-Black Bulls Base; Later that Night-
Before anyone knew it, night had come over the Black Bulls base, and everyone had been sound asleep. All except for Karasu, as he didn't seem to want to shut his eyes. He had his gaze towards the window as he had been holding his left arm in a basin of cold water, his bandages had been long since removed as they looked to be stained with red. He had been doing his best to work through the pain as he had his shut and had been hissing through his teeth.
His leg rested on the cushions as right now, he could feel more agony coming to his arm right now. Sachiko soon stepped into the room as she looked for towels, some medical herbs and even a new roll of bandages.
"Aniki--" She said, "--I got what you asked for."
"... Did anyone see you?" Karasu asked as he opened his eyes.
Sachiko only scoffed, as she smiled, "Nope, just like the nights before. Even if they did, I have my magic to trick them."
"Thanks imoto." He said before he picked up his head, "Sorry for always making you do this. I'm supposed to be the one taking care of you."
Sachiko only shook her head, "I knew what I was getting into when I decided to come with you, with uncle and auntie." The look on her face soon changed as her expression softened, "Besides… We can't help what we can't control."
Karasu only chuckled softly, "... If this is supposed to be the work of some higher power… Then whoever they are is having one hell of a time laughing at me right now."
She soon went to his bed side as she had gotten everything set up, "... Aniki… Do you really think we'll find a cure for this?"
Karasu only sighed before he shrugged, "I don't know Sachiko… To tell you the truth I don't know. Two years after finally understanding their language and obtaining a grimoire, I thought I would finally get somewhere. Though self taught isn't exactly a way to go. I don't even know where to begin looking into curses."
Sachiko soon said, "--I don't like to lie to everyone. Asta-nii-chan, Feo, Noelle, and Prism-neechan especially. Not to mention, Yami-san gave us a home and he's one of us. If they find out--We might go back to the slums of this kingdom."
"That's not going to happen." He told her, "As long as we keep our heads low, and act like nothings wrong it'll be fine. But one thing is for certain--I won't let this curse be the one that kills them."
Sachiko could see the sadness in her brother's eyes as well as expression despite the tone of his voice. Her gaze had softened once more as she had a look of worry.
"First I let it take dad—" Karasu soon said, "--And, now our aunt and uncle. I'm not letting more blood be spilled because of it. Even if it means I end up losing my life trying to find it, I won't let it take anyone else."
"Please don't talk like that--" She said, "--We're all that's left of our family, and I don't want to be left alone."
Karasu only gave her a smile, "Don't worry, I don't plan on leaving you alone anytime soon." He soon removed his arm from the basin as Sachiko didn't cower or fear what his arm bore.
Rather then an actual hand, his skin from where his bandages had covered had been replaced by a set of moss green as it had been a set of scales relating to a snake as he even had a set of claws. Some of the scales looked to be a bit stained with red.
"One way or another--" He said, before Sachiko went to apply the medicine on his arm, "--I'm not letting this curse kill anymore people."
***
-Somewhere in the Clover Kingdom-
Deep within the Forsaken Lands, in a land no one had dared to go through, a mage looked to be in a hurry as he ran inside as the only thing that had been lit in the place had been a set of candles, revealing a path on the inside. He ran as fast as his legs could carry till he found someone.
This looked to be a young girl wearing a bracelet that had been in that of sapphire as she wore a white robe that had an eye insignia on it.
"Arwen! Arwen!" The mage called out.
The girl looked a bit startled, "What!? What's the matter with you?!"
"We've just gotten word!" The mage replied, "I've gotten back from the Clover Kingdom and this news is of great importance!"
"Is it a Magic Stone?" Arwen asked as she rubbed her eyes, "Has another one been found?"
"No, no, no, this is something more important than a Magic Stone!" He replied.
"Well what is it?" She asked.
The Mage soon whispered in her ear as he tried to be as clear as he possibly could. Though the news had changed the look on her face as her eyes widened. "You're sure of this?!" Arwen asked, "We've been wrong before!"
The Mage nodded, "I checked with the sources within Clover! They're several witnesses! There is no doubt now! It is certain!"
"Well then why are we standing here?!" Arwen said, "We better tell them!"
Thus Arwen and the Mage ran till they came up into a corridor; several other people stood within as they looked to have the same robe she had worn. One of them--Who looked to be a young woman who… Didn't look quite right.
"Oh? If it isn't Arwen." She said, "What are you barging in here? I'm in the middle of an experiment."
"This had better be good." Another--This time it had been a man with dark red bandages that covered his forehead and left eye with a light green eye ornament on top of what the latter had said.
"Trust me it is!" Arwen said as she looked to the mage beside her, "Tell them!"
The Mage soon stepped forward as he cleared his throat, "The wave of mana we felt wasn't our imagination! The Lost Heir to the Clover throne is alive!"
Most of the group looked shocked by this sort of thing. "Are you serious?!" The man with the red bandages exclaimed, "Are you positive this time!?"
"I checked with several contacts in the capital!" The Mage explained, "They told me they saw a girl with small points on her ears, in the Black Market just a few weeks ago."
"It's like we said to you!" Arwen said, "She's the only person among our people that has small points on her ears!"
"Where, where!?" The girl with glasses soon said as her smile appeared to be deranged, though she strangely sounded excited, "Where did they see her go!? Is she in the Capital!?"
"Well no--" The Mage replied, "--I'm told she's with a Magic Knight squad. As for which one, he couldn't catch a glimpse of the insignia on her robe. From what I understand she was trying to save a red dog."
"Red dog?!" The girl with the glasses said before she giggled, "If she was there to help a red dog--Then that must mean he's her Familiar! And if he's still around then the other two you've told me about are sure to follow!"
"That's not all--" The Mage said, "--I even heard talk that the Barbados Family is still around."
The girl with glasses seemed to have grown more excited, "OOH THEM TOO? I really want to experiment on them! Especially their son! I really wanna look in that brain of his! And his Grimoire!"
"Oh joy--" Arwen said, as she rolled her eyes, "--Believe you me you're more than welcome to do so. Never liked him, even when we were kids." She soon looked at the Mage, "Are you sure you didn't mistake that last part, or did you make that up?"
The mage shook their head before they replied "You should know me by now Arwen. I'd never mistake my rival."
"Did you tell them about this?" The man with red bandages asked.
"There's no need."
The group had been taken back by the sound of a new voice; though it had been one they had been all too familiar with. There that stood before them, had been a man--Tall and slender. His hair had been that of white as he had a set of golden eyes as he had a set of red tattoos on his face. His hair had been long and braided into a set of several long extensions. Standing behind him had been three more; two of them had been men while the third had been a woman.
"We've already known." The man with gold eyes said.
"I'm sorry you knew?!" The man with the red bandages said, "And you didn't bother telling us?!"
"How did you even know she's alive?" Arwen asked, "I thought you were confused by that wave of mana months ago too."
"Don't worry--" The man with golden eyes said, "--I have my own way of knowing."
One of the men behind him had let out a yawn, "It took the Ducky long enough if you ask me, but I suppose the wait was worth it."
"They stole her away from us." The girl said, sounding cold and harsh, "They won't get away with this. They will NEVER get away with this."
"The red dog--It's definitely Brenin." The second man said, "--And if he's alive then Liam and Saorise have to be alive too."
"It would be great to see them again." The man said after a yawn, "Though if they're with the Magic Knights, then that's going to be a bit troublesome, especially since we're still trying to retrieve the Magic Stones. Don't you think so--Licht?"
The man--Licht gave only a smile, "Oh I don't think we have anything to worry about. Though she is not entirely human or an elf, she is still one of us regardless. To see her alive still gives me great joy. It is more then I can say--For what occupies her now." He soon removed an item from his robe pocket. In hand, it looked as though he had been holding a bronze silver bell; the design looked to have a robin on it.
"Prism will be brought back to where she belongs one way or another." Licht said, before he turned to the mage, "Shinju Brando, continue your investigation."
The mage--Shinju said with a smirk, "Rest assured Licht. You'll get your princess back...As long as I make the Barbados Family pay for what they did...especially their son...the one who embarrassed me in front of the whole kingdom.."
Licht soon gave the bell a little ring, "Prism… Our Prism… I have a feeling we'll see each other again… Real soon."