The three roamed the desert on Cleo's sand carpet towards the west with no issues...until now.

Akeru: Cleo, hurry up already!

Cleo: I'm trying! If I go too fast, you will both fall off!

Itsuki looked back to see the issue: a giant sandworm chased after them. It had spikes on its outer body and thousands of sharp teeth in its mouth. The barbs launched at the three, Cleo avoiding them with no issue...other than the other two trying not to fall off.

Itsuki: What the hell is that thing?!

Cleo: A Sanduro, it's a sandworm but way worse.

Akeru: W-Worse in what way?!

Cleo: The size, the spikes, and the acid.

Itsuki: A-A-Acid?!

Itsuki and Akeru look at the beast as it starts shooting acid balls at them. Then, they screamed as Cleo sighed heavily.

Cleo: You are not helping!

Akeru: Can you not get rid of the sand around it or something?!

Cleo: It will just keep following...besides, it is hard for me to do two things simultaneously. If I did that, you both would fall to your deaths.

Akeru: In that case, Itsuki, do something!

Itsuki: What the hell do you want me to do?!

Akeru: I don't give a damn, just anything that will make it stop!

Itsuki groaned as he looked down at the worm chasing them. He caused Mountaina stone spikes to shoot from the ground to stab the worm, but the Sanduro just slams into them, breaking them without issue.

Itsuki: D-Damn! That did nothing!

Cleo: No shit, it's a giant worm with super thick skin.

Akeru: Just like the Manticore...

Itsuki: So I will have to deal with it from the inside...Alright, Cleo, be sure to catch me.

Cleo: W-What do you mean-

Itsuki summoned his katana and jumped off, Akeru screaming at him.

Akeru: HAVE YOU LOST YOUR DAMN MIND?!?

Cleo: Damnit, Itsuki!!

The Sandero looked up at Itsuki and jumped towards him, its teeth shifting around like a blender.

Itsuki: Pretty damn disgusting creature...if you are so damn hungry, eat this!

Itsuki chucked his sword into the Sandero's mouth, with a small trail of magic leading back to Itsuki. However, the Sandero's teeth interrupt the track of magic.

Itsuki: Damnit! It must have noticed the trail...

Cleo quickly whipped the sand carpet around and went to Itsuki.

Cleo: You idiot! That thing isn't just some mindless beast!

Akeru: Cleo, we have to turn back! Itsuki is already at the mouth of that thing! We will all perish!

Itsuki smirked as he summoned a Link portal underneath him. Cleo's eyes widened as she went up enough for the Sandero not to catch her.

Akeru: W-Where did he go?!

Cleo: D-Did he just abadon us?!

Suddenly, a giant spiritual blade gushes out of the Sandero as it screeches and falls to the ground. The blade shifts horizontally as the two girls see Itsuki walking on it, covered in worm juices. Cleo flew to him as they both held their nose to him.

Cleo: J-Jeez! You smell like absolute shit!

Akeru: D-Did you really have to go inside it like that...?

Itsuki: Not my first idea, trust me...I was hoping to pull off Conversion, but instead, I had to go with Excelsior as a Plan B.

Cleo: Can you do something about that stench already? It's burning my nose...

Itsuki groaned as he used Tide to wash off everything on him and Pyro to dry his clothes before getting on the sand carpet. The three continued to the west.

Itsuki: Is this really necessary...?

Akeru: Yes...it totally is.

The sand carpet now had a barrier between Itsuki and the girls.

Cleo: Just got rid of some of the stenches, but you still smell to high heavens. Once we get a Link point, you will be going to the Grand Realm and taking a bath...

Itsuki: Not my fault a damn worm outsmarted me!

Akeru and Cleo smirk as they whisper to each other.

Akeru: Imagine getting fooled by a worm...

Cleo: I know, right...

Itsuki: I can still hear you!

Eventually, the three made it to the end of the desert as they reached the black rocks of the western country, Evalot. Unfortunately, the air far above them was black due to the nearby volcano.

Itsuki: So that is why you can't fly us any further...

Cleo: Even a Witch like me would have issues surviving such a terrible smog...According to what we know, the Ash Witch should be in the top city of Eval. However...that is a really long way up the mountain. It would take us a whole day to climb up the mountain around the volcano, let alone the mountainous plains leading to it.

Akeru: So what is the plan then? We can't fly to it, so walking has to be our only choice...

Cleo: Sadly..but first...

Cleo pointed at Itsuki and glared.

Cleo: You. Go bathe. Now, we will wait on your stinky ass...

Itsuki rolled his eyes as he made his own Link point to get back and had Kuro open the Grand Realm portal. No one was in the home, so he made his way to the bathroom and started to bathe.

Itsuki: What a pain in the ass this is already...

Itsuki leaned back in the bathtub and looked up at the ceiling, shutting his eyes and relaxing. Eventually, he left the bath, got dressed, and returned to the girls, who looked agitated.

Akeru: About damn time; I thought I would have to send Cleo to get you...

Cleo: Seriously, how long does it take to get some worm gunk off you?

Itsuki: Come on, let's get going. It was your damn idea for me to bathe anyways.

Cleo and Akeru huff as they walked through the rocky plains with Itsuki. Akeru looked at Cleo, a bit confused.

Akeru: Could you not have used your sand carpet with a low attitude?

Cleo: In theory, possibly. You notice how hot it is here near a volcano compared to the desert, yes?

Itsuki: Yeah, it feels like the damn sun is right above our heads...

Cleo: My sand would absorb that heat, possibly to the point it will burn our butts off.

Akeru: I get the heat part, but...why would it absorb it constantly? It isn't like a fire or anything.

Cleo: Just trust me...I can't explain it well. I can control the temperature in the desert, but it would be too much for me to do while maintaining my carpet.

Itsuki: I guess you did say you can't multitask well..it just sucks. I'm assuming ice magic probably wouldn't help much?

Cleo: It would probably melt by the time you cast it, making more issues for me as I would have to keep the sand from clumping too much. I can't control sand when it is clumped up like that...

Akeru: Ugh, this is all just terrible.

The three kept walking miserably through the land as they spotted several people walking like they were. Most were Beastfolk: humans with properties of a mammal, fish, bird, reptile, or any other kind of creature.

Akeru: W-What are they?

Cleo: Beastfolk...

Itsuki: I've never seen them before...are they only out here???

Cleo: It depends...they probably do reside out here, but most are in hiding.

Akeru: Why are they hiding?

Cleo: Think about it, the name Beastfolk would associate you with whom?

Itsuki: The Beast Witch...

Cleo: Bingo, they were her experiments at first, but she abandoned them centuries ago. Since she made hundreds upon hundreds of them, they just kept breeding into their own race. But of course, the AWF doesn't care...they hunt them all down like animals.

Akeru: That's terrible...

Itsuki: Another reason to stop those bastards...

Cleo looked down a little as they kept walking. The bear thought of her sister filled her with anger, but she was controlling it.