UNLIKELY ALLIANCE

"Your end of a bargain?" Bisky asked

"Don't think much about it. So, what do you say?"

Naki said, seeking her confirmation on their deal.

She stayed silent for a brief while. 

"I...I dunno, meeting Emile is...not...easy, especially with the demon war happening soon."

"I wouldn't know, but I'm sure there's something you can do to make it work," Naki replied with a subtle smile. 

Bisky thought for a while, contemplating her options, then sighed. "...I suppose I'll have to convince sis somehow. This means you absolutely have to succeed teach," she insisted. 

"If I go to Sis empty-handed, she's going to skin me alive." 

"Hmph, do you doubt me?" Naki asked. 

"Not yet. So don't give me a reason to start," Bisky replied with a frown. 

"Haha, sure thing. I just need to know what this relic looks like."

"I have something that'll help with that."

Bisky removed a piece of paper from her cleavage. 

"Huh, came prepared, I see," Naki commented with a smile. 

"There's one thing about planning, teach, never plan to fail," she said proudly and offered the paper to Naki

"(Huh, she has this proud streak in her too I see.)"

Naki made the connection between Habiki and her, then accepted the paper. 

"It's like a ring, made of vermilion diamonds. It should stand out." 

Naki opened up the paper, the photo on it matched the description.

It was a weirdly curved ring adorned with tiny vermilion diamonds on the edges. 

"Seems an interesting relic..." Naki said. 

"Interesting and very important." she added. 

"Alright, I'll see if I can find time to retrieve it." Naki put the paper away and made his way back to the door. 

"Ah, one more thing, teach!"

"Hmm?" he paused. 

"I...umm, kind'a have to get it before the end of today," she said, twiddling her thumbs. 

"...You know, that's the kind of information you start with," Naki said, visibly frustrated

"I know, I know, I'm sorry about that! hehe"

She ran up to him with a cheeky grin. "But that shouldn't be a problem for you, right, teach?"

"(I suppose I've only got one shot at this. This is a window to meet the hero, I need to take this chance to move things along on Lucille's bargain.)"

Naki sighed, "I'll see what I can do."

"Hehe knew I could count on ya teach!" she clapped her hands happily. 

Naki shook his head and started leaving. "Oh, before I forget." he stopped, "You still haven't answered my question before." 

"Hm? Which one do you mean?"

"Your hesitation. Why did you throw away the duel in the spar dome?"

"...because you were watching, teach hehe,"

"You lie." Naki immediately called her out with scorn. She was shocked. 

"Wah! haha That was sudden!" She laughed it off but remained surprised. 

As she should, for Naki's crow visage was active, and he could detect the fluctuations in her aura. She was uncomfortable. 

"(I've had this up since our discussions began, this is the first time she's hidden from me)"

"Huh, okay, I admit that wasn't a very good lie, but your eyes are even scarier than Jhun's when he's scrutinizing our statements." Bisky chuckled. 

"The truth this time, if you don't mind," Naki said. 

"I...I just couldn't bring myself to hurt her. I know she'd recover from the dome effect, but...just the thought scared me..."

"Habi's changed, and I hate her new self. Because of that witch, Habi pushed me away! I wish I could make her disappear this instant!" she said, annoyed. 

"But...When I think this could also destroy the Habi I once cherished like a sister...it...it scares me," she continued, her tone less menacing.

Then she exhaled and looked up to the clear skies, reminiscing. 

"When she arrived in Listeria, she was sad, miserable. Later, she found me, she needed me to be happy."

"But then, she found happiness without me, and here I am, despising her for it. I'm truly haha, I'm truly a broken person, aren't I?" Bisky laughed, her voice crooked. 

Naki didn't detect any lies, this was Bisky's true feelings.

He simply closed his eyes and turned around to face the door. 

"All I see before me is a person who loved too much, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that." he said calmly. 

"Naruki..." Bisky softly called out to his name, or what she thought was his name, for the first time since they met. 

"I'll get your relic, but I'll add one more condition."

Naki smiled before mentioning this new addition,

"You'll tell me what really happened between you and Habiki. I feel there's a lovely friendship there and it'll be a shame to let it fade away."

Bisky stared at Naki with an unsettled expression.

She had abandoned all hope, but those simple words had her dreaming of a future with the Habiki she once knew again.

Because of his words, she felt there was a chance. 

"..." She looked away to hide her embarrassed and tear-jerkered face.

"M-meet me by the gates tonight when you have the relic"

She hurriedly said and ran.

As fast as her legs could carry her, she ran past Naki to the door and left the rooftops. 

A smile lingered on Naki's face. "(She may be forthcoming, shrewd, or have this tendency to tease or...seduce. But she's also a very charming and caring girl.)"

Naki recalled the battle, her Giant doll, Gothita, and Habiki's Pshi 7 gate magic - Mariah's revolving door. 

"(A prodigy that is and a prodigy that could have been...their magic is on another level.)"

"(In my quest for recovering the will stones, perhaps I can make use of their strength to preserve my devil's mercy points. It's a shame, but it must be done.)"

"(If the divine gods are using the hero as their pawn, then perhaps as a devil child, I should also embrace that possibility. However, not as pawns, but trusted confidants.)"

Naki steeled his resolve and looked ahead.

"(Before all of that though, I need to recover that relic. It is a pivotal part of my journey and unfortunately I can't do checkpoints, so I'll have to ensure I don't fail)"

Then suddenly, the ring he received from Samantha started buzzing. 

"Hm?" he touched the center, and a hologram display of Samantha appeared.

She appeared to be by the Instructor's retreat gate. 

"Huh? Instructor Samantha?"

"Ah, glad you answered, I thought for sure you wouldn't know how."

"(Come now, all it took was a touch)" Naki put on a pretentious smile, "Ye-yeah... I umm lucked out haha"

"Good. How's the sage class coming along?"

"Bar a few hiccups, I'd say all is well."

"Huh? Wow, Louise, Bisky, neither of those 2 giving you any trouble?" Samantha asked, surprised by Naki's answer. 

"(Gee, it's written all over your face Samantha, like you were just dying to see me suffer weren't you?)"

Naki nodded, still keeping the smile, "Nope, they're quite attentive actually."

"No way..." she muttered

"Umm, did you say something?" Naki asked, he didn't quite catch her whisper. 

"No-no, all is good. Ehhemm", she cleared her throat.

"Anyways, to bring you up to speed, meet me by the instructor's retreat in 10 minutes. We shall be heading to the headmaster's office for the briefing on the upcoming magic competition."

"Alright, I'll be there shortly," Naki said. 

Samantha nodded, "Good, don't be late or I'll leave without you." She said and closed the call. The hologram disappeared. 

"(Huh, I guess I don't get prep time on this. No matter, I'm good with improvision)"

Naki checked his sigil circles, 4/7 filled. He then fixed his gloves. 

"Not a bad count, I can make this work. Time to move"

He made his way out of the Rooftops. 

Back in the Blue Moss Grotto. 

The 20 minor demons that had surrounded Isla were all cut down to size, with their lifeless bodies lying on the ground around her. 

Sherloth watched in awe as the last 2 that approached Isla were swifly dealt with by a quick samurai crescent cut from her Katana. 

As they fell, she swung her katana to clear off the blood from its steel, then gently returned the blue silver blade to its sheath.

"Hah...so you are a swordswoman, and not a magician."

Sherloth gritted his teeth, holding tightly to his obsidian gem. 

"Neither. I am the goddess Isla, and I have some questions for you, Sherloth."

She put on an intimidating stare, assuring Sherloth she won't tolerate any resistance. 

Instead, Sherloth smiled. 

"Hmhmhm interesting. Perhaps we can trust that goddess after all."

"(A demon talking about trusting a goddess, so I wasn't just hearing things?)" she thought. 

"What do you mean?" she asked, concerned.

"She did say you will come, and you will be a potential threat to our plans."

"(She knew I would come?)"

Isla frowned and asked the demon, "Who! Who is this...goddess you speak of?"

"Hahaha, yes, she had something for you. Here!"

Sherloth tossed a small blue box to Isla. 

"Huh?" Isla rushed to catch the box. 

Immediately she grabbed hold of it, she looked up, but Sherloth had disappeared. 

"Hahahahahaaha I can't wait to see what you will make of it. Will you join us, or stand against us? She awaits your answer. Hahahahahaha"

Sherloth's voice occurred in the cave as his presence vanished.

Isla bit her thumb in frustration. 

"(He's gone)." Isla frowned, then looked at the blue box. 

"...A blue box. Sealed with the council's emblem. Only members of the divine can open it"

She touched the box and opened it up. 

Within, she found a blue cloth, and her face was laced with disbelief. 

"!!!? N-no...it can't be...this cloth..."

The blue cloth she found belonged to someone Isla knew all too well, someone she cherished, respected, a mentor like no other. 

"It's Lady Ferr's..." she whispered.