Around the time Alex and his class were stepping into the adventurers guild, Elissa, Yuu and Alex’s sister Mimi were starting to enjoy their evening.

“Die!!!!” A whistle accompanied Mimi’s roar as several spears cut through the air, impaling a sewer wrym to the wall behind it.

“Wooo!!” Elissa cheered as she ran up and delivered a finishing blow on the wyrm slicing through its neck with her sword. As the light faded from the wyrm's eyes, a black mist began to rise out of the stump and into the blade.

“Careful where you swing that, Elissa,” Yuu muttered as she stepped up to the impaled corpse. “Yeah, no way we’re getting this off there… I’ll just get the stone and let the slimes finish up the rest.” Taking out her hook stone knife Yuu attached it to a collapsable pole and thrust it deep into the monster's chest, wiggling it around and dragging out a fist-sized stone.

“Good thing you gave me those disposable throwing spears,” Mimi said, poking the end of one of the few spears sticking out of the large monster with her finger.

“They weren’t meant to be disposable, Mimi; they very much were meant for reuse, not wall decorations.”

“Why did you give me a bunch, then?”

“For you to share with your officer friends! I got to advertise my work sometimes, you know.”

“Well, they’re disposable now. But don’t worry, I will tell the big guys in the army to buy only your stuff.”

“That’s worse. I have a job as a teacher. Special commissions I can do. Supplying the entire Envy Legion is not something I can do alone!”

“Use your students?”

“I…” Yuu paused as she momentarily considered the option before shaking her head. “No, I will not employ my students as free labour. That’s something Alex would do!”

“To your left!” Ellissa shouted towards Mimi, who, without flinching, swung a great axe at the creature attacking her. Like a hot knife through butter, the blade sliced through the horrid mixture of a giant frog and rat in two.

“Woo, thanks for the call, Lissy. Could've gotten all gunked up there,” Mimi said as she gave her axe a swing, flinging off gore caked on it.

“I suppose I’ll grab the mana stone of that one as well,” Yuu added, weaving between the grinning pair with her hook stone dagger. Working it into the flesh of the corpse, she wiggled it about and pulled it out along with a purplish stone.

“Oh goody, a mud element stone. I got a few students who could use one of these,” Yuu beamed, holding it up to the dim glowmoss light above them.

“So that should be enough then?” Mimi asked, looking down into Yuu’s eyes.

“Yeah, I already bought a massive supply of these extra nice ones. We can leave the sewer now,” Yuu said with a nod.

“You know this city's sewers always amaze me with how clean they are,” Mimi said as she led the way out.

“Oh?”

“You use large slimes to keep it clean and deal with some of the smaller pests,” Mimi explained, glancing back at the wrym that’s flesh had already been dissolved, leaving a trail of slimes transporting bones further into the sewer.

“Oh, that, yeah, heard Sloth has been trying to get it instituted in all cities. It is beneficial in keeping things clean. The only downside is the slimes can grow out of hand if left unchecked.”

“Enough of this boring researcher crap, dearest Lissy,” Mimi leant in against Elissa’s shoulder.

“How is my brother?”

“I could answer as well,” Yuu pointed out.

“I know, Yuu. But Elissa can give a less…” Mimi trailed off as she tried to think up a way to explain it. “Boring answer. Before he met Lissy here, my only insight into his life was boring research and stuff I couldn’t understand. While Lissy here just gets me,” Mimi wrapped an arm around Elissa’s shoulder.

“He’s doing good. He is so happy he has more students.”

“He has always loved teaching and learning; he even taught me to read and write. Though do you think he’ll like my gift?” Mimi asked, looking nervously at Elissa.

“I’m sure he’ll love it. He has been mumbling in his sleep about wanting to hear the pitter-patter of little feet.”

“Err… ladies, I think he means-” Yuu’s explanation was cut off as a rat-frog hybrid creature the size of the entire tunnel blocked their path.

“You want to handle this, sis?” Mimi asked.

“Sure thing!” Elissa beamed as she rushed forwards and smacked the abomination against nature so hard it went through the tunnel wall and all the way into the slime nesting area.

“Dammit, that mana stone is lost now,” Yuu lamented, watching as a swarm of slimes covered the body and began dissolving it.

“Let's not waste time; we got a full night ahead of us girls. I hear it’s golem fight night at the Biting Remark. I was hoping to participate,” Mimi said as she picked up the pace.

“You brought a golem with you? You do know military-grade golems aren’t allowed, right?”

“Huh? Oh no, I want to fight the golems myself,” Mimi replied with a shake of her head.

“But that is insane even for someone like you. What if you die?”

“THEN I WILL GO TO VALHALLA AND BECOME A VALKYRIE!!” Mimi roared, holding up a clenched fist, the metal of her gauntlet slightly warping under her strength.

“Mimi… You just got a promotion to Brigadier… would you really abandon your soldiers to play fight with some of my toys?” Yuu asked, trying to convince her friend's sister away from such a stupid fight.

“Fine,” Mimi said after hesitating for a moment. “But we are still getting ice cream on the way there,” Mimi insisted.

It took another fifteen minutes for them to get free of the sewers and make their way up from the lower plateau. They were weaving through the back alleys to avoid bumping into Alex and his class, much to Mimi's and Elissa's chagrin. After a few twists and turns and a single u-turn, they found their goal—a small ice cream stall.

“So, what flavours you want?” Mimi asked, taking out her coin purse. “My treat.”

“I’ll have a double choco blast, please,” Yuu answered.

“And you, Lissy?”

“Umm… I’ll have vanish flavour,” Elissa said after a moment's hesitation.

“Ok, my good man, one double choco blast, one mint mania and a vanish, please,” Mimi asked with a boisterous tone while slamming her hand against the stall, creating a scene that drew the attention of passersby.

“Never heard of vanish flavour, ma’am. Does she mean vanilla?” the stall vendor asked.

“Yo, Lissy, you mean vanilla?”

“Ermm… how about errr… green stuff.”

“Ok, some green stuff instead,” Mimi said, turning back to the vendor.

“No idea what that is either, ma’am. Maybe give your friend there the menu?” the vendor suggested holding out the plaque with the flavours on it.

Stolen story; please report.

“Good idea. Bet you’re a brainer type,” Mimi said as she took the menu and handed it to Elissa.

“I’ll have the may-contain lactose ice cream, please.”

“Ma’am… that is just marking the food for…”

“Sir, she will have vanilla with chocolate chips, I’ll have double choco blast, and she will have a mint mania,” Yuu said, stepping in before she suffered an aneurism from listening to the two she was accompanying.

“Thank you. That’ll be one silver, please,” the stall vendor said as he placed the disposable cups and wooden spoons out for them.

“Sure, here you go, keep the change,” Mimi said as she turned to walk away.

“Wait, ma’am, this is a platinum piece, not a silver!!” the vendor shouted after her.

“Don’t bother; she is a big wig in the army. She makes stupid amounts of cash. Consider it an apology bonus for dealing with them. Enjoy your lottery win,” Yuu said as she closed his hand around the coin and followed after the pair ahead of her. Walking again through the alleyways, the trio finally arrived at the tavern that was their ultimate goal.

“Oooh, do you think Little Ali is here tonight?” Mimi asked.

“No, Alex said he was getting his students registered at the guild and getting them to do a quest together. He wouldn’t abandon them for a pub,” Yuu explained.

“Oh, that’s why he asked me to go through the sewer… thought it was odd,” Elissa said, holding up a finger.

“W-wait, you went into the sewer just because he asked?”

“Well, yes,” Elissa looked just as confused as Yuu was.

“How am I going to give my baby bro a big sis kick if I can’t see him?” Mimi groaned as they entered the tavern.

“I’m sure he would prefer no attack in the first place.”

“But we both follow the Nordic gods. Combat is how we show our love!!” Mimi protested.

“Yuu is right, Mimi. We may be adherents to the faith’s combat teachings. But Alex is more of a thinky type of believer. Like Loki or Odin,” Elissa explained.

“So me breaking his bones was bad?” Mimi seemed genuinely confused by such a notion.

“Listen, girls, no Alex talk. Let’s get wasted, watch some golem fights and enjoy ourselves, ok?” Yuu said, hoping to give her friend some freedom from the lunatic women in his life. Sitting down at the table reserved for Yuu and Alex, they ordered three mugs of their strongest stuff.

“Woah, they have a stuffed dragon display,” Mimi said, pointing to the taxidermy dragon head hung on the wall.

“Yeah, a new decoration to celebrate their expanding business,” Yuu answered as their drinks were delivered.

“Here’s to a fun girls' night out.” After a few drinks, Elissa began to sway in her seat.

“Whoah… when did the world start spinning?”

“It always has Elissa.”

“Whoah… Really?? Then this booze must’ve made me aware of it…” Elissa slurred as she started staring at her fingers.

“ENOUGH!!!” Mimi roared as she slammed her tankard on the table. All at once, the tavern went quiet; even the golems paused mid-punch to stare at her.

“Vikshori or Valha-lah-lah-lah.”

“What was that, Mimi?” Yuu asked, concerned as Mimi’s eyes began to narrow into a glare at the golems.

“I SAID VICTORY OR VALHALLA!!”

With her battle cry, she sunk her battle axe into the floorboards, rose from her seat and stumbled to the arena's edge hopping over the separating fence.

“Come at me, you babies.”

Mimi began gesturing for the golems to restart their fight but with her, hopping from foot to foot, ready to duck and weave.

“Crap, Mimi!!” Yuu tried to get out of her seat only to be held down by Elissa.

“Doooonn’t worry, Yuuuu… Even I haven’t won against Mimi,” Elissa slurred before bursting into a fit of giggles at her own sentence.

“Wait, really?!” Yuu was extremely shocked by Elissa’s admission.

“Yeah,” Elissa said as she began stroking Yuu’s face. “She did the ’you gotta prove you are tough enough to protect my baby bro’ thing. Then she beat me bloody.”

“This is even worse. If she can best you, then…”

Yuu shoved Elissa’s hand off her and jumped over the table, rushing to the arena to try and stop Mimi but found her way blocked by a crowd of patrons.

Mimi, who up till this point had only been bobbing and weaving at the unmoving golems, had stopped moving. Lowering her head, she closed her eyes and muttered something no one present could hear.

At this moment, Mimi vanished, and several blurry streaks appeared surrounding the golems. The crowd was awed by what they assumed to be a performance. Soon Mimi reappeared in front of one golem while the streak continued. Not long after, Mimi appeared again, this time in front of both golems simultaneously. There were now two Mimi’s facing the golems.

“Wow, she must be a great illusionist,” one of the patrons commented as they all looked on. By this point, Yuu had only just managed to get to the front of the crowd and was stunned by the sight before her.

“Two?” Was all she could mutter as she looked on in horror.

The blurry streak continued to surround the golems as another two Mimi’s appeared, this time behind them, trapping both golems in a pincer manouver.

“Four now?!” one of the patrons exclaimed.

The golems themselves had relaxed their posture and seemed to be gesturing to the bouncer golem near the bar to come help deal with this drunk lady. As they did this, two more Mimi’s appeared, this time to both golems’ left.

“Wow, she conjured six of herself. She must be great at illusions. I didn’t even hear her cast the spell.”

Yuu was now paralysed with what to do. What she was witnessing was likely how. This opponent, even Elissa, the physically strongest being she had ever met, said beat her.

“Mimi is amazing, isn’t she,” Ellissa said as she sat on a step down to the arena next to Yuu.

“How is she doing that?”

“Mimi is fast. Like insanely fast.”

As Elissa said this, two more Mimi’s appeared, making for a grand total of eight surrounding every side of the golems.

“But no one can be fast enough to be in multiple places simultaneously. Let alone a human!!”

“That’s what Alex said!” Ellissa replied with a giggle as if recalling a fond memory.

At this point, one of the Golems lowered its hand to try and seize Mimi, only for it to go through the image that was standing there.

“IT ILLUSION! FIND REAL ONE AND RESTRAIN FOR BOUNCER!” The golem declared as it looked at its surrounded colleague.

“After images?” Yuu muttered, finally understanding the trick. It wasn’t Mimi being in all eight places, just a fragment of her image likely imprinted with her mana.

“Clever…”

As Yuu mumbled her appreciation, the golem removed its hand from the image, only for that image alone to tilt its head and grin. It was a very crazed and unnerving grin both Elissa and Yuu had seen many times.

“Wonder if our kids will have such an adorable smile.”

The image then flipped backwards and delivered a kick that sent the golem skywards. As it was sailing through the air, the image behind it jumped into the air and did a perfect volleyball cut shot, slamming it into the arena floor. Where it found the other two images of Mimi waiting. The two delivered a volley of punches that quickly reduced the golem to scrap metal.

While this was all happening, its friend in the arena fared a little better. This one had its legs swept from under it. Only to have the Mimi on both sides grab its arms and yank them out of the socket to use them to beat it to smithereens.

At this moment, pandemonium broke loose. The entire tavern of patrons observing began screaming cheers for Mimi and throwing money at the bookies for Mimi to win against the bouncer.

“How on earth???”

“See, she is crazy fast. She used like thirty hers’ on me when we fought,” Elissa slurred as she whooped in support.

“Thirty?!!!” Yuu repeated. “No wonder why Alex can’t work out how she does it.”

Looking back to the arena, Mimi had hopped up to the rafters and ripped off the new dragon head mount. Tearing off the skin, she put the skull on her head and draped the surviving skin over her shoulders.

“I AM FAFNIR HEAR ME ROAR!!!!!”

“OK, MA’AM, YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN AND WAIT FOR THE GUARDS!” The bouncer golem said as it made its way to the ring.

“WAIT, DON’T GO IN-” Before Yuu could stop it, it had already entered the ring.

Mimi, seeing a new challenger, grinned wildly at her new opponent. As with the first time, she vanished in a blur of speed, a blur that snaked its way around the entire tavern. Eventually, a loud whip-like crack echoed out, and Mimi reappeared her fist squarely in the golem's chest.

Being made of sturdier material, the golem, rather than crumpling, flew backwards out the tavern front door and down the alleyway that led to the tavern.

“YOU WON’T ESCAPE ME THAT EASILY!!!” Mimi gave pursuit quickly, running after it.

“Why didn’t she blur after it?” Yuu asked as she rushed towards the door.

“From what she told me, it’s taxing on her stamina. She’s probably getting tired.”

The pair began following a trail of destruction that was in Mimi’s wake. Multiple smashed buildings. Rushing across the main road and through a building on the verge of collapse, Elissa and Yuu froze and audibly gulped as they saw where Mimi’s trail of battle had ended.

There unconscious happily drooling with a smashed golem right next to her, was Mimi. Around Mimi were a dozen city guards holding spears at Mimi, with one shakily approaching her with mana restraining chains.

“Crap… she only took her brawl to the bloody guard house!!”

“You ladies like to come with us?” A friendly voice asked in a tone that made it clear it wasn't a suggestion.