https://youtu.be/mX9si-MymwU

For Silas, the day after all that was fairly normal. Wake up, see his mother off, trek over to Arc, put on his apron, tease Minori a little, try to withstand his newfound taste of fame, and continue his mission to be the funniest barista this side of Erdeland. All things considered, pretty decent day.

Just a couple of things out of the ordinary, though. One of which he was sure was going to become his new 'ordinary', and the other...well, he wasn't. The first was the weird looks he was getting, and the weird questions people asked. At least Minori had yet to react in any strange manner - she didn't seem to emote much at all, but he had contented himself with the slight flicker of amusement he'd gotten when she heard his puns.

But the other thing he had noticed was a familiar brown-haired woman dipping in and out every hour or so. For reasons he couldn't fathom, his friend Valerie walked inside, looking around, sitting for a few minutes and occasionally looking right at him before walking right back out again. He wondered if she had nothing better to do with her day, but either way, it was curious.

Around noon, his lunch break came, and he decided to spend it sitting at one of the tables with a couple of cookies on a plate in front of him, contemplating his life from here on out. His mother had questioned him like hell, and after he'd come clean, there was a bit of scolding regarding putting himself in such dangerous situations before the two agreed that it was nothing compared to working for Coronus Crystallus, laughed about it, then went off to make some salad to celebrate.

But even if he had it better than his mother, he would be lying if he said the idea of getting into battles like that regularly didn't scare him somewhat. In the name of making Erdeland a better place, it seemed like he might have to do that more often, and with Inigo's help, that might just be possible. Provided he didn't keep using such questionable methods, anyway...

As he heard the door to the Hole open, Silas snapped out of his reminiscing and looked at the entrance, seeing Valerie was there, looking at him. He waved at her, and as she looked at him, she immediately walked over, sitting down opposite him.

"This seat taken?" she asked, shuffling in her chair and earning a chuckle from Silas.

"At least ask that before sitting down." he smiled, before shaking his head. "It's free, don't worry."

"Okay, good." Valerie nodded, resting her elbows on the table, her cheek in her palm. "Wanted to talk, but I didn't know when your lunch break was. Gotta play it safe, you know?"

"You had to know it wasn't before noon, right?" Silas raised an eyebrow, harkening back to the numerous times she'd wandered in and out.

"No one ever accused me of being a strategist." Valerie shrugged. "But, yeah. Got a few minutes?"

"Sure do. About fifteen, by now." Silas nodded, glancing at the clock on the wall. "So, time's a-ticking. What's on your mind?"

"Well, I guess I need someone to talk to." Valerie sighed, her voice getting more quiet. "I've been given a pretty tough assignment. Figured it'd be pretty easy to talk to you about it."

"Easier than any of your coworkers?"

"Well, I'm not on speaking terms with any of the grunts. Galileo's an asshole, and Coyote's gonna tell me it'll all be fine, but it won't. Best bet is Mata Hari, but..." Valerie mumbled, shaking her head. "Well, I've been told not to tell her about the plan."

"Oh. Odd." Silas looked up to the ceiling. "Surely telling me about the plan is a risk, right? What with me being a 'hero of Ruben' and all that?"

"You should be fine as long as I don't give you any details." Valerie shook her head. "Far as I know, though, Mata Hari doesn't even know there is a plan."

"Ah, I see." Silas nodded slowly, smiling a little. "So, what's so hard about this mission, anyway?"

"Well..." Valerie mumbled, trying to think of a way to put it subtly. "Let's say...I have to confront a ghost from my past. One that I've been avoiding up until now. But now, I've been told to take it down, and I knew this would happen eventually, but I still don't know how to handle it..."

"Hmm...sounds like a struggle." Silas murmured, crossing his arms. "Would you say you're...scared? Scared of hunting down this ghost?"

"...yeah. Ain't it a real crock of shit? I'm way too old to be scared of ghosts." Valerie sighed. "And I've never had trouble hunting down my targets until now. You think I'm getting soft?"

"No, not at all! If you didn't feel that way, that'd be either impressive or worrying." Silas shook his head. "I don't know how to help you here, though. Only ghost from my past, I'm still looking for. But, if I had to suggest something...try to focus on what you'll gain from doing this?"

"Hmm...guess I'll be protecting my mates and avoiding the don's wrath...but, I dunno. He'll be in danger. He might even die..."

"It's a tough one, isn't it?" Silas said, giving her a small smile. "You should chew on that. Try to psyche yourself up. Maybe I can get you something to drink while you're doing that?"

"...don't suppose you have any more of those smoothies?" Valerie asked. Silas nodded slowly, standing up and stretching his legs.

"Of course we do! And, don't worry. This one's on the house." he grinned.

"You don't hafta go out of your way, you know..."

"Hey, now, if I did everything just because I 'had' to, is that really living?" Silas chuckled, shaking his head. Valerie remained silent at that, looking down to the ground, while Silas left to end his lunch break.

As the man disappeared into the back, he looked back at the conversation he'd just had and sighed, heading to get his apron as he pulled out his phone. He still had a bit of time left, so he figured he might as well spare a few minutes to talk to his team. Opening his group chat, he typed up a message so that Inigo and Azurine could read it:

"Hey, guys."

"I think Iago's in danger."

.........

https://youtu.be/Zyu-BSdma3g

Following a worsening scent of blood and a trail of bodies, Inigo narrowed his eyes as he went to hide among the streets of Aurum so he could read the notification that he'd just received. Standing in an alleyway, he leaned against the wall and pulled out his phone, reading Silas' message and typing up a response.

"From my point of view, Iago is the danger."

"yeah! he's basically the one who knocks"

"who could ever put Iago in danger?"

Yes, who indeed? Rhetorical question, obviously - only Libera would go after Iago. Unless Apex made their move, but even then, Libera was the more obvious choice. Still, it didn't hurt to consider every possibility.

"I had a little chat with my gym buddy, and I suspect that Libera's finally going to capture him."

"oh no"

Called it. Inigo sighed, placing a hand on his head as he slowly poked his head out from the alley, continuing to follow his trail while typing up his response: "That's a bad thing, isn't it?"

"Very. Who knows what a Libera without Iago to hold them back could end up doing?"

"whatever happens, we'll have to pull through it together"

"Shouldn't we try to stop this?"

"Silas, what else do you know?"

"Well, the gym buddy's gonna be fighting him, I think."

"And 'Mata Hari', whoever that is, won't be there."

"But other than that, I have no idea what the plan is."

"I see. Thank you."

Inigo put his phone away for now, deciding to focus on the search for Iago, but in the meantime, he had to dissect all this information. He needed to find Iago and, if possible, protect him, so he'd need to locate him and never let him leave his sight. And there was also the issue of this 'Mata Hari' figure who wasn't going to be involved. Perhaps he should ask Scarlett about that.

Deciding this was a good idea after a good few minutes of thinking, he took his phone out again and opened Scarlett's contact, typing out a message, a simple greeting to start.

"Good afternoon, Scarlett."

And at that, he looked ahead, finding he was at a dead end. At the end of the path he was on, he saw a pair of white dumpsters placed together, with all the black trash bags taken out of them and placed around them, while he noticed assorted arms, feet, and even a head sticking out of them. One of the hands had a note lodged between the fingers, which he grabbed with his psychokinesis and read, still feeling quite annoyed. Had he never met the Ravener, perhaps this would've been more traumatising. But he'd already had that shock, so now it was time for him to follow the clue and find Iago before it was too late.

.........

Contrary to how she typically liked to present herself, Scarlett sat in a rather small and plain room, consisting of a bed with red sheets, a white desk with a pile of papers on it and a chair underneath it, and a very thin, grey carpet, with a tiny bit of walking space. It wasn't very comfortable, but it would certainly take getting used to - and in her current circumstances, she didn't have much of a choice.

She sat on the bed, legs dangling off the side, and hummed to herself, a little frown on her face as she scrolled down her phone, looking at all the headlines on the news. There were people wondering if the "Heroes of Ruben" were somehow involved in what happened in Caerulus, a fact that she couldn't help but chuckle at, and many headlines regarding the White-Flame Menace; that was, her father, and how he was still at large.

Thankfully, she knew he was laying low for the time being. As she read through the news, she saw a notification pop up from the top of her screen - a text from Inigo. Eyes widening ever so slightly, she immediately pressed it, opening their messaging history.

There, right below a small debate over whether water was better canned or bottled, was a simple greeting from Inigo. Smiling slightly, she laid down on the bed, typing up her response. "Hey! (-‿◦☀)"

"How are you holding up?"

"Since you can't stay at your house anymore."

"It's not all bad! I've been staying at the base."

"It's very drab in here, but I'll manage ( ˘ ^˘ )=3"

"Good to know."

She smiled, glad to know he seemed to care. "By the way, I couldn't help but wonder..."

"Do you have a house?"

"Do you usually have conversations like this?"

"I was just curious! (๏ᆺ๏υ)"

"I overheard the little blue one calling you homeless while we were in Ruben."

Scarlett giggled quietly as she recalled that memory. She didn't seem to mean anything offensive by it, just stating a fact when she pointed out that her team had a "machiavellian hobo" on it. But it had her curious nonetheless.

"If you don't wanna answer, that's fine!"

"Nah, I can answer. I don't have a house."

"I get by with inns."

"That sounds expensive... (－_－)"

"I get the money by taking things from bandits."

"It's a more lucrative income than you'd think."

"Well, that's convenient."

"Like you wouldn't believe."

"By the way, who's Mata Hari?"

Reading that made Scarlett gasp and almost drop her phone in surprise. Had she let something slip? She didn't recall ever mentioning that name in front of him, and she doubted Galileo would ever say anything. Recomposing herself, she typed back, "Why do you ask? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯"

"I heard the name and was curious."

"It's someone in Libera. Presumably someone significant. Someone who's been left out of their latest operation."

"But I don't know anything beyond that."

"Maybe you know more than you think."

A noticeable pause before he continued typing. "It's you, isn't it?"

"Bingo! ✺◟(＾∇＾)◞✺"

"Now, what's this about an operation?"

"The objective is to capture 'the Devil's Spawn'."

"Have you noticed any of your allies moving weirdly lately?"

"Kinda, yeah ♒((⇀‸↼))♒"

"But nobody's telling me anything."

"Should I keep an eye out for you?"

"I'd appreciate that."

"I have no idea what Iago's gonna go through once they capture him, and I'd really rather not find out."

"Alright, I'll keep you posted."

"Wish me luck! ('ε｀ )♡"

"Luck."

Scarlett smiled at that, putting her phone away and standing up in front of her bed. Her curiosity had been present already, but now that she was indulging it on the partial behalf of Libera's public enemy #2, she'd have to be extra careful. So, she walked out, ready to start gathering knowledge.

.........

https://youtu.be/it5wuAgf1Pw

A few good knocks on his office door, and Galileo sighed, trying to imagine who could possibly need anything with him now of all times. Raising an eyebrow, he looked up from his desk, deciding to sate his curiosity. It couldn't have been an enemy, after all.

"It's open."

At that, he sat back in his seat, taking his hand off the spherical silver object in his hand and putting it in a box by the foot of his chair. Then, he carefully opened a drawer to pull out another one, holding it in his hand by the time the door opened to reveal Mata Hari, who walked in nervously only to stare strangely at him, smiling awkwardly and straightening her posture.

"Uh...hey, Galileo." she said. "What's that?"

"...don't you have work?" he asked, continuing to keep his eyebrow raised as he looked up at her, hands beginning to glow with a warm orange light.

"Nope! I wasn't assigned anything today!" Scarlett chirped, leaning forward as she began to examine the sphere in his hands. A lightbulb went off in her head, and it was her turn to raise an eyebrow. "Hey...is that a bomb? You shouldn't handle those with fire magic, you know..."

"Not unless you know what you're doing." Galileo shook his head slowly, meticulously turning the object around and staring at it. "It's a Natura technique called blending. By applying fire magic to this bomb, I can enhance its potency and detonate it at will."

"...I don't think any of the textbooks I read told me about that."

"That's because you never read any of the big boy books." Galileo replied, an almost playful condescension in his voice before he cleared his throat, observing the bomb with a smile. On its surface, it seemed to have orange, glowing veins that gradually faded away. Pulling out another bomb from his drawer, he continued. "Now, why have you come here, Mata Hari?"

"Nothing much, I just wanted to check on you." Scarlett said, shrugging. "What are the bombs for? You're not going after the Red Joker again, are you?"

"No, these are for the Mikado." Galileo shook his head. As Scarlett stared at him, he cleared his throat. "Just to clarify, I am not bombing the Mikado. She wants these."

"And you just...did it? No complaints?"

"There were questions, if that smooths your feathers." Galileo continued. "They were answered, and I was satisfied."

"Wow." Scarlett nodded slowly, smiling a little. "So, what does the Mikado want the bombs for?"

"I don't know, Mikado stuff?" Galileo scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You'll have to ask her about it."

"...I see." Scarlett nodded, looking around the place before backing towards the door. "I'll leave you to that, then. Happy terrorism!"

"...farewell, Scarlett." Galileo replied, watching as she waved at him, smiling distantly before leaving him alone. He sighed, shaking his head before continuing to get to work. He had to be careful, after all, though he wondered - just how much did that girl know/suspect, anyway?

.........

"Inigo! I come bearing news! ٩(◕‿◕)۶"

"Why so formal?"

"I've been observing my teammates all day, and I haven't gotten much out of them (˙◠˙)"

"But I did speak to my dad, and I think whatever plan they've got might include bombs! (;° ロ°)"

"That can't be good."

"Do you know when they're going to strike?"

"No, sorry."

"Don't apologise. You've done well."

"Thank you, Scarlett."

Inigo smiled slightly, putting his phone back in his pocket, and looked down at the road ahead of him - a barren street, with a few, red, relatively fresh footprints on the white pavement. He'd seen a lot of red today, and, well, the street cleaners had their work cut out for them this time. His brief spark of happiness vanished once he saw the scene ahead of him. At the end of the road, he saw Iago, facing away from him with his head down and his arms behind his back.

The time now was around 5 in the evening. For five good hours he'd been at this stupid search. But now, it was done. He quickly strode to the man, shaking his head all the while, and Iago, gazing off into the distance, suddenly turned his head and examined Inigo, smiling and turning around once he had gleaned who it was. On Inigo's face was the opposite emotion - annoyance and harshness over any jubilation.

"Hey, Iago! The fuck?"

"...at long last...you have found me." the sorcerer beamed, taking a bow. "And just when I was beginning to think you had opted not to come! As always, it is a joy to see you!"

"The feeling isn't mutual." Inigo shook his head, walking right up to him and quickly retaining a veneer of calm. "Iago, what the hell have you been up to?"

"Why, I've been going about my usual business, naturally!" Iago exclaimed cheerfully. "As always, I aim to slay my enemies until every last one of them is dead!"

"I can see you've been busy." Inigo narrowed his eyes, thinking back to all the bodies he'd seen today and shuddering slightly. "Would it kill you to be a little more low-key? What if someone else put those clues together before I did?"

"If anyone else discovered me...well, it would depend on if they saw fit to get in my way." Iago replied, chuckling sinisterly at his own remark.

Inigo pressed his palm to his forehead, sighing slightly. "Iago, be honest. Was everyone you killed today a member of Libera?" he asked. "I want you to look me in the eye and tell me you didn't kill a single innocent."

"...I believe so, yes."

"You don't even-"

"Well, there were a few witnesses, but I did away with them rather painlessly, if I do say so myself!" Iago added cheerfully.

"Iago, this isn't some joke!" Inigo scolded, glaring sharply at him. "Ugh, why are you even so...aggro today?"

"My aggression has a just cause, you see." Iago said, his demeanour becoming more serene, spreading his arms out without his usual smile. "I have been issued a challenge by our liberating friends, and I must show them I hear their call! If they declare war on me, then they must know they are dealing with a man who is willing to fight back!"

"...so you know." Inigo murmured. "Look, Iago, just stay with me, okay? It'll be harder to get us if we stick together, and someone has to stop you from killing more people."

"...but can they truly be called-"

"Yes, they can." Inigo bluntly interrupted him, stepping right up to him and grabbing onto his wrist. "Now, come on. We need to get you out of here before you're arrested. Gods, they might think you're the Ravener at this rate..."

"Ha!" Iago laughed while allowing Inigo to drag him away, the latter using his water magic to ensure he didn't get blood everywhere. "Then let them come, and I will-"

"No!" Inigo shook his head. "Iago, you're in a precarious position right now, so you need to be careful. Who knows what they'll do to you when they catch you?"

"If they catch me!"

"Yeah, sure. If." Inigo frowned, continuing to guide him out of Aurum and keep him out of everyone's sight. "But we've still got to take measures to ensure that doesn't happen. So..."

.........

https://youtu.be/533XqERJUwY

As the two departed, the ever-turning water wheel of time continued to rotate, and eventually, the clock struck nine. In the depths of Libera's base, Kotoba sat in her office, a cup of hot chocolate to her side as she sat in her seat, looking down at her phone and issuing numerous orders via text. She looked up, raising an eyebrow, as she heard a characteristic pounding on her back door, and straightened her stance as she looked towards it.

"Enter."

As she spoke, the door opened, and in came Creed, his hands in his pockets as he looked down at her with a toothy grin and a nod. "'Sup, Kotoba."

"Hello, Creed." Kotoba replied, smiling slightly as she looked up at him. "I trust everything is in place?"

"Yeah, just about, though Grant tells me Scarlett might be onto us." Creed nodded once again. "Looks to me like the targets are rooming together again. In Arc, that is."

"I see. It makes sense that he wouldn't want to stay in Aurum." Kotoba mused. "Excellent work, Creed. I am, as always, proud of you."

"Haha, yeah..." Creed murmured, chuckling uneasily. "Say, Kotoba...are you sure this is the plan you wanna go by? You know it'll be dangerous, and you can't un-detonate a bomb..."

"The Devil's Spawn always leaves hours before the Joker does, if your reports aren't mistaken."

"Which they aren't."

"This is the best way to ensure we can kill two birds with one stone. We need the Red Joker up and active at roughly the same time, while also keeping him away." Kotoba responded calmly. "He'll act with impunity if lives are at stake, and if he brings his friends with him, then that's all the better. We can pick them off all at once."

"I guess that does make sense, but...I dunno." Creed rubbed the back of his head.

"If you have a better plan, I'd like to hear it." Kotoba looked up at him, her eyebrow raised in seemingly genuine curiosity. "I take no pleasure in acts of mass destruction, but if this is the best way to get what we want, I won't hesitate to do it."

"...then, could you at least spare the Java Hole? And that gym, too?" Creed suggested. "Valerie did always like those places, and this mission is hard enough for her already."

Kotoba closed her eyes in contemplation, immediately after which, Creed piped up. "Think of the effects this could have on her morale, her loyalty! She's our finest hitman, you don't wanna risk it, do you?"

"Fine points." she nodded slowly. "I'll put in a note that those buildings are off-limits."

"Alright." Creed grinned, happy with that little reassurance as his hand fumbled around in his pocket. "Lemme get back to spying, then. I'll let you know if anything changes."

"I'll let you get to that, then." Kotoba nodded slowly, taking a sip from her hot chocolate with a smile. "And please, stay safe. There's a big bonus in store for you if this goes well."

Creed nodded, humming a whimsical little tune as he disappeared through the backdoor. One way or another, this was going to be a night to remember.