Tiki ran outside the mall, medicine at one hand and axe at the other.

"Hey! Take this! Cure whatever you've got and move your asses, shorty might be in trouble!", she tossed the medicine to everyone, them not saying a word from their affliction. "Wait a minute...where's the music one?"

Tiki looked in the car further, only to not find Tiki standing besides everyone else from the food poisoning. She then looked beyond the car to find Tiki rubbing her eyes as she shook some water off her face...

"What? How did you...recover?", Tiki said.

"Oh, hi Tiki! Umm...well, my natural healing abilities are close to Risa-chans, per say. I'd have probably recovered earlier had I not spend so much energy fighting back at Corosta but...hey, what's up? You look hasty.", Terna approached Tiki.

"Long story short, shorty is in trouble. I'm off, look out for everyone here!", Tiki turned away.

"Nope! I see you gave them the medicine already, so they'll be fine! If Risa is in trouble, then I'm coming too since I'm able!"

"Whatever! I simply don't have time for this so let's go!"

The two of them left everyone behind in the car and swiftly darted towards the general direction Tiki had seen Ikarisa run towards. They ran and ran, but only open fields could be seen at a certain point, as their traces seemed to fade away more and more.

Terna stopped. "Wait, Tiki! We don't know exactly where we're heading to right now...if the traces fade away and we are still moving, then that only means we will get more and more lost by the step!"

"Hmm.", Tiki nodded. "You're right on that one diva."

"Huh? No raging over talking against your actions?", Tiki wondered.

Tiki got irritated. "Oh, shut it diva! It's not that everything pisses me off, but I know when to say I screwed up. You should know that too. Anyway, you being right, I acted way too quickly. First rule of any operation is to stay calm and collected...now...", Tiki slammed her axe down and kneeled. "The traces started fading away at the grass back there and this is the last visible mark...", Tiki looked around.

"Can I help you find anything at all? I don't want you to do all the work...", Terna looked around.

"No. Sit back, shut up and let me do my job.", Tiki harshly answered back. "Tracks stop here...rough dirt area ahead. Move forwards.", Tiki got up and moved forward.

"It's a nice little opening in the middle of the field.", Terna looked around. "It's kind of pretty."

Tiki looked around, dropping her axe again. "Hmm. Yeah. Now what the hell is here, I dunno. No footprints on the dirt. Does shorty know how to fly, by chance?"

"No...not that I'd know of."

"Maybe levitate?", Tiki looked at the ground.

"Nope, haven't seen her do that. Tho it would really surprise me that much.", Terna looked around as well.

"Alright, so that means. Ah...", Tiki laid down on her back and took on a T-pose.

"Um...Tiki?"

"What?"

"What are you doing?", Terna looked down on Tiki's face.

"Working? Now get out of there, you're blocking the sun."

"Oh, sorry. Is that supposed to be for work too?"

"No, I just don't want you in front of my face looking at me. It pisses me off. Now..."

Tiki turned both her arms upside down, maintaining her T-pose and twisted her wrists to lift only her hands up, perfectly aligned across each other. She then lowered all of her fingers until only her index was raised in both her right and left hand. She then waited.

"Hmm...come on...", Tiki looked at the grass on her left and her right.

"What are we actually waiting for?", Terna looked around.

A fully filled water bottle passed by from the strong wind...

"Oh.", Terna picked up the bottle. "It's kind of...windy today."

"Yes. Yes it is. And that's such an enormous pain in the ass."

"Oh, you want it less windy? I can try, but only for a little. I don't want to disturb the natural flow of the weather!", Terna happily said.

"You can control the wind?", Tiki said.

"Of course! All elements to be precise. That's exactly what I do in my stage as well, fireworks by controlling fire, combat goes to earth because it's the most effective and all the rest of the elements are up for use from me!"

"Alright then diva. Make the air pipe down.", Tiki said as she kept her pose.

"You got it!"

Terna let a beautiful and relaxing voice, humming and changing to the winds rhythm. Suddenly, as she became to relax her rhythm and voice in synch with the wind, it's tenacity slowed down and came to a halt.

"Perfect.", Tiki looked on her left and then right index. "Alright, that's all I needed. Thanks."

Terna stopped chanting. "Alright, so, what happened?"

Tiki walked to the left. "The wind was shaking the grass too much. I wanted to take measurements since I saw the area around this grassy field. And, as it turns out, my suspicion is correct."

Tiki stopped in front of a new path of footprints layered on the grass.

"Woa! Nice!", Terna excitedly said. "But...how?"

"Hmph. The grass on my left was shorter than on the right by a significant amount. Despite looking at it from the top and realizing it's missing the top end by being cut, I wanted to make sure. And as for the area behind there, I was suspicious from the start for it...combining the grass evidence and that, I'd say a battle took place that started there, and moved to the left. Lots of dust was kicked up during it and covered the tracks before they ended back in the grass again. And as you can see, more footprints start from here but are all over the place, meaning it was probably a chase fight. Let's move.", Tiki ran forward.

"Your detective work is honestly...weirdly good.", Terna stood in amazement.

"It's not detective work, it's just that I've come down to doing several assassination missions. Tracking down a target is, obviously, one of the many prerequisites."

"Oh...never mind then.", Terna nervously smiled. "Oah!", she tripped down.

Tiki stopped. "Urgh, what now! Can't you keep up with me?!"

"My foot suddenly sunk down...eh?", Terna looked back to see a small muddy pull with footprints on it. "Should've been more careful..."

"Wait a minute...", Tiki turned back.

"U-Um! Tiki! What are you-!", Terna got stopped by Tiki.

"Shut it diva.", Tiki began smelling Terna's muddy foot.

"This is um..."

"Shut it and let me do my work. This is...wait.", Tiki put her finger in the puddle and brought it close to her nose. "The ground... it's not water soiled mud. This distinct and powerful aroma...there's absolutely no mistaking it. It's demon blood. And the way it smells as well...", Tiki's eyes widened. "Shit...that means shorty is after...a demon warrior. Terna...run. Now!"

Tiki frantically began to run to the footprints direction, Terna following behind.

"Wait, Tiki! Even if it's a demon then-"

"I'm not giving my people mercy if they are pieces of shit. For all I know, this surviving demon could be a mass murderer. And the way the blood smells means only one thing. Seasoned combat tactics. The reason they're running is not because they feels week, it's to drive the target into an area that can provide tactical leverage to secure the kill! Shorty is in immense danger!", Tiki kept running.

"Oh no...we've gotta hurry! Here goes!", Terna sparked a tune.

Tiki's and Terna's speed suddenly increased exponentially as they both blasted through the woods...

"What is this?!", Tiki struggled to control her speed.

Terna giggled. "Element control and healing is not the only thing I can do...now come on! I'll help you!"

Terna took the lead as they run and bounced all around the woods before reaching the end of the trail. They then both came at a halt, had the enchanting effect been over, and were presented with a sight unexpected to what they had hoped they would find...

"This is where the pathing ends...what is that even? Looks quite old..."

Tiki approached a shattered, rusty metal gate, walking right by it.

"There's a welcome sign here. Broken and shattered to bits, can't make anything out of it.", Tiki studied the sign.

In front of them laid an old, run down building of mass scale. Bits and chunks were missing off it as sunlight pierced its roof, nature already moving in to recollect it to the ground. Vines on the walls and flowers everywhere, it was a rather unique sight that the both of them had never been exposed to.

"Hmm. Nothing around here. Stay alert, however. Ambush tactics are nothing new to me, and given the circumstances, there's a very high chance that whatever the hell shorty was chasing after is now hiding in there. Let's dig deeper.", Tiki moved forward.

"Ok, got it! Though...it is a rather peaceful area. Would be a shame to ruin it with a battle-", Terna was interrupted.

"It's either the building or us, diva. Guess what my pick is."

As Tiki moved forward to open the front door, it gave in to her touch, falling flat backwards.

"Tiki! Come on!"

"Oh, shut up, I didn't do it on purpose!"

Terna sighed, "Whatever...let's just go find Risa."

They entered inside the building only to find precisely what they did in the outside. Broken walls, overgrown plantation and small rays of sunshine protruding from the halls on the ceiling. The space inside seemed most alluring, however, styling itself in an old yet beautiful, but now ruined by time, décor. It posed some clay vases here and there at the entrance before a now mushy and darkened red carpet moved forward to another door underneath a pair of stairs. On their left and on their right were also two long corridors with several doors, the right one being cut off by a collapsed section of the roof. The second floor boasted of the same red carpet as the entrance, it however only having a few rooms that the halls were both destroyed on the left and on the right, blocking them off.

"Where do you say we go next?", Terna said.

"Forwards. I can see that it ends up in the outside again so it might have another building area in the back. Most of here is destroyed anyway."

"Ok, you're the boss."

Tiki and Terna moved forward in the long hallway leading in the back. Traversing it, they saw all sorts of paintings, flowers and lights at a much better condition than what they had found before. Paintings of people, places and a few folklores were set up on the walls, as the lights dimly lit them from the lack of electricity, treated flowers decorating their presence.

"These look so...odd? Interesting?", Terna said.

"They look more odd if anything. Way too well maintained compared to the other things in this sinking hellhole. I treat this as a massive red flag...it could mean what whatever or whoever shorty was chasing at could be treating this as a base or a home. Whatever it may be, we are certainly at the wolfs den. Keep going but count every step. It can get shitty real quick.", Tiki moved on.

Coming out the other end, the two flinched for a moment from the rays of sunlight before looking forward at a sight gaze worthy in of its own. A long stretch of land with countless flowers and rocks covered tue land, seemingly glowing from the reflecting light. The lush and dense forest trees too, started to give in more and more, as they slowly faded away, leaving aside only the open wide valley. Almost as if a rainbow was grounded on earth, the blooming fluorescence of the valley greeted them with a wide assortment of all kinds of colors. The wind had only helped the flowers blossom further, as they were dancing back and forth to its flow, flying petals filling both land and sky, trying to reach faraway lands...

Terna was left in awe. "This is...so...", a tear almost rolled down her face.

Tiki took a deep breath. "Never expected something so...liberating, to come out of this place."

The two stood there in amazement as they tried to fully take in the wondrous sight, before Tiki forced herself to snap out of it...

Tiki began to move again. "Right...let's keep going. Though we shouldn't be that far from shorty anymore."

"It's all so, so fantastic...", Terna stood still.

"Oi! Diva? Everything alright? We have to keep moving.", Tiki waved her hand in front of Terna's face. "Come on, what's up with you already?"

Terna snapped out. "O-Oh uh...nothing. Just that...this sight reminded me of something...home."

"Look, we can come back and look at this any time. But let's set our priorities straight first, alright?", Tiki said.

Terna nodded. "Right. Let's head to the middle of the field, maybe we will get a better line of sight there."

"Good call. I can also imagine shorty being somewhere within this field."

The two calmly and carefully made their way across to the middle of the field, trying as much as possible to avoid bringing harm to the flowers. They reached a point in the inner field before Terna softly sat down on a rock, trying to look out for Ikarisa...

"All this running and dashing, yet Risa is nowhere to be found...", Terna exhaled. "But now we don't even have a lead.", she tried to open the water bottle she hang onto. "Hmm? Why won't it..."

"You're seriously struggling to open that?", Tiki scoffed.

"I'm trying to but...hnn!", Terna tried to pry it open.

"Oh for the love of...", Tiki sighed. "Gimme this.", she grabbed the bottle from Terna's hands. "I seriously can't baby sit a diva right now. Here!"

Tiki tried to open the water bottle with sheer strength.

"What the-", Tiki struggled. "What is this shit?!", she madly tried to open the bottle.

"Um...Tiki? It's ok you know, I can just hold it until we find another source-", Terna got interrupted.

"No-shut up! Why is this thing not opening? Is it challenging me?!"

"Tiki it's a bottle of water made of plastic, how could it-"

"Shut up! I can do this!"

Terna whispered. "Out of every thing she could've possibly been mesmerizing on after she went on and on about Risa-chan, this is what tipped her over the edge?", she lowered her face.

Tiki made several, powerful attempts to open the water bottle but to no avail. With sheer strength to move boulders like a piece of paper and a failing result on a simple task, she rapidly began being more and more irritated by the second.

"Are you serious right now?!"

"Tiki we can just-", Terna got interrupted.

Tiki smashed the bottle to the ground, it bouncing back up in the air. "Haaa, screw you, asshole!", Tiki grabbed her axe.

Tiki began to rapidly strike the bottle with her giant axe, it not flinching for a second, as she desperately began a powerful combo to make a dent at it.

"I'll show you exactly-", Tiki launched an aerial flurry at the bottle, "The words behind strength-", she slammed the bottle downwards, crushing the ground beneath, "Truly mean!"

Tiki landed in front of the bottle, putting both of her hands on the axe and pulling it behind her shoulder, preparing for a powerful swing. The bottle itself up until that point retained its flawless gloss, as not even the dirt could hinder its reflective radiance from the suns rays.

"Wait, Tiki!", Terna tried to stop Tiki.

"Witness the full power of a demon!", Tiki swung her axe forward. "[REDACTED] you!"

A supersonic burst was heard loud and clear amidst the horizon, as Tiki's axe connected with the flawless, menacing looking plastic bottle of water. Instead of making a dent at its surface, the bottle was instead launched at enormous speeds forward, crushing into the right side of the collapsing building and, much like a bullet, went straight through it, crushing the side to bits before making the ground tremble.

"Tiki! Oh my god!", Terna angrily said.

"What?! That thing was pissing me off! That's what anything that pisses me off gets!"

"Look at what you did!", Terna pointed at the half destroyed building.

Tiki paused for a moment and calmed down, in the process realizing what she had done.

Tiki exhaled. "Hah...I damaged it that far back?", she looked at the building.

"Yes! You have to control yourself more!", Terna yelled.

Tiki whispered. "Hmm. So that's where the danger factor comes in...the amplification is significant, even with me putting minimum effort."

"What was that?"

"Hmph. Nothing. What's done's done. It's an old shitty building anyway, destroyed by me or time it's one and the same. Now let's finally find shorty."

Terna crashed on the rock. "Haah! It's frustrating...", she dropped her hands down.

Tiki scouted the area, "I don't really see anything. There's no way it's a cold trail."

Terna tried to close her hand, feeling something at the tip of her fingers.

"Hmm? What?", Terna dropped from the rock.

"What is it diva?", Tiki looked at Terna.

"I felt something...let me see."

Terna crouched and began shaking the dust off the side of the rock, revealing some sort of text from beneath...

"There's something written on this!", Terna moved in closer.

"Really? What is it?", Tiki moved in closer.

"It's...I can't really make it out well. Wait, I think that I can...ah there we go! There was dirt inside the carved letters.", Terna fully cleaned the letters, "It writes: 'In Loving Memory of Seiyu. Taken Too Early'. she paused immediately. "Wait...what? This is..."

"A grave? So this entire place...it's some sort of...graveyard?", Tiki looked around again.

"This would explain the stones around here...but 'Taken Too Early'? That usually refers to...children...", Terna got up and moved to another gravestone.

Terna shook off the dust from the carved letters on a number of stones around her. Taken too early...taken too early...taken too early. The phrase all but kept repeating itself again and again, engraved onto every single stone she laid hands upon...

"This isn't just a cemetery...it's a children's cemetery...", Terna turned a grim look on her face.

"What? Then what did that building...", Tiki paused and widened her eyes. "Hmph!"

Tiki swung her axe right in front of Terna's face, barely missing her in the process, the sound of clashing steel sending Terna at a daze.

"W-What happened...", Terna took a step behind Tiki

"Close call...", Tiki calmly said. "One sneaky bitch for sure. Now...", she reset her stance. "Where is shorty?"

The girl with the massive scythe, appearing behind her stood against her, wavering her silver hair behind and preparing to engage.

"Why would strangers care?", the girl said.

"Well then...guess I'll have to tell you then.", Tiki turned around and lifted her axe. "But don't think I'll go easy for being like me...demon."

Terna snapped out of her daze. "Tiki...let's be careful. She looks...more dangerous than I thought.

"Oh, that I know and she doesn't just look like it. Who said that derail me from wiping the floor with her ass?", Tiki took an offensive stance.

The girl looked at Tiki with confusion, fixing her stance as well.

"I do not know who you may be or what you are talking about. But intruders must be eliminated."

They fiercely looked at each other in the eye, preparing for the coming fight...