Lila slumped to the ground.

"If you were being chased, say so sooner!" She lectured him. The moment she got separated from Kiryu, she felt her condition grow worse. So fighting those monsters took a lot out of her.

Hijii laughed, "Sorry, sorry."

This man is her mother's cousin, Jian Hijiri. During the big battle so many years ago, he was her mother's enemy and yet during the present day, he's a wandering lord who is no longer tied to any land or group In fact because of his old status as an enemy, he's always being watched over and heavily guarded.

"n.o.body tried to help you?" Lila asked.

She couldn't see where they were, but she could feel their presences.

Hijiri shook his head, "Why would they?"

That's true.

Most people want him dead.

She should call Kiryu, she didn't think they'd get separated. As Lila was about to take her phone out though, Hijiri-san stopped her, "Since you're here, why don't we chat?"

Lila sighed, "When I wanted to chat before, you were G.o.d knows where.."

"My bad. So you were searching for me?"

"I didn't agree to be the kaleidoscope Queen for nothing. Talk, I always thought if my powers got stronger, yours would disappear and for a while, it felt like there was a correlation between our powers. So how come as of late, my powers and Kiryu's are more alike?"

"Why ask me that when you know the answer already?"

She sighed, "At least let me feign ignorance."

________________________________________________

East Side Of The Cave

"d.a.m.n, out of instinct. I protected you instead..."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize..."

It's not like anything would have changed if he went after Lila, anyway.

"Harukkun, um are you in a relations.h.i.+p with that girl?" Selia asked.

At this comment, he frowned, "Why are you asking that when you know the two are dating?"

"N—no I just, it seemed like..."

"The correct answer is, yes I slept with her. Quite a few times already..."

Haruka lied. He just wanted to see Selia's reaction.

Sure enough the girl's eyes lit up, "Then..."

"I forced her, all those times," he made up an excuse quickly to stop her deluded mind.

"Oh.."

When he sensed Selia's disappointment, he sighed. "You really fell for Austin Kiryu?

The girl shyly looked down at the ground, averting her gaze.

"Give him up."

"I—I know he has a girlfriend. But if they break up.."

"Even if they do, he won't go for you."

"Why are you so insistent on this?" Selia asked.

Haruka sighed and with an indifferent tone replied, "Mikado will find you. You won't be able to run away forever, and when he does. You ought to prepare yourself. Instead of trying to fool around why don't you focus on how to escape or explain yourself first?"

He didn't mean to be so blunt about it. But really, after confirming that Selia really likes Kiryu, he felt disgusted. Miyazawa Rosalia has already caught on to those feelings, it would be dangerous for Selia to continue liking Kiryu.

"Take it from experience. There's a good one around you. Do you know Miyazawa Rosalia?"

"Ah, yes. She's Kiryu-kun's friend."

Friend, huh...

"She's one of his former girls.."

Selia stood there frozen for a moment before she exclaimed, "Wait, they were dating?!!"

"No."

"But you said..."

"Before Austin Kiryu dated Lila, he was like me. Sleeping around with different girls. But even then he was different. He only saw a limited amount of people, and even then the only one he saw the most was Miyazawa. Maybe because of that she was delusional and thought he liked her. But he only ever used her and those other girls to ease his pain regarding Lila."

"Did Kiryu-kun think he didn't deserve her?"

She's sharp, "Yeah."

"Isn't that wrong?!!" Selia exclaimed.

Huh? Why is she getting so worked up?

"Why is Kiryu-kun the only one making sacrifices because he's in pain? What did she like somebody else before? She should have told him straight what their relations.h.i.+p was."

_________________________________________________

West Side Of The Cave

"Luckily Lila didn't see...she would think I'm uncool then.."

Mamoru laughed, "You never know, she might have liked it. That girl is slightly strange like her mother..."

"Mamoru-san, why are you here?"

"For the same reason as you. You must have heard about it right? There's a lake here that's good for those with dark powers. I'm here to retrieve a gem for Sumire."

"There's more than one jewel?"

"Huh? You didn't know?"

Kiryu shook his head, he was under the a.s.sumption there was just one, "I planned to give it to Lila."

"I see. Don't worry, there's enough for everyone. But the conditions to get there isn't simple, so I'm surprised you came here as a group."

"Circ.u.mstances..."

Mamoru looked at him in disbelief and sighed, "Children these days don't research properly. Look down there."

Kiryu walked over and saw that below the rocks was a stream of lava rendering him speechless. On the way in, there were only rocks. Don't tell him the deeper you get inside the cave. He should find Lila quickly. She's still not well. He honestly wanted to save this trip for another time. But Lila insisted to come. He can't say no if she asks him so seriously.