An unlikely ally

Alice and the red-haired woman made their way towards the Speluna bar. The half-angel still couldn’t wrap her head around as to why a woman like her would fancy going to such a place. If her suspicions about her being the mysterious, vigilante knight were correct, then that’s probably where she could get her intel from. While never stepping a foot inside the bar herself, Alice heard that it was quite a popular meeting spot for succubi and incubi.

“This town really is bigger than I imagined.” The older woman said as they crossed another road. They were walking and walking, and they still hadn’t left the center. There were just so many streetlights. And the sky-high buildings, all of the people and noises. It was overwhelming. She probably could never get used to living in such noise and chaos.

“It makes quite an impression, doesn’t it, miss…um”

"Oh, right, I haven’t introduced myself to ya. Clementine, just Clementine.”

“Miss Clementine, forgive me for asking, but what brings you to Speluna? It isn’t a bar of the highest note.”

“A friend of mine wanted to see me. Why that place? Hell if I know. " Alice said nothing. The lie was clear. If that would be the case, then wouldn’t the said friend come to pick her up? Especially seeing how bad she was at navigating the city. Finally leaving the heart of Znena in the back, the half-angel and red-haired woman passed by many white residential blocks and old tenement houses rose on the horizon. Gray, brown and red, they stood there for over a century. What once was the heart of the town was now a testament to how much Znena has grown since then. Alice occasionally took a look at Clementine and saw how much her eyes glistened at the sigh of tenements. That’s probably what she was more accustomed to. Luckily for them, Speluna Bar wasn’t far off. Most of the tenements that stood empty were quickly turned into bars, convenience stores, and one or two gift shops. And Speluna was one of the more recognizable bars in this part of the town, as the house in which it was situated was fully covered by graffiti. The bar was just one street away, and the red graffiti that spelled ‘Speluna’ was more than eye-catching.

Just as they were about to cross the street, something rustled in the back alley behind them, knocking over a trash can. Both women turned around. From behind the spilled trash came a small demon. It looked like a cocoon made of silk that moved on four spider legs. With one red eye, it glanced at its next prey. Its mouth on top opened, and a tentacle-like tongue came out. Before Alice could react and summon Rosary, the demon lunged at them. Clementine pushed the younger girl away and struck the demon with a fireball. Its scorching corpse fell to the ground, and soon a whitish flame followed.

“Shite.” Clementine muttered as her gaze turned towards the half-angel, who had just summoned her spear and pointed it at her. Well, the cover was blown off, but maybe they would be able to resolve this without a needless fight. She could still feel fatigue from her clash against that black-haired succubus.

“Why have you come to Znena?” Alice questioned, the tip of Rosary glistening in the sun. Clementine smirked. Her act to try and seem threatening was rather amusing. But from what she had seen yesterday, without that succubus, she was quite helpless. Speaking of, where was she? Was it another trap? If so, this one was much more cunning than the last one. Although they were lucky that, at this hour, not many people were around this area. Otherwise, they could cause quite a panic.

“Do you work for Tetra?” This piqued her curiosity. Again, this whole Tetra. Perhaps if she would go along with this angel, she could learn a thing or two about them. And maybe find out where Sadza is hiding.

“Why do you hunt other demons?”

“One question at a time, will ya? And maybe stop poitin’ that spear at me. Didn’t mommy teach ya that it’s rude to do that?” Alice hesitated, but eventually brought the spear down while still ready to use it if necessary. “So, I came ‘ere lookin’ for a friend. And so I’ve been told that you and that succubus could’ve met him." The half-angel tightened her grip on the spear and looked away. If that were truly the case, then there was a good chance that the demon was dead. And just how should she tell her that? Or should she keep her mouth shut? There was no telling what Clementine would do if she heard that. And without her armor, it could end awfully for her.

“Hey, are ya alright?” Clementine asked, noticing how the younger girl had been staring away for a good while.

“Yes, yes. Don’t mind me. As for Tetra-”

“I don’t even know them, I swear. All I’ve heard is that they are quite big and that they could help me find Sadza; that’s all. I didn’t come ‘ere lookin’ for troubles."

“If that’s the case, then why were you attacking other demons?”

“How do you even know that?”

“I am a guardian of this town, so such knowledge isn’t beyond me." In response, Alice was met with a chuckle that soon turned into a full-blown laugh.

“So yer the fabled angel? I thought it would be a four-eyed, seven-winged freak of nature and not an adorable little girl.”

“I’m not little!”

“Sure, sure, whatever yer say. And it’s not like I attacked them without reason. I just happened to overhear that there were massive scums that had to be taken care of. And I’m rather good at killin’ bastards." If Alice was being frank, this wasn’t exactly what she expected to hear, let alone the way this conversation would go. She thought that Clementine would be ready to take her head off and burn Znena to the ground. But to see their mysterious black knight laugh and talk with her casually wasn’t how she imagined it going.

“So, to make sure, you don’t plan on doing harm to Znena or its citizens?”

“No, who do ya take me for? Some savage? I just want to find an old friend and maybe kill some pests along the way. Look, sorry for beating up yer friend like that, but I genuinely don’t want any troubles." At this point, Alice didn’t know what to do. Clementine seemed genuine enough. If she wanted to, she could cause quite a havoc, seeing how she was able to go toe to toe with Lilim but didn’t choose to. The half-angel also kept in mind that everything she was saying could have been a bluff. It all seemed too convenient. Just so it would happen that her friend was here and she happened to overhear that Tetra out of everyone could help her? It sounded ridiculous. But maybe that was the point? Making it seem like she was ignorant about them? It definitely fooled her.

“Look, if ya will help me, then I swear that I’ll leave the town for good, never to come back.”

“And you think I’ll trust you?”

“No, I don’t expect ya to do so. However, I could share with ya a bunch of interesting rumors that I’ve gathered.”

“Thank you, but I’m not interested in them.”

“Then what do you want me to do? Just come with me to Speluna. If I’ll find nothing of worth there, I swear that I won’t cause any problems, and ya and yer succubus won’t see me ever again.” Alice sighed. Just for what did the demon need her for? Getting back to the center? At the very least, going with the red-haired woman could give her enough time to call Force. The half-angel just couldn’t let her go, and the demon would probably end up in custody for an interrogation.

“Fine, but I swear that if this is a trap, then you will regret it.”

“Are ya going to kill me then?”

“No, but Lilim will." Speaking of the blue-eyed succubus, she should probably wrap this whole thing up. Lilim was probably going crazy, and Alice didn’t want to make her worry more than she already was. She really should have written the succubus a note.

“Let it be. If ya would get as much as a scratch on yer cheek, I’ll be ready for any punishment. So then, let’s come in.” Saying that, Clementine grabbed the younger girl by her hand and dragged her into the bar before she could even protest.

Inside, Speluna didn’t stand out from other bars in town. A bunch of tables that mostly stood empty, an old pool table on one side with darts on the other. An 'L'-shaped black counter with shelves full of alcohol behind it standing in the middle, with stairs leading onto the higher floor on its left side. That all was kept together by dark blue walls, creating contrast to the red-dotted black floor, from which paint was peeling off in some places, revealing red bricks. Clementine went to the counter, focusing the entire attention of the few guests on herself, while Alice sheepishly followed her. The tall and well-built bartender finished polishing the glass and took a glance at the red-haired woman that just sat on the stool.

"Why, hello there, tough guy.” Clementine started, making the bartender come up to her. From what she could tell already, this place was full of succubi and incubi. Or at least as full as a few demons can make it. Other than the bartender and the one full table behind them, there was a slight tint of aura upstairs. It could have been leftover, as it seemed to just barely linger on in the air. Luckily for her, no one here was worried about keeping their aura concealed, but then again, none here was of any meaningful size.

“What brings such a beautiful lady here?” The bartender asked, a small smile creeping onto his face. Then his eyes shifted towards the ginger-haired girl. "Ma'am, I hate to say it, but you can’t bring minors here.”

“Hey! I’m nineteen, almost twenty." Alice chipped in. So it was one of those places where only twenty-one and above were allowed. In this regard, Lady Pank won over most of the bars in Znena. If she was old enough to drive, why couldn’t she go out and have fun? Almost instinctively, she took a quick look around. Thank goodness she said that out loud while Beatrice wasn’t around. Otherwise, she would hear about it to no end. She could be too overprotective from time to time.

“Still, that’s nearly a year too young.”

“For sure, ya won’t shoo away two beautiful ladies from yer bar, right? And worry not; I’ll keep an eye on my lil sister." The bartender walked a bit further away, closed his eyes, and caressed his mustache while deeply thinking about what she said and murmuring something under his nose. After a while, he returned to both women.

“I’ll let this slide, but only this time. I don’t want any problems on my head.”

"Thanks; I’ll make sure that she will behave. Ya will, won’t ya?” She patted Alice on the back, making the half-angel straighten up.

“Y-Yes!” Before the bartender could say anything more, another man came up to the far end of the counter and called for him. Assuring them that he would be back shortly, Alice moved closer to Clementine.

“Little sister, seriously?” The green-eyed girl whispered, making sure that none of the prying ears would overhear them. Most of the succubi and incubi wouldn’t recognize her without her armor, or so she hoped, but it would never hurt to be more than cautious. Especially when taking into consideration that Tetra and their men could slip into Znena without them noticing.

“I said what first came to my mind. And don’t worry yer head ‘bout that; it’s not like it matters.”

“Sure, whatever you say." The bartender was taking a while to get back. In the meantime, the half-angel took cautious glances at the guests. There were some whispers going around the bar, most of them about the mysterious red-haired woman, but she heard herself being mentioned once or twice. As long as no one would figure out who she is, it should be fine. And even then, most succubi and incubi preferred not to draw any attention towards themselves. Still far from being able to live together in peace, but at least there was some effort in it. “Hey, you said you had a bunch of rumors.”

“Oho, did ya suddenly gain an interest in ‘em?”

“I…I just want to know if you heard anything about a white-haired angel.”

“No, all I have is pretty much only about demons or their underground life.”

“Oh, I see...Thanks anyway.” Of course, she should have expected such an answer. Her one and only clue for now seemed to be Tetra. Why did it have to be so hard? At this point, protecting Znena was an easier task. Before she could get lost in thoughts any further, she felt a nudge from Clementine.

“Hey, why are ya sulkin’ up like that?”

“It’s nothing, really." Alice guessed that she didn’t seem too convincing, especially with her head hidden between her arms on the counter. Still, it seemed like the red-eyed demon bought it, or at least knew when to stop asking questions.

"Well, then, what will it be for you?” The bartender finally returned, handing Clementine a menu.

“Oh, actually, I came ‘ere with a question.”

“I understand, but nothing is free, not even for a pretty lady like you." The bartender winked and tapped gently at the menu. So that’s how he was getting business done. Clementine figured out that a small drink wouldn’t hurt.

“Fine, one negroni for me, and as for ya?”

“Nothing, thanks.”

“One negroni coming right up.” He turned around, taking bottles of gin, vermouth, and Campari from the shelves. “What’s the question then?” The bartender asked as he poured one ounce of gin into the glass.

“I’ve been lookin’ for a friend, and I’d like to know if he was ‘ere recently."

“Ma’am, a lot of people, humans and demons alike come here. Could you be more specific?” Alice raised her head in shock. Clementine hasn’t said a thing about demons, so why did he mention them? “What’s the matter? I might be old, but I can still feel auras just fine." While the half-angel knew that Speluna was popular with demons, she wouldn’t have guessed that the bartender was also one. At least it could make things easier.

“The problem is, I don’t know how his human would look like…”

“I can already say that everyone here comes in disguise; however, maybe I heard about a new demon coming to town.”

“Right. But I think that tall, gray, and black demon with one big yellow eye would be rather recognizable.” Alice made sure that she didn’t mishear anything. That was Victim, or rather Sadza. At least he wasn’t dead, so she wouldn’t have to break the terrible news to Clementine. The problem was that Corax, the head of the disbanded group, still refused to talk, so Sadza's current location remained unknown.

"You are right, that’s quite a distinct fellow, and no, I haven’t seen anyone like him around."

“Back to square one.” Clementine let out a defeated sigh. There was a good chance that he might have left the town before she even came here. And if so, then she doubted that finding him would be feasible. If he put his mind to it, he could vanish into thin air for who knows how long and only return when he felt like it. He already did this once, and she did not look forward to the second time. “So, how much for the drink?” The demon reached into her pocket for a wallet, apparently the only thing about her that wasn’t in any shade of red but rather a beige one.

“Hey Cle-” The half-angel felt a strong arm of the red-haired demon pull her towards herself, just as a throwing knife struck the counter where she was just a second ago. Alice’s face paled as the knife’s blade reflected her face. With a corner of her eye, she saw a white blur move down the stairs and ran out of the bar before the panic set in. Clementine left the payment in a hurry, and both women went after the attacker. To think a demon would be brave enough to attack them in plain sight. But why wasn’t she able to feel its aura? Was it the one from upstairs? It seemed to be so.

Outside, the white demon was nowhere to be seen. Alice summoned Rosary, and Clementine wielded her black axe, ready to face the adversary. It couldn’t have gone far, but there were just too many places where it could have hidden itself. And seeing how swift it was, chasing it around this area, let alone the whole town, could prove to be a difficult task.

"I take that ya have a few who want ya dead." The red-eyed woman put the younger girl behind herself. She was a woman who kept her word, and she wouldn't let some thug put a scratch on either of them.

"More than I would have liked." A few was sadly an understatement. Pretty much most rogue and older demons still saw her and the entire Force as a threat that had to be eradicated. At least most of the younger ones knew that this wouldn’t have to be the case. “But I can’t say that they ever targeted me personally. Most of the time, they were too focused on causing ruckus.”

"So this is not a typical one, eh? Just where did this bastard go?” A shine coming from their right side caught Alice's attention. The half-angel shielded herself with Rosary. A throwing knife that was coming in her direction bounced off the spear’s blade. “I got him!” Clementine swung her axe and released an arc of fire in the direction of the knife. The arc struck the ground, but it didn’t seem like it hit the assassin. Another knife came their way, this time from the left. The red-haired woman barely had time to step back and avoid the knife, which grazed her throat.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Is he teleporting? Or simply that fast?”

“I hope not." The green-eyed girl noticed something lying at her feet, in her shadow. A pearly white feather. What was it doing there? Just then, she saw ripples forming in the shadow around it. “The shadows-!” A knife was thrown at her. Its blade left a scratch on her cheek, and right after it, the demon followed, lunging at the half-angel from underneath. The half-angel barely blocked upcoming claws with her weapon, landing on her back with the demon pinning her down to the ground. Now she could take a good look at her attacker.

The demon was entirely white, save for silver, long claws that were just centimeters away from her throat. A single bloody red eye gazed at her from a single hole in what resembled a leather mask that had been stitched multiple times from multiple sides. The body of the demon was hidden away by a long, feathery cape, and only his long arms came out from underneath it, the silver claws protruding from the gloves. The demon made a weird hissing sound at her as Alice tried to kick him off. He took one hand off the spear and reached for a dagger, additionally flashing a whole belt of throwing knives that went from his left shoulder right to his right hip. Before he was able to stab the younger girl, Clementine swung her ax at him. As it was about to connect, the white demon turned into a black goo, as if becoming one with the shadows, and vanished in it.

The red-haired woman just barely had enough time to help the half-angel stand up, as ripples appeared in the shadow underneath them just as it would be a puddle, the knife’s blade missing its target. That was bad. An umbramancer. It was a dangerous art that not many demons mastered or even bothered to learn in the first place. And it was Alice’s first time seeing one in action. She doubted that she had any spells that could deal with him. And Clementine didn’t seem like one either. Their best bet would be to bait him out of the shadows, but it was easier said than done. The shadow rippled once more, both women jumping away as the white demon leaped into the air, landing on a nearby street lamp. He eyed both of them like a predator. Clementine threw a fireball at him. The demon jumped down and rushed at them while casting a spell that took the form of a white smoke cloud. He took a swing at the red-eyed demon but was met with his dagger bouncing off a black armor. The red woman was gone, and now he stood face to face with a black-clad knight.

"Yer just another scum that plagues this town, ain’t ya?” The black knight grabbed the demon’s arm. Shocked by her physical prowess, the white demon became one with shadows once more, and the smoke finally cleared. ”Blasted, run away like a true coward.”

"Fighting with him will get us nowhere. We have to finish him in one blow.”

"Easy to say, considering he can just vanish right away.”

“I’ll think of something." Clementine didn’t seem too convinced by that. From what she had seen, the younger girl didn’t have any groundbreaking spells. Her little arrows wouldn’t phase this assassin very much. Unless she had a hidden ace, beside the succubus, that she just waited to use. “Hey! You came here for me, right? So come out! Unless you can’t face a single girl!” The black knight was unsure of this tactic. Taunting enemies barely worked in one's favor. And this demon seemed like one to ignore such things.

Alice's shadow started to ripple. The white demon lunged at the green-eyed girl. She blocked his claws and dagger with Rosary. The vines of the spear wrapped themselves around the demon. Clementine quickly joined in with her chain, keeping him further immobilized. A bright shine came from the shadows underneath. Just as the demon was about to vanish once again, a spear made of light manifested from the shine, impaling the demon just as he was turning into black ooze. He turned solid and went limp on the spear.

“Clementine, now!” The black knight didn’t need to be told that. She swung her axe, an arc of fire had more than enough strength to finish the demon once and for all. As the flaming arc was just a few inches before the assassin, his body returned to a state of black liquid and fled into the middle of the street, recovering his form. Something seemed wrong about him. The stab wound on his stomach was already halfway closed, but he was thrashing around as if he were in intensive pain. Wasting no time, both Alice and Clementine aimed their spells at him.

A pair of white, crow-like wings sprouted from the demon’s back. He took off into the air, dodging upcoming attacks. His mask was ripped by a beak that tore through its bottom half as the demon let out a horrifying screech. His feet became like talons of an eagle. To think that he wasn’t fighting them while in his true form. Alice was worried about what ace up his sleeve he could have now. And from the looks of it, she wouldn’t have to wait long. The white crow was flapping his wings furiously, letting feathers litter the street, looking like snow while doing so. Those that fell on shadows sank in them as if in a deep puddle. Those shadows then bulged and boiled. Noticing something rise from within them, the half-angel ducked along with the red-eyed demon.

Just a mere second later, all of the boiling shadows started spitting out black blades. Like bullets, they were cutting through the air, digging into whatever stood in their way. Buildings, lamps, streets, and sometimes even other blades; they knew no mercy for anything. Of course, they were more than eager to dig into the half-angel and her companion, tasting their blood. Clementine scooped up the younger girl, a hair split before an array of blades would graze her, and while shielding her with her own arm, the black knight made her way out of the way of harm. The white feathers kept falling, creating even more shadowy blades. Neither of the women could even get a clear shot at the demon, as he was flying all over the place, spreading as many feathers as he could.

As Clementine stepped into one of the many shadows casted by the buildings, she felt something impale her feet, forcing her to fall on her knees and drop the ginger-haired girl. Taking a look back, she saw a long blade that was stuck in her foot. Should it have been just slightly longer, it would have also pierced through her knee. But to think that something could get through her armor, this demon was no mere adversary.

“Clementine!” The black knight casted a ring of fire that encircled them, burning down any feather that would fall on the shadow beneath them. It wasn’t the best protection, but it was all she could muster. Especially after seeing the distress rise in the younger girl’s eyes, she knew she had to act quickly. Alice kept staring at the small pool of blood that formed around the black knight. Again, because of her incompetence, someone got hurt. And because she needed to be protected. Because she was hopeless. If only she were like a proper angel...

"I know this looks bad, but I’ve been through worse." Her voice brought her back to reality. She shouldn’t be thinking like that, at least not right now. There was a bigger problem at hand. The black knight removed the black blade, cursing at it, and, while limping, approached the younger girl. “What is more worryin’ are his skills. He is not a simple demon.”

"Probably one of Tetra. '' If that was the case, then they were in a worse situation than she originally thought. Having their men stationed in Znena, waiting for a moment to strike, meant that they could attack at any time. And there wouldn’t be much they could do to avoid that. The white feathers finally stopped falling from the sky, and Clementine brought the ring of fire down. The white crow was nowhere in sight. They had given him time to escape, and he was smart enough to use it. The question was, did he retreat to wherever Tetra was hiding, or did he simply go deeper into Znena, preparing another assault?

"Ran with his tail tucked like a coward, it would seem.” Clementine said while looking into the sky, trying to spot if the demon wasn’t simply waiting for her to bring their cover down and attack them from above. She faced a fair bit of flying fiends to know that was how they mostly acted.

"I hope not. Having him anywhere in the city would put people in danger." Tetra’s men were ruthless; she knew that much, and attacking innocent people to get her attention wasn’t beyond them. Especially one that could easily flee if his trap didn’t go as planned. They had to catch him as soon as possible. Alice ran through the street as fast as she could. She had to get back home and inform the rest of the Force and Lilim about this incident. The half-angel noticed that the black knight was also following her. Great, having more hands on board would be useful.

“Watch out!” Alice could barely react to the white blur that jumped in front of her. Appearing from the shadow with a dagger ready, the white crow made his strike. The half-angel shielded her face with her own arm. She could feel the blade dig into it, stopping at the bone. She bit her tongue so as not to scream. She really should have had her armor on. Clementine stepped in front of the younger and, with one swift strike, beheaded the demon. His limp body, along with the cut head, went flying a good few meters from the force the older woman put into her attack. She wrapped her hand around the younger girl’s shoulder and allowed her to lean against her body. With colors drained from her face and her hand clutching the wound in hopes of stopping the bleeding, she stared at the body. Why wasn’t it setting itself ablaze yet?

Alice didn’t have to wait long for an answer. The head turned into a black ooze, and the headless body stood up and reached for the nearest shadow it could find. He put his entire hand into it and grabbed a pile of the same black ooze. It quickly took the shape of his head, and the white crow put it back onto his neck. The demon took off into the air, eyeing both women. He raised his hand, and the shadow underneath him followed, forming one massive shadowy spear. As he was about to throw it, a chilling aura coming from behind him shook through his very bones. The white crow quickly turned around, ready to face whoever was about to interrupt his victory.

As the demon saw a livid wave of blue flame right before his face, his eyes widened in fear ever since a long time. It didn’t even have a chance to react. The blue wave smashed right into him, not stopping but instead crashing into the ground beneath him, leaving nothing of his carcass when it finally reached the ground. It exploded into a pillar of blue flame upon contact, causing dust to cover the area. Clementine and Alice shielded their eyes and waited for it to set. The black knight swiftly pointed the tip of her axe at the approaching silhouette.

When the dust finally settled down, Clementine lowered her weapon upon seeing who stood on the other side. Lilim’s eyes were glowing a light blue, their shine visible despite the still half wet hair that covered her face. The succubus had a strong grip on Prince, whose burning blade was pointed at the black knight.

“For someone who decked me the night before, I expected something more from you." The taunting tone and smirk were quickly wiped off succubus’s face when she noticed Alice’s wounds. “Let. Her. Go.” With one swift swing, the black katana released a wall of blue flame that encircled all three of them. Now the knight had nowhere to go. Clementine quickly retrieved her hand, and Alice ran up to the livid demon, trying to calm her down.

“Alice! You are bleeding! We have to get you to the medical ward, now.” Lilim gently grabbed the wounded arm. While it wasn’t a wide wound, it sure was a deep one. Even through all of the blood that was leaking through, the succubus could still see the bone.

"This…is nothing, really." The green-eyed girl tried to sound convincing, but refusing to even attempt to look at her arm and how pale she got didn’t work on Lilim. Honestly, she could use some painkillers right now. It looked like the pain was just about to set in, and she by no means looked forward to that. The black-haired succubus suddenly embraced the younger girl with one arm and hugged her closer to herself while still pointing her sword at the black knight.

"That bastard, did he do that to you?” The Prince got coated in a light blue flame. She was done playing around. The vigilante knight was done for; hell, he even stood still with his hand in the air. No demon could lay a hand on her Alice and live to tell the tale. Speaking of her, why was the half-angel tugging on her arm so much?

“Lilim, don’t. She helped me."

"Alice, what are-? She?” The blue-eyed succubus lowered her weapon, from which the flame vanished. Was she just speaking nonsense about the blood loss, or was it actually the truth? Lilim looked back at the knight and was shocked by what she saw. The black armor was gone in a bright, red flash, and in its place stood a woman all dressed in red. “Alright, what is going on, and who are you exactly?”

“Lilim, this is Clementine, our vigilant black knight. She came here looking for someone.”`

“More like looking for trouble." The succubus muttered out while the blue flames returned to the blade. The red-haired woman continued to stand still, not daring to think about escaping. The succubus was already in a bad mood as it was. “State your business!”

“It’s true, I came ‘ere lookin’ for an old friend; I swear on me master.”

“And how is looking for someone equal to hunting demons in a few towns?” The blue-eyed demon sent Clementine a curious glance. Couldn’t she really come up with a better lie? And why did Alice believe her? Then again, if the half-angel was ready to speak in her favor, then she should at least listen to what she has to say.

“I…I-em, uh…”

“You know what? Save your excuses for when we get back to headquarters. You are going to go with us and explain everything to the bishop and chairman. And you better not try anything along the way. I’m not in the mood for dealing with troubles.”

“And I’m not plannin’ on losing my life, so ya can rest easy." Clementine was surprisingly cooperative on their way back to the Force. Due to the lack of her own wings, Lilim had to take Alice with one hand and hold the red-haired woman with the other. The half-angel held on with a tight embrace, while Clementine was left dangling as Lilim soared through the sky. After dropping the younger girl off at the medical ward, both she and the black knight went to the interrogation room located on the underground level. Upon learning about their return, chairman Tvardovsky was the first to come down, not even trying to hide excitement in his eyes. Clementine took a seat once everything was ready and allowed the chairman to interrogate her. She was answering everything with honesty, still pissed off succubus being quite a deterrent to lying.

“Right then, Miss Clementine, there is one more question I’d like to ask." Tvardovsky said as he put an already-filled clipboard to the side. “What is your real reason for coming here?”

“Like I said, I came ‘ere lookin’ for Sadza, my friend. I heard that he’s somewhere in this town and-”

“Interesting, really; however, it doesn’t align with what you have been doing for the past few days. Hunting down demons in Grad and now Znena. I have to say, Miss Clementine, you have rather interesting methods of looking for that friend of yours''

“How do ya even-!?”

“Marvels of modern technology. We have our eyes everywhere. Well, then, how will it be? Will you tell us the truth?”

“I’m tellin’ it the entire time.”

"In the other case, we are looking at imprisonment in one of Grad’s facilities." Tvardovsky continued, deaf to Clementine’s words.

“What for?”

“Destruction of property, assault on Holy See Demon Extermination Force Staff -”

“Alright, alright. I’ll tell ya the truth." Clementine took a deep breath before continuing. “I’ll admit, comin’ ‘round ‘ere for Sadza wasn’t my primary goal. My master sent me to this area to investigate the sudden increase in auras that have been poppin’ ‘ere like crazy. And that was when Sadza went missin’. I couldn’t contact him, sense him, nothin’. I knew that there had to be a link between those two cases, and I found my way ‘ere. That’s the entire truth, and I swear on my master that I’ve not been lyin'." Tvardovsky closed his eyes and started tapping the desk while humming. It lasted a good few minutes before, with a sigh, he pointed at the papers he had on the desk.

“The problem arises as we have no means to confirm anything that you said. Miss Clementine, so far, everything is pointing against you. I’m afraid that we will have to put you under surveillance until we will be able to verify your testimony." A knock at the door caught everyone’s attention. The chairman gestured at the succubus to let whoever was knocking in. Though he didn’t remember asking for anyone to come down here. Perhaps bishop Ezekiel decided to check how things were going? But then again, he didn’t really let him know about the ‘capture’ of their black knight. In his own defense, he didn’t expect that Lilim, of all people, would drag a demon here alive and/or in one piece. An orange head popping in through the doors allowed him to relax a little. He wasn’t in trouble just yet. Though the appearance of the half-angel gave him an idea of how to deal with Clementine. A risky one, however, with quite a payoff if it would go as planned.

“I hope I’m not interrupting.”

“No, no, in fact, Miss Alice, I would say that you have perfect timing.”

“Al, how’s your arm?” Lilim asked, walking up to the green-eyed girl. For a response, Alice showed her the white bandage wrapped around it.

"It looked worse than it was. Though it will take a few days to fully heal.”

“At least that’s good enough. Still, you should have-”

“Ya have to help me; they want to put me in prison!” Clementine decided to plead to the only person that could help her as of now, though after receiving the cold stare from the displeased succubus, she wasn’t sure if it was worth the try.

“That is one of the options." All three women looked at Tvardovsky with confusion painted on their faces. Alice wasn’t sure what he was getting at, and both Lilim and Clementine had just heard how the latter was going to be imprisoned. What other option was there for her? Knowing Tvardovsky, it wasn’t anything that they would expect or anything that would end well.

“Imprisonment would be one way of punishment. Another one is for Miss Clementine to work off this instead. And I know the perfect place for our black knight to do so. ” A sly grin appeared on Tvardovsky’s face. The opportunities that had been opened were countless. A new test subject, another demon to learn from and on, a potential additional help in their constant fight against Tetra, in which they needed as many arms as was physically feasible.

“Wait, you can’t be serious. She came here from nowhere, attacked demons at random, and attacked us! Just where do you want to send her, other than prison?"

“Would you believe me, Miss Lilim, if I said that Grad is in dire need of new units? And seeing how Miss Clementine could fulfill a similar role to Miss Alice, I would say that we absolutely cannot pass on such an occasion.”

“Chairman, is that really such a good idea? There is still so much we don’t know about Clementine and letting her go like that…”

“Yeah, exactly what Al said. And can you even do that in the first place?”

“I may no longer be a vice president of administration there, although I am positive that this shouldn’t pose any major issues. Of course, Miss Clementine will be put under severe surveillance, and any sign of hostility or treason will be met with termination. So then, Miss Clementine, which one would you prefer?”

“I’d be more than grateful to help with guardin’ the town, and I beg ya, let me continue my search for Sadza.”

“Well, I see we have reached a fulfilling conclusion. Miss Clementine, you will start your 'shift' next morning. I have to discuss the matter further with bishop Ezekiel; however, I reckon that he would reach the same conclusion as I. I hope that one night in imprisonment won’t prove to be an issue. Could I ask you both to show our black knight where she will spend the night?”

“Of course, Clementine, we should be going.” Alice said as she opened the doors, gesturing for the red-eyed demon to follow her. Lilim went right after them, keeping her hand steady on Prince’s hilt. While it didn’t seem like she would try anything, it was better to be safe than sorry. At least she could get a tour of the underground, although the all-encompassing white wasn’t too pleasant for the eyes. And the flickering lights, couldn’t they get somebody to get them fixed? Or were they cutting corners on those?

“Hey Clementine, about your friend." Alice stopped and turned to face the older woman. The black knight looked at her with curiosity. Just what did she want to tell her? “If that’s the demon I’m thinking of, then he has been here.” Clementine’s eyes lit up after hearing that. Her efforts didn’t go to waste after all! She was right to search for him there.

“Where’s he now?!”

“That’s, um…We don’t really know ourselves. Our radars didn’t catch his aura anywhere in the town, so it had been theorized that he had long left." The half-angel wasn’t sure if she should also mention about him being an arsonist and working with a criminal group, but she decided to spare those details for now. There was no certainty that they were talking about the same demon in the first place.

“Oh, I see…” The red-haired demon looked down, sounding rather disappointed. Right, she shouldn’t have assumed that Sadza would have stayed in one place for long. Especially after having run into those two. Still, she had to hope that he would be somewhere around. “Thanks for tellin'. Who knows, maybe my presence in town will drag him out from wherever he is hidin'." That’s what she wanted to believe anyway.

“No problem. I know all too well that any clue is important when looking for someone." Even if that only clue came from your worst enemies. Still, she should be glad that she got anything. Every step closer mattered. They reached the prison sector after a few minutes of walking and were greeted by a bunch of guards standing at the entrance. Alice had to explain everything, as Tvardovsky’s word hadn't reached them yet, and they promised to escort her safely to her cell.

“I’m still not sure about letting her go like that.” Lilim said as the two girls were making their way back.

“It will be fine, trust me. You heard the chairman, they will keep an eye on her. Besides, she protected me, so there is that." Before Alice could say anything more, a growl coming from her stomach interrupted her. “How about we go home earlier? I’m starving”

“Fine by me. And I wouldn’t let you work with that arm anyway." The succubus took a glance at the bandage. The younger girl should let it rest for the rest of the day, at the very least. Honestly, why couldn’t they assign the black knight here? Not only could they keep her under control much more efficiently, but there would also be somebody who could relieve Alice and give her a much-needed break.