Kelsey and Issachar accompanied Flynn into Naraku, where at the Second Stratum Issachar said, "Something's off. Isabeau and Jonathan are unaware of what's going on."
"And I don't see Walter anywhere either. I swear that I'm going to kick Navarre's hindquarters so darn hard that he can't sit properly for a week once we're done!" Kelsey said.
Heading down into the Third Stratum, once the three prentices took a few steps from the stairs back up a hooded man emerged from the shadows and said, "Ah, the Casualry wretche- what the!? Kelsey!? I didn't expect you to be accompanying them!"
"Are you implying that you know our fellow prentice?" Flynn said.
"Nevertheless, I'll show you that there are limits that cannot be overcome by exerting oneself." the hooded man said before summoning two Nagas that first buffed themselves with Tarukaja before attacking.
"So you wanna throw demons at me? Have at you!" Flynn said as he used a Trisagion that killed a Naga and his demons followed up with their blows that killed the remaining one.
"It seems that the hooded man left while you were fending off those Nagas." Kelsey said.
"We may need to head deeper into the Stratum." Issachar noted.
After going through a door, they ran into Walter, who gave a pained gasp as he stood up.
"Oh, it's you, Flynn, Issachar, and Kelsey. Damn it to hell. . . I was caught off guard and well, you can see what it got me. And for this to happen while looking for that Navarre fop, no less! That makes it all the more galling. . . That hooded bastard will rue the day I find him!" Walter said before running deeper into the Stratum.
Upon reaching some odd substance that was on the floor in the Stratum, Issachar said, "Ugh, this is a poison zone! Take a few steps in that gunk and you'll take damage and risk getting poisoned."
"Flynn, you'll need to find another way around for us. Issachar can get through that stuff safely, but I can't." Kelsey said.
Flynn went through the poison zone alone and reached the other side, where he saw a door, a ledge and a passageway going elsewhere into Naraku. Flynn decided to check the ledge first and found a medicine up there before turning around and going through the door. On the other side of the door, a wormwood was blocking part of the wall and Flynn destroyed it, clearing the way to a crawl-space that he went through and saw Issachar and Kelsey.
"I managed to find a way around the poison zone. We'll have to crawl through the hole I went through earlier."
"I tried that and a Wormwood was blocking the way." Issachar said.
"I dealt with the Wormwood. Destroying its weak spot required me to circle around and head through the poison zone."
"Anyways, we can go head forward." Kelsey said.
Heading through the crawl-space again, Flynn and the other two prentices went to where Flynn was met by the ledge and passageway. Upon going through the passageway, the hooded man returned and said, "You're no different than that other man. Both of you are too ignorant to know when to back down. 'Tis that ignorance that marks you as Casualries born and bred Very well, I'll reinforce this lesson in regret with that most excellent teacher: Pain." before summoning a Wendigo.
Flynn shot the Wendigo and then let his demons attack it. Before the Wendigo unleashed a Mabufu that hit Flynn and his demons, Issachar unleashed a Sukunda on the demon and then Flynn shot the Wendigo again and then a whole horde of Nagas and more Wendigos appeared.
"Hahahaha, I'll make you grovel like the lowly worms you are!" The hooded man said haughtily.
"Hold it right there!" Someone called out.
"What!? Who's there!?"
"I do believe we arrived just in time. Are you all right, Flynn, Issachar, Kelsey?" Jonathan said as he emerged.
"We're here to assist you." Isabeau said as she also arrived before continuing, If you are going to use the strength of numbers to overwhelm us, then we shall counter with our own numbers."
Issachar switched out with Isabeau and then the hooded man said in disbelief, "But you're both Luxurors! Why!? Crush them, my minions!"
"Leave this to me." Flynn said before using a Megido Stone to completely destroy the horde.
"Impossible. . . how could you have bested my horde? Where did they find this year's prentices!?" The hooded man said.
"Prentices we may be, but we are Samurai nonetheless. Your folly was taking us so lightly." Isabeau said.
"Prentice or master, Casualry or Luxuror; it matters not to a truly committed Samurai. Surely you should understand as you too are among our number." Jonathan remarked.
"They know. . . this is it." The hooded man said in defeat.
"This is beyond the pale! I was supposed to show the Casualries preening around the place their proper station. Jonathan, Isabeau, if only you hadn't come to his aid. . . Why do you intervene on a Casualry's behalf when you are Luxurors!?"
"Because we abide by the code of the Samurai. Our way is to cast aside the tragedies that befall the people. And Flynn is our fellow, along with Kelsey and Issachar. That is all the reason we require." Jonathan said.
"You're a cowardly son of a bitch to take advantage of numbers and ambush Samurai that were once Casualries!" Kelsey yelled in anger.
"I gather you intended to prey on the weak, but you have badly miscalculated. Flynn completely destroyed your demons even if we hadn't arrived." Isabeau said.
"Huh? Jonathan? Isabeau? Kelsey?" Walter asked as he arrived.
"The hooded man's here too? What the devil's going on?"
Jonathan explained the situation to Walter and then after a bit of bantering with the hooded man he ran away and Jonathan, Walter, and Isabeau joined Flynn, Kelsey, and Issachar. The six prentices headed further into the Stratum and where the passage leading to the Fourth Stratum was supposed to be was a shining wall. Deciding to investigate it, the prentices entered a fleshy area with tendrils everywhere. After a bit of talking, Burroughs deduced that they were inside a demon's Domain. A bit of exploring revealed something suspicious: a young female child pushing a wheel with a stick. Walter initially thought it a Phantom, but it turned out real when he saw the child a second time.
"Ah, you've come" a voice said while the six prentices were looking through the Domain.
"Who's there!?" Walter asked.
A man in a strange chair appeared in front of the prentices and introduced himself as Stephen before commenting on their use of demons so efficiently. After a bit more talking Stephen retreated inside a small room behind him. After a bit more of exploring the Domain, Burroughs detected a strong demon behind a door. Heading inside, the prentices found a master Samurai and Navarre tied onto the walls.
"Now where is that demon?" Issachar said as he looked around.
"I'm right here, you human." a demon said as it emerged. It was an Alraune.
"Get ready to fight!" Flynn said.
"Right on it!" Walter said. A single Trisagion was enough to kill the Alraune, but Walter used an Agi spell on the corpse just to make sure. The atmosphere began to change as a light engulfed the area and when it died down along with the change in atmosphere, Jonathan asked, "Where are we?"
"The domain's faded away. This is what passes for normal in Naraku." Isabeau said before hearing a pained yell from Navarre. She turned around and saw him clutching his crotch while Kelsey was standing near him and looking pissed off.
"OW! Critical hit to the Luxuror jewels!" Navarre painfully said.
"Now I know to not piss you off under any circumstances, Kelsey." Issachar said meekly.
After a bit more talking, Jonathan escorted Navarre away and then everyone else went back to their rooms and retired to bed.