“We captured the dragon hourglass. The reinforcements we called in are still fighting up top,” he said.

“I was able to make excellent use of the strength you provided, Master Craftsman,” Therese added.

“Okay, glad to hear it . . .” I said. They’d proceeded down here because they had enough people helping out up there. Dammit! A few moments more and we could have had her.

Then S’yne staggered back to her feet. Her stuffed familiar was battered as well, with stuffing bleeding out of her tummy.

“Are you okay?” I asked. “I still can’t use magic, but Therese should be able to do it. Do you need healing?” I asked.

“I’m fine,” S’yne responded.

“Good to hear. Your sister sure had a mouth on her though, doesn’t she!” I said.

“Yeah. She’s always been a talker,” S’yne replied. For some reason, she wasn’t skipping as much. “A chatty traitor who’ll just prattle on about anything. Heroes mean nothing to her, nothing—” S’yne was quite literally shaking with anger. I rapped her on the shoulder and gave her a thumbs-up.

“If you’re after revenge, I’ll lend a hand. I hate liars and traitors,” I told her. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and death to all traitors! Just being allied with Witch meant she was worthy of death!

“I’m not sure I’d really recommend that, considering who we are talking about, but thank you . . . I never expected to meet her here in this world,” S’yne said.

“I’m sure. Finding out they are connected behind the scenes is a useful piece of information though,” I said.

“I’m going to kill her! The villain who joined with those who destroyed the place I loved . . . my sister!” S’yne’s intent was firm. We were starting to learn some of S’yne’s backstory as well, which had been clouded to us until now. We’d known she was the holder of a vassal weapon from a destroyed world, but if someone else had survived and was now working with these enemies, that was information we couldn’t overlook.

She had enjoyed beating on S’yne too. She seemed to have a sadistic taste for combat.

“Sounds like a lot has happened here, but tell me, Naofumi, Ethnobalt, and bow dude . . . what’s that you are holding?” L’Arc asked. Of course, we needed to explain that too. I proceeded to give L’Arc and the others a breakdown of everything that had happened with Miyaji and the interference from S’yne’s enemies.

“Um . . . I’m Naofumi Iwatani, the Mirror Hero, at your service,” I announced.

“And I’m Itsuki Kawasumi. I just obtained the musical instrument vassal weapon,” Itsuki added.

“Fehhh . . .” Rishia gave one of her usual pathetic sounds, switching out of combat mode. Maybe she wasn’t able to keep up with what was happening.