"What a bummer! He got me after all," Kurumi muttered as she looked at a spot on her voluminous dress. Her fingers slid through the fabric; however, it looked burned rather than torn. "I swear he'll pay for that."

Then she whirled around.

"Oh, I haven't introduced myself properly yet, have I? Kurumi Tokisaki is my name. I hope to work well with you," she said, extending her hand.

Laila hesitated, staring at each finger before her gaze wandered up to Kurumi.

"Laila..." she replied without lifting a hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry for the rush. But we're safe for now."

Laila nodded dully. The events had simply rolled over her. Everything was just churning in her head. Somehow, she had trouble focusing her eyes. Blind black spots crinkled with every blink as if she had slowly lost vision. Then Kurumi continued.

"Are you all right? That must have been hard for you. If you want to rest for a bit, I'll keep an eye open while you do."

"Everything's fine..." Laila replied and touched her forehead. It was far too hot in this room. What on earth was wrong with her? Maybe she had caught an illness?

"You probably can't relax now anyway. A night like this would have blown the wind out of everyone's sails."

Laila didn't respond but continued to stare at the floor. Kurumi whirled. A piece of paper seized her interest. The rune pulsed a beautiful red before disappearing somewhere in the dress. Where to, Laila couldn't say.

"Yes, yes, yes, you're good at drawing; I like it."

"I'll give it to you if you want, but you can't do much with the runes. They're primarily for analysis."

"Ohh, real magic?" Kurumi asked, excited, and bent down again. This time, Laila couldn't make out what was written on the paper.

"Listen. I know how hard it is, but you have to be more careful in the future. There won't be a second time. Not in a war. What you need is a servant to protect you. Like me! You won't last long on your own. Believe me; I've been dealing with this kind of shit for more than 20 years."

"Twenty years?"

"I've stayed young. You should have seen when I was haunted by ghosts that could devastate entire cities. That was a spectacle. Or that other time, what was it called..." Kurumi grabbed her chin as if she were thinking. Without her realizing it, Laila had scooted back a step. Then Kurumi shook her head. "It's not that important. But she's like a blue flash that sometimes comes out of nowhere. Not that I worry about that. She can't hurt me anyway."

"..."

"Or that one time," Kurumi paused. "You really should lie down. Your eyes are almost closing."

"Oh, it's nothing."

Suddenly, a penetrating gaze burned Laila's skin, and she rocked uncomfortably on the bed frame. Kurumi looked down at her, as so many students did. She didn't belong to an influential family. She was just a student. What would the clock tower think if she was the only one to come out of Fuyuki alive?

'Why won't the nightmare stop?' Laila asked herself as she put her head in her hands. 'I just wanted to graduate and go camping with Amalia. Is that too much to ask?

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"If you don't want to take part in the war, that's perfectly fine," Kurumi suddenly said as she sat down next to Laila on the edge of the bed while reassuringly putting a hand around her shoulder. "I can understand that more than you might think. We haven't signed a contract yet. The mark only qualifies you as a possible master. You have to make the decision yourself."

Laila raised her head. Kurumi was at eye level. The words felt strange and yet somehow concerned.

"Are you sure? Is there really no one left in the hotel?"

"I'm sorry," Kurumi replied. "I don't know what happened to your friend. Maybe she's still alive, but I'm not going to give you false hope. Even if we find her, you may not like what we discover. If you prefer, I could take you to another city so the nightmare has an end, but after that, we'll never see each other again."

"Can... can the Grail save Amalia?"

"Possibly."

"Why? Why would the Grail show interest in someone like me?"

"Hm? Good question. I suppose you asked it unconsciously. Otherwise, it would be impossible... Well, that should normally be the case," Kurumi said, hesitating. She put a hand on her chin and seemed to be thinking.

"You said a voice sent me to you? Hmm... Still, I doubt the system would have found you without a deeper reason. Maybe you just wanted to survive, or maybe you unconsciously wanted to save your friend. Or maybe there was nothing behind it. You can only answer for yourself. That is not for me to decide or interfere."

"My desire?" Laila murmured almost in a whisper. But Kurumi heard her anyway and nodded.

"I must get the Grail. With it, I hope to put a lot of things back on track in my home world and save many lives. If you are determined to follow your dream, I will accept you as my master."

Laila didn't answer. She had closed her eyes and was trying to calm her breathing. Suddenly, she felt something brush a strand of hair from her face. Only the rustling paper could be heard. Her fingers lay on her lap and tremblingly gripped the bottom of her T-shirt.

A warm house of my own where lots of birds can live in the garden. Big open doors. Maybe a fireplace for a barbecue, like with her grandfather? Self-drawn runes lay on the table. How nice it would be to live in a peaceful place like this with everything you love! And yet the rooms looked empty and lonely in her mind. Something was missing; she could not see one person.

The image in front of her tore apart like a movie. A shabby white light flickered. She shivered. A cold breath drifted across the floor. She could hear the clatter of multiple legs. It was so close! Threads hung everywhere. Red eyes appeared.

Laila shakes her head. “I can't; if I stay here any longer, it will find me.”

“You have to do what you think is right, of course," Kurumi said while standing up and patting her dress off. She half-turned, paused, and picked something up off the floor.

"Before we forget that later, I'm sure you'll need this in the future," she said, throwing a fan through the air. The footsteps had already reached the wall, and a beautiful red light flooded the room.

Something felt strange. Butterflies flew in her stomach. Was it Kurumi's enthusiasm that had pulled her along? The look? Would she ever be able to hide from those eyes, even when she reached home? Would anything in her life change if she hesitated now? Why did she hesitate when a true heroic spirit appeared at her side, offering her help?

'But what if Amalia is still alive? Will I ever see her again if I leave Fuyuki now? What will she think of me?'

"Would you genuinely want to work with me?" Laila asked uncertainly. The footsteps fell silent.

"You will have to confront other sorcerers. Can you do that?" A sudden, indescribable pressure pressed down on Laila. Her shoulders groaned. Murderous lust was trying to bring her to her knees. Why, all of a sudden, did Kurumi want to test her?

'Maybe there is a way to save Amalia. When will I ever get another chance to fight for it again, if not now!' Laila said it like an echo in her mind, and the white smoke cleared. For a moment, she thought something had disappeared from her mind. Something that had only recently wanted to build a nest there. But she was probably just imagining it.

A sharp pain moved across the back of her hand. The white paint peeled off, leaving a golden watch on her skin. The gears in the center began to turn while the two weapons moved like hands to 0 o'clock.

Suddenly, her whole body shook. She felt a connection being established with Kurumi. The fan rattled excitedly. These connections, these magical waves, pulsed uniquely... Like Laila had never experienced before. So beautiful... No, so alive!

"Then I hope for good cooperation."

The watch on Laila's wrist burned. Mana left her body. She could feel Kurumi. A feeling of security overcame her. The tension drained from her body, and blackness fell. Her head slumped back, and Laila no longer noticed how Kurumi caught her and laid her on the broken bed.

"My goodness, we need to work on your stamina a little more," she muttered. Then she looked around her room. It was a mess, and you could forget the entire furniture.