The four adventurers came out of the hidden portal and back into the forests, with Shizu being the last to come out.
They all emerged, panting heavily, almost finding it hard to believe that they had just survived that place. But none of them had any idea what was now going on in the cave. They hadn't taken into account that they had left so many clues for whoever put the young man up to the task.
However, it wouldn't matter much because it was the same person that they were after, but their failure to take that into account meant that Sarasa would discover their rebellion before they got ready to face her.
Orihime looked up at the sky, noticing it was beginning to get dark. By rough estimates, it was safe to say that it was between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. that they emerged from the hidden portal that night.
"Damn, we spent a lot of time in that hell hole, didn't we?" she said, before examining herself, "I need a hot bath!"
Genta sighed, sharing Orihime's sentiment right away, "Same here." "I just wish we could arrive back at the guild the same way we arrived into the cave," she grumbled, and Orihime nodded back, though she didn't understand why they wouldn't be able to given Shizu's exceptional ability to make portals out of nothing.
Genta understood Orihime's discomfort, as she also loved pampering her body for beauty's sake, but she couldn't understand Kazuya's seemingly comfortable state at the present moment.
A strong stench of blood and sweat was coming from him, and his appearance was disturbing. Yet he treated those facts like vanity, seemingly having more pressing matters to worry about.
"That's right," Orihime said to Shizu, still thinking about her magical abilities. "If you could move by the portal through various sections of the cave so easily, then you could as well open up a portal leading directly to your guild back in Magdal, can't you?"
"No, that isn't how it works," Shizu answered. "The longer the distance to the portal's destination is, the more magical energy it drains out of me." "Even just a few portals opened in the cave over short distances have taken a lot out of me, let alone a portal spanning several miles back to Magdal."
"Then we might have to spend the night in the town before heading back for Magdal," Kazuya said.
"That is not going to be necessary," said Shizu. "If we get going now, we could arrive at Magdal at least three hours before midnight."
"Is it safe to ride at night?" asked Orihime.
"I wish," Shizu said as she got on her broom, urging Genta to do the same, which she did.
"What do you mean by that?" Orihime asked, but Shizu ignored the question.
"Just get on," Genta said from behind, already sitting on her broom, with Kazuya waiting for her to get on so he could sit behind her.
"Well, we all almost died earlier today, so we might as well kick the bucket tonight, I guess," she said as she got on the witch's broom.
Kazuya sat right behind Orihime before calling out to Genta. "Are you sure you can fly this thing at night, Genta?" he asked.
"Who do you think you are talking to?" Shizu asked. "She will be fine; I trained her myself for a time like this."
"Alright then," Kazuya replied right before they both took off, with Shizu riding alone and Genta riding with Kazuya and Orihime.
"We are heading back to the guild to tell the people about what we have just discovered," she told them. "Based on their response, we might take action immediately or take time to grind out the resources needed to forge the resources needed for the powerful quest ahead of us." However, let us hope it is the former that happens, for all our sakes.
They flew on the witch brooms, heading back to the guild at Magdal. Just as Shizu predicted, it took them about two hours to get back to the town of Magdal, and they got back to the guild in less than two minutes afterwards.
They all got down from the witch brooms they were riding on, and judging from the large clock at the top of the Guild's building, it was just less than ten minutes before 9 p.m.
At this time, very few people were left in the guild, and it was mostly those who lived there.
The four exhausted adventurers walked into the guild, looking tired and weak, and the few people left in the guild hall ran forward to help them.
Kenpachi was the first to run forward, seeing how everyone was looking exhausted. He was not too surprised to see that Kazuya was the one who was the most drenched in blood, but he didn't say anything to him.
He was angry to see Kazuya there at the guild with them for the second time in a row.
"At this rate, he would become a member of the guild in no time," he thought to himself. Taking his attention away from Kazuya, he focused instead on Shizu, taking off her witch broom and volunteering to help her up to her quarters.
However, Shizu refused to be comforted, and she said to everyone present in her loudest tone, "Tell every member of the guild who isn't present right now to be present at 9 o'clock tomorrow." I have an important announcement to make, so tell them not to miss it, as it isn't just a matter affecting the guild but potentially everyone alive today. So miss it at your peril!"
This caused some murmurings among the few present, and it piqued Kenpachi's curiosity.
"What is it about?" Kenpachi asked, being very curious about the situation.
"You will find out soon enough," Shizu replied, "but as for now, go have dinner and a good night's sleep with Kazuya."
"With Kazuya?" asked Kenpachi, "Why?"
Shizu looked at Kenpachi like she was ready to quarrel with him if he was about to disagree with what she had just said.
Kazuya and Kenpachi looked at each other with slight venom, neither of them having the slightest affinity for the other.
"The both of you better get along with yourselves," she said before looking at Kazuya. "Don't tell him anything about the announcement tomorrow."
Kazuya nodded in response before looking at Kenpachi with a teasing smile on his face, causing the other one to click his tongue angrily.
The angry Kenpachi turned away. "I don't care anymore," he said before looking back at Kazuya, "just don't step into my room with that filthy outlook." I believe you know where the bathroom is, so make sure you have cleaned yourself up by the next time I see you. "If I see your dirty self in my room looking like this, not even the Master will stop me from pulverizing you. Am I clear?"
With those words, Kenpachi turned to the rest of them. "Good night," he said to them before heading up to his room to sleep. Just like them, he had also been working all day on an adventure and needed some food and sleep as well.
Shizu sighed, "What is the deal with the both of you?" "It's a mystery to me why you both just can't get along," she said.
"We don't have to," Kazuya said to her.
"But you just might," Shizu replied. "You don't deem it merely coincidental that this is the second consecutive night you are spending at our guild, do you?" Here at the guild, we don't believe in mere coincidences; I believe that is why Kenpachi was disturbed by seeing you here again.
"I do believe in coincidences, but only when there is nothing fishy going on." This situation qualifies as a mere coincidence, as I have a high level of trust for both you and Genta as potential comrades, but it never goes beyond that. "That is why I'm spending a second consecutive night at your guild, nothing more," Kazuya explained.
"Interesting," Shizu remarked, "Perhaps I should leave the work of convincing you otherwise to fate."
"Do whatever you want," Kazuya said as he walked forward, heading upstairs to locate the bathroom.
Genta and Orihime did the same, going through the second staircase to their section of the building.
This left Shizu alone, as she had something to do that night before retiring to bed. So she headed straight to the blacksmith's cave, wanting to have a long talk with Tano.
Shizu walked into the cave and found Tano hard at work as usual. He noticed someone had just stepped in, and when he saw it was the Master, a smile formed on his face. "Master Shizu," he said, "You are back! "How was the mission?"
"What can I say?" Shizu replied. "I'm just more than grateful to be alive, given my old age."
"I believe that is your modest way of saying that the mission went well because of you, isn't it?" Tano teased, and Shizu laughed in response.
"Yeah, those brats would have never survived without me," she joked, and Tano laughed.
"But I must admit... that Kazuya boy is something phenomenal," Shizu said.
"Well, his sword is one of a kind," Tano replied.
"No, it had a lot more to do with him than his sword," she corrected. "His valour is a rare gem among warriors and adventurers these days."
"Okay?" the blacksmith said as he dropped his hammer and removed his gloves. "Tell me, what did he do that impressed you so much?"
Then, to Tano's disbelief, Shizu told him...
"Unless my senses failed me earlier today, I wouldn't be wrong to say that Kazuya single-handedly defeated Beelzebub, the legendary Chimaera."