“No, we’re not torturing her for information.” Juuto told him while being carried by Rame.

“Aw come on, I wasn’t going to hurt her.” Akitomo took off the gloves in disappointment. “Besides, don’t we all need to know why she came here?” As much as everyone agreed with that, his appearance seemed to be a bit too aggressive for what he was claiming. Not only that, but they also needed to take care of all the issues of the frozen time around them.

“Maybe we should take her somewhere more private.” Rame suggested. “Mifuru, do you still have enough juice to take care of all this.” She pointed over to the frozen world around them. A lot of tables were knocked over, but thankfully the people still safe due to both combatants taking steps to avoid harming them.

“Of course my lady.” She bowed to obligated. “However, we must take care to avoid having to do this again. I won’t be able to do this again if we do not find a way to regain our powers.”

“I hope that you never get your powers again.” Marie chided.

And so, Mifuru performed her task then the all of them returned to the apartment building that most of them lived in. “What are you planning on doing to me?” Marie glared at them with anger. She couldn’t believe the position she was in, especially with Akitomo standing before her. The woman ended up tied up to one of the few chairs they owned. “Torture seems a bit extreme coming from most of you.”

“Don’t act like you’re the real hero here.” Akitomo argued with her. “You’re in with the assassins.”

“Is there something wrong with siding with the ones that give you power?”

“We’re not getting anywhere with the two of you arguing.” Juuto jumped into the conversation. He had regained his energy and he was really feeling pumped up. “How about you tell us more about those people that sent you?”

“And what? Why would I tell you anything about them? They’re a shadowy organization for a reason.” Obviously they would’ve made sure to get the type of people that don’t easily divulge details about them in their ranks.

“Can you at least tell us how they figured out the devil made her way to this world?” Akitomo was only fortunate to be in the area of her spell to find it out. So how would someone like them be capable of finding something like that out? None of them outside of her were able to perform that spell. It made him wonder how they were able to track them.

“Simple, it’s because you went missing.” As it turned out, Merlin was a lot more well known than he thought. It just happened to be with the wrong people. One day he was going around doing good deeds. Then all of a sudden, the boy vanished.

“Wait, you guys have spies on me?” He came to a rather chilling realization. “And how much have information do you guys have on me?”

“After the two of us separated, there has been little time where we didn’t know what you were doing. That includes a lot of your more… Private moments.” This was one of the rare times the woman appeared to blush. As she was very well aware of what she had to watch him do when he believed himself alone.

“Wh-what!?” He skin grew bright red as a tomato. “I-I can’t believe what I’m hearing.” He envisioned all of those things he did that people do when they believe no one’s watching. The boy walked to the corner for a moment to have a cry for himself.

“Okay, well I guess we can get a good idea of everything else that’s happened after that.” Asaga wasn’t a bright figure, but it was easy for anyone watching to know the entire story. “So I guess that’s everything, right?”

“What a second.” Akitomo got it all together when he remembered one important detail. Leaving his corner, he ran up to the farmer and grabbed him by the shirt. Which didn’t appear very threatening considering the size difference. “What took you so long to show up!?”

“Oh right.” Part of Akitomo’s plan was to get Asaga to ambush Marie during her conversation with Juuto. Since she didn’t know anything about the man, she wouldn’t have suspected him beyond probably knowing who her hostage was. That would’ve given the man an opportunity to catch her off-guard and take those gloves.

He was more than ready to help with that. In fast, he even invited Rame and Mifuru since he believed it wouldn’t take long to execute the plan. However, his boss was a little upset with him asking to get off early for lunch. She really gave him an earful about it and that ate into his time. “Sorry about that.” He grinned like it was no big deal. “But the boss lady is a little more important than what you guys ask me to do.”

“We could’ve been killed!” Rame barked at him. This was a serious situation with life and death. “Why did you invite us to come too?” It turned out that the so-called excuse that Rame and Mifuru gave was more true than Juuto was expecting.

“I don’t really apologize for butting in this riveting conversation.” Marie spoke up. “But I’d rather not be forced to be tied to this uncomfortable chair while you all fight.”

“She’s right.” Said Mifuru. What were they going to do with this woman?

“We could just force her to go back Enatis.” Akitomo came up with this idea just so that he could have another excuse to ask for his powers back.

“If I go back without your powers, then I’m as good as dead.” For the first time, Marie appeared to be concerned about her situation. “Please, you can’t do that to me.”

“Should’ve thought about that when you decided to join a group like that.” He had no concern for his former ally whatsoever.

“You guys really aren’t giving us much of a choice here.” Juuto was much too kind. He didn’t like the idea of being responsible of this woman’s death, even after everything she had done to him. “I guess you can stay with us.”

“What?” Everyone asked him in unison. The first reason was because of the obvious question of why he would be the one to suggest such a thing. And second because it was never agreed upon that he should be the one leading this group.

“Come on.” Akitomo pleaded his case. “None of us care about her. She’s hurt you...” It did sound very risky since unlike with the boy arguing. She could still have her powers if she got access to her gloves once more.

“She’s helpless without those powers.” It really hurt her pride to hear him say that. Juuto had come up with a plan to keep those powers away from her. He was to hold onto the gloves, while Asaga would get the crystals. Those stones were useless without those gloves, and he could trust the farmer with them.

First off because neither of them lived in this apartment complex, so they were going to be kept far away from the woman. Secondly because neither of them knew how to use these things. So there was no concern about either of them turning on the group.

“You truly are foolish in your forgiveness.” Despite being the one saved by him, Marie still had her criticisms. “Still, I guess I’m grateful for it this time. It’s quite a blessing.”

“So you won’t be trying to harm us anymore?” He asked.

“I promise I won’t hurt you.” She directed that statement only for him. It wasn’t the best thing to hear, but at the very least they could avoid bloodshed.

“Fine.” Akitomo reluctantly untied her from the chair. “But know this, I’ll be keeping my eye on you.” It wasn’t agreed that it be his duty to take care of her. That was his own self-proclaimed duty to seem more important.

“I think you’re a little too young to be my babysitter.”