[center][b][color=6ecff6]MARY BETH[/color][/b] [/center] After speaking, Mary, a triumphant smirk etched onto her face for no particular reason, walked off in the direction opposite where the familiar was. There was no point in killing something like that at the current time. There were more important things to deal with, after all. Besides, only an amateur would be foolish enough to deal with something like that. Mary was no amateur; such a thing was impossible, as she was a protagonist. That naturally meant she was "pro+agonist". As a pro, she could not be an amateur. As an agonist, she was undergoing mental turmoil for the struggle of her identity at every waking moment. The strife caused by her clashing lineage, the basis of her own nature as a contradictory existence. The clash between her maternal grandfather being the [color=6ecff6]「Demon Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea」[/color], but her paternal grandfather the [color=6ecff6]「Archbishop of the Sacred Goddess」[/color]. The [color=6ecff6]「Reverse Scale」[/color] that was embedded in her soul, the result of a contract with a [color=6ecff6]「Dragon King」[/color] made with her ancestor a thousand years prior. The trace of [color=6ecff6]「Chaos God」[/color] that lurked in her bloodline, the result of that ritual her ancient ancestor performed in that damned Akkadian ziggurat... Mary tore her mind away from the thoughts of her own nature. She could not be delayed by that, not now. That girl, the [color=6ecff6]「Curse-Woven Impostor」[/color] who had been called "Julia", had declared herself an antagonist to Mary's protagonist. This, of course, meant that like Mary, she was an agonist, but she was also an ant. However, even that declaration was part of the [color=6ecff6]「Curse-Woven Impostor」[/color]'s nefarious plan. The others hadn't noticed. How could they have? The [color=6ecff6]「Curse-Woven Impostor」[/color] had done an excellent job, concealing her intentions and nature as she had. Even Mary had to admit that, were it not for a fatal mistake the antagonist had made, Mary would not have realized exactly what her opponent was. Yes, that fatal mistake had lifted the veil that she had so expertly crafted. In a moment of foolishness, she had referred to herself as [color=6ecff6]「Julia of the Ballerings」[/color]. Ballerings. That word was her downfall, for hidden in it was the Truth just waiting to be rearranged. [color=6ecff6]「A Bell Rings」[/color]. At that moment, Mary had realized the [color=6ecff6]「Truth」[/color]. She had realized what this "Julia" was. Without question, she was a member of the [color=6ecff6]「Solemn Order」[/color], the [color=6ecff6]「Illusory Apostles of the Devourer」[/color]. The [color=6ecff6]「Solemn Order」[/color] was a little-known group that was subordinate to a larger organization, the [color=6ecff6]「Order of Agkylomitis」[/color]. They were an order that aimed to crush all opposition and make their leader, the [color=6ecff6]「Godslayer of the Golden Sickle」[/color], the dominant power in the [color=6ecff6]「World」[/color]. That phrase, "A Bell Rings", was their sacred creed. The moment it was indirectly spoken, the trick became useless. "Julia's" vicious dismissal of Mary and attempt to emote was of course a clever trick, designed to make Mary think that Julia couldn't possible by a servant of the [color=6ecff6]「Order」[/color]. Clever trick, for an [color=6ecff6]「Illusory Apostle」[/color]. Yes, Mary knew now. Her soul, no, the [color=6ecff6]「World」[/color] itself spoke to her. However...she could not act immediately. After all, a single member of the [color=6ecff6]「Solemn Order」[/color] was weak, but they had built a godlike force over the millennia, shattering the limits on humankind. If Mary revealed what she knew, revealed that she recognized Julia for what she was, the rest of the order would be roused to action. Consequently, Mary could not let the [color=6ecff6]「Solemn Order」[/color] realize that she knew their plans yet. She had to act normal, otherwise they would have the opportunity to plan around the plan she was creating, designed to strike down their plan. No, for now, she would need to make preparations. It was for this reason that she had begun walking in the direction of her home. Plans for dealing with the [color=6ecff6]「Solemn Order」[/color] would need to be made, preparatory measures would need to be taken. That world-defying organization, the influx of magical girls, that school project she hadn't started on yet that was due next week, all of these things would need to be dealt with immediately. -With a jolt, Mary stopped walking, as if something had suddenly occurred to her. This was because something had suddenly occurred to her. Her sidekick was not following her. The sidekick she had given her bag. The bag that had her shit. What's more, she hadn't made any of the candy with her magic's sugar, because that was cheating. Mary, while many things, was not a cheater. However, while she did not regret that decision even at the current time, she was nonetheless annoyed by it, as she was unable to locate her bag without retracing her steps in the most boring possible manner. ... ... ... Acting as though she hadn't made that realization, Mary resumed walking. No, rather, it was not mere acting, it was almost as if she had completely forgotten it. She had not done so, nor was she pretending to have forgotten, but rather her mind was oriented towards the thought of "I want to disregard this". As such, this delusion twisted itself within Mary's mind, until that point of collapse became the point of expansion. Candyless and cackling, the idiot continued along towards her house.