As the first out passed, Hiona continued to feel suspicious due to the fact that no mercenaries or any defensive force at all was coming down into the sewers. However, that wasn’t going to be the problem here; it was Yohiro. For her, it felt like he grew years’ worth in just under a few months, which made her worry, obviously. And that mysterious, too. It even talked to him and gave him directions, or so he himself claimed, plus his attitude towards Hiona herself, it all was too confusing for her, but for the time being she just stood on guard as she watched the boy smile, cuddling with Clous and Rosa like they were a pair of body-sized pillows.

‘’Hey Yohiro, are you feeling exhausted?’’ She asked him, primarily due to the annoying silence, with the only sound filling the room being the drops of water tapping down. ‘’Slightly, but I didn’t get hurt that much aside from my stomach a little. I’m fine.’’ He have her a bit of a pissy attitude, refusing to smile at her for whatever reason. ‘’Stop being a brat and respond to me with respect!’’ She stomped in the water with her boots, sending the water all over the walls and even ceiling, not budging Yohiro. ‘’No, not after what I saw. Never.’’ He turned his head towards her in a sudden cold stare, making her click her tongue, ‘’And the hell did you see? C’mon, tell me!’’ She ordered him in annoyance.

‘’That temple in the desert, Clous, Gagu, their master Yugashi and the kids they lived with; you’re a monster…!’’ He raised his voice, slightly widening her eyes. ‘’The gem again? That fucking gem showed you that earlier?’’ She turned away, feeling her hand begin to shake. ‘’It did,’’ he replied, ‘’It just speaks to me and it’s impossible to ignore it no matter what I do.’’ Hiona forced her hand to stop shaking, groping it with her other. ‘’So, that’s your final opinion, then?’’ She didn’t waste time asking him, squeezing her hand strongly. ‘’Yes, it is. I believe you’re the worst human being I have ever met so far. I hate you completely, ‘master’ Hiona.’’ He finished, not changing his motionless tone from a cold, depressing one.

‘’Got it.’’ That was all she said, letting go of her hand’s wrist, which had become black at that point, looking twisted and rotten, as if she had poured all of her anger into it. ‘’Whatever you choose to say, I own you and those fools over there. That’s the harsh truth; that you have no free will when it comes to me. Be happy that you have the guts to state your hatred, unlike them, It’s admirable.’’ Hiona gave him a soft tone, trying not to show her reddened, creepy, almost murderous face to him as she talked. ‘’I’m aware of it, I don’t plan on leaving anyway.’’ He announced, causing her to flinch, maybe it was because she just realised that his vocabulary had gotten a slight upgrade as well. After that, they didn’t say a word to each other for an entire hour.

‘’Is it okay to be scared, father? Will they take me away?’’ Touka kept asking her father those two questions over and over again, every time a few minutes passed, making him feel slightly annoyed having to reply with ‘’Yes, it’s perfectly understandable to be afraid, but it won’t happen! You daddy will protect you!’’ Of course he was being honest with his dear girl, however, his confidence was what was lacking in that case. He would absolutely take a bullet for her, but would that even help? The triplets weren’t his strongest force, but what if his strongest couldn’t stop them? Hell, the black-haired woman hadn’t even moved a finger for the most part. Easy to say, the mighty king felt a heavy feeling of responsibility. ‘’Touka, could you call Daron for me, please?’’ He asked, placing a mask over his face, trying to hide his worries. ‘’W-why him of all people, though? Do you trust the young lad that much, father?’’ She responded. ‘’Believe me, that young lad will do anything for this castle and its residents. I desire his presence, dear, is that alright?’’ He requested, watching the girl reluctantly get off his throne, bowing right after as she proceeded to walk towards the door in a moment of worry and bewilderment.

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With time passing, something that became increasingly annoying, Yohiro felt Rosa nudge from his right as he sat in-between her and Clous, watching her open her eyes in a long yawn, echoing loudly and making Yohiro happy in an instant. ‘’Good morning!’’ He greeted her, slightly inappropriately for the situation, since he didn’t really know if it had become day, or maybe because he didn’t know what else to say. ‘’Yeah, whatever… What happened with the tri-- They’re unconscious?!’’ She shouted in a confused just-having-woken-up moment. ‘’Yeah, it’s a victory!’’ Yohiro announced to her, getting ignored with Rosa focusing on Hiona who was standing with her back turned to them, staring at the opening leading down to the sewer itself.

‘’What happened with her, then? She’d be a teasing bitch right now, normally~!’’ Rosa smiled, turning to Yohiro, not realising she wasn’t whispering her words. ‘’It’s not something I can tell you about; Clous is the only one who can.’’ He wagged his finger in a quick, yet rather vague explanation, or at least what he imagined would be a good enough explanation or at least a bit of an excuse to not have to recall Clous’ memories, the same memories he didn’t want to have inside his head. ‘’Fine, but what are the results in the end? I lost, so did we lose with master breaking the rules because she’s angry?’’ She laughed, forcibly ignoring the fact that she lost her own fight. ‘’Clous and I won, actually. Only then, did she go in on them!’’ He kept smiling due to her teammate having woken up, letting out a quick ‘’hmm?’’ as we witnessed her jaw drop. ‘’Y-you won a fight? An actual fight?!’’ She asked repeatedly in disbelief, trying to make herself clearer. ‘’I won, with Makuhi’s permission of course, but I still feel bad for you. Are you okay? Do you muscles hurt?’’ He leaned closer, annoying her. ‘’Don’t fucking mock me, he was just stronger than me; therefore I couldn’t do much at all!’’ She excused herself.

‘’Wrong. If you continued with more intense attacks, while keeping track of your nails, you would’ve managed to burn his muscles and win with your last attack. If you had been patient and stalled for time, you would’ve done. Be ashamed, Rosa.’’ Hiona invited herself in, giving Rosa a lecture without any mercy and pulling no punches, shocking her. ‘’Clous, too, was being arrogant. He should’ve--’’ ‘’Shut up already.’’ Yohiro interrupted her, making her shudder, making Rosa simply mutter a small, long ‘’hu~~~h?’’ as she began to lose hope in everything that was even close to serene and right in their group. ‘’A-anyway, get up, we’re moving in again,’’ Hiona coughed, regaining her cool as she quickly picked Clous up in her arms, angering Yohiro. ‘’I’m not waiting for him to wake up anymore, three is enough to keep ourselves moving smoothly…’’ She began walking away, Rosa standing up straight.

‘’You’re impossible… I’m carrying Clous, I’m going to do that much at least.’’ The boy declined her orders on the spot, making Rosa shake on the spot, thinking ‘’What’s that drastic change…?!’’ ‘’You want to carry him? There, he’s yours.’’ Hiona turned towards them, looking down on Yohiro with a blushed face and a sadistic smile, throwing the fox over at Yohiro, causing him to fall down as he tried to catch him. ‘’I’m feeling a little hot-headed, so move your asses, or I’ll actually kill you all on the spot!!’’ She screamed, smashing her foot in the ground, creating a hole going meters upon meters deep down. ‘’And the fuck’s with this water?! The tapping’s gonna make my head fucking explode!’’ She followed up with another kick, spinning it into the wall and shattering it seemingly with ease, quickly freezing the two of them. ‘’Move, dammit…’’She tried to calm herself, beginning to rub her forehead with her fingers, beginning to walk towards what you would probably call a hole, muttering to herself as she did.

Yohiro and Rosa nodded at each other in what each of them thought was the same agreement. Yohiro imagined ‘’Let’s not let her do as she pleases,’’ while Rosa was nudging more towards ‘’Jesus Christ, please don’t do anything like that ever again, I beg of you!’’ With that unclarified to either of them, they began following the cynical woman, knowing it wouldn’t end well if they let her go on a rampage, but what would they be able to do to stop such a strong, inhuman creature. Yohiro held Clous strongly in his two arms, trying to be as careful as possible. They were about to enter the next stage of their operation, which wasn’t even properly planned out to begin with.