“Ugh, what is that stench…?!”

Dane groaned. A sickly green colour rushed to his face and he was barely able to hold onto his stomach contents. To an enjoyer of good food like him this rancid smell was pure torture.

Both Invit and Haggard were grimacing as well, covering their noses in disgust.

“Do we have to go this way?”

The wolf growled out, throwing Flizz a light glare as the gecko girl floated carefree besides them. Somehow she wasn’t at all affected by the horrendous scent, a bright grin on her face.

“Yup~ It’s the fastest way.” She gleefully explained. What she didn’t say was that this path was only maybe a minute faster, but they didn’t have to know that. Ooh, the terror and hate that was whirling around Invit was so delicious~ But too bad he was too spineless to ever actually do anything about it. Just yap yap yap like a runt.

“Humph…” Haggard grunted annoyed but didn’t ask any further. A small grin adorned Flizz at his reaction, he would have probably chosen this way even if he had known it would only save a minute.

They continued onwards through the tunnels, the trio of teenagers cursing themselves for having fled so far into the underground. But now the only half natural, half carved stone tunnel had finally begun to open up and lead them into the more elaborate sewers. Sewage flowed lazily through the river of sludge to their side, journeying through various filters and other machinery that cleaned and recycled everything. Most of the waste water would then land in the Steam Engines.

Haggard, Invit and Dance had torn off some of their clothing to wrap around their faces to block out the horrible stench. And yet Flizz still looked none the worse.

“Ugh…H-how.. how come you don’t look bothered…?”

Dane moaned in pain, very much looking like was about to puke any second now. Which would probably be even worse with his makeshift face mask. Any fear he may have felt of the Demon Mistress overwritten by his disgust for this stench. He would prefer anything she could deal out over this torture, maybe it would even manage to distract him.

“I’m currently breathing the freshest air far up in the sky~” Flizz hummed happily in answer, tapping against her nose and face. The outlines of her portals flared up for a second before becoming invisible again.

“Oh…” Dane slumped disappointed.

Oh, she could have easily done the same for all three of them as well. But they hadn’t asked and the negativity that it was brewing was just too nice to miss out on. Another reason why she had happily chosen this path after all~!

“Could be worse.” Haggard suddenly called out.

“Ugh, how…?” Dane groaned.

“We could have been forced to swim through it.” He smirked.

The cat bear’s eyes rolled backwards as the mere thought of such nearly made him pass out. The feeling of his stomach rebelling, however, kept him from fully blacking out. Eyes wide, he ripped the cloth covering of his face and pressed his hands over his mouth, cheeks bulging, and fled to the edge of the river where he promptly regurgitated everything he still had in his stomach. Which wasn’t much.

Invit grimaced while Flizz giggled and Haggard snorted disdainfully amused.

As they continued onwards through the sewer, Haggard noted a few robed individuals slowly wandering through the shadows of the sewer. Though it was more that they lightened the shadows as the light of their candles flickered brightly.

“The Kerzen Kult. Can’t believe those losers are still crawling around.” Haggard dismissed them derisively, scowling in disgust. Living in the sewers like Waste Slimes.

“Eh, gotta hand it to them. They’re persistent~” Flizz commented with a hum, arms crossed behind her head as she lazily laid in the air. A curiously spark of her violet flame burned within her eyes as she watched them vanish deeper into the sewer’s abstruse twists and turns.

Onwards they traveled until finally the sewers vanished behind them and they once again reached the upper stratosphere of the Underground. The horrible scent, however, still clung to their bodies and Dane looked like someone had killed his puppy before his eyes. Sad.

“Hehe~ We’re nearly there, Haggard! Are you ready to blow that orphanage and all within it to smithereens~?!” Flizz squealed excitedly, the gecko girl no longer floating in the air but actually walking at their side as she had stopped using her Arc.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“More than ready.” Haggard smirk, his eyes bulging maniacally as his fist tightened around the Rose Box and its precious, nightmarish contents. Uncaring that the insane girl was draping herself possessively over this body.

———

With Jenny’s safety assured for the moment Jak was more than a little relieved. The group of seven continued to stay at the Club for a while.

Myra was chatting animatedly with Drake who was dramatically reenacting some of their old TC Matches, Lilith demonstratively dancing along his body to show off her own actions.

The kiddie squad and their crab Ricky were watching the show with sparkling eyes, grinning widely and clapping at the impromptu performance along with some of the other members of the club who had wandered over as well. Amused looks and exasperate reactions played over their faces as they remembered how those matches had actually gone down.

And settled to the side were Vee and Jak, having distanced themselves partially from the entertainment while still watching it in passing to lightly chitchat with each other. The awkwardness of meeting here so suddenly had long since dispersed.

A playful grin played over Vee’s lips and she nudged him in the side with her elbow.

“Man, you’re a great brother, huh?” Vee teased him, making him blink.

“Wha…? Eh, sure? I’m just protective as any good relative…” He awkwardly denied, rubbing his neck embarrassed. He thought her words over again.

“But yeah, I’m the best~” Jak was then quick to accept with a smirk.

Vee snorted and leaned backwards, looking distantly at the ceiling as she mused out loud.

“Good relative, huh…? Yeah, I think my aunt’s the only that would count then.”

“Where’s that coming all of a sudden?” Jak asked with a raised eyebrow, leaning backwards as well only to flail wide eyed as his own seat didn’t have a backrest. Quickly he pulled himself back up before he could fall all the way.

Vee chuckled with a smirk and shrugged easily.

“Eh, just making small talk. Then… is this good relative going to take her little sis out to the Lebensfest or is he going to be the boring, overprotective bro who keeps her all cooped up at his house~?” She asked, eyes sparking at him in challenge.

“… and leave her alone?” Jak deadpanned, already guessing where she going with this.

“Oh, come on. Myra could take care of her.” Vee rolled her eyes.

“Jenny would convince her to build some kind of doomsday weapon five minutes after I’m gone.” He shot back.

“Really?” Vee blinked and then looked over to the bunny cat. Drake’s show had come to a pause and the cheerful girl had used this moment to show off her awesome glove to the audience. Particularly the crabs and kids showed dangerous interest in it. Amber pulsing along it as a sphere of arcane energies began to gather atop her palm. The following disintegration of various single-use utensils within it was somewhat concerning, indeed. Especially as Myra was grinning widely, her eyes seeming to flicker maniacal under the sparking destruction.

“Okay, yeah. I can see your point.” Vee sweatdropped.

To her side Jak watched blankly. Sure, he had heard her talking animatedly about her inventions but this was the first time he actually saw her enthusiastically showing off what that actually meant. Damnit, he had been more right than he had first thought! Why…?! This was just supposed to be a joke! His eyes grew distant as his imagination began to run wild.

“Huh, wonder if she takes commissions… Monty would love some of that stuff…” Vee mused thoughtfully before wincing. “Though my aunt would probably really quickly confiscate all of this… and have some pointed words for her.”

“Leora?” Jak asked, pulling out of his disturbed imagination of a city laid to waste by Jenny and Myra, near the end Vee and a Tinkerer Crab Mecha had joined in on the fun.

“My aunt.” Vee clarified, realising she had never really told him about her.

The two fell back into some more mundane small talk, mostly stuff about school. It itched her to ask more about that Haggard guy and that monstrous thing that had attacked him, but she held back for the moment. She could see how reluctant Jak was to talk more about this, looking rather glad to have some normalcy to focus on right now.

And as their talk petered out, they continued to watch Drake’s impromptu theatre show.

“… and with one final strike, Lilith conquered the Battle Royal Mountain! Her shadow cast upon the broken bodies if her enemies!”

Drake just finished his current tale, having leaped atop the table with his cloak wrapped around him in the likeness of said mountain. Lilith looming atop, the light of the lamps of the arena above right behind her so her shadow stretched out across the captive audience of Jenny, Mina, Geen and Ricky.

Cheering, they four and the rest of the club clapped and whistled loudly while the raven bowed exaggeratedly.

With the show over and the time getting rather late, their small group readied themselves to leave. Everything was going perfectly, Jak, Myra and Jenny were about to make for his hideout while warning Mina and Geen to be extra careful around Haggard and his goons. Drake had already excused himself a bit earlier while Hanak had been given Ricky to look after him. The Tinkerer Crab waved them goodbye from the counter as they stepped out of the club. Surprisingly enough Vee had decided to hang herself onto Jak’s group. It was about the perfect conclusion of the day…

“But we have to get my stuff first!”

…only for Jenny to stubbornly refuse at the end, not budging an inch on the matter.

“Mina and Geen can get your stuff for me to pick up later.” Jak tried to argue with a roll of his eyes only for her to huff and cross her arms mulishly. Averting her gaze with a fuming turn of her head.

“Well, it wouldn’t hurt, right? And we would be there to punch Haggard in the face if he shows his mug!” Myra offered with a wide grin, pumping her gloved hand with an ominous glow of its Amber.

“Heh, like your style, sister.”

Vee smirked and held out her fist for a bump. Myra blinked owlishly and then softly patted it with her own hand. Open. Palm petting Vee’s fist like a pet and the bunny cat grinned happily satisfied.

“… we really need to work on your understanding of normal shit.” Vee sweatdropped.

“I would be happy to learn!” Myra chirped back and held out her own fist this time with sparkling eyes. A bright snicker escaping her as Vee amusedly showed her how to fist bump.

“Fine, fine.” Jak groaned in resignation.

“Yesss!”

All while Jenny cheered with a wide and smug grin, leaping into the air with a victorious cry.