A few days after Fuyuko left for her training with the kitsune, Princess Orchid and Lord Paltira revisited the dungeon. Orchid was quite pleased to hear that things were going well with Bellona and Xarlug and after spending some time sulting with eaake sure they uood the full ramifications she happily taught Bellona the corre of the ritual.

  However, ohe couple was ready to begin, Orchid privately asked Mordecai, Kazue, and Moriko to help Paltira support her while she unbound Xarlug. The version of the binding she had created for Xarlug was less perma and did not attach directly to her soul, but it was still rooted in her spirit and it was not easy to untahe process ainful for Orchid a her exhausted in Paltira's arms while Moriko helped heal her. Mordecai and Kazue double-checked Xarlug's aura to make sure there were no issues, then withdrew their attention from that more private room.

  Once everyone was recovered and had adjusted, the dungeon had a potent delving team wintering at the dungeon: Orchid, Paltira, Kansif, Xarlug, Bridgette, Brongrim, and Nainvil. This bined group was capable enough ter Mordecai's boon for emp zone bosses even when both dragons were active inds, so he and Kazue made sure to provide support with mixes of other wetnds inhabitants as needed. One of the goals of the group was to ehat everyone was capable of reliably soloiher Nezha or Ysi. The zone bosses had mostly mastered all of their abilities, but uhe delvers, their power was limited by their zone.

  Xarlug inteo bee a full-time tractor e the spring while Brongrim and Nainvil had previously stated their pns to bee temporary tractors to help protect the dungeon while the Puritasi were bei with.

  The dungeon was quite happy to help them all gear up and anticipated being able to fully kit them out in mithral and some key pieces of adamantine gear before the tour. Everyone nning oering the tour, so the dungeon o ba what they were owed before their official entry delve for the touro keep things fair.

  Meanwhile, training tinued apace for the soldiers from Trionea. Mordecai was in charge of this projed he coordinated with the officers te which troops would be sent back to begin spreading the training they had received here. The groups he sent back were selected primarily from those who had already died on the sewers, though he did give them the opportunity to delve twi the normal route first if they wanted. He did select a few directly from the more successful sewer delving squads; specifically those who were not very flexible iactics but were very good at following the rules and training that had been provided.

  While mastering the tactics of clearing and holding rooms in trolled waves was very important, the most potential growth y in those who could do so while being able to react to ging situations. Sending the less flexible back to act as trainers for the rger number of troops in Trionea was the most effit option for everyone, and those who had been casualties could act as assistants for the trainers and squad leaders for the trainees.

  The stroeams were already good enough that in a normal delve they could have at least reached the river zone. Mordecai fully intehe best to be able to clear all of the Azeria dungeon's zones, including a couple not yet cimed, despite any potential future issues with having trained up teams like this.

  Based on what Deidre had said, they were pretty certain her dungeon had at least sixteen zohere was a det ce that Dimitri would take the risk of letting her core cim one or two more zones, given the circumstances. Obviously, this would make clearing the dungeon harder, but it would also make the aftermath easier as her core would not be burdened with as rge an excess of mana. Mordecai was not certain which option he preferred, but his preferences were not going to ge whatever the reality turned out to be.

  For all that there lenty to do, there was also a rexed routio it. The three of them trained with each other and their dungeon inhabitants and rotated who would manually add a bit of surprise and dao each of the stronger delving groups.

  Meanwhile, Fuyuko was certain that she'd been bao some sort of hell. Aia was taking charge of the training and running them into the ground. And she was mean. While she'd never let them go hungry, the tastiest foods would be offered as rewards for overing seemingly impossible tasks. The three of them once spent four whole days and nights in a clearing trying to snatch the ribbon floatihe Matriarch's head while Aia fehem off usiails and foxfire. The bsted woman was sitting on a stool and reading a book the eime. They could camp nearby to rest and recover, but they were stuck with trail rations until they overcame her challenge.

  It's not like they weren't allowed to use their powers too, but direct spells she could simply knock away. Shizo didn't hold back against her gran gran, but it didn't help much. Fuyuko had no idea how you made a fireball bounce away mid-explosion.

  Fuyuko herself had been smothered into near unsciousness multiple times by those tails as Aia took a hard stance against her battle fugue. Beiedly forced out of that state and then being immediately pushed bato flict did prove to be a key to unlog better trol for Fuyuko, but it was a little traumatic being brought to the edge of a bckout repeatedly by inescapable soft fluff and fur.

  Derek found the experience very frustrating. It didn't matter which powers he used, he couldn't make the elements near Aia respond to his and. The earth would not tremble, her wooden stool would not animate, and the wind would not turn into a cye. He said it didn't even feel like she was using magic against him, he was simply running into her raw will and couldn't and the elements near her unless he could first overe her will. But he could at least initiate attacks from further away as her will didn't seem to cel those out. Unfortunately, Aia seemed as adept at defleg those attacks as she was defleg spells.

  The shadows were simirly unkind to Fuyuko. She couldn't use any shadow near Aia for any of her tricks or powers. The only shadow she could manipute he matriarch was her own, and that limited the range and power of what she could do.

  What finally earhem success was learning how tnize and accept magi each other in the middle of bat. Their unicatis provided an easy duit to extend the reach of some spells, though they still required being fairly close. Fuyuko became the focus point for both of her friends who were able tet her to initiate effects even when Fuyuko was near Aia.

  Speed to make her faster, illusions to make her harder to deted defend against, sudden bsts of air and water to ter tails and foxfire that tried to keep Fuyuketting close, and finally Bip himself, who had been hiding in Fuyuko's shadow. A shadow that had been deepened by a couple of Shizoku's fre-bombs. Bip hurled himself at Aia just before one of Shizoku's spells exploded from him. Id stone shards curled themselves in a dense e at Aia just in time for Fuyuko to dodge in the final step she o grab the ribbon before a fluffy tail smashed her away.

  Fuyuko would have appreciated their victory if she hadn't made eye tact with a smirking Aia just as she grabbed the ribbon. They had not, in fact, beaten Aia at the game. They had merely overe the challenge level that she had set for them. Fuyuko decided not to pass that on to their friends, though she retty certain Shizoku could guess.

  Overall, there was very little downtime and Fuyuko felt stantly tired. Once she had gotten a handle on how to maintain a partial or full shift mid-bat without losing herself to the battle, all of Aia's challenges pushed Fuyuko's speed and strength enough that she had to maintain the boost that the partial shift gave her. Worst of all, when there was time to rest and breathe, she had to work on more of her thank-you notes until they were all finally done.

  Derek and Shizoku were er off. While Fuyuko ending hours trying to not get hit by the colle of foxfire balls that were stantly chasing her, Shizoku spent that time struggling out of various tai and capture spells which required her to puzzle out a variety of magical and physical teiques. Derek was challeo use his powers to move a stone from Aia's open hand. When the direct approach didn't work, he used an obvious i method whi this case was f a whip of water to knock it out of her hand.

  Aia smiled at that and said, "Good, you remembered to use attacks fre when direct methods won't work. But this time, you o and the stoo move. This is a direct power challenge, no clever tricks are allowed. Now, try again."

  Derek ter reported that he felt like he was trying to lift a boulder when all he wanted was to make the stone slide a tiny bit to the side and roll off of her hand. It was one part an exercise but it was also a reminder of a lesson they had been taught. The stronger a person is, the harder it is to directly affect them or the reality hem.

  The inverse was true as well. Fuyuko's arena for dodging foxfire had been limited by a wall of wind that encircled their training area. Shizo could cast a simir spell, but Fuyuko was fairly certain she could force her way through Shizo's versioually. Eveihe wind wall that Aia had put up was almost enough to knock Fuyuko off of her feet.

  When there were only a few days left until it was time for Fuyuko to return to the Azeria Mountain Dungeon, Aia called a halt to all training to let Fuyuko and Derek rest and prepare for travel. "Shizo," Fuyuko asked with a groan, "Does yrandma alush you like this?"

  Shizoku shook her head and replied, "No, she knew she could push me harder with you two around. Plus she won't have a ce to work on you for a while, so she wao squeeze in every little bit she could. I swear, the woman is pure evil."

  Fuyuko s that. Aia pushed hard, but she obviously wasn't actually evil.

  Her opinion was challehe very day. Fuyuko was sitting with her friends aing her well-deserved third serving of lunch when she heard Aia's voice cut through the sounds of all the people also enjoying their meals.

  "I would like you to meet yranddaughter, Fuyuko," Aia said. Fuyuko's head snapped up and she spun around to stare at a red-furred kitsune woman and a dark-haired human man, with her mouth still full of food. "Fuyuko," Aia tinued with an evil smile, "I would like you to meet Akahana and Ricardo, Kazue's parents."

  Fuyuko forced down her food hastily with some water before she stood up to stare at the pair nervously. "I, um, hello?"

  Akahana sighed softly. "What has irl gotten herself into this time? Wait, I'm sorry, Fuyuko, yes? I shouldn't pin immediately like that, Aia caught me off guard. Well, it's a pleasure if a surprise to meet you. And please, sit, that'll be easier for all of us."

  Ricardo recovered from his surprise a little slower but thearted ughing. It was soft at first, but the man couldn't stop. The inability to take a full breath slowly brought him to his knees before he fell over onto his side.

  Akahana looked embarrassed as she hissed at him, "Ricardo! Pull yourself together! It's not that funny! Okay, it's kind of funny, but stop ughing."

  But Ricardo's ughter was tagious, and Fuyuko had to admit that it retty good prank by Aia. A giggle escaped her before she pressed her lips together tightly, but she could feel more bubbling up inside. Akahana groaned, "Oh no, not you too." But a smile was already w at the edge of her lips aher of the women sted much longer before they started ughing too.

  Aia simply observed the results of her handiwork with a self-satisfied smile before sweeping out of the dining hall.

  Ohe three of them had recovered Akahana took charge of the versation once more and started asking Fuyuko about herself before eventually giving Fuyuko some time to finish her meal. "We'll meet up with you ter. Spend the rest of the afternoon with your friends, there will be plenty of time in the evening. Also, it looks like we're going to be your escort home; The Matriarch had said she was introdug us to someone who could use a ride to the Azeria dungeon."

  Fuyuko did do ohing before she met back up with her grandparents. While Aia's prank was funny, she didn't feel fortable doing to same thing to her new parents so she activate her earring t her parents up to date. Mama K sounded a little nervous about Akahana and Ricardo showing up, but none of them sounded surprised. It seemed more like they hadn't beeai would happen.

  Zagaroth