Ruby, with OG Hika sleeping in the hood of Ruby's hoodie, stared up at the sky while trying to spot Zulcrestus or for anything of interest. Zalroth and Zalina sighed in union before Zalroth uncrossed his arms.

"It appears the fight's over," Zalroth remarked while scratching Zalina's chin. Ruby disappointedly slumped her head at hearing Zalroth's remark.

"Aww man," Ruby sombrely said. Ruby abruptly raised her head and did a 180° spin before rushing over to Sophia and grabbing her hands. Sophia gave Ruby a confused look whilst tilting her head.

"We need to go find Kiki!" Ruby proclaimed cheerfully before leading Sophia off. Zalroth, Zalina and Zalmaru watched Ruby lead, Sophia, away and once the group was sure the duo was gone the group let out a relieved sigh.

"It's always some sort of over-the-top plan with you guys," Zalina complained as she angrily rushed over to Zalmaru and repeatedly bopped him on the head.

"Well, when we're told to get the god of destruction incarnate's attention no matter what; we're obviously going to go the extreme off the bat," Zalmaru remarked telepathically as Zalina halted her bopping barrage and pouting.

"Well sorry for thinking you, Mimi and Vivo would be more discrete," Zalina huffed as she pulled the Crescent Moon Staff out of her tails and shoved it into Zalroth's tails, causing Zalina's heart-shaped pupil to morph into a normal-shaped pupil and matching her pale magenta eye.

"Given their track record, I'd say they were pretty discrete this time but that's just my opinion," Chronia mentioned as she popped her head out from the side of Zalroth; at the same time, Yellow and Pink Hika floated around Chronia's head.

"Oh Lady Chronia, what brings you here?" Zalina confusedly asked while sneaking in one more head bop on Zalmaru before racing across Zalroth's tails and stopping next to Chronia.

"You forgot the coin pouch," Chronia mentioned, causing Zalina's ears to slump down as she gained a nervous expression.

"O-oh...," Zalina muttered before she hid under some of Zalroth's tail fur.

"But I ran into a friend of the pouch's owner on the way here so it's not a big deal, Ina," Chronia added as she took a lollypop out from her pale lime and teal-coloured storage pocket bubble. Chronia went to unwrap the lollipop before stopping herself when she noticed the two Hikas and Zalina intently staring at the lollipop.

"You gals... want one?" Chronia asked with the three girls giving pleading head nods, in unison, at Chronia's question; Chronia disappointedly sighed as she pulled three more lollipops out from her storage pocket bubble before it popped out of existence.

As the Hika's were nibbling on their lollipops, they glanced upwards and excitedly smiled when they spotted Zulcrestus flying down to the plaza. Chronia peeked her gaze upwards before looking over at Zalroth as she took her lollipop out of her mouth.

"You better not say anything to embarrass me, Zalroth," Chronia requested with a serious tone before placing her lollipop back in her mouth.

"I don't think you need master's help in that, Lady Chronia," Zalmaru coldly stated. Chronia gritted her teeth against her lollipop at Zalmaru's slight before she tried to strongly bite down on the lollipop in an attempt to show how mad she was but only managed to hurt her jaw.

Chronia meekly rubbed her cheeks as Zulcrestus landed in front of the group, with the two Hikas teleporting onto his shoulders. Zulcrestus went to speak before noticing Chronia seemed to be in pain.

"Do you need a second, Supreme Guild Master?" Zulcrestus asked. Chronia adamantly shook her head.

"No-no, I'm fine and just call me Chronia," Chronia awkwardly said as she continued to rub her face.

"I see...," Zulcrestus said before he was bopped on the sides of his head by the Hikas.

"Aren't you forgetting to show her the same courtesy?" the Hikas whispered in unison, making Zulcrestus roll his eyes.

"If that's the case then you may call me Zuno" Zuno Zulcrestus added. Zuno and the Hikas watched Chronia as she slowed down her face rubbing and finished her lollipop.

"Oh, and you don't need to tell me why you're looking for me," Chronia remarked as she slowly stopped rubbing her face.

"I figured as much...," Zuno stated as he glanced around. Chronia became slightly nervous as Zuno continued to glance around.

"Is... something the matter?" Chronia asked cautiously. Zuno continued to stare off for a split second before turning back to Chronia.

"No... I just had a question for the ten-tailed-disaster adventurer Zalroth S-," Zuno managed to say before the Hikas interrupted him.

"It's Ten-Tailed-Disaster-Nullifier," Pink Hika said adamantly.

"Yeah, you make it sound like he's a bad guy or something," Yellow Hika added.

"A question huh? Well, I'm sure he could..." Chronia started to say but, as she turned around, she realized Zalroth was gone. Chronia facepalmed and shook her head.

"When I said don't embarrass me, I didn't mean he should straight up leave," Chronia disappointedly said as she lowered her hand off her face. Zuno itched his right horn while Chronia wondered aloud about where Zalroth could've gone without her noticing. Zuno let out a cough to regain Chronia's attention.

"Given you already know why I'm here; I take it you can guess or perhaps have foreseen the request I intend to ask you," Zuno stated.

"Yeah, I did but I was planning on accompanying Zalroth there since he's... ... he mentioned he's accompanying a group who're heading in a similar direction," Chronia explained awkwardly.

"I see," Zuno replied as he turned away from Chronia and as he attempted to walk away Chronia held her arms out in front of him.

“I wouldn't recommend going after the underground mana signature,” Chronia said as she positioned herself in front of Zuno.

“Whyz phat?” Pink Hika asked.

“Although I can’t say right now, cuz my future vision's on cooldown but that’s beside the point, what I can tell you is it would be a waste of time for you to try and track down the source of the mana,” Chronia stated.

“How come it’s a waste of time?” Yellow Hika stroppily inquired as she and Pink Hika crossed their arms.

“Well, you wouldn’t punch a bunch of holes in your ceiling when you hear a spooky noise when you could just wait for it to come out on its own, would you?” Chronia rhetorically, and slightly smugly, asked.

“I guess that makes sense,” Yellow Hika somberly replied.

“And I presume you have a more effective plan?” Zuno inquired while the city guards began allowing civilians to filter back into the plaza.

“Naturally, you should attend the Maxicannion Tournament,” Chronia cheerfully offered.

"Pardon-" Zuno managed to say before the Hikas jumped in front of his face.

"We're all for this plan!" the Hikas said in tandem; Zuno sighed, as Zalroth walked up behind Chronia before she seemed to teleport onto Zalroth's tails and with Zalina on her lap.

"Sorry for dipping on you for a second there, I heard someone selling Candy Cats merch on the other side of the city," Zalroth explains apologetically as Zalmaru was pulling a large bag into Zalroth’s tails.

“So… do pray tell, my perpetually serious glaring friend, what question did you need me to answer?” Zalroth asked as Zalmaru and the large bag disappeared into Zalroth’s tails.

“I heard from Charlotte that you were the one who fought the heathian in the nearby mountain caverns; so I would like to request if you would be willing to give a statement on the events that transpired in the magic dungeon if you would,” Zuno requested. Zalroth and Zalina tilted their heads in unison with puzzled looks on their faces.

“Huh/Pardon?” Zalroth and Zalina said simultaneously with confused tones; Chronia disappointedly shook her head in disbelief at the duo’s bewilderment.

“He wants you to tell him what happened, ya dumb-dumbs,” Chronia snarked.

“Oh…,” the kitsunes muttered in tandem. Zuno placed his hand on his chin as he seemed to be heavily pondering something.

“Is… something wrong?” the Hikas asked as they poked Zuno in the face until he snapped out of his deep thought.

“Do they have the pink one and the tuxedo one?” Zuno asked. Zakroth quickly grabbed one of his tails and put it over his face.

“I think they do, and I think they even had a pink one in a tux as a prize in the stall next to the plushie stand,” Zalroth explain as he let go of his tail.

“I see, would you be willing to show me?” Zuno requested. Zalroth was about to answer but slowly got a smug grin and turned around.

“Sure, but we should probably hurry since the stands didn’t have any customers while I was there,” Zalroth stated before he and Zuno hurried off for the Candy Cats plushie stand.

Meanwhile, in the damp collapsed cavern, the Terrorizer, donning a large-hooded cloak, staggered and stumbled through the cavern as steam rose from his cloak every time a drop of water struck it. The Terrorizer stopped at a dead-end and slowly glared upwards when a large drop of water struck his head.

As the Terrorizer glared at the dead-end a large purple glimmering arm raced through the air and punctured the cavern wall. The wall crumbled to pieces as the arm pulled away and revealed a separate cavern. The Terrorizer slowly lowered his head and peered into the separate cavern before slowly walking into it with a large glimmering creature trailing behind him.