The next morning, Lihua called a meeting with everyone, now that everyone was fully rested.  

"We all know time here in Phantom Mirage is different from what we are use to.  Three days here means only one day has passed in our dimension." Lihua said.  "Today would be the start of our third day here in Phantom Mirage.  Meaning one whole day would have passed by the end of tonight.  We need to find our people and start exploring this land.  Eat up and restore your energy, for we will travel far today."  

Everyone agreed with Lihua.  Although their group had grown in number and strength.  The unknown of the forest and them not knowing what happened to their friends and family worried them.  

After breakfast the group traveled North.  What Lihua didn't know what that far behind them, she was being followed by Red Maidens.  One particular Red Maiden had her sight on Lihua and had a score to settle with her.  

---------

When they finally stopped to rest for the day, they have traveled a far distance since that morning.  They ran into several beasts on the way and were able to fight their way through the ambushes from the beasts.  Although some Devil's Soldiers were injured, they weren't heavily damaged or injured enough for them to stop traveling North.  

After awhile Lihua slowed down their pace as she found a stream for them to rest and clean up.  

Lihua and Chiyo had broken apart from the group to take care of their womanly needs.  Chiyo finished first and stood to the side waiting for Lihua. She was lost in her thoughts and memories to not notice that Lihua's presence was no longer there with her.  As she waited longer and longer until she notice Xin approach her.  

"Where is my Lady?"  Xin asked.  

"She--" Chiyo started saying as she pointed in the direction where the last time she saw Lihua.  But upon noticing that she was no longer there she panicked.  "She was just there.  Where did she go? I didn't feel anyone's presence since I've been here.  I swear!"  

The two of them run towards the direction that Chiyo last felt Lihua's presence and to their surprise it seemed as if Lihua had flown away.  There were no trace of a trail of her walking away or getting kidnapped.  It was as if someone plucked her up from where she stood and disappeared.  

Xin and Chiyo searched some more and upon not finding any leads they went back to the group to report the situation.  Their Lady would not have left without a reason.  She would have fought back if she was being kidnapped.  

As the soldiers stood around trying to figure out their next step, Xin spotted Lihua's monkeys hiding within the trees.  The monkeys stared down at the group as they all talked.  

"Look!  Lady Lihua's monkey." Xin pointed out to them.  "This means she wants us to stay.  She'll come back once she's done with what she wants to do."  

The soldiers grumbled in their unhappiness of getting left behind.  They were her guards, not the other way around.  How are they suppose to answer Hell King should Lady Lihua gets injured or badly hurt?  How are they suppose to just stay behind and wait for her like a damsel in distress?  

"She has a reason for everything."  Xin told his fellow soldiers.  "Trust her."  

---------

Lihua's butterfly had notified her of her pursuers that kept following them.  The Red Maiden's kept their distance from her blue bear's smelling range, however with her butterfly flying far above the tree line, it saw the Red Maidens as they made their way closer to Lihua and their group.  

After stopping the group in a protective location, she made the excuse to relieve herself.  With Chiyo attending to herself as well, Lihua took the opportunity to summon her dragon quietly and rode on its back.  They flew above the tree line towards the Red Maidens.  

Lihua didn't feel like holding back this time.  Her rage coursed through her as she summoned her phoenix.  She had left her monkeys and lions behind to safeguard the rest of her party as she took care of the Red Maidens.  Their poisonous abilities could harm her people so she decided to go in alone to fight the Red Maidens.  

Her phoenix couldn't wait for a good fight as it dipped it's body down, diving towards the Red Maiden who lead the group of six Red Maidens.  

A dark shadow suddenly appeared above Akira as she led her group towards the woman who took Takeshi away from her.  Within a moment's notice of the shadow appearing above her and her noticing it.  She didn't register that her life was endanger until the exact moment she felt the beak of a bird penetrate her cheek as she looked up to see what the shadow above her was.  

The force of the phoenix making contact with Akira was so forceful that Akira fell down to the ground instantly.  Her scream was cut short by the phoenix breathing her flame into the wound it just created in her cheek.  

The other six Red Maidens ran forward hurling their weapons at the phoenix, trying to get it to get off of their Mistress.  From above a dark shadow flew over the entire group, blocking the sun from them as if it swallowed the sun.  And from the darkness lit a flame so golden and so hot, that the Red Maiden's bodies burned in their tracks not knowing what happened.  

As the dragon landed, it roared out in victory of killing it's opponents.  Lihua got down from it's back and made her way towards the knocked out body that the phoenix landed on.  

Lihua laughed as she saw what her phoenix caught.  She could kill the insignificant little girl right now and end it for Takeshi and herself.  But she felt that it was Takeshi's right to end her life with his hands instead of her.  It was ten years of his life that Akira was responsible for taking away from him.  He should end their bitter feud.  

Lihua tied Akira up and tied her to her blue bear.  She called in her dragon and phoenix back into her body then proceeded to make her way back towards her group with her tiger and  blue bear by her side.