Yurashi twisted free, pouting as she rubbed her face. "But I can't resist it. She's just so easy to ragebait," she said, as if it wasn't even her fault.
"Ugh." At her words, all Aerisyl could do was hold her head and grunt like she was in pain.
"If you keep mocking her like this, one day she's definitely going to kill you," Aerisyl said, like she was giving a lifetime lesson to a stubborn child.
But it looked like the child in question wasn't interested in understanding at all.
"Haha, Aerisyl, you're just being too serious. There's no way she'd actually try to kill me over a few jokes, right?" Yurashi laughed, though a hint of nervousness slipped through.
Aerisyl didn't respond—she just stared at Yurashi with a deadpan expression.
Yurashi's laughter died as she stared back at Aerisyl with a sudden serious look. "I guess then I'd have to use my hidden weapon against her if she really tried to kill me," she said solemnly.
"Huh?" Aerisyl tilted her head in confusion. Her thoughts raced, 'What hidden weapon? When did she get one? Could it actually be strong enough to fight Seralyne on equal terms?' Curiosity overtook her, and she couldn't help but ask.
"What is that hidden weapon," she asked.
"Fufu, I knew you'd be interested!" Yurashi smirked, a devilish glint in her beautiful pink eyes. "And since we're childhood friends, I guess I'll tell you."
"As you already know, we five grew up together. And me—especially—I've lived with Seralyne since I was small. Being from the fox clan, which serves under her, I've worked alongside her since childhood. That gave me the perfect opportunity to collect a lot of good material. You know, things that would guarantee my safety if I ever needed to... peacefully talk to her.
She grinned, a beautiful but wicked smile spreading across her face.
Aerisyl stared blankly at her, her face practically screaming, "REALLY?"
"So what you're saying," Aerisyl said slowly, "is that you collected some stuff as a kid, and now you plan to use that stuff to BLACKMAIL her—and threaten her when needed?"
"Nooo, no no! That's not blackmail! It's just... hmm..." Yurashi paused, trying to find a better word. "...Yeah, it's peaceful talking. You could also call it negotiation," she said, nodding as if convincing herself.
"Anyway, let's go. The others are probably waiting for us," Yurashi added, turning around. But before she could move, Aerisyl spoke again.
"Umm... Can you also give me that stuff?" Aerisyl asked, her face full of curiosity.
Yurashi shook her head and sighed. "Haa, Aerisyl, you're just too kind—and too naive sometimes. I guess that's why you're still a rookie at peaceful talking (blackmailing)," she said, raising one finger like a teacher imparting divine wisdom.
"The first rule of peaceful talking (blackmailing) is to never share your material with others. Because if you do, the material loses its value. The person you're negotiating with won't care anymore if they know other people already have the same stuff."
"Ah, okay..." Aerisyl replied softly.
"Good. Then let's go," Yurashi said, smiling as she walked ahead. Aerisyl followed behind her.
Soon, they reached the others, who stood around the crack, staring at it with grim faces.
"Oh, you're finally here. What took you so long?" Sylveraine asked curiously.
"Nothing much. Just some random stuff," Yurashi answered quickly, clearly not wanting to talk about it—especially with Seralyne nearby.
"Okay," Sylveraine replied, not particularly interested in prying. She turned back to the crack.
"So, what are we going to do about this thing?" Aerisyl asked as she walked up to them.
"Should I just freeze it in ice again?" she suggested, glancing at the ominous rift.
"Hmm... That's probably the most plausible option for now," Sylveraine replied. "We can reinforce it and figure something more permanent later."
They stood in silence for a moment, all of them staring at the crack, contemplating. Then Seralyne broke the stillness with an annoyed frown.
"Just use ice—and reinforce it with other elements. Seal it completely for now. And if you're not confident in doing it alone, go ask your old man for help. There—problem solved. I'm heading off," she said sharply, turning and walking away without waiting for a response.
"Okay guys, looks like she's run out of patience. See ya!" Yurashi chirped and quickly followed after her.
"I guess that means it's decided," Sylveraine said, exhaling a tired breath.
"Aerisyl, use your elements to seal it. But before that, get a few death row criminals and test whether that decaying thing can infect through a weapon. We need to be sure," she added, referring to the effects of touching the crack as 'the Decaying'.
"Hmm." Aerisyl nodded and stepped closer to the crack.
Sylveraine turned to Nyx, ready to tell her to leave since she and Aerisyl would handle the sealing. But when she looked around—Nyx was gone.
"...Don't tell me that girl vanished without saying goodbye," Sylveraine muttered, disbelief etched into her face.
"That's just how she is. Don't tell me you forgot how she used to ghost us all the time," Aerisyl said casually, not even looking up from her preparations.
"I didn't forget... It's just—after seeing how she behave when fighting that creature, I thought she might've changed a little."
Sylveraine looked back at the crack—where elemental energy was already swirling around it, forming a barrier of raw, luminous force.