Piers led the way up the mana stairs, his steps steady and unhurried.
Just behind him, Luci ascended—her newly evolved form taller now, though not enough to glimpse his expression from below.
Lien bounded after her, then Mutou with his steady stride, and finally Thog, who carried the still-unconscious Liel slung over his shoulder like luggage.
Luci tilted her head, crimson eyes narrowing as she studied Piers's small back.
His aura was strangely relaxed, softer than she was used to.
Almost… lighter.
"Piers-sama," she asked softly,
"Can I hold you until we get outside?"
"Nope."
The rejection was instant, flat.
"But what if something attacks from the front and you don't react fast enough?"
she pressed, stepping closer.
"I can use barriers freely now," he replied without opening his eyes.
"The restriction was lifted after we completed the quest."
Luci's pout deepened.
And then—without warning—she scooped him up in one smooth motion, cradling him in the curve of her arm like a seat.
"Never do that again," Piers muttered, still deadpan.
"…Mm. If that's what you want."
Her voice softened, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she held him closer.
Piers exhaled, his eyes briefly flicking toward her.
"…She'll do this again."
A faint smile threatened his lips before he suppressed it.
Floating nearby, Gyuunyuu clutched her bottle body with both arms, glaring at Luci's chest like it had personally betrayed her.
"…Truly so unfair," she muttered under her breath.
At last, the party reached the top of the mana stairs, emerging from the cavern's darkness into open air.
The morning sun spilled golden light across the horizon, washing away the labyrinth's shadows.
Lien lugged his ridiculous "TV box," Thog still carried the limp Liel, and the Arcane Beasts lingered behind like sentinels.
And that's when everyone noticed.
Mutou stopped.
Lien froze.
Luci's crimson eyes widened.
Even the Arcane Beasts turned their heads.
Every gaze locked onto Piers.
He blinked, confused.
"…What? Why the stares? Do I have something on my face?"
Gyuunyuu zipped up close, her tone uncharacteristically serious.
"Master… your hair!"
"What about it?" he asked, raising a hand to his head.
"It turned dark, Master!" Lien blurted, eyes wide.
"What?!" Piers stiffened.
Before Piers could press further, Ondine glided forward.
She stood nearly as tall as Styx, With a flick of her hand, she conjured a flawless mirror of water.
Piers leaned in.
his reflection stared back—eyes wide with surprise.
His hair, once golden-blonde with violet-black tips, was now a solid, arresting shade of violet-black.
"…Whoa," he muttered. "
It changed."
He traced the new color with his gaze.
"It looks exactly like Mom's."
Ondine lingered in front of him, shy and fidgeting, her movements almost childlike.
She shifted subtly, as if waiting—expecting something.
What… Want me to praise her? Piers wondered, glancing at her posture.
It looks like it.
"Well... they all deserve more than this," he muttered under his breath.
"But for now—" He reached out and patted Ondine's cool, liquidy head.
"Here, here."
Ondine flushed faintly, her liquid cheeks rippling pink, almost embarrassed.
The crew couldn't help it—they all chuckled at the sight of water itself turning shy.
Mutou moved closer, ever composed,
"Young Master, the sun is about to rise. The glory of morning approaches."
"Yeah, it's a lovely morning after killing—"
Piers began.
Then froze.
Dead stop. His eyes widened. His face went pale.
"Uh… Master?" Gyuunyuu zipped closer, tilting her tiny bottle head.
One look at him—
One—
and she squeaked, dove behind Lien like a comic gremlin, peeking out with trembling eyes.
""Huh? What happened?!" Lien asked, clueless as ever.
But Luci, Mutou, and Thog knew.
They felt it: The sudden, sinister doom aura.
Piers turned slowly,
His face pale and stiff.
His jaw hung open.
Teeth peeking through as if caught mid-gasp.
Sweat ran down his cheeks in shaking rivulets.
Eyes were blank, hollow—the look of someone already attending his own funeral.
The sun had risen.
And that meant one thing.
"Oh no. No. No. NO. NO!" His voice cracked, climbing higher and higher.
"I lost track of the DAYS! If Mom broke free—I'm finished! She'll grind me into wasabi paste.
Before anyone could react,
He exploded upward—
—Zigzagging through the air like a panicked pigeon fleeing a firecracker.
"GO HOME! I'LL COME LATER!"
He shrieked,
eyes bulging in full-blown chibi terror.
The crew stared after him in silence. Then—sweatdrops. Big, comical ones.
"Well," Luci sighed.
Lien just scratched his head.
"...What's wasabi paste?"
Meanwhile, Piers shot through the sky like a desperate toddler rocket, his Air Walk all wobbly and uneven.
He skidded to a halt beneath his roof, eyes darting around.
The house looked fine.
House: intact.
No holes.
No smoke.
No crater-scorched lawn.
No sign of Mom nuking the neighborhood.
"…Phew."
A fragile smile tugged at his lips. For once, he actually looked relieved.
His tiny chest swelled with hope.
I'm safe. Maybe Mom's still trapped in the loop.
Good—Now then,
Step one: check Styx.
Step two: sneak to my room.
He drifted to her window, creaked it open, and slipped inside like a guilty ghost.
There she was—Styx, starfished across her bed, drool dangling like she was auditioning for "World's Laziest Slob."
Piers scowled.
"…Neesan. Wake up."
No response.
He nudged her shoulder.
Nothing.
"Neesan! I need to know what happened while I was gone!"
Still nothing.
Just louder snores and a drool bubble inflating…
and popped.
Flat expression twitching, he sighed.
Oh, for crying out loud.
Deadpan, he grabbed her collar.
SMACK. SMACK. SMACK.
Three sharp slaps—one for each cheek, plus one extra for disrespect.
His face didn't move an inch—just a toddler statue issuing sister-wake-up justice.
Which somehow made the whole scene ten times worse.
"Wake. Up. Neesan!"
Finally, her eyelids fluttered.
"Huh? Piers? Go 'way… Lemme sleep… I didn't get any yummy food last night…"
He leaned in closer, tiny brow furrowed.
"Listen carefully. What day is it? Did Mom wake up from the illusion I used on her?"
"…Huh? Wha—sleepy…" she mumbled, drool dribbling down her lip.
Then—her brain clicked.
"She shot upright like she'd been struck by lightning."
"WHAT?! PIERS! WHERE WERE YOU LAST NIGHT?! Mom didn't make any food! I was STARVING!"
Piers stared, utterly blank.
Is she for real?!
After all this, her first concern is breakfast?!
"Focus!" he snapped.
"Tell me—how long has it been since I left?"
But Styx wasn't listening.
She bounced on her bed, fists waving.
"WHERE were you?! Mom didn't feed me! Papa didn't feed me! Nobody fed me! Make me food, Piers! You promised! The yummy stuff! NOW!"
…Wait. Yesterday?
Piers froze.
brain locked.
Only one night passed?
But we were fighting in the Abyss for more than two whole days!
Does that mean…wait, I have to check!
His hands shot behind his shorts, yanking out the Abyss map with frantic urgency.
"Hey! Don't ignore me!" she complained, poking at his side and trying to tickle him,
"Food first! Map later! Fooooood!"
He flipped open the map.
[ MAP DATA: ABYSS OF KOKONEI ]
Type: Navigational Aid
Description: A detailed, unsettling map outlining the treacherous Abyss of Kokonei.
Details:
• Four distinct mazes, each presenting unique challenges.
• Temporal Anomaly Detected: Time flow within the Abyss is significantly distorted.
• Current Ratio (Estimated): 24 hours (Abyss) = ~3 hours (Outside).
Rarity: Unique (Quest Item)
Piers's eyes widened.
Then, with a long, shaky sigh of immense relief, he let the map slip from his fingers.
He collapsed back on Styx's bed, arms spread wide.
"Finally… Only one night passed.
I'm not getting turned into wasabi paste."
"PiiiERS! Foooooood!" Styx whined again, drumming her fists on the mattress beside him.
"Fine, fine, you starving goblin,"
He sighed—though a faintest smile tugged at his lips. With a lazy flick of his wrist, a steaming pile of freshly forged burgers appeared on the bed.
Styx's eyes went wide, sparkling.
Drool practically waterfalled as she lunged, stuffing a burger in her mouth whole, cheeks puffing like a hamster on a festival binge.
Between bites, Piers leaned back up, expression steadier now.
"Neesan. What about Mom? Did she break the spell?"
"Mmmph… nah." Styx mumbled through half a burger, spraying crumbs.
"She just… slept. Papa too. He was maybe worried about you? But they just went to bed."
Piers blinked, relief softening into a mischievous little spark.
"Ooh, good. Then let's check it myself… and if Mom didn't break out, I'll cancel it."
In a blink, he zipped to his parents' room, gently pushing the door with a flick of mana.
Inside, his dad was sprawled out half-off the bed, snoring in a puddle of drool.
His mom, however, remained perfectly still—sleeping deeply, her chest rising and falling in a calm rhythm.
Piers exhaled.
"Okay. Time to cancel."
He raised his hand.
"Skill: Cancel."
Mana shimmered and broke apart like glass.
And just like that, after what felt like one long, uninterrupted sleep…
Xylia slowly stirred awake, the spell finally unraveling.
Her lashes fluttered. Her eyes opened—groggy at first, She blinked once.
Twice.
Then her eyes snapped wide as she spotted Piers beside her.
"Sweetheart… what happened to your hair?" she asked, voice groggy but sharp, suspicion slipping into her still-sleepy tone.
"Did you dye yourself?
Piers tilted his head, expression innocent, violet-black strands falling over his face.
He batted his lashes with calculated precision.
"Mama, I woke up right next to you, and it was already like this. I think I took your hair color a little bit."
A proud zing fired in his chest.
Flawless acting. Nailed it.
Xylia let out a soft laugh, tugging one of his strands.
"Oh, is that so? My color's rubbing off on you now, hmm?" Her eyes, warm and amused, flicked down to his spot.
She raised a brow.
"And what exactly are you doing down there?"
Piers put on his best thoughtful face.
"Hmm… I woke up hungry.
So I thought… I should make something for you before you wake up."
Solid. Believable. Technically true—Styx ate, after all
Xylia's lips curved, a faint blush warming her cheeks. She opened her arms wide.
"Ooh, come here, my little boy," she cooed, voice dripping with adoration.
"I love you so much—even first thing in the morning."
Piers slid straight into her embrace.
She caught him immediately, smothering him with experienced precision, nuzzling against his cheek.
"Oh, my baby, let me give you a morning kiss," she purred, fingers digging into his sides mercilessly.
"M-Mom—s-stop!" Piers yelped, breaking into helpless laughter as he twisted in her grip.
Xylia only grinned, blowing a soft puff of air against his neck before peppering kisses along his cheek.
"Oho? But you're always ticklish in the morning~"
He wriggled, half laughing, half glaring.
When he finally got a breath, he straightened with exaggerated resolve.
"So… Can I make something for you?"
She paused only long enough to press another kiss to his cheek.
"Oh, my son… fine! Let's make something together."
And there it is. She ignored the part where I said I'd make something myself, Piers sighed inwardly. Whatever.
…Spending time with Mom isn't bad.
For the briefest moment, a quiet thought slipped out of him before he could stop it.
"…Guess even I want to be spoiled sometimes."
"Okay, Mom. Let's go," he said aloud, switching back to his usual tone.
Xylia scooped him up with practiced ease, holding him close. She kissed his forehead again, warmth radiating from her smile.
"Alright then, my little adventurer… let's get you fed."
She carried him toward the kitchen, steps steady and light—like nothing in the world could touch them.
Meanwhile, less than five feet away, Rigas slept through everything.
The man snored like a hibernating bear, a massive snot bubble inflating and deflating with each breath, completely unfazed by the chaos unfolding beside him.
* * *