In a quaint inn somewhere in the Avalon Kingdom, a woman with a wide-brimmed witch hat hiding her grey hair sat by the window.
"It's been a week and a half since he left," Solis murmured, gazing at the people below. "When will he come back?"
She sighed heavily, feeling the weight of worry settle in her chest. It had been a week and four days since their Contractor had vanished. Up until now, she didn't know where could have he gone to. She couldn't help but wonder where he could be.
When Solis heard that he asked Reaper to assist her instead of helping him escape, she was worried that he might have been caught due to it. If so, that would mean that their situation will become more dire.
She knew that their group can't keep hiding from the Demoness forever.
If ever that lady caught their Contractor, they would have no choice but to save him due to their contract. Because if they not, their leader's head will blow off.
Not only that, with the waves rapidly approaching, Solis was worried about what she should do.
What could she do...?
"Why do you care so much about him?"
Reaper broke the tense silence, prompting Solis to turn toward her. She sighed, rubbing her temples as the weight of the situation pressed down on her.
This girl... Solis thought about just how ridiculous it was for Reaper to not know that the guy she was seeing behind Solis' back was actually their Contractor. She wondered what could possibly happen if she finds out.
...It will be a bloody for him.
"Anyway, I have to meet up with someone today. See you later."
"Wait... Hey!"
Before Reaper could even turn around and leave, Solis took a step forward and reach out to grab her wrist to stop her from leaving. Confused, she turned back to her.
"And where do you think you're going~?"
Seeing the eerie smile Solis was showing, Reaper felt a chill race down her spine. She chuckled nervously, attempting to pull away, but Solis's grip only tightened.
"I'm just going to stroll around to meet Lo— I mean, someone."
"And who's that someone~?"
"A friend... Yeah, a friend! I'm meeting up with him today."
Oh, it's a guy, huh...
She was about to say something when Reaper raised her hand to escape while Solis was distracted deep in thought.
"....this girl."
Solis sighed exasperatedly, watching Reaper slowly step back. She thought the girl in front of her would dodge the topic if she pushed further, so she decided to change the subject.
"Do you know where Yuki went?"
Upon hearing this, Reaper stopped. She closed her eyes to think for a couple of seconds before coming up with, "Maybe she's with him. I dunno, not like I care."
Her answer caused Solis to rub her temples once again. Without looking at her, she sent Reaper away using a gesture.
...
..
.
After Reaper was gone out of the room, Solis glanced outside the window and saw her back as she hurriedly ran. She noticed Reaper almost slipped because of the sandals she was wearing, but managed to hold on to the wall on time.
"...Wait a minute."
As soon as Reaper's back had now faded into the distance, Solis laid down on her bed face flat as she screamed on her pillow to reduce her stress.
"I'm tired, but... I have so much work to do. When are you coming back? Seriously, why do you have to leave me with an order to find some rare and really expensive artifacts in less than a week? Don't you know how hard it was!"
Solis released all her pent up emotions as she imagined herself punching their Contractor in the face as she moved her feet up and down playfully on the bed.
This took a couple of minutes until she finally calmed down.
"...."
She closed her eyes as her clutch weakened.
"I'm going to rest for a moment... A moment should be fine... Huh?"
Suddenly, a realization hit her like a bullet train.
"Reaper's meeting up with a guy!???"
***
Reaper dashed through the crowded streets, weaving her way past people. She wore a simple white dress and a sunhat that shaded her face from the bright sun.
With each quick step, her footsteps echoed as she picked up speed. She didn't stop until she reached the city center and spotted the fountain statue standing tall in the middle.
"Is he not here yet?" she wondered aloud.
Taking a few steps forward, Reaper scanned the area for anyone she recognized. Just then, she bumped into someone right in front of her.
She halted, rubbing her forehead as she looked up at the tall figure towering over her.
"...?"
Her eyes widened in recognition when she noticed the black mask covering his face. A smile spread across her lips as she called out in surprise.
"Loki!"
The man before her slowly turns his head to face her. With his head slightly tilted to the side, he spoke to Reaper with his usual calm voice.
"I'm back."
The man before her slowly turned his head to face her. With his head slightly tilted, he spoke to Reaper in his usual calm voice.
"I'm back."
Reaper cleared her throat and took a moment to examine his appearance. As usual, he wore dark clothing that didn't quite fit any trends. The only change was his hair.
Unlike their last meeting, Loki's dark hair had grown long enough to cover his neck. Now, it almost draped over everything, held back only by a rubber band.
"Hey, why did you tie your hair today?" Reaper asked, already knowing the answer. She hoped this would kickstart their conversation.
Loki awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and replied, "...It's gotten too long lately. I don't like it sticking to my neck when it's hot outside."
Reaper chuckled at his response. "The way you tied your hair reminds me of our Contractor when he had long hair," she said, giving his shoulder a friendly pat, as if to comfort him.
"Is that so...?"
Though Loki was puzzled by her comment, he didn't rush to reply. He stayed calm, glancing at the crowd in the distance before meeting her gaze again.
He reached out his hand to her and waited for her to take it.
"Let's start our date."