She held a straightforward motive, one that was embodied in a similarly styled tactic. Each slow stretch and wriggle only furthered her control of as much territory as her small body could cover. Her legs continued to encroach upon the unknown as she yawned loudly, apathetic toward her audience’s stares. That is, until her conquest had finally met its first impasse. Her eyes peeked over in a questioning glance, and then came the scowl.

“Hoy, you mind moving over a tad bit more, human?”

She gestured with the swaying of her hand in Lukos’ direction, seemingly awaiting his response with a rather annoyed expression on her face. Having claimed ownership of more than half of the available space on the three-seated couch—she still desired what lied further beyond. And Lukos could clearly feel that as his left side was already pressing against the armrest.

He was quick to weigh in on the conundrum with a glance toward Astrid, yet she immediately looked away. Whereas Alisa was already preparing to fetch a second pot of tea, evidently saddened by the young girl’s prior comment as she whispered to herself.

“I thought the tea came out pretty well...”

He was completely on his own in dealing with the strange, young girl. From his position though, he could easily see that the space to the right of her was free. It was odd. It was as if she was consolidating her entirety toward the middle. He then concluded his analysis amid a heavy swallow as he voiced his suggestion.

“You know, there’s still bit of space available right there. I can’t exactly move any—”

“I said move over, not give me your unwanted opinion. I already asked nicely.”

Several minutes later, Alisa returned with a fresh pot only to find Lukos smiling awkwardly her way from the two-seated couch she was occupying earlier. The young girl, sprawled and basking in her conquered territory, nonchalantly remained at its center—alone and free.

Lukos had forfeited outright, rather than admit himself to a certain defeat. She had been the one that saved them in the first place, which is why they also allowed her to care for Eru and took her at her word. Lukos and Astrid both knew, if it hadn’t been for her timely arrival, they might not have made it out of the church alive, let alone with Eru.

“Now, I’m sure you’re wondering about that girl, aren’t you?”

As Alisa took her seat next to Lukos, the sudden question from the young girl caught them all off guard. Yet, she was right. Lukos still held some concerns for their prior discussion, but Eru’s condition had been weighing on him for quite a while now. And he knew that Astrid’s worry far outmatched his own. Her overall silence and demeanor were telling, it was eating at her without a doubt.

“Yes. Is she okay? Her body seemed rather...high in temperature when we arrived, so...”

Lukos responded with a strained expression and yet, to his surprise, he was greeted with a sudden, unexpected smug from the girl who remained laying down.

“Hmph. Ease your worries. There’s no real issue with her condition as of now. She was already well-equipped, and along with my treatment, she stabilized. Like that human boy, she’s simply resting. All you can do is wait for her to awaken in due course.”

She continued to hold that endearing smug, whilst oozing a brilliant aura of self-satisfaction. From their perspective, it was easy to tell that she was quite content with her own work.

“Anything else you wish to ask? If not, I think I’d like to take a short rest myself. It's rare for me to be out and about basically.”

Seconds of silence overtook the room. Lukos began to consider a particular one, but instead decided to hold his tongue. Yet, as someone behind him voiced their own question, it was as if she had read his mind.

“What exactly is Ery...?” That thing that she summoned into this world, everything she did at the church... I’ve never seen anything like it before! Not just that. This feeling when I look at her... There’s no way she’s...”

“Human? Is that what you wish to savagely imply? That she isn’t even human?”

Astrid had unabashedly aimed straight for the heart of the matter, which didn’t surprise the blue-haired girl even slightly. With a single eye open, she glanced toward Astrid whose head was held down with a pained face.

“Looked down upon as different from her own kind, huh? Beyond cruel even under normal circumstances, yet here it is by you of all people?”

In a long-drawn out sigh, she quipped under her breath that no one caught.

“That’s truly ironic coming from something like you.”

Her body then shifted, as she sat upright at the center of the couch. She crossed her legs and arms, body pushed against the backrest while she kept a newly adorned scowl on Astrid’s person.

“And? What exactly would you do with that knowledge, if that were the case, hm? Make another attempt at taking her life?”

“That’s not...!”

“Don’t beat around the bush now, human. Go on, say it like you did back at the church, on how that thing shouldn’t exist.”

Astrid clenched her fists, digging her nails into the palm of her hands. She couldn’t respond. No, she didn’t even know how to respond to the girl's words. It was the truth after all. Forcibly strung along by her own inner desires—her inhibitions—every bit of her still held true to that original statement. Even now, while devoid of duress, and sated adrenaline and nerves—Astrid still felt that way.

“Hmph. I understand, human.”

“What...?”

The air suddenly became increasingly heavy, almost electrified, stemming from Astrid’s sudden shift in disposition to that single declaration. And yet the blue-haired girl continued unfazed.

“You’re driven by your own origins. Along with that Unique SKILL of yours, correct? Someone like you, who was indubitably swayed by your own inner vices though, judging another? I find that rather humorous.”

“Who the hell do you think you are?! What could you possibly know about me?!”

Her voice was a siren of angst and wrath, shaking the very foundation of the once quiet household. But now, she met the eyes of the one who challenged her in full. An orange intensity versus a pair of green flares, yet the former remained unperturbed even with Astrid’s sudden howl.

“[Cadence of the Scourge], that’s not a title anyone here should be associated with, Preserver.”

Astrid’s eyes shot open in disbelief as the blue-haired girl’s powerful, orange gaze burrowed even deeper into her very being. In response to Astrid’s deflated anger, she closed her eyes and continued.

“That being said, I couldn’t care less about your past. That girl, Eru, is human but not at the same time. She embodies a rather vile similarity to yourself, but in a far more sinister and contaminating form. It’s the distinct difference between building it with your own hands versus it being forced upon you. Woven, thread by thread, until everything you are is simply just that.”

The blue-haired girl’s eyes then suddenly shifted to the main doorway. She sighed aloud once more and leapt to her feet.

“As I said, I understand. But if you’re so stricken to abide by that inner, self-contradicting justice of yours—then humor me a little. Why not join the girl instead, hm? See for yourself and learn firsthand what she actually is. But I have no intention on saying any more on the matter. You'll have to hear the rest from the source itself.”

Walking toward the doorway, she then stopped midway. Her words were now directed at none of the three behind her.

“Now, it’s bad manners to assume you can just listen in without any sort of retaliation. I’m sure you already realized this, but it’s also futile to do so to begin with as long as I’m here.”

“Oh? Ooooh~ So there really was a barrier of some sort, huh? I couldn’t hear a single thing! Makes sense!”

As the preppy voice practically sang their reply from the other side, the door swung open. A figure draped in a white full-body, bag-like cloak entered—swaying with a carefree hum and a red-furred monkey in tow.

“Is that the strange person whose scent you were picking up on, Mizaru? I couldn’t smell a thing...”

“Eeeee! Eeeee!”

“It’s not something that any human can just easily home in on? Well, hmph, I’m not just any human, you know~”

“Eeee!”

“Wait, that includes even me?! Hmm. Mmm. Then that should be against the rules! It’s cheating!”

The two bickered relentlessly and without a care. It wasn’t until the red-furred monkey began pointing at the young girl across from them that they finally shifted their attention away from each other.

“Fine, fine. I’ll do it. I’ll do it, okay? Just shush for a moment. Geez.”

She bowed slightly toward the blue-haired girl and continued as her demeanor had changed to a more formal approach.

“Hello! Allow me to introduce myself! My name is Maela, The Gentled. A Tamer and Effigy of Isluna. This little guy here is Mizaru. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance—”

As she lifted her masked face back toward the young girl, it felt as if she was wearing a devilish smile underneath. Her tone was now saturated with a condescending tingle.

“—O great and revered Celestial, Haifalaura.”

Maela’s words immediately stunned everyone but the one she was addressing. Haifalaura didn’t even spare the batting of her eyelashes in response to her words.

“A named title, huh? Until today, I thought your ilk were on the rarer side. But...”

Haifalaura took a short glance behind her, toward Astrid, and continued.

“It seems I was mistaken. So, what business does someone of your nature entail? I doubt any of us here have the patience to deal with a child such as yourself.”

“Tahaha! That’s a strange thing to say given your current appearance. See, Mizaru. She’s not that scary!”

“Eeee! Eeee!”

“Well, maybe you’re just a wimp, Mizaru. She won’t bite. She didn’t even flinch to my advances after all!”

“That’s because trying to discreetly cast a form of control on me while you’re talking doesn’t even deserve a mention. You’re a fool for even trying. But are you that certain you even have the strength to take me on here if I did ‘bite’?”

Haifalaura began tapping her foot slightly in irritation as Maela began giggling to herself.

“I was found out! But can you blame me for trying? Any reputable Tamer would naturally seek out the strongest creature of them all. Having you would be a prize like none other.”

Turning around mid-sentence, she was preparing to leave until she remembered her reason for visiting in the first place. With the twist of her foot, she faced Haifalaura once again.

“Oh! That's right! How could I forget, silly me. Mind if I see Eru before I head out? There’s something I want to have a quick chat about with her. If she’s still sleeping, just a peek will do too! Please?”

Unlike before, Haifalaura’s face now adorned a far fiercer scowl than any prior.

“Still? I see. That bird had to belong to someone after all.”

“Oops! Can you just forget about that little part? It wasn’t with any ill intentions! Tahaha—!”

It was sudden and without warning as a jolt ran up Maela’s spine. Even Mizaru began to frantically jump atop her head as well in response to the invisible assault that permeated from Haifalaura’s gaze. Yet, Maela quickly laughed it off and continued.

“Calm down, Mizaru! Relax! Like I said, she won’t try anything if we don’t either.”

Maela cocked her masked head sideways, almost tauntingly, and continued.

“This whole place would end up in ruins if she did. Can’t go hurting those you just saved now, can you? Well...”

Twirling herself around once more, she grabbed the shivering red-furred monkey from atop her head, cradling him in her arms as she left.

“Tell Eru I dropped by then please~ And that I look forward to our next meeting. Sure enough, I’ll be seeing her again in the future. Mhm. Since there’s no one here as interesting as she is! Tahaha! Bye bye!”

The door shut behind her, and with it, Alisa and Lukos’ shoulders sank as all the tension in their body was released in relief. Haifalaura shook her head as she made her way back to the couch, but before they could say anything, a more familiar voice caught them by surprise.

“Um. Was that Maela that just left...?”

With a small quilt over her shoulders, a tired Eru emerged from the second floor.