A barrage of metal and fruits prevented Rui-Ling from getting in anymore pointlessly lavish praise, and the immortal couldn’t help but let out a long, long sigh at the person that rose from the shadows. Drenched in golden armor and bearing a smirk that looked gloriously punchable, the Cataloguer of Sacred Relics popped out of the woodwork like a friend that everyone wanted to be nice to but no one wanted to hang out with and reminded Rui-Ling once more of the immortal’s shameful past.

Bringing up his right hand into his face and resting it in a moment of embarrassment, the platinum-blond male asked, [b]“Goddammit, Cat-boy, can’t you just call me Rui-Ling or something? Spirit Hammer’s just such a stupid nickname. God knows why I came up with that back when I did, but it’d be great if you just forgot about it now.”[/b]

But of course that chuuni, immature Cataloguer wouldn’t stop, and now he was posing as well. Sparing a quick glance at Alice and praying that she didn’t respond in kind to the Cataloguer’s pretentious attitude, he was relieved to see that she was similarly empty-eyed and blank-minded, apparently off in her own little Wonderland. That was fine at least.

[b]“You know, Cat-boy, my friend, you have other things to do in Sonomachi, and so do I, so how about we just pretend that we never saw each other in the Red Woods, ok?”[/b]

The Cataloguer brought out a box full of rubies then, eliciting another sigh from Rui-Ling.

[b]“Like, please? I need to beat up this giant vegetable so I can do some investi-”[/b]

[i]“Aestus!”[/i]

[b]“Oh fuck you too. Literally worse than Suzumebachi, huh?”[/b]

An explosion of flame engulfed his body as he used it to partially shield Alice from the explosion. Rising like a phoenix from the red flames, Rui-Ling, his eyes still regenerating from that particular death, called out, [b]“Alice! Run and help whomever is fighting the Goliath! I’ll cover y- Oh, nevermind, you’re already gone.”[/b]

It sorta hurt his cold, time-locked heart that the midget wouldn’t even spare a single breath to tell him of her plans, but, well…

[b]“Thanks for the bread?”[/b]

With that, Rui-Ling reflexively brought out his right hand. A single soul swirling before it, spinning in a circle once before a brilliant beam of spiritual energy shot outwards at the mound of bread, erasing it and anything that the Cataloguer might throw at Rui-Ling.