Meet back up.

A far distance from the festival grounds, so much so that not even the observation tours are still visible--only endless grassy plains and green hills--you come to a gradual halt. The rest of your Team Festival party gathers in the area, one by one. Niki is quite fast with the strength of her legs, so she's seen ahead, along with Dajy, though Lalarin isn't far behind, and neither are both Nyllia and Snow. Nearest to you is Alice, Delphi, Sen-nu, Linzeri, and Fang. You turn back to see the approach of Rose, Mina, Yin, Amara, Peony, Eva, Laira, Luna, Vivi, Bek, Stax, and Lynx. You make sure to take note of each one, and you're prepared to hurry back the moment you notice anybody missing, but much to your surprise as well as your relief, everybody is accounted for.

Eva falls onto her rear with an exasperated sigh. Red in the face, and for once not caused by something lewd, she catches her breath and finally flops backward against the grass. "That was... too much... running."

"Are you well?" Amara asks, though she doesn't fair much better. Neither are known for being overly athletic. She knees down behind her head, and places her hands gently against the sides of her cheeks. "Allow me to heal you."

"I'm not hurt. Just winded."

"Are you certain?"

Meanwhile, Niki observes with both her hands against her hips. "I dunno. I could do it again."

"We don't all have magic tattoos!" Eva groans.

"Pardon me." Niki thrusts her thumb towards her chest. "It's called exercise. Just do some squats every now and then."

Fang raises her hand. "I can teach you how to do squats..." she says, though mutters off.

"Shit! How many weird golems does that guy have?" Rose curses. She holds something strange beneath her arm. "We really know how to pick a fight, don't we, Kyle? A so-called Demon King willing to attack innocents right in front of the King, who has an army of insects on top of strange constructs. Though I guess he was the one picking the fight this time."

"What've you got there?" you ask.

"Oh yeah. You didn't see? During all the chaos, another one of those, uh..." Her eyes turn to Alice and they stare uncomfortably at one another for a moment. "One of her?"

"An ALICE, yeah."

"Well, there was another, and the bitch tried to cut me open. We scrapped, but Mina here managed to distract her. The fight didn't proceed much further than that before I heard that little message about our retreat, but I decided to swipe something. Just in case."

"A risky theft," Linzeri speaks up. The lone succubus looms beside the redhead with a curious finger to her own lip. "From what I can tell. I believe I know what it is."

Rose turns. Her eyes flicker up and down the other girl's figure. "You know, I haven't said it before, but I like your look."

"It comes with the species."

"So what did you swipe?" you ask.

She holds it up. Strangely enough, it fidgets ever so slightly on its own. Much to your surprise, the item she had taken was no item at all, but a part of the ALICE's body--specifically just the segment of her leg above her knee but below her waist. It's her thigh.

Alice pulls her shoulders in shyly.

You recognize her discomfort and place an affectionate hand on her shoulder. "You know you're nothing like the ALICEs, right?" you whisper to her.

"Y-Yes," she replies.

Linzeri takes hold of the dismembered thigh and looks it over. "It would be quite... cruel to experiment with such a thing." Then she dances the tips of her fingernails in a tickle at the very inner top, causing the muscles of the thigh to twitch wildly.

Alice pulls her own legs in together self-consciously. "C-Careful. She can feel that."

"I'm aware."

"Listen," you say. "Elok is a dick, and I'm glad we stole something of his right out from under his nose, but the individual ALICE isn't so much at fault to where we should cause her any pain. We'll figure out what to do with this thigh when we get back."

Now more sensually, Linzeri strokes her finger up the side, again to the very inner top. "It doesn't have to be pain."

"Anyway, is everyone else okay?" you ask aloud. "A lot just happened?"

"It seems that way," Nyllia replies, casting her own gaze upon the party. "Somehow we managed to escape unscathed."

"And the game was honestly pretty fun!" Stax comments.

"Yeah. Props to everyone," you say. "I have no idea how we managed to win every round. I know winning at his own games was never part of Elok's plans, but I'm so proud. Niki, Eva, Amara, Snow, Dajy, Lala, Stax. You all kicked some serious ass today, even with the games being so bizarre."

Snow bows properly though there's obvious pink in her cheeks. "Thank you. Perhaps we're simply so used to strange circumstances that it's where we flourish."

You approach as she speaks. Then you place your hand atop her head and give her an affirming pet. "For better or for worse, you're probably right."

"Aahh, y-yes," she mutters.

Peony's soft, warm embrace envelops you from behind like entangling vines--skin like the softest flower petals. "And I've been having so much fun exploring! Even when there wasn't a tree around, I could stick close to you, m'lord. I never ever thought this was even possible!"

You touch your hand upon hers over your upper chest. "Well, we should start travelling back to Castle Phoenix. There's a lot to tell the others--Hey!" You furl your brow in a strange expression as your eyes catch Fang with the thigh in her hands.

She stops with her tongue inches away from it. "... Yes?"

"Have you been licking it?"

"N-No." She slowly brings it back down.

"All right. How about I carry the piece of the ALICE for now?"