We walked into the bar where we'd first encountered Ines and her team. The atmosphere was tense as we spotted them sitting in a dimly lit corner. With a deep breath, I led our group over to their table.

"Ines, we need to talk," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

Ines looked up, her cold, emotionless eyes meeting mine. "What do you want, demon?" she asked flatly.

I glanced at her two teammates, who were eyeing us warily. "I want to propose an alliance," I said, hoping my sincerity would come through. "We have a common enemy - the aspect of wrath. If we join forces, we have a much better chance of taking him down."

Ines raised an eyebrow, her expression unreadable. "You expect us to trust you? To work with demons?" she questioned, her voice dripping with skepticism.

"I know it's not an ideal situation," I admitted, "but we're all fighting for the same thing. If we can put our differences aside, we could be a formidable force against the aspect of wrath and his cult."

Ines crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat. "And what makes you think we'd be willing to cooperate with you?"

I sighed, knowing I had to appeal to her sense of duty. "Think about all the innocent people being targeted by the cult. We have a chance to save them if we work together. Can you honestly say you're willing to let more people suffer just because you don't want to work with us?"

Ines's expression remained cold and distant, but I could tell my words had struck a chord. She glanced at her teammates, who seemed to be considering the idea.

"As demon hunters, we are bound by the rules of the Church," she explained, her voice cold and emotionless. "The Church has an agreement with the aspect holders. As long as they don't interfere with the Church's affairs and remain within their designated territories, we are not allowed to pursue them."

I frowned, feeling a mixture of frustration and disbelief. "So, you're telling me that the Church has made a deal with these demons? And you're okay with that?"

Ines's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, I could see a flicker of emotion in her otherwise impassive expression. "It is not our place to question the decisions of the Church. We are bound by our duty."

"But what about all the innocent people suffering at the hands of the aspect of wrath and his cult?" I pressed. "Are you just going to stand by and let them continue their atrocities because of some deal the Church made?"

Ines's face remained stoic, but I could see the conflict in her eyes. "As demon hunters, our primary duty is to protect humanity from demonic threats. But we must also follow the directives given to us by the Church."

I thought for a moment, trying to come up with a solution that would satisfy both Ines's sense of duty and our common goal. Suddenly, an idea struck me.

"What if we put ourselves in a position where the Church would have no choice but to intervene?" I suggested. "We could get ourselves captured by the cult, which would put us directly in the path of the aspect of wrath. Then, you and your team would have the perfect excuse to interfere, since you'd be pursuing us, not the aspect holder."

Ines's eyes narrowed as she considered the idea. "That is a risky plan, but it might work. We would need to ensure that we do not cross any boundaries with the Church, however."

I nodded in agreement. "Of course, we'll be careful not to expose your true intentions. And once we're all inside the cult's base, we can work together to take down the aspect of wrath and put an end to his reign of terror."

Ines looked at her teammates, Alaric and Selene, who seemed to be in agreement with the plan. Turning back to me, she gave a curt nod. "Very well. We will follow your plan, but remember that our main goal is to capture you, not to engage with the aspect of wrath directly. If the situation allows, we will help, but we cannot promise anything."

I could see the determination in her eyes, and I knew that she was willing to bend the rules as much as possible to stop the aspect of wrath. "Understood. We'll do our best to make sure this plan works."

***

The booze seems to lighten everyone up a bit.

Perhaps emboldened by the booze, the blonde guy turned to Iris and Iu and said: "I am Alaric, what are your names girls?"

"Iris." Iris said with a blank stare.

"Don't push your luck human." Iu shot him look.

"Ah, the kuudere type and tsundere type I see..." Alaric looked at the two girls dreamily.

The girl with the red hair turned to me and said:

"You don't look much like a serial killer to me," she said, her tone a mix of suspicion and intrigue.

I couldn't help but smirk at her comment. "Well, appearances can be deceiving, you know." I leaned in a little closer, looking her straight in the eyes. "But if it makes you feel any better, I promise I won't bite...unless you want me to."

Selene's cheeks flushed a deep shade of red, and she quickly looked away, trying to hide her embarrassment. "I...uh, well, let's just focus on the task at hand, shall we?" she stammered, clearly flustered by my flirtatious comment.

I chuckled and leaned back, deciding to give her a break. "Of course, I'm just teasing you. We'll get back to planning our next move. But before then, may I ask your name?" I asked.

"Selene." she said with a blush.

"Sol." I said.

"I-I already know." she stammered.

"Oh? Am I that famous?" I jested.

"You think you're so charming, don't you?" Alaric snapped, clearly annoyed by the attention I had drawn from Selene.

I raised an eyebrow at him, unfazed by his jab. "I'm just being myself, my friend. No need to get all worked up about it."

Before the situation could escalate further, Ines intervened with her cool, emotionless tone. "Enough, both of you. We're here to work together, not bicker like children."

Alaric scoffed but backed off, crossing his arms and muttering something under his breath. Selene, still blushing, offered me a shy smile before turning her attention back to Ines.

As we reached the end of our discussion, it seemed appropriate for us to seal our temporary alliance with a handshake. However, Ines' cold gaze locked onto mine as she spoke with disdain, "I don't shake hands with demons."

Iu, never one to back down from a challenge, shot back with equal annoyance, "I don't shake hands with demon hunters either."

A tense silence settled over the room, the animosity between Ines and Iu palpable. Sensing the need to find a middle ground, Iu reached into her pocket and pulled out a small red string. She held one end between her fingers, offering the other end to Ines.

Ines looked at the string skeptically for a moment, but eventually took the other end with a slight nod. With both parties holding the string, they gave it a firm shake, the motion causing the string to quiver and sway between them.

What a start to a beautiful temporary mutual alliance with frenemies...