With the deal made and Juno's barrier now down, Alice and friends made their way to the IOTA members.

  Antiquus greeted them first. "You actually did it," he grunted, glancing toward the retreating figure of Juno.

  Alice chuckled wryly. "Kinda. The World Core still got corrupted though."

  "Can't you reverse it though?" Zofie asked.

  Alice crossed her arms, thoughtful. "I doubt it. It's not like we can just push the magic back," she mused. "Besides, even if we could: we still have a bigger problem."

  "...And that would be?" Antiquus prompted.

  Alice grimaced. "The World Core... It's the key to our own dimensions."

  "...If the World Core stays corrupted, it won't be long before the effects start spreading to our realms."

  Zofie and Antiquus shared a dark look, the weight of that statement sinking in. "A corrupted World Core affecting other realms…" Zofie murmured, eyes widening with worry.

  Antiquus swore under his breath. "Damn it," he muttered, fingers clenched at his side.

  "...So since our job here is done," Alice pondered aloud, "How do we get back home?"

  "Tell us where," Iritscen said, gesturing to Hikaru, "And Hikaru will take ya."

  Alice nodded, remembering Hikaru's teleportation ability. "Oh, that's right... Can they take us to...Amaranthine Town?”

  "Amaranthine Town, eh... " Iritscen repeated, mulling it over. "Yeah, that location's no problem. It'll just take a minute to open the gate. Right Hikaru?"

  Hikaru nodded once, both their hands already crackling with Void Energy.

  "Alright then!" Antiquus exclaimed, clapping his hands together in anticipation. "Let's get y'all outta here. Just one question for ya, though."

  Everyone looked up at Antiquus, with Alice raising an eyebrow. "And that is...?"

  Antiquus looked over to Liana, who looked eager as well. "I'll let Liana do the honors," he said, gesturing to the android cat-girl, who asked with a grin that expected a 'yes':

  "Can we come and hang out with ya for a bit, nya?”

  Alice exchanged a glance with her team, a mix of surprise and intrigue. "Well, that was unexpected... And why exactly…?”

  "Well, why nyot?" Liana chirped, ears perked eagerly. "Ya seem like you could use another friend...or two. Besides," her grin widened, "my ship's got some real comfy beds~"

  "I concur," Charlotte said, fond memories of the RKS Liana's plushy beds flooding in.

  Antiquus gave Liana a look—a mix of exasperated and fond. But Alice just laughed it off, shaking her head.

  "You know what? Why not? I'm tired of fighting, anyway.”

  Alice exchanged a look with Rachel and Zalgo—both of whom shrugged, their expressions reading "why the hell not?"

  "You know what? Fine," Alice said, cracking a tired grin. "Just don't blow up my town."

  Liana's ears perked up in delight as she pumped her fists. "YES! Operation: New Friends is a go, nya~!" She turned to the other IOTA members with an almost insatiable vigor. "We're gonnya have SO much fun!"

  Zalgo sighed but couldn't help the slight smirk tugging at her lips. "...This is either gonna be the best or worst idea we've ever had."

  Iritscen adjusted his glasses, already looking resigned to chaos. "Statistically? Probably both."

  “And don't forget, more powerful allies is always a good thing,” Adeyemi added.

  Antiquus just groaned dramatically but grinned all the same as Hikaru’s aura surged around them—the portal spiraling open in brilliant indigo swirls.

  To Amaranthine Town they went.

  ★

  The group stepped out of Hikaru’s portal into a quiet cobblestone street bathed in late afternoon sunlight. The crisp air smelled like freshly baked bread from a nearby bakery, and distant chatter from market stalls filled the air.

  Alice stretched her arms above her head with an exaggerated groan. "Ughhhh, finally—somewhere that isn’t actively trying to kill us."

  Liana gasped dramatically, clutching her chest like she'd been shot. "Wowwwwww—so you DON’T enjoy high-stakes battles against interdimensional terrorists? Rude." She dodged when Rachel flicked her ear. "Nya-ha! Too slow~!"

  Zofie crouched to inspect a flower growing between the cobblestones, frost briefly glittering at her fingertips before she reeled it back in with visible effort—still getting used to civilian life after years of battle instincts kicking in first.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Iritscen adjusted his glasses as he surveyed their surroundings critically, reading the area like someone about to complain loudly. "...This town better have decent coffee," he muttered under his breath before promptly marching off toward what looked like a café without waiting for anyone else.

  Hikaru just stood there silently (as per usual), but their posture seemed...looser somehow?

  And Antiquus? He was already stretching his wings out wide under Amaranthine’s open sky after being cooped up underground for so long when…

  BONK.

  A low-hanging shop sign smacked him right on his crest feathers as he misjudged clearance height indoors vs outdoors yet again while Liana cackled mercilessly beside him.

  Meanwhile Alice facepalmed hard enough for it to echo down alleyway…but despite everything? She couldn't stop smiling just slightly either as they all began bickering again.

  After securing rooms at a cozy inn (and somehow convincing the owner that yes, a pterodactyl and an android ship-girl were absolutely normal traveling companions), the group gathered in the dining hall for a well-earned meal.

  Liana immediately claimed half the table by sprawling across it like a starfish. "MEEEEATTTT, NYA~!" she wailed dramatically, kicking her legs as if starving—despite being an android who didn’t technically need food.

  Antiquus rolled his eyes but stole a bread roll off Rachel’s plate when she wasn’t looking.

  "Real subtle," Zalgo deadpanned him as he swallowed it whole with zero remorse.

  Iritscen had already commandeered the innkeeper's entire coffee supply and was muttering equations under his breath between sips—occasionally scribbling nonsense on napkins like a man possessed. Hikaru sat silently beside him…holding out their cup for refills whenever he paused long enough to notice.

  Alice exhaled deeply through her nose before turning to Zofie—who was carefully rearranging her cutlery into perfect symmetry with frost-tipped fingers (old habits die hard). "...So," Alice started awkwardly, nudging a stray fork back into place just to watch Zofie twitch at the disruption. "What's your deal?"

  Zofie blinked up at her like Alice had asked something incomprehensible instead of making small talk.

  "...I stab things."

  Then went right back to aligning forks without elaboration.

  The inn's wooden door suddenly BURSTS open, making everyone jump. A frazzled innkeeper stands there, face pale as he points outside with a shaking hand.

  "T-that DINOSAUR of yours—!"

  Charlotte, with a mouth full of bread, hummed, "Mm?"

  The innkeeper boomed, "HE'S IN THE TOWN SQUARE ARM-WRESTLING A BEAR AND WINNING."

  Dead silence. Then…

  Rachel, already standing up, groaned, "...I'll get the bail money ready."

  Zalgo grabbed her arm, "WE DON'T HAVE BAIL MONEY."

  Alice huffed, her face in her hands: "...We've been here ONE HOUR."

  Liana shouted, "BETCHA 50 GOLD HE TAKES THE MAYOR NYEXT, NYA~!"

  The group charges out the tavern door only to be met with the sight of the town square packed with a crowd, cheering for Antiquus as he handily pins a brown grizzly bear.

  Antiquus, grinning wider than ever at the sight of an audience, turns to the others with a cocky wave. "WHAT CAN I SAY? I'M JUST THAT GOOD."

  "I am NOT losing to some prehistoric freak in front of the whole town!!" the Mayor fumed.

  Zofie sighs heavily while Alice facepalms a second time...but not even she can stop the smirk crawling across her face—it was kind of weirdly badass to see the mighty Mayor's dignity getting stomped like this.

  Antiquus, flexing his free arm with a cocky grin as the Mayor stomps over, boasted, "I CAN DO THIS ALL DAY, OLD MAN."

  The Mayor, his face red as a tomato, roared back, "Oh, SHUT UP AND PUT YOUR HAND ON THE TABLE."

  Antiquus obliges with a cocky smirk, still holding off the bear singlehandedly as he slams his elbow down on the table. The Mayor copies his stance, fingers gripping tight—this time determined not to lose.

  "When I count down, push. Got it, you overgrown turkey?" The Mayor said.

  "Loud and clear, pops."

  "3, 2, 1..."

  The crowd holds its breath as the match begins: Mayor versus Prehistoric Powerhouse.

  "GRRRRAAAAAHHH!" The Mayor roars, veins popping in his forehead as he throws everything into it.

  Antiquus doesn't budge an inch, grin widening as he lazily counters with slow, steady pressure, like this is just a warm-up for him.

  Then…CRACK. The wooden table SPLITS down the middle from sheer force as their arms slam sideways at the same time.

  "...Huh." Antiquus blinks. "Guess we're both freakishly strong."

  The Mayor stares at his own hand like it just betrayed him before snapping back to reality with a glare. "REMATCH LATER." He storms off while the town ERUPTS in cheers, half celebrating Antiquus’ victory and half cackling at their humiliated leader’s expense.

  Meanwhile:

  Alice whispered to Rachel, "...We are never telling Kairy about this."

  Zofie deadpanned, "Too late, I already made a scrying crystal recording of it all."

  Liana cheered, "NYA-HA! BLACKMAIL MATERIAL GET~!"

  …

  By the time they straggled back to the inn, Antiquus had:

  - Won 17 consecutive arm-wrestling matches, including against the town blacksmith’s pet minotaur.

  - Been declared an “honorary town menace” by the Mayor (still salty).

  - And somehow acquired a grilled meat skewer trophy shaped like his own face (”For Valor in Competitive Gluttony”).

  Liana was delighted. “NYA-HA! We’re keeping this!” she declared, already trying to mount it above their shared room’s doorway like a hunting prize.

  Zofie flicked ice at her head without looking up from sharpening her dagger on the windowsill. “It reeks of pork fat. No.”

  Antiquus, lounging victoriously across three chairs at once: "I regret nothing." Meanwhile Iritscen had stolen all pillows to build a “research fort”. Alice gave up and faceplanted onto the nearest bed.

  Alice slept like a log all through the night (it'd been some time since she could actually relax) only to be awakened by...silence. Dead silence. Like something had just sucked all the sound out of the inn. She sat up in bed, blinking awake as she slowly processed the sudden quiet.

  "...Guys...?"

  No reply. Just the faint sound of morning birds chirping outside.

  Alice slowly crept downstairs to find...no one. Not Iritscen in his research fort. Not Antiquus in his chair, or Liana in the armchair. Nothing.

  The inn's kitchen was equally empty, only the innkeeper and his equally-perplexed assistant bustling about preparing breakfast without a care.

  Alice asked the innkeeper: "...Have you seen my friends?"

  The innkeeper shrugged. "No... but you're the fifth person to ask this morning."

  Alice frowned. "Fifth...?”

  Alice stepped outside to find this section of Amaranthine Town in all its pastoral morning glory—farmhand children herding geese by the river, merchants hawking wares in the cobbled marketplaces...all completely oblivious.

  Alice said, quietly, "...Something is seriously off."

  Then, something caught her eye... a slip of paper stuck on the inn's wall. It looked almost like... a note.

  Alice yanked the note off the wall, her fingers trembling slightly as she unfolded it. The handwriting was jagged, frantic:

  "IF YOU WANT TO SEE YOUR FRIENDS AGAIN…

  …COME TO THE OLD MILL. ALONE."

  A crude map was scribbled at the bottom, leading to a decrepit windmill on the outskirts of town. Alice's blood ran cold.

  She crumpled the note in her fist, teeth gritted. "Oh hell no."