After many more near-death encounters, Alice and Bonnibel reached a clearing with a single silver tree standing amidst the ruins.

  Alice slowed, staring at its shimmering branches in wonder.

  "What's...that…?"

  Bonnibel nodded, her breath quick but steady.

  "The World Tree," she confirmed. "Gorgeous, isn't it? Look, the leaves are glowing."

  She moved forward hesitantly, one hand reaching for the bark….

  "...It feels alive," Alice murmured, watching as the branches glowed a gentle violet in Bonnibel's wake.

  Bonnibel nodded, touching the bark lightly.

  "It is," she answered quietly. "Its roots extend to the very edge of every realm in Creation, it's the only constant through the multiverse."

  She withdrew her hand, gazing at the tree as if seeing it for the first time. "It's also one of the strongest sources of magic I've ever felt..."

  Alice then thought for a moment before inquiring: "Y'know...back where I'm from, there's a tree called the Heart Tree, or the Tree of Life, which gives life to all things. I also learned about Irminsul, the Tree of Knowledge, each branch bearing a piece of all of recorded history. So what does this 'World Tree' do?”

  Bonnibel finally tore her gaze away from the branches, turning to Alice with an unexpected look of intensity.

  "Irminsul may offer history... but with the World Tree? You can re-experience any memory in its entirety. Every sight, every sound, every feeling, as if it were happening the first time."

  Alice's eyes widened at the thought. "So...you could, like...go to a moment where you were happy...and...relive it?”

  Alice fell silent, her gaze drifting from Bonnibel to the tree. The concept was starting to sink in. "...So it’s more like...an unbiased observer, a neutral force...like gravity."

  Bonnibel nodded again, a hint of reverence in her expression. "Yes...and more. Gravity doesn’t remember, it just pulls. The World Tree, though...it remembers everything."

  Alice stared down as she absorbed all the information, only to notice something glowing in one of her dress' pockets. She pulled out her Connexus, which resonated with the tree.

  "I forgot I had this," Alice gasped while staring at the appliance.

  Bonnibel leaned closer, eyes widening as she saw the Connexus.

  "That...is both unexpected and convenient," she breathed, a hint of excitement in her voice. "The World Tree's magic is likely resonating with that—"

  She paused, a thought striking her. "Wait."

  Alice raised an eyebrow, catching the change in her voice.

  Bonnibel looked at her seriously. "That thing detects magic, right?"

  "I'm not sure...it's just someone that someone gave to me. It allows me to...keep track of the connections I make with people.”

  Bonnibel's eyes narrowed, her thoughts racing.

  "Connections..." she repeated, mulling the word over. "Like bonds? Emotional connections?"

  Alice nodded slowly, not sure what direction this was going.

  Bonnibel's eyes flashed. "Does it measure those connections? Does it show how strong they are?”

  "...Yeah, it does," Alice confirmed, a frown creasing her brows. "They...range from weak to really high. Why, what are you thinking...?”

  Bonnibel's jaw tightened, her expression hardening.

  "...I have a theory," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "and I hope to every Goddess in the pantheon I am wrong."

  Alice tensed at the note of dread in Bonnibel's voice, gripping her Connexus tighter. "Wrong about what?”

  Bonnibel turned to her, eyes serious.

  "Have you ever wondered why a simple device like that would be given to you, of all people, on the brink of an apocalypse?"

  Alice opened her mouth, then closed it. The thought had never occurred to her before.

  Bonnibel pressed on. "It doesn't just track connections...it feeds on them." She pointed at the pulsing light in Alice's hand. "Look how bright it is now, the tree's presence has amplified it."

  Alice stared down at the Connexus, the soft hum in her palm suddenly feeling heavier.

  "...Feeds? What does that even mean?" she asked, voice tight.

  Before Bonnibel could answer…

  The Connexus flared.

  Not with light.

  With sound.

  A low, echoing voice crackled from within.

  "Connection verified…"

  "Subject: Alice Vesper."

  "Bond resonance: 78% and rising…"

  "Primary Anchor detected…"

  Silence struck.

  But worse than silence?

  What followed was a single name, whispered like a secret… like a curse:

  "...Leopoldine..."

  She then looked at Alice's Connexus, information of the name's bearer appearing: “It says…she's a pervert…”

  Alice didn't respond, but she froze, blood turning to ice.

  The Connexus pulsed again, and with a crackle of static, another message hissed through:

  "Secondary Anchor: Bonnibel Lumina."

  "Bond resonance: 4%... stabilizing..."

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Bonnibel staggered back as if struck. "Wait, me?!" Her hands flew to her chest. "It’s tracking us? How, since when?!"

  Alice gripped the device tighter, her voice trembling as she muttered to herself. "It knew my…full name…? I have…a last name?”

  Silence.

  Then a low chuckle echoed from the device again.

  Not robotic.

  Human.

  Soft… amused… utterly wrong in this moment:

  “Ahh… there you both are.”

  Bonnibel’s staff flared to life in one swift motion, glowing with fierce green energy, pointing it straight at the Connexus like it was a weapon now.

  “Who the hell is this?” she snarled into thin air, eyes blazing.“Show yourself!”

  The Connexus went quiet, a pause that sent chills down their spines.

  Then...the voice returned, softer still.

  "Such a lovely device," it crooned, the way one might speak to a beloved pet. "So helpful… so obedient".

  Alice felt her hand cramp around the connexus, her breath shortening.

  "...Wait…" she whispered, realization creeping in. "I've heard this voice before.”

  Bonnibel glanced at her, shocked. "You have?"

  Before Alice could respond, the voice piped up again, almost… almost excited.

  "Yess… I am certain I remember you, my dear…"

  Alice's chest constricted, memories bubbling to the surface at its voice.

  "Who, who…" she gasped, shaking her head in disbelief. "Wait, wait!”

  The voice chuckled at Alice's bewildered state, enjoying the confusion it was sowing.

  "You don't recognize me?" it mused, a note of condescension in its tone. "I'm wounded. Truly…"

  Bonnibel's patience wore thin. "Enough with the theatrics already," she barked, eyes flashing. "Whoever you are, show your face."

  The voice tsked.

  "So rude, so demanding."

  It almost sounded… annoyed.

  For a moment, nothing, just a low, steady hum filling the air. Then:

  "Very well. I suppose I can play along…."

  A soft glow began to emanate from deep within the World Tree.

  Bonnibel and Alice stepped back in disbelief as the glow spread through the branches like quicksilver, growing brighter. The Connexus in Alice's hand seemed to pulse in time with it.

  "What's happening…" Bonnibel breathed, her staff raised instinctively.

  All the world was silent, save the rustle of leaves and the hum of power that filled the air.

  The glow from the World Tree now bathed everything in a soft, otherworldly light. And in the middle of the clearing, a figure slowly materialized. The Connexus in Alice's hand shuddered, its hum growing louder. Bonnibel gripped her staff, her knuckles white. As the dust cleared, the figure, once blurry and formless, came clearly into view.

  "Leopoldine…" Alice breathed, eyes widening at the familiar figure now taking shape before them, the Connexus still trembling in her hand.

  Bonnibel lowered her staff slightly, confusion mixing with disbelief.

  The figure, now recognizable as the curvaceous Leopoldine, looked up, her signature lopsided yet sly smile playing on her lips.

  "Well, well…" she greeted in her lilting tone, dusting off her pants. "What a cozy gathering this is…”

  Bonnibel was caught off guard by Leopoldine's casual demeanor. "What are you doing here?!"

  Leopoldine chuckled, taking in their bewildered faces. "Oh, just popping in for a little visit, darling."

  "Wait...Leopoldine??" Bonnibel guessed, blinking rapidly while her brain struggled to catch up. "It said on the device...it called you, "

  "A pervert?" Leopoldine answered cheerfully, winking at the angel before her. "Accurate. Unrefined? Yes. But true nonetheless!”

  Alice gripped the Connexus tighter, still attempting to process the situation.

  "How...do you know that?" she asked slowly, her voice shaking. "How does this device...know this..."

  Leopoldine turned her amused attention to Alice, taking a step closer.

  "Clever girl…" she purred, the words dripping with a mocking tone only barely concealed by her honey-like voice. "Figuring it out faster than dear Bonnibel here."

  Bonnibel continued staring in awe at Leopoldine, unable to help but ask: "Sheesh, what even are your measurements?!”

  Leopoldine raised an eyebrow; a coy smile tugged at her lips as she regarded Bonnibel's wide eyes.

  "My, my...inquiring about such personal measurements, are we?" she drawled, feigning modesty.

  Then, a sly glimmer entered her eyes, and she leaned in conspiratorially. "But very well, let me humor you, shall we? I'm twenty-nine in the waist, sixty-five in the hips, and thirty-eight for the bust.”

  Bonnibel's eyes widened even more, her jaw nearly hitting the ground.

  "And those are inches, right?" she clarified, her voice a strangled sound.

  Leopoldine chuckled at the angel's reaction. "Naturally," she affirmed, arching an eyebrow playfully. "Those are the standard measurements, no?"

  "And before you ask," Leopoldine added with a smirk, giving her hips a playful sway, "Yes, all natural. No magic involved."

  Bonnibel's face flushed bright red a s she stared at the pervy girl's swaying hips. "Sixty-five inches in the hips alone?!" she echoed, disbelieving "No human is naturally that curvy!"

  Leopoldine chuckled at her reaction, clearly enjoying the shocked expression on Bonnibel's face. "Oh, my dear," she said with a coy smile, "apparently, I am. Genetics, darling, some are simply gifted more abundantly.”

  "You...you have to be lying!" Bonnibel finally managed to protest, her voice strained with disbelief. "No way a body like that...a human body like that can be, "

  She gestured helplessly towards Leopoldine, struggling to find the right words. "...this. It's not normal. Not remotely natural! How do you even WALK?!”

  Leopoldine was clearly finding great amusement in Bonnibel's flustered state, the angel's reactions fueling her playful confidence. She chuckled at the idea of a demonstration.

  "Oh, darling, are you curious now?" she asked, her voice tinged with mock innocence. "You want to see how I move with these curves…? Of course, I'd be more than happy to oblige."

  She began a slow, seductive walk around Bonnibel, emphasizing the exaggerated sway of her hips with each stride to prove her point. "Watch closely, dear…”

  Bonnibel, who had been bracing herself to see how Leopoldine moved, was now completely caught off guard as the curvy woman began a slow, exaggerated walk around her.

  Her hips swayed from side to side with intentional rhythm, one foot placed firmly in front of the other while that lower half of hers seemed to move like waves rolling across an ocean. Each motion caused her uniform pants to tighten slightly at the seams with every exaggerated shift.

  Bonnibel’s eyes widened. Her mouth opened… then closed again.

  "...Oh," she managed weakly, voice barely above a whisper as she watched, really watched, the impossible hip motion in action.

  Then it hit her: this wasn’t just movement. It was mastery. Control so precise it almost felt like an art form...

  And suddenly...the reality sunk in:

  She was looking at living proof that someone could naturally possess sixty-five-inch hips, and not only survive but own it with terrifying grace.

  The absurdity of it all struck Bonnibel like a thunderbolt: here stood Leopoldine, the very same girl dubbed “pervert” by some ancient device, not denying it one bit and flaunting curves so unreal they defied physics...and walking like every step had been choreographed for maximum impact. And worst of all?

  It looked effortless.

  As Leopoldine completed her slow, seductive stroll around Bonnibel, the angel found herself utterly at a loss for words. Not just because of the utterly implausible sight before her...but because of how effortless Leopoldine made the whole thing look.

  Those hips, those impossibly curvaceous hips that should have been a mere biological joke… moved flawlessly, seamlessly, as if each subtle sway was an artistic choice. It didn't look like a physical challenge at all. No, it seemed natural as breathing to the curvy girl…

  Leopoldine smiled, catching Bonnibel’s awestruck expression with smug satisfaction.

  “Told you it was natural,” she purred, placing a hand on her wide hip for emphasis. “But I’ll be honest, darling…”

  She leaned in slightly, close enough that her voice dropped to a sultry whisper:

  “It helps to walk like every step is part of the performance.”

  It took every ounce of restraint for Bonnibel not to let out a strangled sound as the words washed over her.

  Every. Single. Step. Had been a part of the performance?! Those impossibly wide, impossibly curvaceous hips had swayed in perfect rhythm like it was simply another form of art.

  "Geez…." Bonnibel gasped, her voice barely holding together. She shook her head, and as she did, she simultaneously remembered what she and Alice were even doing.

  “W-wait…” Her face drops, realization dawning. “It’s you. It was you all along. The one monitoring the bonds… the one using the World Tree as a relay point…”

  Leopoldine tilted her head, smirk widening. "Monitoring?" What an ugly word. I prefer... "curating."

  She takes a slow step forward, hips swaying delightfully. "I’ve been watching my Alice's new little friendship with you bloom. Ohhh, it’s been delicious to observe. And that device?"

  She gestures airily to Alice and the Connexus, "Just a little gift... from me to you. Lets me stay close. Intimately informed."

  Alice stares at her Connexus , now feeling like a cursed object in her hand.

  "You’re sick!" Bonnibel spat.

  Leopoldine clicked her tongue. "Oh please, don’t be dramatic! If anything, I should get credit! Without my subtle encouragement… would you two have gotten so close so fast?"

  Silence falls over the clearing, the wind stills around them like reality itself is holding its breath.

  The Connexus buzzes again.

  A new line flashes across its screen:

  PRIMARY ANCHOR LINK STRENGTHENED, EMOTIONAL PROXIMITY OPTIMAL

  Followed by:

  AUTOMATED RESPONSE INITIATED

  Leopoldine beams, as if proud of an obedient pet.

  And then…

  From thin air above them, the sky cracks open with light, descending slowly on shimmering wings…

  Another figure with six wings appears behind Leopoldine.

  Taller than Bonnibel.

  Crisp white uniform lined with gold thread.

  Cold eyes scanning down at them like they're insects beneath glass.

  COMMANDER SERAPHINA: Supreme Director of Divine Oversight Division

  And she is not happy about what she sees below.