In the depths of Aria, Leopold stepped out of the darkness, dragging something along the ground. He stopped, setting Lisa's body upright and stepping to the left, pointing.

"He did as promised," Lisbeth said, putting a hand on his shoulder, and his eyes followed her every move. "He brought the cattle."

Lisbeth didn't look back at Leopold, and her eyes shined towards the darkness in the front. Nothing responded.

"She's still alive, right?" Lisbeth whispered. Leopold nodded.

Lisa chuckled. "You might as well just kill me. Why would this old little lady be of any value to you? Tell me, demons."

No one responded, and Lisa stared upwards, with a rather crooked smile. "Shi Hon, eh? I haven't heard that name in ages. Even stories forgot to tell your tale. And now I'll be standing face to face with the demon itself. Come on, ya devilish prick! Reveal yourself already!" she raised her voice, still beaming.

Lisbeth suddenly turned around and slapped Lisa with all the force she had in her hand, sending her back, rolling on the stones. Blood streamed out of her temple, yet, the smile persisted.

"The king of demons can't kill an old lady. Is there still some resentment left in your heart? Oh, only if Bancho were here. He'd want to see the look on my old face!" she continued.

Leopold trembled, and put his hands together, peering down at the ground. He felt a weird energy going through his body, and a darkness surrounding him. Shi Hon hasn't uttered a word.

Lisa sat up again, opening one eye only. "Bancho... yes. That must be the reason why I'm here. It makes so much sense."

Lisbeth walked up to her, and with her knee, served a thick kick to her stomach. Lisa coughed out some blood, and slouched down, as Lisbeth backed out. "Keep quiet."

Lisa shook her head. "You're on your merry way, but I believe that's not what's in store. Don't keep the devil waiting, Shi Hon. A good heart can be tainted by something wicked, but... a bad one can never go back to how it once was. None of you are born evil." she smiled for the last time before Lisbeth punched her in the face. Lisa was knocked out, lying on the floor, with blood pouring out of her nose.

Lisbeth breathed in and out, feeling a rush in her bones. Leopold observed from afar, before she turned around, meeting his eyes again.

"Are you satisfied?" A whisper that couldn't be made out sounded. "Tell me, Lisbeth. Is this what she deserved? Was this the right choice?"

Leopold couldn't hear his voice.

"Do you always resort to violence, in a fit of anger? You're just like all the others."

"Yes, Shi Hon." Lisbeth crouched. "We are one. Demons are one."

"Exactly. A whisper never goes too far. It is those who spread it. Tell me, did you only seek my answer just to seek pleasure in torturing an innocent woman? I couldn't stand for any of that." he added in a soft, yet deep voice. Leopold's eyes widened. "She was right. No one is, born evil. It's the paths that we choose from, that lead towards a shared future. Perhaps, even, some could say there are good demons out there. But you're not looking for that, neither am I."

His hand disappeared and went into the shadows. Lisbeth breathed heavily and put her hands down, feeling the ground, as if under some strange spell. Leopold looked around, unsurely.

"First come the Zimorron, now your eyes are peeled on trying to get that one Demonear to step out of its thin, veily shell. Not even a day's rest in your eyes, my dear Lisbeth."

"It's what the demons need."

"Truly. You seem an expert in this field." he chuckled. "Yet, the one she wrongfully called king wants nothing but a story that seems to go head-first into repeating itself. It's something I can't allow." Shi Hon stood up, with his shadow casting over the red lights cast from the crimson chandelier above, otherwise illuminating everything in the round, rocky room.

Lisbeth slowly looked up.

"Leave the room. Continue your amends, far from my word," he added, raising his hand.

The demoness nodded, before promptly moving back into the shadow.

"As for you, I have to commend your bravery. I'm sure, in silence, through all her confidence, she'd only be able to seek the prize at the end, without considering how bumpy the road is. You're anything but that Leopold, and once again, you have made me proud." Shi Hon spoke, and Leopold nodded, fixing his shining, white horns. "Tell me now, my child. Would you like to assist me? One hand reached out towards the other, and both agreed. We both gain something in return."

Leopold stared forward. A weapon appeared, with Shi Hon's hands carrying it. He looked at its handle, then at Shi Hon's hands, with sharp nails and burgundy clothes, barely sticking out of the shadow. For a second there, he wanted to step closer, and reach his hand out but hesitated. "With this, you might as well be able to keep this act up, for a little longer."

He took the hammer from his grasp, which immediately disappeared. Leopold looked up and felt nothing.

The eerie silence was seldom broken by a few shuffles, as Lisbeth scoured elsewhere.

"Scour through the mountains. Find it."

***

"We might be dead!" Chyuuichi announced.

"WHAT?!" Atomu screamed out. "D-DEAD?!"

"Mhm! The rocks are falling!" he pointed, and right as The Paladian looked up, he spotted a boulder heading his way and carving things out through the wall. "ATOMU!" Chyuuichi bellowed, suddenly.

"Waah! WAAAH!" Atomu raised his voice, losing his balance, and tumbling down the sides, while Chyuuichi leapt out, sticking his elshuim into the wall and grabbing his hand. The snow went through their hair, while Chyuuichi pulled Atomu up, without much of a struggle.

"The r-rocks are falling?" Atomu asked, managing to stand up.

"Yes, glad ya noted that! It happens all the time in Mirillis. When two parts collide, they explode into smaller boulders, and reveal all the minerals they were hiding!" Chyuuichi added. "...and well, when they crash, they move all the snow down into our faces, and reveal even more cracks!"

"WHY?!" Atomu asked.

"I don't think nature answers questions- yyyyy!" Chyuuichi started jumping on one foot, as the rock the two stood on split into two, leaving the elshuim hanging in the middle. "Atomu!"

"Chyuuichi!" Atomu reached his hand out, before sliding down and extending his arms, barely hanging on the edge. The Mirillian didn't take any more chances, and jumped forward to the tool, climbing around and moving his legs up.

The elshuim started sliding down, and Chyuuichi made a few noises right before it stopped. Upside down, he barely hung from on his two legs. With a shout, he swang left, as another rock moved, pushing against the one with the elshuim and moving the Mirillian. Atomu reached out and grabbed onto Chyuuichi's hand, just as the rock below crashed into bits, hitting a thick stalagmite.

"Gaah! I can't hold on!" Chyuuichi added, right as the two started swinging around like a grandfather clock one would find in Wendigo, with the rocks bouncing around and conveniently avoiding them, which Chyuuichi quickly noticed.

"You're strong, you can carry me!" Atomu screamed out.

"It's not that! My legs, they're sliding off the elshuim!"

"Oh, my!" he squinted his eyes, before spotting something. "J-Just a little more!" Atomu said. "I can reach the edge! We'll be safe there! Come on, Chyuuichi! Swing, swing!"

"Mhh!" Chyuuichi ground his teeth, struggling, trying to match Atomu's motions.

"Just a little more!" Atomu growled.

"Atomu! I can't, I can't!"

"JUMP!" The Paladian screamed out, and Chyuuichi let go. It seemed that they were close enough to the edge, and right when Atomu's leg connected, it slid off the slippery ice. His eyes widened, as he quickly realised what had happened.

Atomu and Chyuuichi's yells echoed through the mist and reached Zuimu, who was safely holding onto the edge.

With a tired sigh, she plummeted downwards, putting her arms on the side and speeding up.

She reached the screaming men, grabbed their hands and kicked one stalagmite with her leg, moving down. Their screams echoed, left and right, and she squinted her eyes, moving their hands up to her shoulders, bouncing off several floors and descending downwards, only picking up on speed, and yet, avoiding the barrage of rocks that kept plummeting from above, as well as all the other natural obstacles and walls obstructing their way.

Suddenly, she let go of the two, shocked by a sudden stalagmite in her way. She ducked, hitting the ground, while the two safely rode down the tilt.

Zuimu rolled through many boulders, eventually crashing against a wall and opening her eyes. She fell on the ground, and the two waddled over, blissfully unaware.

"Oh, my, Zuimu!" Atomu yelled out. "That was totally-"

"Cool!" Chyuuichi screamed out. "SO COOL!" he jumped up, clenching his fists. She looked at him. "I think I'm starting to like this demonic side of you! Atomu, though, ya could work a little on your abilities! Ya could be like her!"

Zuimu smiled, even though they couldn't see it.

"No!" Atomu crossed his arms. "It was completely irresponsible! We could have crashed at any point, and died! Died a horrible death!"

"Mhh hmhhhmm!" Zuimu immediately stood up, pointing at Atomu. "Mhh mmmh!"

"Oh, please!" Atomu put his hand on his hip.

"Mh! Mhhhmhh!" Zuimu argued.

Atomu felt a bit embarrassed, perfectly knowing that if he and Chyuuichi were to fall without her help, they'd die, not even halfway through. He didn't want to admit it, though.

"Y-Yeah! Just because we're men-"

"Guys! Don't you get it?!" Chyuuichi separated the two, immediately looking at Atomu's face. "It's! The thing I talked about!" he snapped his fingers. "We're special, right, eh?"

"What?" Atomu blinked twice.

"Extraordinary, even!" Chyuuichi added.

"Oh. T-That thing." Atomu scratched his head.

Zuimu tilted her head, a bit confused.

"I saw as all those rocks avoided us as if we were demons and them, humans!" Chyuuichi walked forward, signalling with his hands. Zuimu squinted her eyes. "Us, against the cruel forces of nature, and yet, we came out victorious!"

"Mm mhm." Zuimu put her hands on her hips, clearly indicating that most of that was her work.

"Special!" Chyuuichi said. "That's what we're all about, eh, Klakunhoi?"

"Zuimu's not a part of Klakunhoi." Atomu added, and Chyuuichi put his hands on both of their shoulders, inching closer.

"Klakunhoi minus Rowan plus Zuimu." Chyuuichi quickly continued. "KMRPZ is special!"

"I'd rather you stop using that word, Chyuuichi," Atomu said.

"Special, special, special, special."

"Ha." Atomu breathed out, putting his palm over his eyes. "It's one way to put it." he strutted away, looking up and trembling. "We're quite far from the top, aren't we? That's over with, then. I worried it might've taken us more than a few hours to get here. So. Thank you, Zuimu." he nodded, and she rolled her eyes, while Chyuuichi gave her a big thumbs up. Atomu took one more step, before accidentally kicking a rock down a small hole.

The pebble started bouncing off below into the caves, echoing loudly, hitting things and making, strangely enough, metallic noises. He closed his eyes, and the other two looked down, seeing the water's light bouncing onto the cobbled walls.

"That was loud!" Chyuuichi added. "Hope that isn't a sign of bad things to come."

"Don't say that," Atomu muttered, exhausted.

Zuimu shoulder-bumped him.

All of a sudden, something sounded behind them. A few heavy footsteps, treading through the open corridors and stepping out of the darkness, slowly into the dimmed lights of the cave. The three turned around, unsure, and with terrified expressions on their faces. Clenching their weapons, they faced the hush, grinding their teeth.

A gloved hand covered an old wound that bled anew, and a silhouette finally revealed its white and grey clothes, covered in dirt, dust, and blood. With a groan, something eventually revealed itself.

"Heh. I thought I'd never find anything in these caves." his grasp on two weapons tightened. "Yet. You can be at the edge of your time, and still..." Bancho smiled. "Things, and especially people, continue to surprise you."