https://youtu.be/WDqWQWtC2EE

Exiting the inn, the trio found themselves in the middle of the streets of Seiryu, which was still recovering from the damage dealt to it from the previous day's calamity. Its grassy paths and towering trees, its pebbly roads and wooden barricades, they were all tainted with dried blood. Its stench was not as strong as it had been yesterday, but it was clear from the bodies laying about, some stuffed into bushes, that the cleanup effort had only just begun. After all, the incident was still young.

As they walked down the verdant streets, oft tinted in blue, silence overtook them, as though it were inappropriate to dispense with the usual banter. In the presence of all these bodies, they would naturally feel that way. What a waste of a beautiful blue sky. Eventually, it was Sly who broke the silence, taking a deep breath and feeling mildly frustrated at the monotony.

"So...pretty nice weather, eh?"

"It's certainly blue." Ashbel replied, looking up to the sky. "...can't help but feel like it's hotter than usual, though."

"Hmm...true." Sly mused, placing a hand on his chin. "Didn't know you could feel that, though. Aren't salamanders meant to be heat-resistant?"

"Yeah, but I still feel hot temperatures." Ashbel pointed out, remembering the burns he'd gotten from Luc the other day. Resistance and immunity were not the same. "Hey, Vi, is this heat related to the Light, by any chance?"

"I would assume so..." Viera murmured, looking up to the sky and crossing her arms, squinting slightly. "I mean, it's not just the heat. The sun feels...brighter, somehow. Almost...meaner."

"Gazing upon us foolish mortals like a disappointed god who's just one bad day away from bringing about the day of judgement." Sly mused, shrugging. "Seems accurate."

"The Beginning is no god. He merely wishes to wear the skin of one." Viera scowled, shaking her head. "Thankfully, we have actual gods on our side."

"Surely, the Deliverance has some Acolytes in their ranks..." Ashbel commented, humming a little before realising the group dedicated to spiting the gods likely didn't have any devout followers of any of them. "...uh, can the Beginning create any?"

Viera sighed a little, shaking her head. "Only one, and even then, it's not quite an example because as I've said, the Beginning isn't a god." she explained. "Acolytes, like myself, are conduits for divine power, but the Light's power is strictly leyline-based."

"Uh huh..." Ashbel murmured, suddenly recalling what Kiran had told him about the Torch's origins. A convergence of the power of five different deities, forming a divine power to rival any leyline. "...does that mean I'm an Acolyte, then? Or is the Torch different?"

"It's different. You're drawing strength through a divine artifact." Viera pointed out, shaking her head. "That's why you can still use magic from other sources on top of it. Most Acolytes are locked out of more than basic leyline channeling. I believe demons and Sanguines are the same, right?"

"Sanguine here. Can confirm." Sly nodded, cutting in. "My casting ability is roughly equal to that of the monster whose blood I drank...and I think I may have picked the dumbass teenage son of the pack."

"Hey, you're not bad or anything!" Ashbel shook his head, smiling a little. "You can do that ground-freezing thing, right?"

"Do you know how much study it took to accomplish that much?" Sly sighed, pressing a hand to his face as he let out a sarcastic little laugh. "My mentor's a Sanguine, you know. If you ever saw him, you'd realise I'm at the bottom rung."

The trio continued to walk, having memorised the route to the Temple of Benedicts. Their chosen inn hadn't been too far from it, but there was still quite the walk. Sly was annoyed by this, because being in such close proximity with Viera, he couldn't get away with pickpocketing any unfortunate passersby. He knew someone like her would never approve, and while the ensuing lecture wouldn't change a thing, he'd much rather avoid it.

Ashbel, for his part, thought about the previous day, closing his eyes briefly as he considered what Luc had told him. The conversation they'd had before that earth-shaking duel of theirs.

"What could drive a man to destroy the world?"

"What else but the world itself?"

What could he have seen that fed a bitterness so deep he'd rather burn the pages entirely than get an editor or try a rewrite? It filled him with a deep curiosity. After all, the world was flawed, but he couldn't stop seeing the beauty in it. Seiryu had once been so lovely, so lush - only with the Deliverance's influence did it reek of the raw, violent nature of man that he saw today. He acknowledged the presence of higher priorities, of course, but he nonetheless couldn't wait for his next meeting with Luc. So onward, he marched.

.........

https://youtu.be/u1RSQIVHTLg

In the distance, a young knight caught a glimpse of the trio. It hadn't been on purpose or anything. She'd still been in Seiryu by that morning; it was early, and she hadn't been given any further orders yet, so as things stood, she was both free and without her usual squadron. As she laid eyes on the group, she opted to keep watching them at a distance - if she alone couldn't defeat Ashbel by himself, how could she take on him with two human...thralls? Friends? She couldn't say for sure.

She kept her bright blue eyes open, diligent as she always was, and frowned. She'd had two clashes with that demon, having given it her all in their rematch, but looking back on them, it was clear that he was her superior. And in their clash, she'd sensed a strong conviction behind his blade. The kind that she was certain no demon could have. And to top it all off, he'd claimed that he was protecting humanity. Something she'd have easily ignored if his actions that day didn't match up so well.

Could this simply be all part of his master plan? Short-term good for long-term evil? She couldn't assume heroism yet - he had slain quite a few of her people, after all. But what could he possibly be plotting? Even clad in all-white, she could feel the heat of the sun glaring down on her, which reminded her - just yesterday, the Light had been claimed. Could he, perhaps, have become the Beginning?

As she pondered this - admittedly unlikely - possibility, she heard a familiar set of sandalled footsteps nearby, from a couple of blocks away, and as she did, she perked up, realising the bearer of those footsteps was approaching her. Not wanting to lose sight of Ashbel and his uncertainly-defined cohort, she stayed where she was, in hopes of crossing paths with her ally.

Her eyes and ears focused on different targets, she almost missed it when she heard the familiar voice huffing as the footsteps stopped, before beginning to turn around. Whipping her head around, she saw, on the other end of the block, a woman, whose clothes and skin were blue - her flowing robes dark in colour and adorned with silver, while her face, hands and legs were a lighter hue. She was in the middle of turning around by the time she saw her, and the white-clad girl quickly ran to meet up with her.

"Bishop! Wait up!"

The Bishop, hearing this, stopped and sighed, turning around to face the Knight, her normally half-lidded grey eyes narrowing even further as she gazed upon the taller woman stopping before her, standing up straight so as to appear formal. "MacKenzie."

The Knight, upon hearing this, put her hands on her hips, looking down at the blue woman with mild displeasure on her face. "I've told you, it's just Kenzie."

"My apologies."

Kenzie, the Knight, sighed at that, shaking her head before giving the woman a smile. "No need to apologise." she said. "If you truly wish to make it up to me, you may tell me what you have planned this morning."

"I fail to see the relevance." the Bishop deadpanned, her expression unchanging. "I'm your coworker, not your friend. What I do outside of work is none of your business."

Kenzie scowled at that, each word from the Bishop cutting like the sharpest of blades. But she still had her pride. Looking down on her, she cleared her throat conspicuously. "W-Well, I would argue otherwise!" she huffed. "Seeing as you're a demon, it falls to us to make sure you aren't getting up to any mischief!"

For the first time in the conversation, the Bishop's countenance changed, a frown on her features. "I know. That's why the Lance is watching me."

"R-Really? I didn't see or hear him..." Kenzie murmured, averting her gaze. The Bishop, scanning her features to determine whether or not she seemed to suspect anything - which she did not - continued.

"He's a sneaky one, isn't he?" she lied calmly. "Took me quite a while to realise he was doing it."

"Tsk, I see..." Kenzie murmured, shaking her head. "Well, personal plans aside, do you have any updates from the King?"

"You know he doesn't tell me anything." the Bishop sighed. "Why not try asking the Rook? You guys are practically joined at the hip."

"We are not!" Kenzie protested, clearing her throat with indignation. "And he is not here right now. He went to the west two nights ago, and I have yet to hear from him."

"Oh, no. How will you cope?"

"I will be fine, thank you." the Knight sighed in exasperation, clenching her teeth. "Just...stay out of trouble, will you? And please, try and stop the Lance from killing anyone. I don't know why the King keeps that psychopath on our team, but we ought to make sure his chaos is directed at our enemies."

"Sure." the Bishop said casually, a smile peeking out from her dull expression. "I'll leave you to whatever you're doing. You don't have to tell me what that is, by the way. I don't care."

"I...right." Kenzie nodded, turning her gaze away from the Bishop and slowly beginning to shuffle away. "Stay safe, then."

She walked away, and the Bishop watched her without a word, sighing in relief once she was gone. Turning back to her previous walking path, she began her stroll, until moments later, she felt a familiar voice in her head - a dispassionate, yet oddly soothing voice that nonetheless filled her with a deep chill, telling her, "Do not fail me, Bishop."

Recognising this notification, she froze in place, listening closely as she leaned against the nearest building, sighing in displeasure. Thankfully, the speaker couldn't hear that, or she'd be in serious trouble.

"Now that I have your undivided attention, listen closely. I have a mission for you, and you alone." the voice continued. "Even wretched scum like you can do this alone, so I hope you don't disappoint me."

The Bishop frowned a little, able to taste the venom in his words despite their calm tone, and closed her eyes in anticipation for what her orders were. "I have been informed by the Rook that a certain demon is in the east. As you are also in the east, it falls to you. Kill him." he commanded, either not knowing or not caring that the Knight and Lance were also in the east. "He is a nefarious sort. I'm told yesterday's zombie outbreak was his doing."

"Oh no." she murmured flatly, mostly to herself since she knew he couldn't hear her.

"I don't know where to find him, which is where you come in. A demon should know how demons think. Use that to your advantage." he told her. "Once he's found, he's good as dead. The world will be that little bit purer. You should look out for an elven bard. That is your target."

"An elven bard. Thanks, Your Royal Purity. Care to narrow it down a little?" she thought, rolling her eyes. If you saw an elf, there was a good chance they were a bard - it was part of their culture, after all. At least she could infer that the elf in question was a man. Perhaps someone like that friendly green man she'd spoken to the other day...

Well, wouldn't that be a funny coincidence? She chuckled at the possibility, before shaking her head, heading off to go and look for any elves in the vicinity - the bardier, the better.

.........

https://youtu.be/YMy1Het7VmA

There was, naturally, more than one pair of eyes on Ashbel and his motley crew today. In addition to Kenzie's watchful gaze, a curious pair tailed them from behind, keeping a very safe distance as they walked down these silent blue streets. On one hand, a purple-haired, ponytailed man with green eyes, a purple sash and black tunic over his gaunt frame. On the other, a short woman in a black cowl, whose lifted hood betrayed a pallor, red eyes, and wavy silver locks. They made sure to keep their voices down, remaining in close vicinity of one another.

"It's them, right?" the man questioned, his expression stone-cold as he watched the trio's every move. "The girl fits the description you gave..."

"I'm as sure as the sun is bright." the woman nodded quickly, saluting. "That's the one I saw the other day, indubitably!"

"If so, then this could be troublesome." the man crossed his arms, brow knitting together in contemplation. "Cyra. Were these bodyguards with her when you saw her?"

"I can't say they were. I certainly didn't see them at any point..." Cyra mused, shaking her head.

"Not much intel, huh?" the man murmured, gaze shifting from Viera to Ashbel. "I know that swordsman. In a manner of speaking, at least. He helped out during the crisis. So if he's working with her, then it begs the question: Why the hell is she working with the witch? Could she be a pawn? Someone who doesn't know what's really going on? Is she a manipulator herself? Is she brainwashed? I wouldn't put it past that woman to..."

As he began mumbling to himself, Cyra watched him, chuckling softly in mild amusement as she did her best to listen, anyway. Placing a gloved hand on his shoulder, she looked directly at him, tapping him to divert his attention away from his thoughts. "You're rambling again, Lazare."

"...oh." Lazare stopped himself immediately, clearing his throat as he looked down at his assistant. "...point is, we should watch them closely. We can get a better idea of what to expect."

"Of course! I'll make sure my eyes are wide open." Cyra nodded happily. Lazare sighed slightly, listening and turning his gaze back to Cyra as he focused on his surroundings. Despite his attempts at ignoring it, it was

"By the way...aren't you hot?"

Once he spoke, he saw her beginning to grin widely, showing off a pair of long, pointy canines and averting her gaze as she did her best to look flustered. "My, my, Lazare! I didn't know you thought so highly of me!" she gushed. "I do try my hardest, mind, but I didn't think you'd notice~"

"...what?" Lazare shook his head, sighing. He had more important things on his mind, and besides, she was cute at best. "I mean, are you feeling hot? Because in case you hadn't noticed, it's sweltering out here. And your choice of attire doesn't exactly scream 'summertime fun'."

Cyra giggled quietly. "You're sweet for caring." she said, before letting out a sigh. "...to be frank, I do wish I could wear something lighter. But that is a luxury not afforded to my ilk."

"Must suck." Lazare frowned a little, reaching into a pouch hanging off his sash and fumbling around in it, as if looking for something specific. Cyra watched him closely, wondering what kind of trick he was about to pull off, and observed as he took out a small ball of snow, holding it up as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hold still."

"Ooh, how long have you been holding onto that?" she asked, remaining as still as she could. "We went up north a couple weeks ago, yes?"

"I told you all that snow would come in handy." Lazare said, semi-tauntingly, as he held up the snowball, it slowly glowing a bright purple before dissolving into a translucent mist that travelled along his arms before beginning to shroud Cyra's body. She shivered playfully, smiling a little as she felt a wave of cold overcoming her.

"Ooh, chilly."

"Granted, I didn't think the sun would be this hot..." Lazare murmured, removing his hand from her and wiping a bit of sweat from his forehead. "We'll have to be careful. Who knows what could happen next?"

"Well, thank you for the help, Lazare." Cyra bowed her head before standing upright, smiling softly. "Personally, I'm looking forward to it. Whatever happens, it could be fun!"

Whatever happened - a monster invading Seiryu, the White Tigers coming for one of them, or some kind of leyline accident...it would certainly be an experience, for better or worse.

.........

As the trio walked round a corner, Sly raised an eyebrow. He'd smelt the same lingering smell of blood in the air even as they moved along into a more clean section of the town. Were they being followed by some kind of murderer? Maybe a bounty hunter out to get him. Either way, though, someone was following. But who?

After a little while, he turned his head, staring back where they'd come from - but he detected nothing out of the ordinary. Narrowing his eyes, he continued walking with the other two. They had a temple to apologise to, after all.