299 Ruby and the butterfly, intermission

"Why did you rush in here? We are in an important meeting!"

A man with eight spidery legs jutting out of his back angrily scowls at a hooded figure rushing into the core room of the city of steel. The city is not as damaged as before though it still hasn't been completed.

"Morn, calm yourself, they will have their reasons. Speak, what of the girl? Did you find her?"

The hooded figure falls to its knees and starts to stammer as the gaze of the lady with wings of a butterfly lands upon it.

"Forgive us, my lady. We found her but… her condition is terrible. We've fed her all our potions while we rushed here but she's dying. She needs a healer, of the highest level!"

Another man in the room whips his head around at the mention of a healer of the highest rank. From his forehead a large horn like that of a japanese rhinoceros beetle extends into the air. In his agitation the back of his armor is pushed out and a buzzing noise perpetuates through the room.

"Nonsense! If we allow anyone to see her in this state we will make an enemy of the Kings family. The only way we can avoid being blamed is by being the ones to save her. The only ones!"

The hooded figure shrinks back at the horned man's outburst. The figure cowers on the cold steel floor as the angry aura of one of its superiors descends upon it with nothing held back.

"Enough," the winged lady speaks again, "tempers are heated due to this issue so I understand your agitation. However, I will not stand for anymore willful behavior. Kabuto, return to our outpost and remain there for the time being."

The horned man bows dejectedly, not daring to utter another word. The lady's butterfly wings are glowing with a dangerous light as she watches her subordinate leave the room with his horned head hung low.

"My lady, he didn't mean to upset you. Kabuto is a talented general as well as a strong strategist who can predict many things in advance. His words might have been to harsh but he meant only to protect our interests."

An old woman with an aged voice speaks up for the banished one. The lady with the wings of a butterfly sighs and waves her hand to indicate she knows. Then, her gaze returns to the kneeling figure.

"She's here?"

"I rushed ahead to inform you, my lady. The others should bring her in any minute now."

"Good, go rest."

The hooded figure hurries out of the core room and the winged lady addresses the old one.

"Kabuto was right in saying that she cannot die on our watch. Hag, have Morn take you back and get me that one, from the cold storage."

The old woman's eyes open wide as she receives her orders. That thing in the cold storage…

"But my lady, that thing was obtained under questionable circumstances. We know how that whoever is behind divine vineyard is most likely looking for this thing. If it appears. It may cause trouble."

"That is what I am hoping for. The Kings family is among the stronger middle tier families. With their direct heir becoming one of us, they'll have to support us. And if divine vineyard truly makes a move, tsk, the Kings family can help us test that hidden factions strength. If things go badly, we can give up the Kings girl and they won't come after us anymore."

"What if they don't let up even after we give up the girl?"

"Humpf, we are no pushovers. If they do shed all pretense and leave us no way out we'll just show them our full strength. If I wasn't worried for my daughter while she's still in her cocoon I wouldn't have taken that deal the government offered. Once Miriam completes her metamorphosis and emerges from the cocoon we'll have to… renegotiate that deal. Until then we may lie low but if there is no other way out, we can show our claws a little early."

The old woman nods in understanding and leaves with the man whose spider legs part space like a curtain to get them to their destination.

Left alone inside the core room, the winged lady dips her feet back into the abysmally cold liquid as she looks up at the engraved core.

"Even if the netherworld realm was sealed away by those pesky ancient heroes. The seal only prevents direct entry into the realm itself. Netherworld energy itself is not restricted. Once this netherworld city core is ready and the netherworld city is completed, I'll have enough netherworld energy available to not only evolve myself but also to nurture some capable subordinates. The netherworld realm's glory cannot be halted by a mere seal!"

As if to answer the winged lady's words, the core gives a faint hum before returning to its previous slow beat.

Soon, space is parted once again and the two subordinates return. With them is a large crystalline statue that is covered in a thin layer of frost. Deep within the ruby red crystal a weak life force is trapped by its own ability. Few know how long it has been there and how it has survived so long without any kind of food or drink.

At the winged lady's command a lethally injured young woman is brought into the core room. There, an ancient and forbidden ritual is cast and the young woman slowly fuses with crystallized beast.

"This rate of fusion is almost perfect. Funny, how her name matches the the color of the crystal. It would seem their compatibility was set by destiny."

After the fusion is done, the young woman's injuries have healed perfectly. The hooded figures who brought her begin to carry her out but the winged lady stops one of them with a wave of her hand. It is the same one that previously rushed in to make the report.

"What of the others in your group? Were there any complications?"

"No complications, my lady! I asked some of them to stay and help with the relief efforts. I thought it would cover our tracks and help lower the stigma held against us."

"Mmm, you did well."

The winged lady stands and approaches the hooded figure. She pushes back the hood, revealing a face, half of which horribly disfigured. Tufts of gray fur, a long muscular ear and the elongated incisors remind of a hare that seems to have been fused with this man.

The winged lady looks at him with no disgust in her eyes and raises a pale hand to caress the disfigured side of the man's face.

"You're a smart one. I like smart subordinates."