Listen to the interrogation.

Candy grabs the bars of the cell door. "Are you in there~?"

"You know she is," Snow says with crossed arms.

Finally, a shadow within appears directly in front of the impatient clown. It's been so long, but it's undoubtedly her--the Witch of Decay. She has black, flat hair down to her shoulders as well as two big white ribbons tied in her hair just above pointed ears. She's still dressed in the same frilly gothic style dress, though the matching paint on her lips and nails has worn off. Heavy metal bracers bind her wrists together. "... Who are you, and why have you come to speak with the Witch of Decay?" comes her voice from within. "She was not expecting visitors."

"We've come to speak about your Demon King," says Snow. "Her darkness has spread far enough. You must tell us where she lives."

"Oh how sad!" The Witch puts her hands melodramatically on her head. "If the darkness has spread, then perhaps embrace it and be done with things. I must tell you? No. I must not do anything. So leave me be. One day I shall become naught but bones in this chamber, and become the thing I love."

Candy looks to Snow and gestures a thumb towards the cell. "You know, some guys are really into that shit."

Pondering for a moment, Snow steps up close to the bars. "How much confidence do you have in your Demon King?"

"She Who Lurks Beneath. Mistress of the Depths. The Dark One. One day, her blanket of shadows will cover the entire sea."

"This girl can't be that strong if she doesn't even want people to know where she lives. Demon Kings don't usually hide, you know. Me? I serve the ultimate Demon King. We live proudly in a castle of black stone, so where is it your Demon King lives? A cave?"

"Blasphemy! Gwynevere lives beneath the Maelstrom with an army of soldiers as powerful as I."

Candy turns around and spanks her own ass. "Gwynevere can kiss my ass."

"She cannot!" screams the Witch. Her metal bracers slam up against the gate.

"Where can we find this Maelstrom?" Snow asks.

A twisted grin spreads across the evil elf's face. "If you seek her out, you will surely perish."

Meanwhile, Kailani rests on the ledge beside you with her trident placed down. The two of you have been sitting and listening, though she finally turns to you and speaks. "I know you have your own reasons for being here, but... thank you. First for capturing the Witch of Decay, and second for now involving yourself with our problems yet again. I already granted you my shells back then, and you said you'd give them back when the favour was repaid by the Shard, yet now I feel as if I'll simply owe you again."

"Well, you can take that one off too if you want," you reply.

"N-Now?!" She reacts quite surprised and flushed with arms over her brassiere.

"I'm joking, Kailani. You don't owe me anything. I need the Shard to protect my family. I'll do anything to get it. And I've faced Demon Kings before. Killed one, fought one, had sex with one, and uhh I don't really know what to make of William."

"... You did what?"

You look up to see Snow and Candy swimming back to your level like two pale mermaids lit by the warm glow of crystals and plants throughout the chamber. Both look rather proud of themselves, so the news must be good.

"The good news is she really wants the Demon King to kill us," Candy explains.

"And the actual good news is there's an entrance to her lair called the Maelstrom, which is approximately ten miles northwest of here. Down a chasm, there's a dark whirlpool with the entrance directly in the center. That's where she lives, underground, below even the bottom of the ocean."

"Good job," you say, reaching out to scratch behind Snow's ear with no hesitation. "It sounds like we have a destination."

"Ahaa~" Snow smiles wide.

"What's your plan then?" Kailani asks. "Queen Iri merely wished for corruption to be purged from Coral Caelum. Do you mean to march on the Demon King and slay her?"

"Not exactly. But we might be able to find out a lot of information directly from the source. Maybe even convince her to pull back." You scratch your chin. "Maybe I'm so used to dealing with Demon Kings, I jumped right to the thing we've become experienced with."

"Even if we must escape, Kyle has the means to do so, and perhaps we can come back with proof of who can't be trusted," Snow adds.

Kailani rises up. "You're all so brave. I bid you the best luck on your adventure. Please, come back--"

Candy grabs her by the side. "Don't you wanna come with us? We could use a sexy mermaid in the party to spice things up."

"S-Sexy?"

You grasp the pommel of your sword and nod, internally hyping yourself up for what could be quite the dangerous adventure. "You don't have to come, Kailani, but if you want to, we'll welcome you with open arms. But I understand if you'd rather stay back."

She glances between the others. Then she puffs out her chest, and swings her trident against her other palm. "I am a warrior of Nureteru! Kailani, soldier of Dolphin Division 3. If you're all heading for the Maelstrom, then you have my trident as well. Order me as you wish, Kyle."

Candy bites the back of her finger. "... She's a sub--"

Without missing a beat, Kailani turns around and shouts, "I am not!"