“However, I can't exactly say I'm pleased with these results…” he continued.

He had a notepad on a nearby stone pillar. The room had damage all around it, including several of the pillars being knocked over in addition to several sword marks and indents in the walls.

The notepad had various names with either an x or a tick next to them. The amount of names with a tick next to them could be counted with one hand.

“I was somewhat curious about what other effects the powder could have been after Zama's explanation. But it seems it'd be better to run tests on the more magically inclined.”

He opened his pouch and looked inside. He rolled his eyes after looking inside and set it down next to his notepad.

“I don't even have enough here to access that transformation Saito went through.” He said, in faux disappointment. “Hmph, as if I need it. There would be no point with such a power if it left me dead.”

Outside of the room he inhabited, he heard footsteps outside.

“Thankfully they seem quite docile to me. I'm not sure if it's due to my prior exposure to the powder but nevertheless, I can imagine this discovery being a novelty to those in Akumia. Unfortunately, they seem aggressive to anyone not in contact with it. One nearly took Leo's head off, so I don't see them being used alongside the rabble. However, I do imagine some of the bishops would find this interesting.”

He looked around the room and sat down on the broken pillar.

He stretched out and yawned.

“Now to devise our escape. By my estimations, we only have a few more weeks until the adventurers show up. Pft and even that is being cautious, they might end up overrunning that other base and calling it their victory.” He said before giggling.

He moved his legs to lay on the pillar and soon fell asleep.

----------------------------------------

Tibaut quickly dimmed his flame and grabbed Agnes to drag her into a nearby room. It was empty so Tibaut would have to rely on the darkness alone to hide them.

They heard footsteps slowly approaching and Tibaut covered Agnes’s mouth as they hid. The footsteps slowly got closer and closer but no shouting or attacking followed.

(“Are we alright?”) The footsteps eventually stopped but they never faded off in the distance. Now, either this person was capable of teleporting or they remained silent in the hopes whatever they heard came into this room slipped up.

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Tibaut being the reasonable person he was, assumed the latter. With the pair so closely together, (Tibaut had decided to wrap his arm around Agnes, to prevent any funny business on her end) it would be quite inconvenient if this mystery enemy were to attack. If it was a weak attack it would only damage Agnes, but he already wasn't a fan of that. However, if the enemy had some firepower behind them, they could easily kill both of them with one attack.

Tibaut tried to communicate through feel for Agnes to go beside him but it seemed she didn't get the message. Or ignored it.

(“H-he’s hugging me… Ah, is this what affection is like?”) She thought with a smile on her covered mouth.

She wouldn't budge and with his arm across her torso, he could feel her increased heartbeat.

(“Shit, is she afraid? Damnit why'd she have to seize up now of all places!”)

Tibaut decided to turn around to have her facing the corner instead of cramping himself in the corner.

(“Come on Tibaut, you've seen what these guys are capable of. If it's only one of them it's gonna be a cinch.”)

He slowly got himself ready and quickly summoned a flame with his hand. He turned and immediately stumbled backwards when he saw what was in front of him.

“Huh, are you oka- Eeek!?”

As Agnes turned around she immediately backed into the corner, witnessing what Tibaut saw.

Tibaut threw his arm forward to throw a fireball but stopped at the last moment.

Agnes was on the floor with her legs spread out, mumbling as her teeth clattered together.

“P-p-p-p” He stuttered.

She wanted to ask “Please don't kill me!” But the words wouldn't come out. She looked away in fear with tears in her eyes. The fearless could look death in the face but unfortunately for her, she wasn't a part of this elite group.

After a few moments, Tibaut tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to him but was confused as to why they were even alive in the first.

“Huh?” She looked at Tibaut confused.

“I guess she's friendly?”

Before them was a woman. They knew because of her long hair, her breasts and various other features. But she had things women normally didn't have. Like horns of the bull variety. They had the gloss of a polished countertop and were as black as a rhinoceros beetle.

She also had pale skin with a slight blue hue to it. Her hair was also strange. It was black but had a blonde iridescent to it. Was hair like that considered normal in this world?

To top off the strangeness, regarding her humanity at least, she had a single wing on her. It looked like a crow's and had a similar size to her arm.

She stood only several inches away, with her eyes focused on Tibaut. She didn't speak, she didn't look angry nor did she walk closer. She only looked at him even as he was about to throw his fireball.

Focusing on an aspect of her that wasn't related to her body, she wasn't wearing a top of any kind. She wore only a cloth to hide her nether regions and Tibaut was fairly certain if a strong breeze blew on it, he could see everything that cloth was hiding.

“Friend of yours?” He asked.