It was lunchtime and students were heading towards the cafeteria hall to grab a bite to eat. The humans of the school had a relatively normal day at their high school, more so than a certain school in the monster world, and everybody was going about their usual daily routine. The large indoor cafeteria had dozens of tables set up where students were sitting down with their meals and talking with friends. One student had finished grabbing her tray with food and was looking around curiously. She was getting many waves from students to join them for lunch, but the red eyed chronofly didn't see the one boy she wanted to sit with.
"Ceal, where are you?" Falla asked quietly to herself. She walked over and sat down at an empty table, looking around for any sign of the boy. She didn't see him during her last class period, however she certainly saw the looks Apoch, Astreal, and Kyouko were giving her. The chronofly managed to break away from them quickly by shifting through time and had hoped to find the mysterious boy at lunch.
"I wonder when I'll see him next," she said softly looking down at her meal. She couldn't stop thinking about the boy that cured her dementia all day. She was well aware he had a cold attitude and that her friends didn't trust him at all, but she refused to believe somebody that would do such a great feat for her could be evil.
"I just need to talk to him and find out what he wants from Pandora's Box. I'm sure it's something reasonable, I mean… he's opened it before, right? So obviously it's not something that will destroy the world," she said quietly to herself as she just looked at her tray. She glanced around and saw other nearby students waving to her with smiles. The girl smiled softly and waved back then looked back down to her meal.
'You're not a bad guy Ceal, you can't be. You just can't be…'
Before she could start to eat Apoch and Astreal walked up behind her and lifted her up by the arms. She looked around surprised as the two witch sisters were watching her with narrowed eyes.
"You need to come with us right now," Apoch said sternly.
"This isn't a game Ms. Falla," Astreal said firmly. The chronofly thrashed around and broke free from their grip, the girl then backing up and looking at the sisters with annoyance.
"Would you two knock it off already?" she barked out.
"We need to go see Mr. Razico right now Ms. Falla," Apoch said sternly.
"Then go see him, I'm not going anywhere until I see Ceal," Falla said firmly.
"You need to come as well, we're not leaving you alone with that monster," Astreal said shaking her head.
"I told you before to stop talking about Ceal like that," Falla hissed. Kyouko walked up to the group and watched her friend worriedly.
"Falla please, you can't trust that guy, he nearly killed us," she said nervously.
"He wouldn't have done that, he was just putting on a show to scare us," Falla scoffed.
"How do you know? We were all bound down by his dark magic, he could have easily killed us all," Apoch argued firmly.
"He just healed your mind to get you onto his side, don't fall for his trick," Astreal said shaking her head.
"He healed my mind because he's not a bad guy. Why don't you all see that?" Falla said with annoyance.
"Why don't you see that he's manipulating you?" Apoch replied harshly.
"He's not manipulating me," Falla growled out.
"You saw how he has the teachers here by the leash with blackmail, he said it himself he knows how to use leverage against others. He healed your mind to get you to help him, he's using you and you don't even realize it," Astreal said with concern.
"He is not," Falla argued shaking her head.
"He is so, now he's got you following him around like a love-struck schoolgirl, he's controlling you right now," Apoch said with discontent. The chronofly growled loudly then glared at her.
"You're just jealous that I've found somebody already," Falla said with annoyance.
"Jealous?" Apoch said with surprise.
"Yeah, jealous. You two are still stuck on Dark and Rason, and you're angry at me for finding somebody for myself," Falla said with a sneer.
"Are you kidding me? That's not it at all," Apoch said with anger.
"He healed my mind Apoch; he gave me back my sanity and my magic, and all for nothing. Me helping him is my choice and my choice alone. Besides, he's opened it before, there's no problem with him opening it again," Falla said sternly.
"I think you're still insane Ms. Falla, because that's ridiculous," Astreal argued.
"You have no idea if he's opened that thing before or not Falla," Kyouko said worriedly. Falla trembled with anger then looked around at the girls with a harsh glare.
"And you all have no proof that Razico knows what he's talking about either. Why should I believe the thief more than somebody that cured me? Up on the roof he could have killed me, threatened me, done anything to me he wanted and I wouldn't have been able to stop him. I was completely helpless with him. So what does he do? He merely explains to me what's inside the box and he cures my dementia. After that he walked away. He would have just left it at that. He gave me my mind back, so I'm going to help him with his wish. End of story," she declared sternly.
"Falla… I know he cured you… but…" Kyouko said looking down.
"He's not a bad guy. He's not," Falla declared firmly.
"Well I don't know about that," Render said from behind. The girls looked to see Render and Leon standing there with their lunch trays.
"I mean I've seen him be rather cruel in the battlefield, but still," the boy said with a laugh.
"So you agree he can't be trusted then," Apoch inquired.
"I'm not going to say he's not trying to control your friend with this act of kindness, but I'm not going to complain that we actually have a fourth for our hunt either," Leon said with a shrug.
"He's not controlling me," Falla said with annoyance.
"Ok, he's not controlling you," Render said with a nervous smile.
"What are you two doing here?" Apoch asked with narrowed eyes.
"Lunchtime of course," Leon said simply.
"We were hoping to get to know our fellow hunter before we go out tonight for the treasure, if you don't mind," Render said with a smile at Falla. The girl smiled arrogantly and motioned towards the table.
"Please, have a seat," she said calmly.
"Don't mind if we do," Render said as the two boys sat at the table. Falla smirked at the girls with a raised eyebrow.
"If you two want to talk to Razico still, go ahead. But I'm staying here and waiting for Ceal," she said proudly. She sat down at the table across from the two boys and looked at them curiously. Before she could say a word the other three girls sat down as well.
"Um, this doesn't concern you girls," Render said glancing to them. Apoch scooted over to him and looked at him innocently.
"It doesn't?" she asked softly. The boy looked at her curiously as she tilted her head. She then narrowed her eyes and growled quietly.
"Think again," she hissed.
"We're not letting our friend do this, no way," Astreal said shaking her head.
"It's not your choice, it's mine," Falla said with anger at the witch.
"How can you two want to help him still after what he said? He's going to kill you two if you open that box for him," Kyouko said worriedly.
"Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. We have no intention of giving up our chance to claim this treasure," Render said with a smirk. Falla glanced to him then to Leon.
"That wish belongs to Ceal," she said firmly.
"Again, something we'll deal with when the time comes," Leon said simply.
"So, before we inevitably turn on each other, how about we get to know each other a bit more?" Render asked with a smile. Falla smirked then leaned back in her seat.
"Fine by me," she said with an arrogant smile. She didn't bear any anger towards the two boys, but was firm in her belief that the wish will go to Ceal rather than them. Render nodded then glanced to Apoch who was still glaring at him.
"Um…" he said nervously.
"If you're expecting me to leave think again," she said harshly.
"Must you always be so cold? Seriously, why the bad vibes?" Render asked shaking his head.
"Let's see, you two are planning on opening a box that will spawn monsters from long ago, risk the world being destroyed by said monsters, and in turn will be helping this Mr. Ceal with a wish for whatever he wants. Isn't that reason enough?" Apoch snapped with discontent.
"First off, nothing warranted you trying to crucify me back in the classroom. Secondly, we've been nothing but nice to you girls since we met, you're the one acting like Ceal. Third… why do you keep calling us Mr.?" Render asked puzzled. Apoch growled as she clenched her fists.
"It's just a little… quirk they have. But never mind that. Why are you two so insistent on getting this box when it seems like nothing but bad news?" Kyouko asked worriedly. The boys glanced to her then to Falla.
"We have our reasons," Leon said looking down at the table.
"Personally I'm only after getting rich and famous, that's no so evil is it?" Render asked with a laugh.
"We both have our separate reasons," Leon said rolling his eyes.
"Then you two can wait until the next time to make a wish, Ceal will be granted his this time around," Falla reasoned with a raised eyebrow and an arrogant smile.
"Again, we'll see about that," Render said casually.
"What are your reasons for wanting it so badly?" Astreal asked curiously. Leon glanced to her then down as he held the locket around his neck.
"Nothing that concerns you," he said softly. The girl looked at him curiously then at his locket.
"It doesn't matter what they want it for, you're not going to open that thing ever," Apoch said sternly.
"I wouldn't say that," Ceal said from behind her. She jumped a bit as a gloved hand rested on her shoulder. The group looked to see the boy standing behind the witch with a slight smirk. He held her shoulder securely as his hand glowed a black hue, the girl looking back up at him cautiously.
"Get your hand off of me, or else I'll slice it off," Apoch hissed. The boy chuckled then glanced down to her chest.
"Hm, interesting," he said with a raised eyebrow. The girl jumped a bit then held her arms around her chest.
"Pervert!" she yelled out. Falla looked at Ceal with worry as the boy let go of the witch.
"I was merely looking at your demonic mark over your heart, try to calm down," he said as he walked over and sat down at the table next to Kyouko and Falla. Apoch looked down to her chest then at the boy with wide eyes.
"You… can see it?" she said with surprise.
"Demonic mark?" Render asked with a bit of fear.
"Ceal, you can see her mark?" Falla asked with wonder.
"Yes, the mark of a shadow demon. Very unique to see a witch with that marking," Ceal said with a smirk at the witch. Apoch looked at him with wide eyes then down to her chest.
"A shadow demon?" Render asked nervously.
"How can… how can you see it though?" Apoch asked softly.
"What shadow demon? What's he talking about?" Render asked looking around.
"Her boyfriend from Yokai Academy, he marked her heart a long time ago. However, they're not together anymore. Her heart still bears his demonic insignia," Astreal said softly. Render looked at Apoch curiously as she looked down with a pained expression. She didn't want to be reminded of it again so soon, the girl trying to move on from her old boyfriend from the monster world.
"How can you see it? You're a demon?" Astreal asked with wonder. Ceal merely shook his head.
"No? What do you mean no? How else can you see it?" Astreal said with wonder.
"Just what the hell are you?" Apoch growled as she looked at him with narrowed eyes, angered further by the mention of her former love. Render and Leon just looked at the boy cautiously as he glanced around at the group.
"That is no concern of yours," he said simply.
"Everything about you is a cause for concern," Apoch growled.
"Why are you here?" Kyouko asked worriedly. The boy glanced to her and smirked slightly.
"Am I making you uncomfortable?" he asked playfully. The girl scooted away from him as she slowly shook her head. He chuckled then looked to Render and Leon.
"So, I assume we're going after school to take care of our little goal?" he asked simply.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Render said leaning back with his arms crossed before him.
"Yeah, why wait?" Leon said simply.
"I'm up for it whenever Ceal is," Falla said looking to him with a smile. The boy glanced to her then back to the others.
"You're not going with them Ms. Falla," Apoch said sternly. The chronofly growled and glanced to her with a narrowed eye.
"Yes I am, you just need to deal with that," she said firmly.
"No, you're not. We have to remain in our home and surrounding neighborhood when not at school, remember? The humans will be watching over us, you need to remain home tonight," Astreal said shaking her head.
"Oh please, I can sneak away easily enough with my magic now," Falla said with a wave of her hand.
"If you're not home we'll call the human officials on you," Apoch said with a growl.
"What? Why?" Falla asked out loud.
"Why do you think? You're not going to have a hand in this madness," Astreal said as she and Apoch stood up.
"So you're going to tell on me? What the hell!" Falla yelled out.
"Where are you going?" Kyouko asked the witch sisters worriedly.
"We're going to talk to Mr. Razico about this. And you Ms. Falla, you will stay home tonight, or else you're going to make all monsters look bad by breaking the rules," Apoch said with her hands at her hips.
"Are you kidding me? You're not my mother, you can't just tell me to stay home at night," Falla barked back with anger.
"We can't, but the human officials did when we offered to come here to their world. And that means that we all have to follow their rules," Astreal said firmly. Falla growled with frustration as the two witches started to walk away.
"Why you little… you're just jealous!" Falla yelled out at them. The sisters twitched a bit then glanced back to her with narrowed eyes, then walked out of the cafeteria. Falla shook her head and looked down at her tray with frustration.
"Falla, please…" Kyouko said worriedly. The chronofly breathed out then glanced to the boys.
"So…" Render said looking from the exit to the girl.
"What exactly are those two 'jealous' of?" Leon asked. Falla glanced to Ceal then back down.
"Nothing," she said softly.
"I guess if they can't leave their grounds after school none of them can be our fourth after all," Render said while looking down in thought. Ceal just glanced to Falla as the girl bit her lip lightly.
"I'll still help, I just… need to think of something," she said cautiously. Kyouko looked around at the boys worriedly then to her friend.
"So those two are going to a problem are they?" Ceal said glancing to the doorway. Kyouko jumped a bit and looked to him with fear as Falla looked to him worriedly.
"Hey man, we told you before we're not harming the innocent here," Render said cautiously.
"We'll find another to help us. Don't even think about going after those two," Leon said firmly. Kyouko glanced to them then back to Ceal. The boy chuckled and looked at them amusingly.
"Are you two threatening me? That's rich," he said with a small laugh. Falla looked at him worriedly and shook her head slowly.
"You're not… thinking about…" she said shakily. The boy glanced to her and smirked.
"Killing them?" he asked. The chronofly gasped and went wide eyed as Kyouko jumped with fear. Render and Leon narrowed their eyes at the boy while he chuckled a bit.
"Ceal, you can't be serious. Please tell me you're not thinking about that," Falla said worriedly. He laughed a bit then looked towards the exit.
"No, I figure doing something like that would be a problem for you Falla," he said simply. Falla watched him carefully as he just seemed to stare towards the exit.
"Then… what are you thinking?" she asked slowly.
Outside in the school parking lot across the street Razico was laying in the backseat of Render and Leon's car, looking out the window with a dull expression as he had his arms behind his head.
"This is turning out to be an ugly mess. First these damned kids get their hands on the keys to Pandora's Box, and then they end up going to school with Falla and the others. I need to get one of those keys fast, before they screw over the world," he grunted with annoyance. He looked up at a passing cloud and thought about the witch waiting for him back at Yokai Academy.
'Ruby, I'll finish this job and get you out of that place. I promise, I'll make sure there's still a world for us to live in.'
"I promise…" he said softly to himself.
"Promise what?" Apoch asked from outside. The man looked to see Apoch and Astreal standing outside the back window watching him. He quickly got out of the car as they smiled a bit at him.
"Apoch, Astreal, glad to see you two again," he said with a small smile.
"It's nice to see you as well Mr. Razico, but… we have a problem," Apoch said worriedly.
"Problem? What problem?" he asked cautiously. The witch sisters told him about how Ceal threatened them all with his dark magic in the classroom, how he used his magic to cure Falla's dementia, how the boy claimed to have opened the box before and even knew what was inside of it, and how Falla was now siding with Ceal out of infatuation. After they told him everything the warlock was looking at them with wide eyes.
"He cured her? He really cured her?" Razico asked with disbelief.
"Yes, and now she's following him around like a puppy. She claims he's not a bad guy and is even willing to help them open the box," Astreal said with worry.
"I'd say you were right, sounds like he helped her just to get her under his control. But still… he could actually cure that dementia of hers? I thought even the headmaster and Ruby couldn't do that," the warlock said in puzzlement.
"Apparently he did. Ms. Falla's perfectly normal now without her headband. She's even in control of her chrono magic again," Astreal said with a shrug.
"And now she's choosing to use her magic to aid Mr. Ceal in his quest for his wish," Apoch added with discontent.
"Monsters and a wish for anything lie within that box? I don't recall any of the legends saying that before," Razico said looking down in thought.
"They're all planning on going tonight to open the box Mr. Razico," Apoch said worriedly.
"What? Tonight?" Razico said with surprise.
"Yes, we told Ms. Falla that if she leaves we shall inform the human authorities, but we're not sure if that will truly deter her from going," Astreal said looking down with concern.
"That's just great, now he's got a chronofly helping him along with those two other idiots," Razico said with annoyance.
"Mr. Render and Mr. Leon are still willing to help open the box, even though everybody is aware it will become a free for all for the wish afterwards," Apoch said worriedly.
"Yeah, I got that vibe from them before when we found the box last night," Razico said cautiously.
"With Ms. Falla helping Mr. Ceal those two boys don't stand a chance to win," Astreal said with concern.
"Even without her helping him those two wouldn't do so well. I've seen him and what he can do with his magic, he'll tear them apart like they were nothing," Razico said with concern.
"What are we going to do then?" Apoch asked urgently.
"We need to get one of those keys away from them somehow, that way they can't open the box," Razico reasoned.
"But how? Mr. Render has the keys in the magical ether and won't bring them out even with my sister threatening him with her sword," Astreal said shaking her head.
"And I doubt Mr. Ceal will be threatened easily," Apoch said looking down with discontent. Razico looked behind them and narrowed his eyes.
"Speak of the devil," he said cautiously. The girls looked over to see Kyouko, Falla, Ceal, Render, and Leon walking towards them from across the street. Kyouko ran over to them then looked back to the other four as they walked up to them.
"The way she runs away like that suggests she still fears me," Ceal mused with a smirk at the girl. He then glanced to Razico and shrugged.
"I'm not sure why, I think I've been rather friendly today," he said simply.
"I heard about how friendly you were when you used your magic on them, you're just the monster I remember you being before," Razico said as he tensed up. Ceal chuckled and shook his head.
"Really now hunter, are you still wishing to fight me? Surely you're not that stupid," he said casually.
"The thought did cross my mind. You're trying to end the world with your damned quest, and oh yeah, you stole my bike," Razico said with anger. The group looked to Ceal as he chuckled.
"You just left it out there in the hayfield, not very wise of you," the boy said with a shrug.
"What do you want?" the warlock barked out.
"Only to talk," Ceal said without a care.
"We don't have anything more to say to you," Apoch hissed.
"C'mon now, we've all gotten off on a bad foot here thanks to Razico and his paranoia," Render said defensively.
"Paranoia? How stupid are you Render? Pandora's Box is nothing but a curse, it's no treasure," Razico said sternly.
"No it isn't, Ceal's opened it before and he's still standing. The world's still in one piece," Falla reasoned defensively.
"Like hell I'm going to believe you opened that thing kid. You won't fool us, you're not going to be opening that box ever," Razico said sternly. Ceal sighed a bit then looked down at the ground.
"Defiance even in the face of superiority, how trivial," he said before his gloved hand glowed with a black hue. Black rifts opened up around the ground near the group as dark tentacles whipped out. Razico looked around as the dark appendages flailed about and whipped near them.
"You do realize how easy it would be for me to kill you, don't you? How weak you are in comparison to me," Ceal said looking back to Razico. The warlock aimed his arm towards him as an electrical arc shot around it. Falla looked around worriedly at all the dark tentacles then to Ceal with concern.
"Ceal…" she said softly.
"Don't be so sure about that," Razico said with a growl. Apoch formed her sword and held it towards Ceal as Astreal aimed her hand towards him. Render and Leon just glanced to each other then back to Ceal while Falla watched the boy closely. Kyouko however was hiding behind Apoch with fright as she feared an all-out fight was going to break out.
"I am sure about that hunter. Your magic is nothing to me, not even with your witch friends on your side. That's why I'm not killing you. You're not worth my time or effort. That and…" Ceal said as he snapped his fingers, the rifts and tentacles around the area then vanishing. The group looked around as the boy crossed his arms before him casually.
"That and Falla here has expressed an interest in keeping you alive," he said with a shrug. Falla looked at him with wonder as the others kept their defensive stances up.
"What are you saying?" Razico asked cautiously.
"I'm saying you should be thanking this girl for saving your life. However that's as far as my charity goes on the matter. Pandora's Box will be opened by me and I will have my wish granted, no matter what. Should you choose to interfere with me still, I'm afraid not even Falla's words will sway me," Ceal said coldly. Falla looked at him with wonder as the three others glared at him still. Razico glanced to Falla then back to Ceal with narrowed eyes.
'He did it again, just like what Apoch mentioned from before. He showed off his power, and then recalled it, all to get Falla to think he's not a killer but merely putting on a show. He's luring her more towards his side with this passive aggressive shit.'
"I'd like to point out that we too didn't want any unnecessary bloodshed," Render said raising his hand.
"Why did you come out here then?" Astreal asked cautiously.
"We all should talk about this like civilized monsters, not like savages," Leon said glancing to Ceal.
"Yeah, can't we all just get along here?" Render asked hopefully.
"And just why should we do that when what you're trying to do is destroy all life on earth?" Razico said with a growl. Ceal rolled his eyes then looked to the witch sisters.
"Falla here has seen reason, I would think you two would be capable of that as well," he said dryly.
"She hasn't seen reason, she's blinded by your deception towards her," Apoch growled.
"I am not!" Falla yelled out.
"Deception?" Ceal asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, you cured her mind only to have her side with you, only so she would help you," Astreal scoffed with discontent.
"Oh, I see. So me choosing to help your friend is something you didn't want? Are you saying I shouldn't have helped her?" Ceal asked curiously. The witch sisters glanced to each other then back to him.
"Are you saying what I did was wrong? That she should still be plagued by her dementia and that would be the only reasonable path in life for her?" Ceal asked sharply.
"We're not… saying that," Astreal said looking down.
"As grateful as we are for our friend's recovery we don't trust you at all," Apoch said sternly.
"You don't seem very grateful. She's cured, alive and well, yet you still think I'm the bad guy here. You and your hunter friend know nothing about Pandora's Box except for stupid superstitions and rumors yet judge those that wish to open it nonetheless," Ceal said firmly. He then looked to Apoch.
"And you, bearing the mark of a shadow demon, I would have thought you would have more bravery than most, but I can see you're still afraid. Still so afraid on the inside," he said coldly. The witch growled and held her glowing blade tightly.
"Why you…" she hissed.
"What? You're judging us without knowing the facts, why shouldn't I judge you?" Ceal asked plainly. He shook his head then looked to Astreal.
"And you, I've seen the look in your eye when you see Leon," he said. The girl jumped and stared at him with surprise as the others looked to her.
"What? What do you mean? I don't feel anything for him," she said shaking her head quickly.
"That's not what I meant. I can see the curiosity in your eye, the wonder. I can see something besides fear," Ceal said plainly. Astreal looked at him puzzled then to Leon.
"Leon said something to you before, something that seems to have gotten you thinking. Your sister is quick to draw her blade, but you are not. Something is poking at your mind, am I right?" Ceal asked curiously.
"Astreal?" Kyouko asked softly. The blonde haired witch looked around at everybody then to Leon.
"You said before that you're not trying to open the box for wealth or power, but because of all you've lost. You said it was… for her that you push on. I don't understand what you meant by that," she said curiously. Leon glanced down while still holding his locket. Razico remembered the picture in the boys' home, the picture that had them and another girl standing together for a photo.
"That's none of your concern Astreal," Leon said glancing away.
"You want me to trust you? To believe that you know what you're doing? Then you need to be more open here," Astreal said shaking her head.
"That goes for you as well Mr. Ceal. Just what exactly have you wished for in the past with Pandora's Box? What is it you are planning on wishing for now? Tell us!" Apoch shouted out. The group looked to him as he just stared at the witch with no expression.
"Go on Ceal; tell Falla just what it is that she's going to be drawing blood from these two for when the time comes. Just what is it that you are using her for?" Kyouko said with discontent. The boy chuckled and glanced to her.
"Using her for?" he asked.
"You only healed her mind so she would help you, I know it. There's no way I could ever trust you," Kyouko said with discontent while hiding behind Apoch.
"So if you can't trust me, why should I even tell you what you want to know? How could you know if I'm telling the truth or not?" Ceal asked playfully. Falla looked at him worriedly then down.
"What… what is it that you want?" she asked softly. The boy glanced to her as she looked up at him timidly.
"I agreed to help you, and I will. But… what is it that you wished for before, or want to wish for now?" she asked. He looked at her for a moment then glanced to the witches.
"If you wish to help me Falla, then do it. If not, then don't. However I don't need to explain my desires to anybody here," Ceal said simply. Falla looked down with remorse as the witch sisters glared at him.
"Of course, you wouldn't tell her the truth. I'd be surprised if you even let her live when the box was opened. Or maybe you just wanted her to fight what came out and then kill her," Apoch said with her blade held at the ready. Ceal glared at the witch as his hand started to glow black, before Falla gently grabbed it.
"Please…" she said softly. The group looked to her as she was looking down with a closed eye.
"Please… tell me you're not a bad guy. Please tell me… that you're not a horrible monster. You can't be… you just can't be," she said as she looked up to him with a tear forming. She shook her head and held his gloved hand with both her hands.
"Tell me, what is it that you want, tell me please. I need to know, I need to know you're not some…" she said before struggling to continue. Ceal looked at her for a moment then glanced to the witch sisters.
"I'm pretty curious myself. If you did open that box before, what did you wish for then? And what is it you're after now?" Render asked.
"I can only think of one wish I would want to make, can't imagine what you need two for," Leon said simply. Astreal glanced to him then back to Ceal.
"Please… tell me Ceal," Falla said worriedly.
"He won't say, he doesn't want us to know until it's too late," Apoch said with a glare.
"He's using you Ms. Falla, he has been from the start," Astreal said shaking her head.
"We told you, he's just another heartless monster," Kyouko said with discontent while hiding behind Apoch.
"He's just trying to draw you closer to him, he's using you as his weapon," Razico said keeping his eyes on the necro caster.
"Revenge," Ceal said simply.
Silence.
The group looked at him as he stood there, the boy looking into Falla's eye with a blank expression.
"Revenge?" she asked. The boy yanked his hand away, the girl jumping back with worry.
"Yes. Revenge. Now either you help me Falla, or you don't. Either way I will not fail in my quest," he said firmly. She looked at him with wonder as the group watched him closely.
"Revenge? Revenge against what?" Render asked.
"What do you mean Ceal?" Falla asked softly.
"I've told you my reason for wanting the wish, that much you didn't deserve. You will get nothing more from me, understood?" he declared sternly. The girl nodded quickly then looked down with worry.
"Why should we believe any of this? What proof do you have that any of this happened? You say you opened the box before, you say you made a wish before, you say you're doing this for revenge, prove it!" Razico yelled out. Ceal merely held up his gloved hand and glanced to him.
"Here's your… proof," he said with a scoff. The group looked at it then to the boy.
"You mean…" Falla said with a wide eye.
"Your hand…" Falla said with wonder.
"I lost my old one in an… accident. By finding a powerful necro demon and killing it, I found a suitable, no, better replacement," Ceal said simply.
"I will open Pandora's Box, and nothing will stop me from making my wish," Ceal said coldly. The group looked at him carefully as Falla's mouth opened slightly in surprise.
"I'm sure you have your reasons and all, but we're not about to give up the treasure for anybody," Render chimed in with a smirk. Ceal glanced to him with narrowed eyes.
"Then make no mistake, I will kill you when the time comes. I said it before, and I'll say it again, I will kill anyone that gets in my way," he said with a slight amount of discontent. Falla glanced to the boys then over to Ceal with wonder.
"We figured as much. We'll take on your challenge when the time comes," Leon said confidently.
"Sorry, but I'm still not standing by and letting any of you open that box. I don't buy your excuse for one minute Ceal, and like hell I'm going to take the chance on opening that box when I know damned well it'll mean the end of the world," Razico said with discontent. Falla looked to him worriedly then to Ceal.
"Are you ready to die for that petty fear hunter?" Ceal asked as he slowly raised his gloved hand toward the warlock.
Falla looked between the two with worry.
"The only one that needs to die here is you," Razico said as he held his arm towards the boy, a black hue flowing around it as he built up his magic.
She looked down as her eye darted around in thought.
"Whether your story is true or not, you will not be opening that box," Apoch said as she kept her sword at the ready.
Falla looked to Ceal, the image of him holding her on the roof as he healed her mind flashing before her.
"I will, and nobody will be stopping me," Ceal said coldly.
The chronofly looked down with a closed eye, the girl's mind racing with inner conflict.
"No, we will stop you Mr. Ceal," Astreal said with a glare as a glow built up in her wrist.
Falla clenched her fists as she tried to decide which side to take.
"I'd like to point out that we're right next to the school still," Leon said glancing behind him at the building across the street that held human students and teachers in it.
Falla looked ahead with a determined expression as her hand slowly formed into a chopping stance.
"That's it, this ends now!" Razico yelled as black lightning arced around his arm towards his hand. Apoch geared back with her blade as the glow on Astreal's wrist glowed brightly.
Suddenly the ground between the two parties blasted apart into a large crevice, with Razico, Apoch, and Astreal stumbling back and watching with surprise. The concrete between Ceal and the three others was sliced across, and standing before the blue eyed boy Falla stood glaring at the witches and warlock.
"Don't even think about attacking him," she threatened sternly.
"Ms. Falla," Apoch and Astreal said softly.
"What are you doing?" Razico said shaking his head.
"I said it before, that wish belongs to Ceal," Falla said firmly. Ceal glanced to her and smirked slightly while Render and Leon looked at the carved up ground with surprise.
"Wow, how… did she do that?" Render asked scratching his head.
"Yeah, I didn't even see her move," Leon said in wonder.
"Falla, what are you doing?" Kyouko asked worriedly.
"I'm going to help Ceal with his wish," Falla said sternly.
"You can't do that Ms. Falla," Apoch said shaking her head.
"I can and I will. This is my choice Apoch. I've heard enough from him to know he's not a horrible monster," Falla said with a narrowed eye.
"He was about to try to attack us," Razico said pointing at the boy.
"Actually, I was going to kill you. There would have been no 'trying' involved," Ceal said simply.
"You see, he admitted it!" Kyouko cried out.
"Then just stay out of his way. He's not going out of his way to kill you, you're the ones getting in front of him," Falla said crossing her arms.
"Falla, listen to reason. He's nothing but trouble. What he said was just made up to get you to feel sympathy for him; he just healed your mind to get you to side with him, to help him. He's using you," Razico argued shaking his head.
"You know nothing hunter," Ceal said as he walked up behind Falla. He rested his gloved hand on her shoulder, the girl glancing to it with wonder.
"I healed her, because it was I that felt sympathy for her," he said calmly.
"What?" Falla asked softly as she looked back to him.
"Sympathy for her?" Kyouko asked. Ceal looked at Falla with a calm expression and nodded.
"You aren't the only one that knows the pain of losing a part of one's self, to have something taken away from you," he said simply. Falla glanced to his gloved hand then to him.
"My magic…" she said softly. She jumped a bit then turned to look at him with amazement.
"You cured me… because… I was like…" she said looking to his hand.
"Like me," Ceal said solemnly. She looked at him with wonder as the others watched him carefully.
"Ceal…" she said softly. He looked at her for a moment then to the others.
"Now then, about you three and your persistence…" he said as he raised his gloved hand to them again. They tensed up and got ready to fight before Falla gently took his gloved hand and lowered it, the girl looking at him with gentle eyes.
"I'll help you Ceal, you still have your fourth," she said softly. He looked at her as she smiled timidly at him.
"Ms. Falla you can't do that!" Apoch yelled out. Falla growled then glared over at her.
"Either I help him with this, or you're going to have more to worry about than Pandora's Box making your life a living hell!" she said angrily. Apoch and Astreal looked at her cautiously, as they both knew the chronofly had a talent for constructing deathtraps.
"But… you can't do this," Astreal said worriedly.
"I can, and I will," Falla said looking back to Ceal. She glanced down timidly then back up to the boy.
"It's my choice after all," she said softly.
"And what about when the box is opened, what about what will come out of it? What about Render and Leon?" Razico asked cautiously. Falla glanced to them and smirked.
"Like Ceal mentioned, I saw reason. Perhaps they will as well," she said simply. The boys smirked at the girl.
"If you're thinking we're just going to back down from our own claim to this treasure, you've got another thing coming," Render said shaking his head.
"We don't want to hurt you Falla, but we can't say the same for him," Leon said looking to Ceal. The girl shook her head and walked over to them.
"If you want him, you're going to have to go through me," she said confidently.
"Don't put yourself in that position, really," Render said with a weak smile.
"Too late, I already died," Falla quipped with a smirk.
"Then I guess we'll have to deal with that, when the time comes," Leon said crossing his arms before him.
"I guess you will," Falla said as she did the same.
"Just what is it that you want revenge on that you're willing to risk all this?" Razico asked with anger. Everybody looked to Ceal as he just stood there in silence. After a moment the boy started walking back towards the school.
"Hey! Answer me!" Razico called out.
"That is none of your concern hunter," Ceal said as he stopped. He glanced back to the group for a moment then looked forward again. Falla looked to her friends then ran over to Ceal, looking at him with a timid smile.
"Could you tell me? I could help you with whatever it is you're after," she asked gently. The boy glanced to her then ahead again.
"If you wish to help Falla, then open the box for me. That is all," he said as he walked away. The girl watched him cross the street then smiled softly at him.
"Yes sir," she said before she walked off after him.
"Well…" Render said looking back to the group. A long silence dragged on before the boy shrugged.
"This has been fun," he said simply. Razico gave him a dull glare as the sisters did the same. Kyouko watched Falla walk off toward the school then looked down with worry.
"Look on the bright side, sounds like he's not going to hurt your friend," Render said with a smile. Again he got nothing but silence and glares. He rubbed the back of his head then looked back to the school.
"So… guess we'll get going as well then," he said simply as he and Leon turned to leave.
"Hold it, you two aren't going anywhere," Razico said as he held his hand out towards them. Black rifts opened up around the ground and chains whipped around, the links wrapping around Render and Leon's arms and legs and holding them still. The boys glanced to each other then looked at the warlock.
"You do realize that we don't want to fight you, right?" Render asked with a weak smile.
"You really don't want to do this," Leon said shaking his head.
"Don't give me that Leon. You two aren't going anywhere until you hand over those keys you have," Razico said as he walked towards the boys. Suddenly black rifts tore apart around the ground and more chains whipped around, this time ensnaring Razico, Apoch, and Astreal. The girls and warlock watched with surprise as their arms and legs were bound and they were dropped to their knees. The chains holding the two boys flickered then dissolved as they smirked at the group.
"What… how did you…" Razico said as he thrashed about.
"Anything you can do, I can do better," Leon said with a shrug. Apoch growled loudly then formed her blade in her hand, swiping up and slicing free from the chains while Astreal fired off a blast and shot off the chain holding her hand down. She aimed towards the boys while Apoch dashed towards them. As the witch neared them Leon raced towards her, holding his hand to the side, and then forming an identical barrier-sword in his hand. Apoch watched with shock as he swung the blade and struck at her sword, launching the girl back into a tumble with her sister. Razico and Kyouko looked with wide eyes as Leon stood there holding a blade like Apoch's.
"How… how could…" Razico said shaking his head.
"Impossible, how could you do that?" Apoch cried out as she and her sister scrambled to their feet. Leon dissolved the blade and then turned to walk away.
"How did you do that?" Razico demanded with disbelief and frustration. He blinked then looked at the boy cautiously.
'No way… could he be one of them?'
"My sister's blade… nobody else knows how to forge such a weapon but her. Nobody!" Astreal yelled out. Leon smirked then the two boys started to walk away. Astreal growled then aimed her hand towards them.
"Stop right now!" she yelled out. The boys stopped and glanced back to her.
"You fire that at me, and I'll return the favor," Leon said simply. Astreal looked at him with surprise as the boys just watched her. After a pause the two boys walked off towards the school. The glow in Astreal's wrist died down and she lowered her hand.
"How did he do that?" she asked softly.
"He created a magical sword just like me, that was my sword. How?" Apoch said in disbelief.
"He's a mimic mage," Razico said in wonder. The girls turned to him as he looked down at the ground.
"A mimic mage?" Kyouko asked.
"Anything you can do, I can do better. That's what he meant by that. He… he copied each of our spells as we casted them," the warlock said looking to the sisters. They looked at him with surprise then over to the school.
"I've only known a handful of mages that could perform such magic before. They can mirror any spell they see for a short time, anything they see cast before them they can repeat without any trouble," Razico said with caution.
"Incredible," Apoch said looking down in thought. She blinked then looked to Razico.
"But then why didn't he ever copy Mr. Ceal's magical attack?" she asked.
"I'm not sure. But that's the only explanation I can think of as to how he copied each of our spells right after us, he saw our magic firsthand, and then duplicated it," Razico said shaking his head.
"What do we do now? Falla's made her choice final now, she's not going to leave Ceal's side," Kyouko said worriedly.
"We can't steal any of the keys from Render, he has them locked away in the magical ether. And Leon can duplicate anything we throw at him," Razico said with frustration.
'That explains why Leon's been so calm all this time, mostly. However what's Render hiding still?'
"We have to get one of those keys away from them. Only then can they not unlock Pandora's Box," Astreal said worriedly. Apoch kept her eyes on the school for a moment then looked down in thought.
"Should we call the human authorities?" Kyouko asked.
"No, that might make monsters look bad worldwide if what they're doing becomes known. Besides, I think Ceal might get hostile then. We have to deal with this and quietly," Razico reasoned while shaking his head. Apoch glanced to her sister then back to the school.
"I'm not sure if we can talk Ms. Falla out of this crusade, whether Mr. Ceal is using her or not doesn't matter anymore. She's going to help him willingly now," Astreal said with concern.
"We'll just have to try to get those keys from them another way," Apoch said simply.
"How? They won't let us get near them with their magic now," Astreal said worriedly. Apoch nodded then glanced to her sister.
"Come, we need to find Mr. Render and Mr. Leon," Apoch said before she walked towards the school.
"What for?" Astreal asked. Apoch took another step then glanced back to her with a warm smile.
"Why, to invite them over after school of course," she said gently.
"What?" the others said with surprise.
"What are you talking about? Why would you want to do that?" Razico asked.
"We need their keys, and using force isn't going to work with them," Apoch said shaking her head.
"So then… what's your plan?" Kyouko asked curiously. The raven haired witch smiled slyly then looked towards the school.
"We'll just have to charm the keys out of them."
Inside the cafeteria the four hunters were seated at a table talking while eating their meals. The lunch period was almost over as they went over what they would be doing that night.
"So, just so we have everything clear; Leon will drive us after school to the monster world, I will supervise the expedition down towards the treasure, Falla will be our eye candy and raise morale, and Ceal will backstab and try to kill us when we open the box," Render said with a nod.
"Sounds about right," Leon said simply.
"Eye candy?" Falla said with an amused smile.
"Again, there will be no 'trying' involved," Ceal said simply.
"Hey, I get it that you're after revenge and all, but we did have the keys first. The wish is ours to make," Render boasted with an arrogant smile.
"Not to mention you only got your key after you killed the hunter we gave it to who would have been our original third," Leon commented dryly. Falla looked at Ceal curiously as the boy just shrugged.
"Not my concern. The box belongs to me, I will not be denied my wish," he said simply. Falla looked at him for a moment then to the other two.
"Can't you two just hold off on your wishes? I mean being rich and famous, you have plenty of time to wish for that," she said with a weak smile. She didn't want to see anybody die there tonight, but knew Ceal wouldn't hesitate to kill the boys if they got in his way.
"No way, we're not backing down. Not a chance," Render said shaking his head.
"I'd rather take the chance on taking him on than give him what he wants," Leon said with narrowed eyes at Ceal.
"Ok but… I say he gets his wish first," Falla pointed out. She glanced between the two boys as they just looked at her.
"So then do you plan on killing me?" she asked curiously.
"We don't want to kill anybody. Well, at least not you," Render said looking at the girl with a small smile.
"Well logic would state that if I'm not with you on your wish, I'm against you," Falla reasoned as she leaned back in her seat.
"If that's your choice, than that's your choice Falla. We bear no grudge against you or wish to see you harmed, but like we've already stated, we will not back down from this," Leon said assertively.
"And you, you have the same wish as Render? Or did you want something else?" Falla asked.
"I desire something else, but I'm not about to kill my friend over it. One of us will go first, and then one of us will go again," Leon reasoned calmly.
"Hey, just out of curiosity, how does that work?" Render said looking to Ceal.
"How does what work?" Ceal replied flatly.
"When somebody makes a wish, how does Pandora's Box get reset? I mean, we have all the keys right there, can't we just open it again?" Render asked.
"The keys will be destroyed when opening the box. They will need to be forged again and brought to wherever the box will reappear next," Ceal explained casually.
"Forged again?" Falla asked. Ceal nodded and glanced to her.
"Yes. A new set of keys will need to be created for the new box," he said simply.
"And who creates these keys exactly?" Render asked.
"Yes, that's a very good question," Leon said carefully. Ceal glanced to him then looked down at the table again.
"That is no concern for you," he said simply.
"Of course, the standard response we usually get from you. Should have guessed," Render said with a sigh.
"Hey, at least you know they can appear again. Just wait until they do to make your wish, ok?" Falla asked hopefully.
"Nice try, but no way," Render said shaking his head.
"There's no guarantee we'll find them again or even if they will indeed be recreated. After all we've gone through we're not passing up this chance," Leon said looking down at the table with a focused expression. Falla looked at him curiously at that remark.
'I wonder what exactly they have gone through to get those keys. Or what they lost when doing so…'
"So great, we're back to square one with us trying to kill each other when the box opens," Render said flatly.
"Again, there will be no 'trying' on my part," Ceal said with a calm expression. Falla looked around at everybody worriedly. She didn't want to have to draw blood for Ceal's wish to come true, well, except for the hordes of horrible monsters that would supposedly come from the box when opened. However it was looking like she would have to in order to help Ceal achieve his goal.
"You two can't win. Ceal could overpower you easily, and you won't be able to defend against me in combat. You can't beat us," Falla warned.
"We'll see about that," Render said with a smug smile.
"I mean it Render; I don't want to hurt you, but… Ceal is getting that wish made," Falla argued firmly.
"And we don't want to hurt you Falla, but we're getting our wishes first," Leon said simply. Falla looked at the two with frustration then down at the table. Before she could think of something else to say Apoch, Astreal, and Kyouko walked over to them. Falla looked over to see them smiling a bit at the group. The boys merely glanced to them as they sat down at the table, with the sisters sitting between Render and Leon and with Kyouko sitting next to Falla.
"What are you three doing here?" Falla asked cautiously.
"It's still lunchtime, what's wrong with us being here?" Kyouko asked.
"For one you don't have any lunches," Falla said flatly as she noticed the girls didn't bring over any trays. Kyouko laughed weakly and rubbed the back of her head.
"We merely came by to… apologize for before," Apoch said softly.
"Yes, we are sorry for how we acted," Astreal said softly.
"Really," Leon said glancing to them with a raised eyebrow. The sisters nodded and looked at the boys worriedly.
"We were just scared. I mean, after all we did to take down Alucard we didn't want the world to be destroyed again," Apoch said softly.
"When Mr. Razico said Pandora's Box would lead to the end of the world, we panicked," Astreal said looking down with remorse.
"We talked to him outside, and then we thought about. If Ceal really did open it before… then it must not be the end of the world to open it again," Kyouko said with a soft smile. Falla looked at her curiously then to the sisters.
"You don't say," Render said plainly, not believing the sudden change in the girls' behavior. Apoch leaned closer to him and looked into his eyes timidly.
"I'm sorry about how I treated you before, it was uncalled for. Can you forgive me?" she asked worriedly. The boy looked at her with a bit of surprise then glanced to Leon. Astreal leaned closer to the mage and nodded.
"I'm sorry about prying before, about your reasons for wanting the wish. I could tell… I struck a nerve with you. Please forgive me," she said gently. Leon looked at her for a moment then down at his lunch with a nod.
"Fine, no hard feelings I guess," he said calmly.
"Yeah, I guess that's cool. I mean you guys did take down that giant monster before, so I can see how a little doomsday rumor could get you a little spooked," Render reasoned with a shrug.
"We talked about it, and seeing as how that rumor came from a thief with no real proof of such a danger, we decided to trust Falla," Kyouko said looking to her friend. Falla blinked and tilted her head a bit. Kyouko nodded and smiled at her.
"I mean, Ceal healed your mind right? So he can't be all that bad. I'm sorry I wasn't more supportive of you, or happy for you. I really am glad your dementia is gone, I know it was really hard on you to have to suffer with that," she said kindly. Falla smiled and nodded at her friend.
"Thank you," she said softly.
"And we're sorry too Ms. Falla. We were just being jealous," the witch sisters said in unison.
"Jealous of what?" Leon asked.
"Again, what's with all the Mr. and Ms. stuff?" Render asked puzzled.
"When we came to this school, we were all hoping to move on from our old boyfriends. It's been difficult being away from them, and trying to move on at all. But Ms. Falla is doing just that, she's found somebody she really likes and wants to be with," Apoch said with a smile at her friend. Falla smiled bashfully then glanced to Ceal, the boy merely glancing to her while remaining silent.
"Yes, we were jealous that… she found somebody but… we were all alone still," Astreal said looking down with closed eyes.
"It's so hard… being all alone," Apoch said looking down and closing her eyes. Render looked at Apoch with wonder then to Leon, the brown haired boy merely shaking his head and mouthing out 'don't even think about it' to him. Kyouko looked between the two boys then forced a big smile.
"Say. Apoch, Astreal, what about…" she said looking at Render and Leon. The sisters sniffled then slowly glanced to the two boys. Falla looked back and forth then smiled amusingly.
"Wait, are you suggesting…" the chronofly said with a sly smile.
"That we…" Apoch said looking at Render with wonder.
"Date them?" Astreal said looking at Leon with curiosity.
Ceal looked around at the girls then over at Kyouko with a narrowed glance. Render looked at the witch smiling softly at him then stuttered a bit.
"Well… um… I…" he said nervously.
"I'm not really… looking for another girlfriend," Leon said looking back down at his meal.
"Another? So… you had one… before?" Astreal asked looking to his locket.
"I promise I can be more… gentle with you," Apoch said softly while looking at Render.
"Oh my god you guys, that works out so perfectly," Kyouko said with a forced smile and a wave of her arms.
"Wow, that does actually," Falla said with a small laugh. She glanced to Ceal then noticed he was watching the sisters with a careful eye. She looked at him then to the two girls curiously.
"Wait… isn't this a bit… sudden?" Render asked nervously.
"You're right," Apoch said leaning back from him then looking to Kyouko.
"We can't just ask them out like that, can we?" she asked.
"No, that's not proper after all we've done. Besides, they don't seem to like us much now," Astreal said worriedly at Leon. He glanced to her then back down to his food.
"Oh dear, but you guys make such cute couples," Kyouko said forcing a pouty face. Apoch and Astreal shook their heads and looked down with sorrow.
"Mr. Render is right, this is all too sudden," Apoch said softly.
"They don't like us anymore, we acted so foolish with them before," Astreal said worriedly.
"Hey, it's not that we don't like you. We like you, really," Render said reassuringly. Apoch glanced away for a moment then slowly looked back to him.
"Really?" she asked quietly while batting her eyelashes.
"Really, it's just… um… I just wasn't… prepared for this. I mean, I get hounded everywhere I go by girls, but… I've never found the right one, you know?" Render said with a weak smile.
"The right… one?" Apoch asked curiously.
"I'm not saying I hate you girls either, but I'm just not looking for a girlfriend right now," Leon said glancing away. Render looked to him and smiled gently.
"You know… she probably would have wanted-" he started before Leon shot him a glare. Render blinked then looked down nervously.
"-for me to shut up and never say a word about it again, you're totally right buddy," he said quickly. Astreal watched Leon curiously as the boy looked back down at his tray with annoyance. Render regained himself then saw Apoch was still looking at him curiously.
"So… is there still… a chance for me?" she asked softly. He looked at her nervously as she leaned closer, the girl pushing her breasts against his arm.
"Um… well… sure?" he said nervously.
"Mr. Leon, are you ok?" Astreal asked, showing signs of concern. He merely nodded as he held his locket again.
"You know, I think I know what would be perfect for this situation," Kyouko spoke up.
"Somehow I figured you would," Ceal said flatly. Falla glanced to him then to Kyouko carefully. The others looked to her as she smiled brightly at them.
"Date night," she said with a nod.
"Date night?" the sisters asked while tilting their heads curiously.
"Yeah, you all should have a date night. Go out somewhere or… oh, I know. How about staying in and watching a scary movie together?" Kyouko said with a wink.
"A scary movie?" the sisters asked again with wonder.
"Staying in?" Falla asked cautiously, starting to see where this was going.
"Yeah. It'll give you a chance to see if you… click with each other," Kyouko reasoned with a nod. Apoch looked to Render timidly while Astreal smiled softly at Leon.
"Um, I'm not so sure about that," Render said worriedly.
"We're busy tonight, perhaps another time," Leon said simply.
"Yeah, we do have plans tonight Kyouko," Falla said with a narrowed eye. The girl looked at her with a nervous smile and nodded eagerly then leaned in closer to her.
"I know that, but think about it. You have Ceal, they have nobody. This could be their chance to find new boyfriends. I mean c'mon, these two are monsters like they are, and they seem pretty cute. Why not?" she asked eagerly.
"Why not? Because we're going to open Pandora's Box tonight, that's why not," Falla snapped with a hushed tone.
"Please Falla? I'm not telling you not to open the box now. By all means, go ahead. We won't stop you. But just one night, give them one chance to see if they can make this work. I mean look at them," Kyouko said quietly to her before looking over at the sisters. Apoch was smiling bashfully at Render while Astreal was looking at Leon with a curious smile.
"This could be their chance at moving on," Kyouko said with a kind smile. She glanced to Ceal then smiled coyly.
"Don't you agree Ceal? Just a little quality time with Falla, I'm sure she'd appreciate that," she said sweetly. Falla jumped a bit then glanced to the boy.
"Oh yes, that would be perfect. All of us having a date night together," Apoch said with a bright smile.
"Could we? Please?" Astreal asked hopefully at Leon.
"But… Pandora's Box. Treasure. Fight to the death. Treasure," Render said looking around worriedly.
"We have prior plans already set up. We're not staying in tonight," Leon said shaking his head.
"For once I agree with him. We have all our keys, we're not waiting another night," Ceal said glancing to Kyouko, seeing what the girls were trying to do.
"Just one night you guys, that's it. We're not saying you can't go open that box, go right ahead if that's what you want to do. But… can't you just put it off for one night?" Kyouko asked innocently. She looked to Falla and nudged her.
"And… didn't you have something to ask Ceal as well? This could be perfect for you too," she said playfully. Falla blushed then looked to Ceal.
"Well…" she said softly.
"Please?" Apoch asked as she leaned closer to Render, the girl's breasts pushing against his arm. He looked at her nervously as she gazed into his eyes.
"Just one night?" Astreal asked timidly, looking at Leon with gentle eyes. He glanced to her as he held his locket in his hand.
"Well… I wouldn't mind… a movie night with Ceal," Falla said with a bashful smile. The boy raised an eyebrow at her then looked to Kyouko.
"What's wrong Ceal? Just one night, that will show them that you're not a horrible killer. Besides, Apoch and Astreal will need to cover for Falla if she's gone for a night. This would be a fair trade," Kyouko reasoned with a nod. Falla looked to the sisters as they nodded in agreement. Ceal narrowed his eyes at Kyouko then glanced to Falla. The chronofly looked down for a moment then to him curiously.
"Could we… do that instead? Just one night, for my friends?" she asked. Ceal looked at her then glanced over to the witch sisters.
"Just one night. After that we'll let her sneak out and the human officials will never know," Apoch giggled. Astreal nodded in agreement.
"Well… I guess if that'll keep Falla from getting into hot water with the human government…" Render said looking at Apoch curiously. The witch nodded slowly with a soft smile. Leon sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Fine. One night. But don't expect us to be boyfriend and girlfriend after that," he said glancing to Astreal. She nodded eagerly with a smile. The group then looked back to Ceal as he was glancing to Kyouko with annoyance.
"Well? What do you say Ceal?" Kyouko asked with a smirk. The boy glanced around at everybody then up with annoyance.
"Seems I have no choice," he said reluctantly. Falla smiled then looked to Kyouko with excitement.
"A date night… this is just what I needed with him. Thank you Kyouko," she said as she hugged her friend. Kyouko hugged her back and glanced to the witch sisters, each of them glancing to her with a smirk before looking back to the two boys with bashful eyes.
"Just thinking about my friends Falla, just thinking about my friends."