Kaguya turned to Ryuu with a rare smirk and said, "Didn't expect you to finish them first. As expected of our lovely elf lady, your reaction speed is top-notch."
Though it was meant as a compliment, Ryuu somehow felt mocked. Her brow twitched.
Still, remembering Akira's lessons, she responded properly.
"Thank you. You are quite fast as well." She nodded with solemnity.
A counter-compliment, one of the many tricks she'd picked up from Akira.
Kaguya's eyes narrowed slyly, her smile unchanged. "Hehe."
"Alright, enough small talk. Time to handle cleanup." Alise clapped her hands together, trying to steer everyone's attention back to the matter at hand.
At that moment, her gaze swept toward the warehouse entrance and her eyes lit up.
"Akira! What are you doing here?"
Just then, Akira raised a hand. He had already noticed Alise's battle-worn condition and the faint flames along her clothes.
With a flick of his wrist, a shimmering sphere of water materialized in midair. It split into several ribbons and went through the warehouse, dousing the residual flames with ease.
"Is everyone alright?" Akira asked as he stepped forward, flashing a helpless smile.
"I heard the explosion and figured you guys would be here. I'm part of the justice familia too so I came to help."
His gaze swept across the group, and after confirming their safety, he exhaled in quiet relief.
Lyra grinned and shrugged. "Luckily, the enemies were weak. Just… a bit too many of them."
Ryuu nodded. "It was slightly troublesome at first. But we've resolved it."
Kaguya, however, narrowed her eyes as she carefully inspected Akira. Her tone turned serious as she approached him and started patting his arms, shoulders, and sides.
"What's wrong, Kaguya-nee?" Akira raised his hands awkwardly.
He wasn't injured, but judging by her expression, Kaguya seemed deeply concerned.
After a moment, she sighed, a rare softness flashing in her eyes, and patted down his outfit. "Nothing. Just dusting you off."
Meanwhile, Alise glanced down at herself and sighed dramatically. "My clothes are ruined…"
The multiple burns and tears exposed her smooth abdomen and flushed skin. She didn't seem too bothered, though.
Akira chuckled at her predicament. "You really have no luck, huh?"
Alise grinned and reached for his hand before turning around and presenting her back.
"Akira, help me undo the belt of my armor, will you?" She asked sweetly, her tone carrying a hint of playfulness.
As Akira helped her, the surviving fabric of her outfit clung tightly, emphasizing her vibrant, athletic figure.
Akira, however, looked on with calm indifference. At this point, he had long since grown immune to such temptation. After all, Alise would snuggle against him every night for "energy replenishment." There wasn't a single inch of her he hadn't already felt.
Still, he offered a proper compliment. "Nice figure."
Alise giggled. "Naturally. A beautiful girl like me is flawless inside and out."
She spun on her heel, showing herself off for him.
Kaguya clicked her tongue. "Tsk. Shameless."
Ryuu, unable to remain silent, muttered, "Kaguya, you have no right to judge. Weren't you the one wandering the dorm hallway in just your underwear?"
"And after Akira saw you, you didn't even panic. Instead, you teased him even more…"
Before the situation could devolve further, Alise changed the topic with a dramatic flourish and her trademark radiant smile.
"Anyway, not only did I stop the fire and take down Evilus, I did it all without breaking a sweat. Hehe, another beautiful success for the lovely and pure me."
"The embodiment of justice makes light work of evil once again."
Lyra sighed heavily. "Why is it that every time you succeed, it comes with the most incomprehensible monologue ever?"
She slumped her shoulders. "These constant battles are wearing me down…"
Having to roast their foolish captain every single time the battle ended was becoming exhausting.
Alise's wide grin faltered. A quiet pause settled over the warehouse.
Her voice grew a touch softer, her smile tinged with regret.
"We let Evilus slip through our fingers again. If only we had acted faster… maybe we could've stopped the damage entirely."
Hearing the tone that was once as bright as the sun become weak, Akira had no choice but to reach out and gently rub Alise's cheek.
He said with a sigh and a trace of displeasure in his voice, "We're not omniscient gods. There will always be times when we arrive too late."
His eyes softened as he looked into hers. "When you reach out to save someone, there's always a limit to how far you can reach back."
Then, with steady conviction, he continued, "That's why we have to do our best. To uphold the justice we believe in, to protect the people we cherish, that is more than enough."
"To the best of my ability..." Alise repeated softly, her gaze locked onto Akira's gentle smile.
She let his words sink into her heart, the warmth they carried chasing away the cold shadows in her eyes.
Akira withdrew his hand, his expression gentle yet firm. He raised a finger and lightly tapped her chest. "Those we couldn't save, we keep them here, in our hearts. Always."
His words seeped into her soul like sunlight after a storm. Alise inhaled deeply, straightened her back, and her eyes regained their former fire.
"You're right, Akira. We did our best. And we'll keep doing our best to protect the peace of this city."
She gave her cheeks a light slap, and the radiant spirit she was known for came back in full force.
"Really now, being comforted by Akira-chan... as the captain, that's kinda embarrassing."
"It's okay, captain. Blame a certain elf for this turn of events." Kaguya said with a teasing grin, her tone laced with amusement.
The princess from the Far East never missed an opportunity to poke fun at her companions, especially Ryuu.
Ever since Ryuu had started opening up more, it had become increasingly difficult for Kaguya to resist instigating these friendly quarrels.
Ryuu furrowed her brows and said, "Here we go again. Kaguya, can you just be quiet for a bit?"
"Ha! Quiet? Think about who bailed you out when you acted on your own, you stinky trash elf."
"Stinky... stinky trash elf!?"
The usual back-and-forth resumed, voices rising in the familiar rhythm of banter. As the tension escalated into a physical scuffle, with fists raised and kicks flying, Akira finally sighed.
"Stop."
He stepped between them and placed a hand on each of their waists. The effect was immediate.
"Hmph!" Both girls turned their heads away with matching pouts.
Watching the scene unfold, Lyra couldn't help but chuckle. "I really thought the Far East princess and our ice elf would go at it again, but it ended so fast."
"Because it's Akira!" Alise said proudly, hands on her hips, her earlier gloom now nowhere in sight.
Lyra rolled her eyes and muttered, "What are you so proud of..."
Just then, as if the heavens themselves were intervening in this ridiculous scene, a third voice entered the fray.
"Sorry I'm late, Alise."
Alise turned her head. "Ah, Shakti! You're here."
A composed woman with short, neatly trimmed blue hair entered with several high-ranking adventurers at her back. Her combat suit, split high for ease of movement, shimmered with the mark of command. She stood taller than Ryuu and radiated calm authority.
Shakti Varma, Captain of the Ganesha Familia.
Alise's expression lit up. Allies had arrived. The Ganesha Familia, like the Astraea Familia, was part of the justice faction dedicated to maintaining public order.
Under Ganesha's will, they regularly carried out inspections, maintained the peace, and cracked down on crime.
In this age known as the "Dark Era," their presence was critical. Without them, Orario would be little more than a city ruled by chaos.