"How… how do you know about my condition?"
Kaguya's face was faintly flushed as she demanded an answer. Takumi replied like it was the most casual thing in the world.
"Before I came to Orario, I rescued a fox girl from the Far East. Her name is Haruhime Sanjouno."
"Sanjouno… royal-noble bloodline."
Realization hit Kaguya instantly. The last trace of hostility in her eyes evaporated—only to be replaced by something far more dangerous: hope.
"Then what do you mean by 'you can fix it'?"
"It's just poison," Takumi said with a lazy shrug. "I can handle it."
"…"
Kaguya shot him a deeply offended, side-long glare—pure you're impossible energy. But beneath that, in the very bottom of her eyes, a trembling expectation took root.
If he really could… didn't that mean he was basically fate's answer? Her destined husband?
That kind of thing… that kind of…
Even someone as sharp-tongued and sly as Kaguya had her mind go pleasantly fuzzy for a moment.
Takumi couldn't help laughing when he saw her rare, flustered expression.
"You look way too cute like that, Kaguya. And no, it's not just 'I can tank it.' There are other ways." He paused, then grinned. "But that gets… pretty private. If you're actually interested, come talk to me one-on-one later."
With that, he stepped back like nothing had happened.
Kaguya's cheeks stayed red, but the hunger in her gaze didn't fade. Her poisoned body hadn't turned into a permanent, uncurable skill—yet despite years in Orario and every doctor she could find, no one had solved it. Now that a real possibility had appeared, how could she not want it?
After a little more discussion, Takumi officially joining the operation became a done deal.
To Alise and the others, his participation was nothing but good news. This mission needed speed and decisiveness—Rudra Familia's movements could change at any moment. The plan was to crush them quickly before anything slipped away.
And once word spread that Takumi was coming, the rest of Astraea Familia was practically buzzing—especially Ryuu. Adi was her closest friend, and Ryuu had never forgotten that Takumi had saved Adi's life. He'd been out of Orario for days, so she hadn't had the chance to thank him properly.
The next day arrived in a blink.
After Takumi explained things to Hestia, he headed out with Lili and Haruhime to meet up with Astraea Familia.
"Takumi-kun! Over here!"
Alise waved both arms like an excited kid spotting her hero. The instant Haruhime and Lili saw her, their instincts screamed the same thing.
This one's dangerous!
That bright, innocent energy? Men loved that type.
When Takumi reached them, he introduced Haruhime—everyone already knew Lili, but Haruhime was new.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Takumi-sama's servant—Haruhime."
In her red kimono, Haruhime bowed politely, her manners immaculate. She'd firmly placed herself in the role of servant now, almost by reflex.
Kaguya, standing within the group, studied Haruhime with clear surprise.
"Golden hair… so you really are the Sanjouno noble's daughter. I didn't expect you to end up in Orario."
"The reason I'm here… is because of my lord," Haruhime said shyly, briefly sharing her past.
After hearing it, the mood shifted. Everyone understood she'd suffered a lot—and as a fellow Far East native, Kaguya looked after her in particular, treating her with an extra layer of warmth.
Meanwhile, Lili was chatting animatedly with Lyra.
Lili hadn't gotten any taller, but something about her had changed—there was a faintly more grown air to her now. Lyra's senses were too sharp to miss it. She leaned in and whispered.
"So… you and Takumi-kun finally did it?"
"Mhm…" Lili's face turned red, and she couldn't hide the smug little glow in her eyes. "Takumi-sama is… amazing. I can barely eat afterward."
Lyra's eyes lit up like a kid discovering forbidden lore, and she immediately started whispering follow-up questions. She was curious—mostly because she had no experience herself.
With the group in unusually harmonious spirits, they set out.
Thanks to intel on Rudra Familia's hiding place, they pushed straight down to the 30th Floor: the Jungle Ravine.
The moment they arrived, everyone unconsciously looked upward, dazed.
"We're… already here?"
"How long has it even been? Not even ten minutes!"
"Takumi-kun—what the hell is this item?! This is absurd!"
Alise stared at the Rabbit Talisman in her hand like it was a divine artifact. Every member had one.
The second they activated the talisman's stored magic, their speed shot into a range so insane even they didn't believe it. A journey that should've taken days had been crushed into under ten minutes.
"It's just a little trick," Takumi said, waving it off. "And I threw them together fast—temporary tools."
Right as he finished speaking, the Rabbit Talismans in everyone's hands crumbled into mottled stone and went dead.
"Don't call that a 'little trick,'" Lyra muttered, eyes burning with dollar signs. "Each one of these is worth at least a few million valis."
Then she shook her head, almost pained.
A one-time-use magic item like that was worth way more than most magic swords.
"If you like them, I've got more," Takumi said casually, flipping his palm. Another Rabbit Talisman appeared.
But this time, no one reached out.
Alise shook her head firmly. "No. That's too valuable. We'll figure out a way to pay you back for what you already used."
"Don't get hung up on it," Takumi said, waving her off. "We're friends. The priority is Rudra Familia."
He clearly didn't intend to collect a debt, but the girls' expressions stayed serious—even Lyra didn't look like she planned to freeload. Still, Takumi was right. The objective came first.
They steadied themselves and began searching.
In truth, the instant they entered the Dense Forest Ravine, Rudra Familia already knew.
Hidden in the shadows, Rudra's members wore expressions so ugly they practically curdled the air.
"How are they here already?! We haven't slept in a day and a night!"
"This is insane! We just finished setting up the Firestones!"
"What do we do?! Justice has caught up to us!"
As the panic rose and morale started to crumble, their captain finally snapped.
"Stop crying! Stop screaming!"
He glared at them like a whip.
"We worked a full day and night laying those Firestones!"
"And did you forget what we're really planning?!"
"Orario is about to taste real terror—and we're the ones who'll win in the end!"
Under Jura Halmer's roar, Rudra Familia's members finally managed to pull themselves together—fear still there, but at least now packed into something resembling resolve.