{|} Chapter 6: An Anna on the Town {|}
{|} A-Part {|}
By the time Kazuma had reached the eastern gate of Axel, he was huffing and puffing, gasping and wheezing quite badly, to say nothing of having started to sweat up a storm too. His step was unsteady and wobbly, and some wounds he had barely managed to close earlier had reopened.
At first, he had planned on taking shelter inside the amphitheater for a little while before heading into Axel proper, in order to take a little time to heal up a bit more. Hell, perhaps one of the other girls or even Aqua herself could help him out as he doubted Aqua was aware of what had just gone down.
In fact, if Aqua and Cecily knew of each other, then Aqua might have been there with her at the mansion, being very much clueless about what Cecily was doing seeing as Cecily being a follower of Axis and all, Aqua would likely delude herself into not accepting the obvious truth of Cecily's actions.
But upon seeing the amphitheater, seeing that vibrant blue banners with the Axis cult symbol on clear display, Kazuma knew that Idol Hearts had been charmed as well, which meant Lia and Erika were likely brainwashed followers of Aqua's little band of crazy people now.
The big question he wondered about was did Aqua know this or was she too busy enjoying the fact she was getting so many new followers to adore her to actually care about the details.
Luckily for Kazuma, or unluckily depending on how you think about it, the two guards who normally stood watch at the eastern gate were currently MIA. That was both shocking and totally expected as while they had a duty to defend the gates, Kazuma had a feeling Axis cultist didn't take doing a job seriously unless it was under very specific conditions, like hunting down demons and devils.
"... Got to keep moving here. Need to... get to Wiz's shop. I just hope... all this hasn't led to anything happening... with them."
Kazuma begins walking into Axel only to immediately stumble, dropping chibi-Anna from his grasp. As she was still out of it, she didn't respond except with a quiet groan.
'At least she's still with me, I think.'
Kazuma crawls over to her, recovers her doll like form, before crawling to a nearby building and gets himself back onto his feet. He then looks around the area, seeing plenty of people out and about; all of whom appeared to be completely ignorant of him and his plight.
"Why am I not surprised. Axis followers, regardless of the little details like if they joined willingly or not, must always be in their own little world, never paying anyone in need any mind less they see a chance at converting them."
For a moment, Kazuma considers taking a BIG chance here by going over to some of the people and asking for help. While he didn't have his fake Axis cult membership pendant with him, made as a just in case it was ever needed, he could still fake being a member, like he and Chris did back then. He could say he had been attacked on the road and needed serious medical attention.
He was confident they would believe him and help him out, yet he didn't begin moving towards them. He didn't because deep down in his gut, he knew that if he did, it would all somehow, someway, go badly for him. Maybe not in that moment, but eventually...
While it was annoying, he instead moves himself into an alley; planning on using the back streets to reach the shop. It would take him a bit longer, sure; but at least his chances of getting there without any serious issues were higher than if he took a more direct path out on the main roads.
'I just hope Wiz and Vanir have something that can help me on hand. After all that Sprinting, I think I...'
Kazuma moved slowly, though not by choice, from one shadowed back street to another. It was a lot more difficult and taxing than he had expected, but at least he didn't find himself crossing paths with anyone as he went along which was strange as he had honestly expected to encounter a few people along the way.
Just as he passed the halfway point of his little trek, by his estimate, an alarm rings out across the whole city. Kazuma stops, letting himself take a moment to breathe in deeply as he thinks about what this particular siren meant.
'It's not the alarm that signals the masses that an attack is coming nor is it the alarm meant to draw all adventurers in Axel to head for the guild either... oh, that's right. This one is to let the people know that a city-wide message is about to be announced.'
If Kazuma remembered correctly, after the fall of Aldarp and the establishment of Darkness' father as the new regional governor, lord Ignis had put a few new systems in place, in order to bring Axel more in line with other large cities, something Aldarp hadn't done as it would have cost him plenty of coin to do.
While it was a risk, Kazuma moved closer to an exit point for this particular section of the back streets, in order to get a better view of the sky. He sees everyone else out on the main streets had also stopped what they were doing, looking to the sky as well so he was less likely to be noticed by anyone.
The alarm sounds for a few minutes more before it finally quiets down. A moment later, a series of magic balls of light shoot into the air that burst into plenty of smaller magic particles that remain floating in place. It takes only a moment more before the image of Ignis appears in the sky to address everyone.
]" My friends, forgive this sudden and unexpected announcement. For those of you who don't know me, I am Dustiness Ford Ignis, governor of Axel and this region of the Kingdom of Belzerg. The reason behind this sudden alert is to make you all aware of dark tidings that have fallen over our fair city."[
'I don't like where this is going.'
]"I have just received a message from my daughter, Dustiness Ford Lalatina, who is also my deputy governor, that a devious and dangerous man has escaped her grasp. Please take a moment to memorize both his face and name now."[
The image of lord Ignis fades, replaced by a new image of Kazuma though it was a little off as the image being shown made him look a little bit demonic. Kazuma wonders where they got hold of such a picture of him as he couldn't recall ever having ever made one like that.
]"The person you are seeing now is one Satou Kazuma and according to my daughter, who's own information comes from her close friend and leader of her adventuring party, the great and powerful arch priestess Cecily, this man is a disciple of the dark goddess Eris; her champion to be more exact. He had clearly come here to disrupt our sacred Aqua Festival by corrupting all of you into joining their dark and nefarious ways."[
'Damn it. Should have seen this possibility coming; having the whole of Axel turned against us... well, against me and Anna right now. I wonder though... did Darkness ever contact her old man about this issue using that special communication device she keeps on hand for emergencies?'
]"Make sure you all stay of your guards with this one as he is said to be quite powerful on top of being dangerous. He is also said to have a strange hell beast at his side to do his bidding. If you see him, it is advised you call for the city guard right away. There is, of course, a reward for his capture and..."[
Kazuma had heard enough already, having already moved back into the shadows of the back streets. Hopefully, no one had taken notice of him during those few moments he had been peeking out back there. With a pained sigh, he returns to working his way further along, doing his absolute best to double time it less he gets found and captured as he knew that if he was found, then he would be easy pray for the capture.
It took him a bit of time, far more so than he liked, but he finally reached the street the shop was on. Peeking out carefully, Kazuma couldn't see anyone around. So, after taking a moment to prepare himself, Kazuma emerges and works his way over to the front door of the shop...
Only to find the door locked, for some strange reason.
"Seriously... thought you guys were always open too."
Kazuma tries knocking on the door, several times, but gets no answer. This filled him with concern that something had happened to Wiz and Vanir. He then brings his one remaining hand up, preparing to use the special little magic spell Chris had taught him that could unlock any door. A spell she claimed only she knew how to do, which made sense seeing as she was also the goddess Eris and all.
"mmm... Kazuma?"
came the weak voice of Anna, who it seems was finally starting to regain consciousness.
"Stay quiet for just a moment more, Anna. I've almost... got this... (click) There we go!"
The front door finally opens and Kazuma goes to step inside, only to stumble and fall onto the stone flooring. Luckily the street outside was empty otherwise that would have surely drawn some attention onto them. After a second to recover from the fall, Kazuma pulls himself inside and closes the door behind him, making sure to lock it as well before taking a little look around.
The shop was empty, almost deserted and abandoned looking at that. Most of the stock was missing save for a few bottles here and there. The windows were even partially boarded up too.
'No, please tell that Wiz and Vanir...'
Had something happened to them? Had Cecily been here and, upon discovering their true natures, had taken it upon herself to kill them? No, that can't be the case as surely Vanir's foresight would have alerted him to the incoming threat. Maybe that's why they weren't here? Vanir had seen the troubles coming and had made an escape with Wiz in tow but it that was the case, then why not alert him to the dangers too as surely Vanir would have...
Sharp, mind blistering pain explodes through Kazuma's body; a pain so intense that he once again drops chibi-Anna onto the floor though at least this time, her fall was shorted as Kazuma himself was still on the ground. The sounds of his momentary scream of pain was enough to finally snap chibi-Anna back to full consciousness.
"Ah, big brother. Are you OK? Please say something... besides the screaming I mean."
A few minutes later, Kazuma was parked up against the front desk, doing his best to rest while Anna searches the entire shop in the hopes of finding something, anything that could help him. She finally comes back, holding a bottle in one tiny hand and a piece of paper in the other.
Kazuma takes the piece of paper and quickly sees it's from Wiz. He then begins to read it while Anna places the bottle down beside him, listening to what he read from the paper.
[To Kazuma.
I'm sure you must be wondering where me and Vanir-san have taken off too. As it turns out, Vanir-san feels it may be time for us to consider expanding our business beyond just being centered in Axel. If we were to relocate to the capital city, then it would make it much easier for us to do something that Vanir-san calls franchising so to that end, we have temporarily left Axel to head to the capital to see about establishing a new shop there.]
"Oh, that's just terrific... and so conveniently timed too."
"So basically, those two ran away just when we would need their help the most. Why does that not surprise me."
[As it is currently unclear on if we will be returning to Axel or not, we have decided to take the bulk of our stock along with us. Personally, I feel that there is something more going on here, but you know Vanir-san pretty well now too, right Kazuma. I'm sure he has his reasons.]
"Yeah, I know him pretty well right now, alright. Damn bastard, should have told me what was coming sooner too."
"And here I thought I owed him big for this bod of mine too. Next time I see that devil, I'll give him a nice swift kick to his nonexistent balls for bailing like he did."
"Speaking of Anna, can you return to your full-sized human form or that beast form you have?"
"Hold on, let me see..."
Anna does indeed try to morph into both her human form and Geist form and while she starts to change, it quickly fails, and she goes back into full chibi-Anna mode. She then sighs and says-
"Sorry Kazuma, guess I'm still going to need a bit of time here before I can do either."
"Don't worry about it. Anyways, let me finish reading this letter here."
[We'll be sure to contact you as soon as we know what's going to be happening with us. If we do decide to move, maybe you can take over my old shop as part of this whole franchising business. If I'm remembering correctly, you did say you were thinking about leaving the adventuring life behind and becoming a full-time merchant or something to that effect.
Well, I better end this letter... oh right, almost forgot. Vanir-san has left a potion for you to drink, Kazuma. Said it will help you feel better once you drink it though it will knock you out for about ten hours. He also said it won't get you back to one hundred percent but it can at least get you into better shape than you will be once you actually find and read this message.]
"Guess that's what this little number you found with the message is for then."
"Does the letter say anything else?"
Kazuma scans the remainder of the letter, then shakes his head.
"Nothing beyond telling me that Vanir believes I will overcome this current situation we're in like all the others. Wished that damn asshole had at least left me with something more to go on, like where Chris is and how to get that choker off Cecily's little neck."
"Well, if it were me, I'd just up and kill her dead. After all the trouble she's caused, she does deserve it, you have to admit."
"(chuckle) Yeah, probably. Still, should try to find another solution before going down that road."
"So, what happened after the bitch hit me with that strange power of hers?"
One quick explanation of events later...
"So now the WHOLE city is looking for us. That's such unfair bullshit. I mean, after all we've done for them too..."
"Been there, thought all of that. Can't be helped though, can it. Not like everyone in Axel had a choice in the matter... except those who were already Axis followers that is. Anyways, I should drink this stuff down and let it do its job. Using Sprint back there... kind of undid my healing work from before, on top of adding to the issues I'm having to suffer. Anna, check to see if that back-room bed is still there."
Anna nods before running off, coming back a few moments later and says-
"Yeah, it's there... if you want to call that sad little excuse of a cot for a bed that is."
"Either way, it'll beat sleeping on the hard stone floor."
Kazuma then drags himself through the room, behind the counter, and into the back room. Anna does with she can in her chibi form to help Kazuma out. Once he was on the bed, Kazuma drinks the whole potion down before laying back onto the bedding.
"So, you'll be out of it for about ten hours or so once the potions takes effect."
"According to the letter, yeah."
"(nods) Anything you want me to do while you're out?"
"Look around the shop, see if any of the potions and items left behind might be of use to (deep yawn) Don't do anything stupid to draw attention... and no matter what... don't be going... out..."
The potion must work quick as Kazuma's eyes close followed by the sound of light breathing. A green glow emerges around his body, hopefully meaning that he was in a healing state now.
Chibi-Anna moves up to his face, brushes some of his hair out of his eyes, then looks at him for a bit.
"Get lots of rest, big brother. You've definitely earned it this time!"
{|} B-Part {|}
"Crap (clatter), crap (clatter), crap (shatter), garbage (clatter), Shiatsu (arf-arf), total garbage (shatter)..."
After Kazuma had fallen asleep, Anna had taken it upon herself to start looking through what potions Wiz and Vanir had left behind to see if there was anything that might be useful, like that one potion that had been sitting on top of the note. However, things weren't looking good.
"Damn it all, none of this crap is of any use... wait, what's this?"
Chibi-Anna picks up the bottle that had a rather strange, and rather perverted, shape to it. She looks at it for a few seconds before finally reading the name out aloud.
"Libido... Like an Orc! This sounds interesting. Wonder what the deal with this stuff is."
She then flips the bottle around, now reading the information placed on the back.
"Let's see... will give anyone who drinks this stuff the sex drive of an orc... effects will last around twelve hours with just a teaspoon's worth... avoid taking more than a teaspoon's worth at any one time or risk the effects becoming permanent... has a high chance in causing men to develop erectile dysfunction from usage, thus forcing them to rely on potions like this to get it up for any and all future sex activities."
Anna rereads what's written several times till she had a big grin plastered on her face. She had so many ideas cooking up inside her brain now that she wondered if she could start writing them all down.
"Oh, I foresee SO many possibilities with this stuff. Better find someplace to hide it for now. I can swing back around here to collect it once all this craziness has passed and I'm able to return to normal... speaking of..."
Anna places the bottle of Libido down then steps away before taking up a focusing stance. She then begins to channel mana through her chibi body as she tries to revert to her full-sized human body. For a few moments, nothing happens till her chibi form begins to glow and Anna begins to grow bigger and bigger.
'Yes... yes... yes... almost... there...'
Just as Anna almost had fully returned to human form, she doubles over in pain, coughing hard as she returns to her chibi body. Once all that had subsided, Anna picks herself up then scowls before saying-
"Damn it, I was so close. At least I know I'll be getting back to normal... well, normal for me, here soon. Regardless, I REALLY can't wait till I get my hands on that Cecily person. Oh, the things I'm going to do to her will be the stuff of nightmares remembered by generations to come."
With Anna had finished fuming, she takes hold of the bottle of Libido and hides its somewhere nice and secure. She then begins thinking about what she was going to do now for entertainment till Kazuma awoke.
"Eris, I'm bored. I need something to do but there's nothing I can do in here... well, there is ONE thing I COULD do but that requires me to be in my full human form in order to reap the full enjoyment of the act. Geez, there has to be some... thing?"
Anna, who had allowed herself to fall back onto the ground as she complained, was brought out of her complaining by the sounds of a dog's panting. Looking, she spies the doggy she had seen a few minutes before, making her realize something she hadn't given consideration till this very moment.
"How... did you even get in here, little guy? If memory serves, Wiz and Vanir didn't own a dog. If they actually did, but never told us about it before; then surely they would have taken you with them when they took off. What's your story, doggy?"
The Shiatsu looks at her, cocks its head to the side. It then begins to walk towards her, perhaps because it realized she would make a fun little chew toy to play with. Chibi-Anna begins to back herself away as the doggy draws closer and closer until...
"Springer... Springer... where are you, boy?"
came the voice of a girl from outside the shop. This makes the doggy's ears perk up. It then goes running at the front door, passing through a little doggy door at the bottom that blended in so well with the door that when not being used, it actually didn't even seem to exist there. Clearly, it was some kind of concealment magic at work here. Anna moves over to the door and tries pressing against it herself.
"Huh, there actually is a little flappy door here. That's some good magic work at play to keep that unseen till used... HEY!"
Looks like Anna had something she could do now in order to give herself something to do for a bit. She then squeezes through the doggy door, her chibi body being just small enough to make this possible. Once she was outside, she gets back on her feet, stretches, then begins to look around.
"OK, so what do I do now? Guess I'll look around and see what I can find..."
Chibi-Anna then waltzes off quickly, failing to notice that her exit from the shop hadn't gone unnoticed as someone who had been walking a few buildings stop had come to a stop, eyes wide at seeing what to their eyes was a sentient doll walking and talking up a storm. That figure then turns and makes a run for it, seeking out any guards that could be found to let them know what had just been observed.
Back with Anna, she made her way from one street to another, being careful to not draw attention to herself... or at least in her opinion, she was being careful. She then emerges onto a street with plenty of stalls and people gathered around, including a priest who was clearly of the Axis cult.
Seeing them all, Anna gets an idea in her head. Moving all careful and stealthy like, she makes her way over to one stall and seeing the person behind the counter was distracted, grabs a few items from the counter before quickly moving to being behind the Axis cultist who was looking around with a proud, smug look. He was probably thinking how things were right in the world, what with how the situation currently happening in Axel. Anna then hides herself before shouting out-
"Hey, that guy dressed in the attire of an Axis priest just stole goods from a vendor!"
This naturally gets everyone to look at the priest and the priest to look around, shouting out "What nonsense is all that about?" Everyone, the priest included, then notices the junk at his feet which gets the vendor clerk Anna had robbed to realize it was his stuff lying there.
"Hey, what the hell? Why did you steal from me, you jerk?"
"What are you talking about? I didn't..."
"Hey, some of my stuff is missing too. Was it you, sneak thief?"
Several other vendors also start saying that they had merch missing as well. The priest then looks nervous as he begins to back away.
"What are you all talking about? I'm a loyal and kindhearted member of the church of Aqua, the same as all of you. I would never..."
His foot catches on an upturned stone, making him fall back... and causing several items to go falling out of the knapsack he had on his back too. Based on the reactions of everyone present, it was all the other missing items.
"Loyal and kind my ass. I see how it is. You have to be a follower of Eris, wearing the garments of a follower of lady Aqua. How dare you, heathen..."
"Wait, give me a moment. I'm sure I can explain all this..."
"Explain in Hell, heretic. Everyone, let's get him and lynch him."
The priest shrieks before jumping back to his feet and making a run for it, with all the vendors and onlookers in hot pursuit. Anna comes out of hiding, considers the situation, and says-
"So... Axis cultist will even screw over their own kind if it benefits them. Why does that not surprise me. Ah... me thinks me knows how to spend my free time now."
For the next few hours, Anna traveled around Axel, finding poor unsuspecting saps she could cause trouble for. Something that wasn't all that hard to do, being festival time and all that. Amongst her many pranks, gags, and general trouble making for her own amusement-
There was a guy and girl standing close together but weren't together from the looks of it. Anna sneaks by, jumping up and slapping the girls butt hard which makes her go all rage mode, pouncing the guy and beating him senseless.
She makes a bucket of blue paint fall onto the foreman of a construction job sight, getting his men to laugh at him. In response, he goes around and forcefully dunks their heads into their own buckets of paint in retaliation.
She removes a sign that warned people from walking down a certain street, then she sits back, and watches as multiple people start walking down the road only to fall into little potholes they had failed to notice.
She sends a bunch of horses running wild through the streets of Axel.
There were plenty of other things she did as well, but you get the gist. After a good while, Anna had started her walk back to Wiz's shop with a satisfied look on her face.
"Ah, now today was a good day. I can't believe I never thought to do stuff like that before. Guess this chibi body of mine has a few more uses than I had originally thought. Anyways, better go check on Kazuma and wait for him to-oooph..."
Due to being distracted, Anna failed to notice a figure standing before her. The collision causes Anna to stumble backwards, almost sending her falling onto her butt. She manages to just avoid falling and quickly becomes angry as she shouts out-
"Hey, watch where I'm going there, you idiot. Do you have any idea just who it was you almost... injured..."
Anna's words come to a dead stop as several things happen at once. One was the fact she recalled her current status and what seeing a doll like entity like she was right now standing and talking would bring about as a reaction. And the other...
Anna, actually looking to see who it was she had collided with, freezes stiff at seeing the face of the person. She begins to sweat as the person looks around, then down at her with a confused look, making Anna think-
'Ah crap...'
{|} Intermission {|}
Aqua was in heaven right now. Not literally IN Heaven, obviously. But after arriving in Axel and seeing all the love being sent her way by all the new converts, she was very much on cloud nine and she couldn't be happier about.
'Finally... it's finally happened. After all my hard work, all the blood, sweat, and tears, my faith has finally, truly taken off and hit the big times. (sniff) It's enough to make a beautiful and noble goddess like me... (hic)'
She then begins to cry happily while celebrating her sudden and unexpected success. She then smiles a big smile while pumping her fist into the air victoriously, proclaiming aloud happily-
"You see that, Eris, you see. My religion... it has finally taken off. After all those years you doubted me and said it would never happen, I'm finally catching up with you. In fact, I'm feeling very confident that I'll become the dominate faith of this here world. Perhaps even before the end of the year."
In truth, Eris had never actually said that Aqua's followers would never be all that large nor did she ever really doubt Aqua in any way either. All Eris had ever said to Aqua on this matter was to set her expectations accordingly and to not assume such things based on blind faith and assumption alone.
Aqua then recalls something important, making her take on a thinking pose.
"It's strange though. I thought this was supposed to be Eris' holy week and that Axel was supposed to be the center of her religious following. Yeah, there's all that and yet... (looks around her surroundings) Why is it I'm only seeing people praising me and my faith? In fact, I can't recall having seen anything related to Eris and her followers for a good while now. I wonder why... Eh, who cares. I'm sure there's a good reason for all this. Anyways, back to enjoying my sudden success at gaining new followers."
Aqua then continues on her way, only to be stopped by a bunch of people who quickly approach her with awe in their eyes.
"Greetings, friend. Are you also a follower of the goddess Aqua."
"Of course she is, idiot. Just look at her; at the attire she's wearing. She's clearly a priestess of the Axis faith."
Aqua, having so many people fawning over her, looking at her like she was a movie star or an idol, gets an air of ego and bravado and she proclaims with absolute pride.
"Indeed I am, but in a way you couldn't begin to imagine. Rejoice, my children, for you stand before Aqua... yes, THE goddess Aqua, whom all who follow the Axis faith look to for both guidance and blessings."
Aqua then makes a pose, matching the one her many statues depict her making. This causes all the Axis faith light up like children on Christmas as they become even more excited.
"Amazing, amazing. Are you telling the truth? Are you really THE goddess Aqua?"
"If I'm lying, then may the real goddess Aqua strike me down right here and now for blasphemy."
Everyone waits with bated breath, but nothing happens; making Aqua's smug smile grow just as it makes all the new additions to the Axis become even more excited.
"Incredible, it really is you, lady Aqua. I can't believe you're actually here in the flesh."
"I can't believe our luck, actually getting to meet THE goddess Aqua here and now, during the first new Aqua Festival being held in Axel."
"And you're even more beautiful than what all the paintings and statues of you imply. And your silky blue hair... incredible."
"Lady Aqua... lady Aqua, please bless us with your kind and gentle light."
"But of course. Anything for my darling faithful!"
Aqua then cast Blessing on all the people gathered around her, making them become even more joyous and making her feel even better here, if that was possible. She's then approached by a girl who asks-
"Lady Aqua, if I may be so bold. I... um... can I shake your hand?"
"Hm? Oh sure, no problem. Handshakes all around!"
Aqua then reaches her hand out, taking the hand of the girl. As she shakes Aqua's hand, Aqua finds her enjoyment quickly fading, being replaced by the feeling of... confusion. As the others then step in to take their turn with shaking her hand, Aqua's confusion only grew and grew.
Once they had all finished, they all see the confused look on her face. Thinking that she needed to move on to see to other matters, the gathered people decide to say their goodbyes and let her get back to work while they start spreading the news that lady Aqua had come down to personally oversee this festival in her honor.
Once Aqua was alone again, she just stands there for a few moments more before finally looking at the palm of her hand, saying-
"What's going on? When I... when they were touching me, I felt it. No, it's not what I felt but what I didn't feel from them. They say that they're all followers of mine, believers in me. They said that and yet... I couldn't feel any faith flowing from the depths of their heart."
To say one is a follower of a god or goddess was more than just showing off your faith, more than mere words and thoughts alone could prove. No, real faith came from the heart, and it was that faith that mattered most to the divine. But those people... there was no faith coming from them, despite the conviction in their words indicating otherwise. For Aqua, it made absolutely no sense to her.
Why come off so strongly about something if you didn't feel it where it mattered most. It was almost like... Aqua's attempt to understand this mystery is interrupted as she feels something go crashing into her. She then looks in the direction of the impact but sees nothing; no sign of anyone.
"Hey, watch where I'm going there, you idiot. Do you have any idea just who it was you almost... injured...
The sudden voice makes Aqua look down, seeing that the one who had both spoken to her and had collided with her... was a little doll like entity that appeared to be alive. She stares at it and it back at her for a few moments as Aqua's mind tries to work out this new mystery. And then, it comes to her as she shouts out aloud-
"AH, AN EVIL DEMONIC SPIRIT INHABITING THE BODY OF A CHILD's TOY! DIEEEEEE!"
{|} C-Part {|}
The quiet and somewhat serene streets of Axel quickly turn into a scene of chaos as two figures come running down the streets, causing people to be sent flying because they couldn't get clear in time and plenty of stalls were also destroyed by the rampaging blue hair streak following behind the smaller figure.
"Hey, what's your damage, you crazy woman. Leave me alone and stop following me already."
cried Anna, her panic evident in her tone. Meanwhile, the wild-eyed Aqua retorts by saying-
"You won't be getting away so easily, evil spirit. Now let's make this easy for me here and stop running like a coward and just accept your ultimate fate."
"Like I'm stupid enough to ever listen to you. I know who you are and how dangerous you are too. I just need to look at that damn cult of insane lunatics you lord over to understand all that."
"You... That does it. You are going down, dark one."
Aqua then quickens her pace, slowly shortening the distance between her and Anna.
'Crap, crap, crap; what is up with this girl. I was told she wasn't the athletic type and yet she's not losing any steam. There has to be something I can do too... wait, I know.'
Anna then turns her head to look to her left then she shouts out-
"Say, is that an Eris follower bullying some poor Axis cultist?"
"Say what... where. Where is this happening. I'll put that Eris follower in their place."
Aqua quickly comes to a stop, her head turning this way and that as she searches for that which Anna claimed was happening. Anna, knowing she had a chance now, quickly runs into a back street, then goes further through several others before coming to a stop behind a barrel.
Once she was confident she was safe, she collapses onto her doll butt before allowing herself some much-needed time to catch her breath.
"Geez, that was... rough. My legs hurt... my lungs feel like fire... I didn't even think these things were possible in my chibi form. At least it's over now. At least it's... over..."
Anna begins to shake as she realizes a shadow had come over her hiding spot. She looks up to see Aqua looking down at her, a vicious smile plastered on her face.
"You think you can escape me, wicked soul. That is impossible for I am Aqua. Yes, THE goddess Aqua of the Axis faith and you are about to be... HEY, I WASN'T DONE TALKING YET!"
Anna, seeing another chance to make her escape as Aqua was distracted with her own introduction, quickly jumps back onto her feet and runs like she had the devil at her back. Aqua, upon realizing that her target was running again, waste no time in giving chase once more.
"Big brother... SAVE ME!"
cried Anna as she emerges back onto a open street. Aqua is just a second behind her, shouting out her own complaints on the situation.
"Hey you, dark spirit, can you please do me a solid here and stop running already. I may be a goddess, but I'm not exactly at my best right now and if I'm being honest... I'm starting to get tired. Seriously, stop running already."
"You first!"
The chase continued though both girls were clearly starting to slow down now. Anna considers her options, and a thought comes to her. While she couldn't currently do a full morph at the moment, what about a partial morph of a a body part... her right hand and arm.
She closes her eyes, focuses her power as her right arm begins to change and grow large, taking on the form of a Geist arm. And even better was the fact that she didn't feel the same stalling surge through her body like she felt when she tried a full body transformation. She smiles big before spinning around, lunging at Aqua while jumping into the air.
Aqua comes to a dead stop, her eyes wide from shock at what she was seeing this walking talking doll was capable to do.
"What is that? Just what are..."
"I'm someone who really doesn't like you. Now... TALK TO THIS HAND!"
Anna then thrusts her Geist hand's open palm into Aqua's face, sending her flying back hard to make a hard landing on her butt. Aqua looked completely zonked out from what just happened while Anna lands on the ground and looks at her Geist arm with pride before turning it back to normal.
"Huh, another new weapon to my growing arsenal. Maybe I'll prank the others with this little trick once things go back to normal. (begins to giggle maniacally) I'm already having some ideas I can go with. But for right now... time to make like a banana and split."
Anna turns and begins to run again, only to once more find herself smacking into something else again.
"Hey, what's with everyone always getting in my way. Just who do you think you..."
She stops dead as soon as she realizes her latest smack into was with a dog. A big and very mean looking dog who was sending her a scary look. She begins to panic as she backs off slowly.
"Ah... about all this... yeah, I'm really sorry for bothering you, mister doggy. This was my bad and I'll be sure to reflect on my actions. So... can we just leave it at that and go our separate ways?"
The dog just looks at her with its mean stare before capturing Anna with its massive jaws before turning and running off with the now terrified Anna screaming for a rescue.
"Wait, please... I'm not a chew toy, ya know. Kazuma-Kazuma... SAVE ME!"
An hour later, Anna finally manages to dig her way out of the hole the dog had dug out and buried her in... after peeing on her of course. By now, Anna had a look that says she was done with everything; a sentiment she echoes with her words.
"That's it, no more. I am so much done with everything. Those were two experiences I never wanted to have in my life. I'm going back to the shop, waiting for Kazuma to awaken, and once all this stupid crazy shit is over and done with, I'm going back to living myself inside my mansion and never emerging into this deranged and stupid world ever again."
Anna begins to slog her way in the direction of the shop, only to come to a stop as she's grabbed from behind and lifted into the air, arms pinned and all, by Aqua who was huffing and puffing. Clearly, she had been searching for Anna over the last hour since they had last been in the same place.
"Ah-hah, I finally found you, fowl demon... (sniff sniff) EWWW, why do you smell like piss now?"
"(sighs) Great, this is just what I... look, Aqua. Can we continue doing this little song and dance of ours tomorrow? I've been having a very bad day here. My friends were brainwashed by this psychopathic lunatic, my brother got his assed kicked badly and even had his right hand sliced off. I got chased around by YOU and I was used as a chew toy by some dumb animal who then dropped me into a hole it dug for me, pissed on me, and buried me alive. Surely you can understand my pain and suffering here."
"... Wow, that does suck. I'm sorry for all the suffering you've had too... wait, what am I doing. Don't think you can trick me so easily this time, demon. I know the truth of what you are now. Prepare yourself, devil spawn. It's time to send your very being back down into Hell where it belongs."
Aqua's body then begins to glow as she prepares to cast a powerful exorcism spell of the doll she was holding. Anna tries to break free but finds Aqua's grip to hard. She then does a quick brainstorming session in the hopes she could come up with some plan she could use to save herself.
'OK, this is looking bad for me. Should I try morphing right here and now... no, that will likely make Aqua's thought process here even worse. Crap baskets, what would Kazuma do in a situation like...'
["Anna, just in case you ever run afoul of Aqua. Never forget this little tip from me to you."]
Anna can't help but beam with pride mentally as she recalls Kazuma's words.
'Yeah, this is good. This will definitely work on Aqua. Now, let's do this...'
"Ah... wait, lady Aqua. What's today again?"
"Huh? Um... I think today's the third day of the Eris Festival... though I guess I should be saying the third day of the MY festival, based on what's happening here in Axel. Why? Trying to get out of..."
"No, nothing like that. I just remembered something of critical importance. I remember reading in the paper that for today only over at Ardvard's Winery, he was going to be having a half off sale on all wines therein."
"Wait... what did you say?"
"And if memory serves, all Axis cult members will be given as much free wine as they can carry."
"You're lying... right? This is all just a ploy to get me to let you go so you can escape me again... right?"
"Hey, will you let me go already. With so many Axis cultist here in Axel, all the wine within Ardvard's Winery will be taken before I can even get there. Including the legendary Golden Bubbly!"
"The... Golden Bubbly... the greatest of all wines... Ah, what am I doing. I have no time to deal with you, demon doll. I'll be back to deal with you later."
Aqua then drops Anna without a second though, turning and running at full speed in the direction of the wine store; screaming at the top of her lungs as she goes-
"OUT OF MY WAY. ANYONE WHO TAKES EVEN A SINGLE GOLDEN BUBBLY WILL HAVE TO ANSWER TO ME!"
Anna stands, watching Aqua as she disappears around a corner before breaking into a smirk.
"What an idiot. Letting her love for the drink come before doing her so-called duty as a goddess. Well, I better make tracks before she realizes that Ardvard's Winery doesn't do business during festival times... at least I don't think he does. Anyways, time to get out of here."
Anna made certain to be more careful as she quickly made her back back to the shop, which was a good idea as a few streets later, she catches sight of two Knight Guard members out on patrol.
'Good, Anna. You avoided walking out in front of those two. Now... just wait for them to pass by then you can...'
"Say Biggs, you know why there's so many of us guards being sent to guard the Erisia Cathedral. Don't get me wrong; I understand the need to protect that place and all but having the bulk of our forces being sent over there on guard duty, despite there being a dangerous malcontent on the loose and all..."
"I hear you, Wedge. It is strange. Maybe that means that rumor going around are true?"
"What rumor?"
'Rumor... I like hearing rumors.'
Anna knew she would be taking a big risk here, but something told her following behind these two and listening in on this topic would be a good thing. Having made her decision, Anna begin to follow after them, making sure to maintain as much cover as she could while doing so.
Biggs looks around, making sure no one else was around. He then pulls Wedge over to the side, where they could talk with some privacy; neither noticing the small very much alive doll running over to hide just behind some boxes.
"OK, keep this on the down-low, just in case. Don't want to risk any threats to the stability of Axel or the faith finding out. (Wedge nods) Anyways, here's the deal. Word has it that the dark goddess Eris herself is being held somewhere inside the cathedral."
"THE DARK GODDESS ER... (Biggs quickly muffles Wedges mouth, as does Anna, almost exposing herself with her own shout of surprise which the two Knight Guard failing to notice)."
"Shut up, idiot. Not so loud."
"Right-right, sorry about that. Are you serious, Biggs. They actually managed to capture THE dark goddess Eris. (Biggs nod) How in the hell do anyone manage that?"
"Beats me. Heard that she had been waltzing around Axel in a human vessel, acting like she owned the place and all. Luckily, lady Cecily, with the assistance of lady Clerica and the Knight Guard that always patrol the cathedral grounds, managed to catch her as she attempted to return to her dark realm. Because she was in a human form, her powers were severely weakened and thus, she was easy to capture."
"And she's really being held inside the cathedral now? Are you absolutely sure about that, man?"
"Why else would they have so many of us being sent there to do guard duty. Especially seeing as her so called champion is still on the loose. No matter what, we have to keep them from reuniting... don't ask me why though. Maybe she can escape back to her dark realm more easily with him being present than not."
"(nodding his understanding) I see, I see. So... any idea where inside the cathedral she's being held at?"
"No clue, to be honest. If it were up to me though, I'd use that super tall spire as her prison. Makes getting to her and making an escape much harder."
"Agreed... but I have to wonder. Why keep her alive after capturing her to begin with. Wouldn't it make more sense to just execute..."
By this point, Anna had heard all she needed to hear from these two. As they were still distracted by their conversation, Anna quickly runs away, now wanting to get back to the shop as soon as possible.
'I know where Eris is... I know where Eris is... can't believe that Cecily person actually managed to capture her though. Just how did... never mind that for now. I need to tell big brother about this as soon as...'
And like before, Anna, who was so lost in thought, failed to notice the two figures skulking around the back streets she had just entered, colliding with the legs of one of them. As she once again picks herself up, she sees two girls giving her confused and curious looks with one of them wasting no time to reach down to scoop her up.
'Damn it, just how many times am I'm going to go through with this crap today?'
{|} D-Part {|}
The first thing he heard as consciousness started to return to him was this low hum like ringing sound, like someone was rubbing their finger around the edge of a cup or bole in a circular motion.
"It's almost time... you're so close now, Kazuma!"
the voice was strange, sounding hauntingly distance and yet so close at the same time. He then feels warm lips press against his own, a precious sensation that last for what felt like a lifetime. When the sensation of the kiss finally ended, he opened his eyes, sat up, and looked around the empty room.
'Wait, where am I? Didn't I fall asleep inside the magic shop?'
Kazuma then goes to get up as the door nearby opens and Wolbach comes walking inside, moving to stand at his side.
"Dad, what are you doing? Everyone's waiting for you. Come on; the parties already started."
'Huh... wait, Wolbach? How are you here? I thought you were... and why did you call me dad. And what's this whole party business?'
Wolbach reaches out, taking his hand and pulls him up on his feet before guiding him through the door. Instead of entering the hallway like he had expected, he found himself entering a rather large banquet hall where everyone was waiting for him.
And I do mean EVERYONE!
Megumin, Darkness, Cielo, and Yunyun were there. So too were Megumin and Yunyun's families as well as Darkness's father. Even Cielo's father was present which was unexpected. Chris was also present, as were Ruffian, Luna, Lynn, Iris, Lia, Erika, and Aqua, as well as so many others.
And upon seeing Kazuma arrival, they all quickly stand, clapping their hands as they all say-
"Congratulations, Kazuma!"
The few guy's present were the first to approach Kazuma, shaking his hand and patting him on his shoulder while the girls all gave him warm hugs and kisses on the cheek; a couple of them planting their kisses very close to his lips.
"Such a nice scene, this idealistic dream. If only it could be the truth of everything."
Kazuma then finds the scene had changed. They were still in the same large room he had been led into but now the table was gone, allowing the space to be fully opened up. Everyone was standing around, happily chatting with one another while Kazuma just stood off to the side, like some kind of outcast wall flower.
'What's going on? Is any of this real... or not?'
"Only as real as you want it to be?"
whispered a voice in his ear, making Kazuma jump. It was Megumin who had spoken as she sends him a soft and gently smile. She then whispers another set of words into his ears.
"Let's go someplace else, Kazuma. Someplace where we can have... some privacy!"
Megumin then takes Kazuma by the hand, guiding him away out of the room, into a long hall where the only other door was at the far end of the hall. Megumin pulls Kazuma along till they reached the halfway point of the hall before her hand slips away.
She continues on, looking back at Kazuma with such a brilliant smile. Kazuma is quick to give chase after her, watching her take the lead till she reached the far door first which she quickly opens and enters. She then pokes her head back out, sticks her tongue out playfully, then disappears back beyond the door. It only took a few moments more before Kazuma reached the door and waste no time to open it and step inside himself.
Kazuma then feels a warm breeze lick against his skin as he finds himself standing in a desert. He looks around till he sees the visage of Aqua and Darkness, a weird combination to be sure in his opinion, off in the distance, calling out for him to hurry up. While he was very much confused as to what was going on, he runs towards them all the same as the two girls turn and begin walking beyond his line of sight.
Once Kazuma reaches the spot they had been standing at, he finds the ground beneath his feet had been green; a proper grassland where once had been a desert. He finds himself looking around again, seeing a figure far off in the distance just barely within his line of sight.
As Kazuma begins to move towards this unknown figured, the phantom voice that had been speaking to him before was now begins to speak again.
"You believe you know where you're heading, what the future holds for you..."
"You couldn't be more wrong!"
Kazuma comes to a stop, still a ways away from the figure but close enough now to better make this figure out. It was a girl, that was the most obvious detail, and she had her back to him.
She was dressed in the strangest of attire, a seemingly skin-tight body seat with a mixture of black and red. It was honestly hard to tell which was the primary color and which was the secondary as both colors had so much prominence. There were also small pieces of armor along the arms, shoulders, and directly down the middle of the back.
And this mysterious girl had long butt length hair that was being blown around by the wind.
"Hello, hate to ask a weird question but... do you have any idea just where it is we're at right now?"
The girl turns her head ever so slightly in his direction, letting him know that he had at least been heard. This gives Kazuma enough of her face to make him feel he knew her from someplace, but he couldn't be sure from where. The girl then begins to turn even more only for a strong wind to hit Kazuma, forcing him to close his eyes for just a moment and turn away. When he was able to look back...
The girl was nowhere to be seen.
Kazuma steps forward to where the girl had been standing, thinking that maybe she had walked on ahead of him. Instead, he found nothing but an empty void spread out before him.
"OK, that does it. Just where the hell am I?"
"So you have finally made it to this place, Kazuma. You have reached... the Edge!"
came the voice from right behind him. Kazuma could feel the presence come into being behind him, but he didn't turn to look at the owner. There was no need as he already knew who he would see if he did; for he already knew because of the voice. Instead, he says without taking his eyes away from the void-
"Entropy!"
"You are so close now, Kazuma. All you need now is for just the right push to help you move past the edge and then you will finally... BE!"
Kazuma sighs before finally looking back at the smokey form of Entropy, seeing the rising and falling face within her smoke body and the flashes of lightning from within. He says, his tone serious-
"Move past the edge, huh? What are you saying, Entropy. You're expecting me to fall?"
"I'm not expecting you to fall, Kazuma..."
she said as smiles form all over her body from both the multitude of faces and Entropy's own face.
"I want you to fly!"
The next thing Kazuma knew, he was looking up at a ceiling. It takes him a moment before his memories catch up to him, making him recall where he currently was and his current situation. He sighs as he thinks about the dream he just experienced.
'What was all that about? Care to fill me in on the deeper meaning there, Entropy.'
Not surprisingly, no answer came which irritated Kazuma. He then goes to place his dominate hand upon his face to signify his exasperation, only for him to be reminded or an important detail.
"Still a stumpy, huh. Why does that surprise me. I knew ahead of time that the potion left behind wasn't going to fix me up that much. Speaking of..."
Kazuma then moves his body slightly, finding no pain from those simple movements. He then decides to sit up and quickly finds what issues he still needed to deal with.
"OK, no pain so far... which is good. I'm feeling really sore and stiff though. Makes sense, I guess. While this is going to be an annoyance, to be sure, I can still work with this for my search for Chris."
It takes Kazuma a few tries but he finally manages to get back onto his feet, only to almost fall back down as his legs had actually fallen asleep; something he had failed to notice until after standing. Once he had managed to steady himself, Kazuma notices the serious lack of Anna anywhere inside the small room, making his next action expected.
"Anna... Anna... I'm awake now. Anything happen while I was... Anna?"
The lack of a reply isn't lost, making Kazuma slowly and carefully make his way out of the room. He then looks around, seeing no sign of his adopted sister anywhere.
"Anna, this better not be a game of hide n' seek we're doing here because I am not really in the mood. Just answer me already, dammit."
Again, there was no answer which really annoyed Kazuma. It was also making him start to worry about her too. He takes time to look around, checking every nook and cranny, thinking that maybe she might be catching a few 'zzz's' herself somewhere but after looking everywhere, even back in the backroom, under the bed.
By now, Kazuma was really starting to become concerned.
"Seriously, Anna. Just where the hell are..."
SHATTER
The sudden sound makes Kazuma run back into the main room, finding a flaming ball laying on the floor and a shattered window. This is followed by another and another, filling the inside of the store with flaming balls of fire and shattered glass. By now, the floor had been set on fire and the room was quickly filling with smoke.
'Crap, this is bad. They found me... Should have seen this coming though. Of course the girls would think to look for me here.'
Kazuma tries to put the fire out with Create Water, but quickly finds these flames had some kind of magical property that made them strongly resistant to water magic. Well, either that or maybe his water spell wasn't strong enough to counter the power within these flames.
He then quickly checks back in the back room and the connected bathroom, hoping to find an alternate exit he could use to run away through. While the bathroom did have a window, it was much too small for him to fit through, meaning he had only two options to choose from.
Either accept his fate and burn or rush out the front door and take his chances outside.
'Damn it, guess I have no choice. Out the front door it is. Hope there isn't to many opponents to deal with because I'm far from being at one hundred percent. OK, I can do this. On three... one...'
The front door comes crashing in, revealing Darkness as she comes charging into the room. Kazuma didn't have time to either react or even think about reacting before Darkness grabs hold of him and sends him flying back outside, making a hard landing onto the unforgiving ground.
Kazuma groans, taking a moment to look around while picking himself up, seeing the Captain and a fair number of the Knight Guard blocking any and all exits he could possibly use. They didn't make a move against him, which was rather strange, but Kazuma quickly understands why as he finally gets back onto his feet.
Darkness comes flying out from the burning building, sending her fist flying fast and hard at Kazuma, who just barely manages to dodge her punch. Kazuma doesn't fail to notice the lack of a certain wrist guard on Darkness, meaning her accuracy would likely be normal.
Darkness sends punch after punch, which Kazuma more or less manages to avoid though she does get in some glancing blows on him. But he was doing good, all things considered... until a stabbing pain explodes from his right leg.
Darkness takes advantage of Kazuma's sudden distraction to successfully punch him hard in his stomach, forcing Kazuma to become hunched over, opening him up to a blow to his upper back from Darkness that sends him crashing to the ground with Darkness wasting no time in getting on top of him, pinning him down.
'Damn it, where did that arrow come from. Snipers, I tell you... absolutely no chill.'
Kazuma then looks at Wiz and Vanir's shop, now very much on fire and clearly well on its way into burning itself into the ground.
"It's over, heretic. Like your dark goddess Eris, you've been captured."
said Darkness, her tone cold and unfeeling.
"So it would seem. Um... Darkness, shouldn't there be someone dealing with that fire right now? Aren't you worried about the fire spreading to the connected buildings on this street?"
"A follower of Eris... worried about the lives of others. What a joke. The fire will extinguish itself here shortly, so you don't have to fake worry about all that."
"A follower of Eris, huh? Oh, I wouldn't want to be you once all this is over and you're back to being your real self, all racked with guilt and all that."
"Silence, heretic. So, you must be wondering how we knew to find you here."
"Among other things... like where's everyone else at the moment as I only see you, the Captain, and his men present."
"We split up, just in case you had already moved on. As for how we found you..."
'Keep talking, Darkness. Keep giving me the time I need to ready myself for my escape attempt here.'
"A fellow citizen of Axel spotted a strange sentient doll like creature exiting this building here. This citizen then contacted the Knight Guard, who in turn contacted me. Guess you weren't as careful as you should have been."
"Damn it, Anna. When this is all over, I'll... Honestly Darkness, I was thinking how this place had been a bad choice to begin with, seeing as it would be an obvious hideout for me to use."
"Ah... yeah, now that you mention it. Yes, this place does make sense as a hideaway."
'You all didn't even consider Wiz's Magic Curio's as a potential hiding spot, did you.'
"Lady Dustiness, we should finish securing him before any potential back-up should arrive."
"Good call, Captain. It's possible that he has more allies that could come to his rescue. I'll knock him out so you all can properly bind him for transport."
Darkness then begins to raise her hand up, her intention being to smack him hard enough to render him unconscious. It didn't matter though as he had finished his preparations. He only hoped he didn't accidentally take himself out in the process.
"FULL SHOCK!"
Instantly, Kazuma's whole body becomes electrified, zapping both himself and Darkness. While Kazuma was definitely regretting his choice, what with the sheer levels of pain he was feeling in the moment, but Darkness was clearly getting the worse of it because of her armor. Clearly, it hadn't been shock proofed for safety reasons.
By the time Kazuma let up on his Full Shock, he found him body was hurting like hell, but he was still awake and able to move. As for Darkness, it was clear she had taken it far worse as her body slumps and collapses down onto the ground beside him. He checks her quickly, finding that she was still breathing but then the words he hears next remind him of his current situation.
"He's injured lady Dustiness. Get him..."
Kazuma looks around him, seeing the other present Knight Guards running towards him. Thinking quickly, he pushes his left hand out and blast as much Create Water out in a circle, hitting everyone. It was only a minimal distraction, sure; but it does stop their advance for a second which was enough to allow Kazuma to move onto his next action.
"Freeze!"
Blasting the soaked guards with ice magic freezes their body's up a fair bit as well as hindering their movements by freezing their feet to the floor. While it wasn't strong enough to stall them for long, it was just enough to give Kazuma a chance to fire off a Lightning spell, shocking them all into collapsing down as well. While Kazuma himself was still recovering from having been shocked as well, he was faster on his recovery, and with getting back onto his feet.
"I'm sorry, everyone. Please, just bear with this for a bit more. I'll figure this out, and save you all... I promise."
Kazuma then begins to walk away as quickly as he could, moving to the closest alley he reach. But as he enters the alley, he finds himself feeling a extremely painful stabbing in his stomach, followed by being forced back out as Megumin comes into view, his stabber.
"You're not going anywhere."
Kazuma looks down, seeing Chunchunmaru being the weapon Megumin was using to shank him. He can't help but smile as he coughs up blood and looks into Megumin's eyes and says with a forced humorous tone-
"Funny... here I thought I was the one with penetration duty in our relationship."
Megumin didn't look amused as darkness takes Kazuma and he collapses onto the ground. Megumin kneels down, looks at him, then pulls Chunchunmaru from his gut. She then stands and looks to see Darkness and the Knight Guard getting back onto their feet.
"Good work, Megumin. That should end his attempts at escaping now. Captain, take him back to the station, see that his wounds are healed, and keep him locked up nice and tight and under heavy guard."
"Understood... um, lady Dustiness. Should we not play it safe and kill this man now?"
"No, lady Cecily wants him to be executed alongside the dark goddess. While ending him now would be... we must follow the orders of lady Cecily as her words are the will of the goddess Aqua."
"Plus, Cecily will get all moody if we don't do as she asks."
The Captain nods before turning back and ordering his men to secure Kazuma. They then head off while Darkness and Megumin head off themselves, to find the others and Cecily and let them know the search for Kazuma is over.
Unbeknownst to all of them though, another pair of eyes had been watching everything from a safe distance. A figure then begins to move, following after the Knight Guard as they begin to form their own set of plans.
{|} to be continued... {|}
Next time: Kazuma has been captured, Chris/Eris has been captured, and Anna... well, she's probably been captured too. As the fourth day of the NOW Aqua Festival arrives, there seems to little hope in everything being made right. But all hope isn't lost for Lynn and Ruffian are still out there. Who knows, maybe the hero of this arc could be the one character you wouldn't expect to be the hero in this situation.