Zalroth ran over a rooftop before jumping off it and landing in a fountain square, with a fountain full of glistening water. Zalroth clicked his neck and quickly ducked downwards before a leg swung at him.

"You airhead, how could you forget me?" a short, super dark royal blue-skinned, long fluffy ink black and white gelatin hair with super faint cyan blob tips female oni yelled. She, although half-heartedly, angrily glared at him with her cyan eyes as her ink-like gelatin kitsune ears and five ink-like gelatin kitsune tails pointed outwards, like an angry cat.

"Yeah, sorry about that Minia-" Zalroth managed to say before Minia suddenly grabbed his bandaged right hand and pulled the bandages off. She stared at the damaged white sun on the back of his palm. She looked up at him with a ticked-off glare, making Zalroth itch the side of his cheek. Minia defeatedly sighed as her legs stopped being muscular and more plumpy. Minia dropped Zalroth's hand and stroppily crossed her arms.

"How'd you manage to break my magic tattoo this time?" Minia reluctantly asked. Zalroth put his hand into one of his tails and pulled out the kunai that had impaled his right hand. Minia's eyes lit up as Zalroth placed the kunai in her hands.

"Whoa, it's a dawnite kunai, no wonder the damage to the tattoo was such a clean-cut and you still being so beat up from those kunoichis," Minia commented before she tossed the knife back into Zalroth's tails.

"Yeah that- wait how do you know about that?" Zalroth asked.

"Sophia told me what happened before Lola and her went to go look for you," Minia replied as she climbed up Zalroth's body and sat inbetween his tails. Minia made herself comfortable, but as she did Zalroth remembered something. Zalroth reached into one of his tails and pulled out an oversized light royal blue winter coat with a pale light yellow fur collar and cuffs. Minia slumped her head on Zalroth's shoulder and stared at the coat.

"What's this?" Minia asked with a slightly intrigued tone, making Zalroth roll his eyes. Zalroth tossed the coat over his head and it landed on Minia's face. Minia pulled the coat off her face and looked at it.

"I bought it a few days ago but didn't get around to giving it to you for obvious reasons," Zalroth said as he started to walk. The ink-like gelatin around Minia's body condensed into a bra, stockings and sports shorts before she put the winter coat on. Minia placed her hands behind her head before laying down on Zalroth's tails. Minia looked at the arm of the winter coat and a small smile grew on her face.

"So are we heading back to where ever you disappeared to now?" Minia nonchalantly asked, making a smug grin grow on Zalroth's face.

"That was my original intention," Zalroth said. Minia placed her hands over her eyes and angrily groaned.

"Do you have to go after every Azure Gem you sense?" Minia complained as she was slightly violently tapping Zalroth's back with her foot.

"Is that a rhetorical question?" Zalroth jokingly asked.

"...duh...". Minia huffed as she crossed her arms and closed her eyes. Zalroth mentioned it won't take too long but it fell on deaf ears, and the sound of Minia sleeping interrupted him.

Meanwhile, Sophia sat up and brushed the dust out of her hair.

"You really shouldn't copy Zalrouth's training methods to a tee," Nola remarked. Sophia turned to face Nola with a few of her bones clicking as she moved.

"Ow... why's that?" Sophia exhaustedly asked.

"Cause he's so dense that when he's training like that he wouldn't even realise he's experiencing mana deprivation until his fingers start to disintegrate.". Sophia swiftly looked at her fingers with a mix of fear and shock even Lola and the others looked out of curiosity as they were heading over to the collection of tables with food before Sophia let out a relieved exhale.

"That can happen?" Sophia asked with a tinge of concern in her voice. Nola nodded her head.

"Yeah, but you don't need to worry since that can only happen to people with magic-based bodies Like Zalroth, and Lola when she's older," Nola explained while yawning in between her words.

"Achoo!".

Sophia and Nola darted their eyes in the direction of the sneeze before the bushes they were looking at started to rustle followed by a loud thud.

"Don't scare me like that Star, we could've broken the toy," Ruby said as she stood up from the bushes while Star was clinging to her back. Ruby, wearing red running shoes, pale pink leggings, a pale pink crop top and a thin unzipped red hoodie, climbed out of the bush while Star, wearing a light grey hoodie, a white skirt, black leggings and white crocks, was brushing leaves out of Ruby's hair. Ruby spotted Sophia staring at her and Ruby's eyes lit up while Sophia put her hand over her eyes in a slightly annoyed fashion. Ruby quickly raced over to Sophia and hugged her.

"Phi-phi long time no see, I haven't seen you since we graduated from the academy. It's so good to see you." Ruby cheerfully said as she continued to hug the tired and slightly grumpy Sophia.

"Yeah-yeah, it's nice to see you, too but what are you doing here of all places anyway?". Star popped out from behind Ruby while presenting the tuxedo cat.

"W-we're looking for someone called S-snow, do you where we... can find them?" Star timidly asked.

"Oh... she's right over there," Sophia replied and pointed over at Lola, Scarlett, Snow, Kusana and Anthurium as they were chasing after a drunk Iris who had gotten stuck in a punch jug that was rolling down a hill.

"Oh, well we'll just leave it with you then," Ruby mentioned. Star handed Ruby the Tuxedo Cat before she gave it to Sophia. Ruby waved goodbye to Sophia, with Star mimicking, before running off. Rokai was talking to Mikou and Rosa next to his wagon. As Ruby ran past the wagon, she felt a familiar mana from inside the wagon causing her to stop in her tracks. Ruby stared intently at the wagon.

"Is something wrong?" Sophia asked. Ruby and Star freaked out as Ruby tried to quickly turn around, but tripped over her foot. Luckily Sophia swiftly grabbed Ruby's wrist to stop her from falling. Ruby stabilized herself and awkwardly laughed while Star was angerly bopping Ruby on the head.

"I know this will sound weird but I sensed Charlotte's mana in that wagon, weird right?" Ruby remarked. Sophia tilted her head before realising what Ruby must have sensed.

"Oh, that must be the s-". Sophia paused when she realised she was still holding onto Ruby's wrist. She slowly let go and asked Ruby to give her a sec before she teleported away. Ruby looked down at her wrist and rubbed it with a small smile on her face. Sophia exited the wagon with Charlotte's sword in her hand and hopped onto the ground, making Ruby look up from her wrist. Ruby and Star were amazed to see Charlotte's sword. Sophia handed it to Ruby before she scratched her flushed cheek.

"Woah where'd you find it.". Sophia shrugged while remembering what Zalroth had said to her.

"N-no idea, my sensei said he stumbled apon it in a river while he was... fishing," Sophia said while rubbing the back of her head.

"Oh you're still training under someone too, are they the person you chose over the one me and the others chose?". Sophia nodded her head.

"Yeah... it's been a surreal and taxing experience so far." Sophia commented. Ruby laughed a little at Sophia's comment but Ruby's cheeks turned slightly red as she looked at the confused face of Sophia.

"I can tell, you're face is all red and sweaty, well... it was nice seeing you Phi." Ruby awkwardly remarked before she raced off into the forest. Sophia left dumbfounded at Ruby's remark as she watched Ruby and Star disappear into the forest. She slowly placed her hands over her face as she blushed.

"How embarrassing," Sophia remarked to herself as she teleported away.

Meanwhile, Zalroth briskly walked down a gravel trail with his right raised. Minia was slowly moving her glowing white hand over the back of Zalroth's palm, with a magic circle ring around her wrist. Zalroth overlooked the calm and quiet forest.

"If you had to choose between having to eat everything with vinegar or not being able to taste anything which would you choose?" Minia asked as the symbol on her magic circle ring changed from a marker to scissors. Minia placed her finger on the back of Zalroth's hand and made his face cringe.

"D-definitely the vinegar option, I can't stand flavourless food," Zalroth stated.

"Yeah, that was a dumb question..." Minia mentioned before resting her left arm on top of Zalroth's head and continued to repair the light sun magic tattoo. Zalroth looked off into the distance and a grin grew on his face as a large cave came into view; his grin shifted to a concerned one when he noticed four children in front of the cave entrance at the end of the gravel trail.