A few minutes later, Kaius sat grandly in his throne, Celaine standing by his side. In front of him were six Masters, who had previously been fighting and trying to enter this castle. Now, they were on their knees with their hands raised. Something was pressing down on them, forcing them into this hateful position.
Meanwhile, Yanira was grumbling in the corner about how much of a distrustful bastard he was and that she wouldn't let this grudge go.
Kaius chuckled, his smile widening as he tapped his throne. "Now, my subjects! Do you know why I've called for you today?"
'Who's your fucking subjects?! What call?! This is kidnapping!'
"..." The Sect Master's eyes turned red with fury as they ground their teeth, glaring at the man.
"I've heard your pleas, loud and clear! You seek treasures, right? Well, I've brought you something better! You've been granted the opportunity to teach this lucky lady!" He loudly proclaimed and gestured toward Celaine.
All their killing intent and resentment were immediately directed at her, but she continued to stand there with an indifferent expression. How scary could these old folks, who hole themselves up in their Sects for decades at a time, be compared to a real demon?
It was during times like these that she was grateful for the mental scars Mira gave her.
"I know, I know, don't get too excited~!" He waved his hand lightly, only to receive more glares. "Even though she looks like this now, I assure you, she's a little treasure~ I mean, have you seen such green hair before? It reminds me of the forest I used to hunt in when I was little. And what better treasure is there for us old folk than nostalgia~?"
"..."
The master's nearly spat up blood, listening to his nonsense. They honestly couldn't tell if this man was putting on an act or if he was truly brain-damaged.
Eventually, one of them couldn't take it anymore. "You bastard! Let me go!!! I didn't sign up for this! What the hell are you even talking about?! You fucke-ACK!"
Kaius pointed at the man, whose body proceeded to twist unnaturally. A few sickening cracks resounded throughout the castle as the man was tied up like a pretzel.
Leaning back on his throne, he sighed and shook his head, rubbing his temples. "I apologize, twisty minister. It seems I misunderstood your intentions. If I had known you didn't like treasures, I would've never called for you. You're free to go."
However, the crunches and cracks never stopped.
Clearly, he wasn't free to go.
Understanding the underlying threat, the 'twisty minister' gritted his teeth and spat, "I... understand. Th-Thank you for this... opportunity."
"Good!" Kaius clapped with a smile. "Then, are there any more objections?"
"..."
Nobody dared to say anything.
Kaius took that silence as acceptance and stood up. "Very well, then! We'll begin immediately!"
Just as he was about to lift the 'pressure' off of them, a sudden thought came and he turned to Yanira. "Ah! That's right, I nearly forgot about you, Court Jester!"
Yanira's eyes spewed fire as she burst into flames. "Jester?! You bastar-!"
"You're free to go." Kaius smiled.
"See ya!" Yanira shot out of the hall before he could even think of another word.
"..."
***
"Ugh..." Mira groaned, lying on a nice, soft bed. She tossed and turned a few times before her eyelashes fluttered.
Mira's eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the dimly lit room, her senses gradually coming back to her. The last thing she remembered was the intense pain, her consciousness fading, and then darkness. Now, here she was, lying in a comfortable bed, her body no longer screaming in agony but still weak.
"Where... am I?" she muttered, her voice hoarse, as she tried to prop herself up. Her movements were sluggish, her body feeling as if it was made of lead. Such a novel feeling left her confused yet somewhat delighted. However, she ignored that.
"You're safe," a familiar voice responded. Maria walked over, a light smile playing on her lips as she carried what looked like a glass of tea.
"Right now, we're in a little cabin Alicia made for me, just in case."
"Alicia?" Mira tilted her head, then suddenly remembered the girl she had trained in that village when she was younger. "Why'd she... No, never mind. It doesn't matter."
She held her head and grunted. Her mind was still a little fuzzy after awakening from such a deep sleep.
Maria smiled and sat down next to her, placing a cup in front of her. "Tea?"
"...Sure." Mira grabbed the cup and downed the whole thing in a single gulp. Her head instantly cleared up, becoming more alert as she wiped her lips. "...Not bad."
"Of course! Alicia only provides the best!"
'Alicia again, huh?' Mira thought in slight annoyance. "...Sounds like she's doing well over there with you."
Maria nodded and looked ahead. "We all are. Everyone's learning at a pace that'd be hard to achieve anywhere else. It's not just about strength or knowledge but teamwork as well. I think the girls have finally transformed into a single entity, knowing each other like the back of their hands."
Mira was a bit surprised to hear such praise. 'To think those girls I randomly picked up grew so much... Maybe I should give them a visit?'
A bold plan started to form in her mind, but she shook her head and put it on hold. 'Now isn't the time for that.'
"Well, I'm glad they're finally of some use." Mira slowly nodded as she sat up.
Maria leaned back on the bed and whispered. "...They miss you, you know?"
Mira turned back, eyebrow raised. "Why? We've only interacted for a short while, and all I did was put them through hell. Why would they miss me?"
"You helped them through their darkest moments. Something like that can't be forgotten so easily."
"...I guess."
"..."
A long silence passed between the two.
Mira could feel the hairs on the back of her neck itching from Maria's stare. She didn't explicitly say it, but...
Taking a deep breath, her eyes shook as they met Maria's. There were so many things she could say, wanted to say, wanted to do, but...
All of that culminated in two words as Mira finally opened her mouth.
"I'm.... sorry."