Other than more or less confirming Sloane's suspicions, Judea provided little in the way of help with her answer. Oh well; it'd be unrealistic to expect her to be a sort of walking encyclopedia when it came to witchcraft. As Judea moved farther away from the others Sloane accompanied her, listening with a stern expression. What came next was a strange question, especially consider not just the strength of the meister-blade duos here, but just how many there were. Judea asked if she would do anything if it meant living through this crisis.

It was a good thing Judea gave her the option of not answering straight away, since that was precisely what Sloane did. She kept thinking, her features conflicted, while her meister undressed and then waded out into the flooded grounds as a capybara. [i]Am I willing to do whatever it takes to survive?[/i] Sloane asked herself. Well, it went without question that she wanted to live. Dying could be seen as the ultimate failure, to her friends, her family, and herself. An inevitable one, to be sure, but one a wise person could avoid for a long time. But did it meant throwing away everything else? Her morals, her pride? Those closest to her? Fragments of herself? Could Sloane cleave her axeblade through a student or two -or Judea herself- if it meant seeing the next sunrise?

The answer, of which she felt quite certain, was no. She could count many things that she would not give up. Instead, she felt certain that she would fight to the death to defend them. Even though she didn't know the other students that well, and most were dorks, she knew that she would risk her life in their defense. It was just what a good person would do. Still, she would have to consider whatever options that came her way in the course of her extended stay on Malum Island. Sloane felt no particular urge to seek a hero's death.

A look toward the miniature lake confirmed that Judea had slipped out of sight. Around the campsite, the other meisters and weapons were mostly lolling around. Sloane couldn't blame them; they faced an unprecedented and dangerous situation. But some progress needed to be made, so Sloane left the lakeside to her partner and went over to help set up tents.