Concluding that fancy dresses brought nothing but misfortune, I opted for a casual look for the evening. Hopefully, nothing bad would've happened, and I wouldn't have had to throw my clothes away.

When I descended the stairs to the lounge, finally ready, Joey was already there waiting for me. Elizabeth was there too, dressed quite properly except for her ridiculously big hat. Her attire clearly suggested she wanted to be part of the evening.

"Are you ready?" Joey asked as he stood up from the settee.

I nodded. "Is she coming too?"

"I-I would like to, if it's not a problem..." she murmured, averting her gaze.

"Well, it's not a problem," I replied. Though I'd much have preferred she hadn't tagged along... But as long as I'd get distracted, I was fine with it.

"Shall we go then?" Joey proposed with a smile.

With slow steps, we strolled around the city, casually conversing now and then. After a while, spotting a comfortable place to spend some time, we ventured inside. The cozy atmosphere was exactly what I was looking for, and the warm, intimate orange lighting easily provided relaxation.

We took a seat; even the chairs were soft and relaxing. Not long after, a man approached to take our orders, and we all took something. I went for an ice cream adorned with a melting chocolate marvel! The long glass cup and teaspoon did nothing but enchant its already appetizing aesthetics.

"Hmm!" I shivered as I took the first bite, already looking forward to the upcoming one. "It's sho good!"

"You're the only one who could eat something like that in this weather," Joey sighed with a smile.

Unlike me, they went for something warm. Elizabeth went for a cup of chocolate accompanied by a remarkable croissant, while Joey enjoyed a fine and fancy tea with several biscuits.

"I might even go for more after this," I declared.

"That's practically a dinner," Joey commented.

"I'll gladly have this as dinner."

"My purpose as a cook has already ended?" he joked.

A soft laugh escaped me. "Well, can you make something like this?"

"Hmm... it's a challenge... but I could try," he replied as he rubbed his chin. "Would you even eat it, though? You haven't been eating much lately."

"I'm not that hungry recently."

"I'm noticing..." he murmured.

"Are you troubled, Lady Argenta?" Elizabeth joined.

"Hmm. Well, not only that," I said, twirling the teaspoon in my mouth before redirecting it inside the glass cup. "I'm having trouble understanding my own spells."

"Did you manage to get some new ones?" she asked.

"Well... yes, I do have a new one, aside from the one you allowed me to take in the dungeon."

"Aha!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands together with a bright smile. "I was sure you'd find a way to have more! I always knew you were talented!"

There she was, idolizing me for no apparent reason once again. This is exactly how she behaved throughout the entire trip to Silveandria.

"Hm, thanks."

After some more talking and me indulging in extra sweets, we left the place and slowly headed back towards the guild. However, at some point, I parted ways with them, saying I wanted to walk some more. And so I did, until late hours, wandering around the most secluded spots in the city.

"I suppose I made you wait long enough... Bianca."

Surely, with a prey right in front of me, it wouldn't attack me. And I was right; it lunged right for its meal.

After taking and devouring its heart, the demon stood still in place. A minute had already passed.

"This is a problem, though..."

The spell lasting an extra minute was both a blessing and a curse... A longer duration meant more time to use it in a fight, which was good. But at the same time it increased the risk of being seen from prying eyes...

Unless... "Disappear, demon."

Well, color me surprised! It worked! And the spell began its cooldown. Though, it didn't show me its claws and the progress of the request...

"Huh?" I blinked.

My latest spell also recharged...?

"Hmm... Well, I don't care. What now? Do I go back home, or..."

After a bit of brooding, I decided to head back to the guild, taking my sweet time to fall asleep...

... The following morning was not looking so bad. In the afternoon, Crimson made her appearance.

"You've returned," I regarded her as soon as she stepped inside.

She groaned as she cracked her neck. "I was busy tracking down Carolina."

"Did you find her?"

She nodded. "Within the next two weeks, if everything goes well, we'll venture inside that dungeon."

"Hmm..." I murmured, thinking about the implications. "Sorry, I think I'll skip this one."

"Huh, how come?"

"I have to return to my hometown. It's... my mother's death anniversary. I want to visit her tombstone."

"Oh, alright. I'm sorry to hear that," she said, stepping closer, resting her arms around my neck. "Do you want some company?"

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Hm? You'd skip a dungeon to be with me?" I asked; surely, I made the wrong assumption.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in this dungeon, but you're way more important than a dungeon, Snowflake," she replied. "And we could join it later if you'd like."

This was... another unexpected surprise.

"Oh... well, thanks. But... no. I'd rather go alone. And I'm sure Leonard would be pissed if the coordinator didn't show up."

"Alright, as you wish," she said, planting a gentle kiss on my lips before heading off to her room.

With still some faint confusion persisting inside my mind about what had just happened, I continued with my day. And, with my night...

"Bianca."

I went for a spot even more secluded. After the demon got its prey, I patiently waited.

It raised five claws.

"Alright, as expected," I murmured to myself as I juggled my dagger around. "So, I gather that once it reaches zero, I can die again. And I'd resurrect with a new spell..."

I started slowly heading back to my guild, pondering.

"So, presumably, this demon allows me to come back to life every time I comply with its requests... A rather unique and twisted power, no doubt..."

I sighed. Obviously, I had to be an anomaly through and through...

"Long time no see," a voice, from the shadows behind me, called. A voice I had heard once before...

I turned around, squinting to get a better look. "Oh, look who's there... the stalker."

He stepped closer, each tap of his shoes echoing through the air. No one nearby; on this road, it was just the two of us. A rather fortuitous encounter...

"You witch..." His words came spitefully through his clenched teeth, while his fists were tight in anger.

"I see you found your codex," I remarked, eyeing his little bag. "Did you like where I hid it?"

"Lost and found of the tavern," he murmured. "What a bad taste..."

"Oh, I beg to differ. It seems it worked quite well. Your friends didn't invite you to the party because of that, no?" I taunted.

He stood silent, his fists now trembling. "You'll pay for what you've done," he then said, grasping a little red vial from his bag along with a syringe. He drank the potion and, a moment later, injected himself with whatever was inside the syringe. "Penombra."

I was acting confident, but this was a big problem... Without a doubt, that potion and whatever he injected himself with were empowering. I was in a hard spot with my demon still in cooldown... "It seems you came prepared."

He took a deep breath, slowly raising his fists, getting in position. "You shall meet my death companions soon..."

"Felinchant."

I activated my spell just in time; he was already in front of me, and a fist was coming straight for my face. I managed to swiftly deflect it with my dagger.

While this was not looking like a bright situation for me, ideally, he was the only one who could answer my question and clear some of the fog inside my mind. So, I had to disarm him... I had to disarm him and pin him down while keeping my cool.

This was not going to be an easy fight...

"What's wrong?" he questioned as we exchanged blows. "Summon your wretched creature, I'm waiting!"

Oh, he didn't know how much I wished to!

"I don't need it for you," I mocked.

"Your speed says otherwise!"

I was indeed slowing down, while he was speeding up. Stupid potions!

A punch reached for my side, making me flinch in pain. Right after, a blow straight to my face followed, sending me flying backward, leaving my head dizzy from the impact.

He approached, raising his fist. "Halo Zero," he cast, enveloping his glove in a black and powerful dark mist, menacingly spinning.

"Felincloak!"

As I cast my third and finally functioning spell, the cloak surrounded me; his fist slid off its texture, trailing off to the ground and causing it to shatter. I leaped backward, back on my feet once again.

Good. I was right; this spell was more than just a simple cloak.

"It seems you have more aces up your sleeve," he said, pulling his arm out of the ground while his gaze menacingly fell back on me.

I was panting, my face and side throbbing from his blows. Yet, despite the situation... a giggle ran free.

"Fuck..." I murmured, my hands reaching for my face as the giggle went on. That was a close call... "There is no way I can keep my cool!"

"You're sick..." he spat, his eyes narrowing in disgust at the simple sight of my face, burning red with excitement.

"Yes... you're right," I breathed, trying to ease my laughter as I relaxed my body, taking a deep breath. "You're absolutely right. I am sick. But I don't care..." I pointed my dagger at him, enticing him with sweet eyes followed by equally sweet words. "Come at me, let's dance some more."

He sighed heavily, and his hand reached into his bag once again, retrieving a small sphere with an inviting button on the top of it. "I had hoped this wouldn't be necessary..."

As he clicked the button, the sphere shattered, and several little pieces of glass flew around him in a specific pattern. It was a magical item...

From the look of it, those pieces resembled little blades, shards serving both as offensive and defensive tools.

"So we're increasing the difficulty, hm?" I giggled, my senses sharpening at the mere sight. "Bring it on."

He lunged forward, feinting with his right and striking with his left; one of the flying shards followed the trajectory of his fist, grazing my cheek. I twisted away, feeling my heartbeat speed up.

"Running away, witch?!" he taunted as he stepped closer.

Oh, I wasn't running. But finding an opening in that mess was easier said than done.

I raised my dagger, allowing its purple blade to capture the moonlight for a fleeting second before plunging it towards his hand.

He quickly avoided it by dashing to the side before repositioning himself, rapidly bolting in my direction.

I had no other choice but to roll to the side; those shards would've torn me to pieces had I stood still.

Regaining my footing, I steadied myself for his advance. He swung his fist, I ducked. In that exact moment, I saw it: an opening!

I slashed my dagger at its leg. I couldn't cut deep, and I had to leap back right after, but it was enough to make him stagger.

His glare grew angrier, and he pushed forward, trying to overwhelm me with blow after blow. With my dagger and adequate footwork, I intercepted every fist and shard flying towards me. However, fatigue was quickly setting in, and despite my blood becoming hotter with each impact and near miss, winning this battle without severely damaging him was, unfortunately, out of the question.

At the same time, I couldn't damage him without suffering major injuries, and my spells wouldn't last much longer... This was not looking good.

As I kept parrying blows, suddenly, I found myself letting out a gasp.

"Fuck!" I cursed internally.

A quick glance over my shoulder confirmed my fear... a dead end was rapidly approaching. Going forward was suicide, going upward required a blink of an eye too much to be a favorable option, and behind me... a wall.

"I'm trapped!"

I panicked to the point of stumbling because of random rubbish scattered to the ground. Meanwhile, he took a longer step, closing the distance, his fist about to meet my face.

"It'll hit me!"

At the same time, the shards were closing in, reaching for my neck.

"I'll die..."

I had no way to save myself!

"And I haven't completed the demon's quest!"

My end was nigh...

"I won't come back!"

Some shards were cutting over my skin already.

"I'll die!"

And there were no spells that could save me...

"Luxfer!"

- - - - - - -

"Luxfer!"

Just as I was about to land my punch, a strange aura flickered around her for just a split second. In the same instant, she quickly raised her dagger to deflect my fist. Right after, her body twisted, a pain in my stomach followed, and my feet skidded in reverse.

"More aces up your sleeve, witch?!" I cursed at her.

She stepped towards me, effortlessly casting away all the shards as they surrounded her.

"W-what are these movements?!" I wondered as I avoided her blows.

She moved like no human being, with her body contorting!

"What am I watching?!"

Her eyes were absent, replaced by a dark veil.

"Is this some... street fighting technique?!"

I almost tripped as I stepped backward. In the midst of the confusion, I spotted an opening, and took a step forward, striking her in the stomach. The shards followed, cutting her finger off and, later, her hand.

"Good!"

However, a dark smoke surrounded her detached hand, causing it to disintegrate, and just like nothing happened, her hand grew back.

"What?!"

She screamed, and right after, punched me in the stomach with that same hand, sending me crashing to the ground. Pain clouded my senses, and I coughed blood.

Yet I had no room to breathe; she was on me again, slicing with her dagger. My arm was grazed, and blood dripped from the wound.

"Curse you, witch! ... I have to retreat..."