Sero wasn't really sure what to make of Amaya's intentions as he teleported the both of them back to Gregor's place, where Luna opened the door before they even got there.
"Amaya!" the succubus cried, throwing her arms around the liaison. "It's so good to see you!"
"Likewise, Luna," Amaya said, returning the embrace. "I'm glad you're doing well."
"Are you guys all right?" Nala asked, standing behind Luna. "That explosion seemed pretty terrifying."
"We're fine," Sero said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But I guess we're going to need to keep an eye on things. There might be more of those pendants out there."
"I'm sure the alliance will take care of it," Luna assured him, but there was doubt in her voice.
The four of them moved inside Gregor's home, resting on the couches in the living room. Sero was itching to meet up with Elizabeth to discuss the recent events, but he needed a way to get rid of Amaya, who had seen right through him.
"You know," Amaya began, "I could help you look for those other pendants. I mean, I know the alliance doesn't want you involved, but I think they'd understand if it was to keep you safe."
Sero blinked. "Who says I was gonna go look for the other pendants?"
"I don't know what you guys are talking about, but it's written all over your face," Nala spoke up. "You've never been good at hiding your intentions, Sero."
"Yeah, even without looking at your emotions, I could tell you're up to something," Luna added, popping open a can of beer.
Sero sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. You guys are right. But don't go telling anyone else, okay? If the alliance finds out, they'll kick me out or place me under watch or something."
"We understand," Luna assured him with a burp. "We won't breathe a word."
"I'm not worried about you or Nala," Sero made a face as he turned to Amaya. "But what about you? Are you willing to bend the rules for me?"
Amaya opened her mouth hesitantly. "I... I trust you, Sero. I know you're not one to do things just for yourself. If you really think it's important, then I'll help you."
Sero sensed that Amaya wanted to say something else, but the Spellblade went quiet, avoiding his gaze as she fiddled with her nails.
"So, what are you planning to do now?" Nala broke the silence.
"Well, I'm still down to go to that new arcade bar buffet place," Sero offered a small smile. "That is, if you guys are still down, too."
While it wasn't exactly what Sero planned to do, it was a breath of fresh air as the four of them headed out to the arcade.
"I've never been here before," Amaya admitted as they made their way through the bustling crowd of people. "It's a lot more packed than I expected."
"Yeah, this place opened up not too long ago," Nala explained, her eyes lighting up at the passing waiters carrying desserts. "The concept of drinks, all-you-can-eat, and video games was a big hit within the first week of its opening."
"I'm just interested in the drinks," Luna purred, swaying her hips suggestively. "I hear they have some really good cocktails."
"Didn't you just... drink an entire 12-pack by yourself earlier this morning?" Sero stared incredulously at the succubus.
"Oh, come on, Sero, don't be a buzzkill," Nala laughed. "It's not like Luna's going to turn into an alcoholic or anything."
"Right, because she already is one," Sero muttered under his breath.
As they made their way to the bar, they spotted a familiar face sitting by herself at a table in the corner. Sero nudged Amaya and nodded in the girl's direction. "Hey, isn't that Elizabeth?" he asked.
The Spellblade immediately bristled at the sight of Elizabeth. "What's she doing here?"
"Oh, uh..." Sero hesitated, wondering if he should confess that he was the one who invited her so that they could discuss plans on what to do next. "Uh, I don't know."
"Sero! Amaya!" Elizabeth noticed the group and waved them over. "Hi, I'm Elizabeth."
"Liz, this is Nala and Luna." Sero introduced everyone to each other.
"So, what brings you here? I thought you were preoccupied with the pendant situation." Amaya asked, trying to make conversation as she kept her voice even. Sero sensed some animosity radiating off the liaison, which had soured further when he called Elizabeth by her nickname.
"I... was... going to ask for help from Sero," Elizabeth replied slowly, quickly catching on as she noticed the panicked look in Sero's eyes. "I was heading over to his place when I spotted this bar and thought I could... use a drink..."
Sero gulped. "Well, you're welcome to join us. We were just about to order some drinks ourselves."
"Sure. If that's fine with you guys."
Nala and Luna nodded their agreements, but Amaya's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Finally, she shrugged, apparently deciding that it was better to keep an eye on the situation than to push Elizabeth away. "Okay, I guess that's fine," she said, her tone still somewhat guarded.
They ordered their drinks and found a table near the arcade games. As they waited for their order, Sero glanced at Elizabeth across the table, who seemed to be deep in thought. He wondered what she was thinking about. His face flushed as he recalled how close they had gotten the night she spent at his penthouse.
To his left, Nala began to converse with Amaya, catching up with everything that had happened between them. To his right, Luna gave him a subtle nudge.
"I'm sensing a love triangle..." the succubus singingly whispered in his ear.
"What? No!" Sero exclaimed, feeling his cheeks heat up. "There's no love triangle. Liz and I are just friends. Really."
Apparently, Sero forgot to keep his voice down as he spoke, because Nala, Amaya, and Elizabeth all turned to look at him with expressions of incredulity. While Nala seemed more amused and intrigued, Amaya and Elizabeth shared a look of surprise, though the Spellblade had a glaring jealousy mixed in her expression.
"Never said anything about her. I was just going to tease you privately about it, but blurting that out in front of Amaya and Elizabeth is gonna cause problems, don't you think?" Luna raised an eyebrow.
Sero grimaced, feeling his face flush even deeper. "I..." He turned back to Elizabeth. "So, um... about the pendant. You were saying you needed help with it?"
"Oh, um, right!" Elizabeth gathered herself quickly. "Well, I was hoping that Sero or someone from the group might be able to help me track down other pendants if there are any more like them within the 25th Zone. You know, outside of the alliance."
"Well, Sero and I have already agreed to work on it together," Amaya interjected rather quickly, her tone slightly defensive. "We're going to plan out what to do."
"Is that so? I thought you were going to discuss that with me, Sero," Elizabeth said, her tone slightly accusatory. "Isn't that why you texted me to come here?"
Sero hadn't thought this far ahead. While he was grateful for Amaya's help, he really did want to work with Elizabeth instead. But now that the both of them were here, he was finding it difficult to get out of the situation. "Uh, well... I mean... yes. But I thought it would be better if we worked together, with everyone here."
Elizabeth looked from Sero to Amaya, then back again. "So, you're saying you don't want my help?"
"N-no, I do, it's just..." Sero activated Perfect Analysis, trying to come up with the best answer to appease both Amaya and Elizabeth. Nothing seemed to work.
"Er, champion? Is this a bad time?" Aphiel's voice suddenly popped into his head.
"No, this is the best moment you could've ever chosen," Sero thought back, giving the others at the table a weak grin.
"Um, my Sponsor has something to discuss with me, so I'll be right back!" Sero caught the looks of disbelief on Amaya's and Elizabeth's faces, but didn't dwell on them. Instead, he focused on Aphiel's presence in his head, willing himself to appear before her.
When Sero opened his eyes, he found himself back in Aphiel's cozy personal space once again. The goddess, leaning against her desk, glanced up from her papers as she noticed Sero's presence.
"Champion, I am glad you are-"
Sero flopped onto Aphiel's bed, relieved to escape Amaya and Elizabeth, albeit for a short while.
"-here. Did I interrupt something?" Aphiel raised an eyebrow at him.
"Uh, no. Not at all. I just need some advice on something," Sero admitted, feeling a bit guilty for using Aphiel as a way out of the situation. "There's this girl named Elizabeth. She's in the alliance, and she's a regular human with a badass tech suit. We're just friends, but-"
Aphiel held up her palms, trying to stop Sero. "Wait, champion, I need to inform you of something first!"
Sero frowned. "What is it?"
"It is regarding the pendant you found earlier. I knew I recognized the energy radiating off of it." Aphiel paused dramatically. "That pendant is a key. A key that requires souls as fuel."
Sero sat up on Aphiel's bed. "You mean... it's like how Culling used the outbreaks to gain more sacrifices or how they took the children and plague patients?"
"Precisely. The pendant you found is connected to a much larger network of such keys, and its purpose is to create a sort of energy vortex that will draw in the souls of those who die nearby. It is a rather ingenious system, really. Evil, but ingenious."
Sero shivered. "So you're saying there's more pendants that could potentially have been spread throughout the 25th Zone?"
The goddess nodded. "In fact, I have reason to believe that this is the last phase of whatever the Culling is planning, as these pendants are far too archaic and inefficient to be relied upon. There are too many conditions to activate them, which include close proximity of a human in order to trigger it, and the resulting explosion is not large enough to gather many sacrifices."
Sero felt a chill run down his spine. "So, what do I do with this information? Even if it's not as severe as the outbreak incident, it's still dangerous, right?"
"Unfortunately, unless you are able to scour every inch of terrain, you will most likely not find these pendants until they are stumbled upon. Granted, there is an off-chance that only the two were planted, but we cannot afford those risks, correct?"
"Yeah," Sero sighed as he flopped back on the bed. "Worst part is, I have a good feeling this is just another distraction so that Culling can do whatever they want without us knowing."
Aphiel sat on the bed beside Sero, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I understand that this news must be disheartening, but you must not lose hope, champion. You have done well so far. You have found the pendant, and you have uncovered this information. You must trust your instincts and continue to fight for what is right."
Sero lifted a fist towards the ceiling. "Even if the methods I take to get there aren't noble?"
Aphiel's expression softened. "You are not perfect, champion. None of us are. But it is the intent that matters. As long as your heart is in the right place, and you continue to strive for what is right, then you will make a difference."
"Gods have a different sense of morality compared to us humans, huh?" Sero glanced at Aphiel.
"I did not mean to imply that gods are above judgment, champion. We too have our own set of values and morals. However, as deities, we have the luxury of seeing the bigger picture, the grand scheme of things. We can afford to be more patient and strategic. Humans, on the other hand, are creatures of emotion."
"Oh? You saying that you don't have emotions?"
"Of course we do, champion, but we are not bound by them in the same way. We can control our emotions, use them as tools for guiding our actions, rather than being ruled by them. This is something that humans, in their current state, are not yet capable of. It is both their greatest strength and their greatest weakness."
Sero turned to look at the goddess. "Even when you saw me naked that one time?"
"I-!" Aphiel stammered, her cheeks flushing a deep shade of red. "Y-You're making this...difficult..." she managed, trying to maintain her regal composure. "E-even though gods aren't bound by emotions, we're still capable of feeling them, and they can affect us in various ways. But it's our choice whether we let them control us or not."
Sero chuckled, enjoying the goddess' discomfort. "Sorry, Aphiel. Didn't mean to tease you like that."
"It's quite alright," the goddess said, finally managing to compose herself. "It's just...an unusual situation for me. Most mortals are awestruck in my presence, not trying to make me blush."
"I must be the first one to do that to you, right?" Sero smirked.
"I would not know, champion," Aphiel replied, her tone a mix of annoyance and amusement. "But it is certainly an interesting experience. Now, if you will excuse me, I believe you should be getting back."
Sero paused for a moment. Despite knowing that he had to inform the others and come up with something, he found himself less than eager to deal with Amaya and Elizabeth.
"Something on your mind, champion?"
Sero looked up at Aphiel, who seemed to be studying him with a gentle expression.
"Nah, nothing too important."
