Mariette’s pursuit squad had arrived at the Overcity downtown at about the center of the coordinates, and saw something spectacular; it was a bustling metropolis, with every building reaching up to cloud-piercing heights, and the streets packed with magical residents going about their day, flowing in and out of the underground metro like a tide. Magical auras and enchantments floated everywhere like a thick cloud of smoke, obscuring magical attempts of locating something specific. In comparison, Penrose seemed like a quiet little town even in its heyday. Even with all of them splitting the area up, it would take weeks if not even months to search through it. [hr] [color=8dc73f]”That would be bad,”[/color] Kimble agreed with a nod as she walked with Alicia. [color=8dc73f]”But maybe she’ll decide to pity Dan and leave it alone? That’s what we should hope for.”[/color] They arrived at the feast lodge, where Mariette had already begun inspecting the scene of the crime. [color=8dc73f]”Mariette’s already here...Do you think she could have done it, Alicia?”[/color] She quietly asked her. [hr] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/4c0MzYG.png[/img][/center] [color=fff200]”Hmmph hm hm,"[/color] Lily attempted answering Ronja’s question, sounding more surprised than frightened by her predicament. As terrifying as the situation could have been for anyone else, having been ensnared by an arachnid monster girl, Lily knew she wouldn’t be hurt. For one, she believed that Mariette wouldn’t allow any harm to come to her without good reason. She also knew that Dan would intervene should such a reason come up, having seen him intercept conflicts in the past. She looked happy as Alexander demanded her to be released, glad that he had followed her, followed by blinking as she heard Ronja whisper to her ear. [color=fff200]”Hmm?!"[/color] She mumbled, sounding shocked. As if right on cue, Dan’s announcement confirmed that the Mirror had indeed disappeared. Sally gasped, and Rachel grunted. Lily’s eyes then lighted up, having realized Ronja wasn’t aiming to capture her, but Sally. But would Sally really do something like that? Lily didn’t have much time to ponder before Ronja split the strands and set her free with a playful shove, causing her to stumble right into Alexander’s arms. [color=fff200]”Whoah..."[/color] Rachel stepped up to Ronja; she lowered her fists, but kept them clenched with a pained expression. “So the Mirror was stolen…” She glanced back to Sally, who looked startled by the sudden attention the Inquisitor gave her. “What is the meaning of this, Shamrock Sally?” Sally’s rabbit ear-headband swayed frantically as she fidgeted in place. “Uhh, well, how should I put this...” At that moment, ronja suggested performing a mind reading on Sally, which Rachel immediately rejected with a sweep of her arm. “No! This is a Beacon matter! Besides, I wouldn’t let you devils touch her even if it wasn’t!” She grit her teeth into a snarl. “And if you try-!” As if by another stroke of Sally’s luck, the tense situation was resolved by the sudden opening of a portal that led to the feast hall, with Mariette, Finn, and Justine on the other side. However, as Finn attempted stepping through, he was shoved back by Rachel striding in with the power of an elephant on the march, with Sally following behind with an unsure look. “Out of my way! The Beacon shall now begin their investigation.” [color=fff200]”Geez...Well, better go and confirm it as well, Alex,"[/color] Lily spoke softly. followed suit, and as they did they changed back into Christmas gear upon entering the winter island again. They arrived at the sight of Dan bonking the guardsman Dan repeatedly with a toy mallet. “Ouch! Hey! What’s the big idea?” The clone interjected, followed by an angry squeak from prime!Dan. “You tell me! What were you doing, flirting with hot dolphin babes in your local area? You were supposed to be guarding the Mirror!” “You got distracted too with the Penny versus Tenebra match, especially when Dina fell into the pool!” “Urgh!” Main Dan made a frog-like croak, and with a poof caused the clone to disappear. “Well, at least this can’t get any wors-” He turned to see Rachel, her arms crossed with an angry glare. “...Eep.” Rachel stomped right up to him, and grabbed the Lesser Force by its bottle nose. “You let the Mirror be taken, knowing how important it was! You absolute imbecile!” She shouted. “I-I’m sorry, miss Inquisitor,” Dan apologized, even as his nose was twisted. “You think an apology is enough to fix this problem?” Rachel asked with a snarl, and released Dan. He straightened the nose with a goofy sound, and looked flabbergasted. “I-I guess me and Penny broke our promise, since we couldn’t fully play out the tournament.” He summoned a white flag, and waved it. “Alright then , I surrender. You can proceed with destroying this place then. Just, please let me say goodbye to it first.” Rachel had turned away, her glasses cast in shadow from her head’s downward angle. “...” “...Not yet.” Dan blinked. “E-Excuse me?” She adjusted her glasses. “I need to preserve the crime scene. Erasing this dimension would only hinder the Beacon’s investigation with the loss of vital clues.” She sighed, and looked at Sally. “Also, the crime was committed while a member of Beacon was present, and for that, I will take full responsibility. It seems I had failed in training the Penrose branch to respond in a timely manner to such an incident.” She glanced at Penny, who at that point had been angle to listen in on the conversation. “And Penny...It was a valiant effort, and I wish to see that determination first-hand in the arena as well.” Her lips momentarily twitched to something resembling a smile, followed by a grimace as she shook her fist. “But don’t misunderstand, I will wipe out this wretched haven of indecency and indolence at some point. However, right now...it is in Beacon’s best interests to secure the area.” [color=fff200]”Did I hear that right?"[/color] Lily whispered to Alex once Rachel concluded her speaking. [color=fff200]”Did we actually manage to save this place?"[/color] While she knew she couldn’t burst out cheering at the spot, her puffed up cheeks told of her desire to scream and shout in joy. “With that said, let’s begin the investigation,” Rachel spoke. “Paladin Seraph, we will need your assistance,” she gestured over to Alicia, and then questioned Sally. “Now, tell me everything you know about this incident; what you were doing, what you saw, anything that comes to mind.” Sally twiddled her thumbs, looking sheepish. “Well, I decided to go on a little stroll around the island after the first round matches,” she began explaining. “I went around to the back of the lodge, where I saw what looked like, uh, something moved near a tree. I went over to look, and found some snow stomped flat, as well as a coin. I thought someone dropped it, and went over to talk with Guardsman Dan. Then, well...I guess you know the rest.” [hr] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/nBgNtpQ.png[/img][/center] While everyone else was investigating, Justine was on the sidelines, her arms crossed as she contemplated what had happened so far. She remembered the Penny versus Tenebra match, and managed a small smile. [color=bc8dbf]”So, Tenebra managed to win..."[/color] [color=bc8dbf]”I wonder what would have happened...If we could have been able to duel..."[/color]