The dawn had come. Van Eltia entered the Zekson waters after a week-long voyage from the Southgand. A week full of early-morning training sessions for Laphicet and Eleanor. Avernus obligated himself to instruct Eleanor in mastering her pact-holding expertise and her fighting efficiency. With the help of the newly found daemon-infested Islands, Eleanor and the rest of the team managed to take her mastery to another level.

For Laphicet, everyone pushed him to fight stronger enemies. He learned his lessons very quickly and effectively. But nobody was surprised. Laphicet established himself as one of the best party members the Van Eltia pirates had to offer. Keeping up with them in combat was no small feat.

Avernus eyes were concentrated on the shore. He was reflecting on some of the past events that unfolded during the last week.

Lucian accelerated the process of turning people into therions. The visions shown to him at the Palamedes, and the Amenoch relic bestowed upon him in surprise, weighed heavily on his spirit.

More responsibilities, more questions, and more problems.

But alongside the rest of the team, Avernus was already occupied with Laphicet and Eleanor's drills, so those thoughts bothered him even less. On one afternoon, Kurogane came to him and handed the enhanced blade Avernus ordered him to forge for Velvet from the schematics he had found in Palamedes. Avernus thought that it was the best excuse for them to reconnect.

Avernus waited patiently for Velvet, and he saw her coming out of the crew quarters. He quickly but anonymously walked towards her, giving her little time to run away if she ever decided to do that.

"Hey, Velvet. Here's the new blade I was telling you about." Avernus presented the weapon.

Velvet noticed an arrogant smile on his face as Avernus approached with a shiny new blade, carefully wrapped up in a cloth. Velvet took the blade and examined it.

Avernus took advantage of her distraction and grabbed her arm. She quickly glanced at him with a disapproving look. Avernus continued as if he didn't care about his intrusion and proceeded to fumble with her wrist blade. "Don't overthink about it, Velvet. I'm detaching the old one from your wrist."

The old blade came out, and Velvet placed the new one herself. She began to sheath and unsheath it multiple times. A very unnoticeable grin formed on her face. The blade felt faster to handle and quicker to move around.

"I also enhanced its properties upon what Kurogane had already implemented. I call it 'Maw of the Viper.’" Avernus said.

"It's a good weapon." Velvet looked at him and noticed his happy face. "Thanks," she said. They stared at each other for a few more seconds.

"Maybe we can have a practice session tomorrow morning. I'm giving Eleanor and Laphicet a day off. Tia and I were hard on them for the past few days. Even harder than Eizen and Rokurou. They deserve some rest."

"What about you? Don't you want to relax tomorrow?" Velvet, already softened, was not against the idea.

"Oh boy, you don't know how much I need a rest, and my body is beaten. But if Lucian is still alive, he's going to plan some counters to yours and Rokurou's moves. I need you to fight me so I can predict what kind of artes and magic he's going to use against us."

Lucian fought Velvet without his catalysts. Although she was a masterful fighter and Velvet learned a lot during their travels, the concern of dealing with him again never escaped Avernus's mind.

To Velvet, that was nothing but an excuse to spend more time with each other. It wasn't hard to read his true intentions. Did she want that too?

Avernus knew the extent of her understanding. If Velvet wasn't interested in small talks or didn't want to be alone with him, she might end up agreeing to do some sparring.

" I'm almost out of moves ," Avernus said to himself.

"Fine, you're on. But I'm warning you; you might get hurt."

Avernus grinned agreeably. "That's the spirit, Velvet. So it's a date then."

Velvet blushed slightly and groaned at him. “Hmph!” Velvet quickly returned to her cabin without uttering a single word.

Avernus thought that nothing could put a dent in that glacier heart of hers. But somehow, his desire to help her was turning to something more, even if he didn’t want to admit it.

Grimoirh heard their conversation and giggled. She was lying sideways on one of the barrels nearby, sunbathing. At first, Avernus didn't notice her presence. Her tiny body evaded the eyes of many.

"What are you giggling about?" Avernus asked, looking displeased.

"About you, Avernus, looking content. You even glow, darling. So shameless."

Grimorih had his full attention. "Shameless?" He asked.

Grimoirh nodded, "Yes. You know, radiating joy and affection, teasing that girl any chance you get, while everyone here has to face death and the Abbey and a bleak future…terrible bragging to everyone that I want to have my way… something along those lines."

If Velvet didn’t tease him, others would do that on her behalf. Grimoirh continued. "You know, Avernus, everyone is scared of her, except for you."

"I have no reason to be scared. Velvet is not a threat."

"That's pretty much obvious to everyone. Velvet seems to be overprotective of Laphicet." Grimorih said with a puzzling look.

"Yeah, Laphicet is irresistible. Eleanor and Velvet are fighting over him all the time."

"Laphicet is a different case. He needs people to learn from them. He looks up to you, Velvet, Rokurou, and Eizen and sees you as his family. You must be very careful with him." Grimorih advised.

Grimoirh's speech felt like she was scolding him. "I wouldn't let anything happen to Laphicet nor allow him to learn something inappropriate for his age."

"That's what I wanted to see and hear from a responsible adult. But what about you? Sometimes, I question the wisdom of a Shepherd being involved in such an affair." Grimoirh said intently, willing to dig deeper.

“It’s getting to feel like an interrogation. I told you, I’m not a Shepherd, nor my decision has to do anything with anyone anymore. That’s all in the past.”

Grimoirh sighed. That man was so touchy about this subject. "Velvet is a cunning woman. A daemon. She will use you for her own ends."

Avernus was disturbed. He was getting sensitive about Velvet too. "You don't know her, Grimoirh. It's not your right to judge."

Grimoirh relaxed once again and laid on her back, smiling slightly. "I'm telling you what I see and what my instincts tell me."

Avernus knew what others saw from the outside; Velvet was sometimes intimidating, and having Avernus wanting to spend time with her seemed to be dangerous for him. “I’m here to offer her my help. Velvet may even hate me, but it doesn’t affect my plan.”

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not against it,” Grimoirh said. “I know that you have the right to keep your reasons to yourself. You're an interesting bunch. Everything is different and unexpected. About Velvet hating you, I think you're wrong."

"What makes you say that?"

Grimoirh noticed his face beaming up. "Don't let it go over your head. It doesn't happen often, but I see Velvet smile to herself, sometimes when she's watching you from afar or from a corner that she thinks nobody can see her or can't notice someone as small as me."

"Smile? Hah, I find it hard to believe. I haven’t seen her smile for a long time. That face can freeze hell if she ever decides to glance at it." Avernus pessimistically said.

Grimoirh chuckled. "That's an interesting comparison. But know this; For Velvet, Laphicet is in a familiar domain. As you told me before about her brother, Velvet has experience dealing with someone like him, but you are roaming in a different territory. Velvet just doesn't know how to manage your situation or how to respond. She's conflicted."

Avernus shook his head, "Well, forget about it. These talks never get me anywhere. But since we're here... I want to ask you about something..."

Grimoirh was patiently waiting for him, "I'm not going to run away, don't worry about it. Ask away, young man."

"About that night, what were you, Morgrim, Phoenix, and Edna doing near Aball?"

Grimoirh looked away. She wished that she would have run away from him too.

Avernus folded his arms, waiting for an answer.

"Why does it interest you so much?"

Avernus remembered the moment Edna's pretender appeared in front of them in the Lothringen tower, "Because when we were at one of Abbey's strongholds, Melchior used an arte to extract Eizen's memory and then one of the malaks assumed the shape of Edna. At first, I thought her likeness was pulled out from my mind, but then Eizen turned pale when he saw her. Lucian also threatened him to get his hand on 'you know who.’ If he ever decides to go after her, I must know her connection to Eizen and what made her risk her life to be there that night."

Grimoirh let out a prolonged sigh. "Do you know about Eizen's curse?"

"I do."

"Edna is close to Eizen. Close as a little sister to a brother. Eizen was avoiding her because of that curse he carries. The power threatened her life every second Eizen was near her. He went on a long journey to find a cure for it, but one day, it seemed that he didn't care about the curse anymore, and Edna wanted to find a cure herself."

"What was near Aball that prompted her to look?"

"Edna is earth, Malak. She never told me the circumstances of how or what she found out about it, but she said that she had a hunch that someone or something over there can help Eizen revert his affliction. But you know what happened, and then she lost interest as well. I haven't talked to her since."

Avernus rubbed his chin, staring at the ground, remembered one person that had enough knowledge to be bothered,

"A cure for a negatively developed domain. I'll ask Tia about it."

Grimoirh gestured over a small tome near her. Avernus picked it up.

“There are some new artes that I kept to myself,” Grimorih said. “Someone like you can probably find some use for them.”

Avernus opened the book. “Chaos Reach,” He read the name. “One uses an arte that calls the rage from the void and molds it into a beast, preferably a dragon.” Avernus nodded favourably. Another arte grabbed his attention. “Final Sacrifice,” His beaming face faded. “Offer your life in exchange for limitless power. Beware, this will be the user’s last arte if not handled carefully. Preferably to be used as the last resort.”

Avernus closed the tomb. “Thanks. These artes will help me.”

“No thanks needed. I was planning to throw them away.” Grimorih closed her eyes and waved her arm.

The wind began to blow. A small group of clouds was getting closer. Benwick and a few others called to him. "Hey, Avernus from the far continent!"

He looked and saw Laphicet and Kamoana coming out of the crew quarters. Both seemed to be excited about something. Then he remembered his promise to them to play his pirate role for them. "I hope I don't mess this up.”

"What is it?"

Avernus turned to her with a frustrated look. "Learning the Aifread's creed part three; how to sing a sea chantey when you're doing labours."

Grimoirh nearly burst into laughter. "Oh, Well then, good luck, young man."

Avernus then joined the pirates. He cleared his throat and began to sing along Benwick and others, pulling some ropes and scaling the ship mast. Laphicet and Kamoana stared at them with joy and excitement,

"Come all you young sailor men, listen to me! I'll sing you a song about the fish in the sea! And it's, Windy weather, boys, stormy weather, boys, When the wind blows, we're all together, boys, blow ye winds westerly, blow ye winds, blow-"

Someone disrupted Avernus’s concentration. "Approaching Anchorage!"

The sailor's shout pulled him out of his thoughts. Van Eltia docked, and the team began to disembark. The port was in disarray; people were arguing among the clutter of crates spreading around. Their yelling could be heard all over the harbour. Laphicet felt the tense atmosphere. Velvet sensed his uneasiness and tried to comfort him in her own way,

"Don't pay them any mind. Sailors are just a short-tempered bunch, that's all."

Velvet’s assurance didn't last long as Benwick himself began to shout at someone else. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Eizen quickly went to them. "What's going on?"

"They've jacked up the price to dock our ship here," Benwick informed them.

Eizen looked at the overseer and threatened him. "Oh yeah? Some real balls you've got there, buddy!"

But the reaper gaze could not overcome that man's greed. The overseer grinned boastfully. "If you want to dock here, that's the price you're going to pay. Pirates are a liability, to begin with, but calling your crew "infamous" these days would be putting it lightly."

Looking at Velvet, he continued. "The more wanted you are, the more it's going to cost to hide you."

Avernus glanced at Eizen's angry face. "That's a valid point he's making, I'm afraid. We're lying about as low as a circus. I'm surprised that the whole kingdom doesn't know we're here. My idea; pay the man… for now."

Eizen sighed and agreed. "You're right. It’s hard to argue there. just pay the man what he wants, Benwick."

The overseer slowly bowed his head. "I knew I could count on you to come through, Eizen. Pleasure doing business with you."

"Looks like we're causing you trouble." Velvet said, looking at Eizen.

"It comes with the job." Eizen turned Avernus, nodding in approval of how he remained calm. "Some sailors just have longer tempers than others."

Avernus raised his brows in surprise. " We… " He finally felt that Velvet accepted him as a companion, and Eizen regarded him as one of his sailors. Those thoughts put a smile on his face. He would take anything at this point.

"Wow. I'm flattered."

"Far continent guy! Over here!" The sailors called out to him again. His face wrinkled in irritation.

"Ugh… You do know that I have a name."

"Avorni… Avirno… I'm sorry, I can't pronounce it. It’s a bit hard on the tongue." The younger sailor said, scratching the back of his head.

Avernus waved his hand and shook his head. "Forget it. What is it you want?"

Both sailors gestured at Van Eltia,

"We've done every fix and are starting to polish this thing. We wanted to know if there's anything you can tell us about the ship to make it better."

"What? Why me? I don't know anything about ships." Avernus said.

"But you're from the far continent, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah, but it doesn't mean that I should know 'everything' about what my continent has to offer."

Velvet checked the ship from up close. Her ride seemed to be even more interesting from the outside. "That's why she's an odd-looking ship." She turned to Avernus. “Like you.”

The younger pirate's eyes fired up and eagerly started to explain. "The Van Eltia was built by the kingdom twelve years ago using the very best technology available. She was designed for search and seizure operations on the high seas. Her unusual design comes from an engineer who was familiar with technology from the far continent."

"So, how did you guys manage to get your hands on this?" Avernus asked.

"Long story short, on her maiden voyage, a string of mysterious accidents took the lives of the captain, then the second, and then the third in command. People thought the ship was bad luck. She was about to be scrapped when Captain Aifread came and snatched her for himself. He wanted a sturdy ship capable of reaching the far continent. The ship looked interesting to him when I asked."

The younger sailor continued. "She's too interesting. We have been chased by storms, struck by icebergs, attacked by a giant whale, you name it. Three years ago, it all made sense. To think we'd been haunted by a reaper the whole time."

"Are those whining that I hear from you?" Avernus asked.

"No, we're here by choice, and we regret nothing. We're free pirates, each of us, here because we want to be. Some of us love adventure, some are looking to test their fate, and some are just searching for a good place to die. We're a ragtag bunch of rogues, that's for sure."

Avernus remembered the reaper's curse. He turned to Eizen as he was standing a few meters behind them. "Eizen, about your "Reaper power,” have you tried anything to fix that?"

"Yeah. I've searched far and wide for a way to lift it. This ship was even my vessel for a time. That was when the accidents happened. Then Aifread came and took control of the ship." Eizen explained.

"Did Aifread know that you were on board?" Velvet asked.

"Definitely. He thought that I was a harmless spirit roaming around the ship at first, but it didn't matter then. They didn't treat me differently. I fought my damn curse with everything I had, and Aifread and his crew fought right along with me. We even finally made it to the far continent."

Avernus searched his memories to find a report mentioning a trespassing ship or something close to it. "It's strange. Haven't heard anything regarding an intruder these past seven years."

"Why should you? Unless you were someone important in your kingdom, I doubt that information would reach even a Shepherd like you.” Eizen said.

Avernus suddenly remembered that he kept his royal position a secret. "Yeah, you're right… but did you make contact with the locals? Didn't you find anything to help with your curse?"

"Nah, I didn't even look."

"But that's why you went there, isn't it?" Velvet asked.

"Eventually, I just got tired of fighting back. The crew… they taught me how to feel alive and the joy of pursuing my dreams alongside good friends." Eizen was strangely content with the idea of his curse.

"I can't promise anything, but I'll look into your Reaper’s curse later." Avernus offered.

Eizen looked at him skeptically. "Why do you care?"

"Because I know exactly how you feel," Avernus said with his usual prideful smile.

"Well, if you know away, I won't shy away from it. It's good to get help from someone with luck on their side."

Avernus returned his smirk with a smile of his own, but a bitter one. " Calamity is the word you're looking for, Eizen, not luck. " He whispered to himself.

"If we don't have anything to do, we might as well go to Loegres." Velvet advised.

The team started their trip back to the capital. They felt more at ease here and away from those less travelled lands of Southgand. The Loegres walls came into view. Laphicet remembered the first time they moved into the capital,

"There it is, Loegres… it was a lot tougher to get in the first time. Avernus, how did you manage to move in there before us?"

"I stole a pass from a family." Avernus casually replied.

Magilou maliciously grinned. "So, you had the potential to be a pirate all this time. The Shepherd of thieves."

Eleanor's sense of duty tensed up. "You stole a pass from a family?!”

Avernus shrugged. "You know, Eleanor, you look like my other half of morality who’s sitting on my right shoulder, keeps nagging me about being good and whining when I do something wrong. Relax, I fixed their carriage for them."

"And you think it will justify what you have done?!" she continued to scold him.

"Nah, sometimes you need to steal or sometimes," He looked at Velvet, "You need to be an expert in dove mimicry."

Velvet's face flared up instantly. "Would you stop bringing that up?!"

Rokurou laughed. "Expert in being funny if you ask me!"

Magilou extended her arm towards the sky dramatically. "Oh, yes! You're right! Coo! Coo!"

Eleanor suddenly forgot about the whole 'Avernus stole a pass.’ "Wh…what does that mean?"

Laphicet stood silent. Velvet quickly walked away from them and said. "There was a dove near the city's checkpoint! That's all!"

Avernus shook his head and wolf-whistled as he checked Velvet out. "What a dove that was… one of those playing hard to get and meanie doves."

Velvet glanced at Avernus from the corner of her eyes, sending him a signal that punishment wasn't far from reality.

"Oh, watch out, Shepherd. Or you might end up as a black, full-chested dove's dinner. Coo! Coo!" Magilou mocked.

The group passed the checkpoint. Avernus and Laphicet together began Coo Cooing as they entered the capital, much to Velvet's annoyance.

To their surprise, the street leading to Tabatha's Inn was crowded with large groups of people. They barely made their way through the crowd.

"What's with this crowd?" Velvet asked. A young man from the crowd turned to them. "Majelu's Troupe just put on a real show! Man, it was the best! Her dancing was every bit as great as I'd heard!"

Magilou shimmied her way from the back, managing to get a good look at the front. But the show was already over. "Surely you mean Magilou! Has my time to bask in fame finally come at long last?!"

"I'm pretty sure he said Majelu, not Magilou, and besides, we haven't performed anything," Avernus said.

Eleanor, excited, crossed her arms and legs. "He meant Lulu, the famous dancer. She goes by "The Majestic Lulu," but everyone calls her Majelu."

"And it seems she puts on a cheerful act for everyone." Velvet observed.

Magilou, feeling defeated, frowned and screamed. "Cheerful?! It's a rip-off! She's just trying to pass off as Magilou's Menagerie and profit from our good name!"

Velvet was confused. "What good name? We don't perform anything."

Avernus shook his head at Magilou, "You're such a fraud."

"I was planning on getting started eventually! But now this con artist comes along and ruins everything!"

Suddenly, a girl came forward, looking angry but confident. "You know I can't Ignore what you said."

Magilou narrowed her eyes and folded her arms, putting up the defences. "Hmph. So, you're Majelu, then?"

"I am, my teacher, and I work hard to put on performances that'll leave a lasting impact. And I won't let anyone call me a fake." Majelu insisted.

Velvet checked out her outfit; Majelu wore a two-piece dress with a fitted bra and a long silky skirt.

"Just what kind of dance she's performing?"

"Probably belly dancing," Avernus replied.

The name sounded strange to her. "What's belly dancing?"

"It's an expressive dance that uses complex movements of the torso, hips, turning, and spinning the body. The dancers also use their arms to frame dramatic gestures and create beautiful lines and shapes with their bodies." Avernus' glance shifted to Velvet's body. She immediately noticed the gawking.

"Watch where your eyes linger, Avernus." Velvet calmly warned him.

"Don't worry. It’s not what you think. Besides, you're about a month or two late about that, Velvet."

"I see… So what's about my body that captivates you so much?"

Avernus's eyes stared blanking into the crowd.

" If she ever had to dance. "

Avernus began to picture Velvet in a private room. His face went all smug. It didn't take too much for Velvet to notice what he was thinking about,

In his thoughts, the goblet drum started to beat. He imagined Velvet dancing in a two-piece costume; a fitted bra, a fitted hip belt, and a full-length skirt decorated with crystals, coins, beads, and gold embroidery. Her hips moved in rhythm with the tune; they twisted and lifted, dropped and rocked to the sides. Her movements were in continuous motion. Her very long hair and golden eyes complimented every move-

SLAP!

His sight turned to black. A sudden smack to the face pulled him out of his fantasy. Avernus placed his hand on his cheek. It burned like someone already put a hot iron on it. Avernus turned at Velvet. Her face was red from shame. She shut her eyes and broke contact as soon as Avernus glanced at them. Still locked in her slapping pose, Velvet lowered her head, her hair covered the top of her face. “Pervert.”

Fortunately for him, not everyone around their radius heard the slap. The crowd was busy with Majilu and Magilou's quarrel. It was the first time Avernus saw Velvet lose her coolness, but at the same time, he felt hope and progress. Velvet was embarrassed. That was a good sign that she still had her sensitivity and shame, like a human.

"Ouch, that's going to leave a mark," Avernus said to himself.

Majelu noticed that Avernus, Velvet, and Laphicet were familiar to her,

"Hey, weren't you three working before at Baskerville's Inn?" Majelu asked.

Avernus slowly turned to her, trying to hide the traces of a woman's small hand on his face,

"We were," Avernus replied.

"Why are you with this rude woman trying to tarnish my reputation?!"

Magilou stepped forward, blocking Majelu’s view. "Oh, They're of the best performers the Magilou's Menagerie has to offer! Let's take it to the stage and see which one of us can better hold a crowd."

"Yes, that's just what I was hoping for." Majelu agreed.

An old bald man quickly called out to Majelu. "Lulu, don't go around picking petty fights. You should know better. If you have the energy to spare spitting insults at people, you should refocus that anger into moving your body. If you need to express yourself, do it on the stage."

After a few seconds, Majelu surrendered. "Yes, sir. You're right."

The older man suddenly moaned and held his side. Majelu rushed to his side in worry. "Teacher! Is the pain acting up again?"

"Teacher? That man can't be a belly dancing teacher. Then I was wrong, and I got slapped for no reason." Avernus said to himself.

Majelu and her teacher left the scene in a hurry.

Eleanor was excited and whirled to the group, beaming. "That man was Valta. He is strict, but he recognized Majellu’s talent at a young age. Valta even adopted her so he could pass on everything he knew. Valta might be strict, but only because he believes in her!"

Rokurou turned to her. "You sure know an awful lot about them."

Eleanor blushed, "I'm… sort of a fan of theirs."

"A teacher and his student, chasing after the same dream. What a sweet little story they have. That's why I think it's high time for Magilou's Menagerie to put on a show! And for our act, we'll be a comedy duo!" Magilou declared.

"Comedy? Where'd you get that nonsense?" Avernus asked.

Magilou moved closer to him and whispered. "From you. Bienfu saw when Velvet slapped you in the face.” Magilou lowered her voice. “And because none of us knows a single acrobatic trick, you must perform the first act alongside Velvet and me, or you'll be known forever as the deviant who got slapped by a girl in public. I'm not joking."

Avernus scowled at her and whispered back. "This is blackmail. I did nothing wrong! This was all a misunderstanding, you little witch!"

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Velvet moved closer to them. "What are you two babbling about?"

"My plan to make you two my first comedy duo! Although I'll stay on the stage and will help!"

Velvet, looking annoyed, started walking away. "I'm out. I will not bother myself with something hopeless. I'm sure Avernus has the same idea."

Avernus nodded at Velvet, "Of course, Velvet. Thank you."

"It's not hopeless. Plus, if we do well, we'll be swimming in money. We have got the best opportunity to start now. People will come thinking we're Majelu's Troupe!" Magilou wickedly expressed.

"You are sure eager to profit off of her good name," Rokurou said.

Magilou dashed to his side, wearing her arrogant smile. "That's exactly it, my swordsman!"

"Well, more money never hurts." Eizen agreed.

Velvet and Avernus turned him at the same time. "Not you too, Eizen!"

Magilou chuckled in victory. "Then it's settled! Now we just need to book ourselves a few gigs. I've got an in with all the stage directors in town. For now, I think everyone should pair up so we can figure out just what sort of comedy chops you all have!"

"Everyone? Even me?" Eizen asked, hoping he would be off the hook.

"Yes! Each one of you is a part of Magilou's Menagerie, after all!"

Laphicet was stressed. Tia looked at him and smiled in assurance. "I'll help you, young one. You can practice with me if you want."

Laphicet uneasiness didn’t change. "I… I'd rather practice with Eleanor, but thanks."

Laphicet then noticed that one of Avernus's cheeks had a shade of pink,

"Has something happened to Avernus's face?"

Tia giggled, assuming that Velvet graced his cheeks with a soft slap. "When someone bites off more than they can chew, that happens. Avernus has that kind of history."

Magilou walked beside them and maliciously grinned. "Sometimes mom and dad fight, Laphicet. That's normal."

"What does that mean?"

Tia glared at Magilou, getting slightly angry and defensive. "Mom and dad? I wouldn't go that far."

"But at least Avernus makes her feel something . Velvet is the blandest character in the whole group, and Avernus is doing a pretty good job doing the impossible, bringing out the feelings in her."

Laphicet was clueless. His attention kept darting from Tia to Magilou.

“Maybe,” Tia said. “I guess Avernus kept Velvet in check.”

Magilou's eyes flashed with excitement, more ammunition against Avernus. "Oh, then He's living up to his moniker. We need to give him another title. Taming daemons isn't a small feat."

Laphicet, confused and lost, stared at both ladies. "I still don't get it."

"When you get older, my boy, you'll understand," Tia replied.

They'd finally arrived at Tabatha's Inn. The streets outside the inn were empty. Velvet turned to Laphicet and Eleanor. "There are some people who'd get uncomfortable when they're in the presence of an exorcist. Laphicet, stay with Eleanor. We'll be back soon."

Avernus nodded at Tia, and she stayed with them as well. The group entered the Inn. Luckily, the saloon was empty of customers and went to the bar where Tabatha was standing. She saw them and smiled. "Welcome back. It has been a long time since you left. Would you care for a peach pie?"

Velvet strode to Tabatha, frowning. "What do you want?"

Tabatha chuckled and turned to Avernus. "What did you put her through, my boy?"

"Aside from fighting some legates, destroying towers and temples, and fighting hordes of daemons, nothing worth mentioning," Avernus explained sincerely.

"Leave him out of it and tell me what you want." Velvet interrupted.

Tabatha sighed and pointed at a hooded man with a hawk resting on his shoulder, sitting quietly on the other side of the bar,

"I would like you to escort this person out of the capital." Tabatha requested.

Velvet began to sniff the air and then looked at Avernus. "…Something smells about this. Don't you think so?"

Avernus began to think and breathed heavily. His nose hit with an exotic smell, and he nodded.

Velvet turned to Tabatha. "Where am I taking him?"

"Somewhere, the authorities can't reach them."

"I'd bet that's nice,” Velvet said, giving Tabatha a soft smile. “ I could use such a place myself."

"You don't say. We've been looking for a place far from the eyes of the Abbey. But unfortunately, this time, lady luck isn't on our side." Avernus added.

"Hmm… come to think of it, there has been a rumour going around that It's been a while since the Abbey has had any contact from Titania."

Velvet and Eizen were both surprised,

"The prison island? But I thought the Abbey was in direct control of that place. Has the situation there got worse since Velvet left?" Eizen asked.

"Maybe that's true. Sometimes the answer is right under your nose. I think it might work."

Avernus was clueless. "Velvet was supposed to fill me in about Titania's situation, but as always, she didn't deem me eligible to inform."

Velvet narrowed her eyes. "It was a prison filled with daemons. What is there to tell?"

"Fine… so, a lot of daemons is equal to malevolence… That's suitable for therions to have their share of the meal. But we need to look out for our Malaks too." Avernus concluded.

Rokurou’s eyes flashed with excitement. "Don't forget, it could make a decent hideout for us.”

"And the Abbey is far too goody-goody to imagine an escaped prisoner would ever return to her prison by her own free will. I'd say we should look into it." Magilou suggested.

Velvet nodded agreeably. " It's worth checking out, at least."

Tabatha was content with their decision. "Then I take it our intel has proven useful?"

"It has. But before we go… Have you heard anything about the Abbey harbouring daemons?" AVernus asked.

The lady Baskerville paused for a moment before changing her tone to a serious one. "I'm aware there was a daemon in the villa. And that it has been relocated. Unfortunately, I can't say where. But I'm sure we will find out shortly."

Velvet sighed but remained firm in her conviction. "All right. Then in exchange for this man's safety, I want more information on that daemon."

Tabatha bowed her head. "You've got a deal." Tabatha turned to Eizen. "I heard about your confrontation with Melchior. I'm sorry I wasn't able to help you find him. Lord Lucian made it nearly impossible to gather information about his whereabouts."

Avernus folded his arms in protest. "So you knew about him ."

"And even more." Tabatha acknowledged, gazing deeply in a way that she may even know more.

Avernus's eyes widened in uncertainty. With that gesture, a flood of thought went through his mind. " Does she mean that she also knows about my royal connection ?"

"But we have another useful information for you, Eizen." Tabatha crouched behind the bar and took a large, fluted paper design of some sort. Eizen moved closer to check. It was a blueprint of a giant battleship.

"What is this?"

"This is Abbey's new flagship Myrmidon. The latest and most advanced warship ever built by the kingdom. Artorius will give it to his legate, Lucian Astor, to help him hunt an infamous group of "rogues" responsible for atrocities around the sacred kingdom of Midgand. That's according to the order he'd given his subordinates."

Velvet brows knotted. "That means us."

"How did you get your hands on this?" Avernus asked.

Tabatha glanced at the hooded man for a split second and said, "A friend of ours smuggled it out of Abbey's headquarters to show his appreciation and eagerness for cooperation."

"Is it operational yet?" Eizen asked.

"No. I suggest you find your hideout soon before they launch it."

Avernus shook his head. "I knew that bastard survived."

Rokurou smirked, "Your people are hard to kill. Like yourself."

Velvet moved to the exit. "Enough talk. We'll head out at once."

On the outside, Tia, Eleanor, and Laphicet were waiting for the rest of the team to come back from the inn. Even with Tia sticking close to them, Eleanor's thoughts conflicted about turning Laphicet to the Abbey. With the "questionable" acts inflicted upon the common folk, she wasn't sure what they would've done to the little kid if they could get their hands on him.

In the meantime, Tia was talking with Laphicet. "Are you comfortable with the recent training lessons? Have you managed to get a grip on increasing the scale of the Binding Order that Avernus taught you?"

"Yes, but I wished that he'd spend more time with me, like before… Not as a teacher, but as a… as a…"

Tia giggled. "Oh, you mean Avernus! Tell you what,"

Tia leaned closer and made Laphicet blushed. She whispered to him, "I will tell him to spend more time with you if you promise to teach me how you were able to control Eleanor's body. What do you say?"

"I…" Laphicet's voice stuttered.

Eleanor moved closer to hear their conversation. Suddenly she saw their team approach. "Oh, hi… who's this guy?" Eleanor hastily asked.

"Didn't ask, don't care." Velvet shrugged.

"A VIP entrusted to us by the head of the Bloodwings. We're smuggling them away on Titania where the bad guys can't get at them." Magilou introduced.

Laphicet ambled closer and began to sniff. "Something smells nice,"

The scent reached Eleanor. She sniffed as well. "Yeah, you're right."

"Stop sniffing things,” Velvet ordered. “We're moving out."

Eleanor suddenly remembered the hooded guy and went back to her main question,

"I can't believe you'd take a job without bothering to ask who you're escorting or why."

"The less you know, the less trouble you invite."

Eleanor reluctantly joined them, still wasn't totally in line with what they were doing.

North of Loegres, under the Empyrean Throne's shrine, the legate Lucian Astor entered his research lab. He had a guest, a man with a purple pirate outfit and pointy beard, heavily tied and secured on an upward cross. He raised his head at Lucian and mockingly laughed.

"Oh, oh, Lucian is thinking! This can't be good!"

The legate stayed silent, but the pirate wasn't going to stop ridiculing him,

"Or maybe you're just staring blankly for effect. Who knows, you were always such a poser, preening like a goddamn prize cock, thinking you're better than everyone."

Lucian suddenly looked back and cast a bolt of lightning at him. The pirate moaned in pain as the electricity surged through his body, but he was defiant and laughed loudly. "Deep down, I reckon you're hard at work inside, studying to be a numskull."

Lucian slowly walked towards him. He grabbed the pirate's chin and raised his head. Aifread was as persistent and formidable as the one he knew best. His efforts on breaking him had turned fruitless. Instead, he gave him headaches from time to time.

Aifread stared him in the eyes. "I knew your friend Avernus. You're trying to be like him. Even though I met the guy for a day, you have none of his charms and none of his wit compared to him. You're a bloody loser."

Lucian sneered and released his chin. He turned back and moved towards the door. "I have a surprise for you, Aifread. We’re going on a hunt—you and me. I want you to watch when I sank your cherished ship along with your pathetic crew of snakes. And then you'll break."

Suddenly the temple slightly shook, and a wave of unknown supernatural origin swept across the area. Aifread closed his eyes and began to ground his teeth. Lucian smiled, but after a few moments, the pirate captain opened his eyes and laughed. The smile dried out on the legates' faces.

"You Abbey morons can't do nothing. Not to me and not to my crew."

Lucian opened the door. Oscar Dragonia was standing behind it, waiting patiently.

"Oscar! Take this pile of garbage to your ship and place him on the deck. I want him to watch."

"But sir, don't you think it is better to wait for your ship-"

Lucian glared at Oscar, making him eat the rest of his sentence.

"If we wait, those criminals will get away, and I will not sit here waiting for those imbeciles at the shipyard to come with more excuses. We will sail at once!"

Back in Zekson port, Velvet's team had already reached the ship. Velvet noticed that Benwick was arguing with the overseer.

"They're at it again.”

Avernus exhaled deeply, "Oh, boy. My temper is reaching its limit. Time to play rough."

All of a sudden, the pulse reached the docks. People froze in their places, except for Velvet's party. Avernus felt a series of voices in his brain. It was just like back in Palamedes. He instinctively looked at Laphicet, eyes like a tiger on the hunt.

Benwick and the overseer began to mutter like an autonomous and soulless being. Velvet was triggered and walked to Benwick, grabbing his shoulders, shaking and shouting at him,

"What is going on?! Snap out of it, Benwick!"

The young sailor slowly came back to his senses.

"What…Where am I…"

The overseer suddenly started to talk in an emotionless voice,

"Tell you what… I'll give you a fair price… Actually, just take what you need…"

He raised his head, and everyone noticed his pupils. They were devoid of life and energy, like a dead man staring into the void.

"We should all endeavour to help contribute to the common good of humanity, rather than selfishly pursue wanton profit…"

The team stared at the overseer for a few seconds. He was spewing gibberish at this point. Avernus, Laphicet, and Tia knew what was going on,

"This is not good."

Magilou noted the trio's reaction, "So, you all felt it too, didn't you?"

Laphicet nodded. "Yeah. It disappeared, but I felt a strong force coming from somewhere to the north."

"It's a domain, a malak's zone of influence," Eizen explained.

Eleanor looked at Avernus and Tia. "Wait, if it's north of here, then…."

"That's coming from the Empyrean's Throne. We need to get out of here and fast." Avernus suggested.

Eizen called out to the rest of his crew, ordering them to pack up and leave the harbour immediately. The sailors quickly transferred and carried the supplies and food into Van Eltia. Within a few minutes, the ship sailed towards the open seas.

The hooded man was standing in the middle of the deck. Velvet and the rest of the team encircled him. Rokurou was the first one to speak. "All right, we're safely on the rolling waves. Don’t you think it's time you showed us your face, Mr. mystery monk?"

The man chuckled and slowly put away his hood. Eleanor's eyes were glimmered after a brief glance. "I knew it! Prince Percival!"

Eizen then proceeded to introduce him. "Percival il Mid Asgard crowned prince and heir to the throne of the Midgand Kingdom."

Velvet's eyes changed into a preying wolf, looking at her prize. "So he's next in line, is he?"

The prince looked at Eleanor and spoke in a gentle and serene tone. "It looks like someone already had me figured out."

Eleanor took a respectful pose and proceeded to address the prince's observation. "Yes, Your Highness. I could tell from your Fragrant Wood scent, as only the royal family may wear it. But if I may ask, why?"

"Must I explain myself to gain your aid? Since you have someone like him and you, working with the members of the underworld. But my proposition is ultimately for his ears."

The prince gestured at Avernus. The sorcerer's nerve suddenly flared up. He took a calm posture. He felt the worst-case scenario coming up. "I beg your pardon, prince. Is there something special that you need from me?"

Prince Percival quickly grasped the situation. It seemed that none of the crew fully knew about Avernus’s identity. "I thought that with a man of your calibre, prince Avernus, I could come into an agreement with your kingdom."

A massive nerve shock went through the team's psyche, except for Velvet, who already had some suspicions. Avernus couldn't bring himself to look at everyone's face. He stood solid and calm, rapidly searching his mind to come up with something.

"Then let me introduce him properly; Prince Averno Leopold Aeon Raphael Alistair Diphda, former Shepherd, magistrate, and leash of the wayward order of the squires, as in the Hyland’s customs."

Magilou was sneering like a little girl. "Wow, this guy is full of it."

Tia stared at everyone's face as if she wanted to burn their surprised images into her memory.

Eleanor and Laphicet both swallowed. They looked at Avernus as if they were seeing him for the first time. Magilou continued to act as a bit of insolence child. Eizen closed his eyes and frowned, disturbed because of another secret that was kept from him. Rokurou was scratching his head and instantly asked. "Oh, come on! You are a prince too?!"

Avernus shook his head. "Not anymore."

Avernus tried to avoid eye contact with everyone except for prince Percival. He then asked,

"So, I guess all of this information came straight from Lucian Astor, am I correct?"

"That's right. We hoped to make contact with the far continent, but the recent disagreements with our shepherd made it more challenging-

Velvet quickly cut the prince. "I'm the one who you need to negotiate with. He works under my supervision. On this ship, you're here for us to use to our advantage, just like him."

Prince turned to Avernus and noticed his silence. Velvet spoke like a true villain, but Percival put his trust in Avernus and didn’t argue. Avernus nodded slightly, and Percival decided not to continue. Percival was escorted back to the crew quarters while Avernus went back to his cabin. He didn’t want to be disturbed.

Magilou dropped down from a barrel that she was sitting on. "Aside from new surprises that we're getting each day, these princely-fellers we've got are kind of laid-back."

Eleanor, still shocked but excited at the same time, turned to her. "Prince Percival is an upstanding man renowned for both his intelligence and his fair and just demeanour but about Avernus… I think… he's kind of the same."

"Don't tell me that we're calling him "prince Avernus" now!" Magilou protested.

"No! That wasn't what I meant! All I'm saying is that it's best to judge him by his actions, not by the title. With prince Percival on the throne, people have hope that he will bring prosperity to the kingdom. But I don't know about Avernus."

Laphicet looked at Velvet and asked,

"So, He is a real prince too…"

"It means nothing. Don't think much about it." Velvet said, looking uninterest.

"I'm not bothered… It is so cool!" His cheeks heated up. Laphicet closed his eyes and imagined that he was part of the nobility.

"What with that long name, he introduced himself differently before," Rokurou asked.

Laphicet quickly answered him,

"It's more like a formal thing. Some of the old aristocratic and noble families gave several different names to their heirs, showing their characteristics. In the case of Avernus, Leopold means bold, Raphael means blessed by the god, Aeon means life, and Alistair means the protector of the people."

"Look, I played dumb earlier,” Velvet said. “About Avernus and about Percival. But I smelled that scent too. Avernus wore something like it a long time ago. Percival did that for us to notice. He wanted us to know just what sort of position he held and how useful he could be to us."

Rokurou narrowed his eyes at Velvet. "Wait, don't tell me you knew about Avernus."

Velvet uncaringly looked back at him,

"Yeah, I had my suspicions. Before you ask, I didn't care, and it didn't matter, prince, barbarian, scholar, knight, sorcerer. Anyone that can give me an advantage."

"What about the proposition?" Eizen asked.

"I will check with Avernus first. I'm the one who decides, not him."

"But what if it's a trap?" Rokurou asked, "We definitely can't take that possibility off the table."

"When the time comes, he'll make a good hostage, if nothing else." Velvet suggested.

Magilou stretched her body and yawned, "Well, I think it's good to have two royal families wrapping around your finger. It means that our little Velvet can hold two empires captive at the same time."

Velvet and Eizen both smiled as if they liked the idea.

A few hours pass into midnight. Most of the crew were resting in their quarters. Velvet couldn't sleep and decided to go for a walk on the deck. She walked past Avernus's cabin and noticed that the door was fully open. Velvet took a peek inside and noticed he wasn't in his room. Velvet went to the deck and heard a group of pirates laughing and singing. Velvet recognized Avernus’s voice among them, but it was different this time; he seemed very happy.

Velvet approached the group and saw Avernus. She moved closer and noticed that he held a bottle and was chuckling. Avernus turned back and acknowledged her presence.

"Oh… there she is… Hey, boss!"

Velvet narrowed her eyes and observed him from up close; Avernus seemed to haven't had a care in the world. He was smiling like a fool. The last signs were his tired, red, and watery eyes.

"That's just great...You're drunk."

"Am I?! Really…? I feel… I'm actually a pirate in training!"

Velvet grabbed his arm and pulled him away. The other pirates chuckled loudly and cheered. "Yeah, that's right! Take him away, sister!"

Velvet managed to get him far away from the pirates.

"The drunken loyalty. What is wrong with you?! Why are you drinking that much whiskey?!" Velvet argued.

Avernus continued to smile and frequently chuckled, his accent became more robust, and his speech slowed down with longer pauses.

"Too much of anything is bad… but too much good whiskey is… is barely enough. It's better to get rid of my names and… and add only the whiskey! Like Avernus Whiskey Diphda! Do you want to… do you want to dance? I need to check my dance card but I always…. I always have time for you… Velvet Crowe."

Avernus focused his eyes on her face and continued with his mumbling,

"Your eyes… they are… they are shining brightly, like the warmth of the sun. So… So big, so much emotion held inside. I think… I think it's because of eyeliners that make them stand out so much. Your hair feels … wonderful. You know they give you a wild look like your soul is untamed. I like it. They’re a match. Sometimes…I wonder why there aren't…there aren't more men waiting in line."

The alcohol made him speak his mind more freely. Velvet was beginning to regret letting him talk, let alone flirt. But her brain automatically memorized each word. Even in his drunken state, he was an enchanter of sweet talks.

"It's the whiskey that does the talking, isn't it?"

Avernus checked the bottle from up close and burst into laughter,

"N-No… you were alluring even before… drinking this. Did you remember that I… told you… told you that you make the world go round… go round my head? Whiskey with you makes it go round twice as fast.”

Velvet sighed. "Don't tell me that people finding out that you're a prince made you into a complete idiot."

Avernus paused for a moment, but it seemed he didn't listen. He went for her hand, but Velvet quickly pushed him into the mast and held him tight. He was clumsy and didn't resist much.

"You know… when you kissed me during the oath ritual, I thought… I thought I would get struck by lightning… according to the bishops at the monastery back in the palace. Looking at your vest…vestments… damn, I'm going to hell, am I?"

Suddenly it seemed his mood changed for the worst and entered another phase. "You know… you are… you are… too much, sometimes."

Velvet released her hand, and he slowly lowered his head,

Avernus openly spoke his mind. "I'm a coward… ran from my… my responsibilities. Scared like a damn kid… when my people needed me the most… prince of Hyland… Heh… Shepherd… Ha-ha… more like a chicken of Hyland… can't even lead a stray sheep… useless."

Avernus sat underneath the mast and continued to drink. Velvet quickly grabbed the bottle, but Avernus raised his head and said something that made her hesitate with sadness in his eyes.

"You know that I liked you and may even love you… But you don't love me back… treating me like a worthless tool. I'm such a… such a loser."

Velvet’s heart skipped a beat. But at the same time, it was bitter and painful. Velvet grabbed the bottle and tossed it into the sea in anger. She leaned against the mast beside him and looked up. Velvet controlled her pent-up emotions from a long time ago and controlled she did. After all, she was a master of faking and pretending, ruthless and cunning. Fate would never allow her to be with someone like him. Velvet knew that eventually, his feelings for her would not end well for him. But Avernus was unyielding even when she didn't want to change.

Velvet simply didn’t know what to do with it.

Avernus fell asleep. The dawn had come once more, with the sun illuminating the sky.

"Hey! What with this guy?"

Velvet turned and saw Eizen and Benwick coming towards them.

Eizen noticed that their shepherd was out cold. He looked at Benwick. "What will we do with a drunken sailor?"

Suddenly, the rest of the pirates began to sing as they came to their positions from all around the ship.

"Way hay up and up she rises! Way hay up, and she rises! Way hay up, and she rises! Early in the morning!"

The crew sang around the ship as the sun began to rise on the horizon. Another sailor came with a bucket of water and poured it on Avernus's head. He didn't flinch, even when he was soaking with water. The crew continued with their singing and slowly carried his unconscious body on their shoulders. At the order of the first mate, they moved him into the brig below.

Several miles behind them, Abbey's ship was pursuing a lead about Van Eltia. On the deck, legate Lucian Astor and praetor Oscar Dragonia were observing the horizon. Oscar noticed a transparent-looking bird coming down towards them. It landed on Lucian's shoulder and merged within his body. Lucian closed his eyes, receiving the flying malak’s memory. "They are already in the open seas. We can't reach them, but we can send something else after them." He opened his eyes and waved his arm. "Release the Xeno Mantis!"

The order startled Oscar, "…But sir, we have a high priority target on that ship! We can't just sink it!"

Lucian sighed as he tried to control his anger. He slowly walked to Oscar and glared at him from up close. "Everything and everyone on that ship are expendable. The threat of that crew is too much for the Abbey and me to ignore. Now, follow my command to the core, boy."

Oscar and Lucian stared at each other for a few seconds. Oscar turned to his men and nodded in uncertainty. One of the exorcists moved to the railing and dropped a glass globe containing a small creature into the sea. The water in front of their ship lit up and a grin formed on Lucian's face.

"Enjoy my perfect plan, Aifread."

Back on Van Eltia, the crew was starting to wake up. Laphicet came outside alongside Tia, looking for Avernus. Velvet was sitting on the railing and was touching the hair comb that his brother had given her. Then pulled another item; a rose corsage. The one that Kamoana gave Avernus and he offered to Seres. Those were two gifts from two people who said that they loved her. One of them was dead, but the other wasn't. Velvet firmly clenched the rose as she had an urge to throw it out into the ocean.

When Velvet was with him, she felt like a normal girl. And she hated him for it.

"Velvet… where is Avernus?"

Tia's question tore her from the thoughts.

"How should I know-”

"Unknown! Stern! Coming in fast!" One of the scouts yelled in fear and immediately jumped down the mast. Eizen ran towards the back of the ship and used his binocular. His face paled. He frowned in anger, "Everyone to their positions! Ready the cannons!" Eizen shouted.

Velvet dashed to Eizen's side and snatched the binocular. Her face followed Eizen's reaction.

An enormous daemon approached Van Eltia at great speed; it was a mutated demonic Mantis, standing near 40 meters tall, covered in dark green armour on all limbs. A vast trail of splashed water followed the movement of the creature's wings. It was a matter of minutes for that daemon to smash the Van Eltia into nothingness.

"We've got a big one coming in hot!" Velvet screamed.

There was no time to waste.

"Aqua Curtain!" Tia raised her arms, and the seawater rose from the ocean. They converted into layers of a large shield and stretched above the Van Eltia.

Rokurou, Eleanor, and Magilou darted out of the crew quarters. Velvet grabbed Laphicet's hand and scaled the ship's mast towards the top. Soon, they positioned themselves on the crow's nest. Velvet transformed her arms, and it shone with a red hue.

"Are you ready, Laphicet?"

The boy firmly nodded, raising his hands.

On Oscar's ship, the exorcists moved the secured and handcuffed Aifread behind Lucian. The legate smiled and conjured a cloud of steam, and it slowly turned into some kind of frameless window. Aifread and Oscar focused on it and found out that it was actually from the daemon's point of view.

"Say goodbye to your ship and your dear friends, pirate," Lucian whispered to Aifread.

The daemon dashed towards the ship like a bullet. Breath escaped the crew of Van Eltia as the monster moved into a crash course. It seemed that the daemon wanted to squash the ship under its enormous weight.

In the last second, the shield was formed, and the daemon's chassis impacted it with a great force. As soon as the daemon stopped in its tracks, Velvet raised her arm and slashed the air in front of her, creating a more extensive form of her claw and hacked the monster's face. The daemon was pushed back. Velvet turned to Laphicet,

"Now!"

The kid floated in the air and muttered his arte. A series of large chains appeared around the daemon and began to trap it in a ball-looking prison.

The monster, however, was not going to go down that easily.

Its long claws ripped the golden chains and cancelled Laphicet's Binding Order. Laphicet dropped to the ground, and much to the crew's surprise, the monster halted its attack. Instead, its red eyes glowed, and a familiar voice was heard echoing from the daemon.

"Well, well, well… look what we have here."

Velvet recognized the voice and clenched her fists in anger. "Lucian!"

The monster's upper torso resembled a dark hunched-backed King Cobra. Its mouth was fully opened, and it even appeared to be formed like a malicious grin. It was watching them from above.

Prince Percival quickly came out of the crew quarter. "Legate Astor, you cannot simply sink this ship. There are innocent women and children on this vessel."

"Oh, I definitely can, Prince Percival. A group of runaway therions won't count as innocent. Besides, you and Avernus are traitors to your countries, and the price of treason is… death. Do you see now? I'm just cleaning the house."

Eleanor shouted in anger. "I'm still on a high-priority mission, sir! What you're doing is against Lord Artorius's command!"

The daemon's head slowly tilted towards Eleanor, putting fear in her stomach.

"Little Eleanor Hume, you are nothing but a lost cause. Another traitor that will be forgotten once I'm done with your bunch. You had your chance."

The daemon raised its claws.

"Scream, pirates! Your captain is watching. He wants a good show!"

Eizen inherently moved a step closer, and his arms lit up in a green light,

"Lucian, You bastard! Wind Lance!"

Magilou followed him by casting her artes at the daemon. The cannon crew also fired at the daemon.

But nothing could put a dent in its armour. The magic bolts and cannonballs disappeared as soon as they reached its skin.

"Pathetic."

As Lucian mumbled, the claws fell on the ship and hit the Aqua shield. The force shook the vessel. Peopleto held on tightly on the rails to avoid falling off into the sea. In the brig, the quake threw the unconscious body of Avernus into the wall. Avernus rolled on the ground before opening his eyes in shock from the impact.

"What the hell?!"

The monster constantly hit, scratched, and stabbed the shield and Tia continuously and quickly moved her arms around to harden different shield sections. The crew felt a single glimmer of hope as it appeared the monster couldn't break into her defences.

The daemon ceased its attack and moved backward. "Very well, lady Tiamat. Let's see how you can protect them while they're deep below the ocean."

Its wings started to move. The daemon began to skate around Van Eltia, creating currents of rotating water.

"It's making a whirlpool!" Eizen shouted.

Eleanor lost her control, but Rokurou grabbed her hand at the last second. Velvet hugged Laphicet tightly. The ship began to turn around violently. They were in no shape to target the daemon or train their cannons on it. The speed was ridiculously high. Magilou held the mast tightly,

"Damn it. I think I'm going to throw up!"

Lucian triumphantly smiled,

"Rest in deep waters, Avernus, as you should be."

The smile didn't last long. A vast black fist smashed the daemon's face. Lucian and Oscar instinctively covered their faces as they were watching.

"Is that his Celestial Crush?!" Lucian said, horrified.

On the Van Eltia, Avernus was standing in the middle of the deck, looking annoyed and angry but focused. He paid no heed to the crew around him. His right arm was covered in a black mist. He pushed his hand once more into the portal in front of him, and a sizeable, demonic hand appeared near the face of the daemon. It grabbed the beginning and held it tightly.

"Everyone, target the wings!" Avernus yelled.

Eizen nodded and ordered the gunners to aim for the back. The guns were trained on it, and immediately, they fired, and the rest of the team cast their artes simultaneously. Magic bolts and fiery cannonballs travelled in an instant and hit the beast’s wings. The tracers pierced the weak and vulnerable insect matter, and they were shattered and burned in an instant. Avernus released his hand as his stamina was nearly drained.

The crew shouted in victory, but the battle was far from over. The daemon roared in anger and tried to attack the ship with its long claws. Crew's happiness didn't last very long. Avernus looked at the top and saw Velvet. He teleported to the nest behind Velvet and Laphicet. Avernus looked as if he offered his hand to Velvet,

"Care to join me for a dance, Miss?" Avernus abruptly asked Velvet. She frowned. She didn't quite get what he meant, but he grabbed her hands nonetheless, and they disappeared in front of Laphicet's eyes. The kid tracked his warp and saw them appear far away from the mast;

It looked like they were spinning around. Avernus and Velvet held each other's hands tightly and firmly.

"One!" He counted, and again both vanished and reappeared closer to the daemon. This time, they seemed to be rotating much faster.

"Two!" The second warp marked the last one that Avernus was capable of doing. For the third and final time, they reemerged. Avernus winked at Velvet and made a last, strong spin before throwing her into the daemon's face.

"Go get him, girl!"

All warps and spinning gave Velvet enough momentum to fly at an incredible speed. She unsheathed all of her blades on her feet, and her arm transformed into a demonic claw.

Velvet whirled around like a ball made of thorn and death. She reached the daemon's face and hacked and slashed away. The beast’s armoured skin was torn by Velvet, and the green liquid was gashed from the deep cuts that she inflicted upon its hide.

Avernus was falling into the sea, but a large guardian paper appeared beneath him. Magilou then jumped from joy. "Got you! Yes!"

The guardian transported him back to the crow's nest. They all turned and checked on Velvet from afar.

"What's she doing?" Laphicet asked.

"Rip and tear," Avernus answered as they watched the lady daemon tore the skin off the monster's head.

Velvet pierced the daemon's cracked skin and ripped the flesh underneath. Everyone could hear her battle cries as she screamed. The monster shrieked, unable to counter Velvet.

Lucian growled in anger, and suddenly, his eyes glowed red. He took control of one of the daemon's arms and manually helped it to slash Velvet. The claw barely passed her, and he cut away again.

Eizen ordered the cannon crew to fire continuously at the daemon, and the rest of the team cast their magic at the monster, making it occupied.

The claw found Velvet. But she defended herself and raised her arm. The claw hit Velvet’s therion arm, and she held it in place. The pressure from the arm was enormous.

"Begone, little daemon!" Lucian's cry echoed through the air.

Avernus watched the scene, opened his right hand and extended his arm, aiming at the monster's mouth. He put his other hand underneath the arm as if he was trying to control it. Laphicet noticed that his eyes turned black, and his iris turned red with a vertical slit.

Avernus remembered one of the artes Griomorh gave him; Chaos Reach.

Under the force of the daemon's claw, Velvet remembered the joy that she could never have with her brother, the happiness that was taken from her. The memories passed through her mind like a collection of a slide show. Her claw burned with power. Velvet began to twitch the daemon's arm. Green and black blood began to spew from its armpit. Lucian felt her power but couldn't believe what he was experiencing.

"What the hell is that power?!" Lucian whispered to himself.

Velvet let out a scream and slowly tore the daemon's arm away. Lucian lost control and was forcefully ejected from the daemon's mind.

Avernus's arm was enclosed in a back mist, and a dark cloud shot to the daemon's face at the same time. He managed to hold it steady until it reached its target. The mist slowly transformed into a black dragon's head with long horns and bright red eyes.

"Chaos Reach!"

With only one claw to defend itself, Avernus's hand quickly found the daemon's jaw and gnawed at it. Velvet jumped on it and slid back to the ship before the Chaos Reach tore away the jaw.

Avernus looked at Laphicet and nodded,

Laphicet floated in the air and cast his more significant Binding Order once more. With the daemon being staggered, this time, there were no interruptions. The monster was enveloped in large golden chains. They crushed the daemon from the side, and Laphicet let loose one final paper. The sheet flew to the beast and burned bright. Laphcet reared back his arm and tossed it at the daemon.

An energy beam shot from the palm of his hand and crashed into the monster.

Light rays shone from the wounds and the cracks. The daemon screeched its final scream and burst into an enormous explosion.

Lucian punched the front railing of the ship in anger. Van Eltia's team eluded him once more. Another failure to report to the Lord Shepherd Artorius.

"No! How could I have failed again?!"

The mushroom cloud that resulted from the daemon's demise could have been seen from Oscar's ship, stretching far upward towards the sky. The aftershock waves reached the vessel and violently shook it for a brief moment.

Aifread burst into laughter. "Well, Lucian, it looks as though your plan was less than perfect. In fact, if it had been any less perfect, you'd be dead too, haha!"

Lucian ground his teeth, nearing a breakdown."Take him away!"

Oscar felt somewhat relieved and ordered the ship to turn around and back to Loegres.

The effects of the explosion disappeared, and the calmness had returned.

"First mate, the daemon has been annihilated," Benwick reported.

Tia disabled the barrier. The crew cheered in victory, but no one could see what was happening on the top of the mast.

The trio was exhausted from the fight. Sitting on the ground, Avernus was holding Velvet and Laphicet tightly from behind. Velvet felt his firm grip on her waist and his head buried in her hair.

"You can let go." Velvet ordered him, her cheeks burning red. After a few seconds, in a muffled voice coming from Velvet's hair.

"Do you want me to let go, Laphicet?"

Velvet turned to Laphicet and saw him resting his head on her stomach with his eyes closed. His cheeks were red, and he had a pretty smile on his face.

"No." he gently answered as if he was experiencing the best feeling in the world and not wanting to let go.

"Two against one, Velvet. You'll stay put." Avernus claimed.

Defeated, Velvet looked up to the sky. For the first time after three years, she didn't feel alone.