The Moonlit soldiers came as the white moon rose in the sky, and Dia watched in silence as fully armoured beings of tri-coloured light surrounded Monsville.

“Looks like there’s no need to sleep tonight.” Schwarz filled up a flagon with alcohol and poured out a cup for everyone, pausing to fill up Nero’s extra-large mug with more alcohol. A refreshing fruity scent filled the air, and Dia relaxed slightly.

“Even us?” Nero asked. “We’re the Moons’ hired goons.”

“Well, they probably won’t check us,” Schwarz replied, “but can you really sleep knowing that there’s something huge swirling all around us now? I’d applaud you guys if you can, actually. It’ll be easier to get drunk first or something.”

President Cadenza let out a hearty laugh. “Alcohol’s great, yes! Although my daughter is here, so I shall not partake too much in tonight’s weird revelry.”

He picked up the cup. “Cheers!”

Everyone toasted each other, and Dia took a sip of the refreshing beverage. While alcohol had its own distinctive taste that sometimes made her brace whenever she took a sip, Schwarz’s handiwork was always refreshing. The fruity, minty add-ons were perfect for her, and she took another sip.

Her mind raced as she examined her cup. Nero and President Cadenza had revealed many things, including a message to her — although they probably didn’t know she was the recipient. What exactly did that impossible variable refer to? What was the Omen that was not the Omen? It was hard to tell, especially since Nero himself had said that he had been following the Black God’s orders to do random things and spout random phrases to random people.

Were they all about the Last Godsfall? Or were they related to Limbo? What was the book that Nero had handed to Claud? Was it a coincidence that the two left, and then a huge explosion followed?

…Okay, that last one definitely wasn’t related. Putting aside the fact that the attacker was not from this cycle, as Nero and President Cadenza liked to say, it was physically impossible for them to move such stupidly long distances anyway. And even if they could, for Claud or Lily to seek death like that…well, Dia would rather not polish her sword for three years than to actually believe that.

She took another sip from her cup and smiled. Schwarz was also cooking some meat on an open fire, and the aroma was making her stomach rumble. There was something magnetic about the way the meat had been prepared, and it wasn’t just her either.

“Stop looking at me like that, asshats,” Schwarz complained. “It’s not done yet. Unless you want to have an upset stomach, sit still and wait for me to finish cooking.”

“Hurry up. I can see some Moonlit soldiers approaching us,” Risti replied. “Nero, put down that cup and stop drinking. I don’t care if you can’t get drunk; now’s not a good time. Dia…well, you carry on. Farah, just hide with Schwarz.”

“Who died and made you lady boss?” Farah muttered, before scurrying away to the rear obediently.

“Dad?”

“I’m here, Ris-Ris.” President Cadenza got up. “Don’t worry. They’re ants.”

“To you, but not to us,” Risti replied. “Just prepare for a fight. It might boil down to that…wait, Dia, what are you doing?”

Dia, who had gotten up and was walking towards the small garden gate, glanced back. “Don’t worry about me. We should be fine. Just let me handle this.”

“You?” Risti asked, doubt written all over her face. “What, you’re friends with one of the Moons? Or do you have some secret technique?”

“In a sense, I suppose…remember the time when I told you guys about how the Blue Moon asked me about random stuff?” Dia asked. “I got a small token from him afterwards.”

“Hmm.” Risti made a noise in her throat. “I don’t think you should squander this favour like this. It’s fine. Just let them do what they want. It’s not like we’re hiding anything anyway.”

Dia looked at the others, who didn’t seem to mind that statement either, and then shrugged. If one of them was actually the Omen, he or she might have asked her to use that token.

Probably. It was hard to tell at this point, and Dia didn’t think she was in the right state of mind either. Her mind had been rattled by an impossible attack, and then Nero and President Cadenza decided to talk about world-shaking truths and issues right afterwards. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought that they had chosen such a timing on purpose, and—

Maybe they did choose that moment on purpose.

Before Dia could do more than to frown, a troop of Moonlit soldiers had marched up to the little house. Without any preamble, the leader rested a hand on the garden gate and said, “Inspection. By order of the Masters. Resistance will be met with lethal force. Comply.”

The troops looked at Risti as she walked up and opened the gate for them. “Go ahead.”

In silence, the soldiers swarmed into the garden, forming a small perimeter around the leader as he knelt down on the ground and set up a small object. The weird thing beeped and booped randomly, before he got back up.

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

“Ah…” Dia hadn’t even taken more than a few glances at the weird artefact before the Moonlit soldiers took off into the distance. “Huh. That was…surprisingly quick.”

“I had expected more too,” Risti muttered. “What was that, though?”

“Presumably to check for the…” Nero hesitated for a moment. “Well, the adversary. They’re checking for the adversary. Yes, that one that is on everyone’s faction missions. It seems like the Moons have been truly enraged by that attack.”

“Wait, the adversary is part of this cycle, right?” Dia asked. “But you guys just said that the attack was from someone not of this cycle.”

“…Looks like you were paying very close attention,” President Cadenza replied.

“Hard not to, when you guys were speaking in riddles,” Dia replied. “And the others definitely have their own thoughts about what you two said this afternoon too. And how do you know that artefact was used to check for the adversary? It could have been to look for people outside this cycle, as you guys keep saying.”

“You do know that there are quite a few people who are outside this cycle alive right now, right? Anyone from the previous Godsfalls count. There’s no way there’s something so convenient. The adversary is a unique existence. That’s different.” President Cadenza yawned. “Still, I didn’t expect them to have something this convenient. Excellent.”

“Excellent?”

“If they can kill the adversary, the end of the cycle can be averted,” President Cadenza replied.

“And we’ll all live?” Schwarz asked, pumped up.

“Yeap. Probably.” President Cadenza smiled wanly. “But that person is far stronger than any of us…but let’s not talk about this. It’s easy to veer into forbidden territory if we continue to talk about what’s permitted and what’s not permitted. More importantly, you guys need to consider your next move.”

“We’re just going to hunker down, I suppose,” Farah replied.

“I wouldn’t do that, though,” President Cadenza replied. “Even if you guys are not entering the Trial of Aeons, everyone present should work on strengthening themselves. The Trial of Aeons will be followed by a storm of chaos. If you guys aren’t mid-ranked folders by then, death would almost be a certainty. Grow stronger, if only for yourself.”

“Yeah, well, we need resources…”

President Cadenza mulled for a moment. “Well, then…consider this a gift of sorts. Something to thank you guys for.”

“A gift?” Schwarz asked.

The president of the Folders’ Association smiled once, and then clapped his hands. Without warning, three huge boxes appeared, stacked onto each other. Green and purple light spilled out immediately, and President Cadenza grinned.

“Here. Don’t be shy, though. I won’t be able to finish all this by myself before the month’s out anyway, and I have lots of lifespan to burn right now anyway.” He chuckled, a low drone that made Dia smile. “It’ll be better used on you guys…and I haven’t really given everyone a present for looking after my little baby daughter, right?”

“This gift is a bit too val—”

President Cadenza clapped his hands once, interrupting Farah’s words. “It’s not. It’s a gift to the people who have taken care of my baby daughter. And she’ll be sad if you guys kicked the bucket ‘cause you were too weak. I’m making her happy this way too.”

Mana wrapped around the topmost box and lifted it down. “Also, I’m going to provide consultations for you guys, in case you have any doubts or questions about the Second Tutorial or ways to raise your Mana Control Proficiency.”

“That’s—”

“It won’t take long,” President Cadenza replied. “And I also need to teach my little Risti these things too, so do listen in.”

Dia pondered for a moment. It would seem that she would be spending the rest of the month in the house, at least…