Zaltaro and Maiza walked around the Makuruiao Shrine, checking out the six monuments arranged in a circle on small pillar-shaped podiums: a kitsune cub with super twenty large kitsune tails, a kitten with multiple floating stone crystal balls around it, a praying angel with large demon horns arranged in the shape of a crown, a baby shark with a crystal-textured tiara covered in spikes, multiple multi-winged bats, and an elf child donning a robe.

"Oooh, the monuments of the six Astrals have changed how they are positioned," Maiza mentioned as she pointed out the kitten one to Zaltaro.

"Look, Zaltaro, the Harmonious Astral's monument has its paw up; do you think it means they're accepting new people into their Path?" Maiza asked as she irked him to try and connect to the Path.

"I don't believe even a change in an Astral's requirements would allow someone like me to gain a path," Zaltaro remarked dismissively. Maiza pouted and tensed up her finger as she continued to point.

"It won't kill you to at least try, Zaltaro," Maiza whined. Zaltaro sighed and begrudgingly walked towards the Harmonious Astral's monument, much to Maiza's pleasure. Zaltaro raised his hand and lightly pinched the cat monument's raised paw. The duo waited for a few seconds for any signs of anything before the duo sighed; Zaltaro seemed unsurprised, and Maiza was very disappointed.

"See... waste of effort," Zaltaro uttered mentally.

"You say that like I'm the one stopping you," a young girly voice said inside of Zaltaro's mind with a sulking tone. Zaltaro remained silent as he heard the girl's voice giggle in his head.

"Did I spook ya, Drago-Vamp?" the girly voice asked snarkily. Zaltaro mentally groaned, causing the voice to giggle again.

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"What do you want, Astral-C?" Zaltaro said mentally.

"Astral-C? Why can't you just call me by my name?" Astral-C complained as they sulked.

"Because you've never told me what it was? Duh.".

"Oh... right, me telling you hasn't happened yet....". There was a drawn-out silence between the two as Astral-C awkwardly hummed.

"So... would you mind coming back to...this shrine during nighttime?" Astral-C requested. Zaltaro sighed.

"Fine...; it's not like my original day-off plans haven't been overwritten already," Zaltaro uttered.

"Thank you, see you later," Astral-C cheerfully said. Zaltaro felt the mental link between himself and Astral-C disappear. Zaltaro removed his hand from the cat monument, and he heard Maiza disappointedly sigh again.

"No dice again?" Maiza mumbled.

"Shocker," Zaltaro uttered with a mocking tone. Maiza huffed and locked her arms around Zaltaro's left arm.

"Whatever, let's just check out the free food stalls," Maiza said before she dragged Zaltaro away from the six Astrals' monuments.

Later at night, Zaltaro lightly pushed a door open with his foot as he carried a sleeping Maiza into her orderly disorganised room filled with various relics and artifacts. Zaltaro walked through Maiza's room and rested Maiza on her bed. Maiza rolled over in her sleep as Zaltaro silently walked over to the bedroom door. Zaltaro placed his hand on the door's door handle and tightened his grip to an aggressive degree as he pulled the door open.

"And now I have to head all the way back," Zaltaro uttered before he left Maiza's bedroom. Zaltaro strolled across the dorm room's living room and into his bedroom; he exited his bedroom wearing a golden bracelet with six diamond-shaped gems (pale green, dark purple, teal, white, orange, and black) on his right wrist. Zalroth stormed out of his dorm room and locked the dorm room door behind him before leaving.