A pair of boots and block heels tread upon a recent battlefield nestled deep within the Labyrinth. Fading heat left the air notably warmer than the rooms before it as the footfalls came to a stop in front of blackened steel. The deformed shape of the wall blemished into a vaguely human outline came from force and flames, the evidence matching the description given by one who bore witness to the events.

The glare of light reflected from a pair of lenses shifted as the Craftlord of Sapphire turned back to his companion. "…The report given by your sister seems valid based on the visual evidence."

The Craftlord of Ruby inclined her head in agreement. "She would not have risked her future for a mere joke, after all."

Sanary had come up to the Craftlord Quarters through the passageway that should only be known and used by those of their ranks. It was a major breach of security, of course, and could have easily cost her the right to participate in the tournament she had been doing well in so far. But Sakuro had been the only person within the quarters at the time due to other officials running about assessing the damage caused by the quake and chose to hear her reasoning as to why she would take such a risk knowing the consequences.

Her reasoning was that a Summon Creature that had no business being in the Labyrinth was found in a secret location, something that he felt needed to be personally investigated. So, he opted to abstain from punishing her this time and instead came down to where Kouren was stationed. Sakuro then enlisted her help in handling the investigation privately, considering the implications and circumstances.

Having finished appraising the damage done within the abandoned pumping station, Kouren's crimson eyes focused on the Summon Charm within her left hand. "Based on the sheer damage, it would be safe to assume that Kutty had to use his ultimate spell to deal with it. That would put in on the level of some of the strongest strays in the Deep Floors. And the fact that he didn't do it right away…"

She allowed her words to linger unfinished. There was no need for her to do so when he could understand the implications on his own. He was more familiar with Kutty than her, after all. Enough to know that the Magical Beast would not have risked the life of his current Master through a prolonged encounter if it was at all possible to end things immediately.

"Kutty being out of practice for the last three years is still a possibility," Sakuro proposed. An allowance, in the event their assumptions were incorrect. "But it is likely he felt unsure he would be able to kill it without them softening it up first, which would put it on par with the Red Dragons on the Deep Floors. Something of that nature would have no business being this high up under any circumstance barring outside interference."

"And it's not something an average Summoner could call forth either," Kouren added. "Yet none of the names on the itinerary of Summoners allowed into the city to summon Guardian Beasts were notable or associated with the Auric Collective. And all of them had been recorded as having left the city shortly afterward, yet the evidence points to this being a relatively recent operation."

All entry and exit to Wystern had to be done by sea travel, and so they had a relatively solid system in place to track who came and went inside of the city. Though certain exceptions had been made, identification was checked and verified by the assessors who worked as officials of the Central Tower. The fact that all of the Summoners were listed as having departed, and yet they found what had been a workshop for one set up in a location few could access, meant one thing for the pair.

"There are traitors amidst our ranks," Kouren said coldly. "It could be corrupt officials who faked the records to hide an unidentified entry, or possibly someone high up enough to have it done without the knowledge of those below rank. The earthquakes as of late have gotten worse since a few months ago, and I have no doubt that their goal involves the Western Blade given how closely we are to where it is hidden."

The treasured blade of the late Shintetsu, one of four and the only one kept in Wystern. Few knew of it or its purpose. Fewer knew where it was. The fact that it was still where it was, and the spell she placed upon it was unbroken, merely meant that they hadn't found it yet.

But she was willing to bet that one of the winding maintenance passages would lead to where she had hidden it. And a Summoner capable of calling forth the creature the children faced would be more than skilled enough to dismantle her spellwork. "We should consider ourselves lucky the apprentices stumbled upon this sooner."

Sakuro reached under his glasses to rub his eyelids from newfound frustration. Not only because it meant he had to judge his friends and colleagues, but because it also meant Tyram's disappearance became more complicated. "I'll approach Master Rondeau on the topic, but we'll have to be delicate in how we approach this. There's no telling how deep it goes or if there are potentially more than one of the Craftlords involved."

Kouren didn't disagree. Instead, she offered another suggestion. "We should consider recalling the other two, given how the quakes have gotten stronger."

"Is it not too soon?"

Long hair swayed as she shook her head. "At best we have a few months as things stand. And with Tyram missing all his efforts in finding the theorized Southern Blade have effectively been lost. Time is not on our side and solutions are few. This should at least buy us more of it."

Drawing a deep breath that inflated his chest and holding it in so he could gather his thoughts, the Craftlord of Sapphire removed his glasses and slowly nodded. "We'll time their retrieval around the end of your watch over the shrine while preparing for the Semi-Finals and Finals. With Ureksa watching the shrine, your known friendship with Rumari will give you justification to visit her in his stead and see if Tyram might have left anything with her that could be used to find the Southern Blade after retrieving the Northern Blade. I'll handle the retrieval of the Eastern Blade through a proxy to avoid detection."

Kouren nodded. "That just leaves the Western Blade. We should move it while it remains undiscovered. It was placed there to act as a seal, but there is no difference whether it is in the Labyrinth or outside of it—so long as it remains in Wystern."

"I trust you have a place in mind?" Sakuro asked.

It took her a moment before she answered in a soft tone. "…There is no place safer than to the side of the one who misses him the most, is there?"

[-|-|-|-]

Everything hurt as Welf jostled awake the moment his consciousness resurfaced and began pulling at fragments of what happened prior.

The strain of his body nearly being crushed to death in the maw as big as he was.

Urus shielding him as they were overtaken by the sudden surge of flames.

The pain in the back of his skull and a distant voice.

The girls being in danger from needing to fend off the spider alone.

"Nnn…" Welf tried to sit up only to let out a strained grunt as the very motion left him feeling pain along his spine. His brain felt like it was sloshing in water, and he almost vomited before forcing it down. He had to get back onto his feet and into the fight, or else—

"Don't move just yet," a familiar voice ordered before he felt himself being gently tugged backward and his head placed on something soft. "Your body is still recovering after they flushed your system so that excess mana from the Med Kit didn't cause complications. I bet you don't even remember how you got here, do you?"

His vision strained to focus as a red blur came into existence, though with effort clarity brought Miss Amariss' visage into view. He could also make out the tiling of the Infirmary he had become acquainted with after his last match just behind her. When did he get there?

No. That wasn't his priority. "Are the girls safe?"

A gentle smile graced her features. "Yes. All three of those girls are safe and sound back at the Silver Guild. You're the only one who had to be seen to."

The relief in his voice was tangible as he repeated himself. "Good… good…"

"Pratty explained what happened," Amariss continued. "I told her I would keep an eye on you until you woke up since I am the closest thing you have to an emergency contact and could stick around as long as needed."

His steel-blue eyes turned towards a clock. "It's almost evening. How long have you been here?"

"Don't worry about that." She turned her gaze over to a nearby stand where his Summonite Gem lay with a flame roiling softly inside. "Your partner was keeping me company until recently. She was quite distraught, but I think I managed to calm her down and convinced her to rest."

"Is that so?" He felt bad about that as he stared into the jewel-shrouded flame. The last thing he remembered was her desperately trying to shield him from the flames once he had been caught within the maw of the creature, straining until the point where she couldn't hold them back anymore. Then there was pain as the flames doused him, burning at him even through his protective veil—it was a miracle he was still alive, and he knew it.

A gentle pinch on his cheek and turned his attention back to Amariss. She was now sporting a melancholic smile. "Make sure you apologize to her and those girls for worrying them later. Their young hearts are quite fragile, and seeing you like that no doubt left them deeply hurt."

"I'll apologize to them as well once I've returned to the Silver Guild," he promised. "And to you as well. I know I said I would look after Pratty, but in the end, I only caused her to worry."

Amariss shook her head. "…I'm the one who owes you an apology. I was already asking for too much when I placed that burden on your shoulders despite the troubles you face, and you've gone above and beyond just now."

She moved her hands down to his own and clasped them gingerly. "From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for keeping my daughter safe."

He found the gratitude of the mother heartwarming. Almost overbearingly so. Yet he still felt as though he hadn't nearly paid back the debt he incurred for her having taken him in and introduced him to the Silver Guild, giving him a chance to experience the joys of working as a Craftknight.

…It was a feeling that felt so familiar. So much so that for a moment he saw another fleeting visage overlapping that of Amariss. But it faded as she pulled away, leaving something precious within his lost memories once more out of his grasp.

"Now then," Amariss began with a smile on her face. "I believe we can have you discharged tonight, but they'll want to do an examination. I'll go and alert the doctor that you're awake."

[-|-|-|-]

Sanary was silent as she finally finished dealing with the mess that had been the Materials Storeroom.

Spare materials had been knocked from where they were stored by the violent jostling that took place that morning. Her work consisted of sorting through everything and putting them back into their proper place. Work that was harder than it appeared given that Master Bron sorted them based on the predominant Elemental Ore that could be extracted from them, meaning it required her to frequently reference a Materials Guide.

It took hours for her to handle it alone. Not that she hadn't received offers of help from her juniors. But she refused their assistance given that she wanted to be alone while she worked. Sanary wanted time to think over everything that transpired.

The red-haired swordswoman had returned to the Silver Guild after reporting on the situation to the Craftlord of Sapphire. They had accomplished their goal, but it was mired by the fact that one of them had only narrowly escaped death. All because of her.

She should have called out Rasho as soon as she had the chance. But she had been so determined to prove to herself she could handle any threat. A vow to herself that she broke at the very last moment when she knew that she couldn't handle the situation.

She needed to apologize to him. She should have done it earlier, but he was still under the effects of the Med Kit the last time she had seen him. The injection of high concentration mana got him back to his feet enough to move and climb the way back up the stairs so they could leave, but she knew the crash afterwards tended to cause short-term memory loss and the medical procedure to flush the excess out would likely leave him bedridden for a while…

I'll go visit him to apologize tomorrow, Sanary vowed before a gnawing in the pit of her stomach made itself known. She needed food, but when her mind turned to who oversaw the cooking for tonight, she found herself realizing it was the very person who was missing and asking any of the others would be out of the question.

Pratty had been fairly upset over what happened to her friend given she had gone off earlier to speak with her mother before returning to help with the cleaning. Razzy was quieter than usual, probably feeling a bit guilty as well since they came looking for her. Trish had spent most of her time getting things back to a decent state while they were gone, so she was tired even if she said otherwise. She didn't know Caizo very well and he had spent his time getting Zantek's auto-repair to work.

And she'd rather go hungry than ask the twins to cook.

Sighing to herself, she decided to see if there was anything she could scrounge from the Kitchen as she left the storeroom. But upon entering the Main Forge she heard a commotion coming from beyond the doors leading to the entranceway. Curiosity guided her feet in that direction instead of the Kitchen and she found herself stricken with surprise as a familiar voice reached her ears.

"—so sorry that I worried all of you."

She opened the door just enough to stick her head out and saw Welf was at the entrance. He was awake and aware, only a few bandages covering him in places while surrounded by the other younger apprentices. You would never think he'd been so close to dying mere hours ago with how he casually stood there with what looked to be groceries in his arms.

And he wasn't alone. The reserved red-haired beauty that was Lady Amariss stood off to the side, hands crossed at her waist. She watched the gathering of apprentices welcoming their missing number with a maternal smile gracing her face.

"Though she told me you were alright, it's good to see that you made it back without any trouble," he continued with a reassuring smile on his face as he addressed Pratty and Razzy. "Is Zantek feeling better now?"

Razzy bobbed her head. "Yeah. Caizo and the twins managed to get the obstruction out by the time I got back. I sent him home so he could finish his self-repair processes a few hours ago."

Steel-grey eyes turned to the more mechanically inclined of the gathering. "Great work. I can't imagine that was easy."

Ariel shrugged her shoulders. "Not that different than what we normally do. Those drills and mana converters don't wire themselves."

"That being said, are you really well enough to be moving about?" Mariel adjusted her glasses. "Not to diminish your own accomplishments, but I expected you to be laid in the Infirmary for quite a while considering what transpired."

"Physically speaking, he hasn't sustained any injuries thanks to his Guardian Beast shielding him from the worst of the heat," Amariss answered on his behalf. "However, the doctor was insistent that he does not engage in any strenuous activity for three days so his body could reacclimate after the combination of exhausting his mana, having to use a Med Kit, and then flushing his system. He'll have to abstain from going into the Labyrinth or forging for that time."

Three days? Guilt gnawed at Sanary's throat and roiled in her chest upon hearing that. That was almost half the time to prepare for the next match if they followed the last two rounds. And considering how long it took him to forge those big swords that he used…

"What's with the racket?" The voice of the Silver Master bellowed as the door to his room burst open and the man himself emerged looking rather grumpy. He had been unconscious the entire time thanks to the sleeping medicine, and no one wanted to wake him to tell him about what happened. At least not yet. "Ya'd better have finished cleanin' up the—"

Of course, the moment he spotted Lady Amariss, his demeanor straightened right up. "Amariss! I wasn't expecting ya today."

"Hello, Bron," she replied. "I heard you were hurt from a bad fall this morning. Are you okay to be out of bed?"

"Who tolda ya that?" He peered around the room accusingly for the culprit that betrayed his age-induced injury, overlooking the culprit hiding behind Caizo and scratching her cheek. "Er, ya didn't come just to pay me a visit, did ya?"

"Well, at first I came to deliver Welf from the Infirmary," she began. "But, along the way, he said that it was his turn to cook for the night. So, since we were already partway to the market, I decided I would help him make Curry for everyone given they've all had a big day. The spice selection isn't the best since the usual place is closed down for renovations, but I hope you don't mind if Pratty shows us to the Kitchen so that we can get started?"

"Not at all. Not at all!" The big, silly grin on his face was honestly a little unnerving before he cleared his throat upon remembering he had an audience. "And the rest of ya, fill me in on what's happened. I'm gettin' da feelin' I missed somethin' big."

Sanary ducked her head back into the room before anyone noticed that she had been watching. Red eyes darted between the two exits before she spun on her heels to the storeroom entrance. Not to hide, of course—she just wanted to wait to apologize when he wasn't with Lady Amariss.

"Oh, Sanary—" She sucked in a sharp breath in the middle of reaching for the door to the storeroom when Pratty's voice reached her. "Welf's back now!"

Since she was spotted, Sanary slowly turned in their direction while keeping her head down and not daring to make eye contact with them. Her fingers found their way to her sleeves, and she gripped them. "I… um…. about…"

She struggled to find words for a moment. No, she knew the words. But they refused to come out in the presence of the company she found herself in.

Eventually, Amariss spoke up. "…Welf, we'll take it from here. You take a break and catch up with your guildmate."

"Are you sure—"

"I am." She politely insisted. "Pratty, come with me. I'll show you how to make it as well."

Pratty retrieved the bags Welf held and then started following her mother. The moment both were gone, it felt like a weight had been lifted off Sanary's shoulders. She raised her head and met with his worried gaze.

"I'm sorry—"

"I want to apologize—"

Their words came out at the same time, starting to entwine with one another before both realized what happened. They both cut themselves off and waited for the other to continue, resulting in an awkward silence that lasted for around three breaths until Welf gestured to himself. She nodded in agreement to let him go first.

"I want to apologize," he began. "I know I must have worried all of you, and I probably made things harder for you since you had to look out for Pratty as well. I'll find some way to make it up to you, one day. I promise."

Sanary only shook her head. "…I'm the one who's sorry. I should have called my Guardian Beast for help the moment I felt it was dangerous. But I didn't, and because of that you ended up getting the worst of it. You lost your weapon because of it and could have lost your life."

His expression shifted as if the sound of bladesteel snapping played in his mind anew. Given how out of it he had been on the way back up, she wouldn't be surprised if he had forgotten that it happened prior to her reminding him. Med Kits were a last resort for a reason, a refined carryover from the time of the Great War whereupon getting back your feet and being combat-ready was the priority—modern versions had at least worked out the more lethal and long-lasting side-effects.

"That sword was meant to be a shield for everyone to make it back alive," he settled on. "It carried out its purpose until the very end. There's no need to feel bad about that. Though I'd like to go get the shards at the very least once I've gotten permission to head back so that it won't fester down there and become a grudge."

"Pratty and Razzy collected the shards while I was administering the Med Kit to you," Sanary assured him. "Your Guardian Beast wasn't trained in how to use it and we needed to get back so we could get you to the Infirmary… again, I'm really sorry."

"Sanary, if it hadn't been for your warning I probably would be worse off," Welf said. "That secondary mouth caught me off-guard entirely. The only reason I braced for it at that last second was because of you, and thanks to you and Urus I made it out alive when it tried to fry me afterwards. You don't owe me an apology when I should have been more alert and done better—should have risked a second swing with the Guard Crush while it was down, even if it would have broken the blade then."

"It wouldn't have been enough," she told him. "That thing was apparently on par with a Red Dragon from the Deep Floors. The fact that your weapon held up as long as it did honestly speaks wonders about how sturdy it was… will you be able to remake it before the next match?"

"We'll have to see," he answered. "I was originally going to start forging the new one I wanted today that incorporated what I learned from my previous matches, but the doctor ordered me not to do anything for three days. Even remaking the old one would take longer than four days unless I rush it."

"And you won't do that," Sanary assumed. No. Not assumed. Knew.

She knew he wouldn't because he was thorough, like Pratty had said the first night in this very room. The very same thoroughness was what gave him a weapon strong enough to put up with the abuse it went through against the Yasha Spider despite being an apprentice. The results spoke for themselves.

"I'll ask Master Bron if I can have one of his Techniques instead for the match," he said. "It's a chance to wield the work of a Master Craftknight, so don't worry about it anymore."

The words meant to reassure her only left her to apologize again in a silent voice. I'll find some way to make this right. I promise.

[-|-|-|-]

"Children eat so much these days," Amariss mused to herself with a small smile as she walked the pathways back to her home beneath the night cast over the steel-ringed sky.

She had made Curry for the apprentices and Bron since the materials were available still available once they had left the Infirmary. The markets always had a discount on the seafood and vegetables around that time since they needed to make room for the stock coming in the morning, a little secret housewives tended to share among themselves. That, when paired with the rice they already had available within their cupboard and lots of love, made for a hearty meal for everyone.

It was her way of giving them all a nice reward for doing so well so far.

And it gave her a chance to ease the slight ache in her chest from the empty nest her home had become.

Though she had told herself that she was prepared for it, Amariss found herself looking fondly on the days when Pratty returned home after her long days with her friends under her apprenticeship. The time when her daughter would complain about being made to clean and organize materials while they shared a meal had become a part of her life she didn't expect to miss as much as she did. So, to return to that for even a single hour, had been welcomed.

But Pratty was growing up. Quickly at that. It was something she was proud of as her mother and something she wouldn't trade for the world.

I'm certain that you would be happy to see how much she's grown as well, Dear.

Memories of her husband floated in her mind. Though it had been years they still carried with them a warmth that comforted her in the absence of his touch. She basked in it as she treaded the familiar pathways before she came to a stop just outside of her home as senses that had dulled but not been forgotten picked up a presence lurking nearby.

"It's been such a long time since we've last spoken," she called out to the shadows. "How have you been, Kouren?"

The Craftlord of Ruby stepped out from the darkness promptly, her beauty obscured by a thick hood and cloak that she wore over herself. In her hands was a bundle wrapped in cloth that she clutched tightly against her chest as if it were the most precious thing in the world. Her eyes didn't meet that of the housewife as she gave her an incline of the head.

"Well enough," Kouren answered. "Might we speak in the privacy of your home?"

"Of course." Making for the door and opening it, she turned on the light of her empty nest and welcomed a guest into her home for the first time in quite a while. "I'll prepare something for you to drink."

"I won't be long," Kouren insisted, even as she closed the door. "I'm simply here to hand over what belongs to you and brief you on the situation as things stand. I will leave right after that and won't bother you again."

Her voice. Her posture. Her behavior. Amariss could see before her a shadow of the Craftlord of Ruby who had once seen herself as an equal and vied for her husband's affection. The woman back then whose passion burned so brightly had now become little more than a dimly lit flame.

Shintetsu would be sad to see her like this, Amariss thought to herself before asking, "Does this have to do with the seal on Parista's shrine? Or the Summon Creature the children faced today?""

"Both," was the answer she received. "Those children came across what appeared to be the base of a Summoner that may or may be intertwined with the issues we've been attempting to address. In light of that, Sakuro and I have decided to reach out to Master Rondeau. But before that, we needed to relocate this somewhere no one else would look for it."

With the tenderness of a mother pulling back the swaddle covering a baby, the Craftlord of Ruby unveiled the sheathed blade that was of Silturnian make. The blade was hidden beneath a scabbard of lacquered wood with a rounded guard, but…

Amariss could feel it even at a distance. The warmth that now only laid within her cherished memories for three years prior lay just beneath wood and lacquer. In a blade that could have only been crafted by the hands of the man who had been the love of her life. No wonder then that Kouren held tightly to the weapon, pressing it against her chest in the hopes of memorizing that sensation down to her very core before she reluctantly parted with it.

"I… we felt it would be best if you watched over it in secrecy while a fake was placed where it was below," Kouren explained as she passed the blade back into the rightful hands that were now outstretched in waiting to be reunited. "So long as the blade remains in Wystern, the effect should be about the same. We'll retrieve the other two as well, in time."

Amariss said nothing as she held the weapon close to her with her attention fixed on the Western Blade, almost in a mirror to how Kouren herself had. She only broke from her trance when she heard the door opening as the Craftlord of Ruby prepared to depart. "Kouren."

The woman stalled her departure but didn't look back. Even now the sight of the reunion was something she could not stand to look at. For every reason imaginable.

Something that Amariss knew very well. "Shintetsu did love you both. Even if it wasn't in the way that you wanted. That was why he made the choice that he did that night. I don't blame you for his fate."

Kouren only shook her head slowly in her response and whispered under her breath, "…That's what makes you a better woman than I."

And with that, Amariss was once more left with the privacy afforded to her in her own home as she recalled the tragedy of that night. Where she had been made a widow. Where her husband lost his life.

It was a simple story that involved many Craftknights that night. They had all gathered in response to the woman who opened the door by mistake, beckoned by the woman's best friend who had paid for that mistake and would likely soon lose her life. The master who oversaw them all had been among the first to answer the call to defend their home. Then was the calm man whose affections went unnoticed, the ambitious man who clawed his way up to their ranks, and that same man who the three women there loved along with his pupils, Guardian Beast, and his best friend standing with him in the end.

All while the three swords he brought watched it all.

Embracing one of the three swords that stood as proof of her husband's valiant deeds, Amariss felt the loneliness of her home vanish as she softly smiled.

"Welcome Home, Dear."