First

"I want to say thank you to all who have favorited the story and are watching the journey unfold. It truly is joyful to see that 14 individual people are liking the story enough to give a Fav the story so far. Thank you all so very much, and I would love to hear what you like, dislike, and what you think of the characters so far.

I will try to implement more of the Black Bulls members in the future as well."


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Trigger warning!:

some sceenes in this chapter part contains light graphical eliments and hints at light sexual moments.

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Season 2, Chapter 13, Part 4,

Below The Surface.


The girls ascend higher and higher in the ravine until they reach a platform near the ceiling. Stepping onto roots that curve along the ceiling, they form a bridge resembling scaffolding that is hanging from the dirt ceiling above.

Looking down at the ravine below, Lydia gulps nervously, her eyes shifting to the other girls. "It's a long way down," Fiola remarks, her voice tinged with apprehension. Lydia nods in agreement, her tone awkward. "It certainly is," she replies.

"Just try not to think about it," Nero advises from her perch on Mimosa's head.

"Easy for you to say; you've got wings," Lydia retorts, her nerves evident.

Mimosa halts, and the others follow suit as the groungord taps the bottom of his spear into the root beneath their feet. The crystal at the tip glows as he raises it high, revealing the earth opening above them. Tiny illuminated roots covered in a greasy-like slime substance emerge, filling the air with a subtle odor of earth and sour mold.

"I'm gonna feel sick. What is that, and why does it smell like that?" Lydia asks, her discomfort palpable.

"I'm not sure," Fiola replies. Suddenly, they hear the chief's voice behind them, and they turn to see him standing there.

"The plants are not working at optimal capacity," Magertz explains. "Whatever is draining the mana away is leaving faint traces, causing this reaction from the plants making the wied slie like substance. We need to constantly cleanse the waters to avoid getting sick, draining our already strained source of mana."

"Limited source?" Mimosa questions.

"We use magic differently down here. We have some amount of magic ourselves and use wands and tools embedded with crystals to manipulate the elements as needed," the Chief elaborates, conjuring a wand to demonstrate.

The girls realize the significance of their presence. "So, we're here to help replenish the mana, as well as clensing this slime off them," Mimosa deduces.

"Yes, and Arontzh here will show you how it's done," the Chief confirms, gesturing towards the one behind them.

As they begin their task, Lydia's mind wanders to the pressure she feels from her family. "There's this event my family hosts, and they want me to give a speech. It's been stressing me out," she confesses.

"You'll do great. If you need help practicing your speech, I'm here," Fiola offers reassuringly.

"Thank you. It means a lot," Lydia responds gratefully, and they continue their work.


Meanwhile, in the dungeon-like halls below the ravine, Haze, Asta, and Sky walk together for quite some time, descending far below the ravine's surface. The ground tilts greatly downwards as they follow the layout of the dungeon.

"You really didn't have to come, you know," Haze tells Sky. "Though, I am here, and so there," she retorts, and Asta looks between them and smiles. "Why don't we take it easy and see where this leads? No matter what lies ahead, I am certain we can handle it," Asta reassures them both as he keeps going.

"Wow, that is encouraging. You sure that you aren't scared as well?" Haze asks.

"What? No way!" Asta says back.

"You sure? I mean, we are heading into who knows what," Haze teases. "I wouldn't be scared no matter what!" Asta exclaims, and the teens begin to bicker, and a ways back, Millie is shivering as memories from the past and recent events clog her mind, going back and forth as a lump forms in her stomach, making it hard to breathe.

She takes a hand to the wall, remembering the safety and calm that Meir brought, and her mind continues ahead to her next contractor Mal, whom were forcefully holding her down with his chains as well as the chain around her neck. "Time to learn your place," Mal's cold words sting as a shiver goes down her spine as she sees him taking the red glowing iron from the fire-pit, and he leans in, and Millie looks up for a split second and away in fear as the red glowing iron comes closer until he stabs it into her eye, and she screams in pain.

Millie's memories surge forward, bringing forth images of Sara extending her hand in friendship, a gesture that Millie accepted. Her kind started treating her nicer for a while, but soon everything turned sour. It was all a ruse, and Millie realized she had played into their hands. She was forced to kill Sara, her only friend at the time, and Sara's dying eyes haunted Millie's thoughts.

("Millie, I promise to make you formidable, and I vow to never use the contract against you like Mal did or try to force you to kill,") she believed Thomson's words, but they were lies. Thomson did attempt to force her through the contract, and when she disobeyed, she was forced to the ground with the chain around her neck, enduring Thomson's brutal beating for disobeying the order to kill the person who killed his brother.

Her mind raced, recalling Asta extending his hand in friendship, the blow from the chef Magertz, and Asta's concern for her well-being. ("Why do I want to believe him when he is being kind to me? Why?") her mind pondered repeatedly before she shook her head. ("Be of use,") multiple voices echoes in her mind, sending a chill down her spine as she shook her head to dispel the feeling. ("I am thinking too deeply about this. No, I am being useful; that is all there is to it, so stop it already!") her mind screames, denying the kind gestures as her breath grow frantic and short.

She remembered the hazel brown-eyed boy, Meir, and the connection they had, and her thoughts returned to Asta extending his hand to her. ("Why do I wish for a connection like that?") she wondered as images of Meir flashed through her mind, and she clutched her crystalline brooch, trying to ground herself.

"Millie," she hears Sky say, and she is snapped out of it, and she looks into Sky's clear blue eyes. "Miss Sky, what do you need?" Millie asks calmly, and she sees that the guys are bickering some distance ahead. "Well, you were just lagging behind, so I told them that I would get you, so here I am," Sky explains, and the two start to slowly walk. "I apologize for making you concerned," Millie says softly.

"Nonsense, besides, getting a moment away from mister full of himself is a relief," Sky says in a grumbling voice as her eyes fall a bit, and Millie looks to her as the moment grows silent, and Millie looks ahead. "Miss Sky, what is on your mind?"

"What do you mean?" Sky asks a bit defensively.

"You did not tag along just for a dare, did you?" Millie softly asks.

"What if it is what I did?" Sky retorts.

"Oh, all right, then you are being very brave, miss," Millie softly utters. "However, if there is anything plaguing your heart, I am more than willing to listen," Millie reassures softly, and Sky looks off to the side.

"Well, I don't know. I just..." Sky mutters as her voice grows easy. "I feel like everyone is so much better than I am lately. I mean, Jim has his contraptions, and Dylan seems content with his drums and mining the shop, and Rebecca and Theresa seem so good at their job too. I guess I just..." Sky's mind trails off.

"Miss Sky, when you were learning how to use mana words, how did you feel then?" Millie asks.

"What does that have anything to do with it?" Sky asks, and Millie looks to her and keeps walking. "My apologies, Miss Sky, I had assumed that you had some level of enjoyment towards learning about it," Millie tells her.

"Well, I did. It was actually a lot of fun, as I got to use my head quite a bit," Sky replies while blushing a bit.

"Is there any way that you can work with that?" Millie asks.

"I don't know. I mean, what James is doing with the contraptions are kind of similar, but I am not sure if he would let me tinker with him," Sky replies.

"I see. What is the worst that can happen?" Millie asks.

"The worst? Humiliation, not daring to look them in the eye after," Sky says while blushing.

"I can be there with you if you wish me to, Miss Sky," Millie softly offers.

"N...no, it is not needed," Sky tells her.

"Miss Sky, you really do have a knack for it, making mana-words I mean, and putting them to use," Millie reassures Sky, whose eyes widen and looks to Millie with such openness and willingness to improve grows within her. Millie stops and looks around. "What is it?" Sky asks. "This part of the corridor is off," Millie utters.

"Huh, what do you mean?" Sky asks.

Millie looks around at the wall, and she touches it, and she walks a few steps while keeping her hand on the wall until it tilts inwards, and it crumbles apart a bit revealing a small cave-like pathway.

"Woah! I'll get the others," Sky tells her and runs ahead as the other two have gone quite far ahead.

Millie's eyes glow and she begins to walk, sending shielded bullets to the cave ceiling, causing it to collapse behind her. She puts up a shield above her head to avoid getting hit by the stones that fall as she passes.

She stops by a really old door made of stone, and her eyes stop glowing. Looking around, she creates a shielded orb next to her, infusing it greatly with mana until it begins to glow, providing light. Millie surveys the rubble behind her before turning ahead and seeing the door with ancient words inscribed within it. "I must have blacked out again," she softly mumbles to herself, sensing that Asta isn't too far away.

She pushes the heavy door, and it clearly rubs against the stone floor as she opens it. She slightly startles as she sees red eyes staring at her in the distance of the room, but she hides it well as she gulps and steps inside. She senses traces of mana flow around her before going in each direction, and several plates in the ceiling get lit by flames.

She sees a silhouette behind a big circular iron cage where the creature grins widely with its sharp teeth, standing up tall, clearly over 6 feet if not 7 feet tall. It has multiple horns sticking out all over its head in all crazy directions, with white hair equally crazy and wild, which goes down past its shoulders.

The devil chuckles, "My, would you look at that! In all these years, and the first thing I see is a nekomata, and not from just any family I am sensing, but that should be impossible," it mockingly laughs in delight. The black markings on its gray, paleish face are identical stick-like markings going around both its eyes.

Its tail is long, where at the end, the tail splits into four identical tips in a circle.

"Which family are you from, Cat? Oh wait, my bad. Which family did you get kicked out of?" The Devil's mocking tone rings out, dripping with amusement, as Millie approaches the imposing hexagon-shaped cage. Yet, Millie remains steadfastly silent, her demeanor unwavering even as the room fills with the flickering orange light of the flames. Her gaze fixates on the intricate runes etched into the floor of the cage, each iron pillar adorned with a mesmerizing cascade of symbols.

The iron pillars stand tall and imposing, their surfaces pulsating with an otherworldly glow. From each pillar, a web of runes unfolds like ethereal tendrils, weaving intricate patterns across the cold stone floor. The runes spread outwards in all directions, forming a mesmerizing carpet of arcane symbols that shimmer in the dim light of the cavern.

As one follows the intricate lines of the runes, they ascend the cavern walls with an almost hypnotic grace, casting eerie shadows that dance across the rough stone surface. The runes seem to pulse with latent power as they climb higher and higher, disappearing into the darkness above.

Millie's gaze shifts from the runes to meet the narrowed eyes of the Devil, his tone heavy with command. "What, not gonna answer?" he demands, his voice cutting through the tense silence. Millie remains silent, like a shield against his probing.

The Devil crouches down, his gaze drawn to the bell adorning the collar around Millie's neck. "Hmm," he muses, a smirk playing on his lips, "it has been tainted, but that bell is undoubtedly made by a Millenty." His chuckle echoes off the cavern walls, a sinister sound that sends shivers down Millie's spine.

She takes a calm deep breath before she speaks in her softest and calmest voice "You cannot be the one behind the village losing its mana, sir?" she inquires kindly. The Devil breathes heavily, his response dripping with arrogance. "Does it matter? It's not like you can do anything about it."

Undeterred, Millie maintains her gentle demeanor, her confusion evident in her expression. "Then telling me wouldn't pose a threat, would it, sir?" she presses, her gaze unwavering. The Devil scratches his chin with clawed hands, his form cloaked in the familiar black ooze associated with his kind.

A laugh escapes the Devil's lips. "I suppose it wouldn't," he admits, a sly smile playing on his face. Millie's attention returns to the runes around her, her mind racing with thoughts. "It shouldn't be possible," she murmurs softly to herself. The Devil interrupts her contemplation with a condescending tone. "Oh, you know how to read something this old," he scoffs. "I must say, it is impressive. These runes hail from an era so ancient, even the oldest nekomata would seem young in comparison to the passage of time since their creation." His words drip with disdain, belittling Millie's intellect.

unfazed by the Devil's condescending demeanor, Millie, focuses her attention on the subtle manipulation of the runes. With a gentle closing of her eyes, she channels her mana, sending out a delicate wave that reveals a layer of mana-words hovering above the intricate symbols engraved in the stone and iron. These ethereal glyphs, previously hidden from sight, twist and writhe in response to her probing magic, exposing the subtle alterations made by the Devil.

She walks alongside a strand of runes, her understanding begins to unravel the Devil's intricate scheme.

The Devil, still crouched in the cage, chuckles at her discovery. "My, you could sense my little project. How fascinating," he remarks with amusement.

Millie offers genuine admiration, acknowledging the Devil's cunning. "This is clever, sir, very clever, even genius," she compliments, her voice carrying a note of respect as she begins to piece together his plan.

The Devil responds with a self-satisfied chuckle, reveling in the praise. "Keep flattering me like that, and I might even blush," he quips arrogantly.

Millie turns towards the Devil, her expression inscrutable as she silently approaches the cage. Meeting his gaze with unwavering determination, she allows him to scrutinize her. "Tell me, what is going through your mind right now?" he probes, eyeing her up and down with curiosity.

"I am confused, sir. I can tell from the mana words that they have been altered to gather mana at certain times and slowly weaken the seal instead of strengthening it, but the confusing bit is how? I mean, the cage should keep any of your mana from leaking out at all, so how did you manage it?" she asks curiously, her voice tinged with intrigue.

The Devil's smile widens, his confidence apparent as he leans back slightly. "Why don't you join my side, and I'll show you," he offers with a smug smile.

"Your side, sir?" she gently asks for clarification.

He smirks in response. "Your soul is clearly scorched, even from within the cage. You must oppose this world as well," he explains, his words carrying a persuasive undertone.

"I am confused, sir. I already have a contractor," Millie explains, her tone indicating her uncertainty.

"That can be easily changed, especially if they are human," he reassures, his words dripping with persuasion.

Millie considers his proposition carefully, then slowly extends her hand into the cage. As the Devil moves to snatch her arm, she jerks it back, and the cage is conjuring a force field of swirling red and purple energy within the cage. The Devil winces as his knuckles are burned, but quickly hides his discomfort behind a facade of disdain.

Observing Millie's composed demeanor, the Devil muses to himself, ("What is with this one? No matter, she hasn't declined my offer completely yet.") He then turns his attention back to her. "You must have been able to break free from a contract before. Why not do it again and fulfill your true purpose of which you were made for?" he suggests, planting seeds of doubt in her mind.

"Made for?" she gently asks, her curiosity piqued.

The Devil chuckles softly. "My, the things they fail to teach, or has it just been that long that no one remembers? One tends to lose track living between realms for so long," he muses cryptically.

Millie's gaze drifts to the center of the cage, where a stone slab lies adorned with green and purple letters, emanating unpleasant mana. "To think that the Nekomata's true purpose for even existing is forgotten, it is such a shame," he explains.

''True purpose, I believe you must be confused, sir,'' Millie utters, but the devil only chuckles. ''Tell me, how long ago was it since you disobeyed?'' he asks. ''203 years ago, sir,'' she softly replies and the devil immediately narrows his eyes, not believing her. However, Millie remains silent and hard to read.

They hear a slight banging sound, and Millie turns her head. ''Oh, what might that be?'' he asks. ''It is my master heading this way. It will take a moment for him to dig through,'' she softly explains. With that, she transforms into her cat form and jumps at the iron pillars of the cage, her claws digging in as she climbs to the top. From this vantage point, she gets a better look at the stone slab on the floor in the center of the cage.

''That is a portal to a place between realms. What have you done to it?'' she softly asks.

''Done to it? What makes you think that?'' he asks, his gaze flickering to her twin tails. ''You weren't kidding; you truly have survived the transition to a two-tailed,'' he comments, but Millie remains fixated on the stone slab. The devil, frustrated, attempts to punch the iron cage, only to be repelled by the force field inside. Millie gracefully takes flight, inspecting the runes before returning to settle in front of the cage.

''You are annoying in a certain infuriating way,'' he grumbles as the banging of rocks grows louder. ''Tell me, how is that, Sir?'' Millie softly asks. The devil's eyes widen in surprise at her defiance. ''You don't act the way you should in my presence. But not to worry, once I get out of here, I will teach you,'' he threatens with a chilling tone.

Millie's lips curve into a slight smile. ''What is with the smile, you insolent cur?'' he demands. ''You are so predictable, sir. You'll do anything to bend situations to your will, and when it fails, you lash out.'' Millie pauses, taking a breath before continuing, her voice devoid of any kindness. ''It is pathetic, how easily your fragile ego is shaken by someone like me,'' she retorts. Her words sends a cold shiver down the devil's spine, leaving him momentarily stunned as he grits his teeth in frustration.

As he attempts to punch the iron cage once more, his hand is burned again. The banging of Asta digging grows louder, and Millie can faintly hear his loud voice. ''Listen here, you twat! I will force you to my will, and I'll make you kill anything that means anything to you!'' he yells, taking a step back. He crouches down and places his hand on the stone floor. Millie carefully observes as his dark purple mana changes to yellow, flowing towards the cage. She watches as the mana words on top of the runes increase in power, glowing brightly, and mana streams towards her.

''That's right, just stand there and let me take you,'' he taunts as the mana reaches for her. Millie swiftly erects a shield around herself. ''DIE!'' the devil yells, just as the door bursts open with rocks flying everywhere, distracting him.

''So, that's how you do it. Using mana-words, you forcibly change your mana signature. But judging from your struggle, it takes a significant amount of magic to pull off,'' Millie softly explains as the dust settles and the group can gather their surroundings and Asta notice what is behind the cage Asta becomes defensive. ''What the hell is going on? What is a devil doing here?'' Asta demands, bewildered.

''A devil?'' Haze utters.

''But he looks nothing like Liebe; he is ugly, and Liebe is cute,'' Sky comments. ''Who are you calling cute?'' Liebe asks, glaring at Sky from astas shoulder.

''You heard me. I mean, you are tiny and all that,'' Sky says nonchalantly, approaching Millie.

''My, look at this band of misfits, and you are calling me pathetic,'' the devil mocks, regaining his composure.

''I am uncertain what your end goal with the gate within your cage is, but I will stop it. You can be sure of that,'' Millie warns, her kindness returned to her voice.

''That's right. If you're behind all of this, then you are done for!'' Asta declares defiantly

but the devil ignores him as he narrows his eyes un-amused-ly, his gaze fixed on Millie as she crouches down to take a better look at the cage.

''In order to stop this, we will have to open the cage and defeat him. Otherwise, the cycle he has initiated over the runes will continue to grow until it becomes a permanent cycle, putting the residents of the village to sleep repeatedly in order to steal their mana, while slowly weakening the seal on the cage,'' Millie explains.

''And by letting me loose, you will all die,'' the devil threatens with a delighted grin, his voice dripping with malice as he chuckles.

''We will see about that!'' Asta retorts.

Millie lifts her gaze to the stone slab in the middle of the room, then glances behind herself at the three teens. Asta seems eager for the encounter, drawing strength from his previous triumphs. However, Millie notices Sky's unease, evident in her widened eyes and hesitant stance. Haze, too, appears shaken.

''It will be all right,'' Millie softly reassures, hoping to instill some courage in the teens which puts Sky a bit at ease but Haze is still uncertain although he hides it well.

''That is Right Millie it will be just fine, and if stopping what is putting so many people in distress means to end this guy, then that is fine with me!'' Asta exclaims, his determination evident. He looks to Millie. ''Let's go, Millie. Let us get this thing open,'' he tells her, his confidence bolstering her resolve.

''Right, master. Just be ready, sir,'' she softly utters, sending her mana over the words and interacting with the runic spell. Meanwhile, Asta pulls out his sword, preparing to unleash his devil union form. Millie pours a vast amount of mana into the runes, gathering more within her mouth as she pushes more and more energy into the runic symbols until they break with a resounding crash. The cage is sent flying to the other side of the room, and the devil charges straight for Asta.

However, before the devil can reach him, Millie lifts her head and unleashes a beam of pure mana, hurtling the devil into the wall on the opposite end of the room. A static sensation fills her surroundings as black swirls of antimagic fill the air surrounding Asta.

''Thanks, Millie, that was awesome,'' Asta says, bending his knees before he jumps up high and takes to his black wings in his dark form.

As Asta propels himself forward, aiming for the devil still on the cave wall, the flickering light from the flames casts eerie shadows in the room. He closes in on the devil and swings his blade, but his attack is interrupted as a boulder is flung from below, forcing him to deal with it swiftly. However, before he can fully focus on the devil again, a foot collides with his face, sending him flying backward.

As Asta struggles to regain his bearings, he sees the devil flying after him, ready to deliver a devastating punch. In a desperate move, Asta slashes through the devil's arm, causing it to fall and blood to gush out. However, the devil remains unfazed, swinging with his second arm. Asta raises his own arm to defend, but before he can react, he feels a searing pain in his shoulder as the devil's previously severed arm pierces through it.

''What the hell!'' Asta cries out in agony, his vision blurring from the pain as the blood from the devil's arm enters his wound, inflicting internal damage.

''Asta, be careful!'' Millie yells, taking to her wings. Asta swings his blade as the devil continues to pursue him, but the devil lets his second arm get cut off. Millie sweeps in from the side, kicking the devil in the face and sending him flying across the room. She quickly puts up a shield around Asta, who reaches around and, gritting through his teeth, removes the devil's arm from his shoulder and tosses it out of Millie's shield.

''Master, are you all right?'' Millie softly asks, concern leaking through her calm exterior. ''Yeah, I'm good,'' he replies, examining the wound as a purple and greenish ooze works into it. ''Destroyer,'' he says, taking out his Destroyer sword and pressing it against his shoulder to draw out the magic.

Millie sharply looks around the room and sees the devil headed for the teens on the floor. Sky yelps in fear as Haze steps in front, but the devil's menacing laugh freezes Haze in his tracks, too scared to pull out his grimoire. As the devil charges toward them at full speed, he crashes into the shield that Millie made.

Narrowing her eyes, Millie brings out her purple spear while Asta gets his bearings and observes the devil on the floor with his severed arms. ''What's with his Ki? It's all over the place all of a sudden!'' Asta tells Millie. ''I know, Master Asta, but the real one is there!'' she softly shouts, throwing the spear at the wall. The rock shape-shifts narrowly avoiding her spear, with a cut to his left thorax.

''My, how can you be sure I am real?'' the devil asks as rocks around the room turn into copies of him. ''Because that spear is especially deadly, and it was aimed at your heart. If it wasn't the real you, you would have just let it hit you, as the damage means nothing to your physical copies, which you can clearly manipulate independent of being attached to them,'' Millie explains.

''Nothing gets past you, does it, little thrall?'' the devil says, annoyed. ''Master, pay attention to him and try to focus on his Ki, and try to spot the difference,'' she softly instructs Asta.

''Right, I will.''

''And do be careful; his copies are different from this world's duplication magic. He is able to summon physical actual beings of himself,'' she explains.

'Yeah, I noticed. It's deadly too,'' Asta says, noting how the limbs move separately from the copies' bodies.

''Meanwhile, I will try to close the gate, Master Asta,'' Millie tells him softly. ''Oh, right,'' Asta replies, with no objections. ''Right, here they come,'' she says, as a plethora of copies of the devil flies toward them.

Millie expands her shield and lets herself fall down, summoning her shield and bashing through the ones coming close, sending shielded bullets that they simply laugh at. ''That doesn't do anything,'' they laugh, going for her, while the rest head for Asta. As soon as Millie lands and gets inside the shield with Sky and Haze, the room shakes as the battle above their heads ensues.

Millie looks at the two. ''Right, I will have to go inside the portal to close it from within, meaning the two of you will have to back Asta up, Sor Haze, Miss Sky,'' Millie explains. ''Us two? Are you insane?'' Sky protests.

''Yes, you can. Right now, Asta is severely outnumbered, and if we are to be successful, we will need your help.''

''But what can I do? I mean, all I have are images that barely have a trace of mana in them,'' Sky says, worried.

''Exactly, and if Haze makes a big enough smoke screen, it will be plenty to throw the devil off, to create some confusion and buy Asta and me some time.''

''Hold up, since when did I agree to your little plan?'' Haze retorts.

''My apologies, Sir Haze. Did you have a better plan to give aid?'' Millie asks.

''No, it is just... while you are inside the portal, how can you be certain that me and Sky will be safe?'' Haze expresses his concern.

''I have a plan for that, sir. So, if you could please make a smokescreen from mist,'' she respectfully asks. ''I will show you,'' Millie clarifies, and so Haze obliges, doing as asked.

''Won't this work against Asta too, though?'' Haze asks. ''Not with his Ki reading abilities,'' Millie explains, touching her bell, and a big crystalline heart emerges. She touches it, sending mana words to the heart. ''Right, now I have told it to give signals all over the cave, so the devil cannot pinpoint this one,'' she explains, then retrieves a stopwatch from her bell, placing it next to the slab.

''Now, Sky, this is very important. You have to create images of Asta as rapidly and as many as you can, filling the fog with them. As soon as the color of the mana from the portal changes, I want you to create as many mana words as you can, as quickly as you can, and send them into the portal, all right, Miss?'' Millie hastens, her voice soft but urgent.

''What will that do?'' Sky asks.

''It will delay the closing of the portal, and if I am not back until the timer runs out, stop sending words into it at once,'' Millie explains.

''No, I can't do that. Your life will be in my hands; I can't,'' Sky pleads. Millie grabs Sky's hand. ''Sky, you managed to outwit an entire village with your wits and illusions alone. If anyone can do it, it's you,'' Millie reassures, her voice gentle yet firm. Sky's eyes soften, slightly smiling at her previous accomplishments.

''But this is different. This time, there's no time to plan,'' Sky argues. ''Miss Sky, my magnificent Sky, listen to me, all right?'' Millie asks, her voice filled with encouragement. Sky locks eyes with Millie. ''The plan is set, and for it to work, we need you to be magnificent for 9 minutes. Nine minutes, Sky, that's all we ask of you right now. So please, Sky, be the girl I know you are.''

''But I'm not,'' Sky says.

"Yes, you are, Sky. You are headstrong and braver than anyone else ever knows," Millie asserts softly.

"No, I'm scared half the time."

"Exactly, and you still managed to push through your fears, Sky. That's exactly the kind of bravery we need right now," Millie softly remarks.

Sky holds back her tears upon realizing how attentive Millie has been to see and acknowledge what Sky is really like past her exterior.

"Right, I will do it," she says and wipes her tears away as a surge of bravery fills her up.

"Great, thank you, Miss," Millie softly replies as Sky begins to create illusions in the mist above, and Millie starts the countdown before jumping through the portal.

Meanwhile, the devil's copies look around, bewildered. ''What is all this?'' the devil says, annoyed. Asta manages to fend off one of them, swiftly cutting it down. After draining the magic out of the copy using the Demon Destroyer, it falls to the ground.

Asta looks around and smiles at the copies of himself in the mist. ''Aw yeah, finally,'' he says, using his Ki to locate another copy and swiftly heading towards it. With a powerful strike from his slayer-sword, he cuts down the copy before stabbing the Destroyer-sword into the devil's back, causing the copy to fade away.

He locates another and keeps going, determined to eliminate every copy he can find.

Meanwhile, Millie flies through a dark space filled with yellow and green snake-like energy that flows past her. She feels her mana behaving strangely for a moment as she heads into the blackness ahead.

After a moment, the space opens up, and the red brick floor comes into view, rapidly approaching. Millie unfolds her wings and slows down her descent greatly. Looking around, she sees a stone structure rising from the floor, resembling a well but lacking the typical features like a bucket, crane, or rope. She flies over to investigate, noticing huge, slimy creatures writhing below. A shiver runs down her spine. ''I strongly dislike slimy crawlies,'' she mutters, shaking her head before descending further.

As Millie flies down the pipe and reaches the space below, she observes the other side of the realm between worlds they are in. She notices that the gate has been tainted, similar to the one above her. Silently, she descends to avoid attracting the attention of the slithering worms below. Suddenly, she spins away from a black orb hurtling towards her, which crashes into the red brick wall, some distance behind her. She quickly guards herself against the devil's fist colliding with hers, causing her to stagger back as the devil laughs.

("What is this? It's like an exact copy of the one on top, except...") her mind wonders as the devil smirks. Millie pushes herself off, noticing the devil creating more copies of himself.

("And he is calling me a pain,") Millie thinks to herself, putting up a shield as the devil chuckles. "There's no one to make a smoke screen like on the topside," the devil mocks, continuing to attack her with menacing magic while his copies unleash black orbs towards her.

As Millie continues to evade the relentless assault of the devil's copies and their black orbs, a serpent lunges for her as she's knocked to the floor by one of the orbs. Quickly, she rolls out of harm's way, her mind racing with strategies.

(''Cutting him won't work; he'll just manipulate the pieces to his advantage. Maybe burning them... No, it's still my trump card. Using it recklessly will eliminate my element of surprise. Besides, if I lose control, the plan will go south quickly,'') Millie's mind wonders, her thoughts racing as she dodges the hoard of copies and their black orbs, while also keeping away from the giant serpents which hisses and shoot venom for her.

As Asta continues to battle the devil's copies, he notices that more and more of them keep appearing, overwhelming his efforts. The room shakes, prompting Haze to look at Sky, who is diligently creating more illusions.

''Wait, Millie never gave us a way to defend ourselves. If just one of the copies finds us, then we're toast,'' Haze voices his concern.

''Shut up! You gave your word not to say anything. Now be quiet. I believe in Millie, and I know she would not leave us down here without a strategy of defense,'' Sky asserts firmly.

''But—'' Haze tries to interject.

''Keep to your word and shut up for once. It's that simple,'' Sky snaps at him, her patience wearing thin. Haze lets out a sigh and produces more mist.

''There!'' the devil's copy yells, sending a black orb their way. However, the crystal heart above their heads spins faster, glowing and shooting off a white beam of pure magic that blasts the orb to bits before it can hit.

As Asta braces for another attack, he ponders Liebe's words. "I suppose we'll have to keep going until we find the one with the cut that Millie made earlier," Asta says, contemplating their next move.

"Unless he healed that already, and he's most likely hiding the furthest away, the sleazeball," Liebe chimes in, his voice echoing within Asta's mind.

"Good point," Asta acknowledges, preparing himself for whatever comes next. With determination in his eyes, he readies his swords, ready to face the devil and his copies head-on.

Amidst the chaos of the chamber, Millie takes a deep breath before evading another barrage of attacks. The devil's taunts cut deep, stirring conflicting emotions within her. "Hahaha, playing with you is fun. Oh, you are better than I initially thought. Yes, you will be the perfect tool to have by my side once I am done killing your master," he jeers with malicious delight. Millie lets off a slight hiss and growl, immediately blushing at her own reaction. Thoughts of Meir, Casimir, and Sara flood her mind before Asta's image emerges, extending his hand to her. Millie shakes her head vigorously, trying to dispel the distraction.

"Never mind that. You have a plan; now go for it," she scolds herself, refocusing her attention. As a barrage of orbs heads her way, Millie spots a serpent ready to swallow her whole. "I need a sword, any sword," her mind screams. She instinctively touches her bell, summoning a blade that she swiftly uses to slice the serpent's head in two in order to pass it.

"Oh, so you can do more than defend. Come, let me see," the devil taunts. Millie gazes at the sword in her hand. "Feather blade," she softly mumbles, reminiscing about the weapon Thomson crafted for her – a blade designed to combine their powers, meant for teamwork. She recalls the day she rejected Thomson's order, haunted by the memories of the battle that ensued and the man who ended Thomson's brother's life. "The day I told him no," she utters softly, dodging more serpents and black orbs. "I told him no, and I was beaten severely for it," she softly mutters.

As a plethora of devil copies closes in on her, Asta's words echo in her mind: "Together!" Millie feels a surge of nerves but quickly suppresses them. "Not now, nerves. Knock it off. You're in battle. Only one thing matters, and that's to win!" her mind screams. With resolve, she touches her bell, and the feather blade goes back inside and she brings out the moon blade.

''allright I have an idea I just need to time this correctly, and time is what I have little of at the moment'' she thinks to her self and Sky, at the surface by the portal, looks at the time ''no only 3 minutes left and the portal hasn't changed colour'' Sky says worried.

''Focus Sky'' Haze tells her and she gulps keeping an eye more closely at the watch as it ticks down and down for every second.

Asta closes his eyes and focuses, sensing the room around him. "Our union is soon coming undone. We need to locate the real one right now," he thinks to himself, dealing with the approaching copies using muscle memory and his Ki. "The furthest one away," he determines, pressing forward.

Meanwhile, below, the devil blasts away the serpents as Millie flies among them. Ascending high, she faces the approaching copies, eyeing her moon blade. "Half-descending moon, huh," she silently utters, taking a deep breath. Loosing speed, she forms a large shield around herself, cutting into her skin with the sword and smearing blood on its edge. With a release of air, she falls through the wall of devil copies below.

Spinning the cog on her belt until it turns white, she unleashes an abundance of magic. "My, taking things seriously now, are we?" the devil taunts as she's knocked into his copies. They grab hold of her, twisting and shooting shielded orbs to free herself, but he smiles, embedding mana words into her skin. She yelps in pain as they hold her tightly, descending and pummeling her into the brick floor, knocking the air out of her lungs her vision blurs as her body is burning.

The devil calls off all but two of his clones, approaching her as two copies hold her firmly against the icy floor. "My, you must have been really naughty to get yourself a hold of that much power. Sadly, no one taught you that no amount of power matters unless you know how to use it," he laughs, standing over her. Crouching down and sitting on her stomach, he sneers, "Oh, but with your genes and magic, you will do nicely for what I have planned for you," he chuckles sinisterly.

The devil revels in his triumph, cupping Millie's cheeks together as he gazes at her. "Not that I am big on sullying myself, but it seems I have no other choice if I wish to conquer the topside. It will take some time, but..." he trails off, slapping her cheek hard, leaving a red mark. "You are at least pretty to look at. Oh, you will do just fine for making my army," he tells her.

Millie, struggling to breathe under his weight, questions, "Army? What are you talking about?"

"For breeding, of course. Creatures like you can produce up to 5-6 each litter, and with the help of forbidden magic, we can double it," he replies casually with sinister amusement.

"That won't work. Breeding between species doesn't—"

"Oh, but it does, my dear. For your kind, anyways. Another little perk stemming from your species' origin. Sadly, your kind decided to forsake your creators. A pity, but what else is there to expect from the ones sharing a devil's blood?" he explains, slapping her again when she denies it.

"Deny it all you want, princess," he sneers, cupping her chin. "Your mother is the head of your kind, like a queen bee, and you are her princes and princesses, meant to serve the head and the head is made to serve us, and this world," he laughs, glancing at Millie's throat.

"That isn't true," she protests, gasping as he grabs her throat.

"Do not worry, I will be semi-nice. After all, you have a lot of work to do for me," he says, squeezing the air out of her, and she tries to grab his hands, but his copies hold her firmly. He chuckles as she struggles, tightening his grip, making it hard for her to breathe.

Millie struggles against the invading darkness, feeling her consciousness slipping away as the devil's influence takes hold. Her vision blurs, her thoughts becoming hazy from both the lack of oxygen and the intrusion into her mind.

Meanwhile, Asta cuts his way through the barrage of copies, his determination unyielding. He charges forward, slamming into the rock wall. With a yelp of pain, the devil transforms from stone to his true form. "How did you..." the devil begins, interrupted as Asta's Dweller Sword is lodged into the devil's shoulder.

"It took me longer than expected, but I found you eventually," Asta declares, his resolve unwavering, and the devil grits through his teeth as boulders are sent towards Asta. Using his Slayer Sword, he cuts them down, and the devil slips away. Asta turns to him and flies, "Not so fast," Asta yells, and Haze is panting heavily. "I have been continuously sending a vast amount of mist. I am running low," Haze says. "Same here," Sky replies, and she sees the mist getting looser. "There, look," Sky says and points, and Haze looks. "You think that is the real one?" Haze asks.

"Well, he is trying to shake Asta off too hard for it not to be," Sky says.

"Good point, let us give him some aid then," Haze says and clears his throat. "Mist magic, mist bullets," he says and sends an array of them around Asta, forcing the closest ones to back off and shoots down the boulders. "Thanks, guys!" Asta yells ("just a minute left"), he and Liebe think simultaneously, and Sky looks at the watch. "Only a minute left," she utters, but she senses a big decrease in the Devil's magic, and she looks up to see Asta lunging his Slayer-sword into the Devil. The devil holds against him and he shoves his hand into Asta's guts, and he coughs up blood, but he keeps his swing true and cuts through the devil's heart, and he falls down.

At the exact same time, Millie sees the devil above her eye twitch, and she can sense his soul weakening. "That little runt," he angrily says, squeezing harder against Millie's throat. She flails and presses her hands against his chest to push him off as he pushes further against her. "Better get used to this, peon!" he threatens. "Why are you so hard to possess? It should be easy; you have a scorched soul," he angrily states. He stops and looks down to see the tip of a red sword going out of his chest. He suddenly feels mana behind him, and the blade gets surrounded by white flames. He turns behind him. "This sword, but how, how can someone like you even hold it?" he says and looks behind himself. "A-a copy," he utters as he loses grip on Millie's throat, and she heaves for air.

"That is right; you were so focused on the real me you couldn't sense the fake me, which I had hiding in the mana that I left hanging around this place before your clones grabbed me,'' she explains.

"Wait, that means you planned for this," he says in disbelief, remembering the intense wave of magic she had sent out just moments ago.

"That's right, I didn't give her much. Just enough to be easy to hide, and I let you grab me so you would focus only on me. And once you were done for, I can do this," she says, her clone-made mana wards sent down to Millie to undo the mana suppression spell on her wrists. Once that is done, the clone's mana intensifies, and the flames burn away the rest of the devil. "You twat, you were waiting for the right moment."

"Exactly, I trusted that my master would be able to end you in time with the help of his friends," Millie says, wiggling out of his grasp and looks at the devil as he burns away, and the moon-blade falls to the floor as her clone disappears.

Millie gasps and coughs for air before looking around the room, and she sees the greenish magic go away from the portal, and she runs over to it.

Above, Sky sees the same happening to that portal as well, and she immediately crouches down and fills in words.

"Right, Millie, hurry up; you have 40 seconds left," Sky says worriedly as she fills in more and more words.

Millie waddles shakingly over to the portal, and she looks at it. "Okay, you do not have much time; try to figure out how to reverse this," she tells herself, seeing the mana words around the gaping purple glowing hole.

She makes her mana words and fills them in, and slowly the effects are getting reversed, and the hole begins to shrink slowly. "There we go," she softly utters, and once the hole is closed, she looks up, and she gets to her wings, and she feels shaken, and she falls back down. "I overdid the moonblade again," she utters and shakes it off. "No, I promised Sky that I would make it so come on," she tells herself and gets to her wings and flies. Meanwhile, Sky looks at the time. "Five seconds, Come on, Millie," She says loudly, and Haze and Sky hear a thud, and Haze lifts up the fog to See Asta and Liebe laying there on the ground panting heavily.

"Meanwhile, Millie arrives at the upper level of the realm, and she heads to the portal above. "I won't make it," she utters flying with all her might with 3 seconds left. "Damn, I will regret this," she grits through her teeth softly and touches her bell.

On the surface Ring, Ring, Ring the clock rings, and Haze looks at Sky. "Sky, you are supposed to stop now. Millie said it was important." "No, she said she would make it, damn it."

"Yes, but-"

"No, I won't stop; she hasn't returned yet," and Haze pushes her off. "She told you to stop," he says, and the portal closes, and Sky screams as tears run down her face. "No! MILLIE! NOOOO!" she shouts.

Asta sits up carefully holding his stomach. "What is going on?" he asks.

"Why did you do that? Now Millie is gone forever now!" Sky shouts.

"Huh, what do you two mean?" Asta asks, looking at both teens, and he sees the portal is gone. "Oh no," he says, his vision blurry, and he hears a thud, and everyone turns their gaze, and they see Millie standing up on wobbly feet. Sky runs over, and Asta smiles relieved and lies back down not to move too much.

"Sky, what is wrong? Why are you crying?" Millie asks, trying to get to Sky without falling over her own feet. "I thought I lost you, of course, what else, you silly?"

"You would-" Millie utters as Sky hugs her ("she would shed tears for... Me?"). "Why would you cry for me?" Millie asks.

"Why wouldn't I? You are my best friend," Sky says, hugging Millie. "F-friend," Millie utters as Sky hugs her tighter for a moment before she lets go, drying her tears, and Millie sees Asta lying on the floor. With wobbly feet, she runs over. "Master Asta, Sir Liebe, I will heal you right away," she reassures.

''Why wouldn't I? You are my best friend,'' Sky says, hugging Millie. ''F-friend,'' Millie utters as Sky hugs her tighter for a moment before she lets go, drying her tears. Millie sees Asta lying on the floor, and with wobbly feet, she runs over. ''Master Asta, Sir Liebe, I will heal you right away,'' she reassures, holding her hands over Asta and Liebe on each side of her. ''Life shield magic, shielded healing,'' she utters, and a shield forms around both Asta and Liebe as the spell begins to heal them both. ''You are all right, that is good to see, but I get the sense you used that sword again,'' Asta utters as Sky and Haze walk up to them.

''The sword?'' Sky asks, looking at Millie as she is growing paler by the second. ''Is it what made you pale the last time?'' Sky asks.

''Your Ki is weakening like the last time as well,'' Asta tells her with tired breath. ''It is nothing compared to your injuries, Master. I apologize for not getting back in time,'' she softly and sincerely says, looking Asta in the eye, and she turns her gaze to Liebe. ''I apologize to the both of you,'' she says, and Liebe looks away. She flinches as Asta brings up his hand. ''You seem to be hurt too,'' Asta utters quietly, and Liebe looks to where Asta's finger is headed towards Millie's cheek. Millie's hands twitch as she pulls her head away, rejecting his touch. ''It is just a scratch, Master; we should get the two of you patched up,'' she says and looks to Sky crouching next to them, looking at Millie concerned.

''Sky, you were brilliant, brilliantly extraordinary, and you too, Haze,'' Millie says and turns her gaze to the teen who seems in shock at Asta's injuries fighting the devil. He is brought out of his thoughts. ''What is wrong? You seem paler than Millie at the moment,'' Sky asks as Haze is so silent. ''It is just much to take in, not that you would understand, miss tomato head,'' he retorts. ''Oh, and he is back to his old rhetoric is he?'' Sky hisses back and stands up, getting up to Haze. ''Now that you are back, you can go back to fixing your attitude,'' Sky tells him.

''My attitude doesn't need fixing; you just need to stop being so easily made red with anger,'' he tells her and pushes her shoulder, causing her to step back, and Asta has to take his head away. ''Hey, I am lying being injured here,'' Asta warns, and Sky is reminded and looks behind her. ''Oh, sorry, I forgot.''

''See, I told you; you even forget what is around you.''

''Why, you punky ass,'' Sky retorts, and they begin to bicker again. ''Hey, you both can stand to take it easy,'' Asta tells them, and the three begins to bicker. Millie lets out a genuine smile (''their warmth, it is so...'') Millie thinks to herself before she undoes her spell, and Asta looks at her. ''I have done what I can, luckily the wound wasn't too deep,'' Millie says and transforms into her cat form. Asta looks to her. ''Huh, oh, that's great,'' Asta tells her, and he sits up. Liebe does the same before turning into his small form and flying up to Asta's shoulder. Millie jumps up to his left shoulder, trying not to faint, and Asta looks to her in her cat forms (''her Ki is weaker than the last time, how is she not-'' he wonders as Millie faints. ''And there we go,'' he thinks to himself, with an easy smile coming to his face.

''Let us head back, shall we?'' he says and gets up to his feet. ''Huh, oh right, I guess,'' Sky says, and the teens begin to walk. Millie jolts up on Asta's shoulder. ''Not yet, Master,'' she says and jumps down. She falls over and shakes off her dizziness.

''What do you mean? We defeated the culprit,'' Sky says, walking next to Millie, who crawls over to the stone slab. She finds where the iron bars are supposed to go and looks around the room to find the cage. Using her white-tinted mana, she floats it back and places them correctly into its sockets. Millie takes a deep breath and focuses. ''All right, now what?'' Sky asks.

''Even though we defeated the evil this time, this space is clearly made to guard against one of this world's weak spots, which has been entrusted to the groundords a long time ago as their magic would not get affected by the spell put on the cage,'' Millie explains and tells Sky what she had learned earlier.

''Wait, is it supposed to drain natural mana? How does that make sense? I mean, we were sent down here to stop that,'' Sky says.

''True, because the devil managed to make it go into overdrive during the night when people are asleep so no one would be alerted to it. He tweaked it so it would slowly weaken instead of strengthening the spell, but now the spell won't be greedy anymore,'' Millie explains, making mana-words and laying them into the runes running through the massive cave.

Once she is done, she looks around and gives an approving nod before she falls over again. ''You know how to push it,'' Sky says and goes to pick up Millie in her cat form. ''Now we can go, right?'' Haze asks, and Asta nods. ''I believe so,'' Asta replies, and the group goes back to the dungeon. They head back and up several levels, and once they reach the big circular green door, they all scratch their heads. ''Uh, do we knock?'' Haze asks.

"Not sure," Sky replies, still holding Millie. Asta moves over to the door and knocks loudly, yelling, "HEY! WE DEFEATED THE BAD GUY, SO TIME TO GET THESE DOORS OPEN!" His voice carries through the corridors and resonates loudly, and they all wait a moment. "Uh... did that work?" Haze asks. "Huh," Asta says, taking a step back. "I sense someone's Ki," he says, and a moment later, the door opens with the stones moving away in a swirl. They see groundgords looking at them, and they see the rest of the group. Mimosa rushes up and hugs Asta. "Oh, you are all okay, thank goodness. We were so worried when the ground was shaking and everything."

"Yeah, it is a long story," Asta replies, noticing the girls' appearances. "Wait, why are you girls covered in goo!" Asta exclaims upon realizing. "Oh, that," Mimosa says, letting go and looking all over herself and at the two girls behind her. "Well, it is quite the story as well," she replies, looking at Nero on her head, which flaps her wings and flies over, landing on Asta's head.

The group heads on up as they are led into the chef's room again. "You have all done admirably, I must indeed say. Please let us repay you with a meal at least, and those helping to clean the plants are welcome to use the bath. The plants and the earth are heavier already," the chef says, and the girls sigh relieved. "Yes, gladly, I would love a soak," Fiola utters.

"Same here," Lydia replies, and Nero blushes on Asta's head.

The group is led to a different part of the undergrounds where food is lined up, and the girls head on further to the bath area to clean off.

Millie is laid on a pillow to rest.

And Asta tenses up, feeling sharp pains all over ''Damn it I am hurting everywhere'' he says, looking around. "And Mimosa isn't here," he says frantically before a bubble forms around him. "Life shield magic shielded healing," Millie mumbles and performs the spell while half asleep. "Oh, thanks Millie. The pain is already going away," Asta replies and looks around, noticing things being rather quiet. He lays down on the floor and relaxes a bit as well.

Later, the group gathers in the room and indulges in the meal together, chatting amongst themselves.

Millie mostly ignores the conversation focusing on healing while the group tell each other on what happened on each end.

After a while, Mimosa clears her throat. "Well, I suppose it is time for us to be going now," she interjects. "Good thinking, it will be nice to finally get above ground again," Fiola adds. "I second that," Lydia says and drinks her water. The door opens, and everyone turns their attention to the chef. "Is everyone enjoying themselves?" he asks. "Sure thing, and we will be on our way any moment now," Mimosa tells him.

"Good, may I borrow Millie for a moment before you go?" he asks, looking to Asta. "Oh, sure thing," he says and looks over to Millie on the pillow. She stretches, transforms, moves, and walks out of the room. Liebe notices that Sky and Asta are right; she is really pale, and her cheeks have healed from earlier.

Asta turns his attention to the meal and the rest who are finishing up as well, and he stretches wide. "Well, the sooner we get back, the sooner I can get back to training," he says eagerly. Haze rolls his eyes slightly. "You will never get tired of that, will you?" Haze mutters. "Huh, of course not, I've gotten buff!" he exclaims proudly.

Some time later, everyone is standing outside of the building. "That was refreshing," they say. Liebe turns his head and sees Millie walk up to the group with a red mark on her cheek. She walks up to Asta and touches his shoulder gently. He turns his gaze in time to see her transform and sit herself on his shoulder.

Sky is standing in her own little world and is brought back as she sees the group moving again. The chef is showing them the way out. Later, they arrive and stand above the surface in the swamp, and everyone shields their eyes. "Was the sun always this bright?" Asta exclaims. "Apparently," Haze replies. "I suppose our eyes are pretty used to the dim light of the cave," Mimosa suggests. They take a moment to let their eyes adjust while they bid the groundgords goodbye and soon they walk back to the village to check up on things.

Upon approaching the village, they see a familiar face recognizing them and running over. "Hi, you guys!" Alisa yells and runs up to the group. "Hi, Alisa, what is going on?" Asta asks.

"You won't believe it. This morning, everyone woke up feeling intensely well-rested, and the villagers seem happier than they have done in a long time. Whatever you did worked," Alisa hastily explains in a cheerful manner.

"Yeah, and Alisa here took the liberty of telling people that you were handling things," Tory explains with a smile.

"Yes, and I bet they want to hear how you all did it. Oh, and Sky," Alisa says and walks over to her friend. "I am so glad that you are in one piece and not a scratch on you. I don't know what I would tell Mother Theresa if anything happened to you." "I am all right, thank you," Sky replies, and Millie looks to Sky as Alisa moves over to Haze. "Oh, and Haze, it would be weird celebrating your birthday without you," Alisa says.

"I suppose," Haze says, scratching the back of his neck while blushing a bit.

"Well, there would be way too much cake for even me to eat, I am sure," Tory adds.

"Right, that." "Oh, that is so right. They mentioned that your birthday is soon. Are we invited to the party too?" Lydia asks. "Oh, I didn't know you were close friends too, but sure," Alisa eagerly says. "Me neither," Fiola chimes in. "She isn't," Haze clarifies. "I was just kidding, of course. I just wanted the cake," Lydia says with a giggle and leans into Alisa, whispering in her ear, "I just want to show up to mess with him, so could you send me the details?" Lydia asks. "Gotcha, I will send you a letter. Hehe, I might even deliver it myself as well," Alisa giggles, and Haze leans over to Tory. "They are up to something, right?" he asks. "Uh, definitely," Tory whispers back. While the group chats, Millie looks over to Sky, and she unfolds her wings and flies over to Sky's shoulder. "Oh, Millie, hi," she says and pets Millie's cheek. "Miss Sky, may I ask what is on your mind?" Millie asks. "It is just I don't know," Sky mutters. "I wish you could come with me. It is less lonely with you around," and Sky's words soften Millie's eyes as a shiver runs through her. "Are they not treating you well where you are now?" Millie asks. "That isn't it. I don't know, being around them makes me feel weak in some way," Sky weakly says. "Feel weak, in what way?" Millie asks. "I don't know, it is just especially Dylan. I mean, that guy makes me want to seriously punch him at times," she says and ties her arms together.

Millie ponders Sky's words for a moment. "Miss Sky, is there any way for you to do things that you are good at and enjoy?" Millie softly queries. "Good at? Like what?" Sky asks.

"Well, finding new ways to use mana words and delving deeper into the many mysteries of this world?" Millie softly suggests. "I suppose I could ask Jim about it, but I don't know. I suppose it could be worth a try," Sky replies, blushing a little, and Millie's eyes soften. ("I am uncertain what I did to be worthy of Sky's tears and concern, and neither do I know how to repay her. However, I will do what I know how to do, which is to give guidance and hopefully improve Sky's life a bit at a time,") Millie thinks to herself, feeling drained as the world around her seems fuzzy. She takes a long blink and falls forward off Sky's shoulder, and Sky reaches out her hands to catch her. "Millie," she says worriedly, and the group turns to the noise of concern.

A few minutes pass, and Millie awakens to a warm feeling. She opens her eyes to a soft greenish light and hears the gang chatting amongst themselves and the villagers.

"Thank you, Magic Knights, for fixing the town," she hears a lady say.

"It was nothing," Asta replies, and Millie's ear moves. She lifts her head and sees that she is in the shade on a porch, with Mimosa sitting over her, who stops when she sees Millie moving. "You are all right, thank goodness," Mimosa says. "Yes, you had us all worried there for a moment," Sky tells her.

"I apologize; that was unnecessary of me to cause you all worry," Millie softly replies, sitting herself up in her cat form, trying to gather the world around her.

"Nonsense, you seem rather drained of life; the battle must have been tougher than I thought," Mimosa tells her. "Yes, the battle was tough," Millie replies softly. "It is more than that, isn't it?" Sky asks. "Huh, Miss Sky, what do you mean?" Millie softly asks.

"Yeah, what more is it to it?" Mimosa asks. "Asta mentioned you using some kind of sword that granted you an obscene amount of power, but afterward, you grow pale like now," Sky tells her.

"Of that, if I use the Blood Moon enchantment, it can grant the wielder special abilities and magic in exchange for the user's blood, is all," Millie softly replies.

"That is all? You looked paler than last time," Sky tells her. "That is because this time, I used it twice, but only enough to get out through the portal in time," Millie softly explains.

"I see, but I don't think you should use it," Sky tells her.

"Miss Sky, I appreciate the concern; I truly do, and I promise I can handle it," Millie softly tells her.

"I must agree with Sky; it sounds and seems rather risky," Mimosa adds.

"Do not worry; I rarely use it. It is only a last resort if I see no other way," Millie explains.

''I see but still, I don't like it, I mean the price is so steep'' Sky adds.

"Well, I-" Sky softly utters as Asta turns his gaze to them. "Oh, Millie is up. I suppose it means we are on our way then," Asta says with a smile, and Millie gets up and flies over to his shoulder, while Nero flies and lands on his head. "Right, yes sir," she softly replies. Soon, the gang says their goodbyes, and Sky, Tory, and Alisa head on their way, while the Magic Knights head to their respective squads' headquarters after giving their reports.


Note:

Thank you all for reading.

what will happen next? Will we learn more about Haze or Sky or maby even Lydia?

what is witht eh glowing of Millie's eyes and the shadow that follows her around?

What could the chief Magertzhave wanted with Millie?

any questions? I am open to suggestions :D