Nakama’s eyes widened for the briefest of moments when she saw Gaius and Isabelle walk through the only exit allowed, with the person the officials were looking for in their firm grip. The boy shook his head slightly as he led Xanadu through the exit, and the three made it out without incident.

“We managed to avert a bloodbath, at least,” Gaius murmured. “So, Xanadu, what are your intentions in coming here?”

“Like I said, nostalgia,” she replied.

“Sure, and I’m the leader of the new world,” Gaius replied. “I don’t believe that you’re just here for nostalgia’s sake. Every time you appear, it’s either because of a Constellation, or you wanted something badly, something like an artefact or a weapon.”

“Or ice-cream,” Xanadu added. “I like ice cream a lot.”

“That makes four of us, at least,” Gaius replied. “What weapon are you looking for now? And why do you need that many items anyway?”

“I’m not looking for a weapon today,” she replied. “I want to visit this hallowed ground in Kishi Gakuen before I leave the East for good.”

Gaius narrowed his eyes slightly. It was impossible to tell if she was lying, but from her peaceable state today, she might just want to visit an attraction or something, instead of robbing and murdering a whole bunch of people. The boy considered her words for a moment, and then nodded.

“Fine,” he said. “I believe you. But the two of us will be tagging along, just in case you intend on painting this place with blood and terror.”

“Is that really necessary?”

“Yes,” Gaius replied. “After all, Isabelle and I have a vested interest in making sure that nothing bad happens at today’s festivities. There’s a whole host of problems in Seireiden that might happen here, and you happen to be at the top of the lethality and bloodshed rankings. I haven’t forgotten what you did to the adventurers of this city.”

“You’re, for all intents and purposes, a mass murderer,” said Isabelle. “You should already count your blessings that we aren’t fighting you to the death right now. Either you accept our condition, or you leave.”

“If you’re not willing, I’ll end you right here,” said Gaius. “You probably remember what happened the first time we met, no? I don’t mind having more of your armour to research.”

Xanadu froze.

“Do not mistake my inaction for weakness, Phantom Blade.” Gaius’ fingers turned into a blur. A chill filled the pit of his stomach, and for a moment, he could picture how an ensuing fight might play out. “Believe me when I said that I could have killed you easily on our first meeting.”

In his peripheral vision, the boy could see Isabelle gulp nervously. Gaius examined himself, and realised that a dense fog of energy was flowing out of him slowly, clouding his figure slightly. Fear began to creep into his mind as he looked at the power shrouding him, and with a start, he realised that its very sight was able to evoke emotions within others.

The boy focused on the power around him, retrieving it. The irrational fear that had arisen within him faded away as his body re-absorbed the qi it had just released. Two audible sighs of relief registered in Gaius’ hearing, but he didn’t say anything to reassure the two girls that what had just happened was unintentional.

“Is it me, or are these two a bit scared?” Nexus’ voice echoed in his head.

“They are,” Gaius replied, his words sounding somewhat foreign as he heard them in his mind. “But I’ll let you about it later. Let me settle this first.”

The boy folded his arms, an action that drew the eyes of Isabelle and Xanadu. “I’ll give you a few seconds to make—"

“I accept your conditions,” Xanadu replied hastily. “I’ll be under your escort, the two of you.”

“Excellent.” He glanced at Isabelle, whose face had returned to a mask of neutrality. “We’ll still be able to enjoy the festivities this way, so don’t feel down about all this.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” she replied. “It’s you. For a moment, you seemed like a stranger. Like someone very dangerous. I couldn’t recognise you at that moment.”

“We’ll talk about that later,” Gaius replied. He turned to Xanadu. “You said you wanted to visit a hallowed ground, right? What’s all this about?”

“It’s a place of legends,” replied the Phantom Blade. She lowered her voice. “According to myth, it was where the great gods used to reside in for leisure, long before the Demon God came into being.”

“I’ve heard of that,” said Isabelle. “Takamagahara, right? I remember reading about it a few years ago. But it’s here?”

“Very much so,” said Xanadu. “It’s a rather well-kept secret. Most people think it’s somewhere in Mi-Zu’s east, but Seireiden was actually built around the abode of the great gods.”

“How do you know this?” Gaius asked. “In fact, you know a lot. How did you even know I was carrying the Apex back then?”

“Trade secret,” Xanadu replied. “If I told everyone who asked me the same question, I wouldn’t have that much time to run around grabbing the stuff I need and all.”

“Fine,” said the boy. “You keep your secrets. So, this…Takamagahara place is your target. What are you looking for in there?”

“I’m just going there to look at the place,” said Xanadu. “Word has it that the great gods left something behind. I’m going to find what it is before, well, something happens to it.”

“Before something happens to it?” Gaius repeated. “You’re beginning to sound very mysterious there, little lady. Mind telling us more?”

“The secrets of fate cannot be revealed,” Xanadu replied. She tilted her nose up and huffed lightly. Gaius felt his eyelid twitch — if not for the fact that he didn’t want to attract attention by floating, he would have smacked her head twice for being too obnoxious.

Gaius rolled his eyes. “Lead the way. And don’t do anything funny on the way, or else.”

“Don’t worry,” Xanadu replied.

“I feel more worried when you say that,” Isabelle chipped in, earning her an angry glare from the Phantom Blade. “I see why he’s so leery about you now. You are a weird, weird person.”

“Where I come from, I’m an exceptional and normal person,” Xanadu said, pride shining through her words.

Isabelle blinked. “That…doesn’t make any sense at all, does it?”

“No,” said Gaius, “it doesn’t.”