A tsk rang.

"There, she's finally released, aren't you guys happy lads now?" A voice resounded, cold and uncaring of its harshness, almost mocking the listeners.

The space was completely white from the floor to the open 'roof' overhead that swam in clouds. This was not a building, only the vast stretches of an endless void of white. And in that endlessness, there was a single couch of the same pure whiteness, fitting the image of the area, it too seemed made of the figures usually seen amidst the sky, the frills in its design continually swam in white fluffs.

Upon it sat three figures,

On the far right, a woman who appeared to be in her mid-twenties. Her features were young, warm, and a bit of an intoxicating beauty. Wearing a one-piece pure white dress that revealed both the valley at her chest and her thighs. Her flaming red hair flapped and her breasts jiggled as she scowled at the two sitting next to her.

In the middle, an old man, an ancient man. He seemed as if he had been sitting in that place since the beginning of time and would continue past its end. Although old, his body was larger and more robust than the two that shielded him. His face was in a constant hearty smile and flapping his hand out through his lengthy, almost Chinese, robe, he held a white bottle gourd. Taking a swing of it, almost as if to drench his perfectly maintained beared. He had declined to comment.

And at the far left, was the figure of Micheal, still in his white suit sipping his heavenly wine as he shrugged, "Just in time."

There was a scoff.

"Would it kill you to not scoff for even a moment?" Micheal sighed, shaking his head and taking another sip from his glass cup.

The Goddess directed her glare at the man at that moment, "Shut up you angel-pretender!"

A vein almost cracked from Michael's head, he turned left and snapped back, "Aren't you the old hag that gave me the idea?"

She scoffed, "So what if I gave you the idea? Both of you are still damned cheaters! The heroes wouldn't have even been born for another five hundred and fifty years, and you wanted me to play fairly when you gave me someone with the potential to be a demon lord!?! Did you want me to just watch as my world was destroyed before we even began?"

She looked at him as if boring a hole through him might just jog his brain to be smarter.

God, at least, the god of earth, laughed heartily. He didn't confirm nor reply to the other's rant. He merely stroked his short white beard as he watched that pool before them intently.

Although, to call it a pool would be wrong. It certainly seemed liquid enough, but it was clear, and it held no water. At this moment, there was only a certain scene showing upon its surface.

"In the end, it'll all come down to which side the fairy chooses," He smiled, taking a swing from his gourd once more.

The Goddess of Estea said nothing, folding her arms as her long legs crossed. Although slightly pouting, she decided to simply continue to watch the outcome of their duel. She was certain that one way or the other, she was going to win. However, she still managed a mutter.

"I can't believe you made that lass's blood have the attribute to recover power...are the two of you teaming up to work against me?"

Michael pretended he heard nothing and sipped his wine.

-- -- --

Claire clapped her hands together. It was a natural act, and the sharp sound resounded heavily within the empty room. Alicia's attention was immediately grabbed and she looked towards the black-haired girl, her visible left eye wide. Although the area was still dark, she stared at the azure glow between the girl's hands.

"Do you have some sort of string?" Claire asked, opening her palm and revealing a small gem.

A minuscule blue luster that seemed like a crystal. It was oval in nature, shined even within the room, and held a certain tiny ring at the top for a string to pass through.

"Are you giving me this? What is it?" Alicia tilted her head, staring at the item with her fangs showing.

"It's a safety measure, technically," Claire muttered, and asked once more, "But do you have a string?"

Alicia no longer said any words, still holding that dagger of ice--which no longer held her blood---she slashed once more at an exposed portion of her arm. A single blood drop floated out and continued to twist and squirm as it passed through the air.

Finally, it landed within Claire's other palm and had already turned into a gleaming thin length. It was still warm to the touch but felt as durable as iron. Yet, when she tried, it was also malleable enough to be a string.

Claire frowned, but still accepted the string. Passing it through the gem and tying it, she tossed it back towards the girl.

"Waer it at all times."

Alicia accepted the item with a slight smile and placed it around her neck.

Although puzzled at that smile of hers, Claire looked up towards the entrance to the room as a chunk of ice appeared in her hand.

She had already become an expert in the art of throwing ice and unhurriedly threw it.

"Let's get out of here," Her voice resounded, but by the time it struck the eardrums, only a piece of ice was left at her location.

Alicia nodded, her body shuddered once and in the next moment, a blackened bat flew through the open trap door.

[Why the fanciness...you own the pillar now, all you had to do was wish to go up...] Igris's voice spoke up at that moment.

'That would have been nice to know,' Claire glared, a bat gently landing behind her as it returned to its human form.

[...] Igris felt like he had done something wrong to this disciple of his, and although she glared out to nowhere in particular with her crimson eyes, he still felt chills down his...spirit spine? ghostly bones?

Claire simply disregarded him and stared at this sword in front of her.

[Loki: A relic of the past, a weapon forged from Eternal Ice. Not only can it cut through iron like butter, whatever liquid its blade touches will freeze.

The bandages around its handle are made from a single feather of an archangel, allowing the user not only a firm grip but also the ability to control them.

A weapon holding a will of its own but bending to the whim of a worthy master.]

Although she had much to say about the description, Claire touched the weapon's hilt and sent it into her <Glacier World>. Now she had two swords.

"Alright," She finally said, "Tell me how to get out of-."

She suddenly stopped in her hurried tracks.

"Where's Asta?"

[He has been returned to his home, the fourth floor of this pillar.]

Claire nodded matter of factly.

At that moment, a voice sounded behind her, "Who are you talking to?"

She turned around to see the figure of Alicia tilting her head and looking towards her in curiosity.

"My Master? A spirit haunting me?" Claire was unsure of the right words.

At that moment, Alicia only appeared more confused and replied with, "When's lunch?"

Claire raised a brow, "You want to run my blood dry?"

The ancient vampire before her nodded her head, smiling, her expression one of intoxication, "Yes!"

So she was a blunt but simple one...

[...there's a portal to your left. After entering it, I will no longer be able to contact you until you return here.]

Look and behold, there indeed was a portal to her left that seemed to have appeared from thin air.

[I have no idea where it'll take you, but, it should send you into the real world.]

Claire raised a brow, "Should?"