Confront Breiah.

Niki stands frozen with her arm outstretched as if a ghost had just appeared before her. She doesn't act, much to your surprise, though you don't blame her for the hesitation. The distraction is understandable.

The most immediate cause for alarm doesn't come from Breiah, however, but her sister Vivilia. The dragon of rock and dirt curves back down like a snake towards the ground, and she rides it quickly now as it carves long the road. The target is Breiah, and she isn't slowing.

You reach for your sword and draw it from its scabbard, and the moment you do, you hear the ring of Nyllia's weapon, and spot the sun's glow off its polished, sharpened blade. Her entire presence glows like a true paladin of legend. The silver armour she wears reflects back nearly like a mirror, and her heroic stance at your side seems to come so naturally. You glance, though only briefly, and it's not enough to fully appreciate the beauty of the elven knight, yet you have a more immediate distraction.

Her gauntlet touches your chest as she puts herself partly between you and the sudden explosion.

Vivi's transmuted serpent dragon collides with and invisible wall, and upon contact, it shatters into a thick cloud of dirt and a rain of pebbles. While you have to cover your eyes and shield yourself, neither you nor Nyllia sustain any injury, and both Eva and Amara are safe behind you. Though Niki is to the side, and still somewhat lost in her head, even the small rocks that collide with her body do nothing but bounce off with little effect.

When the dust clears, you look to see Breiah holding up a hand. She looks surprisingly calm in contrast to her sister who stands a short distance away, breathing heavily through her teeth. The witch stands a short distance away with debris around them. Her hat has fallen to the dirt not far away.

"You have the gall to show up here after everything that's happened?" Vivi barks. "I don't see you for decades, and then I find out you're grooming some elven guy who turns out to have originally been an Earthling, to satisfy your morbid curiosity as to whether or not you can create the ultimate lifeform. Ugh. You're more obsessed than our father was."

After a brief pause, Breiah crosses her arms. "Sister. You're the one who disappeared. I never hid from you. Not in a hut in the middle of nowhere, to squander the gift you were given for the rest of time. The woods didn't become my lair, Vivi. The world has been. I've learned so many things."

Vivi's eye twitches. She doesn't have an immediate response, because she knows those words aren't entirely incorrect. "Squandering the gift? You're the one using it to make monsters."

"Our father was onto something incredible. Do you have any idea what's possible if we can tap into Absoterra's link to the world called Earth? The humans there, they seem weak, but that thinking is ignorant. I see potential. Our father knew it, and so do I, because that blood runs in our veins. I don't mean the experiments done to our birth. I mean blood from Earth. Look here, at your beloved Kyle Warren. Think about everything you've been through together. He's no ordinary man, and though Elok Daven was a failure, I'm not remotely surprised. Even before that, my eyes were on both your Kyle, and my William."

"You did not respond to what she said," Nyllia suddenly says. "You have created one monster already, that we know about, so you should understand why we do not trust you now. You were responsible for the invasion on Tivera. You and the Demon King Elok Daven. You talk about potential, but it is not for them, is it? This is ego, not progression."

"... Nyllia Tesgella, elf," she responds. "Paladin. Elite class, templar. Knight of Tivera. Now, knight of Castle Phoenix as well. When you were a little girl, you watched your mother, the only parent you had, be torn to pieces by cultists. You were only spared because you ran. A long life you've lived, not in years but in experience. You struggled, yet you didn't let that stop you. That's moving forwards. Evolution. If we stop, we die."

You look to the elf beside you. "Nyllia, you never told--"

"Where do you get off, huh?" Eva shouts. With hands on her hips, she stands right in front of you in a huff. "You've been the puppet master in the shadows, right? You taught that Elok guy all the stuff he knew, and the two of you tried to wipe Tivera off the map! You're nothing like Vivi."

Breiah turns to the bunny and eyes her over, pausing momentarily before speaking up again. "Eva Beela, bunnyfolk, mage. Elite class, universalist. Yet there's more to that, isn't there? I've looked into the history of your family tree, and truthfully, I'd offer you compensation to allow me some of your blood."

"No way. Gross!"

She reaches into her coat, and from within she draws out a clipboard. You aren't sure how it could have fit without it being seen, but nothing surprises you anymore. She flips a few of the papers up and scans her finger down the page. "Daddy issues. Daughter to a Chairman of the Circle. Gave up a life of luxury in defiance of her father. Humiliation and exhibitionism fetish."

"Th-This is very rude!" Her cheeks glow red. "I do not have daddy issues. He's the one with issues! Also, we're getting better, okay?"

Niki stomps forwards. "You better not lay a hand on Hedi," she growls.

She continues to read. "Niki of Clan Vakila, sunheart, warrior. Elite class, stormwall. Cast out from her homeland for undergoing the Rite of the Sun twice, a crime punishable by exile and occasionally death. Super strength. Super durability. Weak points, breasts, especially tickling." Then finally she turns her eyes up again. "I have no intention of harming your brother. He serves William, not me."

Niki places her hands upon her breastplate. "Can you not shout my weakness for everyone to hear?"

Much to your surprise, Amara steps out from behind you and plants her staff into the dirt. "What information do you have on me?"

Breiah returns her gaze to the notes of her clipboard. "Amara Tedrilui. Elf, cleric, archpriest. Daughter of Yaera Tedrilui, famous wandering archpriest. Rare mutation of a mana knot. Refuses to fix due to the sexual pleasure it causes. Obsessed with being like her mother. Choker denies her of--"

"M-Mine was a little more than I expected," Amara stutters out. "But what is the purpose of all this?"

"Knowledge is strength," Breiah explains. "And everything William said was the truth. Though Xavex the Evolving and I sound as if we have similar ideologies, he seeks only to infinitely kill and grow, like some sort of feral animal, and if not stopped, he will consume everything. Though you might be surprised to know that this is William's fight far more than mine. He's an interesting test, but otherwise, my focus is elsewhere. Xavex in my mind is, as they say, small potatoes. I do still think you should help in the fight. It's in your best interest."

You then finally step up, though you don't stop there. Your feet carry you all the way to the partly wrecked road, and then you stop merely a few feet from where she stands. Regardless of the proximity, she doesn't budge. Vivi isn't far behind.

You've never seen her this close, except for maybe when you were first grabbed from your room on Earth, but you barely remember that day. "Breiah," you say quietly. "You're right about one thing. This Hunter of Souls needs to be stopped. But I'm not going to trust you for a second. You kidnapped me. Experimented on me. You wanted to turn me into your slave. And when I didn't work out, you tossed me aside to work on your next project. I get it. You're over a century old, so you've had plenty of time to plot and scheme. You always have something else going on. I'm not stupid. Once Xavex is dealt with, you'll make William even stronger, and I don't want to know what you intend to do after that."

She stares back, deadpanned. "I gave you a better life, Kyle Warren. Are you not happier than you've ever been?"

"I did that. Not you. If I didn't escape your control, I'd have been turned on the world like some kind of beast."

"Do you know what makes Earthlings so special? They don't possess mana. They can't obtain a class. Yet in their seeming inferiority, they have potential, as I said. All I've done wouldn't have been possible on any human born in Absoterra. Only those like you or William can be painted on like blank canvases. My father had the same blood thanks to his grandmother. He became the Wizard King of Mirious. And now look at you, Hero King of Castle Phoenix. Don't you want to surpass all limitations? Perhaps even reach the God of Adventurers face-to-face and seize the power of a deity? Because I think that very thing is possible. You may hate me, but I'm still open if you wish to join us."

William. Breiah. I don't trust either of them. Both love to make plans on top of plans. There's no way they won't stab me in the back at some point no matter what I do. But I also need to keep those like Feli and Lepo safe, and everyone else in the world. She's probably telling the truth about everything she's saying. Xavex, if left unchecked, will kill many others.

But after he's slain, I'm not letting them get their way. I'm sure William wants to absorb him like he's done with the rest. Come to think of it, they're kinda similar in that regard.

You step away, though not back to your allies. You pass Vivi, and then reach down and lift her hat from the ground. You pat the dirt off the bottom of the brim, and then place it gently back onto her head. You rest a hand on her shoulder and comfort her closely. "We'll contact you with an answer. For now, you should leave."

Vivi whispers to you, "Sorry about the road. I'll help fix it."

When you look back down, you can see a tear running from her eye. Gently, you run your thumb along her cheek, and speaks softly back in response. "Don't worry about it, Vivi. Let's talk about this after, over something pleasant to eat."

"And a kiss?" she asks. Her troubled smile turns up into a grin, though not without struggle.

"Only if you say please."

Breiah scans the group around her.

Amara stands ready with her staff. Eva tightly grips her wand. Niki has her shield ready, and mace at her side. And Nyllia's golden cape billows in the breeze as she stands prepared to lunge at a moment's notice, with a sword long enough to sever a body in two, yet light enough to do so with little chance to dodge.

"Yes. I will go," Breiah finally says. "And sister, it's a shame what happened to Callisto. At least after all these years, you still live. Don't squander that life you've been given. Our mother died for it." She then withdraws a small device from inside her lab coat. After pressing a button, a sphere appears around her body. The electric current rotates faster and faster until you can hardly see her within. Seconds pass, and then the entire thing shrinks down to nothing more than a sparkle that disappears.

Just like that, she's gone.

You cast your attention up towards Laputa. It's already been gradually moving for awhile now, away southwest.

The silence afterwards is rather melancholy. You're uncertain of many things, and the same feeling is likely mutual amongst everybody else nearby. Niki's brother is out there somewhere working for William. Breiah is still scheming. You trust William less every time you speak with him. And on top of that, there's a god-killer out there that needs to be stopped. Not only that, but he's absorbed the essence of at least two powerful beings already.

You turn your head once you hear the plated steps of Nyllia's heels reach the stones of the road that are still intact. Her sword slides back through the leather strap over her shoulder. "We always seem to have enemies," she says. "Drama. Danger. But that is the way of the adventurer. Is that not correct?"

"... That's true," Niki replies.

"We have an enemy with a name. Xavex the Evolving. And after that, we may have a couple more, but it is important to deal with one problem at a time. If they choose to attack us, they will fail. And if something happens out in the world, we will be there. So do not frown."

You crack your fingers. Inspired by her words, you step forth. Lauo audibly cuts through the air as you swing your arm to the side, and then you stow it carefully away back into the ornate scabbard you keep at your hip. "She's right," you say. "We've always dealt with bullshit. This is probably a part of their plan, to get in our heads and rattle us up. We'll go right into looking for clues on Xavex's location, but that could take awhile. We should have fun in the meantime. That's what this is all about, right? Freedom. Together."

Speaking of together, we'll not at all alone. There's Lady Vex, a Demon King I could contact anytime. Gwynevere as well. Same thing. I'm close to the queen of Tivera herself! And Rose is basically the queen of the criminal underbelly. As much as William tries, he doesn't come close to the amount of allies I have.

I think it's time to put out a call. Get more contacts for my FONE. Wherever this Hunter might be hiding before his next attack, someone has to know something, and when we confront him, I won't let William out of my sights. I'll especially keep an eye on Breiah.

"I can tell you are thinking quite hard," says Nyllia with a smile.

"Can you see the steam coming out my ears?"

She chuckles. "No. It is the face you were making. Stoic and kingly. I could tell there were many thoughts behind your eyes, and to be honest, it inspires me to watch you in moments like those. I follow you for many reasons, Kyle, and I promise that only one of those reasons is your cock."

You nearly choke at the end of her statement. By her expression, she got the exact response she was hoping for, and she steps away immediately after, back towards the others.

"Yeah! Screw my sister," Vivi shouts. "She was always like this, you know. Eyes so apathetic, but done to mess with her opponents. You can't ever tell what she's thinking. But you know what I'm thinking?"

"What's that?" you ask.

She sticks out her tongue. Then, she throws her arms into the air. "Swimsuit calendar!"

When hearing that, Eva also nearly chokes. "What?!"

"Fava and Fang have been talking a lot about it," she explains. "With our new YiivCam, we can take all sorts of spicy pics, and like Kyle suggested--"

"Didn't suggest anything," you interrupt.

"Like he suggested," she continues, ignoring you. "We can compile those pictures into a calendar! Such a brilliant idea. Earthlings really are clever. I mean, I haven't even seen that done with paintings, but it makes perfect sense in retrospect. You get to wake up and see what day it is, and also get excited at the same time!"

Eva ponders. "Wouldn't that be really distracting? I can imagine Kyle trying to write an appointment down, but he keeps looking up and going... boobs, boobs!"

You stare back at her. "There's no way you think I'm that desperate."

"I think it is a very romantic idea," Amara says with a smile.

Just like that, everyone has moved on like nothing happened. They inspire me too.