91-100

91 Clara

Wolfy was shocked when he heard what Himeko said as this would blatantly go against what Shaman wants and no way Shaman or Elysia let Himeko do that.

"Oh okay, but are you sure?" The words that came out of Shaman's mouth baffled Wolfy.

'No, Himeko can't be controlling them.' Wolfy was at a loss as it was not something Shaman would say as he was always treated like a son.

"I'm sure it will be fine, I can look after him while we continue." Himeko had the same smile that reeked of evil and Wolfy could not help but shiver. Wolfy turned to Shaman to plead for help but before he moved his head he realized that would make Himeko suspicious of him so he decided just to use telepathy.

'Mother please don't leave me alone with her, please i'm begging you.' Shaman was confused by his unwillingness but she could not help herself think that nothing was wrong but a nagging feeling in the back of her head was telling her otherwise.

Shaman felt conflicted as she had two conflicting thoughts but then suddenly a notification rang out.

[Blessing of the fox has been activated]

[Removes any mind control/influencing magic or items on the user, once they begin to be aware of the effect]

[Other uses are still hidden]

.....

Shaman was not able to read any of it, other than the word blessing of the fox before her head started to hurt.

Shaman grabbed her head and grunted in pain, Himeko went to her side in worry as she was unsure what was happening.

The thoughts Shaman was having about agreeing with Himeko faded and felt like her mind had cleared up but before she could say anything Wolfy spoke to her.

'Shaman don't tell her anything and just say you are not feeling well, I think Himeko had you under a magic spell of some sorts.' Wolfy could see that something triggered and hoped it was Shaman breaking free under whatever trance Himeko had put her in. Luckily his guess was right as Shaman seemingly was able to think clearly and Wolfy words helped her understand the kind of situation.

'Okay I understand, but what the hell is Himeko doing to us?' Shaman had many questions as nothing noticeable happened but she somehow managed to fall into some trap. Resentment also started to fill her heart as the memories of what Himeko had done were plain awful but she somehow accepted this behaviour.

"Shaman are you alright?" Himeko was confused about what happened but some irritation could be seen on her face.

"I- I think I need some rest, the new ice skills, they took up quite a bit of mana." Shaman thought up an excuse and Himeko seems to have bought it. Shaman had also restrained herself from lashing out as the urge to kill her grew.

'She could have saved Wolfy from fatal harm and not put us through all that dungeon shit which was clearly too hard for us to clear.' Thoughts flooded her mind as she gritted her teeth.

"I guess you are right, let's head back for now, it seems like we need to do a few days of meditating so we can improve your mana." Himeko gave in and stood up helping Shaman up. Elysia had grabbed a hold of Wolfy and stood next to Shaman.

Himeko took them outside and they made their way back to the tower.

***

The same girl that had assassinated the spy was currently laying down in what looked like a living room inside the tower, playing with her purple tipped hair on a couch.

"Urggg when will Himeko get here, I need to report to her but she is too busy taking out the 2 cuties." The girl vocally complained and leaned her head back over the arm of the couch.

"When will she introduce me to them, they look like fun to hang around with and are also tier 4, perfect partners for the dungeon." The girl had started to wave her legs around slapping the couch out of boredom waiting for Himeko's return.

Finally after waiting for so long Himeko began to appear in the room and the girl instantly sat up and looked over the couch to the middle of the room where Himeko was going to appear.

Himeko came out of the fireball with the 2 fox girls and a wolf and the girl instantly became excited as this would be the first time she would be meeting the 2 girls.

Himeko looked over and saw her and was confused why she was there.

"Clara, why are you here, aren't you meant to be at the institute." Himeko looked even more annoyed but Clara paid no attention to it.

"I was but I thought that would take forever so I thought I would meet you here right away plus it is urgent." Clara leaned over the couch crossing her arms and resting her head on her arms.

"Tch, fine what is it?"

"More spies have come into the city and they seem to be following the two cuties behind you." Clara winked at the 2 fox girls that were curiously looking at her Which caused Elysia's face to go dark a little as she saw this as an attempt at picking up Shaman.

"Woah there, I'm not trying to steal your girl or anything, I'm not into that." Clara raised herself, putting her hands up as she could clearly see what Elysia was thinking from her face. Shaman had let out an awkward laugh as it's been a while since Elysia had acted like that.

'I forgot Elysia seems to have yandere traits.' She shook her head as she could feel the headache coming.

"Hmph." Elysia turned her head and pouted a little.

Himeko had let out a sigh as she did not want Clara to meet the girls yet but it seemed like it was too late.

"This is Shaman the white fox and Elysia the black fox, the wolf is also a companion, his name is Wolfy." Himeko did brief introductions as she wanted to get Clara out and a smile could be seen on Clara's face.

"Wolfy? Who the hell named him, Nyx would have been a better name." Clara giggled a little but Shaman actually considered what Clara said as she only called him Wolfy since she thought Wolfy would stay a wolf and not gain a human form or speak.

'I'll keep this name in mind for when Wolfy gets his human form.'

"Anyway the name is Clara." She stopped her laughter and stood up to introduce herself.

"Well anyway I should be off otherwise Himeko may blow a fuse so I will see you around." Yet again she did another wink causing Elysia to stare Clara down.

"I will meet up with you in a moment, hurry up and get out of here." Himeko wanted to force her out herself but she refrained.

"Hehe~ Cya later." Clara clapped her hands and soon purple lightning appeared and she soon disappeared.

Shaman and Elysia were impressed until Himeko spoke up.

"Stop trying to show off, you tier 4 good for nothing, get down from the roof and leave normally." Himeko yelled out and stomped the floor causing Clara to fall from the ceiling.

Clara had landed on the couch upside down showing what she was wearing underneath her dress. Clara realized this and quickly sat up straight with her face bright red.

Shaman wanted to say something but felt like she would get axed by Elysia if she did so she refrained from it.

Clara slowly walked her way to the door and when she reached it she dashed out.

"Gosh that girl is a handful." Himeko grabbed her head.

"Really? I kinda like her and seeing that she is a tier 4 like you said why doesn't she join us for training." Shaman also wanted to see if she was also under the same trance as she was but it seems like Himeko was rather against them talking.

"If you really want it is fine, but don't complain to me when you regret it." Himeko clearly did not want them to train together as there was some reluctance in Himeko's voice.

"I don't see a problem." Shaman kept pushing it and it seemed to work.

"Whatever, she will show up anyway. I need to go somewhere else. I'm sure you guys are fine on your own from here." Himeko seemed like she had enough and wanted the day to be over.

Himeko had clicked her fingers and vanished leaving the group to themselves.

"Let's head to our room. There are a few things we need to discuss about Himeko." Shaman wanted to see if she could break Elysia's trance.

"Oh okay, what is it?" Elysia was rather confused as she noticed Wolfy and Shaman were acting weird earlier. Although Himeko did not pick up on it Elysia was able to tell that something happened but did not bring it up.

"I'll tell you in a moment but let's get out of here." Shaman grabbed Elysia's arm and pulled her along heading upstairs to their room.

92 Playing along

Shaman had sat Elysia down on the bed and quickly opened her system to find whatever skill helped her break out of the trance. Shaman quickly found under the passive section a blessing of some kind that she never noticed before.

[Blessing of the fox]

[Any magic/items that influence the mind will be negated once the user starts to become aware of its effects]

[–hidden-]

[–hidden-]

The two hidden options piqued Shaman's interest but seeing as only one had been revealed due to certain conditions being met she assumed it would be the same for the others.

"So what is it that you wanted to talk about?" Elysia was still rather confused and began to worry a little.

"I'm going to get straight to the point, Himeko is manipulating us through magic or some sort of item and currently you are under her control." Shaman was still not sure what could have caused them to be under a trance but she did not want to find out as fighting Himeko was not on the list of things they wanted to do.

"What? How could you say that abou-." Elysia cut herself off as she began to have conflicting thoughts. Her will to believe whatever Shaman says was telling her to believe in her words but she could also feel another force telling her to stand up for Himeko.

.....

Shaman also took this opportunity to hold Elysia's hand and see if the blessing would carry over.

[Influence has been detected and the person is aware of effects, removing all traces of it]

A notification rang out and Shaman was glad to see that she was able to remove it with physical touch.

Pain could be felt throughout Elysia's head as the influence over her mind began to fade. Just like Shaman, she felt her mind clear and it was no longer filled with fog.

After the pain, Elysia felt a wash of relief and laid down on the bed.

"Holy shit, never felt so clear headed before." Elysia took a moment to soak in the feeling.

"Glad you are back but we must hide from Himeko otherwise I'm afraid she might have more forceful ways." Shaman's leg started to shake a little since she was getting a little nervous.

"We need to get out of here but also the training could be valuable so it might be best to suck up all the information but I have to admit her way of training is not my favourite and I would rather not." Elysia saw that being taught by a tier 10 is invaluable but it may cost them their life.

"We could get one of her students as surely they would be able to teach us what they have been taught." Shaman instantly thought of Clara as she seemed to also be under Himeko's influence and is being taught by her. Elysia had also thought about Clara as they have yet to meet anyone else that is under Himeko.

"She does seem like the easiest one to get in contact with, just a matter of getting her alone with us." Elysia sat up from the bed

"We could definitely get Clara alone and she may even be able to help us clear the dungeon and beat that sk-skeleton knight." Shaman shivered and began to feel nauseous at the thought of the skeleton night.

Elysia quickly wrapped her hand around Shaman to comfort her and this reaction also reminded her of something they needed to do.

"We have to beat that damn thing otherwise this trauma is going to cause more problems." Elysia let out a sigh as she could see it becoming a huge nuisance as they may not be together all the time like they are now.

Shaman took deep breaths and calmed herself down and the nausea started to fade.

"I think you're right and let's hope we can beat it so we can leave." Shaman dreaded the thought but it had to be done before they could leave.

"Anyway We got some levels so we should probably use them." Shaman remembered the 500+ points she had to use which is a massive boost and could not wait to try out her new power.

Shaman and Elysia both opened their system menus and began to allocate their attribute points.

US: 520 -> 0

Vitality: 185 -> 220

Agility: 265 -> 400

Intelligence: 280 -> 400

Strength: 280 -> 330

Dexterity: 200 -> 300

Defense: 170 -> 270

Shaman once again felt the rush but this time it was a lot more potent as this was the most amount of points she has used at once.

'I am so glad the system takes care of adjusting my strength. Otherwise I feel like I might end up destroying a building.' Shaman could not imagine what damage she could do and was almost tempted to try it out.

Once they were finished Shaman had got a nagging feeling in her head to check something.

'Oh? Did I unlock more memoires.' Shaman quickly sifted through her mind and once again saw the foggy area but this time things were much more clear.

'I really need to check on these more but so much is happening, Rea can you remind me when we have a break to check on them.' Shaman figured she would forget again so she hoped Rea could help her remember.

[Sure thing o7]

Shaman smiled at the small text salute and was hoping this time she will get more information on what happened to her family.

'Oh well let's try to get out of this place before it's too late.' Shaman turned to Elysia and could see that she was done.

"Well since we are newly upgraded and don't have much to do, shall we try to meditate?" Shaman figured since it was actually helpful it would be good if they could do it more often.

"Well I still have not seen my core yet." Elysia was not very confident that she could do it this time since she failed last time.

"The only way to do it is if you keep trying, so don't worry about it and give it another shot." Shaman smiled causing Elysia's heart to flutter a little but this filled her with motivation to try once again.

"Wolfy, you should also try to do it but I don't know how you would go about doing it in a Wolf body." Shaman figured Wolfy could try but was unsure how he would do it. Wolfy raised his head as he was silently listening.

'I can give it a shot but yeah I don't know how to achieve it without using the same sitting position but surely that is not important.' Wolfy was rather eager as the last battle showed that anything more than single target skills drained him.

They all began to meditate and Shaman was once again able to achieve the same state as before. Although Himeko had yet to tell her tricks on how to make it easier to not lose track of time, Shaman tried her own ways.

Initially Shaman tried counting but was too bored and gave up on it. Then she tried to just focus on her body and how it was feeling which seemed to work as she was surprisingly able to feel when her body started to get fatigued.

[Mana efficiency increased]

[Max mana increased]

Notifications started popping up slowly but just like last time her body started to feel tired and exhausted. Without letting it go too far Shaman was able to break herself out of the meditation, not completely exhausted.

Elysia on the other hand was on the verge of seeing her core and was much closer than last time. She started to see the swirling colours within as it showed a vibrant orange showcasing her fire element. But due to Elysia getting too excited she broke out of the meditation and lost it.

'Dammit I am so close.' Elysia was making progress which fueled her to keep going.

Wolfy struggled to even begin as he was unsure how to go about getting the right position to sit in. He tried different ways of sitting but he was not able to get close to a meditative state.

'I must be missing something.' Wolfy tried racking his brain but was unable to think of a way to get it working.

The group would soon be cut off from their small training session as a knock on the door could be heard.

"Hey, it's me Clara, let me in before Himeko gets back." Clara whispered through the door making it just loud enough for them to hear.

Shaman and Elysia looked at each and thought that this was way too conveniently timed.

"We will let her in but we won't free her because this could be a trap and who knows she might have a stronger reaction to it going away because who knows what Himeko has done to her." Shaman wanted to take the opportunity to free her but could not help thinking that if Clara had been here for years who knows what sort of trauma that may awaken if she removes the influence.

Elysia nodded and so she went to the door to open it.

93 Horrifying effects

Elysia opened the door to let Clara in and as soon as she did Clara sprinted in. Elysia closed the door and went back to the bed and sat next to Shaman.

Clara stood in the middle of the room looking around trying to find a place to hide.

"Uhhh, Why are you trying to hide in the first place?" Shaman was rather confused by why Clara came to their room and she needed answers.

"Because I annoyed Himeko, I need to escape her till she calms down." Stress could be seen on Clara's face as she spoke which concerned Shaman and Elysia as they were wondering what could she have done to cause her to run away and hide.

"I know what you are thinking, I may or may not have thought it was a good idea to tamper with the tea I gave her and put just a tiny bit of one of the hottest chillies in, so now I am on the run." Clara explained what had happened which was not the kind of scenario they expected.

Shaman and Elysia stared blankly at Clara, even though their trust for Himeko was 0 they still did not wish for such a cruel fate as to have their mouth and ass burn for hours.

"Let's not think about why and please just let me hide in here for the time being." Clara looked like she was getting desperate. Shaman let out a sigh and shook her head.

"You can hide here but how long do you think Himeko will take to find you?" Shaman wanted to talk to Clara so this was an opportunity she could not let slip by.

"I think she will a while but who knows she can literally appear anywhere at any time so i need to find a spot pronto." Clara walked around the room examining different things seeing if she could either fit in them or hide behind them.

.....

"Well seeing as you may be a future teammate is it alright if we got to know you better?" Shaman went straight to asking as their time could very much be limited.

"I mean sure go ahead, I can just tell you my life story while I look for a spot." Clara seemingly did not mind talking about herself which was a relief to the girls as it could potentially give them more information about Himeko.

"I mean sure go right ahead, we will listen, although we are more particularly interested in how you met Himeko." Shaman expressed her interest in Himeko and Clara nodded.

"Well you're in luck because Himeko has been with me all my life." Clara looked over her shoulder and smiled at the girls. Clara had also walked past Wolfy and had given some pats which Wolfy was not opposed to getting free pats.

"Anyway, I shall begin. I did not know my parents very well, as they left me pretty early on in my life. My memory of that time is very hazy, but I remember that as a child, one night there was fire and screams. Luckily, Himeko appeared and saved me, but from what I was told my parents had both died in that fire. We used to live just outside the city of Ebonscale. Himeko had been traveling in the area, arriving just in the nick of time to save me. Every time I recall these events though, I have a nagging feeling in my head telling me there was more to it, but that's besides the point and nothing to worry about." Clara had started to tell her story and the last comment raised eyebrows as it seems like the events of the fire was more than just a simple fire. Clara had also seemingly found a spot by the small kitchen and started to see if it would work which allowed Shaman to think.

'I need to be careful when I get rid of the influence on her mind otherwise she could go into a frenzy since I have a feeling Himeko was involved in with her parents death.' Shaman could not help but be very speculative of Himeko as it seemed like anything could be possible.

'I need to convince her to leave or be able to leave as soon as I release her, otherwise things can turn very ugly. But do I want to bring her along and should I even bother?" Shaman was a little conflicted as Shaman did not want to leave Clara on her own and seeing as they are similar in age and tier she felt like she had to help her.

'I would like to help anyone else that is under Himeko's influence but I would rather wait till I can hold my own against her as I could be incurring my own death if I help anyone else and they end up turning against her.' Shaman struggled to think of a solution and the only option that sounded safe was to use Clara as a test and come back later once she is powerful enough to fight a tier 10.

'Well having a lightning user on our team could be very useful so maybe I should try to recruit her. The only thing I am worried about is Elysia because I swear she is a yandere and might end up killing her one night.' Shaman could envision one night Elysia going out in the middle of the night to kill Clara just because she looked at Shaman the wrong way.

Shaman had shivered a little at the thought but she was rather fond of the idea of getting Clara to be a permanent member of the team.

'Well let's hope that freeing her won't cause any issues.' All Shaman could do when the time comes to free Clara, is to hope that there are no horrifying effects on her mental state.

Clara was done playing around with the spot and sadly came out unsuccessful as she did not fit in the cupboard so she went back to talking.

"Then after that Himeko took me in and raised me. It was not until a few years later that I started I started my training and developed my lighting element. So I see Himeko as my mother and grateful for what she has done but I have to say lately she has been acting strange and I am wondering if it has to do with the sealed room." Clara had dropped some information which piqued the interest of Shaman and Elysia.

"What is this sealed room?" Elysia spoke with curiosity as this was the first time they were hearing of this.

"Oh? She has not told you, it's a room right below the first floor of the tower which has a bunch of talismans on it. I was told to never enter and I thought she would have told you the same thing." Clara explained the mysterious room which Shaman instantly thought could be the reason why they are being influenced.

'If we want answers that room will have it but sadly I don't think we will be able to break in unless I fight Himeko so I better leave that for now.' Shaman was dying to know so all she could do was bite her lip and accept that they would not be able to explore it this time.

"No she never told us, let alone seen it but I guess we will take your word for it." Elysia answered for Shaman as she could see that she was deep in thought.

"Hmm, that is odd, oh well I think I found my hiding spot in this kitchen cabinet so I will tell you more about me at a later date but for now unless you really need me don't talk to me and whatever you do do not tell Himeko where I am." Clara had climbed into one of the top kitchen cabinets that had not been filled or fitted with shelves and decided to hide in it..

"Oh okay." Elysia watched as Clara awkwardly climbed into the cabinet but nonetheless succeeded.

"Also one more thing, please do not fuck while I am in here." Clara had quickly poked her head out before shutting the cabinet door and going silent. Elysia's face went red and Wolfy rolled his eyes. Elysia quickly shook her head and tried to forget about what Clara said.

"It's not everyday you see somebody do that and who says we are going to fuck while you are in our room!." Elysia was a little baffled and still a little red but did not pay much more attention to it.

Shaman snapped out of her thoughts and looked around.

"Oh did Clara find a spot?" Shaman looked around but could not see Clara anywhere.

"Yep so stay quiet." Elysia placed her finger on Shaman's lips to tell her to shush.

94 Instructors

Shaman nodded at Elysia as they may as well play along with Clara's plot to hide from Himeko although she may get found anyway.

"We still have most of the day left since we left the dungeon rather early, did you want to go out to the arena and practice some of our skills? I think they are in need of a level up as well as our elements." Shaman could not help feel that they were slowly becoming underleveled since they did not know the max level of skills or the max tier an element can achieve.

'I wish Rea could talk.' Shaman missed having the presence in her mind as reading text from a system window did not feel the same.

"I know right I wish I could bloody talk already but I had been put on mute for so long I forget when I wi-" Rea's voice rang out inside of Shaman's head giving Shaman a surprise.

"Wait Rea? Can you talk now?" Shaman wore a surprised expression but that surprise soon turned into excitement as it was just like her wish was granted instantly.

"FFFFFFFFFUCKING FINALLY!!!!!" Rea shouted as loud as she could, luckily it did not kill Shaman's ears as it seemed like her volume was turned down but you could tell she was yelling.

"Wait Rea is back?" Elysia watched the change in expression from Shaman which was rather amusing. Wolfy had also walked over from the window as he was also keen to talk to Rea again.

"YESS!! I'M BACK BITCHES!!!" Everyone could hear Rea which put a smile on both Shaman and Elysia's face and Wolfy's tail also started to wag a bit as Rea's excitement felt contagious.

"Ahem, sorry about that, I broke character a little." Rea's excitement died down causing everyone to laugh as it was adorable to hear Rea so excited.

.....

"No worries Rea, we are just glad that you are back and if anything we would like you to keep being yourself." Shaman's mood had gotten better after being tense due to the news of Himeko attempting to control them.

"Oh okay, that makes me h-happy to hear." Rea sounded shy and all Shaman could imagine was a girl putting her fingers together nervously.

"Hey. how did you know I was doing that!!" Rea was able to see what Shaman was thinking and got even more embarrassed.

"Ahaha, I forget you could read my mind but does that mean you have a physical body?" Despite liking Rea, she still wanted to get as much information as she could out of her.

"Shut up!." Rea knew Shaman's intentions and did not want to take any chances since last time it got her muted.

"Wait, Clara is in the kitchen she can hear us!" Elysia completely forgot that Clara was in the room as the excitement of Rea took over them.

Shaman's eyes widened as they needed to make sure that they kept their system hidden and since Clara was still under Himeko they could be taken as spies.

Elysia quickly sprinted over to the kitchen opening one of the far cabinets she entered but when she opened it Clara was no longer in it. This caused Elysia's face to pale as this could mean bad news for them. Elysia also quickly came out of the kitchen and the look on her face told Shaman everything.

'Shit we should have spoken in our minds since you basically give us free telepathy Rea.' Shaman was rather used to speaking out loud as they were usually by themselves but since they are around people that are not aware of their secret they had to be cautious.

'It's okay Shaman, When I spoke I could sense that no one was in the room so there was nothing to worry about.' Shaman was confused by Rea's words as to how Clara was able to disappear so suddenly as she had only just entered the cupboard.

"Wait, where is she then?" Elysia also got the message too but then suddenly a ball of fire came into the room.

Both Shaman and Elysia shut up as they knew Himeko was coming into the room.

When the ball of flame disappeared, Himeko was revealed in her usual outfit with Clara over her shoulder.

"Hello there my lovelies, sorry I just had to catch a brat but since some people are going to arrive soon I did not have time to dish out any punishments yet." Himeko spoke in a calm tone but there was also a terrifying undertone to her words.

*Sob*

Clara could be heard sobbing as she was being carried over the shoulder and she knew what she was in for. Shaman and Elysia shared a moment of relief as it seemed that Clara was caught before they started talking to Rea which was rather quick but it worked out.

'Poor Clara let's hope she is still able to go into the dungeon with us.' Shaman was a little worried that Clara might not be able to come to the dungeon since it was possibly the best spot to free Clara of Himeko's influence.

"Expect a knock on your door soon and they will begin to do some training routines with you while I deal with a certain trouble maker." With that said Himeko made haste and disappeared with her fire without saying goodbye.

"She really likes to just leave after she is finished talking." Elysia found it a little rude how Himeko just leaves after speaking but they had gotten used to it at this point.

"Not much we can do, so might as well wait for the instructors, this will probably be the first time we are really out of sight of Himeko so we need to see if this can be a ticket out of this place." Since they were not under any suspicion yet, Shaman assumed that Himeko would not be looking over them, which would allow them to leave the city.

"Well while we wait do you want to cuddle?" Elysia agreed with Shaman but since they were waiting she thought it might be good to have some down time.

"Sure that would be great, Wolfy did you want to join us on the bed?" Shaman could see that Wolfy was doing his usual lazing around nearby while things unfold but when Shaman invited him his head perked up and his tail began to wag.

"Well come on up." Shaman gestured for Wolfy to come up on the bed and Wolfy took the invitation.

Elysia climbed on to the bed and pulled Shaman in. Since Elysia was taller, Shaman found herself once again submerged in Elysia's breasts. They both laid down on the bed hugging each other and Elysia took this opportunity to pet Shaman's ears.

Shaman jumped a little as it was a new feeling she never thought she would experience.

'This is like head scratches but 10 times better, where were my fox ears in my past life.' Shaman was feeling bliss and was on the verge of sleep due to how nice it felt.

A few minutes went by until their cuddle was cut short by the expected knock on the door.

"Hey, it's your instructors." A male's voice rang out through the door and Shaman pouted as the ear scratches had stopped.

"I'll get it." Elysia got up from the bed and went to the door. Shaman sat up from the bed and Wolfy stayed chilling on the soft mattress.

Elysia opened the door to find a man and woman was present behind it. The man wore a shirt that was black and gray with stitches separating the colors and looked like a makeshift shirt rather than a proper one, he also just wore black jeans with standard black shoes. The man also had short dark gray hair and dead gray eyes which scared Elysia a little.

'This guy really is going for the doom and gloom look.' Shaman who was still in bed could see the man could not help think the dude was a little emo.

"Aha welcome." Elysia stood back to let them in.

They now had a good look at the woman who was behind the man.

She had blonde hair, blue and wore a typical huntress outfit that was completely black with a few white streaks throughout the outfit. Elysia and Shaman also noticed that she was an elf as her ears were slightly sticking out

'She could not resemble a typical archer any more than she already is. She is even an elf, whose race is the textbook example for an archer.' Shaman could not help thinking how stereotypical it was that their archery teacher would be an elf.

"Well let's start with introductions, I am instructor Stein or just Stein and this is Arsia. I will be doing the sword training with you Shaman and Arsia will take care of you Elysia." Stein introduced himself to the 2 girls and did a small bow.

"Well nice to meet you, where shall we do the training?" Elysia was curious as she knew she could not be far away from Shaman as it could lead to a panic attack.

"We know that you can't be separated so we will be training in the same area but first off we are going to the small arena outback." Stein pointed behind him and gave her a slight smile.

"I will see you there, so be down there in 10 otherwise I won't go easy on you." With that said Stein walked out of the room.

"Oh don't mind him, he just wants to get it over with and get back to his work, but still make sure to be on time." Arsia winked and quickly ran off to follow Stein. Shaman let out a sigh as it seems they are going to be trained by weirdos but it wasn't like they could talk.

"Well I guess we should go." Shaman hopped up from the bed and began to get ready.

95 Stein?

Shaman, Elysia and Wolfy made their way down to the small arena just outside and could see Stein and Arsia waiting.

'Now that I look at Stein, he seems rather familiar but from where?' Shaman had this feeling of familiarity with Stein but could not put her finger on it.

'I could tell you?' Rea spoke to Shaman knowing the answer to Shaman's thought.

'Well that was easy, who is he then Rea?' Shaman, expecting an answer, waited patiently for Rea to respond.

'Pffft, I'm not telling, figure it our yourself'

[ ]

Shaman froze for a moment as the brat Rea had just dismissed her.

"Uhh Shaman, are you okay?" Elysia saw Shaman stop in her tracks and wondered what was wrong. Shaman shook her head and continued to walk.

"Oh don't worry, just a stupid brat in my head is being annoying." Shaman's eyebrow twitched as she was unable to haggle information out of Rea as realistically Rea was the one in control.

.....

'Rea what did you say?' Elysia could not help but ask what Rea had done as clearly Rea was having a blast annoying Shaman.

'I have the answer to something and I just told her to figure it out herself as it is a pretty easy answer if you ask me.' Rea explained what she had said and Elysia could now see why Shaman got a little angry.

"Pffft." Elysia could not help but laugh a little, causing Shaman to turn around and stare at her with an unimpressed look.

"Did she tell you?" Shaman believed Elysia would tell her if Rea did tell her where she recognized Stein from.

"No no no, I was just laughing at what Rea said to you. We need to hurry up, I'm sure you will find out who it is, plus you can just ask him." Elysia felt a little bad at laughing but Shaman's response was a little childish.

Elysia continued to walk and Shaman let out a sigh and resumed walking alongside Elysia and Wolfy.

*

They had walked into the flat arena with Stein and Arsia standing in the middle waiting for them.

"Alright, just on time, let's get this training started already." Stein did not waste any time and wanted to start the training.

"First things first, we are going to have a duel and see where you are failing and then we will get into routines that you shall practice everyday." Stein explained the plan and pulled out his own katana.

It was a completely Black sword and had chains making the hilt of the sword. The chains were also black but they also looked like they were moving in a constant loop. Shaman was unable to tell as she was too far away.

"Now, Elysia, you are going to fight Arsia and I will take on Shaman. Without further ado we shall now begin." With that said Shaman took her stance in front of Stein but she had also noticed that Wolfy had to sit out.

'Does Himeko have an issue with Wolfy.' Ever since Shaman broke free of the influence She could not help but be skeptical of everything around her.

'Tch, I guess we are going to have to make a trip to the Freya forest for Wolfy as it seems like she won't provide anything for him.' Shaman did not plan to go to the fox realm so early but it seemed like she needed to if they wanted to get Wolfy some training.

"Stop daydreaming, otherwise I might accidently kill you." Stein spoke as the duel was beginning and Shaman was still lost in thought.

Shaman grew vigilant and started to concentrate waiting to see if Stein would make a move.

Stein readied his sword and Shaman could not help feel like she had seen the same stance from somewhere. Shaman shook her head as this was not the time to be thinking about that.

Shaman took a step and was about to attack but before she could move Stein had already disappeared from view.

Something had taken over Shaman like she had already experienced this before and her body began to move on its own. She moved her sword to just above her head and managed to block the blow from stein.

Without any time to think what just happened Stein had moved again, and the same force Shaman had felt began to move on its own. This time with Shaman Slashing to the right and colliding with Stein's sword. A slight shake could be felt as the attack was rather powerful.

Stein could be seen with a smile making him look almost crazy. Shaman was a little surprised but soon flashbacks started to appear in her mind.

Shaman saw images of her previous instructor of Shaman and that's when it clicked. Despite Stein not having his usual navy blue attire looking like an admiral he now looked like an adult stuck as an angsty teen.

'He is my old instructor but why does he not recognize me? Is Himeko also able to remove or manipulate memories?' More questions about Himeko's capabilities started to rise but once again she was unable to think for too long before Stein began to move.

This time he steps forward parrying Shaman's sword and leaving her back open.

Stein pulls his other hand and begins to strike at Shaman's back with his palm, lighting also could be seen flickering around his hand. But before Stein's hand could reach her back, Shaman was able to move forward and do a handstand, jumping off her hands to get away.

"HAHA very good, show me more." Stein then charged forward with his katana and went to stab Shaman.

Shaman's body once again began moving on its own as Stein was making the same moves from her previous training and was able to know what to do. Shaman deflected the black blade and this time she used the element of wind to boost her attack speed. Shaman's Kotetsu striked at high speeds towards Stein's head but unfortunately and expected, Stein was able to dodge the strike.

Now Stein was under Shaman's blade leaving the whole front of her body open. Stein went for the palm strike again this time connecting right in her stomach. The lighting around his hand also gave the hit an extra kick.

Shaman could feel a pulse go through her body and feeling temporarily paralyzed, She then was sent flying across the arena floor till finally rolling to a stop. Shaman could feel her body still suffering the lingering effect of the lighting and the strike had taken the wind out of her.

*Cough, cough* "Jesus, that was intense and it really felt like I was living those memories rather than relying on muscle memory of the previous Shaman." Shaman felt amazing as although her body was moving on its own it was a great feeling experiencing the training herself.

"Not bad girl, you have great potential and the way you fight is similar to mine so i hope you are ready for the regime i got for you." Stein had walked over and was massively impressed with Shaman.

"Stein? Do you not recognize me, you used to train me before." Shaman wanted to see if he had really forgotten her.

"Hmm?" Stein leaned in and looked at her face.

Shaman looked around nervously as he was a little too close for comfort.

"No you don't look familiar at all but I do get a nagging feeling in my head when I do look at you but I just think that's the urge to teach you." Stein leaned back and gave an answer which confirmed Shaman's thought that Himeko clearly has wiped some memories.

"Anyway, shall we get this training done?" Shaman wanted to change the topic before any suspicion arose as Himeko was most likely able to get any information out of them.

'Good thing I never met Himeko when I was a kid, otherwise my attachment to her could have landed me in a terrible spot.' Shaman did not feel bad for screwing over Himeko as they never knew each other previously which made things easier for her.

'I don't think I will be able to free Stein and any other yet as going into a fight with Himeko at my level is just suicide and if I were to do it while she was not around I would rather not be hunted down for the rest of my life.' Shaman considered doing things the stealthy way but it would just cause more problems down the track.

"I agree let's get going, We have a lot to go over." Stein helped Shaman up from the floor and they began to go back to where they originally started to fight.

Shaman looked over to the side and could see that Elysia and Arsia were still fighting.

'Looks like Elysia is about to lose she looks very exhausted.' Shaman observed their fight and she could see that Elysia was struggling while Arsia had not broken a sweat.

'Good luck Elysia.' Shaman cheered for her, as she continued to walk with Stein.

96 Arsia vs Elysia

Elysia walked over in front of Arsia so they could begin their duel. Elysia felt this was going to be a very one sided fight as she only used a bow at the moment and depending on what Arsia uses this could turn out to be very bad for her.

Elysia's heart began to beat faster since she was going to be judged on her performance and she did not want to let the instructor down. Although they did not like Himeko they could not pass up on some training.

"No need to be nervous, I just want you to display your abilities while I defend and protect yourself when I attack to see how you defend yourself." Arsia explained to Elysia how the duel will work which had put Elysia a little bit at ease.

Elysia pulled out her bow and so did Arsia. Elysia was rather impressed with her bow as the front of the bow was white while the back was a sky blue. The string also had a slight glow and white feathers could be seen coming off it on each end.

'Wish i had a cool looking bow.' Elysia was a little jealous of Arsia but she thought to herself that it will only be a matter of time till she gets her own cool looking bow.

"Enough looking and more moving." Arsia could see Elysia eyeing her bow and so she decided to fire the first shot to get Elysia moving.

Arsia had fired a basic wind arrow at Elysia which was blocked by Elysia's fire wall with ease.

'Been a while since I have had to use my firewall' Elysia had barely used her fire wall as she has never really been shot at.

However Elysia's view was obstructed by her fire wall and so 2 more wind arrows were fired wrapping around the wall.

.....

'Shit.' Elysia quickly jumped back while raising another one, This time she did not stay still and began to run so she could see Arsia.

This time Arsia was preparing 3 arrows to fire and was tracing Elysia's movements. While running she was nocked an arrow to fire back at Arsia and since she was rather used to firing while moving she had no need to stop to fire.

Using [power shot] and [quick shot] together she jumped into the air and fired the fire arrow towards Arsia. She did not put much mana into the arrow out of fear of hurting Arsia.

The arrow launched at high speeds and Arsia was impressed with how accurate Elysia was despite moving let alone having so much power.

Arsia was also a little caught off guard so she had to use her wind to redirect the arrow. A draft of wind could be visibly seen with a slight green effect come up from the ground causing the arrow to go above Arsia. The arrow continued to go through the arena and to Elysia's surprise there was a barrier that sat just on the outside of the arena.

Elyisa did not think much of it as it must have been a magic barrier to keep any stray blows from going into the city.

Elysia however after she landed and continued to run around in a circle she suddenly felt a gust of wind under her foot.

Elysia tried to push away but before she could react, wind had surrounded her, trapping her in a wind dome. Elysia tried shooting an arrow but that proved ineffective as the wind would put out the arrow.

"Looks like I have caught my prey. This is one of many lessons Elysia, you must not solely rely on your bow, but plant many traps around you to trap your opponent." Arsia started to slowly walk up to the wind dome giving Elysia a small lecture.

"You have great fighting capability but what you lack is versatility, you are able to fight well at long range but you need something to compensate at short-range, you can either have a secondary weapon or you can utilize your fire to keep your opponents at range." Arsia pointed out the glaring issue Elysia was having and one of her greatest fears when it comes to fighting.

"Now you need to choose which path, do you want to become a trapper or wield 2 weapons. You do not need to decide now but think about it." Arsia gave a choice to Elysia while also undoing the wind dome letting Elysia free.

"Now let us continue this duel." Arisa grabbed her bow and with a slight glow her bow started to transform into a spear. The blade had inherited the sky blue while the handle was white with some gold lining.

Elysia panicked a little as this was her exact fear, being in a close range fight. Elysia tried to get some distance by putting up some fire walls and dashing away. This was futile as Arsia was able to slash away the wall in one go and continue to chase Elysia.

'I hate this so much.' Elysia was not having a great time as her breathing became a little ragged because of the overwhelming feeling of fear she was experiencing.

'Just try your best and like she said she will help me compensate for what I lack.' Elysia reassured herself, regaining that little bit of her confidence.

Elysia tried shooting [Blade burst arrow] only to be blocked by Arsia's wind.

Arsia had finally caught up and was able to leap in front of Elysia, stopping her in her tracks.

Arsia spun her Spear and smashed the ground, she had reinforced the blow with her wind causing Elysia to be blown back by the blast. Elysia flew through the air slightly and was able to land without issues. Elysia took advantage of this new distance that she had gained and used [Arrow storm].

However when the dust cleared from the arrow storm Arsia was nowhere to be found.

Elysia had felt some water hit her from behind causing her to turn around. Arsia had come out from a puddle of water and was directly behind Elysia.

Arsia pushed down Elysia to the ground and locked her down with her spear making it so she could not move.

"I really do like you Elysia, I can't wait to train you hehe~." Arsia had won the duel and Elysia laid on the floor defeated being pinned by Arsia and her spear.

"I didn't even do much fighting yet I already feel exhausted." Elysia felt like relaxing and did not want to continue training.

"Well it is true that it was more me bullying you but it instantly told me what you needed, as every beginner archer especially ones in small groups like yours have the biggest fear of close combat fighting." Arsia had hit the mark perfectly as for Elysia, she was honestly relieved that after training with Arsia for a while she could finally be versatile in both close and long range combat.

"It seems like Stein is already finished, let's head over there and start phase 2!" Arsia jumped up and helped Elysia up from the floor.

'I wonder how Shaman fared.' Elysia was rather curious as Shaman had finished earlier than them.

*

The 2 groups joined up, then Arsia and Stein went off to talk privately for a moment supposedly about phase 2.

"So how did yours go, Shaman?" Elysia had sat next to Shaman leaning her head on Shaman's shoulder.

"I got destroyed however Stein is actually my old instructor but his memories have been erased by Himeko somehow." Shaman whispered these details to Elysia.

"Well that's news." Elysia was unsure on how to respond to what Shaman had said and the news had only made her think less of Himeko.

"I know right, but yeah Himeko seems to have them under control but I don't think we can free them till we are stronger sadly." Shaman's expression grew dark as the other her had a strong connection with Stein and was telling her to save him but with current circumstances they could not go against Himeko yet.

"We will get Clara first and come back later. Let's just hope we don't forget about them haha." Elysia was not as invested in the matter, but if it was, Shaman's will, it was also hers as well.

"Yes, one thing at a time." Shaman looked up into the sky and wrapped her arm around Elysia while enjoying the few minutes they had alone till the instructors returned.

*

"Aight you two love birds time for phase 2." Stein had returned and it was time for the next part of the training.

97 Phase 2 and important news

In the small arena just outside of the tower Shaman and Elysia were training with their instructors.

Shaman was going through with Stein how to enhance her swordsmanship skills and how to analyze the opponent for information during battle. Stein was fighting Shaman while also shouting at her instructions about how to fight better. The duel was not as intense as the initial duel but it was enough to put her under pressure and allow her to think.

The duel was just raw fighting and the use of magic was banned during the duel making it more difficult for Shaman, forcing her to rely on her weapon rather than magic. Shaman was enjoying herself though as she was able to see progress in her sword skills and the muscle memory she had been relying on was starting to become her own and not just a leftover remnant of the past.

Shaman was improving with each passing moment as the more she fought with Stein the less she had to think. However each time Shaman was getting better, Stein was slowly increasing the difficulty and making it harder and harder for Shaman.

It had also seemed like with each spike in difficulty, Shaman was forced to face against new styles and techniques, opening her eyes to entirely new levels of fighting.

With this difficulty spike Shaman found herself under too much pressure and got herself sent flying back by Stein.

Shaman slid across the floor till she came to a stop. Shaman laid on the floor catching her breath as it was exhausting. Stein stood still and let Shaman get some rest before they continued.

On the other end of the arena Arsia was currently teaching Elysia how to use a polearm.

Elysia had chosen to go down the route of learning a new weapon as she was keen to learn how to use a spear like Arsia. Once again when Elysia was holding the fake spear she had this connection with the weapon and she could only guess it had to do with the passive [Artemis call] that she had got ever since she received the system from Shaman.

.....

Arsia had gone over fundamentals of how to use a spear and optimal ways to switch during battle. They would duel over and over again putting theory into practice and building a foundation for Elysia till she finally develops her own way of fighting.

Arsia was rather proud of Elysia as she was able to pick up the spear rather well and during the duel she could already see Elysia adapting with her bow.

Thanks to the storage 'ring' Arsia thought Elysia had, switching weapons was rather easy and smooth. Elysia was glad that she wore a ring as explaining how they have a storage space would be a pain. Luckily for them storage rings work the same as their inventory where the item slowly disappears and does not need to be put through a dimensional hole.

Elysia still had a long way to go before she would be able to apply this to real battle but it was satisfying for her to learn swapping 2 weapons in one fluid motion and she found herself going through the same motions again and again.

While doing this though Elysia saw Shaman get flown across the floor and was glad that she was not training with Stein. Elysia also took a quick look at her bracelet and could see Shaman was okay so she refrained from running over to her.

However while looking in Shaman's direction she spotted Clara who was walking towards the arena by herself.

Arsia looked in the same direction and when she spotted Clara, she started to wave.

"CLAAARRRAAA!!!" Arsia yelled out to Clara, grabbing her attention, Clara waved back and picked up the pace.

Arsia started to run towards Clara and gave her a hug at the entrance to the arena. Stein had also walked over as he assumed Clara had something to tell them.

"So what news do you have to tell us?" Stein wanted to go back to training Shaman so he rushed for an answer.

Clara broke the hug with Arsia and began to explain why she had arrived.

"Well I came here to hang out with the 2 cuties but Himeko told me to inform you that she will be leaving for a couple months to head to the capital and wanted you to keep training them till she returns." Clara then walked past the two and headed over to Shaman.

"Also Himeko has given you permission to go into the dungeon anytime you want but I have to come along." Clara leaned over Shaman with a smile and delivered the news.

Shaman could not believe what she was hearing as this was exactly what they needed if they wanted to leave this place discreetly.

Stein had walked up behind Clara and pulled on her ear slightly.

"If you have nothing else to say I would like to go back to training." Stein had a slight murderous glint in his eyes which sent chills down Clara's spine.

Arsia however intervened, freeing Clara from Stein's grasp and pulling Clara away.

"Stein, don't treat our newest member like that." Arsia stood in front of Clara a little annoyed by Stein.

"Tch, we need to get back to training, you can stay Clara, just don't get in my way." Stein walked back to where he originally was and waited for Shaman to get up.

"Gosh, when will that gloomy bastard learn to relax, all he ever thinks about his work and training." Arsia voiced her annoyance with Stein.

"Clara come watch me and Elysia train, at least then Stein won't bug you." Arsia grabbed Clara's hand and started to drag her along to Arsia's side of the arena.

'Well it looks like we have a couple months till we have to leave so I guess I should take advantage of this training then leave before Himeko returns.' Shaman was more than motivated to train.

Shaman planned to learn as much as she could before they made their escape out of this place.

***

In an underground hall, a half dead fox girl could be seen chained down in the middle of a summoning circle. There were 6 white robed figures on the edge of the circle chanting an unknown language while one figure stood in the distance observing the ritual.

Soon the circle lit up with complicated runes filling up the empty space. Soon the fox girl in the middle began to scream in pain and vigorously move her body in an attempt to escape. Her screams echoed throughout the room and they became more desperate as time went on. After a few minutes the fox girl had finally died and her body began to evaporate. Soon her body had disappeared and the light in the circle had vanished.

"Good, it was a success but we need more food otherwise it won't be able to support the summoning." The figure in the distance had spoken up and walked up towards the circle.

The man wore clothes that were similar to modern day clothes, The man wore a white hoodie, pure white jeans and shoes. He touched the circle and when he did a screen appeared in front of him.

[50% till spell can be activated, Please provide more sacrifices to activated the spell]

The man grinned and stood up.

"All of you, continue to look for more fox girls and bring them back here immediately we don't have any time to spare." The man yelled orders out and the remaining people in the room left.

"It's only a matter of time till I open the gateway and destroy that bastard land." The man gritted his teeth.

'Yes, once you complete your mission you will be able to face those who took your life away and can claim back what you lost.' A female voice rang out inside his head encouraging his actions.

'Well once you are free, you will do as you promised, right?' The man had a little suspicion in his voice showing that he did not trust who this woman was.

'Of course darling it's only a matter of time.' The female voice trailed off signaling that she had disappeared.

The man let out a sigh and then began to let a black mist envelop his body, till eventually he disappeared from the room.

98 The Capital

A phoenix was flying through the sky and on its back could be seen a woman. She had red flaming hair and instead of her traditional outfit she wore more formal clothes.

Himeko wore a completely red admiral outfit with a small phoenix symbol on her chest representing her family.

'Tch, why did I have to be summoned now? I have 2 girls at home that need to be looked after and the church all of a sudden wants to see me.' Himeko sat cross legged with her arms crossed while she complained about being summoned out.

'No matter, I had to go to the capital anyway since there seems to be some cult secretly operating under everybody's noses.' Himeko let out a sigh as her plans had been pushed back but she was still a little suspicious of the church's sudden call.

'We don't usually have this kind of meeting with all the clans, kings and queens of Elysium unless it's an emergency.' Himeko was a little confused as it seemed too convenient for the church to be holding a mass meeting but Himeko dismissed this as just a coincidence.

'I should still keep my guard up anyway as my relationship with them is horrible.' Himeko was a little torn however since it was a general meeting, Himeko was not too worried about getting in a fight but was not stupid enough to not prepare herself.

The phoenix continued to soar through the sky till eventually the capital could be seen in view.

4 major skyscrapers making a square could be seen in the middle of the city, there was also a floating platform in the middle of the 4 buildings.

.....

The rest of the buildings resembled modern day apartments but to Himeko they looked like strange boxes and she found them rather odd. Surprisingly there were no walls around the city and as such seemed completely open but upon closer inspection a magic barrier of sorts could be seen around the entire capital.

'Ever since this new pope got into power he has made these strange but useful inventions. He has a great mind but something about him is just odd.' Himeko was not accustomed to the new look of the capital and found the tastes of the pope to be quite peculiar.

Himeko had reached the barrier and was able to easily pass through upon activating a stone that had a magical sigil on it.

Himeko flew above the city with many gazing upon her in amazement. She continued to fly to the middle till eventually landing on the floating plate where a massive white round table could be seen.

There were at least 12 other people at the table looking at Himeko as she arrived.

'Fuck, with all this white I'm going to get blinded, it feels like I'm constantly getting blasted in the eyes.' Himeko covered her eyes with her arm as the pure white platform acted like a flashbang because of the sun.

Himeko continued to walk to her allocated seat which was signified by a small red marking on the back of the white chair.

Himeko sat down next to a man in green admiral clothes and a woman who wore a blue version. All the people around the table all wore similar admiral clothes but in different colors representing their element.

When Himeko sat down the girl in blue whispered in her ear.

"Hey, do you have any idea what this meeting is for Himeko?" The girl slightly leaned in and covered her mouth slightly.

The girl had long dark blue hair and eyes, she had a petite figure and had an air of clumsiness to her.

"Your guess is as good as mine Jane, but you should know I rather despise this place." Himeko would rather not be here and avoid getting involved in their affairs but she was forced to otherwise she would not have her own city.

"Well I thought I would try anyway, bu-" Jane's words were cut off by the sound of walking since the only person to not arrive yet was the pope and everyone knew that the person arriving was him.

Jane quickly straightened up in her seat as well as everyone else sitting in the round table. The footsteps echoed out till a man in a white hoodie and jeans could be seen descending from the sky. He walked on light foot holds created by him till he reached the platform and arrived next to his seat.

He pulled back his hoodie and the light reflected off his blonde hair making it almost hard to look at without getting blinded. He had sharp blood red eyes paired along his sharp jaw, he analyzed the table and saw that everyone had arrived.

He took in a deep breath and put his hands together before he started to speak.

"I am sorry for the short notice call but it was urgent that I deliver this news to you directly." This caused everyone to stress out as clearly this was not good news and it most likely was a danger to their nation.

"There have been reports of the Fox realm organizing a mass attack on our borders." His words caused an outrage around the table.

"How can this be, we have not fought with the other territories for thousands of years since the dungeons arose, why the sudden attack and where is the proof!" A man in brown admiral clothes spoke up first slamming his fist in the table creating a small crack.

Without saying a word the blonde man snapped his fingers and a light projection appeared in the middle of the table.

Images of beastkin could be seen, seemingly preparing for war in large groups, the images caused more people to speak up.

"I patrol the borders on a regular basis, how have I not seen a large force near our borders!" A woman in black and blue clothes voiced her rebuttal to the pope.

Himeko instantly became suspicious and as everyone was looking at the images, she noticed that the pope had a smile, her theories about the cult strengthened as clearly there was something more to this and the pope had to be involved.

The pope's red eyes locked onto Himeko's, causing her to shiver from the amount of pressure the pope suddenly directed at her.

Cold sweat started to run down Himeko's face, and she quickly looked away from the pope causing the pressure to go away.

'Shit, there is something definitely going on and I don't know if I will be able to find out in time.' Himeko thought of Shaman and Elysia since the fox realm was their homeland.

"Now, now, I will answer your questions later but this is only the beginning and this might not be an attack on us but something greater we are unaware of, I just wanted you all to be aware of the circumstances that we may find ourselves in, in the near future." The pope's words caused everyone to calm down a little.

"I know we have had a rather mutual understanding with the fox realm but it seems like they are preparing for something that may be worse than the dungeons." The pope stood up from his seat and walked around the table.

"We know that they possess the most powerful people of the continent but that does not mean we are weak in comparison. Since we know that they are preparing for something we need to investigate the intentions of the fox realm and figure out if they are a threat." The man continued to walk around the table slowly.

"Why not just ask them and if they want a fight give it to them, I'm sure I will be able to crush them with a mere stomp." a man with massive muscles in dark red and brown clothes spoke up, itching for a fight.

"Don't be stupid, if we do that than Elfhiem will become our enemy and they are the last people I want to anger at the moment." irritation could be heard in his voice causing the man to stand down.

"Anyway the point of this meeting was for you to prepare for a possible war or something greater and if you can find out any information about the fox realm or the army that is developing. I want you to report back to me as soon as you find any information with these talismans." The pope let talismans fall out of his sleeves and used light to carry them to each person.

The talisman was also unique as it was covered in different runes and symbols making it almost impossible to read the contents of it.

"We will be on standby and continue like normal as if nothing has happened but prepare for the worst, I will have my people do some investigation within the fox realm itself since none of us are able to enter unless you have special permission from the royal family." Everyone nodded as getting in the fox realm was indeed a hassle and letting the pope do it made it easier on them.

"This is not an immediate problem but I want you to keep this in the back of your mind and I will call for you all again once things start to escalate." The pope had returned to his seat giving everyone time to think.

'This has to be all a set up and artificially made up, don't they know that the royal family is currently imprisoned or has the news been hidden from everyone? Is this just an excuse to seize control over a territory?' More questions popped in Himeko's mind and she was about to speak up but before she could a whisper could be heard.

"You say anything and your head will be rolling along the table, now play along sweetie and just keep your mouth shut if you don't want to die." The pope's voice rang out in Himeko's ear causing her to freeze again.

Himeko was terrified as she was unable to sense the magic and if she had spoken up she truly believed she would have lost her head in that moment.

'I need to go back home as quickly as I can and tell Shaman her parents are in danger of being killed.' Although they were in a barrier and could possibly be dead, Himeko believed that they were still alive and there was a high chance that the barrier was also a setup by the pope.

"You may leave now, there is no rush but please make an effort as information is critical and if you have any more questions please come see me at the cathedral down below." The pope quickly disappeared in a bolt of light leaving the 13 people alone.

Himeko had sat in silence as people started to leave and pay a visit to the pope or go back to their respective cities. Many of the people had a dissatisfied look with the news while the others kept their neutral look.

"Well Himeko I'm off, if I'm going to be honest I don't really care for this ordeal but orders are orders." Jane spoke to Himeko before walking off.

"Cya later Jane and good luck." Himeko waved and Jane waved back as she jumped off the platform.

Himeko however froze once again as she noticed a small black mist next to her and before she could react the pope's voice rang out.

"If you care for your safety, come visit me after I attend to everyone." The black mist disappeared and once again Himeko had no idea what to do and all she really could do was comply.

'I should have known this was a setup, but how am I meant to fight one of the most powerful people on the continent?' Himeko was dreading her circumstances and it seemed like her plans back at home had to be put on hold for now.

99 Trapped

Himeko was sitting alone at the table as everyone had left to go speak to the pope or return back home. Himeko was left to dwell on her next move as she was being threatened to go see the pope.

'Fuck, I can't just run away, he could probably get to my city faster than I fly back by just clicking his fingers.' Himeko had grabbed her hair as the stress was getting to her.

'I should have played along like my parents said before passing the responsibility but my pride wouldn't allow it. I just had to antagonize the one that is blessed by the supposed church goddess making arguably one of the strongest people on the damn continent.' Himeko gritted her teeth at her decision to actively oppose the church and it has now landed her in a terrible position.

'I hope I'm not stuck here for any longer than a month. I need to check on the cursed item and see if it made a connection with the girls.' Himeko sighed as she had many things to do and only anticipated she would be gone for at least a month but she never expected it to turn out like this.

'I better head down before I get more threats and if that black mist is what I think it is then I'm afraid there may be no stopping him.' Himeko recalled the black mist she caught a glimpse of.

Himeko jumped off the edge of the platform and freefalled towards the cathedral. Before she hit the ground she used her fire to slow herself down and have a smooth landing.

Himeko could see one of the leaders walk out of the cathedral looking annoyed and defeated. Himeko could only feel bad for her as she could only imagine how frustrating it was to argue with the pope. The leader wore purple admiral clothes and when she got far enough from the cathedral a purple mist formed below her and she started to fly off.

'Let's hope things go smoothly.' Himeko let out a sigh as although she hoped for it to go smoothly, she half expected it to go down horribly.

Himeko pulled open the doors to the cathedral and walked in. She was greeted with rows of seats on either side and multiple arches that support the building. The place was completely lit leaving no shadow anywhere.

.....

It was almost blinding to look at as everything was white, Himeko disliked how white the pope made everything.

Himeko looked to the end of the cathedral, spotting the pope standing in front of a statue. The statue was that of the goddess the church believed in, which Himeko thought was just a load of shit.

The statue did not look special as her face was covered by a hood and was in simple robes. The statue also had cupped hands in front of her like she was giving someone something.

The pope who was standing in front of the statue was admiring it but due to his fully white attire he almost blended in with the white statue making only his blonde hair visible.

Himeko walked forward nervously and the nerves only grew as she got closer to the pope.

The pope had turned around with his red eyes locking onto Himeko's and watched as she slowly approached.

Himeko stopped at the front row seats and looked at the pope waiting for a response.

The pope stared at Himeko for a moment as if analyzing her, making sure that Himeko had not planned anything.

His eyes also had this ring of black fire in them and slight movement could be seen if you looked close enough.

Since the pope was on an elevated platform, he carried an imposing presence making the air suffocating and Himeko could not help feel like a small insect while standing in front of him.

Although Himeko felt like an insignificant being she stood strong and kept her composure.

After a brief moment of staring at each other the pope finally broke the tension with a smile. Himeko could feel that the smile was much more sinister than what it seemed on the surface and it gave her chills.

"It's good to see that you came but you know you had no other choice." The pope smirked as he knew Himeko was struggling to stay composed.

"Tch, tell me what you want." Himeko wanted to leave as fast as she could while also trying her best to keep her annoyed and disinterested act.

"What's wrong with a little chat, I always loved your feisty side, as if you are playing hard to get and I would love to get to know you better." The pope paced around the platform while talking and motioning with his hands as well.

Fire started to conjure on Himeko's back as it pissed her off what the pope was saying. Despite her feeling small in comparison her anger started to overpower it.

"Woah there, no need to burn down the place. I rather not have to rebuild this place, after all you can cause so much destruction in the one second it will take to beat you." The pope's words were playful but this was the last straw for Himeko as she was already on edge before entering the cathedral and this pushed her over that edge.

Flames started to burst out of her back but before she could even move she felt her mana get cut off and was frozen in place.

"Never mind the one second it takes to beat you, it's now 0.5 seconds. I have to admit I'm getting better by the day." The pope had seemingly done nothing as he jumped off the platform and slowly approached Himeko.

"What the hell did you do!" Himeko was furious and felt utterly defenseless as it wasn't even a second before she was restrained by light and her mana use was cut off. She could still feel her mana but it seemed like something was blocking it, not allowing her to access it.

"Oh nothing special, I just used my light to restrain you and I have also developed this technique where I can trap your mana in your core making it impossible for you to use mana." The pope explained what he had done while walking around Himeko.

Himeko tried to move but it was as if her body had been put on pause and only her head could move.

"Now that you are an obedient raging phoenix let me get to the point of this meeting." The pope stood directly in front of Himeko with a massive smile.

Himeko felt hopeless as the dread started to sink in as she was completely at the mercy of the pope.

100 [Bonus Chapter] Himeko's quest for love

[A/N: The events in this chapter are not canon but just a bit of fun so don't correlate this to the main story. So read this for enjoyment and don't take it too seriously even if i make a plot hole just shhhhh, I know]

The morning sun rose to let light enter the room, Shaman and Elysia were currently snuggling up to each peacefully while the light slowly reached their bed.

Wolfy was at one end of the room enjoying the dog house he was given and performing his favourite activity, sleeping.

A small flame could be seen forming in the middle of the room till finally, it bursted out in a ball. The fire slowly went away to reveal a Himeko who was wearing an apron over what looked like red pyjamas that had small birds printed on them. She also held a pan and a ladle which in conclusion only means one thing.

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

"Wakey, Wakey, time for breakfast." Himeko banged the metal ladle and pan together causing Shaman and Elysia to shoot up awake with a small scream thinking they were getting attacked. Wolfy had covered his ears with his paws as he saw Himeko when he woke up and knew that they were not in immediate danger yet.

Shaman and Elysia both stood up on the bed hugging each other and quickly scanned the room. They spotted Himeko almost immediately and let out a sigh of relief but also pouted when looking at her.

"What the hell is with these rude awakenings, I'm gonna die of a heart attack before I die to Shaman giving me too much of a good time." Elysia caused some eyebrows to raise as Shaman looked at her with embarrassment and wanted her to shut up. Himeko took a step back as she did not expect to hear that kind of response.

"What, I'm just being honest." Elysia looked around confused as it was the truth and she had nothing to hide.

.....

"JUST SHUT UP!" Shaman was bright red in the face and so she bonked Elysia causing her to fall back down on the bed.

Wolfy was giggling to himself as it was amusing to watch the scene unfold in front of him.

Himeko was slightly irritated as it reminded her of the deep hole in her heart. This deep hole represented the fact that she has never been able to score a relationship with anyone. It also caused her expression to change to one of someone who is about to explode.

"Breakfast. Now." Himeko quickly left the room but shortly after she left the building started to shake a little and an explosion could be heard. Both Shaman and Elysia's face paled as clearly Himeko was not happy with them.

However, Shaman was able to spot something out the window a black figure flying towards them.

"Oh shit." Once Shaman realized that it was heading straight for them She quickly grabbed Elysia and jumped out of the way. Both Shaman and Elysia were on the ground together with Elysia being confused about what's going on.

"Why did you pull me off the bed?" Elysia's question would soon be answered as something flew through their window and crashed into their bed destroying it. Purple lightning could also be seen lingering around where the figure landed.

*cough* *cough*

Coughing could be heard from the now destroyed bed which made Shaman and Elysia even more worried as it was a person that flew through their window.

Taking the intuitive Shaman got up and went to help whoever crash-landed into their room.

"Clara?" Shaman was not sure as their face was completely black from soot but the similar attire of the black dress and purple gems embedded in it is what told her it was Clara.

"Holy. Fuck. Don't use your lighting against an explosive Himeko, otherwise, you may get an explosion back as a gift." Clara sat defeated as she explained what happened but what shocked Shaman the most was how the hell is she alive.

"How the hell are you alive?" Elysia asked what Shaman wanted to know as she was also shocked as well.

"Oh? Shaman and Elysia? Did I crash in your room?" Clara was finally aware of her surroundings and started to wipe all the soot that was covering her face.

"Yes but more importantly how are you alive?" Shaman curiosity was immeasurable and she needed answers.

"I braced myself with my lightning, I was able to slow myself down by attaching it to my surroundings. Sounds kind of contradictory as lightning is supposed to fast aha." Clara scratched her head as it was rather hard to explain the full process.

Shaman could not believe it but she was glad either way that Clara was okay and was not overly hurt.

"Anyway, do you have a shower I could borrow? I'm kind of covered in black shit." Clara stood letting the dust and broken parts of the bed fall off. Shaman sighed as this was a complete rollercoaster of a morning.

"Yes there is a bathroom next to the kitchen and you are welcome to use it, just make sure to not leave a trail." Shaman gave directions and contemplated if they should have gone before Clara went.

"Thanks!" Clara smiled and gave them a thumbs-up before leaving to go take a shower to clean herself.

Wolfy had walked over to Shaman and Elysia to inform them of what they should be doing.

"I think we need to head downstairs otherwise we may become a flying Clara." Wolfy's words put Shaman and Elysia in a small panic as they quickly rushed to put some casual clothes on.

They got ready as quickly as they could and rushed downstairs to the main kitchen and sat down at the table.

They waited patiently for Himeko as she was currently cooking with the same pan and ladle. Shaman leaned over to Elysia to whisper something.

"Did Himeko teleport to where Clara was and throw her through our window to only come back and begin cooking?" Shaman was confused by how quick things were happening as it seemed like as soon as Himeko sent Clara flying she went straight to cooking.

"I guess you could say she had to quickly erupt in Clara's face." Elysia made an attempt at a joke but all it gained was an unimpressed look from Shaman.

"Not funny." Shaman shook her head and leaned on the beach in her chair.

"What?!?! I thought it was funny." Elysia was chuckling a little at her own joke causing Shaman to facepalm. However, things would be cut short as Himeko marched out of the kitchen with breakfast in hand.

They were given pancakes which was a surprise to Shaman as it was the food she was quite familiar with and did not expect it to exist in this world.

'I keep telling myself it's an alternate world but I can't help feeling surprised every time something is oddly similar.' Shaman's expectations as she has read many fantasy novels has somewhat warped her perception of what things will be like.

Himeko sat down and placed the pancakes in front of Elysia and Shaman while giving Wolfy some meat.

They began to dig in but the first bite they took they instantly started to choke. Both Shaman and Elysia jumped out of their chairs coughing and spitting out the pancake they had just eaten.

"What *cough* the fuck *cough* did you put in it, tasted like vinegar." Shaman was struggling as she always hated vinegar and having it feel like she ate pure vinegar could not help almost vomit.

"Well, that was for making me jealous and don't worry that is just the first pancake, the rest are fine." Himeko smiled as she watched the 2 girls suffer.

Elysia on the other hand was not having it and so she picked up the chair and threw it at Himeko. The chair headed straight for Himeko's face but sadly it was futile as Himeko caught the chair with ease and placed it down next to her.

"Don't get too hasty now. I will reward you if you help me." Himeko had put her hands together and waited for their response.

"What do you want?" Shaman wanted this over with as the taste still lingered in her mouth.

"I am glad you are on board, I want you to help me find a boyfriend." Himeko got straight to the point causing both Shaman and Elysia to stare blankly at her, even Wolfy who was usually too invested in his meat had to stop and lookup.

"You want us to help you?" Elysia could not comprehend this as literally they have no experience and this was with boys which made it even harder.

"Yes."

"Well we do not have much experience with this, I don't know how we are meant to help." Shaman thought back to her high school days where she heard gossip about boys but since she was rather quiet she never really engaged in dating.

"Doesn't matter, I just need you to help me scout out one." Himeko declared what she wanted them to do which made Shaman and Elysia's job easier.

Clara had walked in when Himeko declared this but was more interested in the pancakes on the table. She walked up to the table and began to reach out for one to take a bite.

When she entered all everyone could do was watch as she approached the pancakes and slowly took a bite. Everyone wanted to stop her but the urge to see her suffer was greater so they waited.

Everyone watched as Clara began to eat the pancake. Clara took a massive bite but as soon as she bit into it, the vinegar invaded her mouth causing her to throw the pancake. Clara had thrown the pancake so fast that she even used her lighting to throw it harder.

The pancake flew at high speeds right at Himeko's face and due to the high speed, she was unable to dodge it. Himeko also had not seen it coming so all she could do was sit there and take the pancake to the face.

Shaman, Elysia and Wolfy all started dying laughing at the reaction of Clara and at Himeko who had a vinegar pancake on her face.

"HAHAHA OMG, CLARA, I CAN'T." Shaman was on her knees laughing as her reaction was priceless. Elysia had also joined laughing on the floor holding her stomach.

Himeko had just sat there as she had a slightly burnt vinegar pancake on her face and could not believe what was happening.

Clara on the other hand was coughing like crazy trying her best to get rid of the lingering taste.

"WHO THE FUCK MADE THESE!!!" Clara screamed out as she needed answers and wanted to kill whoever made them.

This caused the room to quickly go silent as a fight might happen between Clara and Himeko.

"Ahem." Himeko had cleared her throat and the pancake on her face had fallen on the table. Clara turned around and saw Himeko sitting there with her legs crossed staring at her with a friendly smile.

Clara's angry face instantly stiffened as Himeko's face was the sign of danger and if she went any further she may get another trip through the sky. Clara had also knelt on the floor as she also realized where the thrown pancake landed.

Shaman and Elysia also followed Clara's actions as they were laughing at her and if they continued they may also join the trip to the sky with Clara.

Himeko stood up and walked in front of the girls that were kneeling she was glad that they realized what they had done.

"Good, now that you are here Clara you can also join the girls in their mission today." Himeko had a smirk as Clara had already done this before but it turned out horrible since all she would bring back were snobs that only wanted her wealth.

Clara paled a little as she did not expect she would be being dragged along with the girls as the last time she did a personal request for Himeko she wasn't able to move for a week since she did such a horrible job.

"You are going out in the city and finding a suitable boyfriend for me by the time the sun falls, do you understand?" Himeko stood in the middle of them waiting for an answer.

They all nodded as cold sweat started to go down their face since Himeko let out some of her aura.

"Now be a bunch of good girls and go out there for me or I might prepare you for something worse." Himeko clicked her fingers kicking the girls and Wolfy out of the tower with her flames. They each find themselves kneeling at the front door once the flames subsided.

Everyone gasped for air as they did not even realize they held their breath for so long.

"Dammit, she is no fun." Clara was the first to speak as she was very fond of annoying people but Himeko was someone who if you do one thing wrong you set off a nuclear explosion.

"You can say that again." Shaman had always wanted to bug Himeko but there was always that air of danger if she ever did.

"Well, I guess we should get a boyfriend for Himeko then." Elysia wanted to get this over with as the sooner they find one the quicker they can get rid of the stress.

"How are we going to even find a suitable guy?" Wolfy was rather worried as it seemed like there was no guy in the world who would be able to handle her.

"We just have to try." Clara stood up with confidence as now she had a team to find the right man, unlike last time.

Shaman and Elysia looked up to her in hope as Clara was the only one who knew Himeko really well.

"Let us head to the city. It should be about the time people start heading out." Clara looked towards the sun and was able to guess the time.

"Why is it that people only go out at certain times?" Shaman had noticed this before as it was dead silent when they entered.

"Oh? That's because there is a curfew and unless it is urgent you should stay inside. It's mainly due to the recent tension with the church and makes my work easier so don't worry about it." Clara made a brief explanation of what was going on which sounded reasonable.

"That explains why it was so quiet but I still find it odd." Shaman still felt like there was more to it but she did not want to pry.

.....

"As she said, don't worry about it, it's not our business." Elysia did not want to get involved as it sounded like a headache and this was a human territory problem, not theirs.

"Good point, well Clara, got any hotspots to visit." Shaman shared the same feelings with Elysia.

Clara nodded at Shaman's question and pointed in a direction.

"Well let us be off then." Clara took charge as she knew the city like the back of her hand. The rest followed her in search of a suitable man.

**

"Hey, would you be interested in going on a date with Himeko Ado?" Clara was asking people who were walking down the street.

"You mean the Himeko Ado." The man's face paled a little at the thought of going on a date with Himeko.

"Yep." Clara responded in a cheerful tone but after she confirmed it the man started to sweat and was looking for a way out.

"What's wrong sir?" Clara was confused but she had gotten this reaction many times already and did not know why.

"I'm sorry I can not go." The man quickly bowed and started to run away from Clara

*sigh* Clara let out a sigh as this was the 23rd person to run away.

"Why don't people want to date her?" Clara could not wrap her head around it.

Shaman and Elysia on the other hand were laughing as they still found the reaction funny.

"I think it is because no one will be able to withstand her presence let alone strength." Shaman quickly stopped her laughter and figured it had to do with her overbearing presence and unless you become a strong adventurer, you would not be able to survive.

"I guess you are right but they can at least give it a shot can't they." Clara was sure that they did not need to be strong, if anything it would be better if it was someone weak as it would allow Himeko to take full care of them without having to worry.

**

"Hey Clara, where is Elysia?" Shaman looked around as they were currently going through a food court of sorts.

"I thought she was next to you?" Clara was not paying attention as she was more focused on finding a suitable partner.

"Wolfy?" Shaman looked at Wolfy who was dozing off but quickly shook awake when his name was called out.

"Huh?" Wolfy looked at Shaman with confusion wondering what was happening.

"Oh no." Shaman did not need to ask Wolfy to know Elysia had gone wandering off.

'Shit now that I'm aware of it, my anxiety is coming back.' Shaman could feel the gripping feeling in her heart and began to stress a little.

Clara could see that Shaman was a little distressed and went to Shaman's side.

"Hey? Are you alright?" Clara was not aware of Shaman's trauma and if she were separated from Elysia she would begin to have a panic attack and breakdown.

"We need to find Elysia otherwise I am going to break down." Shaman grabbed ahold of Clara's arm which calmed her down a little.

Clara had blushed a little as this was a rather new experience for her as she never really had contact with people other than for work or requests by Himeko.

"Okay let's go." Clara shook her head to rid herself of this feeling and started to backtrack. She did not ask any questions about what was happening with Shaman and just let her hold on as they walked.

*

They had been walking down the street for an hour with no signs of Elysia and Shaman was getting more stressed by the minute. Her grip on Clara was tighter as it was the only thing keeping her from breaking down.

Wolfy had also started to search on his own to make things faster but they still had no luck in finding her.

However, they did not have to wait much longer as an explosion could be heard behind them.

Flames erupted from a restaurant and yelling could be heard.

"HOW DARE YOU PUT CHILI'S IN MY FOOD, I SPECIFICALLY ASKED FOR NONE!!!" Elysia's voice rang out as the restaurant was being set ablaze and part of the building destroyed.

Shaman hearing her voice quickly sprinted to the explosion. Clara and Wolfy followed Shaman, also worried about what was going on.

Shaman arrived and she could see Elysia standing on a table yelling at a bunch of staff members of the restaurant.

"HOW CAN YOU FUCK UP SO BADLY, THIS IS FOOD WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AND EACH DISH MUST BE CAREFULLY MADE TO THE CUSTOMER'S NEEDS." Elysia was scolding the chiefs for their mistakes with some of them almost crying.

Shaman was shocked at what she was seeing and saw Elysia's golden eyes glow with a slight red.

"Elysia!" Shaman did not care either way and jumped into her hugging her from behind.

"Huh? Shaman, what are you doing here." Elysia was wondering why Shaman was here as she only planned to quickly visit a restaurant to try out some food.

"You idiot, I almost had a breakdown." Shaman's eyes started to tear up as she looked up to Elysia.

"Oh shit, I forgot about that, I just smelled the food here and could not help and investigate." Elysia let out a weak laugh but their reunion was interrupted as Clara appeared behind Elysia and smacked her in the back of the head with her hand.

Shaman was now supporting Elysia as the smack from Clara had almost knocked her out.

"Sorry for the inconvenience. I will get this black-haired fox to help you fix your restaurant." Clara was speaking to the staff and was also punishing Elysia.

"What?" Elysia regained her balance and heard what Clara said.

"You are going to help these lovely staff members clean the store the best you can." Clara smiled as she was furious at what Elysia had done. What Elysia did not know was the restaurant she destroyed was actually her favourite one.

Elysia could see that she had no other choice as to if Clara got any answer other than a yes a hit to the back of the head will not be the only thing she will get.

"Yes." Elysia resigned to Clara's will as it was her fault and there was no reasonable way to get out of it.

**

The group were once again roaming the city looking for a partner after they cleaned the store but no one has yet to accept the offer

Shaman looked at where the sun was and when she did she started to panic a little as they were running out of time.

Shaman had also looked at Elysia as the delay was a cause of Elysia's actions

"What?" Elysia was confused why she was being stared at. Shaman took a deep breath as she remembered how on their trip around the city they lost Elysia.

"If it wasn't for you getting lost and causing a mess for a few hours just because you wanted to 'sample' the Ebonscale delicacies we may have been a bit more efficient!" Despite saying samples Elysia had gone to almost every restaurant they went past and had a full meal each time so she could get inspiration for her future meals.

What ended up happening instead was Elysia getting lost in the city and because she accidentally ordered a meal that was too spicy, she ended up destroying the joint because it was too hot for her and she got mad at the chiefs.

"Yes, and because we destroyed it we had to help fix it." Veins could be seen popping out of Clara's head as she was reminded why they are running out of time and not only that Elysia destroyed her favourite restaurant.

"And you said. "we will have enough time, pleaseeee help me, Shaman." I should've said NO!" Shaman was regretting helping Elysia halfway through the cleaning and wished she just continued her search with Clara but in the end, they ended up helping.

"I'm sorry." Elysia was looking at the floor and slowly started to eat the kebabs she had brought.

"ENOUGH!" Clara shouted as there was no time arguing with each other and they needed to hurry.

**

It was night time and they had returned to the tower without anyone, their heads were low as they entered and saw Himeko sitting in the middle waiting.

"So how did it go?" Himeko was rather excited but when she saw the state of the girls her excitement went away.

"We could not find you a date." Clara was the first to speak up about their results which caused Shaman and Elysia to lower their heads even more. Wolfy was already on the floor waiting for the punishment although he did not do much and was not a part of it he was still going to be on the receiving end.

Himeko let out a sigh as she half expected this but thought with extra help she would be more successful this time.

"How about you go out by yourself, maybe if you talk to the people, maybe someone will actually want to date you and not run away from you." Shaman still did not like how they had to go out for Himeko as this was her problem yet they were the ones that had to go find a date.

Clara looked back in dread as this was the exact same thing she said last time which had gotten her in a sorry state.

Himeko hearing the same words again burst out in flames causing everyone to pale and start to run for the door.

"Shit I should have just kept my mouth shut." Shaman was having major regrets but before they could reach the door Himeko had exploded the first floor by smashing the ground with her foot. This had sent the group flying through the door and into the air while still on fire.

They all crashed, causing the destruction of some houses. But luckily they were able to break their fall so they would not die but in the end they still got injured.

Their entire bodies were sore from the landing and could hardly move from the position they were in.

"Okay, let's not piss her off." Shaman had learnt her lesson the very hard way and was not excited for the next few days.

The entire group was feeling regret as they now knew for next time to just keep their mouth shut otherwise they might become tomorrow night's meal.