{Sara}

The Adventurers Guild's guild hall was normally a very lively place. Tonight, however, there was someone in the building sucking away any and all energy around them.

Sara sat by the fire pit, one leg crossed over the other, her sword resting in her lap. Wearing her black armor, she and Eve waited patiently, an ominous air surrounding them.

"Uhm... They're probably still fine, you know?"

"Perhaps," Sara replied quietly.

"I'm just saying, we should probably be waiting back at the hotel. Waiting here, just to... You know, do that, is..."

"Maybe you could go back," Sara suggested instead. "I wish to remain here, though. In case that lady wishes to hand in a very conveniently timed resignation."

Just half an hour ago, Ava had teleported Rin and Xhez to Rin's brother's location. Knowing the dangers this situation presented, Sara chose to head straight to the Adventurers Guild, just in case something had gone wrong.

And, in case someone needed to have their head cut off.

The fairy sat on the left arm of Sara's chair, saying:

"You really do tend to go the extra mile for Rin, don't you?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, I'm just saying," Eve shrugged. "Helping here... Helping with that situation at the train..."

Sara briefly locked eyes with Eve but, not liking the way she was being looked at, Sara turned away.

Until Eve said:

"You like her, don't you?"

Sara inhaled sharply.

"Does merely assisting a friend automatically constitute a romantic attachment to them?"

"No... But, I'd say that the way you look at her does," Eve replied. "I mean, you kinda warm up anytime she even looks your way. And, uh, yeah, I know that feeling."

Hearing that, Sara gave Eve a wide-eyed look of great surprise.

"N-Not that I like RIn too," Eve added in a hurry. "I'm just saying... I've had my fair share of crushes. Looking at you whenever you're around her feels like looking in a mirror."

After a while spent considering how she could respond, Sara finally said:

"Think what you will." She hoped that statement would put the conversation to rest.

Indeed, Eve didn't add anything else.

But a short while later, the guild hall's front doors opened.

Sara quickly placed a hand on her sword, just in case it was Ava.

Indeed, if Ava showed up without Rin by her side, Sara planned to take her head off on the spot. How she'd deal with the consequences that followed was something for her future self to consider.

However, no. It was not Ava, but, rather, it was RIn herself, with a human-looking Xhez beside her.

As both parties locked eyes, Rin gestured for Sara and Eve to both come out of the guild hall.

"What happened?" Sara asked, noticing the blood on Rin's clothes. The blood that had the nighttime city guards looking their way.

"Let's head back to the hotel. I'll explain there."

---

{The next day}

Sara sat down next to Rin on the train.

Both Rin and Xhez had been awfully quiet ever since they came back from wherever it had been that they went.

Apparently, Xhez had learned the {Teleportation} spellsign from seeing Ava perform it and subsequently used it to get both Rin and herself back to Cradle.

Ava never showed up again. That was, of course, smart of her, as if she had just teleported back to the Adventurers Guild, Sara would have cut her down.

Still, although it felt like Rin and Xhez had made it out alright, Sara wanted to know:

"What happened last night?"

"... Not much to say, really," Rin replied. "We met them and I asked for an explanation out of my brother, to hear him tell me why he'd been gone the past three years. Turns out, he was doing just fine all this time, murdering innocent people and making a little revolution or whatever the fuck," Rin spat out. "I told him I couldn't accept that, knowing everything the Scorned have done. And... He tried to kill me. But, he failed. That's pretty much it."

For once, Sara wished she'd spent a little more time interacting with others, just so she'd know what to do right now.

Rin was clearly very affected by it all. Even Sara could tell. Hunched over, sighing every couple of minutes, her eyes down on her lap, Rin was noticeably sad.

All Sara could think of was to put a hand on her shoulder gently, saying:

"I'm sorry."

Rin took that hand, holding it and standing up.

Without a word, she dragged Sara to the rearmost car in the train, where Rin had explained Xhez's nature to Sara on their way here.

"Sara," Rin suddenly said, and Sara could feel her own heart start beating so much faster. Then, RIn said, "I need your help."

Sara had heard that same statement so many times from Rin already. And yet, she still answered:

"What do you need?"

Holding both of Sara's hands, Rin leaned against the railing. The moonlight wrapped itself around the adventurer, making Sara feel like she was in a dream.

"I need to get stronger," Rin stated. "The Scorned aren't going to stop. They're going to keep attacking innocents, taking monsters in and training them, and, eventually, I'm guessing they're going to try something big. I want to stop them. People as evil and... and selfish like them can't be allowed to go unpunished. But, I need to get stronger," she reiterated. "So, I'd like it if you and I could keep training together. Go on missions, bring the fight to these assholes wherever possible. And, uh, you're one of the strongest people I know. I'd like it if you could help me with that."

Sara found herself saying, "sure," before she could even register everything Rin wanted to do.

"Thank you," Rin said, before leaning in and giving Sara a kiss on the cheek. "I appreciate everything you've done for me. I hope I can make up for it in the future."

"You do not have to," Sara muttered.

"Okay... Wanna head back?"

"You go on ahead," Sara replied, taking a deep breath. "I... I want to stay out here for a little while longer."

"Oh... Alright."

Sara was then left by her lonesome, staring up at the night sky as Eve flew up to where she was, and sat down on the railing.

She didn't say anything, though. The fairy merely offered her company.

Eventually, Sara broke the silence herself, saying:

"You were right. I like her."

Eve gave her a smirk.

"Of course, you do."