Kurai reached there not long after the battle ended, carrying the little creature along with him. The little thing's eyes widened on seeing Kesshō still completely unharmed, while the other two seemed to be on the brink of death. Kurai barely even paid any mind to the two, walking straight to Kesshō. Lifting the little creature off his shoulder he handed it to Kesshō, who embraced it tightly, the little thing also glad to know she is alright.

Kurai crouched down beside Fim and Blitz, taking a look at their condition and pleased to know they weren't doing very well. He healed them slightly, enough for them to be able to talk easily and move easily. The two of them sat up as Kurai gestured them to do, not showing any will to fight anymore. They accepted their complete defeat, but he knew they weren't going to be very cooperative.

"So," Kurai begun, "why are you all after her?" He inquired.

The two of then exchanged confused glances. "You don't know?" Fim inquired. "There is no way he doesn't," Blitz refuted.

"I don't think I know," He informed the two.

They exchanged glances again and shrugged. "You stole her from one of our facilities. She is supposed to be a clone of The Princess of Celestia, who died, and we attempted to revive her. She is a prototype and we need her back to test her against the original, the revived original." Blitz explained, Fim nodding her agreement.

"Have you two fought 'The Princess of Celestia' before?" Kurai questioned.

"We have," Fim answered.

"So, who do you think is stronger?" He asked.

"Hard to say, the result in our battles with Crystal was the same as this fight," Blitz shrugged.

"Crystal... Very well." Kurai sighed as he got up. "The two of you are free to do as you please, preferably go back to your master and inform him that I am not going to lend her for his test, he can bring the Princess to us if he wishes to do so, she might also be miserably defeated by a 'prototype'."

Blitz and Fim nodded. "We will deliver your message," Blitz reassured.

Kurai tilted his head to the side and sighed as a fire arrow spell shot right by his head. "Now who in the world are you supposed to be?" He inquired turning around.

"The mage whose prized possession was stolen by you," The mage fumed. Draped in a dark purple robe with cyan patterns, he wore a tall conical hat with a long brim atop his head. His hair were brown, his skin slightly tanned, and his eyes were the color of emeralds, several emeralds being embedded in his robe as well. He carried a long wooden staff with a large emerald crystal at one end, supporting himself on the staff as he walked.

"And what is your prized possession?" Kurai inquired.

"That." The mage pointed to Kesshō.

"Hey! Don't try to claim what belongs to our master." Blitz argued, Fim nodding her agreement.

Kurai glared at both the parties. "She belongs to herself so it's best you three back off before I make you back off to the afterlife."

Sensing the killing intent Fim and Blitz bowed an apology as they lowered their heads. The mage however, appeared to be unfazed by the threat.

"It belongs to me, come here!" The mage commanded as he slammed his staff on the ground.

The little creature in Kesshō's arms buried it's head in her chest as its legs started to push away against its will. Kesshō held it tightly however, not letting it go.

"Oh, you mean that belongs to you," Blitz mumbled.

"I thought you meant Kesshō so I got mad," Kurai shrugged.

"I mean the dragon in her arms, ask her to let it go before I make her," The mage fumed.

The look of terror seemed visible in the dragon's face as it shook in fear, Kesshō's eyes also turning snake like as she opened her jaws slightly and raised her wings threateningly. Despite not being the most threatening looking, the pose still worked to some extent combined with her aura, causing the mage to gulp in fear as the spell on the little dragon broke and it stopped trying to push away.

"So you are the mage who used the transformation on that person?" Kurai inquired, appearing right behind the mage out of nowhere.

The mage turned around and charged a spell to attack Kurai with, but Kurai moved much quicker. He grabbed the mage by the throat in an instant and lifted him off the ground before slamming him down, indenting the earth. The mage spluttered and coughed blood, groaning quietly on the ground.

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"Answer my question." Kurai ordered as he stepped on the mage's chest.

"So that is where she learned it from," Blitz whispered to Fim.

"Yes, yes I did," The mage groaned.

"You will regret ever doing it if you don't revert her back to a human right this instant," Kurai ordered.

"Like I will obey you!" The mage exclaimed, a bright glow emitting from his staff.

Kurai got blown away by a wind spell, startling everyone. Spinning his body in the air he landed on his feet, glaring at the mage. The mage got up quickly and pointed his staff at Kurai. The staff emitted a green glow as several vines shot out from the ground and wrapped themselves around Kurai's hands and legs, restraining him, the same thing happening to Kesshō.

"They are really torturing that guy, aren't they?" Blitz inquired Fim in a low whisper.

"Certainly are, nothing is worse than being shown victory and to be given defeat," Fim mumbled. "Its almost worse than being offered a Bloodberry and being fed medicine."

"Right, vampire stuff," Blitz mumbled.

"Now!" The mage exclaimed, bringing everyone's attention to him. "For your impudence, I will be punishing both of you before taking my leave."

Kurai raised his brow questioning his statement and Kesshō tilted her head in confusion, her tails poised like scorpion tails, prepared to attack. Blitz and Fim shook their heads knowing just how it would go. Even then, Kurai chose to stand down and listen what the mage wished to say, not wanting to kill him since he might be the only way for them to cure the little creature.

"For you," the mage turned to Kurai, "I will be turning you into some demon and handing you to the holy knights, they will take care of you. And as for you," he turned to Kesshō, "I think I will be keeping you, you already are a monster so a simple spell will force you to obey my every command. I will start with you." The mage turned to Kurai and pointed his staff at him.

Blitz and Fim, being more sensitive to changes in a person's aura picked it up easily, while the mage, being a human, failed to. The two of them could tell Kurai did not seem pleased in the slightest by the mage's words, both choosing to move further away from the place, having no clue what he might do.

Several magic circles appeared in front of the mage's staff as he unleashed a beam of white magic that engulfed Kurai. The little creature let out a worried cry as Blitz and Fim gasped, shocked to see that Kurai just allowed himself to be attack by a transformation spell. Kesshō simply sat there, the vines wrapping her already gone, paying no attention to what happened, her attention having been attracted by some colorful birds flying overhead.

The mage lowered his staff with a triumphant smile, which lasted shortly, turning into confusion a moment later as the light dissipated and Kurai remained unchanged. The mage took a step back, instantly being grabbed by the collar of his robe as Kurai tore through the vines and appeared right before him.

"Seems like your magic can't transform someone into what they are, even if by only nature," Kurai shrugged.

The mage lifted his staff with one hand and pointed it at Kesshō, planning to threaten Kurai. Kurai released his hold on the mage instantly, his hand moving an inch away from the mage's chest.

"You won't even survive this," Kurai smiled.

The mage gave a look of confusion before Kurai punched the mage's chest from an inch away, punching a hole through his torso and spraying blood and flesh behind him. Blood spilled from the gap in his body and the mage lifted his hand to his chest, feeling the gap, before collapsing on the ground. Blitz, Fim and the little creature looked in horror as blood covered the lush green earth, Kesshō still paying no mind to the situation.

Kurai sighed and lifted his hand to his forehead as he shook the blood off his other arm. "I shouldn't have killed him, now I need to find a Phoenix Elder."

Blitz and Fim looked at each other. "I believe the two of us should head out." Blitz informed as the two stepped away, knowing very well they are being allowed to leave out of his kindness, instead of being killed to reduce the number of his enemies.

"Very well then, I believe we will meet again soon enough due to who your master is, but I will be looking forward to it, and don't worry, I do not intend to kill you two." Kurai sighed as he waved them off.

Fim summoned a portal behind them and the two walked through it, the portal closing right after. Kesshō's attention now settled on the little creature which seemed to be explaining to Kesshō what happened through a series of growls and hisses, Kesshō seemingly understanding what it said.

"You can understand what it says?" Kurai inquired, crouching down beside her. Kesshō nodded her head, the little creature also doing the same. "Well, I just wanted to tell you that there is a high chance you won't be returning to being a human any time soon." Kurai informed with a smile.

The little creature seemed sad at first before shaking its head and looking at Kurai with bright determined eyes. Kurai observed its eyes, deep in thought.

"Opal." Kesshō spoke, interrupting Kurai's line of thought.

"What?" He inquired.

"Her name, Opal, her eyes also, opal." Kesshō answered in incomplete sentences. The creature nodded, as if confirming that her name is Opal.

"That is a good name." Kurai complimented as he pat it gently on the head. "Anyways, I think we should get going now." Kurai sighed as he got up, Kesshō getting up right after him, carrying Opal in her arms.

The three of them headed back to the town, Kesshō and Opal sticking close to Kurai. As they entered the city they noticed many knights rushing outside, most likely attracted by the battle that occured a short while ago. They avoided the knights to avoid being questioned and headed deeper into the marketplace.

Kurai led them around to several equipment and potion stores, buying a large number of very small parts of equipments and tiny vials with liquids of many different colors. What he bought happened to be much smaller than the normal things, the vials barely containing even five drops of the liquid, and the equipment parts being barely a tiny cube smaller than Kesshō's palm.

After the end of scouring the marketplace for all those things he led them to a restaurant not far from the marketplace. Going further away to find a restaurant could have drawn attention, so Kurai chose not to do that, being completely fine with even a fairly crowded one.

While the menu seemed fairly diverse, he only bought seven sandwiches which they packed in a shiny foil for eating while traveling. Luckily, the restaurant gave them a bag to carry the sandwiches in for a slight extra cost, a brown leather bag which Kurai slung over his neck and led the two out of the town and down a path winding away.