Ep7: Half Filler, All Lapis

"So you made me rush to catch up to you to get a rock you could just magic up?" Virto said, having formed a flashlight in his hand.

"It is not that simple," Isuka said, using the light to guide their way. "Lapis Lazuli, as you call it in your world, is a magical element in ours. It is not something that just making it appear via magic will also would do. To be able to use it's true gifts, we must get it naturally. What do you humans use it for? Well, humans in your dimension?"

"Minecraft."

"What is this Minecraft?"

"I would show you but I don't have a laptop on me. By the way, is Natsumi going to be gunning for this one as well?"

"Yes," Isuka said, imagining him running out of the fairy kingdom, while simultaneously reading his memory. "I would tell him, but I think it would be better for us to meet up. I can summon my cauldron and we can create my spell there, at the beach."

"Wait." Virto stopped, Isuka stopping as well. "Why pause our journey? Did your nanobots stop operating?"

"No, why are we going to a beach? I thought we were going to a cave!" Isuka rubbed the back of her neck, looking away. "Well…"

"We are going to mine the lapis right? It's not like it's all gone and eroded away…"

"Well Virto, um...this will be awkward to comprehend."

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"What do you mean it's not for sale!?" Natsumi said, slamming his hands down. The Cancer kept polishing her rock, giving the incubus a confused look. "I just really like this rock. I'm sorry, but I can't sell this Lapis."

"Not even for some rare essence of a wonderland mamono?" He tried, taking out once of his cases of humpty egg essence to trade. She shook her head. "If I just give it up like this, my collection would be incomplete!"

"Then what if I give you a stone for a stone?" Isukas voice rang as she came up to Natsumi. "You have another lapis?" The Cancer asked, her eyes widening as Isuka made one appear in front of her. "Oh my! Of course, here is!" The Cancer willingly gave her per lapis, replacing the space left by Isuka's magicked up one. She ogled at it while Isuka shooed Virto and Natsumi away from her, whispering to both of them that she didn't know if the Cancer was picky about the properties of Lapis.

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"So, it seems that you have gotten the ingredients that I didn't have myself. Now I can create a spell to weaken our enemy…" Isuka said, looking at all the ingredients laid out. She poofed up a cauldron, a white fire lighting under it as the bottom instantly began to glow white. She poured some water in, mixing in the rest of the ingredients as Virto and Natsumi chatted with each other to the side. She had poofed up Virto's tools from his workspace so he could continue modifying his nanites, Natsumi watching over the shoulder as Virto looked through the magnifying lens, continuing to change the shape of the nanite, then watch it wiggle in the grip that sat still on the dirt ground.

"I didn't know Isuka had another human," He said, Virto not budging as he took the nanite out from its hold and held it up to his eye with tweezers. "You're very silent you know that right?" Natsumi tried again, still watching over his shoulder.

Virto continued to work in silence, listening to the bubbling of Isuka's cauldron and the other sounds of nature around them. Since they were working near a beach, that meant hearing waves crashing over and over in the background, and seeing harpies fly around, occasionally circling around them before continuing on their way.

"You're like Isuka, so focused on her work," Natsumi commented next. "I can't seem to talk to neither of you when you're both so deep in tasks. What are you making?" He asked once more, watching Virto open his watch, and place the nanite inside. He closed it and turned on the watch, his lab coat vibrating before stopping. "It is done," Virto said, gathering his tools off the ground and heading back to Isuka. She was also done with her task, reaching into the cauldron to take out the solid lapis that had sunk to the ground. It seemed to glimmer less, with some of it's magic being used in the yellow-green substance that filled the cauldron.

"You both still hadn't said much to me…" Natsumi said, looking at the two stare at each of their finished products. Isuka started packing her liquid into small containers, giving them to Virto to store in his watch.

Headen and Holi came to the three, riding on the dragon. "Will she be trouble Headen?" Isuka asked her, looking at Holi watch from ontop of the dragon. "Night will keep her tame. So, are we ready to go save a succubus?"

"Yes, all thanks to my lovely underling." Isuka patted Natsumi's head, the incubus' existence finally being acknowledged. "After a few days of fetching, we can now finally go storm her castle. And her automaton here is gonna take her to us."

"You can't make me squeal," Holi said, folding her arms. "I will never tell….wait...why would I bring them to you Di? Hold on mates I'm getting a call." She hopped off the dragon, walking down the coastline to get some privacy.

"What do you think she's talking about?" Headen asked.

"Di is probably talking to her through her mind, just like she did Kiris. I wish it was this obvious before," Isuka said. The four, and the dragon, waited for Holi to come back, the automaton returning as she was finishing up her conversation. "Yes...yes I will tell them. So, it seems that instead of us breaking into her domain, she just wishes to invite you. She says that she'll enjoy seeing you try."

A portal opened up behind holy, seeming to lead to nothing but the vastness of space. "Don't let the visuals fool you, this goes to Di's home. Now then, don't fall behind now, we don't want to stave off plot any longer!"

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Some time later….

"And that was basically my encounter with the incubi," Viscosa said, her slimy hair being tended to by the slime. "He just came and left, never to be seen again. I don't like people like that, treating me like I'm some sort of side quest. Do you understand that Neribu?" The Cancer nodded, putting more hair conditioner on her hands before returning to her slime hair. "Hey, why do you come here to get your hair done and body polish?"

"You have products specifically for a slime. They make me look nice…" She responded, going back to reading her newspaper

"Oh, thanks."