushes their back up against the bar, which slides into place with a click. With that echoing sound, the door slowly creeps open.

"...Kanade, light, please." "S-Sure thing."

Kanade parts from Mafuyu's side, thumping her staff against the right wall twice and illuminating the new room. With proper light, they were able to decipher that they had found themselves at the bottom of a narrow stairway, the road ahead looking as steep as the initial descent. The steps were all rickety wood the whole way up, and the tightly cramped walls were of stone structure, something akin to concrete. Kanade was as curious as she was in utter defeat. She did NOT want to climb up all of those stairs, but at the same time, really didn't have any other options. Breathless from the sheer number of steps, Mizuki sputters over themselves trying to take the lead. "W-Well then... I, uh..." The ranger flaps their lips, turning around to the rest of the party. "I guess I'm going first?"

Each footstep sent ripples through the air as the sound of creaking wood intertwined with the flickering of flames. Steps felt powerful, sending shockwaves in the tightly knit space of wood. Mizuki carefully examined each step just to make sure none were rotted and ancient enough to fall straight through, but other than that, progress was steady upward. Kanade struggled to find the energy and breath in her lungs to proceed onward, but proceeded regardless. In retrospect, it probably would've been wise for Ichika to be the lantern lighter. If Kanade were to topple over, she would fall over six people.

But then again, having six people catch your fall was probably better than nobody, and tumbling the whole way down.

Actually, it probably is better.

After what felt was an eternity of climbing, those who led the front were met with a small wooden hatch against the wall at the top of the stairs. The trapdoor was of thick oak, much unlike the wooden doors in the jail below the world, and it very much felt like a catdoor intended for humans to crawl through. "Oh, are we at the top..?" Honami calls out from the very back of the line, trying to look over the seven in front of her. "Uh, yeah. There's a trapdoor here, not a regular door." "...Is it locked?" The ranger whips their head around, looking to Kanade. "Hold this." Mizuki proceeds to drop their chakram down the center of Kanade's staff, bopping her hands on the blunt face of the ring. "Ow." "Don't be a baby. That didn't hurt." "It kind of did." The ranger presses their palms against the trapdoor, pushing the hatch to no avail. "Locked." Shiho rests her arms on one another, scratching the side of her head. "You think if I apply a strength buff, you can tear this thing off the hinges?" "Me?" "Yes. You're the one in front." "Well..." Mizuki sheepishly kicks their foot against the wood. "...Might chip a nail doing it..." "You're up."

With a quick melody of Shiho's guitar and a surge of adrenaline coursing through their veins, Mizuki refuses to pry the trapdoor off its hinges. They instead proceed to punch a hole squarely through the hatch, twisting open the latch from the inside.

It was just as effective, if not more effective.

Mizuki crawls through the trapdoor, standing up to their own two feet confidently and surveying the room. The two parties had found themselves in what appeared to be a small shack, walls made of wood with smoothed cobble flooring beneath their feet. It appeared to be an old, abandoned and decrepit shop of some kind, various tables lining the sides, and a large cauldron close by the trapdoor which they had crawled from. The merchandise that had decorated the shelves had long since been taken down, with cobwebs, spiders, and dust standing in for the missing wares. Looking back down to the hatch, it appeared to be they crawled out from a cupboard drilled into a counter. Whoever utilized this space clearly didn't want for the general populace to know of the metal labyrinth it connected to.

"H-Hey, Mizuki... Please move out of the way." "Oh, sorry." The ranger sidles off to the side, allowing for the rest of the party to individually exit the hatch. The eight of them barely had enough room to fit the entirety of the shack. It was just a small space in general, so it was a relative surprise they could all fit. Saki peered into the cauldron, reaching in and pulling out an old ladle. "You think this is some kinda witch hut, or something..?" "Why would a witch commercialize their potions?" Ena says sarcastically not exactly expecting an answer, but receiving one anyways. "A witch late on her dues, probably." "Okay, well..."

"Hang on..."

Eyes turn to the cleric, whose brain seemed to have been working hard, her eyes furrowing and flooding with confusion. "Wait, no... Huh..?" Ena speaks up as Kanade nervously and slowly turns her head around like a rusted bolt. "...What is it? Do you recognize this place?" "...I... No, I... I shouldn't?" The cleric slides her fingers across a table, picking up dust and leaving behind a trail. "This... no, no no... This doesn't make any..." Honami pushes the ridges of her index fingers together, hesitant to speak up. "K-Kanade, what is it..?"

"This... This was my dad's shop..."

Honami's eyes widen, whipping her head around as she cased the area. "W-Wait, you're... you're right..?" "N-No, I don't believe it, this isn't..."

The windows were boarded up and hardly letting any light in, but even in the dark, this was without a doubt the same place her father owned. The brewery was property of the Yoisaki family, so it couldn't get seized with Kanade and her father both still alive, hence the disrepair and closure of the facility, but it was still recognizable in its dilapidated state. The cleric refused to believe the evidence her fingers felt, the sights her eyes told. "Why... would there be a Shatterer base underneath..." Kanade sat perfectly still with pried apart eyes, her mouth twitching lightly open. Mafuyu's corroded hand touches the cleric's shoulder lightly, to no reaction from the silver haired girl. "...Kanade..?" She could only breath out exasperated gasps as she looked to her boots. "N-No. I don't..." Kanade quickly shoves her way through the crowd to the front door, firmly taking hold of the handle. She didn't want it to be true. She didn't want to believe her family could have associations with the Mirror Shatterers. Her mother went deaf from the Silent War, after all. Nothing made sense. Her body moved autonomously, acting on its own with no thought. With a twist, she swings the door wide open, stepping foot on the porch of the brewery - meeting the sight of a decapitated constable, blood dripping from the raft of the ceiling.

"H-HhahHH!!!!" Kanade falls over backwards, crawling back away from the sight. The initial shock only led to much more fear-driven visceral screaming.

Ena and Shiho quickly grabbed Kanade by the arms, holding her in place. Though, at this point, it wasn't just Kanade screaming in terror. Saki and Mizuki panicked nigh instantaneously upon the sight, Ichika covered her mouth and leaned against the wall holding in the mana potion she drank earlier, and Honami fainted almost immediately from the scent of blood. Ena and Shiho attempted to calm down the panicking party members, while Mafuyu stood in the doorway standing over the body. She had no words. She slowly looked outward to the street, noticing bloody footprints heading inwards into town. Her eyes callously followed the tracks, eyes glazing over corpse after corpse, bodies missing heads decorating the ground like freshly fallen snow. Without a breath from her lungs, Mafuyu steadily closed the door, turning to the party.

She could only slide her back down the door, sitting down with empty eyes.

"I... did this, didn't I..?"

Ena was used to seeing bloodshed. Most commonly, it was her own. But to lay eyes upon the blood of others, indirectly spilled by your own hands..? She couldn't bear to put herself in Mafuyu's shoes. She and Shiho both looked to one another, coherent thoughts failing to rise to the surface. What was there to even say? Everybody's thoughts were racing miles a minute... but something had to be done. The best she could do was to try and recapture the group's morale. They all had a job to finish.

"K-Keep her calm." "Right..." Ena staggers to stand up, supporting herself by the bar table. "E-Everyone..! Listen to me..!" Some eyes turned to the elf, but not all. People were still panicked. Mafuyu remained slumped against the door, Saki had begun to sob, and Kanade continued to scream and shake in shock. The elf curled her hand into a ball, and slammed it against the table. "LISTEN TO ME!!"

Eyes turn Ena's way, Kanade shaking violently as she tilted her head behind her.

"We aren't done here!! It's bad, but it'll get worse if we don't do something!!" Ena gritted her teeth, tightly clenching her eyes shut. "We need to make up for this, we need to stop the Specter before it gets too late!!" Ena draws Hermit IX from its sheath, holding the sword by both the handle and the blade. "I'm going after it. If you're unwell, or afraid for your life, I'd recommend you stay behind." Her father's words bounced in her head, flying off the walls of her skull. She wanted to protect, even if her father thought she had no capacity to. She was going to protect. "Either run as far as you can, or help those who may still be alive." Ichika stammers her words, her hands shaking. "B-But... If you..." Ena slams her fist against the table once again, raising her voice. "You shouldn't have signed up to be an Adventurer if you weren't ready to face danger!!" She shoots determined eyes throughout the room, gauging her allies. "Who's coming with me?!"

Silence permeated the room following Ena's ferocity. Nobody spoke up for what felt like minutes, but a single hand rose upon the seventh second. "I-I'll go." Mizuki steps forward to Ena, their pink eyes lacking the determination Ena had. "I'll help..." Mizuki looks off to the side, voice slow and hesitant with each word. "Though... I do think Kanade should come as well..." The cleric flicked her head, still not over her distraught shock. "M-Me..?" "Kanade... Without your healing magic, we could meet the same fate as those out there." Kanade looks down to her lap wordlessly, exhaling pain that rest within her lungs. "As a matter of fact.. I think all of Niigo should go. Honami doesn't seem to be doing well... Ichika, Shiho, Saki... You guys stay and look after her, okay..?"

Little resistance was made, but Shiho couldn't help but step in. "...Are you sure..? Safety in numbers, but..." "Just... do it, okay?" "...Alright." Shiho slumped over, reaching down to Honami's ruby pendant. Slowly taking it off her neck, Shiho clutches the jewel tightly. "...Might want to hang onto this for the moment." The bard lightly tosses the pendant towards Mizuki, the ranger catching it out of the air into their hand. "...Return it when you guys are done. It's not yours." "...Right..." "You aren't proficient with it, so I don't know how long your foresights would be. Possibly three seconds, but that's an estimate." Slowly assisting Kanade up to her feet by her arm, Shiho points outward to Mizuki, almost as if to police their actions. "Please use the pendant sparingly. You can overwhelm yourself if not used within proper intervals." "O-Okay. Understood."

From the doorway, Mafuyu slowly scooted close to Kanade. She tilted her eyes up to the shaking cleric in utter silence, the sorceress still sitting firmly on the ground. Their matching eyes were an odd dichotomy of utterly hollow and devoid emotions, contrasting panicked and confused eyes that had been spiraling in confusion. Mafuyu, bringing herself up off the ground, reaches her hand out to Kanade. She hesitated to take it at first, with due time Kanade grasps it. Her hand was shaking. Mafuyu could only take it in her other hand and lightly rub it. While Kanade still had trouble regaining herself, the sensation was enough to bring her back to some semblance of her usual self.

"Th-Thank you... Mafuyu..." "..."

Mafuyu had no words. She had nothing to say. Even if she did, she doubted anything would come out.

A bit of talking and verifying what to do broke out between the two groups, but it was mostly a blur to Kanade. She was still trying to regain her line of thought. She was still engulfed by confusion of the Mirror Shatterer base leading directly to her father's brewery. "How long has that been there for..?" "Why didn't dad ever tell me..?" "Did mom know..?" Her thoughts were a nonstop whirlpool of terror, and she was caught in the eye of the storm. The only thing bringing her comfort was the touch of a warm hand from an equally distraught Mafuyu.

The door slowly crept open, sunlight carefully seeping through the cracks, the stench of blood mingling into the air. Looking over her shoulder, Ena peered to those who would remain with fierce eyes. "We'll be back. Promise." Ichika slowly nods with heavy and worried eyes as Saki clung to her shoulder. As each member of Niigo exits the building, and Mizuki shuts the door behind them, not a word breaks out. It was quiet. Shiho sighs, standing up from Honami's side. The bard takes her hat off, resting it haphazardly on an adjacent table and taking a seat at another. "Some day, huh..." Shiho looks down to her party members who had their consciousness in tact, calculating how they were doing. Ichika seemed calmer than she was before after Ena's speech, but Saki... remained unwell.

"Saki." "Shiho..." "It seriously wasn't your fault. You know that, right?" The twin tailed swordswoman gave a strange exhale that was a mix of a sigh and laughter, but she shook her head. "I don't... really want to hear that right now."

In Shiho's eyes, if there was anybody to blame, it would absolutely be Mafuyu. This was the second time she had went over the edge in front of her, and they hardly even knew one another. Obviously, she wouldn't have possibly known the mirror's purpose, and fault lied on Mizuki's shoulders too, but... It was complicated. She didn't know what to think.

Shiho rested her elbow against the table and rubbed her forehead. If Saki didn't want to be told she wasn't the issue... perhaps that might be the best course of action right now. "...How's Honami?" "She didn't hit her head very hard when she fell..." Ichika said. "If she did, Kanade might've healed her." "And her pulse? Fever? Anything?" "...Should be good, yes." "...Some good news, at least." The bard slowly rested her head into her palm, inhaling the air from her pressed nostrils. The shared silence in the room felt deafening. The quiet air felt toxic to the ears. It sounded as if there was white noise where none existed, which was louder than any noise at all. No voices rang from the streets, no flickering of lights filled the room, it was just... stillness. Shiho couldn't help but feel guilt crawl out from her body. "...Are we... just gonna have to live this down?" The sage lifts her head up slowly and opens her mouth for a response, but she lacked words. All she could do was press her lips together and look back down to Honami. Rather Ichika though, Saki had found an answer. "...We... find atonement through the Specter being defeated, I guess..." She looks up to Shiho, tears falling from her bright pink eyes. "Doesn't change the fact we're responsible for this, though."

The four follow the footsteps, leading to more and more bodies. The unmistakable stench of fresh blood filled their lungs, decay in every direction. Headless bodies, corpses that were cleanly skewered down the center, bodies that had gone gray from the sheer amount of bloodloss. The sights of bustling commerce Ena had grown used to had become nigh unrecognizable as a mountain of headless bodies lie in the center of their path. Without heads, many remained unrecognizable, which was probably the worst possible outcome for grieving family. "...What are they going to do with all these bodies..?" Mizuki asked into the void, pinching their nose to prevent the stench. Mafuyu, with a deadpan voice, answers without regard. "Most likely burn them. There's far too many for a proper burial." "That's horrible..." The sorceress fiercely closes her hands, the weight of guilt breaking her back. "I know I am..." Mafuyu's head echoed. "I know this was my fault..." "If I just... disappeared... would that make up for this..?"

"H-Hey, Mafuyu..." "...Mm..?" "You're... s-squeezing kind of tight."

Mafuyu immediately loosens her grip. "Sorry, sorry." "It's okay..." The cleric watched her friend go a shade of white as her eyes faded into gray even further. "Seriously, it's okay..."

Mizuki fiddled with Honami's pendant in their hand, keeping a cautious eye out on the road while they kept their head tilted down. If they hadn't been afraid to open up about themselves and the mirror, none of this would have happened. "It's all ironic..." They thought to themself, cursing their own fragility. "Running away... It's okay to run..." Mizuki grimaced their teeth tightly, face clenching up in pain. "Why do I keep running away..? Why would I tell Mafuyu it's okay to do the same thing..?" They shook their head, flipping the ruby pendant to its side. "I'm such an idiot... If I... disappeared, then..." "Hey, Mizuki." The ranger lifted their eyes away from the ground, meeting Ena's. ...After this is over, we work on your secret." "Huh..?" Kanade and Mafuyu were both a ways a way. If the two kept their conversation at a low volume, they could openly talk together. Ena's eyes firmed, her brows tensing and defining her determination. "No more hiding the truth. Everybody deserves it after all this trouble." Ena closed her eyes and held her head down. "...I deserve the truth too."

"I-I don't know if I can, Ena." "Are you going to keep running from yourself like this forever? Won't your legs give in?" Ena scooches closer to Mizuki. "You're killing your heart, Mizuki. And I don't want to watch that." She closes her heavy and strained tired eyes, tilting her head back to the stained road ahead. With a deep breath, she opens them once more. "I don't want to see the person I fell for all those years ago kill their heart like that." Mizuki softly laughed. "Using my own words against me..?" "I care about you, Mizuki. I care about you more than you can imagine." "Don't say that... You're making it hard for me, you know..?" "That's just how I feel."

Ena sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Talking about her feelings was tough, but she wanted to do anything she could to reassure Mizuki it was okay to speak up. It was okay to tell the whole story about who they were. Ena only knew bits and pieces from the night they spent awake at Kanade's talking amongst one another, but all the info the ranger could share was fragmented. Ena could only get a few pieces out as she held Mizuki's hands, but anything was good at that moment. It was progress. But now, Mizuki's stagnation had actively harmed the group. If she could get Mizuki to open up, this was the only way how.

Besides, Ena wanted to tell Mizuki how she felt back.

"It was a couple of days ago, do you remember..?" "Hm?" "...When I asked what's the difference between loving somebody as a friend, and as a romantic partner?" Mizuki slowly blinked, their mind processing Ena's words and recalling the moment. "...Yes." "...I know the answer now, I think." Pointing Hermit IX at Mizuki in place of a chastising and wagging finger, Ena continued. "If I can find an answer like that, you can find the strength to talk about yourself." Unsettled and distraught emotions spin in Mizuki's chest like a storm. "Ena..." "Promise me." "Huh..?" Ena frowned. "Promise me you'll find your courage. Promise me that."

A single tear rolls down Mizuki's cheek, light laughter bubbling out. "You're... so unfair..."

Ena stops in her tracks. "Everybody, look."

The elf brought everybody's attention to the bloody footsteps, the trail leading directly into the Weekend Garage. Kanade lightly gasped, covering her mouth in fear. "Ken... Is he..." Mizuki takes a single step ahead, flicking their ponytail over their shoulder. "What would the Specter have anything to do with the Guild..? Do we follow..?" "No other choice." Ena said, drawing Hermit IX to her side. "We're taking care of that Specter. It's our responsibility." The elf begins to move ahead, stepping onto the Weekend Garage's wooden porch. "W-Wait, Ena!!" Mizuki reaches their hand out, but Ena proceeds without listening to warning. Her footsteps were loud and harrowing, her movements stiff and rigid, but everything that came from her radiated an aura of determination. She knew what she had to do. She wanted to prove her dad wrong. She wanted to protect her friends. Ena placed her hand on the handle and swung the door to the Guild open.

Mizuki's foresight depicted a grim future, a spear being flung squarely towards the elf.

The ranger immediately took off into a sprint, tackling Ena to the ground just as a spear flew by, narrowly piercing the two and stabbing the railing.

From the ground, Mizuki held Ena tightly to shield her body, but no further attacks followed. The only sound that rang after the sudden ambush was the voice of an older woman, confusion inflicting in her voice. "You two are rather young to be Rising Stars, aren't you?"

"Huh..?"

Mizuki lifted their head up off Ena to see a woman in red armor with short brown hair cut into a bob, and a woman in black armor with long unkempt purple hair looking to the two of them. The woman in red turns to the woman in black. "I don't want to kill kids." "You don't have to. Let them be." The woman in black points a finger up, half joking in her next sentence, but her threat very much straightforward. "Besides, if need be, I can handle them myself." "You're crazy." "That's quite mean... After all my hospitality?"

The bloody footprints led directly to the woman in red, so... who the hell was the lady in the black armor..?

Ena's eyes shot open, slowly piecing together her thoughts.

Purple hair, black armor...

Insignia of a fist on her right..?

Ena slowly gasped, taking in as much air as she could. "M-Mizuki, that's..." "What? Who?"

Mafuyu and Kanade quickly follow after the two floorbound party members, weapons ready in hand. The two were prepared for the worst, but to Mafuyu, the situation had somehow dug further than what she thought was possible. "M-Mom..?"

The Violet Grip quickly stands out from her seat, palms outstretched. "M-Mafuyu!!" The Grip quickly rushes over to the party, dissipating her metal gauntlets and slightly tripping over herself. By Mafuyu's side, she firmly takes hold her daughter's cheeks, examining and studying her face for any wounds. "What are you doing here?! You aren't hurt, are you?!" "N-No... Wh-What are... What are you doing here, mom..?" The sorceress received no answer from her mom as she lowered her body, firmly hugging Mafuyu. It lightly suffocated the sorceress, her body being forcibly clutched and held pressed up against the rugged, cold metal armor. "I thought you would have returned home, young lady... Did you not hear the intercom? The sirens??" "N-No, I..." "No?!" Mafuyu's mother rubs her temples, placing her hands on Mafuyu's shoulders. "What do you mean 'no'?! My love, please, be more careful! I wouldn't want to see you hurt, ever!!"

From the distance, the lady in red shook her head and took a sip of her drink. "Yeesh. This is the daughter, huh."

Once the doting stopped, Mafuyu's mother brings her eyes to the other members of Niigo, investigating each one. "And... who are they?" Mafuyu froze. Quickly swallowing the lump in her throat, she thought of an excuse to tell through her shivering teeth. "Th-They're a party who hired me to assist them. We were out of town, b-but... when we got back, th-there was... There were... bodies... everywhere..." Mafuyu's mother gasps, whipping her head around and staring squarely to the lady in the red armor. The lady in red raises her drink to The Grip as if to toast to her, but sheepishly laughed to herself. "Uh, m'bad."

With a heavy sigh and a shake of her head, Mafuyu's mother lets go of the sorceress's shoulders, the clanking of her metal boots against the wood sending shivers down each member's spines. "Well... if she isn't hurt, I suppose there's no problem here." Taking a seat back in her stool, The Grip crosses one leg over the other, and smiles brightly. "It's lovely to meet you all. I'm Ms. Asahina, Mafuyu's mother."

Chapter Text

"This... is your mom, Mafuyu..?" Kanade couldn't help but ask. She was hesitant to move from stapled to Mafuyu's side, feeling as if the sorceress would crumble to pieces if she did. Her mother looked just like her daughter, just only... older. More mature. Wiser. She shared the same expression Mafuyu would wear when meeting a new person, except it felt more tired and forced. She must've been in her late forties, her skin looking substantially well kept fer her age, albeit a tad wrinkly beneath the eyes. "So, Mafuyu!" Her mother started. "Are you going to introduce me to your friends, here?" The sorceress began to shuffle in place, having difficulty keeping her eyes locked to her mother. She was clearly afraid of her mom, but... why..? She had mentioned prior she believed her mother wouldn't hesitate to resort to violence upon hearing Mafuyu disobeyed her will, but... that made no sense. Why would somebody resort to such cruelty as a response? Kanade couldn't comprehend it.

As someone with unconditional love and support from her parents her entire life, she found it difficult to place herself into Mafuyu's shoes.

...That wasn't to say she wouldn't try, though.

"O-Oh, yes. Of course." Mafuyu presented her two hands out to Kanade's side as if to show her off. "Th-This is Kanade." The cleric raised a hand up by her chest. "H-Hello. I'm the leader of this party." Kanade quickly side-eyed Mafuyu, her amethyst eyes begging for her to go along with the lie. "I... hired Mafuyu to assist us with a quest outside of town. She's a very capable girl, much to be expected as the daughter of a Myth." The Grip nods her head with a smile, content with the provided response. "Yes, she is. She's very strong, she's my pride and joy. I'm glad she's of use to you, Kanade." "O-Oh, by any chance..." Kanade speaks up, planting her feet in anxiousness. "...There's a recruiter who works here, he's typically behind the desk over there..." The cleric timidly points outward to the registration desk. "His name is Shiraishi, Ken Shiraishi... You haven't... seen him, have you?" "Oh, yes! I did." The Grip smiles with a cheery yet tired nod, light vividly reflecting off her eyes. "I assisted staff in evacuating the bar. Mr. Shiraishi is just fine."

Kanade couldn't help but take a breath of relief. She couldn't bear to think about the other possibility. Ken has been nothing but helpful since the beginning - she would be distraught if he was caught in the crossfire of the Specter situation.

Next in line for introductions was Ena, The Grip facing her way. The elf had strikingly more poise and stability in her speech than Kanade had, but she had yet to drop her guard. She held Hermit IX tightly in hand, her palms beginning to sweat. "I'm Ena. Good to meet you, ma'am." The Grip's smile turned into a quiet, puzzled expression as she eyed the elf from head to toe. She was particularly interested in the sword that Ena had in her hand. "Pardon me for asking... but where did you get that sword?" Ena's eyes shot open in defense, quickly looking down to the blade in her hand. It was Mirror Shatterer technology, of course a Silent War veteran would recognize it on sight. "A-Ah... My, ah..." The elf pressed her lips together in desperation. She wanted to go as long as possible without bringing up her father, but she would have no other option. How else would she explain how she came into possession of such a blade? "I-It was given to me by my father... He fought in the Silent War..." "...By... any chance, you wouldn't be related to Shinei Shinonome, would you?" "Ah..."

Utter defeat. The nameless face Ena had been trying to keep for so long slipped.

"Y-Yeah... That's me..." "Heehee, I knew it!" Mafuyu's mom turns to the lady in red, nudging her callously with her elbow. "Hey, hey. Shinonome fought on the front lines against The Twins." "Okay. This matters to me why?" "It doesn't."

Ena hung her head low with a quivering exhale. It was a matter of time before her sword would be recognized like this, but... in such a situation, she felt completely bare. She had no real way of cutting the conversation short - she just had to bare with it. She knew what dealing with a shitty parent felt like, so the best she could do for her ally's sake would be to play nice.

"How's your father doing, Ena? It's been some time since I've last seen him..." "He's... well." The elf pries her eyes to the floor, exchanging Hermit IX into her other hand and wiping her sweat off on her kimono. "He's still very in touch with his prime." "Oh, that's lovely. Perhaps I should stop by sometime." Ena's breathing hitched, a voice in her head shouting at her to tell her to buzz off, but... she had to endure. "Does he know you're out here, Ena? You're quite far from the Elven woods." "...Yes, he does." "That's lovely, that's lovely. Surely he trained you well. He was quite the capable knight, you know?" "...Right..." "Holding your ground against two of the strongest warriors this kingdom had seen is no small feat, for sure!"

Ena gritted her teeth. She knew this already. He made sure to hammer that fact home with his pride and his onslaught during training.

"And..." Last but certainly not least was Mizuki. The ranger froze when Mafuyu's mother's eyes landed squarely to them, her expression souring nigh instantaneously. "You're..." "..."

Mizuki had already felt defiled from The Grip having stepped foot in their birthplace. The glare of those hardened eyes only cemented that feeling of being degraded.

There was no words exchanged the two, up until she stood up out from her chair and began to approach the ranger. The clanking of her armor sent ripples down their spine, the inches between the two growing shorter and shorter. They were petrified in place, masking their fear in a mutual glare of clashing blades. Mafuyu's mother leaned in close to the mysterious ranger, extending her gauntlet above Mizuki's head. Concerned eyes turned to the exchange, Mafuyu especially afraid. "M-Mom..?" The Grip pinched her index and thumb together, forcibly summoning Mizuki's chakram with a heavenly echoing sound, pulling it away from their body. The ranger, contrary to the expected reaction, lowers their head and stares angrily in defiance.

"...Hm." The Grip examines the glowing ring on both sides, dissipating her gauntlet and sliding her finger against the edge of the blade. It lightly slits open her index finger, but she doesn't even do as much as bat an eye. It was as if she felt no wound, despite watching her own blood trail down the ring. "It isn't glowing as bright as it should be, you know that, Akiyama?" "...Totally aware. Thanks for the reminder." Mafuyu's mother tilts her head upwards, looking down to the rebellion before her. "You're even farther from home than Shinonome's child... Do give your sister my regards for me." "Sure."

The Grip slotted the chakram back above Mizuki's head, vanishing in a glow of light. Turning her back to the ranger to walk back to her seat, they clenched their fist in frustration, before loosening their fingers. Getting mad over their debasing wouldn't help the situation. Barring Mizuki and The Grip, everyone including the lady in red showed similar arrays of confusion over what had just transpired before their eyes. Mizuki didn't seem to be lying about their age, but they were far too young to be alive during the Silent War. Ena blinked as she processed the information, hurt filling within her chest. ...Why didn't Mizuki ever mention having a sister when they opened up? How much do they have to hide? And...

The elf turned her face towards The Grip, her cape menacingly flowing behind her as she walked back to her stool. "...How was she able to summon Mizuki's chakram like that..?"

"W-Well..." Mafuyu interjected as her mother sat back down. "M-Mom, so... who's... your friend with the... footprints behind her?" The serious expression that had haunted the Adventurers had suddenly wiped off Mafuyu's mother's face, almost as if a switch had been flicked. "Oh, yes! How could I forget? This is MEIKO, a resurrected general of the Mirror Shatterers."

The party's collective reaction was some sort of exasperated and confused grunt. "Bwuh."

"It's... admittedly a long story..." She laughs sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "But... the basics is that she was sealed in a mirror twenty years ago." Mafuyu's heart went cold, her face stiffening in fear. Her eyes shot open, light draining from within like water spilling from a hole in a bag. "Th-This is... That's... The Specter..?" Her thoughts were a storm in her head, the walls closing in around her. "I... I'm doomed..." "The fact she's back means somebody broke her mirror. I don't think I need to explain why this is a bad thing, right? Ena? Kanade? Akiyama?" The three specifically called out shake their heads in understanding. Of course, she would have no way of knowing who broke it, but... "Now, this may sound outlandish," Mafuyu's mom started. "...and hear me out... But... there is a non-zero chance the surviving Shatterers have finally decided to make their move."

Silence flooded the room, not unlike the storm in Mafuyu's head. Climbing out of the water, Kanade's voice quivers up from a whisper. "...What do you mean 'surviving Shatterers..?'" Almost in a dismissive tone, The Grip waves her hand as if to shoo the thought as she spoke. "Of course, a movement doesn't die out after only twenty years. Not only are they still out there, but so is the idea of the Shatterer." Mafuyu's mom exhales loudly, crossing a leg over the other and leaning forward to the crew. "They're hiding from us." "Hiding..?" "That's right, Kanade. It's just... only now, they're making their move." She turns her head to the Specter with an inviting smile strung on her tired face. "MEIKO, would you like to explain further?" "...You're putting me on the spot?" "I figure you're more qualified than me in this field." "...I suppose."

Facing the party as a collective entity, MEIKO rubs the side of her head. She sighs loudly, side-eying The Grip. "I'm sure this is probably a lot to take in for all of you, hm? Real sorry about that. It's been quite the process for me as well." Mafuyu sits aloof, thoughts conflicting wildly with one another. "...Why is she so nice..? Those bloody footprints lead right to you, so... What kind of two-faced behavior is this..?" Seeing the fear in Mafuyu's eyes, The Denial leans on her hand, looking to the sorceress and addressing her personally. "Mafuyu, your mother believes these hypothetical surviving Shatterers are trying to break the mirrors that contain the Grievances' souls. She thinks I was just the beginning." The sorceress pauses, her skin shifting to a hue of white. Looking to her mom, Mafuyu bites her lip nervously. While she was relieved her mother hadn't yet suspected her, her heart was still beating rapidly. She needed to know something else. ".....And... if..." She swallows the lump in her throat. "If... Shatterers didn't break it?" "Then that'll probably be the catalyst for them to start acting." The Grip answers coldly.

Mafuyu's heart sunk to her stomach.

"I... see..."

The sorceress turns her head to the swung wide open door behind her, looking to the bodies that polluted the air with decay. "...That... will be a problem... If more Grievances are resurrected..." With that very obvious and apparent statement, MEIKO snorts, taking a sip of her drink with a laugh. "Haha. I'll say."

Mizuki took a step forward, nearly stepping on a body that stood in front of the pathway. "So what's this about, then? Evil warlord from the past comes back to life, kills a bunch of civilians, and you invite her for drinks, Ms. Asahina?" MEIKO lightly darted her head back in sarcastic offense. "Evil?" "Think of it as her last meal before I put her down for good. And... if I were you, I would watch your tongue when you speak to me, Akiyama." Ena shot her head to Mizuki in defense, before glaring with a twitching eye to The Grip. "How dare you threaten Mizuki like that, you..!"

"Why are you giving her hospitality..?" Kanade speaks up. "So many people lost their lives... why show such consideration..?" "While one can certainly be under that guise, please don't get it confused with my true goal. I only wanted to know whatever I could about her resurrection before I could no longer ask her." The Denial laughs quietly, finishing her drink and setting it to the table. "Hehe. So you lied to me?" "Naturally. Do you think I would show you kindness after your slaughter?" "Not at all. I figured there was something strange about you from the very beginning."

Mafuyu's mother stands up from her chair, tilting her head with a smile. "Well, then. I believe we should be finished here. Shall we end this?" "I figure it's about time. I have some place to be." After The Grip picks up her hardback book off the table, the two begin to walk towards the door while conversing casually. It felt almost as if the two were close acquaintances, the way they were just... talking between one another. "And... where would that be?" "You already can take a guess, can you not? You're smart." "Mmm. The clock tower, yes?" "Figures you would know." The Denial raises a finger. "...Truth be told, I don't know why I need to go there so badly." "Apollo is calling you, I assume." "I'm not sure who that is."

"If you can kill me, you will most certainly find out." The Denial smiles an almost heartwarming grin, much to the contrast of the situation at hand. "Then, I accept your challenge."

The two brush their way past Niigo, everybody quickly turning to watch the two step out into the street. "W-Wait, mom!!" Mafuyu calls out. "Where are you going?!" "You're welcome to watch, if you'd like." "W-Watch what?" The Grip turns her head over her shoulder, eyes narrow with malice and a smile strewn across her face. "Haven't you ever wanted to see your mother look cool?"

Mafuyu's mother and The Denial led the way, leaving the center of town, the surrounding buildings growing older and older the further they left. The clock tower cast its shadow over the six, time looking down upon them all. It was only a matter of time before one of them ended up dead. No matter the outcome, the situation was dire. Very dire. Now that a mirror was broken, and once word gets out that MEIKO was resurrected, the surviving Shatterers would begin to creep out from hiding like ants on rotten cheese. The other mirrors could very likely be at risk, only bringing more and more of the Grievances back from their twenty year slumber.

"Oh, Ms. Asahina... If I may..." MEIKO begins, looking off to her right. "How can I help you?" "That's the Yoisaki brewery, is it not?"

Kanade's shoulders hitched like a startled cat, quickly lifting her eyes up off the ground and to the lady in the red armor. "Yes, yes it is. Why do you ask?" "What happened to Mr. Yoisaki? He was quite the benefactor to the both of us during the war." Mafuyu's mother nods her head, a tinge of sadness in her eye. "Yes, I recall. Real gentle soul, that one. I think he fell into a coma about a year ago..? Admittedly, it is a bit hazy, but I believe his daughter still lives in town." MEIKO bore a wistful smile as she watched the brewery pass behind her, unknowing of Leo/need's presence within the building. "That's lovely. I'm sure he did a wonderful job raising her. Wish I could see the type of person she's become."

Kanade almost wanted to reach out, call from behind. She did neglect to mention her last name when giving her introduction earlier. Despite her status as one of the six Grievances, and as a general of the Shatterer terrorist group, she... seemed almost hurt to hear the news. The cleric wanted to know everything. She wanted to know why the brewery led to the Shatterer metal labyrinth, why the Grip had taken over it, but...

Ena placed a hand on the trembling cleric's shoulder, catching her attention. The elf slowly shakes her head.

Kanade could almost cry.

She put her hand down.

Ena lifts her head up, narrowing her eyes to The Grip. Yesterday at the goblin encampment, she made a comment to Mafuyu about the strangeness of their meeting. But now, with the knowledge they all now posses, it struck the elf as even stranger. There was no mistaking, there was some sort of tie between the four of them. Mafuyu's mom fought alongside Ena's father in the Silent War. Mafuyu's mom knew Mizuki's secret, and by extension, their family. Mafuyu's mom knew of the Yoisaki's connection to the Shatterers.

Perhaps, in some strange way, fate truly had brought Niigo together. They were all bound together by this... scary living myth.

"Will this do?"

The six had found themselves in the field of carnations outside of the village. The breeze of the wind carried the scented flowers like a trail of fresh air, restoring the lungs from the rancid smell of death that littered the streets. Mafuyu's mom nodded, patting the front cover of her hardback book with her gauntlet. "...Yes, this works. I'm fond of the flowers." She lightly points her index outwards with a smile, aiming her hostility directly towards The Denial. "There will be no need for me to decorate your grave. The flowers are already here." "You really are quite the character, you know that Ms. Asahina?"

The Grip turns to Mafuyu, beckoning her with a hand gesture. "Come here, love. I have something to ask of you." Mafuyu quickly looks to Kanade, fear overwhelming her eyes, before stepping close to her mother. "I would like for you to be the one who instigates the duel." "Wh-What..?" "Indeed. You will not be caught in the crossfire, I promise. Simply count down from three, and--" "N-No, it's not that... It's just..." The sorceress looks away. "If... you die, then... You may as well be asking me to kill you, you know..?" "I won't. Can you trust me on this, dear?"

Mafuyu timidly looks to The Denial, the Grievance taking twenty paces away from the two. "O-Okay..." "Good girl. It'll be over real quick, I promise." "Yes, mother..." "When the both of us are ready, I would like for you to count down from three. Shout 'begin' when you have finished. That will be when the duel starts." The Grip hugs her daughter tightly as Mafuyu slightly squirms from her anxiety. Letting go, her mother begins taking similar steps away from her daughter.

Kanade, Ena, and Mizuki all watched from a distance as the two Silent War veterans grew further and further apart in distance, before the both of them stop with Mafuyu in the middle. Ena sucked air through her teeth, her chest tightening. "This isn't going to end well, is it..?" Mizuki clenched their fists, staring down the field before them. The cleric turned her icy eyes to the anger-ridden ranger, looking up to her planted still ally. "...Mizuki... Are you okay..?" The ranger bit their lip as they inhaled through their nose, shuffling a foot in the carnations. "...I know the Mirror Shatterers wanted to destroy The Unreachable. I know I should hate her for wanting to destroy my old home." Kanade and Ena's eyes widen, but the former was unable to ask for further clarification. Mizuki wasn't done. "...But I want her to win."

From the distance, The Denial tilted her head. With a shout to be heard, she addresses her opponent on the opposite side of the field. "I've been meaning to ask, Ms. Asahina!" "What is it?" "...What's with the book?" The Grip looks to the cover for a moment, before lowering it back to her side. "Cook book!" "...Cook book? You're fighting me with a cook book?" "Nope!"

The Denial frowned. "What do you mean, 'nope'?" "I'm not fighting you with it, but I will kill you with it!" "Ooookay." Outstretching her hand, The Denial summons Gungnir from the ground, the spear sprouting from the earth into her hand. "Your loss, lady!" The Grip tilts her head down, eyes locked onto her target. With a breathy whisper, she smiles with murderous intent. "Goodbye, Denial."

Mafuyu clenches her fist into a ball, looking straight up to the sky. She didn't want to watch the fight that was about to transpire.

"Th-Three."

The Denial places the nail of her middle finger against her thumb.

"T...Two...."

The Grip stands perfectly straight, clenching the book in her hand.

"....One..."

Mafuyu closes her eyes, taking a drag of the air. It may be fresh now, but there was going to be a body that polluted the beautiful flowers any moment. She was going to kill another person today.

"....Begin..!"

With a flick of The Denial's finger, a painfully loud burst of wind flings straight past Mafuyu, aimed directly towards her mother. The same compressed air spell that had utterly decimated the entire town, the same spell that flung heads off shoulders left and right on the streets, simply bounced off The Grip's gauntlet, the Myth hurling it straight up into the air with ease. The Denial gasped, firmly planting a foot behind her and adjusting her fighting stance. "H-How did you..." From the sidelines, Kanade gasped, reaching her index finger out. "Barrier spell... She reflected it..."

Mafuyu recognized the sound of magic bouncing off of her mother's armor. After all, that was one of the rules of combat The Grip taught her when the two dueled in their living room.

"An important rule as a solo is to make sure your enemy isn't protected by a barrier. Physical barriers, magic barriers, mental barriers. Barriers will reflect anything which strikes it back to the user, you know?"

The Denial sank Gungnir into the ground, the spear tunneling below the earth and aiming directly towards The Grip. However, it was almost as if the Kamiyama Myth paid no mind. She stood completely still, ignoring the easily telegraphed attack. The moment she felt the ground beneath her feet rumbling, she simply took a step to the side as the spear pierced the air, taking hold of it as one grips the neck of a snake. Clenching her fist, she easily snapped the spear into two. However, this seemed to be The Denial's plan. As Ms. Asahina was distracted by the attack, MEIKO had begun dead-sprinting towards her opponent, pressing her fingers together for another pressurized, now up close wind attack. The moment she stepped close to The Grip, she flung another blast of wind, to which her opponent took the full frontal load of the attack straight to her head. Strangely enough, to the spectators, the wind seemingly trailed past her head. For The Denial, however, there was no time to be confused by the results. She had to proceed.

The Denial threw her fist at The Grip, who defended herself from the attacks with her arms. One punch, two punches, three punches, each attack was perfectly parried into one another, The Grip's body movements flowing fluently like the current of a lake. Not a single attack hit anywhere other than her metal gauntlets. With this fluidity, The Grip uses this perfect opportunity to reach her arm around her opponent, pressing the spine of the book up against The Denial's neck. Using her free hand, she grabs The Denial by her face, engulfing her sight into her gauntlet. With muffled shouting into metal, The Violet Grip begins to violently and ferociously push back on The Denial's head.

The next thing that came after the horrible sound of a neck snapping was the deafening silence of a life's end.

Only three blows were dealt before The Violet Grip had completely overpowered one of the six Grievances.

She was twenty years rusty out of her prime.

Mafuyu slowly opens her eyes, bearing witness to her mother holding a corpse wrapped in her arm. She brings her arm down to her side, the body that once held resurrected life falling into the carnations like a discarded rag.

She looks down to the lady with whom she shared a drink with moments prior, pressing the metal of her boot against the corpse's shoulder, kicking it over nonchalantly. The Denial lie face down in her grave, perfectly still. The Specter had been defeated, no influence from Niigo to be had. Those who had fallen victim to her attack had been avenged, the current problem coming to its conclusion.

"See, Mafuyu? Your mother was cool, was she not?"

Mafuyu had no words. She might as well have been a corpse as well, seeing as her face had gone completely cold and white.

Kanade's heart broke. The Denial may have been evil, but... she knew more about her father. She wanted to know more about him, if it was true that he had been keeping secrets from his own daughter. She didn't... seem like... a bad person. But now, she was gone.

The Grip looks over her shoulder, squarely to the four. "Meet me by the café closest to the Weekend Garage. I wish to talk more with you four, but..." Once again, she looks at the still warm body that lie by her feet. "Somebody needs to explain this situation." She waved her hand away as if to shoo them away, equipped with a startling grin unfit for one who just took a life. "Do spread the word the danger has been taken care of. Be good for me, understood?" Joints fueled by intimidation, Kanade nodded her head. "O-Okay..." "You too, Mafuyu. Go with them." "Yes, mother..."

Mafuyu turned her back to her mother, staggering with each step. As she grew further and further from her mom, her feet began to pick up into a sprint. She continued to run as fast as she could, flying right past the rest of her party. The cleric reached her hand out. "M-Mafuyu!!!" She kept running, she didn't even turn her head back.

The silver haired cleric looks over her shoulder at The Grip, now taking a knee by the body, feeling the side of The Denial's neck. "That woman... she..."

Kanade couldn't finish her thought as Ena began to run after Mafuyu, and Mizuki took hold of Kanade's wrist. "M-Mizuki..." "C'mon, c'mon. We need to get out of here."

The four take off away from the scene, leaving The Violet Grip behind in the carnation field.

The shadow of the clock tower loomed menacingly over the party. Whatever it was that was calling The Denial was unable to bring her in.

Chapter Text

An hour slowly crept by as the four Adventurers sat alone at the café, the past sixty minutes lingering in their minds like a restless spirit. To those who bore witness to the duel, the sight of the body lifelessly falling to the floor was utterly haunting. Kanade was particularly stunned into silence and fear from the sight she had witnessed. Mafuyu refused to watch the duel, Ena lived with a war hero, and Mizuki seemed adjusted to the sight, but the cleric had no first hand experience with human against human violence. When The Denial fell, Kanade had the sight of the finale charred into her mind. When the body fell from The Grip's arms, her joints were so limber in stark contrast to the ferocious punches the Shatterer had thrown prior, and in the end, Mafuyu's mother was true to her word. She really did only use a book to take a life. The sight of Mafuyu recoiling in fear upon the echoing sound of a snapping neck had been imprinted onto Kanade's mind, her mother forever leaving a lasting first impression to the cleric. She looked to her side to gauge her allies and calculate how they were doing, but none of them looked well, either. Mafuyu had been leaning forward onto the table with her head in her hands. She wasn't exactly in the mood for casual chatter, if it wasn't obvious enough. Kanade sighed, turning her gaze straight and narrowing her eyes. "That... powerful monster is her mother..?" Kanade thought, her blue eyes softening with pity. "...Is that why... you were so afraid of your reflection..? Was that... the solo your mom wants you to be..?" The cleric rested the bridge of her index beneath her lower lip, her breath coming out in a short and quivery hum. "That... doesn't make much sense. All of us changed when the mirror fogged, so... why only you..?"

"Ah, here." Attention was drawn to Mizuki, pointing down to the text in a book borrowed from Kanade's house. It was taken off an old, dusty shelf, seemingly going untouched for years by both Kanade and her father. It was titled 'Overcoming the Silence', a documentary of statistics and facts about The Silent War, such as the estimated total deaths, first hand reports from soldiers, estimated deafness caused by The Unreachable's blast, and what Mizuki picked the book up for, the identities of The Grievances. Given that the four Adventurers had been sitting alone for a while, Mizuki had the time to return back to Kanade's place to fetch the book. They weren't exactly looking forward to meeting Ms. Asahina, anyways. "Found the page. Take a look, guys." Ena leaned closer and Kanade moved inward, but Mafuyu remained unmoving from her planted shut demeanor.

"This one... is MEIKO, right?" Ena says, leisurely twirling a strand of her hair on her finger. "Looks like it. Red armor, short brown hair. Pressurized wind magic. Went by another name, The Denial." "So... what are you looking for, anyways?" Mizuki looks up to the elf with a resting face that emitted confidence. "We were all born after the war. It would help a ton if we knew more about it, yeah?" "...I guess so." "If the remaining Mirror Shatterers are gonna crawl out like rats, we should probably be prepared. Know things about their leaders, their technology... the works, you know?" The cleric blinks, resting her head on her hand. "You think Mafuyu's mother was on the right track? That the Shatterers really would come back?" "Probably. That's what worries me... If they're all as dangerous as The Denial, then..." The ranger raises their index off from the text and pointed skyward, held in front of their chest. "...It would be bad if the Shatterers got to the mirrors first, don't you think?"

"Wait, are you saying..."

"Sorry, sorry... Sorry I'm late, everyone..!"

Mafuyu's shoulders hitch as her eyes dart to her side, bearing witness to her mother approaching the four. She no longer had her black armor equipped, having made public in her casual clothes. "I had a lot of cleaning up to do with the sheriff. I was borrowed for questioning, but that's all taken care of." She pulls a seat off from a nearby table, sitting on the outside. Resting her chin on her fist, she leans on the table and sighs deeply. " Ugh... What a mess... I'm rusty, I'm feeling tired after all that..."

"Rusty..?" Ena firmed her eyes, frowning slightly. "You call that shit 'rusty'?"

"Hello, Ms. Asahina." Kanade greeted gently, her poker face juxtaposing her voice. "You, uh... wanted to talk to us about something?" "Oh, yes. I wanted to apologize for how sudden this all is... You and Ena shouldn't have been subjected to a sight like that." Mizuki clicked their tongue, rolling their eyes at their omission from her statement. "Though, it isn't every day one can see a Kamiyama Myth in action, isn't that right, Mafuyu?" "O-Oh, right..." Ms. Asahina grinned with soft eyes, interlocking her fingers and setting her hands to the table. "I must be honest with you. I said it earlier, I'll say it again. I think the surviving Shatterers are responsible for The Denial's reappearance... and that brings negative connotations." Ena crossed her arms and tilted her head up in subtle defiance, considering the fact that the four of them knew the truth behind the situation. "Can't be a good sign. You think there's going to be another war?" "More than likely. We're lucky we stopped MEIKO before she could act out any further and reach the surviving Shatterers."

"Which... is why I wanted to gather you three here." She sheepishly chuckled, gauging the reactions of those she spoke to. "I know this is a lot to ask of strangers, but we are irreversibly tied to this situation together now." "What do you mean?" Kanade asked, tilting her head in confusion. No matter how she thought, there wasn't exactly a specific reason they had to cooperate. In Mafuyu's mother's eyes, Niigo were only present for The Denial's defeat, nothing more than that. "If more Shatterers are coming, they are likely going to go after the other mirrors containing each Grievance. The mirrors were handed out to be protected by various Kamiyama Myths, myself included." Mafuyu shuffles her posture, pulling her shoulders back and sitting upright as she addressed her mother. "Other Myths?" "Initially, they were held in Kamiyama Castle, but the old king decided it would be wiser to spread them apart from one another." She spoke with a smile, lightly laughing to herself modestly. "To, which, I agree. Keeping all the Grievances together would not be particularly smart." "I.. see, I see." "But if they're after the mirrors, then the other Myths must be warned. They need to be prepared to guard them with their lives."

Shifting a leg over the other, Ms. Asahina crossed her arms with a stern look in her eyes, confidently showcasing an authoritative aura. "Here's what I need you all to do."

"Mafuyu is due a trip to Biei on grounds of a protection gig, hired by a man named Shousuke Otori." The collective eyes of the four immediately tense, with Mafuyu whipping her head towards her mother in shock. Of course, The Grip had no idea that Mafuyu was going with a party. As far as she knew, this really was Mafuyu's first major solo gig. "Mom..?" "Mafuyu was hired to take this job, but there have been a change of plans. Drastic ones. This is an emergency." The sorceress's heart stops as her voice immediately lets loose. "Wait, there has? Mom, what d-do you mean, 'change of plans'?" She spoke hastily and sporadically, words stumbling upon one another as if they were sloppily strung together by a child. Her mind was in a state of shambles, the foundation of which barely being supported by fractured support beams that have weathered after years of weight. "Ena, are you the leader of your party?" "O-Oh, no... That's Kanade." Ena scratches the back of her head, clearly intimidated by The Grip's hijacking of their plan. She felt a little bad turning The Grip's eye to her leader, but she felt no other choice than to be honest. "Ah, thank you. Then... Kanade?" "Y-Yes?" "On Mafuyu's behalf, I would like for you three to set out to Biei. Tell Shousuke I sent you in her place, and he will understand. Elaborate the situation well, make sure he knows of my suspicion of the Shatterers."

Kanade's heart sunk to her chest, but it hadn't plummeted as far as Mafuyu's did. Her skin had turned an unruly white, her legs shuffling against one another as she quietly panicked internally. "What..? Why..?" "Mafuyu, you and I are going to find the remaining Myths and warn them of the danger." Tilting her head with a smile, The Grip reaffirms these rerouted plans. "It would certainly be of benefit for your training, dear. Field work with your mother to benefit the kingdom, does that not sound good?"

"No, wait... I don't... I don't want this..."

"Don't make me, please..."

"Y-Yes... Working along side you on a genuine mission does sound like it would be of tremendous help..."

Mafuyu's mother smiles, nodding her head in satisfaction. "Lovely. Good girl, Mafuyu." The Grip tugs at her unbuttoned sweater sleeve, lightly itching herself through the cloth. "I do feel bad, though... but I think this is for the greater good. If we cooperate together, this whole Shatterer mess would be resolved sooner than you think, darling."

Mizuki spoke up first in protest, smacking their hands against the table. They knew from the sudden fear in Mafuyu's eyes that they had to prioritize dodging around words that would implicate Mafuyu as one in their party. "Why would we do that? Who said you can decide what we do?" They cross their arms and frown in resistance, planting the soles of their shoes in the ground. "And further, don't think you can just tell Mafuyu what to do like that. Can't it wait until she's done with her quest?" "...I'm sorry?" The Grip's infliction went as chilling as ice, her gray eyes hollowing out the moment the ranger spoke out. "I know you're a hot shot, tough as nails legend. But it doesn't mean you can order us around like that, and especially your own daughter." "Danger is imminent. Understand this now, and understand it fast. It would be in your best interest to listen to me."

Kanade looked over to Mafuyu, her dear friend nigh trembling, her skin looking as if it were to fall apart under pressure. She was utterly terrified. She clearly didn't want to be alone with her mother.

Kanade could tell this had something to do with the reflected Mafuyu from the mirror.

"Mizuki... Can... you let me handle this?" The ranger stared intensely at Mafuyu's mother before prying their eyes away, slumping down into the booth. "Alright, whatever." "...Thank you." Kanade rested her palms flat on the table as she addressed the party. She hated seeing Mafuyu like this, and she hated the thought of losing her. She wanted to say something, do something, anything to save Mafuyu... "...Ms. Asahina, I think..." Kanade forcibly swallowed the cork in her throat. "I think... Mafuyu should still go on her Biei trip. Either that, or you two can have a rendezvous point, right..? You don't need to cancel her quest when there's an easier way to handle it." Kanade looks away to Mafuyu, the cleric's face souring as Mafuyu timidly looked up. Their eyes met, locking together much alike how their fingers were always intertwined. "I... understand you want her to be more experienced, but don't you think she needs her independence?"

Mafuyu's mother narrows her eyes, tapping her index finger against the table. "I apologize. This is non-negotiable. I only ask you to take her place so Shousuke's job gets fulfilled regardless. Of course, you can decline if you so choose. This is but a request from an outside party to another, after all." Kanade scooched back in the booth a slight, meeting The Grip's eyes. What used to be empty had been filled with malice as Mafuyu's mother stared directly into the cleric's soul. "However, Mafuyu is coming with me. I apologize."

"I... understand." Kanade looked downward into her lap. "I... don't want to lose you already..."

"Working together with her mother and meeting other Myths will no doubt improve her skills tenfold. The way I see it, these quests she has been partaking in have been little more than warm-ups. If another war breaks out, and all of the other Myths are as rusty as I, then we will need a newer, younger hero to stand in our place."

Standing up from the chair she pulled from the side, Mafuyu's mother looks down to the four in hostility. "I will leave you three to conclude whatever you were doing prior to The Denial's attack. The Weekend Garage may be closed for the rest of the day, so you may want to seek out Ken if you wish to give your report." She points her finger out to her daughter as if to chastise her, forcibly making the puppet dance by her strings. "We'll leave tomorrow morning. Curfew is still ten, don't forget, Mafuyu darling." "Y-Yes..."

With a cold expression and a nod, she turns around begins to walk away from the table. As footsteps began to trail off, Mafuyu put her head in her hands once more, but those harrowing and echoing steps suddenly went silent, dead in their tracks. Without looking over her shoulder, Mafuyu's mother takes one big inhale, before addressing one specific member of the party, the one who showed the most resilience and hostility. "...Akiyama." "..." "How much have you told them?" Mizuki sighed through clenched tight lips, an inaudible, breathy grumble from the back of their throat bubbling up. "I don't know what you're talking about." "...Perhaps we can keep it that way, then. Goodbye." Having completely taken over Niigo's plans, The Grip had left the four just as suddenly as she had intruded into their lives.

The table went quiet for a moment as the four gathered their bearings. The encounter was but a few short minutes, but those minutes felt more agonizing than any minotaur's blade could ever be.

Ena shifted her gaze to Mizuki, the latter still visibly frustrated with the exchange. Ena had yet to see a point in her life where she would see their friend this distraught. They looked wounded, defiled, shock coursing through their pink pupils like a crashing current. In an attentive and considerate tone of voice, she lightly places a comforting hand on their shoulder. "Mizuki... Do you know what was she talking about?" "This..." The ranger clutched the crown of their head, spreading their thumb and index to temple to scalp. "This is hardly the place to explain." "...You're hiding again." "No, this is just shit timing. I can't with that woman." While Ena's attention was originally focused on Mizuki, an inharmonious spurt of breaths come loose from the other side of the table capturing the two's attention. Mafuyu covered her eyes into her palms, shoulders no longer quaking and resting still. It was as if a storm had subsided in her muscles. That wasn't to say her whole body had no longer been twitching, though. Her lower lip had begun to quiver, faltering like shaky stilts. "I... I don't..." Mizuki's frustration wiped off their face, as the other three Adventurers quickly turn to the sorceress. "I... don't... I don't want to go with her..." Amethyst eyes begin to twitch rapidly, her hands trembling to support a head that hadn't gained any weight, but was about to fall apart and spill open. "I don't... want to be alone with her..."

Kanade looked over her shoulder double checking to make sure Mafuyu's mother had truly left the scene. From what she has seen and inferred of that woman up to this point, lingering and watching from a distance wouldn't seem entirely beyond reasoning for her. After a few moments to verify her absence, Kanade turns to Mafuyu, lightly taking hold of the sorceress's gloved hand. "It's okay... It's... okay..." "I don't want to go... Please, do something..."

Mizuki winced in sympathy, tilting their head down to avoid looking directly at the disaster unfolding before them. They had no words for comfort, they were at a loss as well. They've never been put in a situation like this before - how could they find the right thing to say to help? No matter how you looked at the problem, there wasn't a cut and dry solution. However, beside the ranger, the elf sitting right beside them had something in mind. She rubbed the side of her head, pinching the tip of her pointed ear in thought as she pieced together her sentence like a puzzle, thinking of how she wanted to approach the struggling sorceress.

"Mafuyu... What is it that you want to do..?" "I-I..." Mafuyu let go of her head, bringing her forehead to the edge of the table. "I don't know what I want... I just... don't..." The points of Ena's lips dropped downward as she exhaled through her nose, brown eyes washing in a desolate lake of sorrow.

Mafuyu didn't seem to be crying, she just seemed... afraid.

"I can't... say no to her..." "Why not?" Mafuyu brings her head up, glazing her eyes to Ena. She sat quietly as she wracked her brain for an answer, but came back empty-handed. "I... I just... I can't, I shouldn't..." Looking into the sorceress's eyes, they had gone a shade lighter, no longer reflecting off any light. The anxiety and fear had completely consumed her. "I just don't want to go with her..."

Ena crossed her arms and frowned. "Jeez... Then just don't go."

"What?"

Kanade tilted her head in confusion at the insensitivity of Ena's remark. "Ena, it's not that easy..." "No, it really is. Just don't go."

The purple haired sorceress squinted, hastily processing Ena's statement. Surely it wouldn't be that simple, would it? "...How?"

The swordswoman looked over her shoulder squarely to Mizuki, the ranger resting their forearm on the table. "...I guess now's a better time than never, then." "I'm surprised you lasted this long. You loved talking about yourself." "Yeah, yeah... Whatever..." The elf shut her eyes, collecting all the air she could. While she wanted to go as long as possible without speaking about herself, refraining from talking about her experiences and trauma, someone right in front of her needed advice. She needed it now. Finding resolve to speak up for her ally, she begins. "Mafuyu, the day I met you and Kanade, I had just ran away from home." The air went quiet as Mafuyu's mouth slowly opened a slight, breath leaving her lungs in confusion. "Ran... away..?" "That's right. My dad wasn't exactly all that, either. Had enough of him." The elf rubs her arm, shyly looking away. "He wanted my brother to lead our clan, but that jerk pissed off one day. Haven't seen him since. After that, my dad started to train me himself. Day in, day out, he and I would spar, tearing me to shit."

Kanade's eyes softened in sympathy. "Tearing you to..." "Yeah." Ena pried her eyes away, gazing outside through the window into the market streets. Constables and knights were patrolling the streets, searching for any more dangers or bodies.

Ena covered her mouth in between her thumb and index, rubbing her chin with her middle finger. She sighed, digging into her mind to find courage to continue. "At times, after sparring, he wouldn't give me any healing potions or take me to the local cleric. He said my scars would fuel pain tolerance. He trained me in the way of the sword, but did nothing but hurt me and belittle me. So... one day, I had enough." Ena presses her index finger against the table, sighing deeply. "It's only been a few days. Only a few days, but I don't regret it. I don't regret it in the slightest. I don't think I ever will. I hate that man with a passion."

"...Hate..? That's..." "...I think I can relate, really. I don't want to assume things, but you don't seem to be very fond of your mom, are you?" "I... do care for her..." "You can care for somebody and still not like them, you know." Mafuyu plants her head back into her hands, shuffling her right foot into the ground lightly. "That doesn't make any sense..." "Mafuyu, are you afraid of your mom?" Shifting her fingers away from her eyes like a set of window blinds, her pupils peer out from in between. "...A...fraid..?" "Are you afraid? Yes or no?" "I... have no reason to be..."

Ena clicked her tongue in light frustration. "Lemme rephrase that." Ena shifts her posture, leaning forward. "Are you afraid of what she might do to you?" The answer was nigh immediate. "Yes..." "You don't want to become like her, right?" Mafuyu breathily hummed a response, nodding her head steadily. "Mmhm..." "Then just don't go with her. Run away, like I did."

"I can't do that to her... I don't want to go with her, but... I don't want to leave her either... I still love her, she's my mom... Why would I want to hurt somebody I love, no matter how rough things may seem..? There must be a better way around this. But at the same time, if I don't do something... I'm going to have to travel with my mom... Why is that such a scary idea to me..? Why am I afraid to be with her? I shouldn't be. Is there something wrong with me? Am I a bad daughter? Am I a bad daughter for not wanting to spend time with my mom? For not wanting to listen to what she wants? She knows so much, she's always right... She's wanted me to surpass her since before I was even born, she has so much faith in me, so much trust, she wants me to exceed in every way. She only wants the best for me, and here I am, afraid to even spend time with her? I'm such a shit daughter..."

Mafuyu had no words.

She sat quiet as she looked to Ena.

"Hey, hey... Mafuyu..." The sorceress turned her eyes over to her side, meeting Kanade's attentive gaze. "Yes?" "...I know you're conflicted, but... if being with your mom suffocates you, then... I think distancing yourself from her would be for the best." Mafuyu takes a moment, blinking with heavy eyelids. It felt comforting to have her eyes shut for even a moment, delaying the time she would open them for as long as possible. "Suffocating..." That... was a good word to describe how she felt. She felt suffocated, her mother weighing all this baggage and expectations on someone who didn't deserve it. Rubbing her thumb against Mafuyu's gloved palm, Kanade looks up with gentle and light eyes. "We can work something out." "What do you think I should do, Kanade..?" "What I think?" The cleric hums lightly, rubbing her chin. "I think you need to get away." Kanade smiles lightly, her voice being enough to sooth Mafuyu's nerves. "It doesn't matter where, as long as you're safe. You can take all the time you need. Your mom would miss you, no doubt... but you need to care for yourself too, you know."

"I... suppose..."

"And besides." Mizuki interrupts. "We won't have much of a future anyways if Shousuke lies about those pearls. He's got our integrity on a chokehold, doesn't he?" Ena loosely chuckles to herself. "God, I guess you're right. Today has been so hectic, it's hard to think back to that. Maybe we just need a rest." Kanade sighed, nodding in agreement. "Yeah... I guess so. I'm exhausted from today, we should probably head home soon..." Mafuyu looked down into her lap. She stared for a moment, before sighing a mixture of relief and concern. Ena's words gave her a lot to think about, but... at least she wasn't optionless anymore. The fact there could be a way out gave her... comfort. "Home..." "Mafuyu, are you going to go home early today, too?"

Mafuyu went quiet for a moment. She didn't exactly want to go home, especially after what her mother had done to her and her allies. She... wasn't exactly mad at her mom, but she didn't want to see her, either. The sorceress's chest went cold whenever she was around, and she didn't want to bear with that frigidness any more than she had to. She wanted to wait out until curfew. And... besides, why be cold with her mother when she can feel warm inside with Kanade? "...Not yet..." "What are you gonna do?" "Can... I go with you guys? ...Just for a little bit..." Kanade smiles, wrapping her fingers around Mafuyu's. The way she asked felt so genuine and polite, it was like she was a timid rabbit shyly peeking its head out from the tall grass. "Of course."

Mizuki sighs exasperatedly, shutting the book in front of them. "Jeez. And I literally just went there and back." Pulling the book to their side, they stand up from the booth and kick the chair Mafuyu's mother had left behind. "At least put the stool back where you found it, lady. C'mon, manners."

Ena follows in pursuit, standing from the booth. "Did you find what you were looking for in that book, Mizuki?" "Ehh... Not quite. But I'd imagine we'd have the rest of the day to do research." Taking Kanade's lead and rising from the booth, Mafuyu tilts her head inquisitively. "On what, exactly?" "The Grievances. Before I was so rudely interrupted by a certain... ahem... your mom, I was going to suggest my own plan after we deal with Sir. Dickbag's scheme."

Kanade frowns. Dickbag was clearly supposed to be Shousuke, but the cleric couldn't place a finger on what 'my own plan' could possibly be. Mizuki with a gameplan sounded like a recipe for disaster, a worst case scenario. It would especially spell the end of times if it was a good plan. "What kind of idea?" "I say we deliberately free them from the mirrors."

"...Huh?!"

The trumpets of the end of man had not rang, for Mizuki had proposed a dumb plot.

Ena's ears fluttered, an eyebrow raising to the heavens. "What?! Why would you want to free the terrorists?!" "Ena, shhh!!" Mizuki quickly covers Ena's mouth with their palm, swinging their head left to right out of embarrassment. Eyes from the staff had been successfully drawn to the four, which was not exactly Ena's intention. "K-Keep your voice down." Hesitantly pulling their hand away from the elf, she protrudes her lips in a pout, crossing her arms and cocking her head to the side. "S-Sorry." Kanade speaks up on Ena's behalf, whose face had begun to hue slightly red from the sudden contact, and speaking no further. "I'll explain why when we aren't in public. It's more than a middle finger to Ms. Asahina, trust me. Though, I'll be real, that's sort of part of it." They scratch the side of their face abashedly. "And... besides. ...If we're... going to be dealing with the mirrors, then... I think it's time you guys know a bit more about me.

Chapter Text

Shallow resolve and restless energy spun in the four Adventurer's chests, none of who were easy with the decks passed along to them. They were stuck between multiple rocks and hard places, the jagged boulders cutting their skin as they crushed their lungs. On one side, Shousuke's extortion. On the other, Mafuyu's mother. Both forces had put them in a corner, forcing Niigo's values against one another. Even if Niigo had found a moment to collect their thoughts, pressure was still against them, more and more weight being applied each passing minute. They all stepped out from the café into the open air, where the vibrant blue sky loomed above and the hellishly bright sun beat down on their skin, baking their fried tired brains to a crisp. "...At least the sirens stopped." Mizuki remarks, turning their head to a loudspeaker posted into a pole. When the ranger had left the collective group to fetch Overcoming the Silence, the wailing call of the sirens had continued to blare in intervals, keeping people inside in case of further attacks. Of course, The Denial was the extent of the terror, but the sheriffs and constables wanted to make sure.

Before the meeting with Ms. Asahina, as the ranger was heading to the Yoisaki household to retrieve the book, they made sure to make a pitstop to the brewery. By the time Mizuki reached the four Adventurers hiding inside, the headless body that had been outstretched on the floor like a stringless puppet had already been picked up. Mizuki had just assumed it was recovered by the constables and officers on clean up duty. It seemed as if collecting the bodies was the priority before working on cleaning up the mess, giving the ranger the moment to collect Leo/need. They knocked on the wooden door first before jangling the lock, peering their face to the cracks of the boarded up window. "Ya-ho, it's me! Coast is clear..!"

With a slight delay, footsteps could be heard on the other end of the door before the door opened a crack, a green eye cautiously peering out from it. "...You guys defeated the Specter?" "Er... About that."

Little by little, Mizuki had slowly explained the entire course of the past hour since the two groups separated. Other than the expected shock, the exchange was rather uneventful, aside from the ranger handing the pendant back to Honami and assisting them all in gathering their things to leave. The four who had been hulled up inside the shack knew it may not exactly be the safest place to be, considering a mess was still dripping from the ceiling raft of the establishment's porch. Officers would be swarming the perimeter like moths to a flame after all the bodies have been recovered. At some point as the ranger was informing Leo/need about what had just happened, Mizuki rubbed their head sheepishly and let loose a chuckle as they watched Ichika support Honami to her feet. "So, uh... Tomorrow, you're still up for taking us halfway to Biei... right?"

Ichika sighed, hanging her shoulders loose and gazing with a tilted down head to the ranger's pink hued irises. "Deal is a deal. ...Things... might've gone south today, but we still owe you your half." Slight relief washed Mizuki's face like running one's hands under a faucet. "Phew, that's good... I was worried about that, actually." "No need, that's okay. Today was a bit of a mess... But try not to let it get to you, okay? We're gonna... be working on that too."

As the four walked down the town into the lesser developed outer rim, constables carrying bodies on blanketed over cots passed more and more frequently. "Say..." Ena started. "...Ichika and the others made it out of the brewery just fine, right..?" "Yeah, yeah." Mizuki clarified with a smile. They anticipated that. "They're all safe. I even returned the pendant we borrowed. Ichika even used a spell to repair the hatch we climbed out of." Kanade breathed out traces of anxiety with a hefty sigh, looking up with a smile. "That's good. I don't think they can search without a warrant, but even so... I don't think the police finding a Shatterer base would be the best." Mizuki popped their knuckles with their thumb, outstretching their fingers afterward. Force of habit. "Honami looked sick still. We had to cover her eyes when we left the building, I guess she's got hemophobia, or something. Ichika and Shiho seemed to have collected their cool, but..." Mizuki looked downward with a forlorn expression in their eye, lips turning downward. "Saki didn't seem to be doing too hot. A bit quiet."

Mizuki stared at their feet as they began to drag them against the dirt road.

"I wish I could be more like you. You're pretty strong, you know that?"

"I just kinda wish I was able to give her a bit more of my two cents, y'know? Try and cheer her up. I think she blames herself for this whole situation." Without hesitating to chime in, Mafuyu responds with a deadpanned expression and a flat tone. "But it was my fault. I broke the mirror. Why's she upset?" Kanade frowns. "Nobody should be blamed for this. Not you or Saki." "Is that what you want to tell yourself? Do you want to distance yourself from responsibility?" "...I..." Mizuki cleared their throat, waving their hands in front of them. "H-Hey, hey hey. Kanade's right. The Denial is dead, your mom took care of it. The danger is over, the fallen are avenged." Looking to the two girls, Mizuki flashed their index finger out, waving it to the two of them. "Kiss and make up, team. Do your thing where you guys hold hands, that seems to work when you're stressed, I've noticed." Ena blinks, rotating her gaze back and forth between the cleric and the sorceress. "Does it?" "Yes, it does." "I haven't noticed. How often do they do that?" "Literally all the time." Kanade and Mafuyu look to each other for a moment, with Kanade nodding her head. "Kanade, don't take that responsibility comment too personally, 'kay?" "...Okay..."

Crises adverted. That could've been bad. Mizuki pinched the bridge of their nose, not wanting to admit that deep down in their heart, they knew Mafuyu was right. The sorceress had a point. Kanade may have been working on her optimism, but it was irrefutable the two parties were to blame for the chaos in town. The best that they could do was try and push out a persona, a front of confidence for the party's sake. They could tell everybody was pushing a front of their own, each in a highly contrasting and differing way. "Keep moving." They told themself. "Don't slip. The hard part hasn't even started yet, Mizuki." Each footstep closer to the Yoisaki household made their chest grow cold and still, as if somebody had been holding onto it with a firm grip. They felt suffocated and asphyxiated, finding it hard to breathe despite how crisp and fresh the air was under the sun. While the ranger had already told Ena the truth behind their identity a few nights ago, it felt... strange to let more people in, especially people they had met only a week ago. Kanade and Mafuyu didn't have the benefit of being lifelong friends with Mizuki, but they deserved to know. They had a right to know about the mirrors, and about Mizuki.

"Home at last..." Kanade sighs, stepping foot onto her porch. A breeze of relief flew past the four Adventurers, seeing a familiar door before them. To Kanade, it felt nice to just open a door without being afraid of what may lie behind it. It was home. The four could try and rest off the stress and fear they had experienced today. "I'm exhausted... I need a nap... My entire body aches..." "Once again, you seriously aren't beating the princess allegations." Ena says with a lightly smug expression, crossing her arms and shaking her head jokingly. "Still very mean. I'm going to internalize that." "Go ahead. Be my guest." Kanade reaches into her handbag and drops her keys on the ground.

The proceeding inhale-to-exhale lasted eight seconds as she stood perfectly still, staring downward at her feet. All smugness in Ena's smile had been wiped clean, sympathy fittingly taking its place. "Do... you got it?" "Please do not patronize me."

Stepping foot into the house and leaving their shoes at the door, the four enter the living room completely drained of energy. Ena looks to the grandfather clock merrily ticking like a metronome. "4pm..?" Settling into their comfort zone, Mizuki throws themselves on the couch, spreading their legs apart from one another and throwing their arms behind the back of the sofa. "It's only been like, six hours... Anybody else feel like it's been longer?" "God, I'll say." Mafuyu counts on her fingers the time she has until she has to leave, curfew closing in on her. "... We have six hours until I need to be home." "Got some time, then." Mizuki says, rubbing their temples with their thumb and index. "...So, how do we go about this..?" "Go about what?" Kanade asks, sitting at the dining room table and resting her cheek onto the island. "You know. My secret. Where do we start?"

"Wait, wait... Before you start." The cleric holds her palm out, stopping Mizuki's line of thought. "...What is it..?" "...I think we could use a rest. Or, at least, I do. I..." Kanade looks down to the engravings on the table, her eyes feeling as if they could fall straight out from their sockets. "I need some alone time, I think. Maybe a nap, I can try to sleep this off. And besides, wouldn't you rather try to, like... rehearse what you want to say, first?" Mizuki's very loused and slumped posture straightens out upright with quiet relief as they scratch the side of their head, turning their eyes away to Ena. The swordswoman blinks as if to whisper, "What are you looking at me for?", which sends an answer to Mizuki. "I... suppose... I can wait. I'm not exactly jumping for joy, here. Do you need some rest?" "I think." "How long do you need?" "...Uh... Two hours?" "Two-... Okay, sure." There was this look of genuine sorrow in Kanade's eyes for delaying Mizuki's speech, seeing as she wasn't emotionally attuned to the situation. She was pretty overwhelmed by everything that happened today, it was no wonder she needed time alone. She wobbled a little bit standing up from the stool she had sat down on, flipping a strand of hair that had fallen over her shoulder to her back. "Just... wake me up then, okay?" "Right..."

"Rest well, princess." Mafuyu comments in her usual flat tone of voice. The cleric stops in her tracks, no further remarks coming from her lips. Instead, her face turned visibly red as she began quietly sputtering an incoherent string of noises. After an embarrassingly lengthy amount of time, she puts words together like a puzzle piece. "I'm going to my room now." Shuffling away like a waddling duck, she silently shuts the door behind her.

Ena and Mizuki both turn to Mafuyu, the sorceress not noticing anything peculiar from Kanade's reaction. "I'm drained too, I think. I could benefit from some relaxation." Mafuyu picks up a blanket folded up on an adjacent shorter sofa, pulling it close to her chest and sitting comfortably beside Mizuki. "Is it... uh, naptime?" "Maybe. If I get tired." The ranger flaps their lips, slowly turning their head away. "Oookay." Patting their legs down as if to clear them from dust, the ranger rises from the sofa like a head submersed in water. "I'll give you some room. Stretch out'chya legs, or something." "Thanks." Mafuyu immediately props the both of her legs up onto the sofa, laying her head down on the armrest much unlike she had done yesterday.

Walking away from the living room and entering the dining room, Mizuki lets out a heavy sigh, closing their eyes and tapping their foot lightly beside Ena. "Guess it can't be helped. Enanan, what about you? You want to do anything?" "Nothing in particular. Taking a time out does seem appealing, though." She rolls her neck, resting Hermit IX's sheath on the island counter. "It's been a rough day..." The two look at Mafuyu, the sorceress taking off her hat and setting it on the coffee table by the sofa. "For Mafuyu and Kanade both." "Yeah..."

The two remain quiet in the kitchen for a brief moment, before Ena tilts her head towards Mizuki. "...What about you?" "Me?" "Yeah. Are you okay?"

"Of course not..."

"Ahaha. Yeah, I'm good. Why wouldn't I be?" "Well..." Ena started, an ear twitching as she abashedly looked away. She lowered her voice to a whisper, her face softened like malleable dough. "You're... gonna be telling them your secret, aren't you? You're nervous, right?" "I was able to tell you, wasn't I?" Mizuki smiled a faux grin, pink eyes harmonizing with Ena's brown irises. "You really shouldn't worry so much about me. It's just a measly secret." The elf frowns, crossing her arms and furrowing her brows. "The 'measly secret' you didn't tell me for years? Didn't you say you were afraid I wouldn't want to be with you if I knew?" Mizuki clicked their tongue, rolling their eyes with a nod and puffed out cheeks. "Yeah, yeah... I know..." "Don't be so quick to play it down. You know I can see right through you, right?" "Ah, I think I got it. I know what you're worried about." "Eh?" Mizuki snaps their fingers, playfully nudging Ena with their elbow. "My lack of sleep. Got these dark circles around my eyes." "You don't have eyebags, and your species doesn't even need real sleep. You told me that yourself."

The elf sighs, expression softening with the mellow mood. "Seriously... You're always so eager to dish advice, help others... But you really gotta accept some of that help yourself, you know?" She rubs her arm, attempting to pry her eye away from her friend, but failing. She found herself falling into their eyes. "I care about you too much to let you suffer in silence like that. ...I can help you too, you know. ...Or at least... I'd like to. I'd like to think I owe you that much." Mizuki turns their head over their shoulder, looking squarely to Mafuyu. "I guess..." Ena matches Mizuki's attention, the elf turning to the sorceress. She has long since shut her eyes, relaxing in tranquility. However, it was obvious she was still very much awake. Maybe not actively paying attention to the two's conversation, but awake nonetheless.

"Here, Mizuki. Follow me." Ena takes the ranger's hand, who makes a light squeaking noise as they get dragged into the hall. "Wh-Where are we going?" "A quiet place. Somewhere you don't need to worry about masking your true self. Somewhere for just me and you."

Ena pulls Mizuki into the dark room, turning on a sole lantern and locking the brass door handle behind her. Mizuki frowns. "Ah, yes. The bathroom. Perfect for just the two of us, I think." "Shut up." Ena leans her back against the door, crossing her arms confidently. She rests the sole of her foot against the door as she spoke to Mizuki, her voice with assurance and its usual hardheaded infliction. "I know you didn't tell me everything... and I know there's some things you're afraid to talk about still. To that, I understand." Mizuki side-eyed the wall, but Ena didn't stop her speech. She stepped closer to Mizuki. "Speaking up is difficult for you, right?" "...I guess, yeah." "Then... here."

Ena once again takes Mizuki's hands into her own two, this time a lot less forcefully. She was slow. Gentle. Delicate. Mizuki felt their face go red, much unlike how it did when Ena had touched their leg on that rainy day. She could be a bit brash and headstrong, maybe even a bit direct at times, but when it was just the two of them together, Ena had always been so... tender. "...Are you nervous?" "M-Me? About what? Kanade and Mafuyu?" "Well..." Ena started, her face tinging a slight rosy color. In their two hands, she slowly began to lock their fingers together. "...It doesn't necessarily need to just be that." Ena smiled. Her pointy ears twitched twice, and the honesty her ears showed could be found in those beautifully chocolate brown eyes. "Mizuki... You'll always have a shoulder to lean on. You know that, right..?" The ranger matched Ena's smile and blushed cheeks, nodding steadily. "Drop that front for me, okay? I want to see you really shine, you know..."

The ranger sighs in compliance, shaking their head in playful resistance. "Ah, shoot. I guess you got me." "Heehee." Mizuki closed their eyes, allowing for their fluttering heart to steer the course of their mind. "Ena..." "Yes?" "I like it when you're like this..." "Yeah?" "Mmhm..." They lightly shuffle their shoulders from side to side, a giddy feeling rising in their bloodstream like a leaf floating gracefully down a lake, without a care of the tree from which it fell from. "For someone so rough and jagged, when you're this gentle with me, it really gets my heart racing..." "Hey. What's that supposed to mean." "A-Ah, I didn't mean it as an insult! At least, not this time..." Ena's stern complexion and frustration slowly dissipates back into a flushed smile as she matches Mizuki's movements, bobbing her shoulders in unison. "Heehee, you see me as 'rough and jagged'?" "I see you as a lot more than just that, Enanan..." Not missing the opportunity to provoke her dear friend at their own game, she tilts her head down with a sly smile and narrowed eyes. "Like what?" "Eh?" "What do you see me as, then?" "A-Ah, you know..." Mizuki blinks, turning their eyes away. "...Think you're pretty, 'n stuff."

Ena giggles lightly, with Mizuki echoing the sentiment. "I, uh..." The elf angles her eyes up to Mizuki, her ears fluttering like the beating heart in her chest. "I think you've got your charm, too." The smile Mizuki had plastered on stretched as far as their face would let it, their cheeks tensing in loving bliss. Had it not been for their cheekbones, their smile probably would have rolled straight off their face. "You know... It feels nice, being like this." Mizuki admitted verbally. "Like what, holding hands?" "Mmhm... I can see why Kanade and Mafuyu do this so much when they're stressed." Ena broke a hand away from Mizuki's, poking their cheek with her index finger. "You know... if you're ever scared, we can do the same thing." "We can?" "Yeah..." The elf lightly cuffed Mizuki's cheek into her hand, with the ranger pressing their own against the back of hers. "I don't want you to run from your past anymore. You don't need to worry about those broken wings." Ena's eyes sparkled under the lantern's light, the heat from the lamp coming nowhere close in temperature to the beating of Mizuki's chest. "If you're afraid to fly, I'll be your wings." "You... promise?" "Of course." In this tiny pocket of time, it felt as if they were the only two people in the world that truly mattered. It was their world, their moment. "Ena..." "Mizuki..?"

"I... like you..."

Ena giggled softly. "I know."

"I... really like you..."

"I know."

Ena broke her other hand away from Mizuki's, placing her two hands on their waist. She began to lightly push the ranger towards the sink top without breaking eye contact, almost as if she had them captured in a trap. Following Ena's movements, Mizuki sits on the sink counter, placing their hands onto her shoulder.

When Mizuki were younger, their wings allowed for them to soar in the starry night sky carefree, as free as a bird. It was liberating. The glow of The Unreachable kissing their skin as they flew around the crystal palace in the night was liberating, the burst of wind and pressure of the air giving this sense of independence from the hierarchy of their race. The wind was cold, not unlike the counter they sat on. The sink top was just as cold. However, despite having broken wings, they felt as if they were in the air once more.

Ena's hands were warm.

Wings were not necessary to be free.

Mizuki could be free with Ena.

Closing their eyes, the two kissed as they soared through the sky together.

Chapter Text

"What's got you so caught up, Mizuki? Looking at the mirror again?"

Mizuki turns their head over their shoulder, finally noticing a woman who had been standing in the doorstep. She was leaning on the door frame with her arms crossed and a typical, concerned grin stretched across her face, meticulously studying them. She'd been there for at least a minute, but Mizuki hadn't even noticed. "Oh, sis... Hey..." "Hehe, hey yourself. Have you been here the whole time?" "Ah... Yeah." Mizuki's sister steps into the room, her footsteps ricocheting in the echoey crystal room. "People have been wondering where you've been, but I kind of figured you'd be here." "Really?" "I guess it's familial intuition. You've been skipping your studies just to look at yourself?" She sat beside them, crossing her legs and resting her hands in the pocket between her thighs. "Didn't take you for someone so vain," she teases. "Not vain, just..."

Mizuki goes quiet, watching their own eyes soften through someone else's reflection. The mirror, though the image it showed was undeniably and unmistakably Mizuki, it was not them. Every time the mirror shifted, the reflection was of someone else. Someone... happier.

"...Just... kind of..."

"..."

The sister wanted nothing more than for her younger sibling to be happy, but that would prove to be difficult. Maybe a bit harder than difficult. A herculean task in on itself. Mizuki has always been the type to clam up their feelings, preferring to refrain from speaking their true thoughts. However, from what could be ascertained from how frequently they watched the mirrors, Mizuki's self-esteem was in utter shambles, shattered like a pristine vase into thousands of pieces against the ground. While one may examine a piece and admire its beauty for what it is, the vase is no longer that irreplaceable decoration. She watched as Mizuki emptily stared back at their reflection, the mirror fogging and portraying another Mizuki back at them each and every time.

The ring that floated above the reflection's head was always brighter than their own.

They softly sighed to themself, shutting their eyes and lowering their head. "I really am the weakest link, aren't I..?" "That's not true, you know that. You should never compare yourself to the other yous." The forlorn sibling stands up, shaking their head as they stared to the crystal flooring below them. It was radiant and shiny, just reflective enough to show their true face in the prismatic glow. "But I can compare myself, and it's true. I'm nothing like them." Mizuki clenches their fist, swallowing back strain in their throat. They didn't want to cry in front of their sister. If she caught wind of a tear, she would stop at nothing to make them feel good, for better or for worse. "I... don't want to be me. I want to be them."

Mizuki's sister, from the ground which she sat, stared up to her sibling's miserable and tensed expression. It was ill-fitting for a face that deserved love.

"E-Ena..."

Ena pulls her face away from Mizuki's, the former's breath remaining shaky and heavy. That was the first time she had ever kissed anyone.

She was glad it was with Mizuki.

Ena exhaled a weighted breath, refusing to break eye contact with her dear friend. Mizuki looked so cute, so vulnerable sitting atop the counter, timidly looking down to her. "I... did that without thinking..." Ena bashfully admitted. "Did... Was... Was that okay? ...With you, I mea--" In place of an answer to the elf's question, the ranger's dangling legs wrapped around Ena's torso pulling her closer. Mizuki's hands were still rested firmly on the Ena's shoulders as they looked down to her with beady pink eyes and a rosy red face. "Ena... That was..." Mizuki smiled, their eyes softening as affection lit their irises up like a night sky. "That was... really nice..." "A-h, good, good... I... like that..." Mizuki nervously giggled to themself, cuffing their own cheek in embarrassment. "O-Oh, jeez... Ena, don't look at me like that..."

Ena smiled, her ears twitching merrily as she saw this side of Mizuki she had yet to truly know. She felt somewhat relieved watching Mizuki's flustered expression. She was glad that she wasn't the only one completely caught up in the moment. The two's heartbeats were in unison like a symphony, and the both wanted nothing more than to listen to the melody they made together. Mizuki turned their head away from Ena's unusually tender eyes, making notice of the mirror their back had been turned to. It emerged in the corner of their eye, peeking like a figure behind the curtains. This wasn't a mirror of The Unreachable, it was just a plain, normal mirror. They were able to see their own reflection, their normal self.

Not a Mizuki they had wanted to be, or a Mizuki who shined brighter than they did. They saw the ribbon in their hair, the clothes they were wearing, the face that reflected. For the first time, they saw themselves for who they were.

For the first time, they felt... content with themselves.

But more importantly, there was another feeling that had bubbled up to the surface of their mind. Through a shaky breath, they managed the courage to speak the words that bound their chest together.

"...Can... we do that... again..?" Mizuki asks while side-eyeing Ena with an anxious, quivering expression and a racing heart. "J-Just... longer, this time..."

With a rose tinted face and a genuine smile that pierced the ranger's heart, Ena brushed the hand that had cuffed Mizuki's cheek past their ear, resting it delicately behind their head. There was no need for words. Mizuki had their answer. Ena lightly pulled Mizuki in, the two's lips locking once more.

Kanade's inner clock chimed at 6pm on the dot, no outside assistance required. She was laying flat on her back looking up at the ceiling as she always had. It was the same beige sight she grew accustomed to, but even if she knew it was her own ceiling, it was as if her brain hadn't really processed it. She was still mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted from the day. The exploring, the surviving, the fighting, the horrors. The day was nightmarish on her untainted mind, staining her thoughts like a clean rag dunked in sewage. "Guess... I should probably see how everyone else is feeling..." A zombie rose from the earth, her back hunching over as she strenuously sat up from her bed. She remained slouched upright for a few moments before dragging her feet off the side of the bed, stumbling to her feet clumsily. Looking to the window to verify the time in her head, she made note that the sun was already going down, most notable by the brilliant orange peeking through her blinds. "...Pretty sunset."

Kanade opened the door, the wooden floorboards beneath her socks creaking loudly as she stepped into the living room. The first sight she was greeted with was an outstretched sorceress on the sofa, the girl tossing uncomfortably in her sleep, her voice seeping out from her lungs like quick hums through tightly shut lips.

"Oh, Mafuyu..."

Today hit her the hardest, without a doubt. The dungeon, The Grip's insignia, the minotaur, the reflection, MEIKO... not to mention all the bodies...

It would be weird if she didn't have trouble sleeping.

Kanade swings to the other side of the couch, kneeling in front of Mafuyu. The sorceress was sweating lightly, but enough for her dress to tightly cling to her skin. Kanade slid Mafuyu's leg out from beneath the blanket she had been nestled under giving her body some much needed cooling off. Strange how that works. Despite how heavy and dark the dress she had on was, at the very least the gloves were tucked away into her pocket. She took them off when the four of them had arrived at Kanade's house, having no need to hide the rotten hand in private now. The cleric was relieved that Mafuyu was able to trust her words and not hide the hand any longer. It may have turned into such a disheveled color, but it was still her hand. She loved Mafuyu's hands. Her slender yet rugged fingers felt nice to cling onto when they were together, giving her this reassuring sense of security that she would protect her cleric in a time of need.

Hehe, "her cleric". Kanade giggled to herself. It had a nice ring to it. She wouldn't mind that.

Kanade's icy blue irises look into Mafuyu's face as she took her corroded hand into her own lightly squeezing it. She wanted to comfort Mafuyu any way she could.

"It's okay, it's okay..." She assured.

Kanade moved her free hand up to Mafuyu's face, brushing a strand of her hair over her ear. "I'm here, don't worry..."

"Mm..." Mafuyu hummed a soft, gentle response in her unconscious state, verifying she felt the warmth of Kanade's hand from within her dream. The cleric sighed to herself, scanning her eyes across the rest of the room. The air was still and quiet, undisturbed by the events of what had happened outside. It was the perfect atmosphere for unwinding after the chaos of the day, but there was something amiss - Ena and Mizuki were nowhere to be found.

"Hm." Kanade let go of Mafuyu's hand, whispering quietly to the sorceress, "I'll be right back." She first checked the kitchen. Perhaps they went out, left a note on the island counter? ...Nope, nothing of the sort. While she was here, she might as well grab a glass of water. Her throat was parched from her nap, since it was pretty hot in her room from the heat of the sun. She took the cup out from the cupboard, but that was always difficult. Her height proved it tough to reach into the recesses of the wooden cabinet without standing up on the tips of her toes. Rummaging throughout, she managed to graze a glass cup, lightly nudging it her way with her fingertips.

The tap water of the sink in the kitchen was never her taste. Wasn't a fan of it. Tasted metallic. The bathroom sink, however, tasted much more filtered than the sink's water, so she opted to fill her cup there instead.

She opened the door to the bathroom with her free hand, nearly knocking the glass cup into the door handle as she opened it. A close call, to be sure, but that brought her attention to the bathroom flooring. Something was lying in the corner like an old rag, drawing in her eye like an unsightly scene in public. The cleric approached the out of place object, only for confusion to manifest in her head. By the looks of it, Mizuki's red ribbon had been haphazardly thrown onto the tiles in the corner of the bathroom. Setting the cup down on the tabletop, she crouches over to pick up the discarded ribbon. "That's weird..." She thought to herself, examining it closely. Surely, if the ribbon were here, the ranger would be nearby, right? She set it on the tabletop beside an assortment of hair care products Ena and Mizuki had both bought on the previous night. Better there than on the floor, she figured. Unbeknownst to her though, a confession had occurred here hours ago, the aftermath resulting in the two finding comfort to rest with one another.

"Where are they, anyways?" Kanade thought to herself.

Would it benefit her to wake Mafuyu up? She might know, but the sorceress still needed her rest. She is sneaking out later, after all. Perhaps it would be for the best to let her sleep a little bit longer, Kanade figured. She held the cup beneath the faucet and turned the cold water a slight, watching the glass fill little by little. It gave her plenty of time to think about where else the two may be.

"Ena was sleeping in dad's room... Maybe I can find her there?"

Kanade took a swig from the glass, practically chugging the cool water the whole way through. It was refreshing, like cracking open a window of a stuffy room. Hydration rules. She felt the back of her throat dampen in real time, oiling the cogs of the soil. Once again. Hydration rules.

Kanade shuffled down the hall, stopping outside her dad's door. Though she had to wake Ena up here this morning, it still felt... strange, needing to come back in here. While she was living alone, the cleric made sure to avoid entering this room out of fear of what happy memories may resurface, but now that wasn't a big issue. She had people to comfort her if she felt sad. "Hey, Ena... You in there?" Kanade asked, keeping her voice in a hush. "It's me, Kanade. May I come in?" There was no response from the other end. "Must be asleep..." She knocked on the wooden door with the back of her knuckles, leaning her face close so her voice could be heard clearer. "I'm coming in..."

She opened the door to a quiet bedroom, a figure softly snoring underneath the covers. "Yeah, figured..." Kanade thought. She tip-toed through the squeaky and old floorboards close to the bed for verification, curious eyes leaning over the bed. To her surprise, there wasn't just a single person sleeping soundly and comfortably, but rather two! Ena and Mizuki both were fast asleep, the snoring coming from her pink haired ally. Mizuki had been tightly clinging onto Ena from behind, holding her close and resting their chin up against the top of her head. They were like two peas in a pod, two spoons stacked on top one another.

"Oh..."

Makes sense. It wasn't out of the ordinary for Ena to be here, as she's been sleeping in this bed for the past few days. While Mizuki was the oddity here, Mafuyu was asleep in their usual spot, so this was probably the next best thing. As for why they were so close and clung together like this..? Kanade clicked her tongue, shaking her head.

Mizuki did say that they liked Ena back in the goblin enclosure. Maybe they managed to open up further? She couldn't help but feel a little proud, but at the same time... "C'mon. In my dad's bed?" Standing over the side of the matress, the cleric lightly grabbed Mizuki's shoulder, shaking them a slight. "Hey, Mizuki. It's been two hours." "...Hmm...?" "Up, up." In a half-asleep state, the ranger sloppily rolled over and turned their head to face Kanade. Their eyes were tightly pressed shut, not even bothering to look at the half proud, half displeased mixture that had painted the cleric's face. "Miiiizuki. Are you in there?" "Nyehhhh." "Mizuki. C'mon. Wakey wakey." A sleepy voice rang out unceremoniously as Mizuki angled their face towards Kanade, finally opening their eyes. "Whaaaat." "It's, uh... been a few hours. Did you and Ena sleep well?" "Did... Ena and I..."

Mizuki's eyes shot straight open, quickly sitting up in the bed and pressing their back against the headboard. Every inch they hurriedly rose from the bed was accompanied by a flurry of panicked kicks from beneath the sheets like they were paddling in a river. "Hihihihihi..?!" Mizuki's eyes rapidly fluttered from Ena's sleeping state and Kanade's inquisitive raised brows, their body language easily admitting defeat and embarrassment. Kanade couldn't help but awkwardly chuckle. "You can, uh... tell me the details later. We don't have all day." "Gwuh- all day for what?" "You were going to tell us a bit about your past, weren't you?" Kanade loosely smiles, reassurance breaking through her voice as she gently spoke. "I am curious what you said about The Unreachable being your home, after all."

With those choice words as her parting message, she turned her back and made strides for the door. Mizuki watched as Kanade's silver hair swayed with each step, the ranger's lips parting from one another as if to get a word in, but they had no such luck. The door quietly shut behind the her, leaving Mizuki in a quiet room with the girl they had always admired.

The tension in Mizuki's shoulders dropped. They let go of the bedsheet they had been desperately clinging to, uncurling their fists slowly and taking a deep breath. Kanade really surprised them, admittedly. They were just glad she hadn't woken up an hour earlier when they were still in the bathroom together, that would've been awkward. Extremely awkward. Airing out the loosely buttoned shirt they had been wearing by the collar, the ranger rolled their neck and looked back down to Ena, still peacefully sleeping by their side. She was sleeping as soundly and peacefully as they always had. Mizuki's complexion shifted red as they smiled slightly, their cheeks tensing. "Did... that really all just happen..? I'm not dreaming, right..?" Admittedly, Ena was actually pretty terrible at kissing, but there was still room to grow, the ranger figured. They were just happy to have finally been able to express how much they truly cared for her. It felt... magical. For the first time in their entire life, they were happy to just be themself.

And best of all, Ena felt the same way.

"Heyy, Ena." The ranger shook Ena's shoulder in a manner similar to how Kanade woke them, but it proved insufficient. Ena was a heavy sleeper, after all. Mizuki sucked in their upper lip, releasing with a loud smack of their lips. They lightly tapped her cheeks with their fingers, but that also didn't work. "Eeeeeena. Enanananananan." Mizuki snuggled back underneath the covers, bringing their arms back to Ena's front, clinging onto her once more. They sighed deeply, burying their face into Ena's neck and nuzzling up close. "You never change, do you..?"

Oh, an idea.

Mizuki bit Ena's pointy ear.

This endeavor proved to be overwhelmingly successful as the swordswoman flung out of bed like a speeding projectile, throwing herself onto her own two feet. Her instinctual reaction was to reach for a sword that was not there, shouting a bloodcurdling curse with panicked and twitching eyes. "M-Mizuki!!!" Hehe. This reaction was always fun. Finding confidence in themselves from this display of aggression, the ranger leaned their head on the palm of their hand as they remained in bed still. "Morning, sleepyhead. Nice nap?" "Hardly!! The hell was that about?!" "Whaat? Hardly? You seemed so into it, though." Ena didn't have a comeback or a snappy remark as she stared at Mizuki, slowly dropping their guard and standing upright from their defensive stance. They looked away, their ears beginning to shine red. "...That's 'cuz... I was..."

There it was again, that vulnerable side...

She looked so precious standing there flustered, so nervous despite having taken initiative during such a tender, intimate moment together. She nervously fiddled with her fingers as she refused to make eye contact with the ranger, darting her eyes all across the room. As she stood there, Mizuki was able to admire her prettiness, despite how messy her hair was. Though, even though her hair was in ruin from her nap, it was charming all the same. The top she was wearing also suited her perfectly, much to Mizuki's delight. The two picked out clothes for everyone with the ranger's keen eye for attire, but Ena had yet to try hers on up until this point. When she was changing, she even asked for Mizuki to turn the other way. Maybe a part of it was out of embarrassment, and perhaps in the moment that may have been the leading factor, but Mizuki knew there was likely more than a surface level observation to it. There were likely battle scars and cuts all beneath the clothes she wore... so it made sense. It made sense she wouldn't want for Mizuki to see that just yet.

But Mizuki wouldn't want to have anybody other than her.

So it didn't bother them much.

Mizuki sat upright from the bed, dangling their feet off the side of the mattress as they addressed Ena. "H-Hey, by the way..." "Hm?" "I, um..." The ranger fiddled with their undone and tangled hair, shaking their head to push strands of hair out from their eye. "I... really like you."

The elf sighed, placing a hand on her hip. "That much is obvious," she said half jokingly with a smile. "I like you too, I like you a lot. I'm glad you're here with me. I wouldn't want anybody else." Mizuki tilted their head down, their pink irises shining vividly under the orange sunset. "Hehe... I didn't know you could be so cheesy..." "I'm never being affectionate with you again." "Wait, wait. I'm sorry." Ena rolls her eyes and clicks her tongue, but returns back to her loose grin. "I forgive you. Just this once, though." The ranger pauses, letting Ena's words marinate in their mind. She can be so affectionate. Sitting in thought, they quietly glance away to the lamp on the nightstand. "When you said I can hold your hand when I'm nervous, you meant that... right?" Ena raised a brow. "Of course." "Okay... Okay..." The ranger takes a drag of the quiet air, exhaling their chest out. "Because... I... think it's time..." "Time for what?" "Time I... let you and the others know more, remember..?" "Oh, right..."

From where she had been standing, Ena slowly walks towards the still seated ranger, kneeling down in front of them. She extends both of her hands out, palms facing the ceiling, and presents them to her pink haired friend. "...Here."

Mizuki's breath hitches from inside their chest as they looked into Ena's eyes once more from this elevation. It was just like in the bathroom when they sat on the counter, staring intently at Ena's tilted head and beady eyes. They swallow the saliva lingering in the back of their throat and slowly wrap their hands around Ena's. Almost as if caught into a current, Ena pushed the both of their hands down to the mattress, and softly rested her head against Mizuki's stomach. "Say the word and I'll come running." "O-Okay..."

The elf quietly nuzzled her head against Mizuki, keeping them firmly planted in place. Their mind had fogged over like a window in the morning, leaving the ranger completely incapable of looking through the glass. The moment was peaceful, it was reassuring. It calmed their nerves. They wanted this feeling to last forever, but of course, it couldn't. Ena pried her head away much to Mizuki's waist, looking up with delicate and soft eyes. "Better?" Mizuki nods. "Better..."

Would it be selfish to ask for more?

Kanade sat beside the unconscious sorceress, holding her hand patiently. She wanted to wait until Mizuki and Ena had woken up and have gotten ready to talk, but that proved to take much longer than anticipated. Kanade looked to the grandfather clock, eyes meeting the longer hand of the two prongs. 6:37pm. She sighed to herself, eyes meeting back down to Mafuyu. She still looked rather uncomfortable, but again, she needed her rest, and Kanade wanted to help her any way she could. Perhaps she could brew a potion once she woke to help with her sleep, she might have a recipe like that somewhere in her room.

"Hey, sorry about the wait, Kanade." Kanade's face rotates to the direction which the voice was heard from, meeting the gaze of the ranger and the swordswoman. Ena raises her hand up as to silently greet Kanade, which the silver haired cleric mimics lazily. "You guys all set?" Mizuki nods with a nervous smile and angled eyes, clearly out of their comfort zone. "Yeah, hopefully..." Kanade shifts her mouth to one side of her face, confidence failing to build inside. She wanted to know more about her ally, but if some things were more painful to talk about than others, than perhaps they should be left unsaid. "Alright, alright. I'll wake Mafuyu, then." Ena tilts her head. "Have you been waiting here the whole time?" "Well, yeah. You guys took a little while, though. Do tell later."

Ena clicks her tongue and lightly punches the ranger in the shoulder. Out of earshot from Kanade, the elf mutters under her breath: "You are so needy."

With Mafuyu being tenderly woken up, the four had taken their seating on the two sofas in the Yoisaki living room. Ena and Mizuki unsurprisingly sat together, same with Kanade and Mafuyu on the other sofa. While the elf's posture remained upright and had a leg crossed over the other, Mizuki sat crisscrossed, slightly hunched over. They bit their lip, unable to look to either of the two on the opposing couch. "Where... to start."

Mafuyu places her hands into her lap, looking curiously with a poker face equipped. "Whenever you're ready." "I... think I'm ready, just... Seriously, there's a lot to unpack..."

Ena taps their shoulder, capturing their attention. "Just try to think about how you told me. Maybe that'll help." "Right..."

Mizuki shuts their eyes, reflecting back to their youth. The halls of the crystal palace, the mirrors they stared into, the reflections they craved they could have been. It all culminated into visions through blacked sight, flooding their chest with enough heartache to feel as if they needed to spill it all.

Finding resolve through their pain, they open their eyes and shut out those visions.

"Are either of you particularly religious?"

Kanade furrows her brows. "Not really." Mafuyu responds in a similar manner, shaking her head. "No. Though, my mom did teach me about the different cultures and backgrounds." "Doesn't strike me as surprising," Mizuki starts. "I haven't seen anything of the sort in this house, Kanade." They take in a deep breath, looking into Ena's eyes. She simply looked attentively to the ranger, seeing if they needed help in the moment. They didn't need it, though it would be nice. Just looking at Ena was more than enough to restore courage.

"Some people believe in a God, or many Gods. Some people believe the Sorcerer's Comet was a gift from a higher power. Some people worship The Unreachable. It's been there since the ancients, so that makes sense, I suppose. But one of those religions are closer to the truth than the others." Mafuyu tilts her head. "Which one?" "The Unreachable." They turn their eyes away towards the window, looking outside to the street market. "It's probably the closest thing to a God that we really have." There's an uncomfortable stillness that filled the room, with neither the silver cleric and the purple sorceress mustering up a courage to speak up. They look to each other and back to Mizuki, expecting further clarification, but it doesn't come. The cleric, recognizing the awkwardness of the situation, leans forward off the sofa and intently looks at Mizuki. "Are you saying... it's alive?" "N-No, nothing of the sort. It's more so... what the palace is capable of."

Mafuyu cuffs her chin, raising her eyebrows. "Then, what do you mean? What can it do?" Mizuki sputters a mixture of a laugh and a scoff, cocking their head to the side. "Pfft, what can't it do?" "Can I ask how you know so much about it? My mom hasn't filled me in with much detail, so pardon my curiosity." "That's..." The ranger props their elbow against their knee, resting their head firmly into their hand. They sigh softly to themselves, tapping their index finger against their cheek. "That's because I used to live there. It was my home."

Mafuyu leans back in surprise, but there is no visible change in her expression. Kanade, however, heard Mizuki mention this earlier in the day. The revelation had plenty of time to fester inside her head, but she was still just as curious as when the ranger had mentioned that earlier. "You're... from up there? How?" "I was just born there. I grew up there, I was raised there. I have family, relatives, ex friends still up in there. It's like a tightly knit community, with rules, leaders, politics." Mizuki plants their feet to the ground, slumping over in the sofa. "It's not unlike your world, I guess. It's just... who we are. We're different." "What do you mean?" "Well..."

The ranger smacks their lips, looking at the curious cleric and the equally curious yet deadpanned sorceress. "For starters, my species doesn't need to sleep." "Your 'species'?" "...Nor do we need to eat. Once we reach a certain point of adulthood, our aging drastically decelerates. We have an extended lifespan that far surpasses a human's." Mafuyu interrupts. "You're... not human?" "No." Mizuki sheepishly smiles, fidgeting their shoulders. "Though, I could see how you'd get that confused. My race looks no different from yours, or Ena's. It's... kind of convenient. Convenient for me, at least."

"Then... what are you?" Kanade asks.

Mizuki nervously looks to Ena, to which they are greeted with a kindhearted smile. They wanted to thank her from the bottom of their heart, but they didn't need to. She already knew the extend of her closest friend's feelings. Ena extends the palm of her hand out, to which the ranger graciously accepts. "You got this. Go on." The ranger smiles warmly, their cheeks flushing pink from Ena's encouragement. They really liked her. "Thank you..." Mizuki slowly rises from the sofa, slowly turning their back to Kanade and Mafuyu.

Mizuki clasps their hands together, and within a bright light that had engulfed the room and caught the two by surprise, a pair of wings that resembled broken, shattered glass shards sprouted from their back. They outstretched as far as the ranger's wingspan could reach, lightly reflecting the now purple sky outside the window.

When the momentary blindness concluded, Kanade uncovered her sensitive eyes from beneath her arm, attempting to process what just happened and what she was looking at. Her brain was left completely awestruck by the sight before her, incapable of articulating a coherent thought. Mizuki turned their head over their shoulder, smiling softly at the two gazing in wonder. However, there was this irrefutable look of shame in their pink tinted eyes. They were clearly saddened by the appearance of their wings, scanning them up and down with their pink irises "...They don't work anymore, but... They're pretty, aren't they?" "Wings..?" "Mmhm. They used to be whole, but... they're broken. They can't fly." They dishearteningly chuckle, turning their eyes to the floor. "I guess they're just for decoration, now. Proof of my identity."

Mafuyu leans forward, asking the question plaguing both her and Kanade's minds. "What is your identity, then?"

"Do you remember how I said The Unreachable is the closest we all have to a God?"

"Mmhm."

"Everybody apart of my race have a task, a designated goal we all share. Something all of us cannot refuse, whether we want to take up this role or not. We're guardians, protectors. We kind of have to protect The Unreachable and the mirrors, it's code in our society." Mizuki turns back around to face the two audience members, closing their eyes. They take a deep breath, balling their fists to scrape up resolve. They needed a lot of it, anyway. The ranger purses their lips as they exhale through their nose, tensing their cheeks as they take sight once more of Kanade and Mafuyu.

They summoned the glowing ring that floated above their head, but did not take it in their hand. They sat still for a moment with the light faintly emanating in front of their eyes, quietly building courage inside their heart. "They deserve to know. It's okay."

"If we protect The Unreachable, I guess the best name for us would be angels, wouldn't it?"

Chapter Text

The silence was palpable. Neither Kanade nor Mafuyu could find the words to explain their confusion. To be fair, how could they? Someone they had been working with these few days had just came out as... an entirely different species, it would be only natural to be stunned. Mafuyu retained her poker face, albeit with widened eyes, while Kanade seemed to sputter up confusion with raised eyebrows. She tended to open and close her mouth as if she knew where to start, but words failed her grasp each time. Despite the openness of the living room, there was this tangible feeling of claustrophobia that everyone could feel. After what felt like an eternity, Kanade muttered a single word, mostly for clarification.

"A...ngel?"

"Yeah. That's right."

With the silence having been successfully broken, Mafuyu cuffs her chin. "Pardon me for asking," she starts. "Is The Unreachable like, heaven?" "N-No, we're just called angels, since the palace is all-powerful." "So you aren't a ghost, or anything of the sort." "I don't think I'm a ghost." "So what's with the halos?" Mizuki drops their shoulders and hangs their arms low with a stress relieving sigh, narrowing their eyes at the harmless curiosity. They really hadn't had to explain these sort of things before, they were still not quite used to it. "They're kind of like, an aspect of our soul, I guess. They're indestructible, I think." "I see. No further questions." Mizuki softly chuckles to themselves. "Th-That's it? No more questions?" "No. Unless if I remember something."

Mizuki felt relatively relieved, though there was this tinge of dissatisfaction that brewed in their chest. Mafuyu thankfully hadn't connected the dots between Equilibrium and the mirror, and while the angel would rather avoid that topic for now, something felt incomplete. However thankful they may had felt, all that weight that had settled on their heart had yet to be lifted.

Thankfully, Kanade was much more inquisitive than her purple haired party member. "Y-Yeah, I'm not quite... over the whole, angel thing. Broken wings? Mirrors?" She leans in, resting her forearms on her knees. "And... if you can... Can you explain what the heck that mirror in the dungeon was? Would it be wrong to ask for more details?" Mizuki bit their lip. Perhaps they had eased up too soon. That was the one thing they weren't exactly prepared to talk about just yet.

Ena makes a quick glance their way, sizing their well being and if they needed assistance. Mizuki hadn't told her that much yet, only surface level information of their identity and race. Not to mention, Mafuyu... The ranger judged the sorceress as unfit to hear the truth behind what those reflections really were. Being fed her mother's intent didn't seem to be appropriate after everything that had happened today - it would only add further stress onto their plan.

...Perhaps another time?

Mizuki dissipates their shattered, glass wings away, taking a seat back down on the sofa beside Ena. They fiddle with their halo, rotating it in the palm of their hand.

"I... can't tell you everything about that mirror right now." "Why not?" "... Just not ready, I guess."

Kanade leans back into the sofa, nestling her lower half into the recesses of the couch cushion. "I... understand." She starts, a tint of disappointment being made audible through her voice. "Will we ever get to hear about it?" "Maybe." Mizuki's eyes quickly flutter over to Mafuyu, calculating if she felt cheated out of an answer, but that poker face was hard to read. She had a way of portraying inscrutable emotions, whether she even realized it or not. Mizuki was unable to make a reading from those amethyst eyes, like Kanade was capable of. It was a fruitless attempt, so the ranger simply decided to drop it. "Hope you aren't too disappointed, Kanade." "It... would be hard to say I wasn't, but that's okay. What about the wings? Can I ask about them?"

Mizuki's stomach felt awful, like their guts were tumbling down a hill, but knew they couldn't stop just yet.

"Mm." It would be a bother to bring the wings out again, especially now that the angel had already sat down. "What about them?" "You said they're broken, right?" Kanade starts. "What happened to them?" Mizuki slots their halo back above their head, allowing for it to fade out of sight from the others. They looked to their allies one by one before answering, making sure they all had their attention to the speaker. "I was deemed a liability, I guess. The officials didn't want me around." "You were kicked out?" "Exiled... Broke my wings so I couldn't fly back up."

The ticking of the clock only further defined the pure silence scattered in the room.

"Oh..." "It's in the past, now... And, besides." The ranger shuffles their feet into the carpet, leaning forward off the couch. Speaking gently and slowly, they chose their words carefully, and punctuated it with a fake giggle. "I dunno... I don't... think I really want to hear pity at this point, now. Sympathies won't bring them back... Aha."

Kanade sucked on her upper lip, firmly resting her hands in her lap. Their wings were clearly a sensitive subject, nor did they really want any further attention drawn to them. "I understand... Sorry that happened, though..." "Hehe, what did I literally just say about sympathies?"

Mizuki looked away from Kanade, dragging their eyes over to a framed photo on the wall, mostly to end the line of thought. Absently staring for a few seconds does wonders for a troubled mind. The photo their eyes had locked onto was one of Kanade and her father, the older man giving his child a piggyback, both smiling gleefully to a camera. Mizuki felt this sense of familiarity looking at it, which struck them as odd. Why feel such a way for a photo that is not of your own?

"...Does, uh... anybody have any more questions?"

Kanade rubbed her chin as she dug through her head, but Mafuyu was the one who found a question nigh instantaneously. "My mom seemed to recognize you. Why was that?" "W-Well, it wasn't me she recognized, per se." "Mhm?" "I hadn't been born by the time she was up in the palace." The ranger pauses, averting their eyes and itching their temple with their index finger. "Must've recognized my sister. She's quite a bit older than me." Ena crosses her arms and rests a leg on the other, raising an eyebrow to her pink haired ally. "Yeah, that's right... You never did mention you had a sister, even to me. What's she like?" The elf asks in consideration in a gentle tone. Mizuki leans back into the couch, throwing their arms over the back. They were starting to ease up from the tension. The worst of it was over, they assumed.

"She's.. real nice. Stuck by me through thick and thin, up until the exile, at least. That's not to say things ended poorly but... y'know." The angel hangs their head down, pink irises peeled to the carpet. They bore a small smile on their face, shutting their eyes as they shook their head lightly. "Can't really see her anymore." "I see..." More silence. Ena readjusts her posture, shuffling her arm onto the armrest of the sofa. Reaching out with the other, she taps Mizuki on the shoulder and clicks her tongue in unison, bringing their attention up from the floor and into her capable arms. "... Can I let you know something?" Mizuki hums responsively. "You've been through a lot, especially a lot you won't tell us. But... for... For what it's worth, I'm glad you're with us."

Mizuki side eyes Ena, greeting them with a slight smirk. "Heh... Right..."

They knew Ena meant it from the bottom of her soul, especially after the intimacy that the two shared hours prior. However, they just felt... the unshakable sense of an empty platitude.

They sighed, shaking their head. "Oh, right." The ranger curls their right hand into a fist and places it against the palm of their left, assuming authority of the conversation once more. "I guess that leaves us with one more thing, then." "One thing?" "That's right. Do you remember what I said at the café?" Ena tilts her head to Kanade and Mafuyu with perplexed eyes, and the latter of the two matches her expression like a mirror's reflection. That left Mafuyu, who spoke in that typical deadpanned tone. "You said you wanted to free The Grievances, didn't you?" Ena and Kanade, upon having that reminder forcibly shoved into their heads, whip their combined attention back to the angel. The elf's ears flutter in a weirdly desperate motion as she leans inward towards Mizuki, practically colliding into them. "Yeah, the hell was that suggestion?! Did you forget they're war criminals? MEIKO was loose for like, twenty minutes, and you saw what she did!! What reason would we have to free The Grievances?! Did you forget what Mafuyu's mom said? If we break mirrors, the Shatterers may come back!!" Ena practically shouts so fast, each sentence sounds like one long run-on statement. "Haha... Ena, Ena, one question at a time, please."

Ena pouts, crossing her arms and staring intently at the ranger. "Okay. Okay." She clears her throat. "Why."

The angel sighs, staring out the window. Sunset painted the market outside the Yoisaki household in an orange shade, visible calamity continuing to be cleaned up from the streets by public service workers. It was highly evident the party of Kamiyama Stars gone terrorists were deadly at this point. They knew The Grievances were enemies of the Kingdom, but even so... MEIKO didn't seem the unreasonable type. Perhaps, if more of them were like her, then...

Mizuki hold their palm out in front of Ena, gesturing to let them finish speaking before she were to inevitably interrupt.

"What do you know about the Silent War?" "...What do you mean?" "Do we even know why they wanted to destroy The Unreachable?"

No responses. Kanade looks to Mafuyu, who had plenty of time to study this topic under her mother's watchful eye. If anybody were to know, it would likely be the sorceress.

"It has never been publicly documented. We don't know."

Kanade pursed her lips and turned away. "...If nobody knows why they wanted to destroy it, why did the whole kingdom rally against the Shatterers?" Mizuki snaps a finger and suddenly outstretches their arm towards the cleric. "Exactly! You're picking up what I'm putting down! You see, I've heard about the war my entire life, and I've yet to know anything about the Shatterers! Isn't that... strange? Isn't that odd?" "It does strike me as... weird, yeah." In due time, Ena puts her foot down, quickly butting into the topic as Mizuki had anticipated. She took her sweet time with interrupting, which was the relatively surprising part. "Hold on, pause, wait a moment. What are you getting at? I'm still confused." "I'm saying... there's an entire side of the war we haven't heard." Ena leaned back against the arm rest, lightly kicking Mizuki's side from the other end of the couch. "Did you forget that they kill people?" "Did you forget MEIKO refused to kill us?"

Ena looks away, puffing her cheek.

"She refused to kill us. That's important. What if she was only fighting in self defense? She said she had somewhere to go. Doesn't that intrigue you even a little?"

"And... this is totally petty. I'm well aware of it." Mizuki interlocks their eyes with Mafuyu's. "I don't trust your mom one bit." The sorceress's eyes understandably softened, tilting her head down a smidge. "Why's that?" "Did you forget she was guarding one of those mirrors? She was keeping The Denial as a prisoner."

Mafuyu went quiet, turning her head away and locking her sight squarely to Kanade's thigh. The sorceress huffed a heavy sigh, and shook her head. She made no further comment, so Mizuki continued. "Not only that... but she wants you to accompany her to continue keeping The Grievances shackled away. This whole thing reeks of suspiciousness, doesn't it?" The ranger's eyes leap from person to person, looking for anybody who may agree with their beliefs. Surprisingly, the first one to make a movement was the cleric. She nodded her head timidly and slowly, as if it were about to fall off her shoulders. "I'm... on board, I think." "R-Really?" "Yeah... I'm not so favorable on the idea of freeing The Grievances just yet, but..." Kanade's icy blue eyes dart to the side, quickly looking to the quiet sorceress by her side. "I don't want her mom to take her away from us."

Mizuki narrowed their eyes and smirked. "You mean, take her away from you."

"... Besides..." Kanade started. "... The Grip... won't be happy with us if she finds out Mafuyu is planning to run away."

The grandfather clock continued to tick solemnly.

"Right, right..." Mizuki iterates. "So... are we... actually going through with that? ... Mafuyu?" Three sets of eyes turn to Mafuyu, waiting for her answer. She gave none, fiddling her rotted thumb against the back of the other. She continued this subtle motion without taking her eyes off of Kanade's leg, sitting perfectly still otherwise. She was lost in thought, those amethyst eyes the same as a young girl's, having been separated from her parent in public. "I... I'm not..." She swallows the saliva that lingered on her tongue, only further adding to the dry infliction of her tone. "I'm not sure." The cleric shifted a light humming noise in affirmation, scooting closer to the girl by her side. "It's up to you, Mafu."

"I'll... need to think about it." Ena crossed her legs, tilting her head up as she looked to the sorceress. "Sheesh, Mafuyu. We leave tomorrow - you gotta make your decision soon." "I know, but..." "But?"

"Ena..." Kanade steps in on Mafuyu's behalf. "She's stressed. This is tough for her... You should know better than anybody that stress, right?" The elf sighs, nodding her head with the flick of her ears. "Well aware... We just don't have a lot of time - we need to know if this is what we're really doing." Ena turned her eyes away. "After we're done with Shousuke's business, where do we even go? ...Coming back here isn't safe, with Mafuyu's mom in town." Kanade's posture shoots up from the sofa. "Oh shoot. I didn't even think of that." "...You didn't?" "What about my house? My dad? Will I not be able to see him again?"

Kanade hadn't spoken much of her father to either the ranger or the elf, but they knew of his general situation. Mizuki clicked their tongue and rubbed the back of their neck with a sheepish smile. "You could, like... pay a service to have him transferred to another infirmary, right..?" The look in Kanade's eyes was still one of nervousness, but the anxiety steadily declined with Mizuki's suggestion. "I... guess you're right. I'll need to ask my grandma what to do with the house, then. ...O-Or maybe Ms. Mochizuki? U-Uh, I never have had to make a decision like this before. What about the brewery? What do I do with that? It's still connected to the Shatterer base, what's the plan there?" The cleric stands up from the sofa and starts to pace back and forth, muttering under her breath as she began to ramble.

"K-Kanade. Chill out."

The cleric cuffs her chin as she turns to Mizuki, narrowing her eyes and stiffening her lip. "I, uh... can get in touch with my grandma. I think. Let her know of a sudden situation change. Either that, or let Honami take care of the house while I'm gone... But... if we don't come back, then... Huh..." "Kanade, calm down." Mizuki tilts their head with a smile. "She doesn't even know your last name. She probably won't find your house." "That's... reassuring, I guess." Kanade protrudes her lip for a moment. "Wait, 'probably'?"

It took some time for Kanade to settle back down onto the sofa, but she did eventually calm down. Focus resumed back to the troubled sorceress who had her head hung into her hand. Kanade sat beside her as she previously did, and kept her friend's other hand in her own in order to give her that slight reassurance.

"Kanade..." "Yes..?" Mafuyu took a deep breath, raising her head to match Kanade's line of sight. "Earlier, you used... the word 'suffocating', to describe how I feel... I think you got that right." Mafuyu looks at her free hand's palm. "I do feel suffocated. I feel... like I'm in a zoo." "A zoo..?" "...I think so. My chest... feels cold. It feels like there's a hole in it, and I don't like it." "Then... what should you do?" Mafuyu looks down to Kanade's hand, taking in the sensation of the cleric's slender and thin pale skin caressing her own. It tingled, but it felt nice, it felt warm. "I think... it might be for the best... to stay away from my mom for a while." The sorceress looked away. "I don't... know what I'll tell her, or how she'll react, but-" "Who said you'll have to see her again?" Ena interrupts. "...Eh..?" "That's... kinda the point of eloping. Err, maybe that's a strange word to use, but you want to start fresh, don't you?"

"I don't know what I want." "But you don't want to go with her, right?" "..."

"I... don't want to go with her. I want to stay with you guys."

Kanade softly smiled. How wonderfully transparent of her.

"We'll make something work, Mafuyu. I promise it. How's this - after Biei, we'll get you out of Miyamasuzaka. It'll take a while, but I think with some assistance we should be able to find you a place safe from your mom." "Kanade..." "Yes?" Mafuyu tilts her head down, looking up to the cleric with soft, tired eyes. "...Are you going to come with me?" "I..." The silver haired girl turns her head away quietly. She hadn't made up her mind. She didn't want to leave behind the only home she's known, nor did she want to give Mafuyu any false promises. She didn't want to hurt her.

"I... still need to think about that. But right now, you're my number one priority." "...Okay. Thank you, Kanade."

The angel stood up from the sofa they had been planted into, stretching their arms over their head and breaking the moment with a loud grunt. "Right. We should probably think about how we're gonna do this, then." "The whole... running away thing, or the Biei trip?" Ena asks for clarification. "Both, actually." "Okay." The elf hangs onto her head by her temple, crossing a leg over the other. "Let's start with our priority, Mafuyu's mom. Mafuyu, are you going to go home tonight?" The sorceress glazes her eyes to her knees without moving her head, considering the options. Her mom did say they were to leave tomorrow, so going home to quickly pack her things wouldn't strike suspicion. On the contrary, not coming home may provoke her mother to go out searching, or maybe even seek out Ken. If she asked Ken where she was, he may mention Niigo's involvement. That would be dangerous.

"I think I'll go home tonight. I don't want to make my mom suspicious before we leave." "Good idea." Kanade affirms, slightly shuffling closer to the sorceress. "Then... are you planning to sneak out at night?" "...I suppose so. What time should I leave?" "Hmm." Ena raises her index finger up, proposing an idea of her own. "Easiest time would be when she falls asleep. What time does she normally head to bed at?" "11:00pm, sometimes 12. She's almost never awake at 1am, though. If she is, she's usually not home." The sorceress shakes her head, shrugging her shoulders. "She doesn't tell me what she's doing, but I never ask." "I see, I see. Kanade?" The cleric scratches beneath her chin to rouse her brain. "Where do you live, Mafuyu?" "The other side of town. It's quite a ways away." "In that case, why don't you meet with me at the clock tower at 1am? That should be the halfway mark. It's dangerous to be all alone in the dead of night." "I suppose."

The pink haired ranger taps their fingers in a rhythmic pattern against their knee like a drum. "You should be prepared for anything, though. Be sure to have options if she's awake." Mafuyu cuffs her chin, humming in thought. "There's a window in my room that leads into an alley. Getting out should be relatively easy." Mizuki snaps a finger with a wink and a smile, pointing to the newly rebellious yet cautious sorceress. "Perfect. That should be perfect. Now, what about the Biei trip? Somebody needs to let Ichika in on our plan." Ena exhaled through her nose in place of a chuckle. "I'm surprised she still wants anything to do with us after today." "I'm kind of surprised too, to be honest." The cleric raises her hand to lasso the conversation her way. "When Mafuyu leaves, I'll go with her. I'll tell Ichika we'll be heading out early. How does 5am sound?" "Not too early, not too late. That's probably a good time." "Okay. Good, good."

Ena groans and rolls her eyes, turning cheek to Mizuki. "5am? Why not 6am?" "Waaah wahh." The elf's ears hue red as she scowls at the ranger, pushing them with an outstretched hand on instinct, the ranger giggling as they get shoved aside.

"Shousuke said... two days out to Hileah. That's where those performers are, right?" Mafuyu nods her head, face souring up at the mere mention of the half-dragon's name. "Right." "And after that, another day out to Digrove. Yesterday, he said we have a week and two days to reach Digrove, so tomorrow we'll have a week." The cleric pauses. "So, if things go well, we should have four days to spare, right?" "Correct." "...Shousuke didn't even tell us their names, did he..?" Ena and Mizuki's playful shoving stopped as they both turned to Kanade. Ena's lip scrunches up. "Uhh... No." "Shoot." "He said it was a hamlet, though. It wouldn't be hard to find them, hopefully..."

"And after Digrove?" Mafuyu asks. "What about then?" "We'll... cross that bridge when we get there, I think." "Okay."

Mizuki blinks as the ticking of the clock occupies the silence. "Is... that everything, then?" Kanade nods her head with a simple smile. "I think so. What about you, Mafuyu? Do you think you can do it?" The sorceress nods her head, her hands firmly rested in her lap and fidgeting slightly. "I think." "Alright... I believe in you, you got this, Mafuyu. Don't forget that, okay?" "...Alright."

Mizuki smiled, nudging Ena with their elbow and staring with narrowed eyes. Ena could only respond with rolling her own.

"So! It's settled!" The ranger says, clasping their hands together with a large clap. "We have a few hours until Mafuyu needs to go home. What should we do until then?"

Chapter Text

As per the angel's suggestion, the four stepped out of the confides of the Yoisaki household and into the still recuperating streets of the Carnation Village. Last minute preparations and additions for a long voyage could never hurt, right? Two days out to Hileah, one day to Digrove from there. What to do until then..? Surely sitting in a carriage with your thoughts for the next few days would get mind numbing, no matter the diversity of the people aboard, so Kanade proposed that the four go searching for entertainment to bring along. Her ideas ranged from books and simple toys to fiddle with, but more thoughts cemented when she had realized neither of the two who went shopping yesterday had properly picked up food for the trip. Mizuki and Ena had already purchased proper heat resisting clothes and accessories from the various markets in town, which was in good timing. The vast majority of shops had closed their doors after The Denial's attack, but what the two had picked up wasn't exactly enough. Maybe not so much to Mizuki, since angels don't need to eat, but for the humans and the elf? Eating is kind of important.

The cleanup of the death that had polluted the streets may have concluded, but that wasn't to say life had returned to it. Besides the four walking down the paths of town, the market was utterly devoid of any population, their voices echoing off of the buildings around them in the setting sun. Besides the occasional scurrying of insects by their feet and buzzing of cicadas, the market was dead quiet. Store lights were off and street lanterns lit up a barren path of brick and stone. The quiet felt almost transcendent, Niigo's voices and footsteps being the only real source of presence. It was difficult to find any real source of interest to talk about, so the voices that did break out were short and quick, keeping the conversation to a minimum as they searched together.

Mizuki points a darkened ramen stand, the very same one the four ate at yesterday, with a forlorn expression. "It's closed." They simply said, shoulders loose and draping like cloth. "Uh, yeah. It's closed." The elf started. "There was kinda a murder psycho running in the streets earlier." "Yeah, I remember." Ena sighed, using this opportunity to make a quick jab at the ranger whom they were intimate with. "Though, even if it was open, putting ice cubes in ramen is like sacrilege. I don't think I want to see you eat ramen again." "Whaaat?"

While Mizuki and Ena proceeded with their usual playful bickering and bantering, Kanade, from beneath her breath, whispered and kept track of which shops had shut their doors. "That one... That one, too... Closed..." The cleric sighed, rubbing a hand through her hair and throwing it behind her shoulder. Preparations in this state may be harder than she would've liked. Mafuyu hummed as she scanned the closed markets to her side along with the cleric, itching the side of her nose. "The Denial's attack was towards the center of town," she started. "I don't think any of the shops by the clock tower would be open. But maybe on the other side?" "That's not a bad idea." The cleric responded warmly, throwing her hair over her shoulder. "Is there anything in particular you want, Mafuyu?" "Not really." "And I suppose you don't have any preference for rations either, right?" "I do, actually."

"Oh? I thought you couldn't taste food?" "I can't. But whether or not I can taste it is irrelevant, food is still a necessity for me." "Right. Then, what do you have in mind?" Mafuyu looked to the night sky for a moment, bringing her amethyst eyes to the stars that hung above her head like ornaments. "Mindless and easy snack food would be good between meals, but shouldn't be relied on. We shouldn't understate real meals, but preserving meats would be difficult." "Then, we could get a cooler, right? Something to keep ice in?" Mafuyu raises her eyebrows as she stared at Kanade. "That sounds like for drinks, not for preserving meat." "Uh... right. So, what do you suggest?" "...Jerky, maybe? Hardtack, perhaps dried fruit... That's what my studies point towards." Kanade smiled. She was glad at least one of the four of them knew survival longevity. "Do you have a shop in mind for that?" "There might be somewhere relatively close to my house. For hardtack, in particular."

"Ooh." Mizuki raises their hand up, waddling towards Mafuyu. "What's hardtack?" "It's kind of like..." Mafuyu levels her palms close to one another, creating a narrow window of space between her two hands. "A flat, hardened biscuit. It's primarily made of flour and water." "Ehhh... That doesn't sound the tastiest." "It's not supposed to be tasty. It's supposed to keep you from starving." Mizuki blinked a few times absentmindedly, before summoning the halo above their head and letting it float aimlessly. Mafuyu did not respond. She turned her head away and kept walking, as if to say "Dully noted", and ignored the glowing light beside her.

The sorceress tilts her head to the cleric, speaking softly in her usual blunt and quiet tone of voice. "I would like to take a detour, though." "Oh?" "...I see it risky to pass by my home." Kanade pursed her lips and nodded, taking Mafuyu's thoughts into consideration. "Ah. I see, that makes sense." "She often goes on walks through the area, so I find it dangerous for you to be seen there." "Then... do you know another path?" "Of course. I can lead the way." "Please." Mafuyu began to trail ahead with stiff shoulders, keeping careful watch of the roads ahead and the alleyways by her sides. "Mizuki, Ena. Let's go."

The clock tower loomed above everyone menacingly, a monolith of time counting down the hours until the escape. It was hard for attention not to get drawn to the face of the clock, the seconds hand swaying with each tick. Kanade couldn't help but sigh to herself as she stared at the tower, attempting to pry her eyes back down to the ground. "Hey, guys..?" Ena responds with a light inquisitive hum, acknowledging Kanade. "So... I was thinking, actually... back at the Weekend Garage, with Mafuyu's mother and The Denial..." The air fell quiet around the cleric as she walked. "The Denial mentioned she needed to go to the clock tower. Do... any of you have an idea why?" Mafuyu and Mizuki's eyes turn to the tower as they passed by it via the circular plaza street, with Ena stopping in her tracks to think. Mizuki shifted their jaw and tilted their head in confusion, seemingly trying to recollect the moment. "Did she say that?" "I think so." Replied Kanade.

More silence contaminated the air between the four Adventurers.

"She did say that, yeah." Ena started, folding her arms beside her triceps. "Though, I think she also said she didn't know why..?" "Like a compulsion, maybe." The cleric theorized, turning her body to face the tower. "Sure, but... she was dead for twenty years, and she just suddenly wanted to visit the tower? It's strange, very strange." Mafuyu wraps her gloved corroded hand around her left wrist, and shifts her body weight to the side. "I think I may have an idea." Ena and Kanade's eyes focus on the purple sorceress, the girl staring at the clock face. "The tower was constructed shortly after the war. It wasn't there when she died in the field twenty years ago." "Then, curiosity?" Asked Kanade. "...I don't know. It should be nothing more than just a tower. No books about the war, nor Miyamasuzaka historical documents have anything of note to say about it."

The ranger shakes their head and shrugs their shoulders. "Yeah, I must've checked out for when she said that. I literally do not remember MEIKO mentioning it." The swordswoman hung her arms low and hunched her back with a sarcastic infliction in her tone, smiling at Mizuki. "That's because you were so pissed at Mafuyu's mom." "She's a prick. Plus, she hates me." Kanade sighed, turning back around to the road ahead. "I guess that's another thing we ask the Shatterers if we free one of them. Another mystery to add to the pile, I suppose." The cleric resumes walking in the empty street, followed shortly in suit by the sorceress, then the elf, then the angel.

Under Mafuyu's directions, the four push forward, passing sparse souls and the odd Kingdom solider remaining after the cleanup. She made way carefully to steer clear from her residence and the area which she lived, avoiding the route her mother would take her usual nightly and morning walks. Of course, in nature of a detour, it took longer to reach the shop the sorceress had in mind, but that was a trade-off all of Niigo was willing to make. Avoiding unnecessary confrontation with Mafuyu's mother was ideal, especially for Mafuyu herself.

Around the halfway mark of the radius between the outskirts and the tower, the four had found themselves at the shop Mafuyu had in mind. The structure was much alike the Yoisaki brewery, a small shack of wood with a well kept porch in front of it, which was shaded underneath a raft. Gray bricks lined the lower half of the walls, only breaking for a wooden door in the center of the walls. A harmonious song led by crickets and cicadas was accompanied by the hum of porch lights and lanterns that hung from the raft, the short chain tethering them above swaying slightly with the wind. There was a sign attached to the door that simply read: "Yoshizaki", presumably the name of the family that owned the store. The sorceress turned her head to the three, nodding slightly and wordlessly with a blank expression. With empty poise, she steps up onto the porch, opening the door to the little shop.

The chime of bells ring above the sorceress's black hat as she swings the door open, preparing an outwardly acceptable facade. From behind a counter adjacent to the doorway, a young man of a slender, lanky build with messy black hair perks up and sets aside the book he had onto the table. He quickly stands up and bows to the four with a smile commonly seen in customer service equipped to his face, interlocking his fingers in front of his pelvis. "G-Good evening, ma'am. Can I help you?" Mafuyu nods her head with a smile, waving her hand above her chest. "Hello, Youta. Your father isn't managing tonight?" "Oh, Ms. Asahina! No, he happened to be out of town..." The boy sighs and hangs his shoulders loose, seemingly lowering his guard. Mafuyu and Youta seemed to be... relatively acquainted with one another. "Talk about good timing, too... with what happened today..." Youta turns his eyes away, staring at the wooden floorboards. "Oh, speaking of which!" The boy lit up. "Is it true your mother was the one who stopped that terrorist?" "Ah... Yes, she did." The young employee smiles, sitting back in his chair and resting his elbow against the counter. "Insane... thank God we had a Kamiyama Myth in town, your own mom, no less! That must feel amazing, I bet!"

Mafuyu grimaced through a faux grin, chuckling disingenuously. "Riiight."

"Anyways, Ms. Asahina, do take the time you need! Our humble village is eternally grateful for your mother's efforts." The sorceress nods, pinching the brim of her hat and tipping it in courtesy. Following in her steps, the rest of Niigo proceed inward to the shop.

Mafuyu and Kanade both head to the side of the shop, the familiar sorceress beginning to pick up small bags of cloth off of a shelf. "And those are..?" "Pre-made rations, courtesy of the Yoshizaki family. This should be a majority of what I suggested earlier. We just pick up a few of these, accommodate for Ichika, and we should be okay." Kanade smiled and nodded, picking up a few of the little bags herself. The sorceress side-eyed the silver haired cleric, who had been imitating her body movements, and raised an eyebrow. "You said you wanted entertainment, did you not?" "Yeah. I just wanted to help you out a little bit, first." "...I do appreciate it."

Having strayed away from Mafuyu's leash, Mizuki had already begun to bob and weave through the tightly packed shelves, making their way to the back of the store alongside Ena. Running their fingertips on the top of one of the shelves and collecting dust on their finger, the ranger smiles to the poker-faced elf standing beside them with crossed arms. "Woah, Ena... Hehe... check out all these little trinkets!" Mizuki said, leaning in on some merchandise and cheap, inexpensive looking jewels. "Don't break it," Ena started. "I don't want to buy what we don't need." "Oh, come on! I love giving trinkets to friends and family!" "Those gems have literally no luster. It would be a waste of money, even for jewelry." Mizuki's shoulders rolled with a single chuckle, as they tilted their head to the side and raised their brows. "Hey. C'mon. You know me. If there's anything I am, it's careful. You know that." "I know you're full of shit." "First of all, untrue. Second of all, uncalled for. Third of all, how could you say this has no luster??"

The ranger yanks a small bracelet off the shelf, presenting it to the elf and practically shoving it in her face. "Topaz. Lookee here." Ena leans forward, narrowing her eyes at the chiseled stone and carefully staring at the gem in the center of the metal band. "I'm not seeing it." "Please, for the love of God, Enanan. Gotta get you some new eyes!" "Please put it back down before you drop it." With a compliant groan, the angel sets back down the bracelet and shifts their body weight to the right. "New rule. From now on, if you want me to listen to what you say, you gotta give me a kiss first." "Are you going to be like this from now on?" "Yes." Ena smiled and shook her head in playful disapproval, batting Mizuki's forehead away with her palm. "You're so needy."

From the other side of the shop, Kanade had been shuffling through the shelves for anything of note or intrigue for the trip. While much failed to capture her attention, she did stumble upon a nice, small set of translucent sapphire dice marked on sale. It shimmered under the lantern light of the store, standing out to the cleric like a beacon of light over foggy waters. She found herself utterly entranced. Cuffing the dice in her right hand, she shook the pair lightly, letting the sapphires rattle against one another, clicking as the two collided in unison. They were practically weightless, which was to be expected, but the carved gems were chilling to the touch, practically giving it its own heft in a strange sensation. The cleric liked these dice. They were easy enough to lose without a thought and would definitely lack in entertainment, but she wanted to pick them up, anyhow.

As a matter of fact, she thought Mafuyu may like them, too.

The four exited the shop with a nice set of rations to support the trip and extra, with each picking out things they considered to hold their attention for the trip. Mafuyu was holding two paper bags filled with the bundles of rations, while the others carried their own belongings in their hands. "Kanade?" "Mm? Yes?" Mafuyu tilted her head slightly as she addressed the cleric. "Can I ask what time it is?" "Oh, sure. 7:32. You don't need to be home for another 2, 3 hours." The sorceress sighed, shifting her vision to the wooden porch beneath her feet. "It's been nice, I think, but... I... actually do think it would be safer for us if I were to head home early. Mother may grow suspicious if I am out for too long." Mizuki placed a hand on their hip in annoyance, narrowing their pink eyes at the blank slate they called their ally. "She's gotta learn a thing or three about independence. Are you sure you wanna go home early?" "I'm sure she means well." "I'm sure the hell not."

The cleric pursed her lips. She was a little disappointed she couldn't spend more time with Mafuyu, but that was alright. She understood. Arousing suspicion at this point would not be good. "In that case, let me get those bags for you, Mafu." "Thank you, K." They were heavier than the cleric expected, slightly toppling under the weight. "Oof, wait. Ena, help."

"Oh, before you go..." Kanade started, using her now free hand to reach into her pocket. "I want you to have these." The cleric presents the two dice she picked up from the store, bestowing them both to the sorceress. Mafuyu looked a bit confused at first as she looked at the dice, before gently taking them into her own two hands. She squeezed them into her fist at first, as if receiving an Eval scan at a Guild, but loosened her grip as she noticed it didn't do anything. "What are these for?" The cleric smiled bashfully, shuffling her foot. "...I... want tonight to go well. If you find yourself struggling to leave, or if you can't find the bravery to get out, then..." With her free hand, Kanade curled Mafuyu's hand back around the two sapphire dice. "...Then think of me with these dice, okay?"

The sorceress nodded, the evident confusion on her face melting off a slight. There was still residue of the confusion on her, but a majority of it had cleared off.

"I appreciate the memento." Mafuyu said, expression as empty as ever. Despite her facial expression not moving an inch, those eyes spelled out all Kanade needed to hear. She looked happy. "Of course. You be careful, okay Mafuyu?" "I will. Clock tower at 1am, right?" "That's right. I'll see you then." The sorceress nodded as she stepped away from the porch, her purple ponytail flicking with the wind. She turned back with a subtle smile and soft eyes, before resuming her footing into the empty street market. The three remaining members watched as she faded away into the darkness of the night, all until her silhouette became barely visible under the streetlights.

Kanade sighs to herself with a smile, eyes softening and adjusting to the darkness. It was strange, the way Mafuyu made her heart so calm and relaxed. She knew Mafuyu had her own inner demons that haunted her, so... the cleric could only hope she lit the same fire in her chest that the sorceress could do for the cleric.

"You think that'll work?" Ena asks, relative optimism lingering in her question. "You mean, the dice? I sure hope so." Kanade mutters under her breath. "I want her to be happy. ...And I think her mom gets in the way of that."

Chapter Text

"I'm... home."

Once more, Mafuyu steps into the Asahina household, announcing her arrival to her mother. From around the corner of the lengthy hall before her, her mother's voice rang out in the living room, cheerily greeting her as she always had. "Welcome home, Mafuyu!" The daughter of The Grip stared emptily down the dimmed hallway of sterile white walls and laminated wood flooring, the same hall she would nervously tread her whole life, but it was different this time. If things went well, she may not need to see this trail for a some time. A long while, at least.

Mafuyu leaves her shoes by the door as she always had, but this would change when given the time. In the chance that her mother may be roaming the house at 1am, she would have to leave them in her room to avoid an encounter. Mafuyu began to make her way down the dimmed hall, steeling her nerves to face her mother once more with that usual persona. She was used to the prospect her mother was a war veteran, but today had left an irreversible mark on her image. Mafuyu hadn't truly seen her in action before, but this..? The fact the same mother who, admittedly had her ups and downs with parenting, could be so, so cruel and violent...

If she wasn't terrified of her mother before, she certainly was now.

The lights in the hallway leading to the living room were dimmed, a majority of what light had been emanating coming from the living room's fireplace. As Mafuyu grew closer and closer to the center of her house, her nose began to pick up the scent of a freshly lit fire, her ears catching the crackling of wood. Her mom enjoyed the smell of fire, more often than not finding time in the night to light the fireplace and relax beside the heat with a book. Mafuyu was fond of the smell of fire too. However, it wasn't out of any real appreciation for the heat, or the ashy scent that lingered on her clothes once the two would put out the fire. She liked the fireplace because her mother was much calmer and rational beside the flames.

"Hello, Mafuyu." Her mother started, turning her head over her shoulder to match her daughter's eyes. Having been stripped of her black armor and cape, she had been wearing her usual brown cardigan and white blouse, but opted out of the dress for a pair of navy blue jeans. She was leaning over the brick hearth, poking and prodding at the wood inside the chimney with a metal rod. "The rest of your day went well?"

That left a sour taste in the back of the sorceress's throat. "After everything that happened today..? Your minotaur, the mirror, The Denial? How could the rest of the day go well..?"

"Yes, thank you mother. It took some time, but I managed to convince the party I was with to assist Shousuke on my behalf." "Oh, excellent, excellent. I was wondering how that would go. Again, I'm so sorry for the sudden change of plans, love." "That's okay!" Mafuyu lied through her teeth. "The Shatterers are quite the issue. I would be more than thankful to learn how a pro would handle such a situation." Mafuyu's mother stands up from the hearth, patting down her knees. Stretching her back, then her arms and twisting her lower half, she turns to face her daughter in the eye. "Say, take a look. I got myself a a trophy." "A trophy?" The Grip points in the direction of the kitchen, and hung above the window was a snapped in half spear. "The Denial's weapon, Gungnir. Adds a bit of flair to the kitchen, does it not?" "I... suppose."

"A few of the weapons the Mirror Shatterer generals used are still out there, so this isn't much, but... Wow, does it feel nice." Mafuyu's mother firmly nestles her hands against her hips, beaming with pride at her souvenir. "Not much it can do in this state, but... it's another one for the 'legendary collection'." "Right..."

The Grip had always been prideful of her collection. Despite her belief that mastery of bare handed combat was vital to a solo's survival, she seemed to take great care in making sure she had an arsenal for any occasion. Swords, knives, shields, wands, staffs. She had a deep understanding for each weapon she displayed on the walls of her room, even if she had no real interest in using any of them. What she was truly prideful of were their origins. Fallen warriors, mighty dragons, experimental technology from Shatterers, she collected whatever she could get her hands on for the sake of it. She even had a cute name for them, being 'legendary weapons'. Of course, some of which that adorned her wall were worthy of this title, but the others? It was more of what she was capable of with them that made them 'legendary'.

"Here, love. Come sit." Mafuyu's mother takes a seat on a deep violet sofa aside the fire, patting the cushion next to her. Mafuyu, of course, followed her mother's instruction as she always had. It would be weird if she hadn't. Nestling herself into the couch, she turns to face her mother with clenched fists in her lap. She was nervous. "I was actually waiting for you to come home." "...Oh?" "Yes, I have something to show you." The sorceress's morbid curiosity was caught, tangling itself into a sticky web. However, she couldn't help but reflect some of that anxiety in her eye. "Oh? What could that be?" "Don't worry. It's nothing pertaining to tomorrow. As a matter of fact, it's something nice." "Something nice..?"

The Grip shuffles to the side, burrowing her hand into her right pocket. She struggled to wiggle her fingers into her jeans at first, but once she got her foot in the door, the rest came naturally. She pulled out a small, rectangular shaped object and presented it to Mafuyu, holding it in front of her by the top of the shape.

Mafuyu raised an eyebrow with a confused, phony smile. "What is this?" "A piece of Shatterer tech your father gave me, way before you were born." "...Father? Shatterer tech?" Mafuyu's mother smiled warmly. "He wasn't the hero type, like myself. But... you've heard the story a million times, haven't you?" Mafuyu nodded with a confused grin. Her father was a farmer, and her mother was the hero. An unlikely couple, but they grew closer and closer after the war had concluded. Her mother had said in the past that she and her husband helped those who went deaf, providing crops and wealth to those impacted by the energy wave.

"Have I told you how we met?" Mafuyu shakes her head, the curiosity in her eyes rattling like a snowglobe. "No, I don't think so..." Mafuyu's mother's face beams up. "Hehe. Let me set the picture for you, love." The Grip gently places a hand on Mafuyu's shoulder, waving the other hand in front of Mafuyu's face as if to lay a backdrop of a grassy field. The sorceress hadn't seen her this excited in such a long time. She figured it was the fireplace soothing her. "Twenty years prior, during the Silent War. I was recruited by the old king to intercept an upcoming ambush on a hamlet close to Mount Sanguine." She places the tip of her index on her chin for a moment. "Err, actually, I think it was on the border of Utashinai and Hiraizumi..? Regardless, I do exactly that. Your mother worked her 'magic', as she always does, but one Shatterer got away."

Mafuyu couldn't help but let her face scrunch up. "By... 'work your magic' you mean..." "Well, yes. I was a warrior, remember?" "Right..."

Still doesn't feel good. It doesn't feel good knowing what your mother is truly capable of.

"So, anyways. I chase after this man as he flees into the Utashinai district. He found himself hiding in a small farmhouse by the bowl, and naturally, I had him cornered. He was hiding, after all. I prepared my gauntlet, and flung the barn's door off its hinges, but turns out... the Shatterer was already dead!" Mafuyu's head twitches back in response. "Already dead?" "That's right. Coincidentally, a farmer who had been tending to his livestock had also been present. That farmer? That was your father!"

Oh. So both of her parents were murderers. Great.

The Grip smiles earnestly, almost on the verge of laughter. "He looked so scared... His legs were twitching, he was practically relying on his pitchfork to stand! When he saw me standing in the doorway, he dropped his pitchfork and slowly staggered towards me, and gave me... this!" Her mother once again presents the rectangular object to Mafuyu. Without much other option, the sorceress takes the object into her own hand, and examines it meticulously. Upon further inspection, there were six buttons on the device, five on the bottom half of the width, and one silver, narrow button on the adjacent side. "...What is it?"

"I wasn't sure at first, either. I don't think your father knew what it was, too. He just picked it up off of the Shatterer, and was clutching it like a baby, hehe." It was almost scary how casually her mother was recounting such an unfathomable experience to the sorceress. "You see the center button of those five?" "...Mmhm?" "Go ahead, press it."

There was faintly recognizable green chipped paint on the center button, either indicating plenty of usage from whoever had owned the device prior, or extreme age. Perhaps it was a mixture of both? Regardless, she figured it nothing unsafe. Doing as instructed, Mafuyu clicks the little button in the middle of the five similarly shaped indents...

And out rang a tune.

It was quiet, docile...

Mafuyu couldn't exactly put words together to describe it. She had never heard anything so... silky before.

It was like a music box, but... it... wasn't. There was clearly no mechanism within the rectangular object. If there was, it was so compactly put together, it would be hardly recognizable.

...And then, a voice gently arose from within the box.

It was singing.

It was singing English, a language she had known to be long dead.

A language her mother made her study.

...Was this why?

The voice was smooth, almost comparable to slowly sliding your hands on a freshly laminated plank of wood. It felt as if she wasn't just listening to the man's voice, but rather... feeling it, slowly touch her heart.

Mafuyu and her mother both sat silently. The sorceress lifted her amethyst eyes off of the strange music box and onto her mother. Her mother was leaning back against the couch, listening to the gentle melody with her eyes shut. She was quiet, as if she was absorbing the song. The sorceress opened her mouth a little as she took in a drag of air, attempting to do the same. She wasn't sure if she should listen to the man's baritone voice, or if she should've been paying attention to what instruments were playing in the back. All she knew was... it was nice.

She almost forgot the horrors of what she saw today.

She almost forgot the metal labyrinth, the near death encounter she had with the minotaur, the reflection she saw in The Denial's mirror, and of course, The Denial's death.

She almost forgot what her mother was trying to drag her into doing tomorrow.

Not a word was spoken between the two, as they let the song dance in the air and mingle with the flickering and cracking of the fireplace. Mafuyu wished that she could have spent more moments like this with her mom. If only... she were like this more often. If only... the fireplace could be lit more often.

And then, the song ended.

Mafuyu was breathless. "What... was that?" "I'm not sure," her mother admitted. "But it's nice, isn't it?" "Yeah... Yeah, it was nice..." "Your father gave this to me. I don't think he knew why he did, but he did nonetheless. I took it with me as another memento, another trophy. It was only a week later when I found out it could play music like that... and so, I went back to him and played the song again." The Grip smiled at her daughter, tilting her head affectionately. "Were you paying attention to the lyrics?" The stunned Mafuyu shook her head. "It's a love song."

"A love song..?"

"About a man who fails to admit to the woman he loves... that he cares for her."

"Really..."

"He lets his opportunities pass again and again, until she's gone from his life. It's sad, is it not?"

The sorceress felt a tinge in her chest. "It... is sad, yes..."

The Grip takes a deep breath, exhaling it all out when she turned her head away from her daughter. "And from there, the rest is history. After the war concluded, we got to know each other, get close... Those were the days." Her mother swings her head back with a smile. "Of course, my duties got in the way. Wasn't exactly meant to be. But if I were to realize that sooner, then..." Mafuyu's mother pinched her cheek, practically shaking the sorceress's head in affection. "...I wouldn't have you, love."

Dissension.

Mafuyu's heart was in utter dissension.

She loved her mother. No matter what she did, no matter what she subjected her daughter to, at the end of the day... she was her mother. How... could she not at least care for her? How could she not love her own mother? But... she didn't want to go with her. She didn't want to fight the Shatterers, nor become a solo in the same vain as the quintessential Kamiyama Myth herself, The Violet Grip.

She wanted to stay with Niigo. She wanted to stay with her new allies, Mizuki and Ena. She wanted to stay with her new friend, Kanade. The two worlds she found herself caught between tugged at her chest, violently pulling the rope that had bound her heart to a stand-still.

The rope had begun to burn.

Mafuyu's mother lightly kisses her forehead, and parts her daughter's purple hair off to the side. She crosses a leg over the other, sighing to herself as she turned away. "We have a long road ahead of us, dear. If you promise to give your all to me, I'll do the same for you. We're family, always." Mafuyu nods, choking back tears. "...Of course..." The mother smiles, and pats her on the shoulder. "Then... rest. We begin our trip tomorrow. It'll be long, and extremely strenuous. But when it's all over, you'll truly be worthy of becoming the next Grip, Mafuyu."

"But... I don't want to become the next Grip..."

"Of course... Thank you, mother..."

"I want you to just... love me for who I am... Please..."

The mother stands up, sighing deeply. She twists her head to the side and looks down to her daughter with a smile and a nod, and resumes tending to the fire. The sorceress was left on the couch with welled up tears and the strange music box.

...She guessed it was hers, now.

12:25am.

The time was nearing for action.

And yet, Mafuyu couldn't bring herself out of bed.

The most she could muster was bringing her shoes to her room.

She lied on her back, staring at the ceiling, and occasionally bringing her head to her sides to look at the room she grew up in. It was predominately decorated by objects of her mother's choosing. There was hardly anything in there that the sorceress had picked of her own accord. Sure, she appreciated them, but she had never truly resonated with many of what occupied the space. Other than the empty aquarium in her room, but that was that. There weren't even any fish in the aquarium. It was simply empty, devoid of life.

She held the music box over her head, staring at the mysterious piece of Shatterer tech. She clicked the furthest most button of the five, but it replayed the song from the beginning. The second button seemingly reversed the song, going to a prior point in the melody. The center one, of course, would start the melody, but if it was already playing, it would suddenly halt the song. It would resume upon clicking any one of the four buttons surrounding it. The fourth button seemingly distorted the tune, suddenly picking up in pace, as well as pitching up the man's voice. The fifth button replayed the song from the beginning once again.

The sixth button, resting on the top of the device, popped open the back of the device, revealing a smaller, darker rectangle inside. She opted not to mess with this. She figured this was where the man's voice was coming from. She didn't want to break it, and she certainly didn't want to stop listening to his song.

Mafuyu sighed, gently lowering the music box to her side as she let it play.

If I loved you, time and again I would try to say all I'd want you to know...

Mafuyu's breath was shaky as she tried to get it all out of her system. She closed her eyes, trying to flush everything out from her brain. She didn't want to think.

If I loved you, words wouldn't come in an easy way... Round in circles, I'd go...

"Circles, huh..." Mafuyu thought. "The same thing, again and again..."

Longing to tell you, but afraid and shy... I'd let my golden chances pass me by...

The sorceress's breath hitched. Out of a compulsion, she lightly cuffs her own cheeks.

They're soaked.

"Since... when did I start crying..?"

Soon, you'd leave me, off you would go in the mist of day... Never, never to know how I loved you...

The sorceress reaches into her pocket, pulling out the two sapphire dice the cleric had given her hours earlier. She held it above her face, allowing for the light of The Unreachable that peered out from the window to penetrate the gems. The two dice radiated a blue pattern across the wall. The sorceress turned her head to face the sterile beige painted walls, only to find fascination in the color the mixture of light and dice had imprinted.

If I loved you...

The sorceress turned on her side, facing the wall. The light that cast off of the dice and onto the wall was so... lively. There was more life in the light than there ever was in the decorations of her room.

Mafuyu sat up on her bed, lowering the dice away from the shining crystal palace. The color in her room vanished. She held the dice up to the light once more. The pretty, cool blue engulfed her room once more. The sorceress let loose a quivering, trembling sigh as she slowly brought herself to her feet. Slipping on her shoes, and adjusting her hat to firmly rest on her head, she peered down the empty hallway. Her mother's door was shut. Mafuyu swallowed the dry saliva in the back of her throat, and choked out what was on her mind: her final goodbye.

"I love you, mom."

She could barely bring herself to say it.

Stuffing the pair of dice back into her pocket and taking the music box along with her, the sorceress slowly opens her creaky window, and descends into the alleyway of the night.

Chapter Text

It was a quiet night. Not a gust of wind crept from the empty streets, and not a soul stirred the eerily dull market plaza. It was almost as if the entire village had been suddenly abandoned, but that clearly wasn't the case. Everybody was afraid. Mere hours ago, mountains were made with bodies in these streets. The threat of the suddenly revived Grievance was announced to have been neutralized over the loudspeakers that populated the town, but market-goers had no interest in stepping foot back into the outdoors yet. How could they? The bodies may have been recovered, picked up, cleaned up, but it was as if the villagers were afraid of the lingering, restless spirits that may haunt the booths. So, nobody made movements outside.

All that lingered were the stars, The Unreachable, the clock tower, and the silver haired cleric.

She had made sure to let Ichika know in advance when they were to leave. She was clearly a bit mentally out of it and tired, but she nodded in compliance. She brought her eyes to the door frame and rested a hand on it, sighing deeply and shaking her head as if it were being weighed down by what she saw today. "I don't think I'm going to be able to get much sleep tonight, Kanade." The sage's words crept into the crevasses of Kanade's mind, sinking like a rock in a pond.

She felt awful.

She wanted to see her dad one last time. This could be the last she would see him. Perhaps she could tell him how she felt. About Ichika, about Mafuyu, about The Grip. It would, of course, be in vain, but perhaps she could also ask about the metal labyrinth, those weird screens and glowing lights, and why it all connected to the family brewery.

The infirmary was closed early due to The Denial's attack.

No final goodbyes were possible.

The cleric sat on a wooden bench outside the tower in the center of town, bouncing her platform boots against the gray bricked pavement in anticipation. She did everything she could to keep her mind at bay, tuning into the clacking of her boots. She was practically depending on them, the sound being the only source of presence she could feel. She was all alone in these silent, miserable streets. The lonesome girl sighed quietly, as if to try and conserve the peace of the fallen silent village. It would be an understatement to say that she wasn't nervous. Perhaps it was a mixture of how eerily quiet is was, the fresh feeling of death that hung in the air, and the time of the night. 12:50. She had been waiting for Mafuyu for twenty minutes now.

"Where are you, Mafuyu..?"

She buried her face into her palms. She knew it was unwise to not keep an eye out on the streets, especially considering she was all alone, but she wasn't concerned over that. She was confident with how quiet it was, she would be able to detect another soul in proximity. But right now, all that mattered to her was where Mafuyu was. Did her mom catch her? Has she not had an opportunity to sneak out? Did she get into trouble with any roaming Kingdom Knights remaining after clean up duty? The cleric's nerves were an utter mess, she was completely distraught. Her mind and heart had swapped places, the brain pumping anxious thoughts, and her feelings for Mafuyu dominating her nerves.

She pulled her head away from her hands, and for the first time since she stepped out of her house twenty minutes ago, she saw another soul.

Down the street, a shadowy figure walked through the streetlights in a raggedy t-shirt and torn jeans. His posture was hunched, his thumbs firmly nestled into the pockets of his pants, and he was slowly walking down the street and towards the tower. The cleric felt her anxiety spike. In the night, she couldn't make out a face, only a faint orange glow in place of where his mouth should be. Kanade quickly sat up, grabbing her staff. If need be, she could cast lantern in self defense, but that was the extent of her fighting prowess. She was still new to the whole Adventurer shtick. "Fight first, flee second." She pushed the saliva on the tip of her tongue down her throat, and narrowed her eyes. She wasn't sure if the figure had noticed she was there or not, but he was coming her way, and fast.

"...Yoisaki, that you?"

"... Hm..?"

The man's voice was gruff, yet confident and loud. ... And familiar.

Kanade squinted further, leaning forward from the wooden bench she had been parked at. As the man drew closer, she began to make out the man's characteristics and facial features. Chiseled jaw and 5 o'clock shadow with sunken eyes. She knew this man.

"...Ken? Is that you?" The cleric was taken aback by the sound of her own voice, but she didn't need to speak very loudly for it to travel far. It was quiet, after all. He tilted his head in confusion as he walked closer. "What are you doing out here? It's late, it's dangerous, kid!" "I-I'm sorry, I'm, uh..." There wasn't exactly any harm in being honest, right? "I'm waiting for someone..." Ken stopped in his tracks, pulling his head back and shifting his jaw in response. "At this time of night?" "U-Uh..." "At this tower, in this plaza, after today?" ".....Yes..?" His reply was delayed as he crossed his arms and clicked his tongue. "Okay. I guess." He turned his head over his shoulder, as if to check for any other life on the streets, but he knew it was fruitless. "...Alright, kid. But you really shouldn't be alone at night like this. Do you mind?" "...Mind what?" "If I keep company. I don't want a kid like you by herself."

Kanade was hesitant at first, but slowly nodded her head. "Y-Yeah... Go ahead, then..." The gruff man smiled, resuming his stride in the cleric's direction. Rather than sitting next to her, the Weekend Garage employee leaned his back against the clock tower, and planted the heel of his foot onto the wall. He sighed, turning his head to the stars above. "Who are you waiting for, kid?" "Mafuyu." "At this time? You two sure got close, hm?" Kanade smiled, looking down to her knees and balled fists. "Eheh. I suppose." The cleric turned her head up to the older man with a question of her own aimed towards him. "What about you? What are you doing around?" "The Garage is gonna be closed for a bit, I guess," He started, sighing in between sentences. "Clean up duty. Investigation, since The Denial had a few drinks at my bar." He shook his head, taking a drag of a stick of tobacco. "That ain't my damn fault, though... An employee served a drink to a terrorist, and we're under fire? If I cook an egg, does that make me a damn chef?" Kanade smiled, side-eyeing the sloppily dressed man. "If you kill someone, does that make you a murderer?" "Oh, you got jokes, kid. You're funny."

Ken smacked his lips and sighed. With the Guild member there, the wait was a lot less taxing on the cleric's mind. Felt nice to have company. Of course, it was Kanade's fault for wanting to go alone in the first place, but Ena needed her sleep, and Mizuki wanted to stay by the elf's side, but regardless. Company was appreciated.

"You know, kid." "Hm?" "This past week? You're like a totally new person, y'know?"

Kanade's back straightened, bringing her balled fists closer together. "Really? How so?" "How you carry yourself, I mean. Stuttering mess when I first met'chya. Stood in the corner for hours, and now here you are. Holding a conversation with me. You're welcome for introducing you to Asahina, by the way." Kanade shut her eyes for a second, putting it all into perspective. Yeah, when he puts it like that, things have changed a lot. Ken was the one who brought the two together. She had a lot to thank him for, come to think of it. She wanted to thank him for Mafuyu, the first person she's ever had feelings like this before.

"Wait. 'Past week'?" Oh, God. "Have I been taking things too fast with Mafuyu?" She's never felt so attached to someone before, she hadn't even stopped to consider how head over heels she's become for her friend. "Does... Does she think I'm weird for getting so close? Does she even know we've gotten close?"

Come to think of it, she had never been in love before. How fast do these things usually go? 

Ken narrowed his eyes. "Kid. You good?" "Wha... Oh-Oh yeah, yeah... I'm good... Yeah, thank you, Ken!" The man chuckled a little, bringing his head back up. "You kind of fetch me glimpses of my own kid, takin' a good look at'chya." "You have a kid?" "Mmhm. A daughter your age, or so." He sighed with a smile, clearly reminiscing and lost in his own thought. "Little lady grew up fast. Left home about, say... half a year ago?" Kanade pursed her dry lips, turning her head towards Ken's direction. "What for?" "What everyone leaves home for." "That's not very specific." Another chuckle from the older man. "To... find a sense of purpose, I guess?"

The cleric turned her head back down to the brick flooring. "Purpose... Ena left home, Mafuyu's leaving home... I... could be leaving home..." Kanade's lip stretches as she shifts her jaw. "Am I looking for a purpose, too..?"

"She headed up to Mount Sanguine. Lookin' for an old mentor of hers from years ago." "Mount Sanguine?" Kanade asks. "That's pretty scary..." "Uh-huh. How do you think I feel, as her parent?" He chuckles, taking another puff of his cigarette. Blowing smoke into the air, the trail dissipates up above. "Lucky for her, my buddy runs the biggest Guild that operates in Hiraizumi. A Kamiyama Myth himself, actually." "Oh? So, she's in good hands?" "I bet. Taiga's a good man. I wouldn't say he's got the notoriety Grip's got, but... still, y'know?" "Yeah."

Hearing about Mafuyu's mother wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear at this current moment. Best try and redirect the course of the conversation.

"So, why Hiraizumi in particular?" "Ahh, I'm not super sure, to be entirely frank. I wasn't a war vet, but after the Silent War waned, me and my buds formed a party." "You didn't strike me as the Adventurer type." "Part of the passion, kid! Me, my buddy Taiga, and my bud Nagi. Called ourselves RADder."

Kanade scrunched her nose. Ken's party may have operated twenty years ago, but she didn't have the heart to tell him that RADder was a dumb name. Ken notices the soured expression on the clerics face, bursting out in a singular, yet very vocal chuckle. "In retrospect, it does sound dumb, don't it?!" "I-I wasn't thinking that at all!" She lied straight through her teeth. "Ahh, whatever. Whatever! Past's in the past, y'know?" Ken takes another drag of his cigarette, crossing his arms and shifting his body weight to the other side. He looked comfortable. "After the party disbanded, we went our ways. I started managing the Weekend Garage, Taiga moved up to Mount Sanguine, and Nagi kept going with the Adventurer shtick, kept going as far as she could go."

Kanade took in a breath of the still air, though it was polluted by the scent of Ken's smoke. "You... miss your daughter, right?" Ken nods. "Every day."

"I think I get how you feel. I... miss my dad, too." The Guild employee went quiet, flicking the ash off of his stick.

Kanade bit her lip. Ken could be trusted, right? He was the one who pushed her out of her shell, the one who helped her with her first steps. If there's any reliable adult in town, he's probably up on that list, right? He seemed a good man, a loving father. Maybe he would understand.

"Hey, I know this sounds weird, Mr. Shiraishi..." "Again, Ken is fine, kid. Drop the formality, it's all good." "Right... Ken... I'm going to be out of town for some time, and I likely won't be back for some time..." Ken smiled and tilted his head with suspicious eyes. "Ehhh? Outta town?" "Mmhm... Can... you check up on my dad for me, now and again?" The man's playful demeanor suddenly shifted into one more befitting a sympathetic expression. His eyes softened, his lips pursed. "Oh... Yeah, yeah. Not a problem. Still in his coma?" "Nothing's changed. I try to visit him once a week, but I'll... feel guilty, if he's left alone."

Ken brings his thumbs back to his pocket, looking down at the quiet silver haired girl. He hums monotonously for a moment, scratching at his 5 o'clock shadow. With another drag of his cigarette, he expels the smoke in his lungs as he spoke. "Not a problem, kiddo. I can do that for ya." The cleric whipped her head to face the man, her lips turning upwards in surprise. "You would??" "Yeah." He nodded, reciprocating her smile. "Mr. Yoisaki was a good guy, you remember?" "Mmhm!" "I don't got a problem with seeing him. Don't you worry, just come back soon, alright?" "Of course! As soon as I can."

Right on the dot of 1:00am, the grand behemoth of a clock begins to cry out into the darkness of the night. Bellowing ringing erupts from the tip of the tower sending ripples through the village, chime after chime.

"Oh, 1:00." Ken said, backing away from the tower and looking to the face of the clock. The man turns his head back down to Kanade, tilting his head. "You been waiting long?" "About thirty minutes, I think." "Oh, shoot. Hm." He cocks his head from side to side, scanning down the streets to his left, his right, and to his front. It was evident he didn't see a trace of life, just like how Kanade couldn't. He paused to scratch the top of his head with furrowed brows. "You want me to go look for her?" "I appreciate it, but she's strong. I'm sure she'll be okay on her own."

As if on cue, the sorceress popped out from an alley, looking both ways before stepping out into the street. Her eyes darted beneath the streetlights until they had landed squarely on the silver cleric on the bench. She raised a hand over her head, only lowering it when she saw the man to Kanade's side. She unbuckled the holster to her wand, cautiously approaching the two with her hand hovering over her weapon.

"Oh, there she is." Ken said, smiling softly. "Why does she look so tense?" The cleric's eyes widen. Under her breath, she quietly murmurs, "Does... she think you're a stranger...?" She raises her voice, loud enough to be heard across the street, but not loud enough to wake anyone. "O-Oh, Mafuyu!! Don't worry, it's just Ken!"

"Just Ken?" "I'm just Ken. Don't worry about me." With a sigh of relief, Mafuyu fastens her holster back shut. Her posture relaxes as she draws closer to them both, walking firmly upright with her hands in front of her. It became painfully apparent as she approached Ken that she had firmly adjusted her good girl persona mask. "Hello. Sorry about the scare, Mr. Shiraishi! It is rather late after all..." Ken looked kind of annoyed for being called 'Mr. Shiraishi' again. "It's... fine. Don't worry about it, kiddo." "What are you doing here, sir?" "Guild's shut down for inspection," he reiterated. "I'm closing around this time, but got nothing to do now, so I was on a walk. Stumbled upon your partner waiting all by herself in the dark, so I wanted to make sure she was safe." Mafuyu smiled a lovely grin, however fake it may be. "Is that so? I appreciate your consideration, sir."

Ken chuckled a hearty breath, dropping his cigarette to the ground and shuffling his foot over the stub. "Think nothin' of it, kid. Kanade told me you two are leaving town for some time?" "That's right." "Haha, alright, kiddos." The older man nodded his head, shoving his hands back into his pockets. "Suppose I'll be on my way, then. I won't keep either of you two waiting. Kanade, I'll be sure to keep an eye on dear-ol' dad for ya." "Th-Thank you again, Ken." The chiseled jawed man nods, walking away from the duo. His footsteps echoed in the empty plaza as he trailed away, but the sound of his movements was interrupted by the call of Mafuyu's voice.

"W-Wait, Mr. Shiraishi. Before you go." He pauses in his tracks, turning his head over his shoulder. "Huh?" "If... my mother asks for me... Please don't tell her about my party." "Your party?" "I know it's an odd request, especially if it's my mother asking, but..." She turns her eyes to her friend, staring her in the eye. Mafuyu seemed lost. It worried Kanade. "I don't want my mom to know about them... just yet."

Ken seemed taken aback for a moment, as if he couldn't find a response to give her. His eyes spelled out exactly what was on his mind: "Why?" Whatever he was pondering though, it was all irrelevant. A mix of curiosity and confusion stirred within, but his answer came in the form of a smile, a wink, and a nod. Turning back to face the empty street, Ken began to walk off into the darkness of the Carnation Village.

The cleric could only watch with a smile as his shape disappeared off into the dark market streets.

As soon as the Guild employee had parted ways with the two, Mafuyu's mask was immediately taken off. Her face morphed back into its usual appearance, with her eyelids hanging halfway and her smile being wiped back to neutrality. "Sorry to keep you waiting, K." The corners of the cleric's lips tilt upright. There's that familiar deadpanned voice. "I-It's okay. Any complications with your mother?" "She... was asleep."

Mafuyu wrestled with the idea of telling Kanade about the mysterious music box her mother gave her. No reason not to.

"She gave me this." The sorceress reached out into her pocket, pulling out the thin rectangular strip. The cleric narrowed her eyes, looking down into Mafuyu's gloved palm. "What is it?" "It's kind of like a music box. You press a little button, here, and it plays a song." "Oh! That's cute." Kanade says with a smile, bringing her beady blue eyes back up to Mafuyu. "We should play it when we get back to my place. I don't wanna be out here any more than I have to." The girl with amethyst eyes nodded at Kanade's request, stuffing the music box back into her pocket. Taking the glove off her corroded hand, she stretches her arm out once more and curls her fingers as if to draw in Kanade's attention. She looks to her friend with those same, expressionless eyes, but Kanade knew what she wanted. "Hand?" "Mmhm."

The cleric wrapped her fingers around the sorceress's, beginning to walk down the path to their right.

In reality, Mafuyu had left the house thirty minutes ago. She was just struggling to compose herself. The thought of being with her mother dropped her temperature lower than the peaks of Mount Sanguine itself, but Kanade was the perfect warm remedy for it. The sorceress felt her chest melt as she took in Kanade's heat, feeling the thin, smooth texture of her friend's delicate fingers. In comparison, her fingers must be so uncomfortable to hold. They were jagged, rough, and charred black. How could anybody want to willingly hold this hand? And yet, Kanade wanted to nonetheless. Mafuyu appreciated the subtle gesture.

"Stars tonight are pretty, aren't they?" Kanade asks, keeping her chin tilted up as she looked to the lights blanketing the sky. "I think so," she starts. "The Unreachable is kind of bright, though." "I guess. Kind of outshines some of them." Turning her head to the side, Kanade pulls Mafuyu in closer to her by her hand. "Crazy to think there are people living in that thing, though... Isn't it? I wish Mizuki would tell us a little bit more about it." "Maybe just give them time." "Yeah... That's the only thing we really can do." "Do you still want to reach the top one day?" "Mm?" The cleric's brain tingles as she puts the puzzle pieces together in her head. "Oh, you remembered!"

Kanade had told Mafuyu that childish dream she had since she were young on the first day the two met. Come to think of it, the two held hands out on an empty street like this on day one, too. Quiet streets, pretty stars, calming air.

It has been an extremely eventful week.

Chapter Text

Moonlight crept into the Yoisaki household as the two girls silently slid the front door open, stepping quietly and carefully not to disturb the slumbering angel sprawled out on the sofa. Kanade and Mafuyu leave their shoes at the door, with the latter of the two hanging her hat on a coat rack. Keeping her voice in a hush, Kanade turns her head over her shoulder to face Mafuyu. "Are you feeling tired?" She whispers. "We head out in four hours, so the extra sleep may be nice." The sorceress shook her head in response. "Not particularly." "Okay, no problem. In that case, follow me." The halls of the household were dark, light provided only by the moonlight and Unreachable seeping through the windows. However, that light was all that was necessary to make out the layout of the darkened halls. Taking her hand, Kanade guided Mafuyu to her room, keeping the purple haired sorceress close to her side. Allowing for her to bump into any tables, counters, or bookshelves would be highly embarrassing on the host's behalf.

With a hushed and deadpanned voice, Mafuyu whispers a question as the two passed the couch. "Why does Mizuki need sleep, anyway? They said their species doesn't require it, did they not?"

Kanade pauses. "I do not know."

"I suppose whether you require sleep or not is irrelevant. Maybe sleep just feels revitalizing for an angel?" Kanade's shoulders bounced, giggling quietly as the corners of her lips tilted upright. "I think you just answered your own question, silly." "Did I?" The two keep moving forward, with Kanade walking on the edge of her toes, and Mafuyu cautiously stepping with the flats of her feet. "And Ena? Where is she?" "She's been sleeping in my dad's old room. I think the two of them both napped in there earlier today, actually." "Napped together? Why?" Kanade pursed her lips. She didn't think Mizuki wanted anyone else knowing their crush on their ally quite yet, but at the same time, she didn't think Mafuyu would really comprehend the ranger's feelings for the elf. "...Dunno, company?" "I see... Then..."

Mafuyu squeezed Kanade's hand lightly. It was firm and reassuring, but gentle enough not to cause discomfort for the fragile and small cleric. "I would like to keep you company, if not for a little bit."

Kanade nearly stumbled over herself, but quickly regained composure. The two girls have napped on the sofa together already, so surely this wasn't anything strange, right? Certainly nothing that hasn't been done before. Her breath, shoulders, and eyes all hitched, but an affirmative hum came forth for Mafuyu's request. "Mmhm..."

Cool metal kisses the palm of Kanade's hand as she turns the knob to her room, but as she opens the door, a sinking feeling fills her lungs like a cup under a faucet. Her room was a total mess, just like she left it. This was no sight for someone like Mafuyu to see. Potion recipes were scattered and crinkled all over the ground, stained, disposable bowls accumulated in the corner, and most embarrassingly, Ena's drawing of Mafuyu had remained the sole thing on the cleric's wooden desk aside her brewery stand. "O-Oh dear. I-I'm so sorry, it's a bit of a pigsty, I forgot to tidy up..."

The sorceress let go of the cleric's hand as she stepped foot through the doorway, accidentally trampling on some of the recipes on the ground. She looks around to the framed photos on the walls, then to the brewery stand, then to the drawing on the table. She didn't look disgusted with the cleric, but she clearly wasn't impressed, either. It was difficult to gauge exactly what Mafuyu was thinking, or how she felt about the state of the room.

"What do you mean, 'pigsty'?" Mafuyu starts, tilting her head to the side. "It looks fine to me."

Or... maybe she didn't feel anything about the room at all?

"Uh... really?" "Yes. I'm not sleeping on the floor, am I?" The cleric's cheeks flush. "Uh, no. Nope." "Okay, good." Mafuyu unties her hair, rolling her hair tie down to her right wrist. She let her long, purple locks roll down her back like droplets on a window, gracefully flicking her hair over her shoulder with the back of her left hand. She turns her gaze to the silver haired cleric, armed with a question. "Where did you put the overnight clothes we bought? This dress would be rather uncomfortable to sleep in." "I-I can grab it for you real quick. Sit tight." Mafuyu nodded, giving the cleric the memo to head out.

As Kanade stepped out of the crystal-lit room, Mafuyu stood in the center of the mess as she gazed out the window. Her mind trailed off as she stared at a faint star beside the Unreachable. She slowly slid her hand into her pocket, caressing the buttons of the Shatterer device her mother gave her. Was... this really the last time she would see her mom? How long would it take before she would notice she was missing? The Grip has her influences, so... would she have to go into hiding? The sorceress inhaled the still air of the disorganized room, sliding her index finger down the smooth ridges of the music box. She hoped not. She wished her mother understood her.

But, to be fair, Mafuyu could hardly understand herself.

"Here, Mafuyu. I got you your pajamas." Kanade's sudden appearance startled her a slight, but it was nothing unexpected. "Thank you." Mafuyu appreciatively bowed her head, taking the neatly folded shirt and pants into her own two hands. "Do you need me to leave, or?" "You can stay if you'd like." "U-Um, sure. I'll just... turn the other way, then."

An eternity passed. The cleric could only do so much as she rhythmically tapped her foot to distract herself.

"Finished." Kanade turned back around, gazing sight on a newly pajama cladded Mafuyu. She adjusted the strap of her night gown, throwing on its accompanying lavender wool jacket. "I'm surprised it fits so well..." Mafuyu comments. "Mizuki has a sharp eye. Wouldn't have expected that." "Hehe, you think so? It looks good on you." Mafuyu sharply turns her amethyst hued pupils to Kanade, locking eyes with the cleric. The sudden eye contact sent shivers down the cleric's spine, incapable of resisting to shudder her head. "U-Uh... Did I say something weird..?" "...Maybe." Mafuyu whispers breathily. "You just... made my chest feel weird for a second."

"Oh... I did..?" "...Yes..."

Silence flooded the room. The two girls quietly stared at one another. Kanade dug her toes against the wooden flooring, shuffling her foot quietly as Mafuyu's gaze cut through her soul. Curiosity burnt within her as she pursed her lips and stared back with beady eyes. "What... did it feel like?" "It felt nice... I think." "Oh, good, good... I was worried it was a bad thing." "No, not at all." The sorceress tilted her head down, looking up to the cleric with a straight face, but grateful eyes. "That was nice... Thank you for the compliment." "N-No problem..."

Mafuyu's silent movements made way to Kanade's neatly made bed, sitting on the edge of it. Patting the empty space beside her, she looked up to the cleric and invited her to occupy her side. The cleric quietly nodded, quickly walking over the recipes to be by Mafuyu's side. She softly nestles herself beside Mafuyu, sitting upright and parallel on the bedside next to the sorceress. Kanade hadn't seen her ally with her hair down too frequently, so this was admittedly a nice change of pace. Looking close at her purple locks, she looked almost similar to her mother in the way the curls of the tips swung and looped around each other. Her hair wasn't nearly as long as Kanade's, but the cleric found herself infatuated with the color and texture of which. She found herself allured to it, yet resisting the urge to twine her fingers within.

"I mentioned earlier... I wanted to show you something." Mafuyu hushes to Kanade's ears, voice slightly above a whisper. Burying her hand into her pocket once more, Mafuyu pulls out the Shatterer device. "Oh, this... You said your mom gave it to you, right?" "Yes. It plays a song when you press this button here." The sorceress points to the center button. "But... what I didn't tell you is that this isn't just any old music box. My mom says it's Mirror Shatterer tech." Kanade's eyes widen. Had the desire to stay close to Mafuyu not been present, she would have leapt off the bed in awe. "Shatterer tech? How so?" "I'm not sure. But... the song it plays is nice."

Kanade lowers her guard, easing her nerves once more. More importantly...

"You... think the song is nice?" "Yes. It makes my chest feel at ease. There's a certain... 'texture' to the music that it plays. Would you like to listen with me?" Kanade nods. "Of course." "Then... I'll play it."

Mafuyu presses the center play button of the music box, a clicking sound emitting from beneath her fingertip. With that, the docile melody begins. "The singer speaks in English, so you probably won't understand what he's saying. I can translate it for you, if you would like." The sorceress preemptively adds. "If you'd like." "Then, after the song, maybe."

The gentle and silky voice rises from the box, shared both in the hands of Kanade and Mafuyu.

If I loved you, time and again I would try to say all I'd want you to know...

If I loved you, words wouldn't come in an easy way... Round in circles, I'd go...

"Oh, this is nice..." Kanade adds between verses. The sorceress looked a tad surprised, turning her head to Kanade. The two's faces were practically touching. "You think so? Even if you can't understand him?" "He has a nice voice. You were right about it sounding textured. Though, I am a bit curious... how they managed to put a voice into a box like this, but..." Mafuyu nods with a subtle smiling, turning her sights back to the music box. Slowly, she closes her eyes and inhales deeply.

She had never felt so calm before.

Was it okay to feel this relaxed?

Longing to tell you, but afraid and shy... I'd let my golden chances pass me by...

Soon, you'd leave me, off you would go in the mist of day... Never, never to know how I loved you...

If I loved you...

"Is... it over?" "Yes. That's the end of the song." Kanade smiled. "You look happy."

The sorceress lightly touched her own cheek. "I... do?" "Mmhm. I liked the song."

Mafuyu matches Kanade's expression and smiles back at her. "Well... the song... It's a love song." "A love song?" "Yes. About someone who tries his hardest to tell another how he feels about her. However, he keeps letting opportunities slip until she leaves... forever." Kanade's expression turns somber, yet she still smiles to the sorceress. "Oh... That's pretty sad..." Mafuyu nods quietly, spacing out her response. "When I... listened to the song, it..." Mafuyu swallowed saliva lingering in the back of her throat. She didn't know why she felt so nervous. "... It made me think of you." "...Me..?" "...Yes. This is my opportunity... My 'golden chance', as the song put it. This trip, being with you... I think I enjoy spending time with you."

Mafuyu sighed the weight off her chest, turning down to the potion recipes. "I don't want to leave my mom. And yet, I don't want to leave you, either. I want to stay. I want to know why I feel this way, I want to know why this song... means so much to me."

Kanade softly gasped to herself, allowing for the muscles in her face to ease into a smile. "I'm... really happy you feel that way... Mafuyu, I'd love to help you any way I can..."

The sorceress smiled. "Then..."

Mafuyu takes Kanade's hands, slowly pulling the two of them off the bed. The cleric was surprisingly lightweight, requiring no real effort to pull her up, which meant Mafuyu practically yanked Kanade up to her feet. "W-Woah, Mafu-?" The sorceress set the music box on the bed, pressing the play button once more. As the melody began from the start, the sorceress rest her hands on Kanade's hips, looking at her directly in her icy blue eyes as she stood tall above her. "M-Mafuyu, what are you..?" "Please, put your hands on my shoulders." The surprised expression on the cleric's face hadn't faded away as she complied with the sorceress's sudden request, but she did indeed comply. Again, Kanade's delicate and whispery voice confusingly asked, "What are you doing..?" "...I'm trying to understand this feeling. You said you would help, yes?" "Of course..." "Then..."

Mafuyu kicked away some of the recipes by her feet. She took a step to her left, keeping Kanade in her grasp. The cleric followed this motion, stepping fifteen degrees in a circle. Kanade's face had flushed entirely red, perfectly contrasting her colorful yet shocked eyes. The two take an even smaller step back to the right, now at ten degrees of a circle. Fifteen more to the left, rocking back with five to the right. With Mafuyu's guidance, whether she really even acknowledged what she was doing or not, the two slowly danced to the melody of the love song.

The light of The Unreachable soaked the two in its glow, a spotlight casting on them both. A messy room scattered with reminders of both past and present was their stage, and the two were the performers of an audience of none. Kanade felt her heartbeat accelerate by the second, being so close to Mafuyu like this. The purple sorceress looked happy, but not a trace of flush was in her cheeks. Perhaps she was truly just trying to understand herself, but if that was the case, then why would she be so moved by a love song? Why would a love song remind her of Kanade?

Why was this so... perfect? Did she do anything worthy of a moment like this?

Kanade's breath hitched to levels previously unknown as she tried to catch the words in the air. "M... Mafu...yu..." The sorceress didn't break eye contact. "Yes?" "This... is really nice..." "I think so, too." She shut her eyes, severing eye contact for the first time since the song began. "The hole in my chest has never felt so... small before. My hollow insides feel... warm..?" Kanade's expression heat up, her eyes mellowing under the temperature. "I'm... really glad..."

It was as sudden as the dance had begun, but Mafuyu, out of nowhere, had lost her balance. She slipped on a loose sheet of recipe paper on the floor. With a jolting squeaking noise, she accidentally pulls Kanade down with her, the cleric collapsing down on top of her. The two collide with the wooden flooring with a thud, Mafuyu landing on her behind and Kanade's face burying into the sorceress's stomach.

The silver haired girl quickly pulls herself up, looking intently and worryingly at Mafuyu. The thought of keeping her voice to a minimum had slipped, her cry coming out loud and intense. "M-Mafuyu!! Are you..."

Mafuyu's deadpanned expression had returned, her eyes a few times at Kanade, before she lowered the back of her head to the ground. Kanade would have been worried, had soft and authentic giggles not had emerged from the sorceress's lips.

"That... was a lot of fun, K..."

Tension in her chest leveled. Kanade sighed and allowed for her shoulders to fall flat in relief. "Floor's dirty." Kanade remarks, brushing herself off while she stood back to her two feet. She extended her hand outward, taking Mafuyu's corroded hand in gently and delicately. "Did you want to keep dancing..?" The blank expression on Mafuyu's face prevails as she wordlessly nods her head. As soon as the sorceress's hands felt the small, petite curve of Kanade's waist, that neutral and empty face had curved into a slight smile once more.

Replaying the song, the two resumed their dance together.

The two of them must have looped the song for twenty minutes, dancing quietly and feeling the rhythm of the other's movements. It was as if they were in sync, not just in motion, but spiritually too. Kanade's heart rate had stabilized as she found comfort in Mafuyu's cold, amethyst eyes, but those eyes invited nothing but warmth for the girl in front of them. Step by step, the two spun silently across the stage of scattered about recipes, keeping one another in their reach. "Surely... she's enjoying herself..." Kanade thought as she gazed into the ravine of Mafuyu's irises. "Surely... she must feel something... about all this... right?"

Kanade's breathing wavers, breaking eye contact with her crush to turn to the ground. The smile on the sorceress's face dissipates as her eyes mellow in concern, watching Kanade inhale heavily to catch her breath. "What's the matter?" "I... think I'm getting tired... Legs are starting to ache... Chest hurts..." "Would you like to call it a night? ...I know you don't do the best with physical activity." The cleric found her face turning red once again, which was nothing new to Mafuyu at this point. "Got me all figured out, huh..?" "I suppose. Perhaps I pay too much attention to you." The silver girl giggled, taking her hands off Mafuyu's shoulders to wrap her arms around the sorceress. "That's not a bad thing..." "Oh. I'm... glad."

"Oh, this... is a hug." Mafuyu looked around the dark, crystal-lit room awkwardly as she raised her hands up. "Do I... just..?"

Mafuyu reciprocated the gesture, similarly wrapping her hands around the exhausted cleric. She was taller than Kanade by a margin, albeit more than she was used to without the silver girl's platform boots on, so she easily stood taller above her. Mafuyu softly rested her chin against the top of Kanade's head as she felt her embrace against her torso. The beating of Kanade's chest was prevalent through her top, and Mafuyu could feel it accelerating as she nestled herself into her.

It took a moment, but Kanade found the motivation to leave the safety of Mafuyu's warmth.

"I-Is... Is that enough 'company' for tonight..?" Kanade timidly asked, pushing out her words as if they were too large to leave her lips. Mafuyu, in place of an answer, blinked for a moment. It took her a second to recall her own usage of 'company' a few minutes back. The tips of Mafuyu's lips turned upright as she looked out the window, once again facing towards the crystal palace in the sky. It was bright. It shined brilliantly into the room. It was a sight that was prevalent all throughout the kingdom, and yet, in this moment, it felt as if it were just for them. She slowly tilts her head back to the cleric who had been frozen in anticipation, prepared with words to melt her back to reality.

"Is it wrong I want to spend more time with you?"

Kanade's internal clock races madly, bells ringing through her head like a holiday celebration. She found herself slowly and painfully regaining consciousness in the comfort beneath the sheets, faintly recognizing the chime of the clock tower outside. She hadn't nearly gotten enough sleep, but there was nothing wrong with sleeping during the trip, was there?

It was 5am. The designated time to wake everyone up.

She tried to sloppily kick the sheets, but found it difficult to move much. It wasn't that her body felt sore, quite the opposite, as a matter of fact. All pain in her muscles had vanished overnight. Her head was slow and groggy, sure, but that wasn't the cause that restrained her movements. She only began to piece why she couldn't move once she notice the arm wrapped over hers. She slowly turned her head over her shoulder, noticing the sorceress snuggled up right behind her.

Her hair was still let down. She looked so peaceful.

Kanade kept her voice quiet, but just loud enough to wake the slumbering girl cuddled up close. Through a yawn, Kanade rubbed her eyes and spoke clearly. "Mafuyu... It's time to get up..." "...Mmm..." The cleric wished that she could let Mafuyu sleep like this longer. She wanted to pray for this moment to be captured in time, but knew that to be impossible. It felt ethereal feeling the warmth of her body pressed up against her own.

Again, she tried to wake Mafuyu. "Mafuyu... C'mon, up..."

In due time, Mafuyu groaned as she pried her own eyes open. "...Good... morning, Kanade..." "Good morning to you too, Mafuyu," She said with a smile. The sorceress, to the cleric's dismay, scooches away from Kanade as she sat upright in the bed. "I... had a dream, I think." "Oh? What of?" "I had this stuffed rabbit when I was a child. My mom got it for me when I was very little." Mafuyu clutches the bedsheet, looking down at her two hands as she spoke raspily. "I couldn't sleep without it. It got very dirty, so my mom had to get rid of it. She promised to get me another rabbit, but..." Mafuyu sighed to herself, rubbing the corners of her sleep deprived eyes with a groan. "She... never did." "Oh..." Kanade pursed her lips, sitting upright alongside the sorceress. "Did... you dream of that time?" "Yes... Or... rather... I haven't been able to sleep that nice in a long time..."

"Thank you for letting me hold you like that."

Kanade smiled. "...It's my pleasure."

Next up was Mizuki. From experience over the week, Kanade had noticed that they were particularly easy to wake up. It only took a few shakes and claps by the ear to get them fully awake and energized, which Kanade had previously chalked up to 'Mizuki Shenanigans', but with the newfound knowledge of their race, she didn't find this trait too particularly odd. It took two claps to get Mizuki's eyes to shoot open, the ranger practically crying out with a yawn as they swung their arms in the air to stretch. "Blehhhh, g'morning, Kanananade." "Uh, too many -na's, there." Mizuki's eyes blink at two different times as they rotate their head like a screw to face the sorceress. "Oh, Mabuyu, you're here now?" "I know not of this 'Mabuyu' fellow."

Finally, the biggest problem - Ena. Physical force was required. The ranger held their hand up in front of their chest, nodding confidently. "Let me handle this." Kanade and Mafuyu look to one another suspiciously, but the former smacked their lips in response. "Okay." With a chuckle and a flip of their hair, the ranger steps foot into Kanade's father's room, shutting the door behind them. The angel approached the elf, eyeing the scene like they were casing the perimeter before a tricky heist. When trying to pull the sheets off Ena, she shrivels up like cornered prey, viciously fighting back to reclaim the covers. It's like she summons the wrath of a thousand sun gods, easily turning the tides of the tug-of-war contest in her favor - and if she wins, she's back to sleep, out like a light. One must find a way to bring the vampire out from her casket without triggering the powerful tides of the sea.

Mizuki kissed her on the cheek. That is all it took to get the elf to fling herself out from beneath the sheets. However, it probably would've been calmer to get her up the other way. "M-MIZUKI!!" "Yes, I'm Mizuki!" "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" "I'm loooooving you!~" Ena furrowed her brow and looked at the ranger with furious eyes. It was to be expected, though their beady eyes really were incessant and annoying. If the angel had a tail, it would be flapping like crazy at the present. Mizuki arched their back, resting their elbows against the bedside and placing their cheeks against their clenched fists. "That's how I'm gonna wake you up from now on. You should probably start getting used to that." "...Do I have to?" "That's right! Stuck with me now!" Ena puffed out the side of her cheek as she inhaled, trying to temper herself. She practically hacked out a lung with how heavy the exhale was, puffing out the tension within her chest all over Mizuki's face.

"...Fine. And where's Kanade and Mafuyu?" "Outside." "L-Like... right outside?" "Yep!" The ranger brought their face close to Ena's, whispering softly with loving eyes. "They wanted to pull the sheets off you, but I knew you don't like that. So, what better than to wake you up with love?" Ena frowned. "You're a moron." "But I'm yooooooour moron!"

Several bags were already packed and waiting by the front door in advance, prepared the night before. All the four needed were a change of clothes and the courage to step out into the rising morning sun, and they were set.

First was Mizuki, leaping out onto the porch. The thud of their shoes echoed underneath the Yoisaki household porch, where they confidently threw their hands on their waist. "Gooooood morning Carnation Village! Hope you didn't get too comfortable with me around!" Next was Ena, carrying her own bags along with the ranger's, keeping Hermit IX strapped to her side. "You could at least attempt to carry your own bags out the damn door." "You offered to carry them, didn't you?" "I did not. You misheard, dummy." Third outside was Mafuyu, who adjusted her hat in a single hand as she walked out. She had no words to contribute to Mizuki and Ena's strange debate, especially since it was obvious that Ena had never mentioned she would carry the bags. The sorceress turned her head back inside as she waited for the cleric.

Kanade had her back to the opened front door as she stared solemnly at the interior of her childhood home. There was no telling when she would come back. There was no telling if she would even be back to Miyamasuzaka at all.

She had no idea if she would get to see her father again.

Why was she doing this? It was for Mafuyu's sake, of course, but to sacrifice so much of herself for the girl she likes..?

"I'll be back." She told herself. "I'll see dad again. I can request to transfer him elsewhere. Perhaps grandma can move in. Honami can take care of the house while I'm gone. It's simple, right?" The cleric swallowed her anxiety, but it only build to the cesspool of nervousness resting deep in the pit of her stomach. "I want Mafuyu to be happy. I want us to be happy. I want Niigo to be happy. We can do this." She inhaled deeply through her nose, closing her eyes at the apex of the breath. "Everything is going to be okay."

"Kanade?"

"Mm?" The cleric turned her head over her shoulder to meet Mafuyu's call.

Her flat expression had a tinge of concern in those amythest eyes. "Are you coming?" "O-Oh, yes... Just... taking one last look." "At the house?" She forced a smile out. "Uh-huh. Won't be back for a while, so I gotta... absorb it all, y'know?" "Not really." Kanade giggled at the completely blunt and honest response. "Don't worry about me. You three start going, okay?"

Mafuyu nodded, turning around wordlessly and walking straight through Mizuki and Ena's argument. It captures their attention enough to drop it, with Ena practically forcing Mizuki's bags into their hands while their guard was let down. The two follow the sorceress off into the empty morning streets, now beginning to find sparse life within them once more.

Kanade stares at a framed photo of herself, her father, and her mother one final time. She shut her eyes tight as she turned around, closing the door behind her.

She did not believe her own reassurance.

The four made their way through the market streets back to Ichika's brick house on the edge of town. Once again, Ena rang the door with several knocks. In no time flat, as if she had been waiting for them on the other side, the black haired sage opened the door. "Ena, hello... Is everyone ready?" "We should be. We travel until Hileah, right?" "Yes... I let my parents know in advance what we're planning. And, if you don't mind..." Ichika turns her head around, opening the door further. The blond twintailed swordswoman stood close behind her, clearly putting on a brave face in front of the four Adventurers. "Hello..." The sage turned back around to Niigo with a nervous smile. "I wanted her to spend the night. Yesterday shook us up pretty bad." Kanade nods her head somberly. "It... was pretty bad." "At first, I was just going to go alone with you four, but... Two days out to Hileah, and two back? ...I don't want to be alone for two days." She bows her head to Ena. "Please allow her to come with."

The four look to one another, all nodding for their response. Ena responds with a smile, facing the two of them. "Of course. If she has the proper rations and equipment, then there's no problem." Saki matches Ena's expression, similarly bowing to Ichika. "Y-Yeah, I made sure to pack. Some shops are open now." "Then... no problem. If you're all set, we're all set." Ichika's eyes beamed bright like a lantern as she grasped Ena's hands and nodded again and again in appreciation. "Th-Thank you so much! This means a lot to me, thank you..!"

Kanade scratches the side of her cheek with a mopey smile. "Did she forget that I'm the leader?"

The six made their way to the barnyard where the horses and the carriages resided once more, led by Ichika and Saki both. The sage unlocks the gates with her key, pulling the doors apart and letting the morning light brighten the shelter. "Right, here we are, everyone... I'll saddle the horses and get the carriage ready." Kanade nods with a smile, locking her fingers in front of her pelvis. "Of course. We'll wait."

Saki cocks her head to the side with a smile, leaning forward as she spoke. "Hileah, you said?" Kanade nods with a similar, yet weaker smile. "That's right. We're meeting with traveling performers." "So I've been told!" Saki starts with a grin. "As a matter of fact, my older brother just so happens to be in that area! Maybe it's a coincidence, but... perhaps he's who you're looking for?" The swordswoman winks at the cleric, who raised an eyebrow with a similar playful smile. "That's right... Ichika said he's a performer too, right?" "Yep! It wouldn't hurt for me to say hello, would it?" "Not at all. Again, we would be happy to have you along." Another wink, but she now stretched her back up straight. "I'll try to be worth your while. Hope to work well with you out there, Yoisaki!" "L-Likewise." Her energy, despite having been hindered by the mess of yesterday, was still as bright as ever. It almost caught the cleric by surprise.

"Alright, all ready... Hop aboard, everyone." Ichika's voice rings out from behind one of the two horses, hopping onto the front of the carriage. One by one, the remaining five load up onto the wooden wagon from a few days prior, taking their seats in what would be their shelter for the next few days. Saki leapt to the front to accompany Ichika, Mizuki sat beside Ena once more, and Kanade found herself tightly compacted beside Mafuyu. The sage turned her body around to count the heads behind her, nodding with a tired smile. "Looks like we got everyone... Here's to hoping this trip's a smooth one." "Please don't jinx us." Ena comments, to which Ichika gleefully chuckles at. "I'll try not to."

With that note, Ichika swats the reigns, kickstarting the old horses into movement. The pair of horses slowly tread out, dragging the rickety wagon behind them at a steady pace. Morning sunlight and the scent of flowers carried by the fresh wind pierces through the cloth cover resting above the four, building a sense of anxiety in their stomachs.

But most importantly, they were hopeful for what was to come.

To clear their names from Shousuke's demands. To protect the performers in Digrove. To explore the deserts of Biei. To learn the truth behind the Silent War.

To save Mafuyu from her mother.

Mizuki kicked their feet up, stretching their legs out to the adjacent bench. It evidently annoyed Ena, who dug into her bag to pull out a sketchbook for the trip. Kanade nudged the ranger's legs away from her own with her staff, and laid her head on the sorceress's shoulders once more. Mafuyu rested her elbow against the railing of the wooden wagon, turning her head back to the field of flowers that lined the perimeter of the Carnation Village.

Before she had met Kanade, flowers had meant nothing to her.

The sight of the flowers stretching beyond the horizon meant something to her now.

"On their own, they don't mean much. Nothing means much. But we're the only ones who can define worth, we're the ones who define symbols. To me, flowers are pretty. But to you, they can be whatever you want them to be. You understand, right?"

Mafuyu softly smiled.

"I understand... I think." The sorceress closed her eyes, leaning her head onto the cleric's soft, silver locks. "I think of you, Kanade. I think of Ena and Mizuki, too."

"I hope this flower doesn't wilt."