Chapter 34

Since I was 'grounded', I was the last in line for my update. That was fine, it meant I could hide away inside the nursery a little longer, gathering giggles and trying to help them all learn to walk about. Aside from a few stumbles, a couple of sudden 'butt flops', and the need for a diaper change or two, it was just... quiet time.

I was just getting to some much needed tail brushing (theirs not mine, yet) when the door opened quietly, a couple of timid taps announcing Hestia. "Oh, no one sleeping yet?"

"They've been staying awake a little longer recently, and we all had a little walking practise." I said, leaning forward a little and rubbing noses with Yumi, "They are learning so fast too. Yes you are."

Hestia smiled and picked up the first one to make the 'I want that' motions at her, "Yes they are. Ow ma node." Yuki had met her attempt at a nose rub with little teeth. Hestia wiggled her nose free, while Yuki giggled happily. "You think you're a funny one, hmm? Well, I'm just gonna..." Followed by Hestia trying to 'nom nom nom' Yuki's little ears.

We spend a few minutes like that, quiet time that was shared.

"How are they doing?" I asked after giving Kei a little pat on the rear to encourage them to chase a sibling's tail. Kei instead turned around and crawled back into my lap.

"Bell is Bell. It's been a little slower than usual, but now that the crisis in the dungeon is over..." She and Yuki settled on a truce, and the little girl cuddled into Hestia's divine bosom. "Mikoto and Lilly have grown a lot since you've been away. They were on the front lines a lot though, either as a forward or a combat supporter."

"Sounds about right. Welf?"

"He was a little disappointed he ended up with the equipment repair teams more than the dungeon teams, but, he understood the need, and worked where he would do the most good." She sighed, "Still complained a lot, but at least he's not swearing as much anymore."

"Good, I don't want them to learn any of the bad words first." I laughed quietly, "Weine?"

"Considering she never fights, argues, or even gets a tiny bit angry? She's grown a little too. Probably because she's been playing tag with the children so often." Hestia laughed quietly, "I'd never thought I'd see her get tired playing hide and seek..."

I laughed a little with her, since yes, I was just as surprised when I saw it too. "Maki?"

"Well... She's growing fast as well. Not quite as fast as you did, and her Status doesn't look any different than anyone else. But certainly more than 'average'." She smiled, "Astraea said Delly was much the same."

"Well, they both have a very powerful background." I nodded, "It's good they are growing, and even having a bit of fun."

"You were worried, weren't you?"

I nodded, "Of course. This world is much different than the one they are from. Almost no monsters, almost no magic, everything you might need is easily reachable... Safe. I mean... mostly." I tried to smile, but couldn't quite manage, "Here though... Many of the 'easy' parts are gone, or reduced. Most jobs require you to risk harm. We're in the middle of a very quiet war with the top Familia. We are at constant war with the dungeon..."

"Really? I mean... You made it sound like they were used to this kind of thing?" Hestia looked down, "Huh, well, one down for the night."

"Part of that was the nature of that world. Being 'magical' even a little bit, attracts other 'magical' things. Both of them were part of the 'hunter' incident. After though, I trained them like I would train here. So they at least knew what was to be expected when they were 'in action'." I looked at Kei, and yes, out like a light, "But I was more worried about 'the other things'. Entertainment, down time, stress relief, basic needs."

Hestia hmm'ed a moment, "Well, I think they're okay then?"

"Yeah, they've adapted well." I nodded, "And Ha-chan?"

"Well, aside from the last couple of weeks, she's been in here with me... But now that she's involved in the dungeon again, her stats have started to move as well."

"Good." I looked over to her, then, "Want to try again?"

"Let me just..." She went over to the crib, carefully opening the door and laying Yuki down on the bedding, "Fen-chan?"

And suddenly He was there, like he'd just stepped out from the dark streaks in the mostly white marble walls. He looked around a moment, then put on a silly fox smile and gave Hestia a playful poke with his nose.

She had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing, and gave him a tiny Karate Chop of Justice. But after that turned into an ear scroofle, he settled down and curled up on the floor. "Huh. Playing favourites?" I asked.

He gave me a raised eyebrow, as if to say, 'she's your favourite too'.

"He's a good boy." Hestia said, "No matter how weird he is."

I had to double check, following the 'path' of mana inside of me to make sure Fen-chan was still 'mine'. This got me another raised eyebrow from him, but also a little happy tail twitch. "Yes, a very good boy." I agreed, leaning forward a little and rearranging my clothes with a thought, "There."

"If you ask me, that's even weirder than he is." Hestia commented, "I mean... I can tell it's made of magic, but... it's unnaturally black."

I shrugged, listening to her clothes as she walked behind me, "Yes, it's just another one of those weird things I can't seem to get past. Something to do with the elements that make up my magic."

"Oh, you mentioned that... Your 'rejection' of fire?" I felt her finger touch my back, still dry, "Boop."

I had to suppress a little shiver, and my leg wanted to twitch. "Yes. Yasaka-sama tested me, and I seem to have what amounts to a 'negative' affinity for fire. So much so that magic fire does nothing to me."

"Well... I hope you forgive me... I hope it stays that way. Hearing about you getting hurt like that..." Her little hand pressed against my back then withdrew, leaving a little warm spot before a hot/cold drop of blood 'tapped' against my skin. "I know you're tough, you all are! But hearing about how you get hurt... I hate it."

I had to force myself to stay still. This was the first time I'd ever heard her say 'hate' and actually mean it. "It's the nature of the job." I said quietly as I felt my back heat up a little, "Yes, we could take on other work, with less risk to ourselves... But that isn't as challenging."

I could hear a little frustration in her voice, "Is challenging yourself worth the risk?"

"It's worth the reward." I replied softly, brushing my fingers through Kei's hair, "Before I came here, my life wasn't challenging at all. I worked, I payed my bills, I ate, I slept. Other people fought wars. Other people kept the streets safe. Other people farmed the food I ate." I shook my head, "It wasn't really living."

Her fingertip left my back, replaced by her hand again, "I just... wish there was more of a middle ground. I worry all day when you are gone, I cry when I see any of you hurt, and... I just wish there was another way."

I stayed silent, since we both knew there really wasn't 'another way' aside from 'walking away'. "Well?" I asked after a moment.

"It's still too tangled up. Almost like you're still catching up to all that growing you did." She carefully knelt down, her knees avoiding my tails, and gave me a hug, "Just do your best to make 'up here' as safe as you can."

"That's the plan." I replied, "Though... I might need to leave the house for a little while..."

"This thing with Ryuu?" She let go, and my tails helped her stand up.

"I promised I would help her, like she helped me after... that happened."

"What if..."

"I have a plan for that." I sighed, "And if Freya tries anything, I might have to talk to her again. If that happens... Well, you might not live in the tower, but you might end up as the top Familia anyhow."

Most of the next day was spent planning. We already knew how to plan for a trip to the dungeon. That was easy. It was normal. Equipment, potions, physical health, food, double check it all, and go. No, the planning we were doing now was for the obvious. If most of us were leaving the manor to go into the dungeon, Freya would probably try and hit it. With me home, and my bald faced decree to maim or kill anyone trespassing, Freya had backed off. My foxes, always watching, hadn't even seen a single person trying to look over the wall!

But, the more of us that stayed behind, the less help Ryuu would have in the dungeon. From the reports, that moss monster acted like a Xenos, and a malicious one. It had woken up the Amphisbaena deliberately, before running away. Now, this may or may not have been under 'orders' from Ryuu's target, Jura. But still, it was a threat, and not to be taken lightly.

Alternatively, Ryuu and I could go in alone, or with Mikoto at least. With Mikoto using her monster finding ability, she could help us find that moss monster, and probably Jura. Even if Jura continued to hide, killing off that moss monster would be worth it.

Monster tamers were troublesome though. Sure, a tamed, or at least, 'trained' monster wasn't as smart as a Xenos, but it was still a far step above a 'normal' monster. If he had other monsters at the ready that we hadn't seen, they could just... show up. No cracking walls, no noises...

"You're pacing again." Shinkage said.

"I'm trying to think of how to balance things. The entire point of getting Freya's fingers out of everyone's pie, is so no one has to do this kind of thing... But here we are." I stopped pacing, "HIDA?"

"I think I have a new one. But it's really... Here, just look." HIDA-lite replied, her little avatar winking out to show a... Well, 'super complex' would only begin to describe this one. "If my pixels could do faces, that's the one I'd wear too." She continued as I tried to comprehend all of the angles and layers.

"Have you considered telling Freya exactly what you are doing?" Shinkage asked, holding up a small Ko-steel card with that 'No touchy!' spell engraved on it.

I started to trace the design on HIDA's screen, at least, I think I was? "That I was stepping out for a little bit. And that if my home was attacked while I was out, again, I'd be very disappointed?" I stopped tracing, "HIDA? Is there no way you can simplify this just a tiny bit? Ultra fine point pens haven't been invented yet."

"I'll try. Might need a minute or two."

"You may want to word it a little stronger than that, but yes." Shinkage said, lightning playing over her body and in the air around her. It reminded me of Akeno's 'lightning shield' with how tightly controlled it was.

"She would either laugh, take offence, or, if she was feeling really spiteful, take a swing at everyone BUT us." I sighed, watching the diagram on HIDA's screen shuffle about, "Even if I left everyone up here except Ryuu, myself, Mikoto and maybe one other... Even if I called the Brothers back up here, it wouldn't be enough."

"Have you considered simply moving the targets?" Shinkage asked, the lightning winking out.

"That's... actually, not a bad idea." I nodded slowly, "Best block? Don't be there." I mumbled, "It would delay things a little, but..." I caught something on HIDA's screen, "HIDA pause!"

"Eep!?" The constant flicker of mathmagic lines twisting and warping stopped, "Boss?"

"Go back a few frames?" I carefully picked up the phone, "A little more... That! Right there! What are you doing there?"

On the screen, the diagram had turned to a sort of side view, and it was showing four different 'platforms' each with a different design on it. "Oh, it's kind of like... Are you familiar with BASIC?"

"Only the basics."

Shinkage facepalmed while HIDA giggled, "Oh, that was a good pun."

"But I was being serious." I tried, and failed to pout.

"It's sort of like a really complex 'If/Then' arrangement."

"And the layers?"

"Well, you DO know the reason most spells only have a couple of parameters right?"

"Because adding more angles through a spell might change the overall effect."

To explain... If you have an equilateral triangle. All angles are at sixty degrees. For argument's sake, we'll say this combination of angles makes 'fire'. Now, if you want to make it go 'away' from the diagram, like a fireball, you need to add more angles. But if those angles touch the triangle in the wrong way, you might end up with 'fireBURST' and fry yourself.

The thing is... Those individual effects HAVE to connect on the overall diagram. Or else you have two different effects happening at the same time, that are NOT working together.

Using the above example, the page would have a small ball of fire appear over it. Then the page itself would propel itself forward. You wouldn't fry yourself, but a scrap of burning paper is far less effective than a ball of fire.

"New plan." I said with a smile, my body flooding with adrenaline, "I'm going to need to get Delly, and call Fels. HIDA? Change of parameters..."

"You're in a good mood." Gros said as I inspected his broken wing and other injuries, "And you're still not getting him." He said to the collection of birds, who's not so little black eyes were looking at Jiru who was on top of Gros's head.

"Blup!"

"I might have figured something out. And even if I haven't, it will open the way to other solutions later on." I said, tapping my fingernail against a bit of his wing, "Feel that?"

"Yes." He said, "At least, I feel something other than 'itchy'." He moved his damaged wing very carefully, "And, see?"

We didn't find all his bits, so the 'skin' of his wings still had some gaps in it. However, those gaps were smaller now, healing slowly on their own. "That's good to see." I nodded, "Your missing claw is coming back too." I looked at his front paw, getting curious pokes from the birds, "You guys hungry again? And here I thought the children ate a lot." I smiled.

"Urg, stop being so cheerful." Gros said, "What ever it is you figured out can't be that amazing."

"Oh, it's better than amazing. It's..." I paused, looking towards the gate, "Aha. Oh... if this works I'm going to have to make another helmet..." I looked up, "Jiru? Staying or going?"

"Blub." Jiru replied, moving from the top of Gros's head, down his neck, then settling between his shoulders. A moment later, he grew a half dozen... Freesia? They smelled nice and had bright yellow/orange blossoms.

"Okay then." I said, turning back to Gros, "Won't be long now. Day or two maybe, and you can go back to your sand."

"Oh good. Hmm? What is he doing here?" He looked to the gate as well, though, to normal sight, there was no one there.

To my eyes, and probably his, Fels was standing there. Wearing his usual ink black robe, he had one leather gloved hand on the bars. He saw us looking at him, and I could see a little shock in his body language.

I walked over, keeping eye(?) contact with him. Once there, I opened the gate just enough to let him in, then closed it again. "What is that magic you have on the gate?" He asked as soon as the gate closed.

"It's a little more... primal than magic I think. This is my home, and thus my territory. If I am on the grounds, I know where everyone is, at all times, always."

"Truly? Hmm, interesting. Something you learned while away then?" He looked to Gros, then the birds who were lining up in front of him protectively, "I find myself wishing I could get out more. I have so many questions."

"Tonight will be fun then."

"Though, what is your tail trying to do?"

I looked behind me, and spotted my newest tail acting like a curious dog, poking at Fels like it was trying to figure out what he was. "Stop that, he's a guest!"

Fels laughed that dusty sounding laugh, "Still at war with yourself?"

"Not nearly so bad as that. If anything... You know, I'll explain later, you're going to love this." I opened the manor door, "We have a guest!"

Astraea was apparently closest, "Oh... Hello Fels." A very heavy pause, "Doing well?"

"As well as I can, as I am." He replied, "I heard the good news. Congratulations."

This comment seemed to surprise her a little, "Thank you. She's..."

"The beginning of a new Familia." Fels said, "I also heard the... other news. I will do my best to help, if I can."

Fels started to walk again, and I caught up with him, leaving Astraea behind. "What..." I started quietly.

"I could do nothing, when it happened, except help her recover enough so she could travel, and not return to Tenkai." He said, just as quietly, "I will do better this time."

Leaving me to ponder THAT bit of history, we got to the living room so everyone who was there could say hello.

"You'll forgive me for showing off a little, and taking a few minutes with the children, I hope?" I said a little later as we got into the alchemy lab again.

"They are quite adorable." Fels said, "And my gloves and robe are self cleaning. Even to baby drool." Again, a moment of dusty laughter, "Ah, Shinkage. Good evening."

"Fels." Shinkage replied, "No, you still can't study me."

I raised an eyebrow at Fels, who shrugged, "I wasn't going to ask a second time." He said.

"Good. Now that I have autonomy, I find my tolerance for scrutiny vastly diminished." Shinkage nodded, "Aside from the occasional helping hand when getting dressed."

I smiled, pleased that Shinkage was asserting herself as an individual. There was a tap on the door, and Delly entered, "Ah! Mr. Fels!" Cheerful as always, "Gloomy looking as always I see."

"Sadly, calling attention to myself with something other than a 'gloomy' look would be detrimental to my existence." Fels replied smoothly, "It is good you are getting along well now. I'm sorry I couldn't help more when you arrived."

"It's okay." Delly gave me a hug, let me go, yet was somehow still hugging all my tails at once, "Once I joined Lady Astraea, most of those little bits I was missing came back." She let my tails go, "And everyone here has been really helpful in helping me adjust."

"They are a shining example, all of them." He nodded, "You said there was one more person who was part of this?"

"Let me explain a little first." I said, that undercurrent of 'about to solve a problem' still giving me all kinds of tingles, "What I hope to do, is something close to what Ajuka Sensei told me about when making the Evil Pieces."

"The 'reincarnation' stones?"

"Yes. It got me thinking to our problem here. We have some artifacts that have a magic that doesn't work here. And honestly, will never work here. But, if we can filter that away, then fill it back in with magic that DOES work here..."

"Ah, so instead of removing it, and risk destroying it, you are replacing it before the magic collapses on itself? Replacing the supports of a house, instead of rebuilding it from the ground up." Fels nodded.

"Almost. We haven't figured out how to remake the enchantments as I had them 'over there'. But, if we can strip away the magic that doesn't work... Look, I made a kind of dimensional box. We don't know how to 'remake' that box, but we DO know how to get what's inside, out of the box."

"Meeting it half way then. What exactly is in this box?"

Both Shinkage and Delly smiled the exact same 'evil' smile, while I went one step further, rubbing my hands together with glee, "Two suits of armour that incorporate nearly a year of magical research, enchantment, and materials from both this world and that." I toned it down just a little, "But, let met introduce you to our final member, and the most important one." I paused for dramatic effect, "HIDA?"

I didn't really know Fels as well as I wanted to. But, all of my interactions with him were positive. He might have become an immortal, but he knew when to act, showed no fear, and was incredibly 'forward thinking' when it came to planning. He approached problems with a scientific and calculating mind, and acted like a true adventurer when he had to act.

HIDA-lite got as far as saying, "Hi! My name is HIDA-lite!" before Fels jumped like someone had pinched his butt. Even though he was literally a 'living skeleton' his body language was one of excitement and curiosity as he started to try and figure HIDA out.

And it started with a sound that made me think of a pile of sand trying to 'squee'.

It took a few minutes, but we managed to calm him down and explain to Fels what HIDA was, more or less. To our surprise, and my delight, HIDA-Lite actually answered for us in the simplest terms.

"To sum up." She said, "Think of me as a very particular cripple. I have no body, so all that energy is going to my brain. I think more or less like anyone else, just super duper fast."

Fels nodded, "It is uncommon, but we have had several 'Idiot Savants' in Orario. Their minds were good for only one or two things, while the rest of their abilities remain infantile at best. Sadly, they are generally seen as a nuisance, since they cannot fight or work." He rubbed his chin a moment, "So you have thought of how to accomplish this... recovery?"

"Yup! One of the things I am really good at is math. And this system of magic is pure math." HIDA's little avatar did a dance, "However, since I can't actually use any magic to power it myself, all I can do is make theories on what the patters should be."

"That's where we come in." I said, "Or rather, you two." I motioned to Delly and Fels, "Since I can only draw a pattern on paper, and it needs to be very precise, I need you two to make magic circles."

"Ahh, I see. You intend to layer the effects and set them off in succession, instead of trying to make one of these 'calculations' to do it all at once." Fels nodded, "I shouldn't have any trouble mimicking a reasonably complex circle."

Delly grinned, "Making copies of stuff is easy for me!"

"And I can draw out the third layer on the ground here." I said, holding up a wax and charcoal 'crayon' and a long steel ruler.

Everyone nodded, but Fels looked at me, "Kodori, you said you have the 'Mage' ability, correct?"

"It was the first thing I got when I hit level two." I said, "Since my magic was very demanding, I went for Mage first, just so I'd stop hitting Mind Down when ever I used one of my 'spells'."

"Hmm, and you have not managed to create a circle?" He held his palm up to me, and a phantasmal blue circle formed between us. It was fairly simple, with and inner and outer circle, and a pair of squares contained between them, each rotating in opposite directions. I could 'feel' the energy he was using, and more or less how he was projecting it too.

"I had no idea where to begin, so I gave up on figuring it out on my own. No one in the other world could help me, and no one in this world would teach me." I shrugged and waved it away, "To be honest, I have so much magic power, I don't really need it anyhow. Not only that, I have other abilities that use a different 'magic' altogether."

"If you don't mind me asking, how much magic do you actually have?" Fels asked, "And do you always have it in use? I can tell you have many different 'effects' connected to you. Is it always thus?"

"Well... Umm..." I tried to think of a way to be 'humble' about the number, but honestly I just couldn't. "Stat wise? Over six thousand. And yes, aside from that one time I had my magic sealed, and that other time where all my magic was turned off... yeah." I scratched an ear, "Honestly? I don't even remember what it feels like to be 'not using' my magic. I wasn't thinking very clearly when it was totally sealed either..."

"I think you broke him." Delly said.

Shinkage chuckled quietly, "This is the exact sort of silence they had when Rias talked about you, before her peerage got to know you."

"That..." It sounded like Fels was rebooting, "I think I understand the problem. But, under the current circumstances, it would be unwise to experiment." He nodded, "Yes, that might be your problem. When I summon my magic circles, it is as a 'foundation' to my magic. Trying to make one, when my magic is already in use is difficult, sometimes impossible."

I thought about it, then nodded as well, "No, I can't afford to drop my guard just yet. Some other time I will give it a shot. However, I don't need one to draw. HIDA? Can you display the one I'm doing?" I turned to Delly and Fels, "Once I have it sketched out, she'll show you your parts, then make sure you have it exactly right. We'll only get one chance at this, unless all three circles are wrong."

"I will practise with these cards elsewhere." Shinkage said, pausing beside me on her way to the door, "Good luck, partner." She gave one of my tails a pat, then shut the door behind her.

"Oh this is so exciting!" HIDA said, an audible 'bouncing from foot to foot' in her voice.

"Fascinating." Fels said, "Are you sure you have these... no, how are you sure you have these correct?"

"With my temporary assistant-"

"Hello, I am the assistant." I interjected.

"We have been testing things related to the overall project. I would calculate, she would test. Then I would derive the next calculation. Once I had enough base data, I only had to have her test one every hundred iterations." HIDA explained.

"So, overall, this is simply a well thought out theory?" Fels asked.

"Yes. Sadly, with the limitations of the tools available, we cannot test the original one I had made." HIDA pouted.

"There there." Delly gave the little avatar on the screen a pat on the head.

"What did your first choice look like?" Fels asked.

There was a pause, then, "Like this."

"Oh... Yes, that would be..." Fels shook his head, "However this makes me doubly curious about the tools you would need."

Delly, HIDA and I shared a bit of nervous laughter, "We would have to invent the words to describe it first." I said, "It's almost dinner time. All set?"

"One last check!" HIDA said, "Mr. Fels?"

His was the more complex of the three circles. It would 'scrub' the 'God' (Christian version) magic from the crystals I had used to 'store' my armour. Furthermore, it would contain the 'potential' that was released. If that 'potential' was released before it could be 'translated' this would fail, and everything inside would be lost. Possibly explosively.

"Looks perfect." HIDA said with a cheerful voice, "Delly?"

"Like... so!" Delly put her 'calculation' in place.

Delly's was the 'translation' part. The 'potential' would come down, from Fels's calculation, and be run through what amounted to a magical Rosetta stone. It would reshuffle the contents of the 'box' into something this world would understand. This step was a culmination of my own research, as well as Fels, when I got the Occulus working across dimensions. Power wise, it was the 'least' demanding of the three calculations. But no less important.

"Awesome!" HIDA said, "Okay Boss... Are you all set?"

"Almost." I said, kneeling down next to my diagram on the floor. I'd have to thank Goibniu Familia for the amazing polish they put on our floors. It would have been impossible to do this part here otherwise.

My part would be the most magic heavy. When I put the armour into the 'box', I had dissolved them into what amounted to 'pure' magic. It took a huge amount of power to pull the armour out of the box, and that power was 'guided' by my will, and the control objects 'stored pattern'. Thankfully, I had a lot of power, and it was the final 'calculation's' job to put that power into 'rebuilding' the items inside. If I failed here, the end result would range anywhere from 'metal dust' to 'randomly missing bits'. Oh, or 'explodes'. But again, HIDA had ensured a 99.9 percent chance of that not happening.

So, I extended a little of my aura, a clawed hand extending from my own and picked up the three blue crystals I'd used as control objects. I had to drop them through the other circles, once the other two had said they were ready.

"Oh oh!" HIDA started urgently, "Can one of you pick me up? I wanna see this from above!"

So, I put the crystals back down, and picked her up, "You're going to have to take the picture yourself." I laughed.

"There! Hmm... is this feeling 'pride'? Cause that looks really satisfying." I put her back down on her little stand, "Perfect."

"Ready when you are." Fels nodded to me as I lifted the crystals up again.

"Yup. I am so glad this takes almost no power to hold in place."

So, I took a deep breath, and flooded the complex diagram on the floor with mana, then dropped the crystals through the top of the multi part calculation. "Go."

With my adrenaline flooded mind, things seemed to happen in slow motion. The three blue crystals passed slowly through the first Calculation, a fizzy mist shrouding them suddenly, as the inner workings, the clockwork tight connections of magic structure, unfocused themselves, shook themselves apart, then held themselves in place as they passed through.

Gravity continued its downward pull, and that confused, chaotic seeming jumble of light and lines passed down through Delly's Calculation. Refocusing, rebinding, twisting back into itself, then compressing back down, fitting back into place.

Then, they touched down onto my diagram. The crystals turning to dust as the 'outer shell' was removed, and the inner workings expanded outwards again. The drain on my magic reserves was incredible, the feeling akin to pushing against the two Oni, trying to topple them backwards while keeping my own balance. But, slowly, the crystals folded outwards. Lines of light and magic, power and purpose, nothingness and shadow, solidified again.

And there, on the floor, laid out like two headless bodies on a table, were my two suits of armour. Between them, resting just above the left/right shoulder of each suit, was my helmet, the lines of Nightmare Copper gleaming coldly in the magic stone light of the room.

Time resumed its normal flow for me, but I didn't have time to savour the success. Fels wobbled on his feet, Delly sagged to her knees, and I was hit by vertigo so extreme that I felt what was left of lunch threaten to make a repeat appearance. This was followed by a lance of pain through the exact middle of my skull, then a dull one as my forehead bounced off the marble floor.

"woo." I said, my half open eyes looking into the golden lenses of my black Kitsune helmet.

Then there was a knock on the door, half panicked, "Ko-san! Ko-san!?"

"Oh no!" HIDA's voice sounded a little hazy, "Haruhime! Come in quick!"

It was a success. Even as someone (Haruhime I think) got me onto my back, and someone else (Delly? Shinkage?) fed me a couple mind pills, I felt really pleased with myself.

And really tired. But mostly pleased.

A few more mind pills had the fog that had filled my head cleared enough to ask, "Why the panic? Something happen?"

Haruhime was looking into each of my eyes in turn, making sure I wasn't about to pass out again, "Yes." She gave me a Karate Chop of Justice, "Fen-chan looked towards this room, then vanished. Thankfully Lady Hestia was with me, because all the children started fussing..."

"We did it." I said, looking down at my feet where the two suits of armour lay, "It took a lot more power than I thought, but we did it."

"In effect, you have remade something, from basically nothing." Fels said, "Creation is always more demanding than destruction."

"Eep?" Haruhime squeaked as I hugged her close, using my tails and arms to get her to sit across my legs.

"We know." I said, "All things considered. Thank you my love."

"Aww." Delly laughed, "But... What about Fen-chan? Is he..."

I thought for a moment, extending my awareness outwards a little, "Hm, that's troublesome. All my sentries are gone too. Just..." I felt another twitch of pain in my skull, "Ow... okay, maybe not right now."

"Wasn't one of them-" Delly paused as my brain finally cleared enough to remember.

"Fels, Dolos and his remaining Familia member are someplace in the Daedalus maze. I was keeping an eye on the place he used to hide, but now my sentry is gone." I explained, "Is there a way to find them again? I want to make sure they live to either escape, or join the cause."

"The best I can do, even now, is find them when and if they leave. Even with most of the maze made out of Rakia stone, it still has a subtle magic about it, much like the dungeon." Fels explained, "But I will send my owl."

"Thank you." I said, "His Familia member went for food yesterday, and came back to the same place to hide. Someplace-" I explained to him as best I could where I'd last seen him.

"Very well. Sadly, I cannot join you for dinner, but please, send my regards to all those I don't see on the way out?"

I helped Haruhime to her feet, then stood up as well, leaning on her just a little to make sure I wasn't going to fall over, "You've been a great help, Fels. Contact us by Occulus when you can. We plan on going into the dungeon to look for the last member of the Rudra Familia tomorrow, maybe the next day."

"Very well." We shook hands, and yes, his gloves were drool free.

"What are you going to do with these? Not leaving them on the floor are you?" Haruhime asked, "They... look kind of scary..."

"You should see them when she's wearing them!" Delly shivered, "Brr."

"Hey Boss?" HIDA asked quietly.

All eyes went to the little cell phone display, still sitting on the stand I'd made for her. "Yes, HIDA?"

"Did I do good?"

Haruhime helped me move the two steps over to her. I then picked her up, looked her right in the camera lens (at a perfect auto focusing distance of 25.4 cm) and said, "You did amazing." I said seriously, "If I ever find a way to give you a body like HIDA-prime, I will, just so I can give you a hug." I promised.

"Yay!" Both Delly and HIDA said at once. "What?" Delly asked, "It would be like having a little sister again!"

"Have a nap HIDA." I said, "I'll set up the Occulus so you can call across to Gasper after dinner, okay?"

"Thanks Boss."

So the three of us left the lab, "Let's go gather up the children." Haruhime said, "Heehee, that's the biggest smile you've had since returning."

"Just wait until after we deal with this mess." I leaned over to nip Haruhime's ear gently, "Grr."

NOTES!

Well folks, there it is. The Armour is back, and finally, we have a clue as to why Kodori never managed to make a magic circle. Poor Fox just needs to relax... Before blowing things up or something...

Next chapter? Final organization, and then its a hunt for the last Ghost of poor Ryuu's past. But, will Freya try for yet another back door play while Kodori's back is turned? Well, maybe. :)

Daeore on Ko-Fi, if you want to toss a coin to your writer.

Daeore on Inkitt, if you want to read my actual novel, 'Were-too?'