Water.

All around her, nothing but water.

An endless ocean of water. Its width reaching beyond the horizon. Its depths just as deep as it was wide. Beneath its surface once could see nothing save a deep dark abyss.

This was the world Matilda found herself in. A place where the only source of illumination was a giant moon. A pale white moon so close to the surface of the water, that one could see its form reflected clearly upon the surface. Yet despite the moon in the sky, there were no stars. No suns, no other lights that could be seen. Only an expanse of solid, churning gray that covered the entire sky. There were no buildings, no sounds, no signs of life whatsoever.

Save for a single creature.

Matilda, her single eye closed, was on her knees in the middle of the expanse of water. Her breathing was controlled and smooth. Her dress was completely dry despite her sitting atop the water. Though if she thought her ability to sit atop the bottomless pit of water seemed strange to her, she didn't make note of it. Her hands were on her knees, her little chest rising and falling as she took steady breaths. Her bangs were lowered, covering her eye like a curtain.

She sat there for what felt like an hour, calm and centered while remaining perfectly still. Then, a second later, the silent calm was broken by Eva's voice, "Now, I want you all to open your eyes. Not your real ones. Your mind's eye."

Matilda did as asked, her single eye opening but not opening. She could see the moonlit world before her with her mind fully aware and conscious. But her body felt ethereal. Not wholly there. As a test, she tried to move her upper torso and stretch out her fingers. They felt heavier than before, but she could still lift them with significant effort. The same was true of her arms and most of her torso. But she found she couldn't really feel anything below her waist. Which was annoying but nothing she couldn't deal with.

"Good, good. Now, remember the basics, everyone. Draw the Mana from the outside into your soul. Take enough to fit it within the palm of both your hands."

Matilda took another breath to steady her nerves. This was the part she was worried about. She knew it was coming but still held the feeling of uncertainty in her heart. However, she knew there was nothing for it but to do it. She lifted both her hands, turned her palms up, then called upon the Mana around her. The first instance of color appeared in the sky directly above her position. A swirling, sickly violet mist created two stains the solid sky. From within poured two tendrils of a similarly colored fog. Once the tail ends of the twin tendrils left the sky, the grayness quickly moved in to "patch the holes". Though even as the original color returned there remained a small bit of violet across the sky.

Matilda frowned by focused on the balls of mists that had gathered in her palms. She could feel the raw Demonic Mana within them. She could feel how it rankled against the contents of her soul. How it saw the space she was in as too uniform. Too quiet. Too stale. Too safe. How it wished to add wildness, chaos, and color to her soul. To make it better. To change her for the better. The raw potential it carried could do it. If she let it have its way with her soul.

Matilda frowned and curled her fingers inward. She focused on her breathing and kept the two balls of Mana within her palms. She wouldn't allow it the freedom it desired. While the idea of using its power to the fullest was a tempting one, she couldn't allow such a thing to happen. She had to keep the whispers at bay and remember why she was here. If she lapsed in her judgment for too long, then her soul might not be able to withstand the onslaught until she returned home.

"...Hmm...alright. That should be long enough. Everyone, return to yourselves and we will continue the lesson."

Matilda nodded then closed her eye. She steadied her breathing and tried to work backwards from where she started. When she had started she had been told to empty her mind and focus inward. To only think of her inner self and leave her body behind. Now, she did the opposite. She recalled what it was like to fully feel her body. To feel warmth beneath her knees. To smell the sweets scents of the world around her. To see colors other than gray.

There was sudden "shift" that made sent a shiver up Matilda's spine. Within a moment the eerie silence of her soul was replaced by the sound of multiple sudden intakes of breath as people remember how to breathe. She did the same, her lone eye slowly opening as her senses returned to her. The gray expanse had been replaced by the familiar sight of her classroom. The room was circular in design with a large chalkboard set into the wall on one side. The brown stone walls had a shine to them and helped instill a sense of wonder into the atmosphere. On the left wall of the room were multiple windows that looked out upon the city of Lescatie. To the right, other than the door leading out of the room, was a counter with a mini-library in the center. Multiple books of all shapes and sizes could be seen from anywhere in the room. Matilda could make out the titles on the spines. Things like"From blush to crush: How to get his heart beating for you!"and"Change yourself, Change the World: Using magic to create the honeymoon getaway of your dreams!"

She hadn't read any of the books, but she already had a few she was eying. Mainly the ones that spoke more on magical theory and practices.

There was a single large desk sitting in front of the chalkboard multiple pieces of chalk, an apple, and a picture frame on it. It was made from thick red wood that shined with a polished finish. Eva had her back against the desk while looking at her class of young Mamono. Matilda and her fellow students weren't using desk, but instead sat on comfy pillow seats filled with griffon feathers. Each one had been chosen based on the student's favorite color. Matilda adjusted herself, the purple pillow ensuring her knees didn't hurt, then looked around at the other students. Her class contained ten students, including her. She had counted four Succubi, three Witches, and two Living Dolls. The Succubi and Witches seemed to be around Horus and Gloria's age, but she couldn't be sure about the Living Dolls. She wondered whether any of them were older than her...

Eva clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. Once she had it, she said, "Good job, everyone. You all did well. Though, I do have some notes for a few of you. Sally, the Mana you took in is a bit wobbly. I'll need you to sit the next lesson out and spend a few moments getting your control in order. Marie, would you mind helping her out? You've got less Mana than her, but yours is more stable."

"Okay!" The Succubus, Marie, got up and walked over to Sally, a Witch. She took the Witch's hand and the two went to an open space at the back of the room. They sat down in front of each other and closed their eyes.

As they did, Eva turned her eyes toward Matilda. She raised an eyebrow, "And, Matilda, I noticed something was particularly strange with you. The Mana you took in seemed to be...restricted in some ways. You're not allowing the Mana to expand into your soul, are you?"

Matilda bowed her head in shame, "No, I am not, Eva. It is due to the nature of my soul. I am afraid of what might happen if I were to allow Mamono Mana to touch it. It may end up snuffing the Mana out, negating the original purpose of this exercise."

Her fellow students started whispering a few offering Matilda words of comfort. Eva frowned but nodded, "That is an understandable worry. But there is no need to worry. This class is all about understanding the basics of Mana. And even that should be enough to help you overcome such issues. If you require any assistance, simply ask me or one of your fellow students. Isn't that right class?"

The young Mamono all shouted their affirmations. Matilda raised her head and smiled, "Thank you, Eva. And thank you all as well. I'm certain I'll be able to learn how to get passed this limit with your help."

Eva hummed in agreement before pushing herself off her desk. She flapped her wings a bit as she approached the gathering of students then sat down on her knees, "Now to continue the lesson. The Mana that you have within you is raw potential. It can become anything you want it to be. All you have to do is focus your will on it and push it to do as you wish. If you need help, think of things that you like in the world. Your favorite colors, your favorite season, or even a type of dress you like to wear."

One of Witches raised her hand and Eva pointed at her. She quickly said, "Lady Eva, what about a boy we have a crush on?"

All the Mamono giggled and flushed save for Matilda who kept her eyes on Eva. Lips curling into a wistful smile, Eva put a hand over her heart as she answered, "That...is love. And it is one of the most powerful emotions that can affect the Mana you now hold. But I don't believe now is the time to use something like that for this. That is for later. For now, let us focus on using more general feelings. Now, I want you all to focus on what you want and will the Mana into a physical state."

Everyone nodded and then held their arms out to focus their wills. It took very little time for the young Mamono to accomplish the goal. Within seconds multiple exclamations of surprise and joy filled the room along with bright flashes of light. Small dresses, pretty dolls, and small balls of light all appeared in their hands one after another. Excitement and pride filled the room as they all began to chatter about how easy and amazing what they had just done was. However, that excitement waned as they all became aware of one of their number struggling. That one?

"Matilda?" Eva watched the young doll with concern. She had her arms held out and her eye closed. Her hands trembled while sweat fell down her forehead. Eva leaned forward and asked, "Are you alright? You shouldn't have to put so much effort into it."

Matilda didn't answer. The only sounds she made were quiet grunts of effort as she tried to do as asked. After a few moments, orange sparks began to appear around her palms. Her hair rose up as more sparks appeared around her arms and then her shoulders. The Mamono nearest her scooted away instinctively as the sparks intensified. Eva seemed ready to move in just in case something went wrong when, finally, two things appeared in Matilda's hands...two small balls of fire. No bigger than her pinky fingers.

Matilda gasped and nearly fell over, barely catching herself before she hit the floor. Slowly, she lifted her torso up as her hair fell around her face in a messy wave. She forced a smile onto her face and tried to look proud, "I...I...I apologize. That was a bit...harder than I thought."

Eva moved to sit next to Matilda and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "It's alright, Matilda. You can take as long as you need. Hmm, from what I'm seeing that worry of yours is the cause of this. You're trying to let the Mana do as it wishes, while also trying to restrict it to stop it from being snuffed out."

"I see. I am...sorry for that, Eva," Matilda said, closing her hands to snuff the fires out.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. Hmm, I may have an idea for how to help you, but I'll need some time to set things up. For now, why don't you go grab some of the textbooks and study up on the basics again?"

Matilda nodded and stood up, walking over to the library shelf. The other students tried to cheer her up with hugs and comforting words, which Matilda returned in kind. It wasn't until she got to the mini library that she let her thoughts wander over what had happened. She made a show of looking at the books but her mind was elsewhere. Looking back at her attempt to use magic, she could say that Eva's assessment was accurate. Though her wanting to avoid the Mana being snuffed out was only half right. The other reason was that she didn't want to let the Mana suffuse her soul more than she needed to. Even with protections of the Deep Sea Runes, she didn't want to risk it permeating throughout her soul and body. At least not now and not here, where she couldn't cleanse herself and would have to keep it in her souls until she could get back to Selina.

And allowing the Mana to do as it wished meant letting it spread across her soul. Which wouldn't get very far at first, but she'd be working with Mamano Mana for her entire apprenticeship with Eva. Exposing herself to corruption came with the territory. And the more she was exposed, the more the corruption would wear down her defenses. She didn't know if she could be completely corrupted, nor what would happen to her if it ever happened. But she felt that it was better to err on the side of caution. Especially where the Mamono were concerned.

She ended up taking the book titled"Mana 101: How to change the world with love and sex"then sat down next to the mini library. She sat down reading it as the rest of the class continued. The entire time she was thinking about what she could do to get around her little "problem". If she continued as she was, it wouldn't take long before she came to an impasse. She'd either have to completely let go of her worries and allow the corruption into her soul, or end her apprenticeship before getting anywhere worthwhile as she can't cast any spells.

Though...there wasoneway to get around the issue. But it wasn't something she could do in front of Eva. Let alone in the classroom. As if she did...

"Matilda!" Matilda looked up from her book, seeing the two Living Dolls standing over her. The one on he left had spoken and looked at her with worry, "Didn't you hear Teacher Eva? Class is over, silly."

Matilda looked around and saw that, indeed, the students were all filing out of the room. Eva was at her desk waving goodbye to everyone as the left. She looked up as Matilda's eyes fell on her and gave her a small smile. Matilda turned back to the two Living Dolls and nodded. She put the book back as she got to her feet. Dusting her dress off she said, "Ah, I see. Apologies, I was deep in thought. Thank you for telling me. Might I have your names?"

"Sure! I'm Terra!" the one on the left responded. Her orange pupils seemed to glow despite the dim light of the classroom. She wore a sleeveless white dress with a skirt that only came down to her thighs and pure white slippers. Her raven black hair was tied into two short pig tails that bobbed up and down along with her head with her bangs held in place by two white hair clips. Her button nose complimented her soft and happy features, and her fair skin looked absolutely flawless.

"I'm Jill," the one on the right said. She was similar to Terra in appearance, but her sleeveless dress was a deep blue color along with her slippers. Her nose was more pointed than the other and she wore her hair long, letting most of it fall down the front of her shoulders. She only had one bang held in place by a blue hair tie, and her legs were covered up by deep blue tights unlike Terra.

The two of them locked their hands together and said in unison, "Can we walk home with you?!"

Blinking, Matilda could only nod, "C-Certainly."

Their smiles grew wide as they grabbed Matilda's hands with their own. As they walked out the door, the two of them waved goodbye to Eva with their free hands. Matilda simply said farewell and Eva returned the sentiment with her own waves. The three dolls walked through the halls of the Tower of the Dark Ice Flower, moving through the crowds of other young Mamono and their grown sisters.

The inside of the tower was abuzz with activity. Multiple Mamono and their husbands were in the halls either going about their business or showing each other affection in the way only they could. Kissing, hand holding, groping and otherwise. However, there were just as many single Mamono around. Many of them were either in groups of two or more, gossiping with each other over mundane topics. Mostly things pertaining to clothing, their training, or expression light jokes about still being single. But one thing that was on everyone's lips was the coming Red Moon Ball being held by Wilmarina. Apparently, the Ball was going to be had within the coming weeks, the first to be held after Lescatie became a Demon Realm. Multiple Mamono were talking about what they would wear or who they would bring with them as a date. And, very rarely, she would hear Mamono say something about the outcome of Koga's duel with Jillea. Mainly how they were shocked that Jillea had lost but were hopeful that they might have a chance to win. Though most said they would avoid him as all of them knew one of the Fallen Knights had her eye on him.

Apparently, Vermut hadn't been quiet about how Koga was potentially "The One" for her. Many were talking about how her swooning and sighing over Koga. Talking to anyone who would listen about how he treated her "how she deserved" and how his angry words set her heart aflame. She was last seen in her room working on a letter no doubt meant to the undead in question.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Matilda remained quiet and simply followed along with Terra and Jill. She didn't know what to say to the two, as she didn't even expect this to happen. So, she was content to simply go with the flow for now. It wasn't until the three of them had left the Tower and stepped out into the afternoon sun that something changed. Matilda flinched and moved her hand to cover her lone eye as it adjusted to the light of the sun. As she did, she felt Terra let go of her other hand and saw both Living Dolls stopping front of her. Terra put her hands behind her back and smiled at Matilda, "Matilda, can I ask you something?"

Rubbing her eye to help it adjust to the new light, Matilda responded, "Yes, you may. What do you need?"

"You have an Onee-Chan, right? Auntie Alameria mentioned it to us before class started."

Matilda nodded her head and then asked, "Yes, I do. Why do you ask?"

"Auntie Alameria didn't explain what it meant very well," Jill said, placing her hands together in front of her face. She bowed her head and smiled, "So, Terra and I wanted to ask you about it."

"What's it like having an Onee-Chan?" Terra continued, eyes sparkling as she stared at Matilda. She was almost vibrating in place as she continued to speak, "What do the two of you do when you're together? Do you hug each other really tight? Does she pat your head and praise you when you've done something good?"

"Does your connection do anything for your ability to use magic?" Jill stepped a bit closer to Matilda, tilting her head down while keeping her eyes on Matilda, "Auntie said that you have a lot of magic within you, but you didn't do a good job in class today. Is it because of your Onee-Chan? Did she do something that stops you from using magic?"

Matilda looked from one doll to the other, thinking of how to respond to the two's questions. Then, after a moment of consideration, an idea came to her. Her lips curled into a small smile as she took a step toward the two other dolls, "Hmm, I could give you both the answers in a long and drawn out explanation. However, I have a better idea. Would you two of you please step a bit closer? Close enough that I could hug you?"

Jill hesitated but Terra was quick move right into Matilda's space. Once there, Matilda gently put an arm around the girl's shoulders and moved her head so that her ear was against Matilda's chest. For a time neither girl spoke. Matilda stayed silent and still, only moving to brush her hand down Terra's back. Then Terra's eyes suddenly shot open as she heard something within Matilda. She looked back at Jill and waved for her to come close. Curiosity overtaking her, Jill stepped forward and let Matilda pull her against her chest. At first, she didn't hear anything out of the ordinary. Just a heartbeat. Which wasn't surprising for a Living Doll. While they weren't technically alive, their love for their Onii-chans and others made such a thing possible. So, it wasn't like-

Then she heard it. A sound unlike anything she had ever heard before. A strange song that pierced through her body and found its place right in her soul. It wasn't anything special. Just a sound that kept repeating itself over and over again. But...something about it made her feel...strange. It didn't take long for her to realize that she wasn't hearing the whole song. Just the first part of it that kept repeating itself over and over and over again. But that was wrong. A song should have a beginning, middle, and end. Why was there only the beginning? There should be more. There should be more. There should be-

"You want to hear the rest, right?" Matilda said as if she had read their minds. Both Terra and Jill looked at Matilda in awe. Matilda smiled and said, "That song is the one that I hear whenever I focus on my Onee-chan. Whenever I do, I hear the whole song and it helps me focus my magic. I had trouble today because I was having trouble picturing her. So, I can understand if you two want to hear the rest of it. It's a beautiful song that soothes the hearts of ones even greater than myself. Would you like to hear the rest?"

"Yes! Yes!" Terra said instantly while Jill rapidly nodded her head. The former continued while pulling on Matilda's dress, "I need to hear the rest! It's so beautiful. I want to share it with my Oni-chan, too!"

Matilda giggled then leaned close to whisper in their ears, "Well then. Next time, I want you two to find my after class. I'll take you somewhere special. Don't bring your Oni-chans yet. That'll be for later. And promise me that you'll keep it a~se~cret~. Alright?"

The two Living Dolls didn't hesitate to agree.

Matilda smiled and patted the two on their heads, "Good girls."

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After saying goodbye to the two Living Dolls, Matilda made her way to the exit of the Tower. While she did stop to speak a few of the other young Mamono, none of the conversations were particularly of note. Most of them were about more mundane things that she nonetheless took note of, because she did wish to make a few friends while she was here. Regardless of how Selina's negotiations would end.

The afternoon sun painted Salvarision in an orange hue as Matilda began walking through the streets. There were less couples on the streets this time around, but many had taken to the rooftops to watch the setting sun. If not that, then they were hovering in the air and enjoying each others company. Though every now and then they did more than just "enjoy". More than once Matilda saw a couple kissing and moving to do a bit more than that while in the air. She did her best to avoid being directly under them, speeding up if she couldn't avoid the situation.

As she crossed the bridge to Lescatie, she heard a few Mamono talking about how that "Hunter" had been seen nearby. She focused on the gossip and heard about how she was last seen walking around with a "scary expression" on her face. The last thing time anyone saw her was when she was heading toward the building Druella had given her as a temporary home. Frowning, Matilda made her way to their "home". It didn't take long for her to conclude that something had gotten to her. Likely connecting back to the one of the Fallen Maidens. She had a feeling that things would turn out like this in a way. She hadn't spent long with the Maidens back when she was a Mamono, but she did know enough of them that she could tell Selina wouldn't be able to stay calm around some of them. She just hoped that nothing too terrible had happened.

She chose to head back toward home. Selina would need someone to talk to. It would help her get her thoughts in order and keep her from doing anything too reckless. Or at least serve as a way to vent after what she had experienced. Besides, she needed to go and begin testing some of her theories in regards to her magic. She had a few ideas for how she could use some spells without-

"Excuse me."

Matilda felt a furred hand land on her shoulder. She was on guard instantly, feeling a familiar pressure and force of will press down upon her. She didn't have to turn around to know what and who was standing behind her. And her awareness of that fact only put her further on edge. Still the tried to appear as calm as possible while slowly turning her head to face the Mamono standing behind her. A Mamono who she had been hoping not to run into so soon. A Mamono that, if she wasn't careful, could completely ruin any and all plans she had before she even put them into motion.

A baphomet.

A familiar baphomet.

"So, it is you. Matilda~," Lucella's eyes sparkled as her lips split into a full toothed grin, "I've been looking for you. We should catch up."

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Selina walked with her head hung low, her visit to Sasha Fullmoon weighing on her mind. So deep in thought was she, that she didn't pay much attention to where she was walking. She just kept putting one foot in front of the other. Though she did avoid running into any of the Mamono she passed as she walked. Most of the Mamono chose not to talked to her, either too scared by her presence or simply going about their own business. Those who did approach usually backed off after seeing the deep frown on her face.

Truth be told, Selina had on some level expected her meeting with might go poorly. She wasn't looking for an argument or a fight with the woman. But, unfortunately, that's how things turned out. There might have been a way to avoid it if she had remained calm. But seeing Sasha's church and hearing the woman's words had pushed even her patience to its limit. She did not like the fact that she lost her temper, nor did she like how she had left the whole conversation. Saying the children of the church would be upset with her was an understatement. She wouldn't blame them nor Sasha for not wanting to see her again.

But...

"Lady Cynthia! Wait up!" Selina slowed down, stunned that someone would call out for her considering how most Mamono were avoiding her. She looked to the left and saw a familiar young man running toward her.

"Elt?" Selina turned to face the young incubus running toward her. He came to a stop as he got close to her. Selina frowned for a moment. She opened her mouth to tell the boy to leave, but bit her tongue. She shouldn't be taking her frustrations out on someone who didn't have anything to do with their origins. She took a moment to calm herself before saying to Elt, "Hello there. Is there something you needed of me?"

Elt stood up straight then rubbed the back of his neck before saying, "Not really. I just wanted to talk with you for a bit. It's about some...important things. Mind if we walk while we talk."

"Not at all," Selina said as she turned and began to walk again. She waved for Elt to follow, "I had no real plans for the rest of the day. If you would follow me."

Elt did so, moving to keep up with the all woman. The two looked quite strange when seen side by side. The tall, dark, intimidating Hunter who moved as if a dark cloud were following her wherever she walked. And the smiling, bright, happy incubus who took the time to wave hello to any Mamono that passed them by. Elt's presence alone was enough to make some Mamono willing to get close to Selina. Even though they didn't stick around for very long. The two moved in silence for a few minutes until the number of Mamono saying hello to Elt diminished significantly. At which point, he finally turned to Selina and said, "Listen, about Merse...don't hold anything against her, please. She's...had a rough life."

"I would assume most of you have," Selina stated turning to look at Elt as she spoke, "I have heard that Lescatie was not the best place to live before now."

Elt flinched but slowly nodded, "You're not wrong. It wasn't horrible but...there were a lot of things that made life hard. For Merse, Mari, Mimil, and everyone else."

"And you?"

"Eh, I was a bit better off. Probably one of the reasons all the girls fell for me," Elt chuckled but there wasn't much joy in it. His expression turned somber for a moment then he spoke again, "Maybe that's why I didn't help them before. I thought I couldn't help them because I hadn't gone through the same things they did."

"No one goes through the exact same thing anyone else does. But that doesn't mean we can't, nor that we shouldn't, help another simply because we don't share the same experience. Perhaps we cannot offer a precise and complete solution, but sometimes simply knowing that someone cares can be enough."

"Exactly," Elt nods his head in agreement, "I always thought that. Even before I became a Mamono. But I didn't have the stomach to follow through before. It wasn't until after I was being turned that I could say what I truly felt. That's probably my biggest regret, being honest."

Selina hummed in acknowledgment but otherwise remained silent. Elt looked up at Selina and asked, "Do you have any regrets, Cynthia?"

"I do," Selina admitted.

"Oh. Um, do you want to share some?"

At first, Selina remained silent. For a long moment, Elt figured that he had overstepped a boundary and was about to tell Selina to forget he asked. But before he could, Selina spoke, "There was...a woman. She was a...a mentor to me. A Hunter who took on the appearance of a crow. She taught me much. How to be a Hunter. How to fight. How to survive."

"What was her name?" Elt asked, interest piqued at learning a bit of this mysterious woman's history.

"Eileen," Selina said the name with wistful reverence in her voice, "She lived for a long, long time. Longer than me. She had survived too many battles to count...until the night she met me."

Selina's wistful tone was replaced with a somber one. Elt asked the obvious question, "D-Did you kill her?"

Selina shook her head, "No, no. But it was the night she met me, that her age finally caught up with her. She fought one more battle against a man turned beast. One she couldn't defeat. One I barely defeated. I hoped she would survive but...her wounds were too much. No healing could help her. My regret is that I wasn't able to be there. To fight at her side one more time. Maybe then...she would've lived."

A sigh left Selina at the thought. Elt took a step closer and asked, "Do you miss her?"

"Sometimes. But only to mourn and keep her memory alive. I imagine if she ever saw me halting my stride simply because she died...well, she'd likely come back to life just to scold me for doing so," Selina covered her mouth to hide her chuckling.

Elt smiled and said, "Your laugh is nice. It's happier than I thought it would be."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Selina said. The two walked on in silence though Selina's head was held a bit higher, while Elt looked a bit calmer as he walked alongside her. However the mood shifted when Selina spoke again, "Would I be correct to assume that you know of the...altercation between Sasha and I?"

Elt grimaced but answered, "Yes, I know."

"Hmm. Might I ask how?"

"The girls and I, we're all connected. It's not like we know exactly what's happening to each other at every given moment. But...there's just this...feeling you know. Like we know when one of us is in danger. I was actually on my way to the orphanage before you left. But I arrived after it was all over. Sasha told me what happened when I arrived."

"Hmm. I imagine you and the others are upset with me?"

Elt stayed silent. The only sound between the two were their footsteps as they kept walking. Then Elt stopped walking. Selina took a few steps forward before doing the same. She turned around to look directly at Elt. Elt spoke up, looking directly at Selina and said, "All I want to know, Lady Cynthia, is why. Why did you come to the orphanage, if you were just going to attack Sasha?"

Selina took a moment to gather her words and thoughts. She wanted to make sure that she was clear as possible, but needed to be sure she spoke with tact. To ensure that this conversation remained civil. Only when she was confident in her response did she speak, "My primary reason was the bracelet. I was asked by an agent of the Chief God to give that accessory to Sasha, that the two may speak with each other. I did not know what would happen afterward, but I saw no reason not to do so. Whatever the outcome of their conversation, my role would end afterwards."

"Then why did you attack Sasha?" Elt pressed, "Based on what Sasha told me, her response to speaking with the Chief God sent you into a rage."

Elt then saw something he didn't think he'd see from someone like Lady Cynthia: Shame. She looked ashamed of herself as she spoke, "Because what I said was logical reasoning. But at that time, my emotions took control. I may not be on the side of the Mamono, but neither am I working with the Chief God. My experiences have made me...distrustful of the divine. Do not believe that the Chief God has this world's best interests at heart. Nor that she is above lying to accomplish her goals."

Selina raised her right hand to her face, "But when I heard what Sasha said, how it was revealed that the Chief God never abandoned her, that the Fallen God was lying to her, that the same thing was being done to others who were in the same position as her. To learn all those things...and then say it was all a good thing. To say that everything that happened was not only for the best, but that the current version of her was life that involves her teaching children hedonism is preferable to any other possible future she could've had. Hearing that I found my anger overtaking me. And I lashed out."

Elt frowned and shook his head, "But don't you think that's not fair? Before she changed, Sasha didn't have a lot of options. She was doing her best for everyone but there was only so much she could do. And the Chief God wasn't helping her. And now everyone's happy, healthy, and doing much better. Even if you don't agree with her decision, lashing out like you did was completely out of line."

"You...are right. And I would like to apologize for that. Is Sasha alright? I noticed that her injuries had healed before I left."

"That's normal. All of us can rapidly heal any non-severe injuries. Sasha especially thanks to her connection to the Fallen God," Elt stepped forward, a smile on his face as he stepped up to Selina, "So, yeah, she's alright. Come on! I can take you back to the orphanage so you can apologize and make up. I'm sure the two of you would be great friends if you got to know each other."

However, when Elt reached out to grab Selina's hand, Selina took two steps back. As Elt stared at Selina in confusion, she spoke calmly, "I would ask that you not do that, Elt."

"Why?"

"Two reasons. The first is that my confrontation with Sasha was only a few hours ago. Both of our emotions, mine especially, ran high during that time. Having another meeting so soon, even if we have cooler heads, may end poorly."

"And the second reason?"

Selina matched Elt's gaze as she explains, "Elt, I am willing to apologize for attacking Sasha and letting my emotions get the better of me. However, I willnotbe apologizing for what I have said about Sasha's actions."

Elt actually looked surprised at that, "Wh-What?! But you sai-"

"You are correct that I shouldn't have lashed out at Sasha the way I did. And you are even correct that, around the time she was corrupted, she was backed into a corner. You would know more than I do about her circumstances around that time," Selina stands straighter as she continues, "However, that doesn't change the fact that what she has done with her new life is induct children into being Mamono. Which, ultimately, leads to teaching children into having relations with an adult. All in the name of 'love'. No matter how she or another may try to justify it, I will never, ever, apologize for calling that what it is; horrible."

Selina stopped talking, waiting to hear Elt's response. The incubus remained silent for a few moments. He was frowning and his eyes were focused on the ground. He seemed to be contemplating his answer to her decision. Then Elt met Selina's eyes and said, "I...don't think I can agree with that, Lady Cynthia. I can understand how you can see things like that. But, when I think of the state of the orphanage and the buildings around it before Lady Druella appeared, I can't say it's wrong. Not when I see the smiling faces of those children who used to be so hungry. Not when I can visit my friends and see them happy."

Elt didn't seem willing to back down and neither did Selina. The two stared at each other about five minutes. The few Mamono still outside gave the two of them space as they walked by. Neither seemed to notice the stares they got as they continued their own stare-down. Then Elt relaxed and his smile returned, "But, even so, I'd still like to get to know you better. If you want to anyway."

Selina blinked, surprised by Elt's admission. She tilted her head to the side, "It seems it is my turn to ask you a question: Why? Why do you wish to do that?"

Elt shrugged, "Do I need a reason? I just kind of want to."

Selina blinked again. Then she began to laugh. It started as a chuckle but swiftly grew into a full body laugh. Her arms went to her stomach as she nearly doubled over with humor. Elt could only stare with his mouth open at her reaction. The same was true of the Mamono that were around them. They all could only stare at the tall, menacing woman who supposedly killed so many of them...laughing so hard that she had to hold her stomach. It went on for a full minute before Selina got a hold of herself. She coughed into her hand to clear her throat and spoke through her giggles, "Ha, ha, ha, I'm-I'm sorry, Elt. It's just...that sounds like something I would say. Ha, ha, hah."

Once she had calmed down, Selina spoke plainly to Elt, "Thank you, truly. Hmm, tell me, is there a public library here? One this is open despite it being this late?"

Thankful that Selina had accepted, Elt nodded and moved to lead the way, "Yeah, it's open all day and night! Come on, I'll show you where it is!"

With that Selina followed behind Elt as he led her on toward the library.

And, above them atop one of the roofs, stood a familiar werewolf with dark green fur and pointed ears. She watched the two of as them moved, leaping from roof to roof, bow held tightly in her claws.