An androgynous short person with long red hair and piercing pale blue eyes was sitting by the edge of the cliff, looking horribly tired.

Their scruffy clothes only added to the overall effect too.

​​

"Good work, Kopia we wouldn't have got him without you."

A tall dark-skinned woman with long wild black hair dressed up in a hunter's garb walked over and sat by them - she didn't look even a bit tired for a change, but her clothes were ripped in a couple of risque places.

"Oh, thanks, Nommanic, you too... but also, no, you would have got him yourself, you have that glitch going on for you - and you were much faster than him. One hit and it would be over."

The androgynous person denied with a shake of their head

"..."

"..."

The two of them went silent and just sit without even moving...

"Do you need something from me...?"

Kopia asked.

"No... it's just that... the rest of our group reeks of human blood... You know what was my origin before you and Mason gave me this looks - even though our fallen half-elf has stolen the bond I share with that girl, it doesn't mean that it was never there. Protecting humans from monsters had been kind of hardwired into my brain by the system I guess, so smelling so much death is making me uncomfortable."

Nommanic confessed with a light shrug.

"Oh... and here I thought that you dislike something about your appearance and want to have a look at other options."

Kopia laughed awkwardly and turned into an exact copy of the dark-skinned woman next to them.

"Eh...? I thought that Mason stole that look from you, how come you can still change into it...?"

Nommanic gasped, looking at herself in disbelief.

"You's glitch is an offensive one, my is more of a supportive type I guess... That's what Caramel has said, at least..."

Kopia sighed and leaned forward staring into the distance with a sour expression.

"Something's bothering you...?"

Nommanic asked in a worried voice and patted Kopia's back.

"..."

They looked back at her and shrugged their shoulders.

"It's just that... I don't want to kill people and I don't want to see people getting killed. Hell, I don't even want to see anyone getting hurt... But..."

Kopia turned away and waved their hand at all the destruction they have caused while chasing after a surprisingly troublesome target that Caramel has marked as having one of the essential traits and powers to make their plan work.

As it turned out, even though their target wasn't even level 99, they were ridiculously skilled with using their powers and almost got away.

Almost - if not for Kopia showing up in the key moment changed into a form that completely threw off their target - making them hesitate for just a split second, which allowed the hot-headed ashen-haired Mika Wrath to swoop in and knock them out.

Now the only thing left was for Mason to steal whatever trait was necessary...

...and get rid of the unnecessary target...

"...If Claymore knew what I'm participating in, they would get really upset..."

Kopia turned back around and sighed making a pitiful expression.

"Maybe, but still, you're not doing that because you like it - you are trying to protect your beloved person. There's a huge difference."

Nommanic shook her head and assured them.

"...maybe... I don't really feel that way though..."

Kopia lowered their head.

"Well, didn't you said before that your master has ordered you to kill someone? Maybe you are thinking too hard about it..."

'They didn't mean it! I'm sure that it was just because Claymore saw something really horrible!"

Nommanic tried her best to cheer Kopia up, but they ended up interrupting her in a tearful voice.

"Of course, of course... Eh...?"

Nommanic raised her hands trying to calm down the agitated shapeshifter, but then she suddenly flinched and turned around furrowing her brows as she was listening in.

"Nommanic...? What's wrong...?"

Kopia tilted their head, surprised by the sudden change.

"Shh..."

But the dark-skinned woman raised her hand to shush them and stood up.

Without taking her head away from one specific direction, she walked straight towards the light brown-haired young woman and tapped her shoulder.

"Yes...? What is it?"

Caramel raised her brow and looked at the woman.

"Say... you have that map skill and all, right... What is in that direction..."

The dark-skinned woman asked motioning with her chin.

"There...? That would be..."

Caramel furrowed her brows and her eyes began to glow up as she activated one of her skills.

"The capital of Wraths territory. What about it? Is something wrong...?"

But the one who ended up giving the answer wasn't her but the ashen-haired Justice's Wrath, looking more than slightly worried.

"Whoa, Wrath's territory? Did we really chased after him so far?!"

Mason joined in the conversation as his eyes widened."

"Aww, you're so cute when you're cueless like that, Mason. He might have abandoned his house, but he did that only because he was strong enough - better be grateful that we managed to separate him from the werewolves or we might have been forced to reveal Radiance's or Nommanic powers early..."

Caramel giggled and slid her hand down the half-elf's back.

All the way down.

"...I don't remember having a good enough relationship with you for such behavior to be appropriate..."

Mason stepped aside, not even trying to hide his anger.

"Aww, you're so cute when you're acting like that~!"

Caramel was completely unmoved by the clear rejection and stepped closer to the young man.

"Could you two stop for a moment?! Nommanic, what happened?"

Mika scoffed at her companions and turned to Nommanic while clenching the tiny hand of the white-haired child by her side.

"...I... I think I've heard an explosion. A really strong one..."

Nommanic answered.

"...! I-it must be the villainess!"

Mika's face became pale as a ghost.

"What if she got to my father?! We need to... to... ugh...!"

She gasped and was ready to rush all the way to the city on foot, but at that exact moment a green light surrounded her head and she lost her conscience.

"What did you do that for?!"

Kopia ran over and looked between the unconscious girl and the gray-skinned Mason.

"Don't ask me, ask that creep."

But mason only shrugged his shoulders and pointed at the light brown-haired girl by his side.

"Ah, you see..."

And she was all too keen to answer.