"He's coming now, you can see him in the sky." the Ibeneroccon pointed out through the window as I put down my teacup.

"It's about time he got here..." I commented with a scowl as I got up and grabbed my gear.

"No duelling outside my house, please." the Worm Rider explained as he just so happened to pass by his spear.

"I'll try not to, but, thank you for the hospitality, it is appreciated." I told him as I left his home. Then, having crossed my arms I was ready to greet Nin as he walked up to the perimeter of the building.

"Did you just get here?" he asked after hopping the fence.

"No." I firmly answered as I approached him.

"Alright, let's get to the point, then. Your suggestion from this morning." he said as I positioned my rear on a wooden post after I passed him.

"The great and victorious Dark Crow will give this failure the time of day? Well, ain't that something." I let out as I uncrossed my arms and spread them out along the wooden beams.

"If you can help then I am willing to hear you out." he told me as he looked towards the nearby house.

"As I was saying earlier, we have access to a far greater field of view than you could ever hope to achieve. If you let us give you the right equipment, we can potentially beat him."

"Potentially." he focused in on pointlessly.

"Neither of us can promise certainty, so do not even." I firmly stated to him as I leaned forward slightly.

"With your help, I can do this...?" he asked slowly with a surprising lack of confidence.

"We would have a better chance trying something together than we ever could have on our own." I explained to him as I moved to stand up.

"How would we do this, exactly?" he asked and in response, I initially looked his attire over and pondered if adjustments could be made to it. A wonderful thing about technology, after all, is that it was easily applied when the resources were present.

"We would need your clothes for a short period, then the relevant departments could come up with something that fits the criteria."

"Suhurlodst is right over there, wouldn't it make sense to do it over there as we know Smiling Jhurack is rather... Everywhere?" Nin pointed out as I turned my gaze to the vast, famous academy right at my jurisdictions doorstep.

"I will need to ask for their help specifically as they are an organisation independent of my authority."

"You control the security of this mountain as far down as the start of the road up here and you can't just make them?" he questioned as I shook my head.

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"It doesn't matter, I doubt they are going to say no."

"I was not exactly popular over there." he reminded me.

"I know, it did come to me as a surprise some time ago when I found out you enrolled into the academy." I told him as a smirk started to grow.

"Yes, I can say without a doubt that it was surprising for everyone... Especially me." he explained with a clear sense of gratitude.

"Well, you have just brought up a valid point. The Clockwork Council has never let me live down the fact Smiling Jhurack broke into the Sundial to set the terms for these last five years." I told him as I looked back at my workplace. Hiding throughout the city was one thing, a complicated and utterly shocking one at that, but, breaking into the Sundial, was something else entirely.

"We should get moving, then, you have until nightfall before I am occupied."

"I can't just rush something like this, Nin, it will need to be done officially."

"So there is little point in lingering here to talk?"

"You asked me out here to talk." I reminded him as I turned my attention his way.

"And now you know that I am willing to accept your help and we have established how."

"Slow down before you trip and fall." I told him as I put an arm out to stop him from buzzing off to waste time training.

"There is nothing more to talk about."

"No, there is, in fact, significantly more to talk about now that you are willing to accept our help."

"Whatever it is, it can wait."

"Your tight schedule makes it the exact opposite, now, stop trying to go off and break your body before the part it is supposed to be as ready as it can be!"

"Alter my attire to fit in some equipment, we've been over this."

"Yes, but you also need to be aware that we have security forces on the ground and in the air that you can and should be working with."

"Of course, how could I have never noticed..." he remarked sarcastically.

"Do not act like I am treating you like you are stupid, Dark Crow. Your narrow-minded, self-determining way of things needs to come to an end. Working together means what it implies, it does not mean that my forces are just there for you to look at in the build-up to the upcoming night!"

"Your men cannot fight him." he told me before he emphasised his point by suddenly striking out at me. I was barely able to react to it, but I managed to get my sheathed sword up to block his blow.

"Their job isn't to fight him, that is yours, theirs is to help you keep an eye on him and assist you!"

"If they cannot fight then they are just in the way!" he snapped just before a spear was abruptly lodged into the ground between us.

"No duelling." the Worm Rider reminded us as the magic from his spear flowed out to soak the ground.

"Then think about it another way, Dark Crow, what involves someone watching and helping but not interfering? He even refers to you in such a context!"

"Do not reference that nickname..." he growled as he leaned over the diagonally upright spear.

"It's not just a nickname, it may be a hint as to what to expect from him." I explained despite how difficult he was being.

"We are not performers..." he spat before he twisted around harshly.

"Smiling Jhurack first and foremost is a performer, Nin." I pointed out to him calmly.

"Yes... I know."

"Every performance has an audience, with some even being dictated by the audience."

"You would compare my efforts to save the woman I love to a pantomime!?" he growled as his claws snapped onto the seemingly invincible spear.

"I would compare it to a dance that seeks to captivate its audience, something you have neglected."

"This is stupid... Asinine!" he spat out at me as his beak got close to my face.

"Talent does not develop without retrospection, Nin. Something that is often better off with a second opinion."

"Fine." he snorted in a gruff manner as he pulled the spear out of the earth. Then, with a distinct limp, he dragged the deceptively heavy weapon away towards its owner.

"Much as it fills me with joy seeing you fail and experience difficulty, we share the same goal." I admitted to myself quietly before I pulled out a communicator so I could call in an airship and get started with what I needed to do.