"What was that!?"
Akari slammed her fist into the table, and the room shook ever so gently, anger seeping out of her like waves of heat from a raging fire.
The blond boy next to her turned his head downward, his face pale and wrought with worry.
"You're just going to let him walk away after he tried to kill us!? And not only that, are you really letting him belittle me like that? Is that seriously alright with you?"
Standing up and walking away without another word, the pink-haired girl vanished into the darkness, followed by a loud slap of the door.
Her absence left a lingering silence to fall over the chamber, Aaron's chest tightening in remorse at the fight with his ally.
『She's right, you know. You should've killed him. And you most certainly shouldn't have let him speak like that.』
The boy's cheek twitched at the words, his hands compressing into balls as he pressed them against the table in front of him.
Eventually, he got up as well and sighed hard, the color draining from his face as he stared upward into the darkness.
"Could we have killed him, though?"
Releasing the barrier of mana around his body, he felt a cool breeze seeping inside the ruined building they had decided to use for their interrogation, his internal energy returning slowly.
He began to walk out of the room, his otherwise blank expression betraying anger at himself for what had occurred moments prior.
Responding to his earlier comment, a probing voice echoed through his mind.
『What do you mean?』
Penelope's confusion was short-lived as he responded quickly, his deadpan tone silencing her completely.
"There is no proof that he cast a spell over the region. Furthermore, we kidnapped him and held him at sword-point. Is there really any scenario where we would come out as the innocents and he as the culprit?"
Turning the door handle and allowing the rays of moonlight to wash over his face as he stepped outside the abandoned building, he sighed heavily.
"We would just look like the villains. Regardless of whether he's a cult leader or not, he still has rights. A victimless crime that leads to murder would only escalate things."
Gazing over the bustling plaza that was once full of hypnotized idiots, he placed his bandana over his nose once again.
Some of the vendors who had been crawling along the dirt changed their clothing, while others attempted to find their way back to their original locations, not recognizing their surroundings after waking up.
Nobody knew what had happened during the time they were under the influence of the cult leader; however, the chaos left in his wake prevailed for a long while.
"Now where did she go…"
Searching the various streets that broke off from the central square, he encountered empty passages for as far as the eye could see.
Hmm… I can't just leave her on her own after she threatened to cut his throat.
Tapping his temples lightly, his vision shifted over, trails of mana stretching out in every direction, overwhelming him instantly.
"Whoa there…"
A sudden pain behind his eyes, coupled with a wave of dizziness, nearly sent him face-first into the sand, his arm stretching out to stop the fall.
Steadying himself against a wall, he focused his gaze on a single pathway of light, a technique he had been working on since he had awoken on Corvassa a few weeks ago.
Scanning every exit thoroughly, he could not find even a trace of the girl's mana, a confused expression coming over his face.
"Eh?"
His eyes caught for a moment on an unusual ball of pitch-black shadow hovering only a meter above the roof of the destroyed clock tower.
Dark magic? She really intends to kill him…
Forged through negative emotions and in contrast to its holy opposite, the vile form of mana could be twisted in such a way to provide stealth or enhanced tools for offense.
While the Holy Arts were perfected for the light, defensive spells included, Dark magic was bathed in blood, its capabilities wrought in hellfire.
Not wishing to see such a scene, he summoned Penelope to his hip empty sheath, strapping his boots and jacket firmly to his body as he leaped upward, making his way onto the tower's roof.
Now at a higher point, he released his Mana Vision quickly, relying on his normal sight for the next step.
"There she is."
Noticing a pink blotch on the horizon rushing across the tops of buildings, he sighed, wiping his face with his palm.
Guess a little exercise never hurt anyone…
Feeling the metallic springs etched into his false leg click into gear, he smiled as he shot forward, practically flying across the cityscape.
His blond hair blew harshly in the rough wind, his expression morphing from irritation to joy as he truly felt the feeling of freedom.
Maybe I should look for a flying beast next, to absorb its core. This is kind of fun.
…
"Is that all for your quest today? Or…"
The guild receptionist looked up at Akari with a dull gaze, one that made the pink-haired girl scoff in irritation.
"I just told you. We went in and got out within thirty minutes. This isn't that hard to understand, or am I missing something?"
Her blunt and frankly rude words made the man behind the desk deepen his scowl, his lip twitching slightly.
"Registered. Have a great day…"
Practically throwing the pair of completion sheets at the girl, the receptionist widened his smile, an obvious falsity that Akari could detect immediately.
"You too, baldy."
Walking away before the man could respond, she left the office swiftly, shoving the parchments she had received into her pocket.
What was wrong with that guy… Acting like I'm so rude for getting frustrated at him doubting me… What does he know—
Her thoughts were interrupted as Aaron appeared ahead of her, his clothing wet with sweat and his breath ragged.
"What happened to you?"
Speaking slightly bewildered, she addressed the tired boy calmly.
"Had to… catch up with you… before you… killed that guy…"
Placing his hands on his knees and panting like a dog, he looked up at her patiently, waiting for her reply.
Pursing her lips and walking closer towards him, she placed her hand on his shoulder, whispering something into his ear.
"What if I already killed him~."
Aaron's expression froze, his face paling and body trembling slightly as he looked up at her with horror.
"W-what?"
Staring him blankly in the face for a moment, Akari burst out in laughter, patting him hard on the back.
"I'm only joking, man. Loosen up a little. And here, take this."
She threw the papers she had just picked up at Aaron lightly, and he grabbed them out of the air, reading carefully.
"Deed of completion… Aaron Grimstall and Akari Ayaka… Level one subjugation…"
Blinking slowly and glancing at the girl, he took a deep breath and then spoke clearly, his breathing steady again.
"Listen… I apologize for how I acted when we spoke to that cultist. I should've at least brought him to the police instead of letting him go, but—"
He cut off, a break in his voice confusing the pink-haired girl.
"But…?"
Waiting for him to finish, the girl dug through her pockets, rearranging them to waste time while the boy collected himself.
"But during my mission with the Church, they told me about their history with the cult and their leader. When given the opportunity, I just had to try to help them. I mean, even Raphael believed the entire religion was a cult, and he wasn't some idiot."
There was a momentary silence at the mention of their absent comrade, who had ended his second mission early,
"You know…"
Staring straight into Aaron's turquoise eyes from only a meter or so away, Akari spoke quietly, her hand still on his shoulder.
"I won't apologize for acting the way I did and wishing that lunatic was dead. However, I can admit I should've stayed and listened to you before I left."
Taking a step back, she turned her gaze to a spot in the distance, aiming her finger in the same direction.
"How about we go get a bite to eat. Hell, I'll even pay."
Aaron's eyes widened in surprise, a blurry spot in his head clearing like the fog was washed away, a memory surfacing in a bright glow.
The picture of a younger Akari, perhaps when she was around eight, sitting across from him on the roof of his house.
Her beaming smile was the most vibrant visual he could see throughout the night sky, as she shoved a spoonful of rice into her mouth.
Opening her mouth, she had spoken loudly and joyfully, with a glistening radiance about her presence that made something within the long-lost Aaron flicker.
"You owe me! I used all my money for this food!"
The little girl's voice echoed throughout his head as he snapped back to reality, the face of her older self staring at him with confusion.
Sighing and rubbing the bridge of his nose slowly, he spoke timidly, a smile creeping along his face.
"It's on me today. I guess it's about time I paid you back."
Akari's brow turned downward, her head tilting to the side as she thought about his words closely.
"Paid me back for what?"
There was a pause after her words; however, straightening his posture and gently shoving at her shoulder, Aaron responded.
"Are you going to argue or take the free food?"
His playful words made the pink-haired girl pout slightly, her next words making the blond boy smile widely.
"Fine! But don't think that I owe you anything for this!"