Sometime, somewhere…

Athea sits upon a marble, gold-capped throne up a few steps amongst a vast, foggy, misty, off-white nothingness. She stretches out after sending out the last of the dead in line to their new world. She arches her back, her arms up and fingers interlocked with a moanful grunt before she lets out a sigh of relief on the background of the omnipresent, soft chiming sound.

「…How are things, Athea?」

A serene voice from behind her throne asks. Her sense of relief is erased in a split-second.

「Lord Overgod!… To what do I owe this visit? It has been a while since!…」

She jumps out of her seat and rushes down the short flight of steps, nearly tripping on her flowing white robe while racing towards the robed figure approaching her.

「It is precisely because it has been a while, Athea. I am not disturbing, I hope?」

Speaking calmly, the figure tilts its mask-like face, shrouded by its hood.

「Y- You jest, Lord Overgod! Never! All is going well!」

She shakes her golden head

「Indeed?」

The face-like mask tilts further. Its dark, empty eye sockets stare into Athea's deep-blue eyes with a piercing gaze.

「Indeed! A great tragedy was narrowly avoided in one of the worlds, Lord Overgod! Over a thousand lives were saved, if not more!」

Nodding her head as her hands tremble, she interlocks her fingers to hide it.

「Which one?」

The robed figure asks, taking a step closer.

「The… The world that was ravaged by vampires, the one where I intervened-」

「Ah, yes…」

Seemingly enlightened, with its hands behind it back and with no mouth to speak of, the face-like mask says as it tilts upward gently, turning aside.

「D- Do you remember now, Lord Overgod?…」

Athea asks with her head low, and a tense grimace on her ethereally perfect face.

「I have never forgotten. How could I?… Quite a unique world, isn't it?…」

Lord Overgod asks, turning its eyeless gaze back to Athea.

「Y- Yes…」

She feebly agrees, nodding her lowered head.

「…Billions turned into choking ash, and vampires largely purged by the suddenly clearing skies in a large upset. It is good to hear. Life must have its ups and downs to be compelling.」

The robed figure says, walking a few steps past her. Its hand holds the other behind its back in its gray, slick fingers of asphalt-like texture.

「Too much of never-ending happiness and too much of incessant tragedy makes everything… Mhmmm…」

Lord Overgod hums while staring into the vast, empty space shrouded by fog.

「…Dreary?」

The mask-like face snaps to her, piercing Athea with its gaze. She gulps, and nods in agreement. The soft, ambient chiming sound breaks through the prolonged silence.

「…Keep up the good work, Athea. I will visit again.」

The figure nods and walks past her again, heading to the back of her throne.

「I… I did a good job?」

She asks, sounding hesitant and surprised while tracking the figure's hood with her confused eyes.

「Of course. Gently steering worlds to be flavorful is not an easy task. A good balance of action and inaction must be maintained…」

Lord Overgod pauses. The mask stares at her over the robed shoulder.

「…Too much action, and the world will expect to be saved. Too much inaction, and it will die of neglect. A proper herb garden is neither drowned, nor left to dry out.」

「I understand, Lord Overgod. Thank you.」

She bows her head low with a grateful nod.

「…Be a good gardener, Athea.」

Lord Overgod adds, and disappears into a golden beam of light stretching upward. Athea lets out a relieved sigh, and returns back to her throne.

「Whew…」

She rests her cheek on her fist, elbow upon her armrest.

「Maybe I'm just overthinking it?… He's happy with how I run things…」

Furrowing her brows lightly while her eyes drift upward towards nothing in particular, she thinks out loud.

《Does that mean he knows what I did?…》

Her blue eyes narrow as they drop back down before her throne.

《…Surely he'd already know by now? Does this mean I really am overthinking it, and he's actually fine with Straf?》

With her legs crossed, Athea pensively taps her temple with her finger, staring down at the steps with a narrow-eyed gaze.

「…Yes. That must be it. I was overthinking things this whole time. I am actually perfectly fine!」

She says out loud, and crosses her arms with a relieved sigh.

「I am in control! I am doing a good job!」

Athea declares with a satisfied smile, and unwraps her arms to reach out into the thin air in front of herself. A golden, floating, translucent runic panel opens in front of her hand…

…

Late at night, in the Mage Federation's battle fortress, in the inner sanctum…

A glowing, complex runic circle surrounds a pillar-like crystal jutting out of the center of the stone floor. The crystal glows in a bright blue light, pulsing slowly, its light shifting to a purple hue very briefly at each peak of the pulse. Dozens of men in blue robes are kneeling around the circle, foreheads low to the floor, whispering something to themselves in a steady, unending stream of words. Their robes bear a prominent bright-blue silhouette of an eye along their center, though it can only be plainly seen on the very few men remaining standing.

Another mage in the exact same attire arrives through the spacious, doorless entrance to the circular room. As if expecting the young man, one of the men standing a few paces away from the circle turns his eyes to him, waiting for him to approach. He joins the older man's side, and the two watch the crystal in a prolonged moment of silence. The room is already filled thick with mana emanating from the crystal, causing the air to feel sticky.

「…Has the Watcher spoken yet?」

The younger mage asks in a hushed tone, leaning slightly towards the older man standing beside him.

「No.」

He simply replies, likewise keeping his voice low. The young man lightly nods his head, and the two return to looking at the crystal's pulsing light.

「…Perhaps the blood moon will be fortunate.」

「Perhaps.」

The young mage remarks, and the older one concurs, nodding in response.

「…I do not imagine you came to see me just to have an inconsequential small talk.」

The old man turns his gaze to the young mage. They briefly look at each other, then turn their eyes back to the crystal.

「You're right. I am concerned about the other faction.」

「So am I… But why come to me with your concerns?」

「I have a bad feeling…」

The young man replies, causing the older one to scoff, stifling his smirk.

「…A bad feeling? I get those all the time… Care to explain?」

Though initially jesting and almost mocking, the old mage quickly turns serious again.

「They are acting erratic. I fear that we may have played our hand wrong with forcing of our handpicks to respond to the Academy incident. They may be now stirring the pot.」

The young man speaks, glancing at the older man beside him, all the while keeping his voice hushed.

「Played our hand wrong?…」

「Yes. They will be now arguing for plurality of thought, and other such nonsense. They'll point to us, claim that we were ineffective, and then demand stronger action.」

The young mage replies, nodding his head while they stare at the crystal. Despite how thick, sticky, and heavy the air feels, even the smallest breath is refreshing.

「I think that's quite a stretch. They didn't recover the grimoire, didn't find the vampire… But Corvus only requested security. They provided that. The grand master-」

The old man shrugs his robed shoulders in response.

「You very well know the grand master listens to the both sides…」

The younger man cuts in, interrupting him as his eyes snap to his, staring sharply.

「…We tell him what the best course of action is, and he listens to us. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes, like the Academy, it doesn't…」

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He continues, peeling his eyes away from his older colleague, speaking in a grim, quiet voice.

「…And when they tell him that we should all try taking a run off a cliff?…」

The young man concludes with a rhetorical question, staring at the older mage for a prolonged moment. They both sigh and return their eyes back to the glowing crystal.

「…So what worries you in particular, Aldrei?」

The old mage asks with his eyes focused on the light as it turns faintly purple.

「Stirring the pot. I think the grimoire is now a non-issue, it's with its rightful owner after all… But they care none for that. To them, it's fuel to the fire that we unwittingly lit.」

Aldrei responds, and shrugs before letting out a large sigh.

「You think they will press the issue further?…」

「No. I think they will press the issue until its nothing but dry pulp. They will squeeze it for all it's worth. The consequences may be disastrous.」

「Such as?…」

The old man asks with his brows furrowed inquisitively, tilting his head slightly.

「In the best case, we will lose some influence for the time being. In the worst case…」

The young man replies, then sighs.

「…They may mobilize the battle fortress and do something rash with it.」

He adds, and turns his serious gaze to his older colleague.

「That's ridiculous, Aldrei… The grand master would never agree to that. That would upset thousands and thousands of mages, both in and out of the battle fortress.」

The older mage scoffs, shaking his head with his eyes narrowed in a ridiculing look. He turns his gaze back to the crystal as he replies.

「He would agree, Alexander. He would. All they'd have to do is convince him to do so. If they had a situation like the one at the Academy backing them…」

Aldrei disagrees, also returning his eyes back towards the mage-surrounded crystal. Both of the men bear grim expressions on their faces. The kneeling mages chant quietly.

「…I have to say… One thing worries me as well.」

Alexander says after a prolonged moment of relative silence.

「And that is?…」

「…This Straf Katastrof Vindict character. He resolved the incident single-handedly, but to say that he is on our side would be a reach.」

The old mage says, nodding ahead towards the light with a troubled grimace while the crystal casts shadows on Aldrei's young face.

「I am concerned about him as well. Every report I've read and the complete lack of information on him… It's just worrisome. And I have a theory…」

Aldrei says, and the two look at each other. Alexander's concerned eyes remain locked onto his.

「…The Action faction took interest in him. They will try their damnedest to make him and the Federation come to blows.」

「And if we do? What do you think will happen?」

Alexander asks, furrowing his brows.

「I've read the description of the Eastern Ranges after the incident… Nothing good, Alexander. Nothing good.」

Aldrei replies in a serious, grim tone, and turns his eyes back to the crystal. The rest of the mages ignore them completely, fully immersed in their chanting…

…

In the early morning, long before sunrise…

Fwap.

「Hnnhhh?…」

Feeling a somewhat gentle shock rock her, Stripe groggily opens her golden eyes. Still partially asleep and utterly confused, the first thing she sees is Straf's face somewhat close to hers, and from below his chin. The next thing she realizes is that her cheek is pressed against his chest, the very next moment, she realizes Straf is actually walking down the palace hall with her in his arms.

「Huh!?」

She lets out a shocked utterance, and her eyes snap wide open.

「I was convinced you'd wake up when I scooped you up. Was it the stairs that did it?」

Straf nonchalantly asks, glancing down at her.

「What is this!? Why am I in your-!?」

She asks in panic, but then starts to recollect the last events she remembers.

「Aggggghhhh… I fell asleep in your stupid workshop…」

《…Does he not have to sleep, or something!? I'm used to being awake for a long time, but this is ridiculous!》

Pat.

《There goes my plan to kill him in his sleep.》

Embarrassed, her palm slaps onto her face while she visibly cringes.

「Yup. I don't have the heart to wake a sleeping cat, so I thought I'd just take you with me.」

「I am not a cat!…」

Stripe protests with her teeth bashfully clenched out of the embarrassment.

「Close enough.」

Straf shrugs, briefly lifting her entire form along with his shoulders before opening one of the doors with his back against the handle.

「Hup.」

He utters out as he carries her into the room feet-first.

「What is this?…」

She asks as her confused golden eyes dart around what appears to be a luxurious bedroom, complete with a canopy bed. Straf swings the door shut with his foot.

Thud.

「My bedroom.」

「Your be-!?」

Thwup!

Straf declares, and nonchalantly throws Stripe onto his bed. She lands on her back and bounces further towards the pillow with her face twisted into pure wide-eyed shock.

「So I was completely wrong about you after all!?」

Stripe shouts, pointing her clawed finger at him while he's slipping his boots off.

「Huh?」

Appearing somewhat confused, Straf furrows his brows at her, pausing briefly.

「Why did you bring me here!? Why am I on your bed!?」

She asks, pointing at him, then the bed.

「'Cause we're going to sleep together, obviously…」

「Obviously!?」

Straf declares, and climbs into the bed with her, crawling towards the pillows. Shocked, she only echoes his words.

「…I did a lot of good work today, so I think I earned a nap.」

He adds, shrugging his shoulders as he throws the blanket aside. The fact Stripe is sitting on the center of the bed obstructs him somewhat.

「…Move your ass. I want to get under the covers. It's too cold to sleep without them these days.」

Straf looks into her jittery golden eyes with a tight-lipped grimace, and a slightly scrunched mouth.

Stripe is frozen in indecisiveness between violently resisting, and attempting to regain control of the situation by submitting on her own terms. Ultimately, she decides on the latter.

「H- Heh. I knew this wouldn't last, you worthless pervert. Can't find a woman that'd want him, so he needs a slave. Pathetic-」

She lets out a nervous chuckle and shifts aside, letting him pull the blanket up and away.

「Huh? What the fuck are you talking about? We are going to sleep together. It's cold and they don't sell electric blankets around here…」

Further confused, the corner of Straf's mouth rises in an incredulous expression on his face. He wriggles himself under the blanket, then pats the space beside him.

Pat pat pat.

「…Get in. If it's too much for you, I won't force you. You can go sleep on the floor. Like a cat.」

He demands with a nonchalant, bored look on his face. Stripe looks at the door as if someone was about to walk in and put an end to it, but as expected, nobody does.

「I am not a-!… Fine. Just to be clear, I am not giving you the permission to do anything to me! If you put your hands on me, it's because you're pathetic and desperate!」

She replies, and reluctantly crawls beneath the blanket into the bed with Straf, trying to make herself as narrow and small as possible.

Tfwap.

「What are you-!?」

She shouts as Straf's hand lands on top of her black head and pulls her closer to his shoulder.

「I'll play with your ears until I fall asleep.」

Straf shrugs, and starts rubbing Stripe's ears with his hand. She tries to pull away, but his firm grip holds her close.

「I didn't give you a permission to!… Touch me… Mmnhh…」

Stripe protests loudly, but her shout quickly trails off into a quiet moan.

「Sure, but your ears and tail are fine to touch. If I can pet a little girl on her head, I can pet a cat.」

He shrugs again, replying with his mouth aslant while petting her head and ears.

「I am not a… Nhhhmmm…」

Stripe tries to protest again, but her resistance to the touch on her head dies down very quickly, and she makes no further attempt to pull away.

「Mmmhh… Nmhhhmmm…」

Her contented moans fill the quiet bedroom.

「See? If you'd hate it you'd sleep on the floor now… Want me to stop?」

Straf asks with a smug smirk, but Stripe doesn't respond. Her head is completely limp and resting on his chest while moaning quietly.

「…What, that's it? That's all it took for you to fall asleep?」

Surprised, he furrows his brows a little, and turns his eyes back up to the canopy.

「…This bed gets everyone, huh?」

He remarks as he closes his eyes, and slowly begins drifting off to sleep as well…

…

Just a few seconds ago, outside Straf's bedroom…

Hearing a woman inside protest then moan, a maid pulls her ear away from the door and turns her concerned gaze to the one standing nearby.

「…And?」

The maid watching her asks.

「…We shouldn't be listening in any longer.」

She replies, and steps away from the door. They walk beside each other in a brief, awkward silence.

「…I'm glad he's with an adult woman now. Maybe that will set him straight.」

「Hopefully…」

The maids remark, nodding their heads in a reluctant approval…