Chapter 15: Run Before You Walk (Part 2)

"Now remember, don't be a stranger and stay in touch, keep me appraised of all sorts of interesting comings and goings and savor the sandwiches I made. They're just normal peanut butter and jelly but they were made with extra care and love, that automatically makes them better."

The bevy of reactions he received was an expected one but all the more amusing for it. Caren accepted the meal without so much as a blink of surprise, Yukikaze and Jinglei offered unimpressed glances complete with eye rolls while Asia just beamed, all too happy to receive the food wrapped in simple plastic baggies.

"So are you basically admitting to bribing us for information without having to do any of the hard work yourself? Wow, talk about shameless."

Yukikaze's joke received one in kind, Cayman cheerfully retorting, "That would be wonderful if you were going to do so. Unfortunately, reality suggests that you wouldn't tell me you smelled smoke if I was on fire."

Smirks were sent his way by the Taimanin, Yukikaze and Jinglei both holding out their hands for a shake as the Gamer returned the gesture, chuckling, "What, no hug after everything we've been through? I feel cheated."

"Yeah, you need to earn that privilege, tough guy."

"I think I'll just take it instead."

Ignoring Yukikaze's shot he promptly pulled both ninjas into a bear hug, lithe forms briefly stiffening before relaxing into the embrace, even if they didn't return it as he released them a moment later, Jinglei dully stating, "You must have a deathwish."

"Pfft, yeah right. I've seen the two of you fight, you could have put me on the ground in a second if you actually wanted to."

His comment earned a kick to the shin from Yukikaze, punch to the arm from Jinglei and rather adorable blush from both as he smirked, Caren leisurely stating, "I will have to firmly decline a hug from your person as I do not wish to have to cleanse myself of sin yet again."

"Your loss, Hortensia."

The idle amusement that glittered in her yellow orbs told the true story as he turned to Asia-

-and the nun was only too happy to offer up a cheerful embrace, emerald eyes glittering with happiness as she said, "Please take care of both Till and yourself, I'd like to see you again sometime!"

The Fairy was only too happy to reciprocate the statement, swooping down from the top of Cayman's head as she planted a friendly kiss on the blonde's nose, cheering, "Don't worry, we'll be sure to stay safe and in one piece~!"

An impatient honk from their rented lift service told the four to get a move on, Yukikaze growling, "Geez, what's his big damn rush? He's getting paid good money…"

"Well hopefully he doesn't mind getting reduced tips, now that you're all riled up. Get going, you four. And take care."

It was with a surprising bit of bittersweet emotion he watched the quartet pile into their ride, headed for the airport and their flights as the male held in a sigh.

He'd gotten used to having them around in this strange new reality he found himself in and wasn't exactly keen to be back on his own.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll see them again!"

"Well, not entirely on my own."

Smiling at Till's reassurance he turned back to the Sanctuary safehouse, heading inside as he remarked, "What, was I being that transparent?"

"Mmm, a little bit. I think it's actually kind of sweet! Especially since you seem to enjoy fighting and killing just as much."

The Gamer snorted in dry amusement, musing, "Most would be a bit weirded out by that last bit."

"Probably. But I'm your contracted Fairy and I know all sorts of things about you~!"

"Hmm, is that right? Then you wouldn't happen to know what our current problem is, would you?"

The Fairy paused, fingertips sheepishly pushing together as she replied, "Not really?"

Amused at her response he instead began emptying his inventory of anything and everything that wasn't crucial to his next task, leaving within only the gun he'd pilfered, spear and nutrient tank Hoestia had dropped in his lap, explaining, "Hoestia's lab is still full of bodies, research and all sorts of other crap that I don't want random strangers or opportunistic dealers to get ahold of. Not to mention Zokuto probably has a good idea of what's inside and if he learns that we disposed of Hoestia he might very well sell that info to Real and Under Eden, removing the one bit of leverage we have on them."

Till's wings drooped and lips frowned, the tiny woman perching on the room's doorknob as her partner emptied vials and other bits and pieces into his fridge, hoping they wouldn't go bad or anything.

"...So we need to move fast and get as much stuff as we can?"

"Bingo. Problem is I can only store so much in my inventory and it's already pretty close to max capacity with that freakin' tank inside of it."

"Tank?"

Belatedly realizing he'd never told Till about Hoestia's gift he quickly explained, the Fairy nodding in understanding as she mused, "So we're supposed to just look after a scary and dangerous thing that we don't know anything about? I knew that guy didn't seem right in the head…"

"You and me both. And right now I don't really have a way of gaining access to a safe or secure means of storage outside of my abilities. Especially refrigeration units since I'm poor as hell."

Even as he groused and mumbled about the difficulty and impossibility of his current task Till suddenly leapt into the air, eagerly floating around his head while chirping, "Oh, I might have a solution! Since you're acting as a guard and protector of Till-tien my people would be happy to offer some of our land to store and look after your things! The only stuff they might turn away is if it's super evil or dangerous but we can figure that out later. My people don't like having things associated with violence or malice if we can avoid it."

Cayman blinked, caught off guard by the sudden offer...and grinned wildly, plucking the Fairy from the air and planting a gleeful kiss on her navel as he said, "You, my lovely little lady, just made my day. C'mon, let's get moving then!"

Blushing pink and squirming in excitement at how happy she'd made her soulmate Till was all too eager to plant herself on his shoulder, cheering, "Then off we go~!" as the Gamer summoned Cerb, tiny form shaking itself clean as the pup was obviously excited to be back in action.

"Lead the way, puppy dog. We've got ourselves a base to plunder."


"Hmm...hmm...hmmmmmm...aww, no one looks like an easy target!"

Sulking from where she was sneakily hidden away on an unoccupied balcony Lilim pouted something fierce, slitted eyes of yellow-green observing the early morning Kabuki traffic with growing annoyance. All she wanted was an easy target to pull a little prank on, steal a little yen from and alleviate her boredom for the day. Was that too much to ask for?! And she didn't even have Minasaki or Hatsukaze to play with, both sisters doing something that didn't involve her for a rare change that had the Succubus bored out of her skull.

And for all that Kabuki was supposed to be a den of drunkenness, debauchery and base sin everyone looked super dangerous and super aware of their surroundings. Wasn't the night life supposed to be controlled chaos or something like-

"Oh. Umm...whoops. Eh heh heh~?"

The pinkette sulked even more fiercely once she realized her mistake, spaded tail limply flopping to the concrete overhang. The night life in Kabuki. It was still morning.

"It's an honest mistake though, anyone could have made it!"

The excuse sounded weak even to her pointed ears, stomach choosing that moment to rumble with the beginnings of hunger as the Demon dramatically sighed at the unfairness of the world. Why couldn't she just stumble across a mountain of money and then live comfortably in a life of luxury that she so definitely deserved?

And as if in answer to those unholy prayers a potential target drifted across her vision, eyes narrowing in appreciation. Shining blonde hair that was cut short and spiky, bright green eyes that calmly examined their surroundings and sun-kissed skin covered tastefully by a simple t-shirt and jeans...all while a Fairy rode on his shoulders, what looked like a Hellhound pup sniffing around at his feet.

"Jackpot~!"

Those contracted with Fairies were simple, naive dolts that were easy pickings for anyone that had a playful mean streak in them...and that 'anyone' just so included Lilim herself. Having a Hellhound for a walking dog was definitely a bit weird but not enough to dissuade her.

"Well look who's day just got a whole lot better~!"

Waiting until the young man passed beneath her the Succubus flared her wings and took to the sky, carefully keeping herself hidden behind buildings, billboards or the occasional bit of laundry hung out to dry as she observed her target with a childish sense of glee.

"So how am I going to go about this? Maybe lead him into an alleyway and get jumped by some 'hungry' ladies? Eh heh heh, a cute little boy who has a Fairy has probably never gotten laid before, has he? Or maybe I can use my charms to trick him into paying for all sorts of things like an adorable little puppy? The possibilities are endless!"

While her imagination ran wild the reality was that the Demon's quarry was far from clueless, Lilim quickly realizing that he seemed at ease with his surroundings, stopping only once in a hardware store before leaving a few minutes later, small bag of unknown items in tow. Even more curious about what the man was up to than before Lilim fought down her growing impatience, the canine leading all of them on a meandering path through the district that took almost an hour before they finally came to a stop, taking up refuge in a nearby alleyway.

"Geez, I was about to go and mess with him myself!"

Sharp eyes watching his every move Lilim smirked in anticipation as the male turned to the side-

-and quickly disappeared through a door she hadn't noticed, the Succubus blinking before quickly examining the building itself, noting that it was in dire need of a makeover - or straight up demolishing - and wasn't the kind of thing you wanted to use as a house or base of operations...her little morsel must have gone down.

"Ugh, that just makes it even more gross…"

More to the point she wasn't exactly keen on heading into the depths of Tokyo. It was stupid easy to get lost and if she didn't nab her quarry then she was going to have wasted a lot of time and still be hungry. Not having any money sucked!

Grumbling in annoyance Lilim nonetheless hopped down from the roof, letting her wings slow her fall as she decided that she wasn't about to give up now. The jerk had gone and wasted her whole morning and he wasn't getting off scot free for that!

"Ugh, if only Minasaki and Hatsukaze were here, this would be so much easier."

Her Yatagarasu friends could track down anyone they had met at least once and would have made the whole tailing deal a thousand times simpler. As it was the Succubus carefully pulled the door open before peeking her head in, noting that her target had descended down some stairs that - just like she'd predicted - lead deep into the depths of Tokyo.

"Ugh...you'd better be worth it, you big jerk."


It wasn't the most elegant or fancy of traps but Cayman was willing to bet that in a world of hyper-advanced technology, magic and magecraft some Home Alone level of tomfoolery would probably get overlooked by the vast majority of people. A simple length of wire connected to a bucket filled with discount nails and washers purchased for cheap would ideally catch any potential pursuers with their pants down.

...At least that was the hope. Caren's little purification field seemed to have held up so far but he wasn't willing to bank on that for very long.

"I don't think my people are going to accept having most of these things put inside their territory, Cayman."

Setting aside his tools and making sure the main doors to Hoestia's lair were shut tight he raised an eyebrow Till's way, the Fairy giving some of the corpses left where they fell a wary glance.

"Some of them are okay - just mindless beasts or creatures acting on instinct - but these ones?"

She pointed to one of the hefty-sized behemoths that Yukikaze and Jinglei had been struggling against, shuddering as she did so.

"Those ones were birthed through...not nice means."

"No worries, Till. I'll take what I can get and it's not like I was even expecting much in the first place. C'mon, stick close while we look through this place, no telling what crazed circus rejects might still be lurking about."

"Ugh, don't even joke about that…"

Chuckling at his companion's grossed out response they began their survey of the abandoned and tomb-like lair, Cayman getting a firsthand look at the running battle his party had been engaged in while he ran off to confront Hoestia. Mangled corpses, dried blood, chunks of wall either gouged out of cratered...he knew Yukikaze and Jinglei were tough but damn they actually made the Taimanin seem scary competent instead of fap material.

...Don't get him wrong, they absolutely were 10/10 wet dreams but had the benefit of also being good at what they did. Which meant 11/10 in his book.

Setting aside his meandering thoughts as they arrived at the room Hoestia had used as his main means of research Cayman scoured it one last time, finding nothing of value before he and Till began the time-consuming and unpleasant job of categorizing and collecting every corpse and giblet that they could find, the cleaning supplies and gloves he'd also purchased worth their weight in gold.

"Well hello, what do we have here?"

Kicking aside the desiccated body of some aftermarket freak Cayman pulled open a simple and unadorned storage cabinet, eyes widening at what he found. Personal effects and trinkets no doubt collected from both the hired muscle and victims alike, a wild ensemble of bits and pieces that he intended to 'borrow' in their entirety.

A female Taimanin combat suit, Exorcist garb laced with kevlar and scripture workings, Black Keys, standard knives and pistols that were well-maintained alongside a few electronics...and most important to the Gamer, a fat wad of bills and cash that at a glance rounded out to two million yen, perfect for a suffering artist like him. Sure, it wasn't much in the grand scheme of things but he wasn't about to complain.

"Actually...I might be able to buy a refrigerated storage unit with this. It'll have to be one that's discreet or doesn't ask questions but that way I can keep some of the crazier specimens until a time comes when I need them."

"You find something interesting, Cayman?"

"You bet I did. Looks like we're not going to have to worry about money for at least a little while, Till."

Mind already racing with prospective solutions to his current problem Cayman grinned wildly before pocketing everything that he could, a few possibilities already present.

He had Rossweisse's number and while he didn't want his first call to be only business he could eventually hire the Valkyrie after a few friendly interactions to lay down some spellwork and protect his investments, given she was a ludicrously competent mage. Hell, with some decent cash or corpses he might even be able to tempt Aozaki into doing some security work...although that was a last resort option, since he didn't doubt for a moment she would try to price gouge him.

Oh well, Rome wasn't built in a day.

"We found some good shit here, Till. Let's keep looking for-"

CRASH!

He was instantly on guard as the trap he'd set up at the front entrance was sprung, acting on instinct as he hissed, "Till, head over to the breaker and flip it, turn it back on when I give the order."

"O-okay!"

Quickly flying off to the base's center of control Cayman sprinted towards the entrance, skidding to a halt around one of the corners and letting his eyes drift closed just as the sparse lighting went out, plunging the entire area into darkness as he readied himself for a fight. With what? Who knew, but he thankfully had the tools to deal with a decent array of threats.

He had both fire, wind, ice and lightning attacks alongside two additional Magic Spearman spells thanks to the recent bevy of level ups. [Amp Thrust] which allowed him to attack something using his MAG stat rather than strength and [Esoteric Parry], a defensive ability that blocked magic or magecraft-based attacks as long as one ignored the steep 600 MP activation cost and 100 MP per second upkeep...given that he had a grand total of 3180 MP to play with that was just a bit under thirty seconds of immunity if he used the technique and only it. Not to mention he doubted it was as foolproof as the intrinsic knowledge insisted, since he was fairly certain it wouldn't do shit against some of the stronger beings in the universe.

But that in conjunction with his Summoner class spells should be able to handle things. And if a foe above their pay grade came knocking then they were probably dead anyway, seeing as how there was only one freaking door.

"Oh crap oh crap oh crap...I knew following him was a bad idea and now they probably know I'm here! No, it's fine, the lights going off was probably just to save power and the trap was always there, it wasn't meant for me-"

Cayman raised an eyebrow at the panicked, whispered words of what was definitely a young woman trying to stay hidden and unobtrusive as what sounded like bare feet gingerly impacted concrete flooring.

Bit of an odd customer...but it really wasn't their lucky day, following him and Till into this space.

"Oh well, at least I'll make it quick. Just be glad you weren't caught by the original denizens of this place, I doubt that would have been a fun time."

Taking an inaudible breath he prepped himself to charge-

-and sent a burst of emotion to his contracted Fairy that roughly translated to 'now'.

The lights flicked on, he casted [Accelerate] on himself and whipped around the corner before charging across the five meter gap between him and his quarry, the woman yelping in fright and squeezing her eyes shut at the sudden burst of illumination.

"[Volt Thrust!]"

The Gamer caught the briefest glimpse of pinkish-violet hair, a scantily clad and slim body as well as demonic wings alongside a spaded tail before he slammed the haft of his weapon into the woman's side, kinetic force and imparted electricity turning a yelp into a chattering wheeze as the ferocity of the blow smashed the smaller girl into a nearby wall, collapsing to the ground in a twitching and spasming heap.

Cayman didn't waste the chance, leaping forward to slam his boot against his target's throat, adrenaline surging as a bloodthirsty grin revealed his teeth, weapon primed to pierce through the terrified female's eye...and he paused, blinking back some of his murderous inclinations as he actually recognized the Demon helpless beneath his foot, quickly casting his variation of an Appraisal skill.

Lilim, Succubus, LVL 13

HP: 750

MP: 2000

STA: 1000

STR: 70

DEF: 85

AGI: 150

MAG: 300

MAG DEF: 250

"Huh, well I'll be damned. Looks like I found something that's actually weaker than I am in almost no uncertain terms whatsoever. About time."

Blinking away the information Cayman gazed down at the recovering Succubus with a more contemplative air, lifting his boot off the Demon's neck and allowing her to suck down a ragged breath.

"Well? Why were you following me?"

"D-d-don't kill me! I promise I wasn't doing anything bad, I was just trying to play and joke and I didn't think that you were actually super dangerous and-"

Rolling his eyes at the frantic and rambling response the Gamer simply poked his spear beneath her chin, jaw clacking shut as he raised her head for him to examine...after all, she was an undoubtedly beautiful lady, as was befitting a succubus.

Exotic eye color and shape, soft and silken hair done up into twintails, scanty outfit that covered her unmentionables and little else...the wings and tail were just icing on the cake. More to the point, the woman was of absolutely no threat to him whatsoever, as long as he played his cards right. Hell, she might just be a benefit.

After all, Lilim and her two friends - Minasaki and Hatsukaze - were basically the Mr. Magoo trio of the Taimanin universe, constantly in search of get rich quick schemes, outlandish pranks and other various slapstick while somehow - against all odds - coming out things essentially unscathed.

...Well, not always 'unscathed' as there had been a few rated M scenarios involved but nothing to the extent most denizens of the universe got up to. Hell, it was downright vanilla compared to the usual fare.

"But they get around and know a little bit about everyone, seeing as how they constantly get wrapped up in dangerous scenarios."

Till flew next to him, hurriedly asking, "D-did everything go okay, are you hurt?!"

"Relax, I'm fine. Mind healing her, actually? I wasn't exactly gentle."

Fully stepping away from Lilim the Demon blinked at the sudden shift in tone, the Fairy floating towards her bruised and burnt flank where he'd struck it before channeling some of her magic into the wound, erasing it as if it'd never existed to begin with.

"It's your lucky day. I just so happen to know who you are and subsequently won't be doing what most other people would in my situation."

Slowly sitting upright the Demon curiously inquired, "Huh? You know who I am?" as her nervousness largely dissipated.

"Sure do. You and your two friends have quite the reputation among the more extranatural circles."

That seemed to perk the Succubus up, fully rising to her feet and proudly announcing, "Heh heh, of course we do~! The sexy and heart-capturing Succubus known only as myself would-"

"As broke, busybody meddlers that no shortage of victims would like to give a piece of their mind to."

The crushed expression Lilim sported caused the Gamer to crack a smile, the Demon promptly shouting in indignation, "That's all lies and stupid people who are jealous!"

"Uh huh. So why were you following me?"

Unapologetically crossing her arms and standing firm the Demom explained, "Because I saw you had a contracted Fairy and were probably a really easy target to prank and rob~!"

Cayman and Till exchanged brief glances, turning back to the Succubus as the Gamer lightly stated, "You have any idea what this place is?"

"Umm...a really creepy laboratory?"

"Close enough. But this is actually a Sanctuary operation and I'm a Surveyor cleaning up the aftermath. And you, little lady, have just become part of the evidence."

He took a petulant kind of amusement in the way the blood drained from Lilim's face, eyes widening before she swiftly clasped her hands before her.

"Please don't kill me, I wasn't even going to do anything bad, I promise!"

He hefted his spear in a suggestive manner, crocodile tears gathering in the cornered Succubus's eyes-

-and Till yanked on his earlobe, chastising, "Stop being mean to her, Cayman."

"Oh alright, fine. Guess the jokester can't handle a taste of her own medicine, huh?"

Lilim blinked, glancing between the two of them...and promptly scowled, angrily pointing at the Surveyor before yelling, "THAT WASN'T FUNNY! Do you have any idea how likely it is that some bestial and horny men would jump at the opportunity to do exactly what you described?!"

"Well maybe you should exercise a bit more caution when tailing your targets."

Placing his spear back into his inventory he held out a hand, amicably smiling as he stated, "No torture, raping or killing, I promise. I'm Cayman Lute and this is Till. And while I can't comment on the heart-capturing part you are beautiful, feel like going out to dinner sometime?"

A few swift blinks of surprise accompanied the briefest of blushes and swaying of spaded tail before the Demon regained her cool, drawing herself up proudly before imperiously stating, "Of course people want a chance to get closer to me~! What hot-blooded male wouldn't?"

She eagerly placed her palm inside of his own, smooth skin warm to the touch as the Gamer wasn't entirely surprised when a notification popped up across his screen.

+10 REP with Lilim, [10/100]!

"I truly regret nothing when picking this class, how else would I already be on moderately friendly terms with someone I just threatened to kill and dispose of?"

"Introductions and your attempt at a mugging aside-"

"It didn't even work, why are you bringing that up?!"

"-how would you feel about working for me and earning a bit of money for doing what you'd normally do anyway?"

The Demon's eyes immediately stilled, greed flashing to life within.

"Go on."

"I want you, Minasaki and Hatsukaze - if they want in on this - to report to me once a week about anything and everything you encounter when doing your usual rounds of hijinks."

The Demon blinked, no doubt caught off guard by the relatively tame request.

"That's it?"

"That's it. Word on the street is you three get wrapped up in all sorts of trouble and crazy events. Information is power and any info is good info."

Lilim seemed a bit perplexed by his request but shrugged in acceptance nonetheless, more gleefully stating, "Alright, now let's talk money~! I'm warning you, we don't work cheap."

Doing some mental math with his newfound funds and figuring that he would start low with the greedy Demon he offered, "How about 10,000 yen a week, for each of you-"

"DEAL!"

The Gamer fell silent, Till giggling at his astonished expression as he could have sworn that there would be more haggling and debating involved. They were voracious for cash and they were willing to settle for a thousand US - well, UFS in this reality - a week?

Then again, maybe that wasn't too far off the believable train. For a trio that constantly lived on the edge of poverty and was always looking for an easy means to get rich having a source of income that was modest but steady - and all they had to do was what they were already doing - was like a dream come true.

"And no excuses about not being able to find me if you do accept the offer, I know Minasaki and Hatsukaze have the ability to find people they meet once so don't go trying to pull that crap."

"That's mean, don't you have any trust in your employees?"

He met Lilim's fake indignation with a dull glare, stating, "I know precisely who I hired, that's why I'm stating it."

They locked gazes for a moment...and Lilim giggled, lacing her arms behind her back and leaning forward in a manner that was clearly designed to be seductive.

"Oh alright then, but keep in mind...we can be relentless when we don't get what we want~!"

"Yeah, that would sound more threatening if you hadn't been on the verge of pissing yourself the moment I had you at my mercy."

The Succubus pouted as Till trilled, "Be nice to her, Cayman! After all, she works for you now."

"Ooh, I like her~!"

Rolling his eyes at the predictable response the Gamer made to continue the conversation-

[The Fairy Champion, Siege 1!]

[Details: Defend the borders of the Fairy's home and prevent damage from coming to it or its populace.]

[Rewards: 5000 EXP and 100 Reign.]

-and froze, staring gormlessly at the shimmering blue portal that came to life overhead, Till stiffening as she warned, "Cayman, my people need our help."

"Umm...should I be worried about this?!"

Before Lilim's panicked shout could be responded to the trio were engulfed by the light-


-and reappeared in a soft, ethereal forest that glittered with a rainbow of colors and shapes that Cayman immediately decided would look crazy when under the effect of weed, never mind acid.

"Gotta say, Till. Your home is quite the visual smorgasbord."

"It can take some getting used to, I'll admit."

Out of the corner of his eyes he spotted Lilim looking to be on the verge of a panic attack at the sudden shift in scenery, noting that the quest apparently dragged along anyone he was in close proximity to-

"Hmph, so you're the backup that will be along for the ride? I've seen more capable warriors fresh out of the nursery."

-and blinked as a young man's voice graced his ears, smooth and haughty with confidence.

"Hmm? Oh, hi, Till~! I see you got a contractor of your own, it's about time!"

Turning around as his own Fairy immediately perked with excitement at the additional feminine words Cayman found himself yet again fighting down a sigh of resignation.

Grinning and waving wildly was another Fairy Till's size with long, dark hair and a shimmering violet leotard with bust to match, happily perched on silver-haired youth's shoulder who didn't seem to be a day over thirteen or fourteen.

A youth with heavy clothing, white scarf and sharp blue eyes who the Gamer instantly recognized as a young Vali Lucifer.

A young Vali Lucifer who was still in the throes of the proverbial 'eighth-grade syndrome'.

"Oh boy, THIS is going to be an interesting quest."