Kumiko 3rd POV

It has been three days now. After taking her to an oracle in Athens, Arthur was about to teleport her to her apartment, but there was the fact that Li Niang was missing, it was sure that she didn't betray them like Kuroka did, but it still worries them. Kumiko was about to say something when she remembered something; when that Greek warrior fought the blackstone, he wasn't fighting him seriously, as he… wanted him to win. So it's like that, huh? She was now sure that the blackstone knew him.

"So, you resorted in calling his help to do this to me?" she mumbled as bloodlust had risen within her "He knew him from the very beginning… I'M GOING TO KILL THAT BLACKSTONE! I WILL SHRED HIM TO PIECES!"

"Is something wrong?" asked Arthur.

"He planned all of this!" replied Kumiko while trembling with anger "He wanted me to see that bastard getting beaten easily!"

"Are you sure?" asked Arthur while taking a step back.

"This isn't over blackstone! You hear me!" she yelled with all her anger.

"Oh dear…" sighed Arthur.

"So that makes two then…" mumbled Vali as he was still sore.

"He doesn't have any honor!" added Kumiko "A pure blackstone!"

"We should go back," said Arthur while creating a circle.

"I'm baaack" sung Li Niang as she had some bags with her.

She looked at Kumiko and Vali before walking to Arthur.

"Is something wrong?" she asked the blond boy.

"Let's just go" sighed Arthur before looking at her "By the way, where were you?"

Li Niang smiled before answering "I went and visited some temples before buying some souvenirs"

"Let's just hope that they don't do something stupid" said Arthur while shaking his head.

-Scene change: unknown cave-

Narrator POV

"Things are going as planned" chuckled Betherode "Now, there won't be any chance for them to unite their might against me, and the Master will finally meet his beloved one"

"I'm still upset about that day" grumped Freed "I still don't understand why going back before at least killing that kid devil. Besides, you could have killed all of them easily, why let them live?"

"Because war is an art that needs to be taken seriously" replied Betherode "I simply divided them to make sure that they won't fight me as 'Comrades'"

"Really…" mumbled Freed "Seems like a complicated plan"

"My Master wants to see his beloved again and wants to give her that girl's body" explained Betherode in a serious manner before screaming "I want to kill something!"

Freed nodded before saying "I know how you feel"

They both heard some giggles "You're crazy" said the voice of a girl.

"No one will come to get us in this place, now we can have all the fun that we want" said the voice of a boy.

"Sacrifice" mumbled both mad men with crazy smirks.

-Scene change: Kumiko's apartment in Kuoh-

Kumiko had calmed herself a little.

*You need to better control your emotions* said Tozen with a stern voice *Anger will lead you only to defeat*

She knew that he was right. But it was more than what she could manage.

*Thankfully, you have cleansed the curse* pointed Tozen *If you hadn't, you may have lost the ability to call upon the power of the Myre*

'A curse you say' Kumiko began to think of many things 'Can this curse be removed?'

*There's two ways: either going to an Oracle to ask him to remove the curse, or by your potions* answered Tozen *Thankfully, you don't have the blackstones. They rather dislike it and made sure to ward their lairs to prevent them from entering*

'So I'm the only one left to lift the curse' thought Kumiko.

*He will surely come to ask your help* said Tozen.

'And he will get what he deserves' she's going to enjoy seeing the blackstone and his devil friends begging her to give him the cleansing potion.

"Big sis look" said Li as she showed her an ancient scroll.

"What's this?" she wondered as she took it in her hands.

"I don't know. I just found it in a chest hidden in a cave" answered Li Niang before getting a light chop on her head.

"Don't steal" said Kumiko with the chop.

"But it had that note with it" said Li Niang while giving her the note.

Kumiko's eyes went wide as she read it. She quickly called Arthur and asked him to come. Some minutes later, he came and she gave him the note with the scroll. When Arthur read the note he was also shocked.

"Could it be" he mumbled "The anvil of Hephaestus"

"Hide it and make sure that no one except Vali sees it" ordered Kumiko "Not even Azazel"

Arthur nodded before leaving.

"Why did you give him my scroll?" asked Li Niang a bit upset.

"I'll order pizza for tonight's dinner" said Kumiko, making the girl jump with joy.

An artefact as strong as the Anvil of Hephaestus should stay away from the devils.

POV-Deven.

He had just gotten home with Koneko. He wanted nothing more than to sleep. He walked upstairs and opened the door to his room. "Denique reversus es. rude suo servare virginem exprimunt expectationem quae indicat." He looked to Kuroka who was laying on his bed. "Sorry, but I really need to sleep." He climbed into bed beside her. She recoiled when she touched him. "You- you have a curse…" Deven froze. "What do you mean?" Kuroka used her senjutsu and held her hand over where he had been injured fighting that greek soldier. "Right here, I-I cant….stop it, but I can contain it. It won't spread as quickly now. How did this happen?" Deven thought back. "That Greek I was fighting, he had a cursed dagger, he must have stabbed me when I was not looking." Kuroka had a worried look on her face. 'Hey Apollyon, what can you tell me about this curse?' . . . . 'Apollyon?' …. "I can't speak with Apollyon, something is wrong. I also can't feel any of my forms, except for one. The form of the black prior is bound tighter to my soul than any of the rest." Kuroka hugged him. "What are you going to do?" Deven thought. "Tomorrow, tomorrow I will talk to my Rival, she would know more than me."

Time skip

It was lunchtime. Deven walked up to the roof to see Kumiko and Li were not there. 'They are usually up here.' *Deven* Deven froze. 'Apollyon?' *Yes, thanks to your cat, I was able to fight off the curse enough to speak with you.* 'So what's happening?' *the curse stops you from using the gear. Even at full effect, it would not be able to cut you off from the black prior.* 'that's good, I will need to speak with her about this though. She would know how to banish the curse.'