Jigoku - Artemis' laboratory.

"5 Keys, only 2 of them left," Artemis muttered as he gazed upon the 5 artifacts laid upon the table.

'And the ones left are from the pride and rage rings,' Goliath spoke in his mind.

He scoffed, his face twisting with irritation. "Don't remind me; I've been dreading those two since I got the first key"

'Are the monarchs in that ring really any harder to deal with than the others?' Kuro huffed.

'Not harder, just excruciatingly more irritating.' He brushed his scarlet locks back. 'In case you've forgotten, there's a reason Senko Kanrinin is appointed as the lord of pride.'

'You know, if you truly have such trouble dealing with the pride ring royalty, you do have other options,' Goliath pointed out.

"No." Artemis lowered his hand immediately. "Under no circumstances am I letting Hamette near that kingdom of vultures," he muttered, growling at the mere thought. "Much less the other two; they are going to become food as soon as I let them out of sight.

Kuro snickered. 'It's very cute how openly you care about their safety"

The demon boy scowled. "I care about efficiency; it just happens that it aligns with their well-being, which means dealing with this myself is the best course of action, simple as that."

"Awwwww! You're so selfless, Artemis-Chan!" Hamette's voice suddenly blared through the lab, making Artemis widen his eyes as the Demon princess jumped onto his side and wrapped her arms around him.

Artemis blinked, his face turning red as his irises shrank in sheer shock and embarrassment. "... Hamette... how did you get there by yourself?" he glanced back at her.

"Ah..." She giggled nervously. "w...well, I was kinda testing how my portal magic worked... and then kinda ended up here."

"She also appeared in our kingdoms before she took us all here." Cho walked out from behind one of the whiteboards.

"So this is where you made all your cool stuff!" Naosu muttered in wonder, looking from one side to the other.

"...Hamette, I swear to god if you brought the cat to my private space,"

"Aaahhh no, no, I swear she's at home!" The pink-haired princess shook her hands frantically, a nervous smile growing on her face. "I promise it's just us three! We're here to help you!"

"That doesn't make it much better," he growled, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Naosu, don't you dare touch anything!" He warned without even looking.

"I wasn't touching anything." The serpent demon quickly tugged her hands behind her back, her tail shaking in embarrassment for a brief, tingling moment.

Cho stepped in front of her, her expression unchanging and her hands on her lap. "You will have to forgive her; I don't think any of us have ever seen anything this advanced before. It's only natural Naosu would find herself in awe."

"I-" Artemis stopped himself, his eyes tightening as he let out a puff of breath through his nose. "Flattery isn't going to distract me from the fact that you invaded my lap without my consent"

"Because we wanna help youuuuuuuuu," Hamette insisted, bumping her fists, and she puffed her cheeks. "Come on, you know I got the gluttony key all by myself; imagine how easy it will be when it's all of us!"

"Absolutely not. I am not taking any of you to the pride ring," He stated as he crossed his arms.

"Well, what about the Rage ring?" Naosu suggested while lifting her finger.

"That is even worse," he said, facepalming with a small growl. "Please tell me you didn't, though I'd just let you all stride into Satanel's domain"

Cho stepped closer. "There has to be a way we can assist you; it is what best friends do."

The young demon growled in response. "I don't remember agreeing to that arrangement."

'I think you know they are not going to accept a no for a response,' Kuro mentioned.

'I know,' Artemis hummed internally.

'And that if you say no, they will try to follow you on their own.' Goliath added.

'I know,' he repeated, rubbing his temple. "Okay, let's make something clear," he said, turning his attention back to the sin princesses. "If I let you accompany me to the pride ring, you will let me handle the rage ring on my own."

"Understood," Cho answered.

"And you will not leave my sight at any point?"

"Yep! We promise, we will follow your lead!" Hamette nodded repeatedly with a wide smile, her heart pupils already twinkling.

"Don't touch anything unless I say it's safe. Don't talk to anyone there; I will be the one doing the talking and only assist if I say so."

"Got it," the Princess of Gluttony said.

Artemis looked at the princess of envy through his fingers. "Naosu, repeat what I said."

The serpent demon girl quickly straightened herself. "Stay close to you at all times, no touching anything, no talking with anyone, and only helping when you say!"

The green-and-blue-eyed boy groaned, slumping down for a couple of seconds, his hands balling into fists until he took a deep breath and straightened himself. "Fine, you can come with me."

"Eeeeeeee!" Hamette squealed, jumping up and down and clapping her hands before she jumped to his side once more, hugging him tightly and pressing her cheek against his.

"Hamette, don't push it in front of those two," He growled, his face almost as red as his hair by this point.

"Oh, we don't mind!" Naosu smiled and lifted her thumbs.

"Indeed, it's uplifting to see you having such a warm relationship," Cho added with a small grin.

"You're already making me regret agreeing to this," Artemis said through his teeth.

'Would you look at that,' Kuro laughed and snarled at once. 'You got a whole squad now'

'Do me a favor and shut your mouth before I think of making another combined armor,' he growled in his mind, then looked to the side, extended his hand, and created a spiraling gate of dark magic. "Let's just go before I change my mind," he said, then walked through the vortex, expecting them to follow.

"Yaaaay, let's go!" Hamette threw her hands in the air and hopped inside shortly after him, the other two princesses following quickly, hands joined.

The four of them passed into a landscape that was covered in black and dark purple colors, the expanses resembling a Victorian city; the air was cold, and buildings were made of asymmetrical structures, porches, railings, and rich materials, with a moon-like celestial body being the only source of light in the sky.

The pride ring.

"Hmm... this is the first time I'm seeing this ring," Cho hummed as she stared at the dark sky and the purple hues that were illuminated by the pearly moon. "It looks nice."

"Ah.... Are you sure about that?" Hamette muttered, holding onto Artemis' arm, burying her head on his shoulder.

The young demon grumbled, one eye twitching as his face was slightly dusted. "Hamette, I am aware that I told you not to leave my sight, but I cannot keep you away from danger if I can't move my arm."

"Of course, you can!" Naosu perked up. "I saw you moving those machines with only your fingers!"

Artemis sighed, glancing back at the Princess of Envy out of the corner of his eye. "Thank you for reminding me, Naosu," he said with a forced smile as he gritted his teeth.

Before anyone could say another word, a crow's cry echoed through the air, making everyone look up. An avian shade passed through the moon and flew through the stars until it reached a structure in the distance: a castle with the same aesthetics as the town they stood in, but with much more regal decorations and eye-catching materials.

"Oooooh, do you think the lord of pride knows we're here already?" Naosu asked, still staring at the castle.

"With all the noise we were making, I would not be surprised." The scarlet-haired boy answered. "It doesn't matter either way; we were never looking to sneak into his kingdom... especially not with all of you."

"I agree, Hamette is quite loud." Cho nodded.

"Hey!" The princess of love puffed her cheek. "I am not loud at all.... Right, Artemis-Chan?"

"I refuse to answer that question." He rubbed his temple and closed his eyes tightly. "Now can you all stay quiet and follow me? We don't need to disturb the whole ring just to get to our destination. Remember, don't leave my sight, and if anything goes sideways, I handle it." With that, he began walking down the village's main road, a dark brick street.

The princesses followed close behind, staying within sight of the bicolor-eyed boy. Naosu and Cho held hands, fingers interlaced, taking in the unique structures of the houses lining their path.

Hamette, on the other hand, stayed nearly pressed against Artemis' arm, her eyes only traveling around the place for a few seconds before she looked back at him. "S...soo umm. What are you going to do when we get to the castle?"

"Negotiate just like we've done with the other lords," Artemis explained, his eyes scanning every corner of the place, from the lamppost to the fences to the houses, taking note of every movement. The demon kind there all had avian features and dark feathers, regardless of type- pigeons, owls, hawks; they all shared that defining feature. "With a bit of luck, the lord of pride won't be asking me to play babysitter for him."

Cho hummed, peeking her head in his direction. "I don't know much about him, but from what Mother says about the lord of pride, he is... quite the character."

"Or a pain in the ass," Naosu finished.

"Yes, that much I can expect." Artemis glanced back at them. "It won't matter ultimately; as aggravating as he'd be, I will find a way to make him give me what I want. Everyone has a prize; it's just a matter of dialogue."

"Do you think he's going to be better than my dad?" Naosu tilted her head.

"That's not a big bar to pass, to be honest," Cho responded, squeezing her hand gently. "No offense."

"Oh, it's fine, I know that..." the princess of envy smiled softly, returning the gentle grip on her hand.

"Tch, you shouldn't be lamenting too much about that," Artemis told her as he tugged at his pockets. "If your dad doesn't care enough about you to be present, then he's not worth your sentiment... besides, you are way better off with the people who have appreciation for you."

Naosu blinked, her snake pupils dilating at the answer before a smile spread across her face, her tail vibrating behind her as it grew wider. "Yeah. I guess I should be listening to my genius bestie when it comes to this stuff."

The redhead boy let out a small, muffled sound, his eyes rolling to the side to avoid her gaze. "Don't get it twisted, I wasn't trying to cheer you up; I just get tired of seeing you slumping over things that aren't worth the time."

"Hmmm, you are quite humble for someone who presents himself with such confidence," Cho commented as she glanced at him. "I can now see why you had such an easy time becoming friends with Naosu"

Hamette nodded with her eyes sparkling. "Yep! Artemis-chan is the kindest, bestest person in the world!"

Artemis felt his face heating up from the sheer embarrassment of their combined praise, his eyes tightening as he tried to focus on the path ahead. "Will you all settle down? If we enter the castle like this, there is no way they are going to take us... me seriously"

'When has that stopped you before?' Kuro asked in an incredulous and somewhat mocking tone.

'I am not talking to you'

'Oh, but we want to be part of the fun,' Goliath chuckled.

'Stay quiet, I'm not repeating myself.'

"Hmmm, is he okay?" Naosu whispered while she leaned towards the pink-haired girl.

Hamette nodded, "Yeah, he does that sometimes. I think it's because he is speaking with the beasts he sealed"

"Interesting," Cho observed. "I heard the commotion when it was revealed that he dominated the Dragon of the Yomi. I would never imagine someone could do such a thing with a fundamental beast."

The princess of the lust ring giggled, "And that's nothing! He convinced the mortal realm's beast to join me right after his first visit to the court! He was already able to merge their essence into a single power!"

"Wooooah," Naosu gasped, looking at him. "So does that mean he speaks to both of them in his mind? I wonder what that's like?"

"Tolerable at best, agonizing at worst," Artemis answered, lifting his head. "Come on now, I don't want to give them any more time to keep chattering."

"What were you talking about in there?" Naosu peeked curiously.

"Nothing important." He gazed at the castle, now only a couple of feet away. Semi-humanoid avian demons perched on the roof's edge, blue, purple, and red; their colors varied, yet the dark hues remained. Sharp, metallic armor adorned their feathers and their curved claws.

They didn't move; they simply stared, their heads twitching in judgment. "They... they aren't going to hurt us, are they?" the serpent demon asked, stepping back and gripping Cho's hand tighter.

"You three are future queens of the Jigoku, so it's highly unlikely that they would lay a finger on you. I doubt the lord of pride is enough of a fool to initiate a war between rings," Artemis answered, waving his hand nonchalantly.

"Why don't you include yourself?" Cho asked. "Aren't you the future king of sloth?"

Artemis placed his hand on the castle door, his head lowering as he inhaled. "Not yet."

With that, he pushed the doors open, his eyes fixed as the entrance revealed the same Victorian style, mixed with dark purple and grim decorations.

A carpet with golden details led to a throne of brick and stone; sitting there, a humanoid raven demon stared down at them, his feathers spread beyond the armrests like a cape, and his claws left marks on the ground with each swing of his feet. His eyes snapped down at them as his beak morphed into a smirk.

"Look who it is, the god-killer brat"

Senko Kanrinnin – Lord of Pride.

"I'd rather be addressed by name than by reputation, Your Majesty," Artemis responded, suppressing his irritation with a formal tone. At the same time, he approached the throne with his hands behind his back. "I am here because I want to make a proposition, an exchange for sorts."

The Raven Demon let out a low cooing sound as the claws on his feet scraped the ground again. "And what could you possibly have that may be useful for me, brat?"

Artemis swallowed a growl before it could escape, his face returning to its collected mask. "It's not about what I have; it's about what I can do. Simply put, if you have an issue you haven't cared enough to solve, or something you need, I can provide it. All I need in exchange is your key to the Nevermore Seal."

Senko's father rustled for a second at the sound, his claws digging into the armrest of his stone throne, before letting out a gawking laugh seconds later.

"Oh, really, now? So, you want to open the seal now? And what would be the purpose of such a bold move?" He asked, his eyes widening with interest as he tapped his finger against the stone of his throne.

"My business is mine to deal with," Artemis responded in a serious tone. "I am not here to share personal information, so let us skip the measurements and tell me what your prize for that key is."

Senko chuckled. "I don't have it."

"... what."

"Such relics, they are boring, not worth my time." He waved his hand nonchalantly. "I gave it to my son, but if you truly want it, you are welcome to go meet him and see if you can convince him."

"... this isn't happening," Artemis muttered, one eye twitching.

"Oh yeah! That's a piece of cake!" Hamette pointed at the king of Pride. "Artemis-Chan is amazing at convincing people! He already did that with the Naosu and the Queen of Greed!"

"Hoooo?" The Lord of Pride cooed, interested. "Is that so? So you've been working on this for a good while now, haven't you? How intriguing, tell me, tell me, how many keys have you collected so far?"

"5," Cho answered plainly. "The only ones left are yours and the one residing on the rage ring."

Artemis looked back at them with dumbfounded, yet searing, eyes. "Did I not tell you that I was going to do the talking?"

Senko laughed again, kicking his feet and slapping his right hand repeatedly on the armrest of his throne. "Well then, if you want to talk, my boy's room is right over that hall." He pointed left, his voice still carrying a chuckle. "Let's see if you can work your magic, God killer."

'Just don't acknowledge it,' Goliath stated.

'He'll keep getting kicks out of you if you do.' Kuro added.

'I am aware...' Artemis took a deep breath, straightened, and ran his hand back through his hair. "Very well then, if that is your terms, we'll be off to see him now. Thank you for your time, Lord of Pride." With that, the demon boy turned to the pointed direction, tugging his hands behind his back.

Hamette squealed internally, the first to follow him out of the throne room, a dreamy expression on her face as her tail wagged excitedly behind her back.

"I say that went well," the Princess of Gluttony commented once they were out of sight of the throne room.

"Yeah! You definitely showed him what's what!" Naosu cheered and pumped her fists as she slithered her tongue out.

"It could have certainly gone worse," Artemis exhaled, his eyes on the doors lining the dark halls. "Do any of you know any information about the prince of pride that might be useful to negotiate with him?"

"We have met them a couple of times during our parents' meetings," Cho said, her eyes drifting in his direction. "He's... loud."

"He reaaaaaaally likes hearing himself talk," Naosu added.

"Sounds fitting," Artemis said, nodding and rubbing his chin in thought.

"Oh, he also loves games!" The princess of envy added.

"Precisely!" A voice echoed through the hall, and one of the doors opened in the distance as feathers of different colors began to spill out. "Now come and enter, if you dare to gaze upon the Prince of Pride."

"Oh goodie," Artemis muttered, narrowing his eyes as irritation already came back to his face. "Whatever, let's just go," he muttered, gesturing for the princesses to follow him.

As they made their way inside the room, they saw a decoration that was a lot more vibrant than the rest of the castle; a deep Azure was spread over the details, with white edges surrounding the carpets and paintings that adorned the walls. On the bed in the middle of the room, a young Avian demon stood on the cushioned mattress.

He had the same dark obsidian feathers as the King of Pride, but with blue hues added, more prominent on his hands and feet; his hair was white, and his eyes were a peculiar wine-red that contrasted with the rest of his colors.

Yume Kanrinnin – Prince of Pride.

"So, you've come to meet the great Prince of the Pride ring!" He blared, throwing his arms out with flair and sending feathers into the air, his grin spreading from one corner of his beak to the other. "But are you worth his time?" He added, hand on his chest.

"Dear Danmation, please tell me you don't regularly speak in third person," Artemis groaned, pressing his hand to his chest.

"... Only when introducing myself," Yume whispered, then clearing his throat. "Anyhow! I have heard that you've come searching for the pride key to the nevermore seal, and I am eager to see just what you have prepared to convince me!"

"Well, if you are so willing to invite," the red-headed boy brushed his hair back. "The deal is simple: if you hand the key to me, then I will do something for you of your choosing. Whether it is a favor you need done or an object, I will provide it in little time."

"Ha... and now why would I make it so simple for you?" Yume cooed as he tugged at the feathers hanging from his shoulder, his grin turning challenging.

"Hmm?" Artemis tilted his head. "If you wish to test me, you are more than welcome as well; I can assure you that I will have no trouble completing any task that you think so."

"I believe you can. I've heard of your feats, future king of sloth," The prince chuckled, his eyes turning back to the three behind him. "And I see you brought proof of it too!"

"Hey! We came here because we wanted to!" Naosu stuck her tongue out as she scooted closer to Cho in defense.

"It was actually not that hard to convince him to bring us over," the princess of gluttony added, squeezing her hand.

Yume chuckled as he looked between them. "And you two finally stopped beating around the bush? How great!" He smirked, rubbed his chin, and returned his attention to Artemis. "Seems like you are quite knowledgeable in more fields than books."

The demon boy rolled his eyes. "Please, I merely assisted them; if they gained any new development in their interpersonal relationship, it's because of them."

"And modest too, so full of surprises," he added, turning toward Hamette. "Ah, and the dear princess of love, it's always great to see you," he added with a low smirk, grabbing her hand and bowing his head, causing Artemis' eye to twitch slightly at the corner.

Hamette's narrowed awkwardly, sliding her hand off the Avian demon's and hiding further behind Artemis. "Yeah..."

He sighed, collecting himself before speaking again. "Okay, now that you've done your introductory routine, can you tell me what this little test of yours is so we can get done with it? I don't have all the time in the world."

The Prince of Pride laughed and clapped his hands. "Of course, of course... I have the perfect game for this! A very... peculiar test, you see. I am not going to challenge your mind or your power, no... in this game, I will challenge your allies' ability to work without you!" He said, pointing at the princesses.

"Pardon me?" Artemis questioned.

Before he could answer, a gate opened behind the bed, and walls stretched as far as the eye could see, with trees growing in nearly every corner. "Behind this castle there is a labyrinth designed to stop any intruders; it's full of demonic beasts and traps. Naturally, this wouldn't be any challenge to you."

"Your flattery is not going to do anything. Tell me, what are you talking about now?" He narrowed his eyes.

"Well, if you brought these three with you, it must mean you have a great level of trust in them, do you not?" he cooed.

"... Moderately." He closed his eyes. "What's your point?"

"He says he trusts us!!" Hamette whispered to the other princess as she shook her hands ecstatically.

"My point, Dear genius boy, is that if you trust these 3, then you must have no problem putting their abilities to the test," Yume said, lifting his hand. "And for that, the test to get my key for the Nevermore test must be completed by your companions instead!"

".... No." Artemis quickly spoke, "No, no, no, absolutely negative; you are not leaving those three in a labyrinth full of monsters and traps, Non, Niet, Nain."

The Avien demon prince cooed, raising an eyebrow in his direction, "Aw, so the god-killer is concerned about his friends; who would have thought you have such a soft spot."

"I do not!" Artemis started, then caught himself before he raised his voice and took another deep breath. "You know what? I accept your terms." He said, tugging his hands behind his back.

"Oh?" Yume hummed in interest. "What's with the sudden shift?"

"I realized, in a sense, you are right, Prince of Pride," Artemis started, his stance straightening once more. "This place is simply another ring, a little structure to keep commoners out shouldn't be any trouble; besides, Hamette has already retrieved a key all by herself, with three of them, this will be a piece of cake."

The prince grinned, his eyes shimmering a mix of pearly and sapphire flows. "I like that spirit! Then it's settled!" He shouted, throwing his hands into the air as a cage suddenly appeared around them both. "And now! The game is simple! You three will have to get through the labyrinth before three hours pass; if you manage to reach us within that time limit, then the key is all yours!" He announced, pointing at the princesses.

"Only three hours?" Naosu narrowed her eyes. "Don't you think that's a little small of a margin?"

Cho nodded in agreement. "Especially when we have no idea what we will be getting ourselves into."

"No sense," Artemis told them, sitting in the steel cage with his legs crossed, leaning back on his hands. "You three said that you wished to assist me, and I believe this is the perfect challenge for you; something like that should be little problem for future queens of the Jigoku," he added, his bicolor eyes shifting directly to the princess of love.

"Hamette, you will be in charge of this expedition," he said, his face hardening, but the confidence in his tone was clear. "Make sure to work with the same efficiency you did to get the Greed Ring's Key; I have my trust in you."

Hamette blinked at the words, her eyes wide, her pupils blown, her face starting to turn red. "Eeeeeeeeeeeehhhhh!" She squealed, her voice growing louder as the blue feathers of Yume's magic enveloped her and the other princess, the peak of her overjoyed scream still audible as they were transported to the other end of the labyrinth.

"Let the games begin!" The Prince of Pride announced, raising his arms in a cheering flare.

Meanwhile.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHH" Hamette was so enchanted that she began to float a bit more, kicking her feet in the air and swinging her tail rapidly behind her.

"Uhhh... should we tell her we need to go?" Naosu muttered, pointing toward the maze's entrance.

Cho grabbed one of her shoes to keep her from floating out of sight. "Just let her enjoy this."

About 3 minutes later, the Princess of Love's high-pitched sounds finally died down, and she dropped back to the ground, exhaling lightly. "Did you girls hear that? Artemis-Chan put me in charge! He trusts me!!! He obviously loves me!"

"Good for you," the insectoid demon girl said plainly but honestly as she patted her back. "Should we start with the labyrinth now?"

Hamette's tail shot up as she regained her senses, her face still red, but this time from embarrassment, as she pressed her fingers together. "Erm.... Hehehe, right."

"Hey, it's okay, I think we only stayed here like 5 minutes," Naosu assessed. "Come on, we can totally make it in two hours and so on!"

The pink-haired demon girl nodded, smiling widely and pumping her fists. "You're right! Artemis-Chan believes we can do this! We can't disappoint him right now!" She added, turning toward the entrance with determination, placing her hand on her hip and pointing ahead with the other. "Let's go get that key!" She announced as she headed inside.

"She seems motivated," Cho chuckled as she and Naosu followed her in.

"Well, I don't blame her; she looked so happy only hearing him say that he left her in charge of this. Imagine how she's going to get if she manages to make him proud," Naosu giggled a bit, staying close to her while they followed the pink-haired princess.

"I guess it's our job to make sure she doesn't get so excited she forgets to be careful," Cho added while the pair caught up with her. "Okay, leader, do you have an idea on how to avoid the traps that are supposedly all over this labyrinth?"

"Uuhh.... Nope!" Hamette chuckled sheepishly while her hair stopped its frantic wagging. "This is actually the second time ever I'm out and about in a ring that isn't mine. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna let Artemis-Chan because of that! I survived the Greed ring's jungle, and that was full of super scary monsters! Avoiding traps shouldn't be too hard!"

"How... How many monsters did you find exactly in the Greed ring?" The serpent demon girl asked, tilting her head.

"Erm... one," She mumbled. "B...But it was a pretty big and scary one! A Giant snake that was breaking everything in its path!" She huffed, gripping her fists as she puffed her cheeks. "Plus that's how I got my kitty friend!"

Cho hummed, "She probably would have been useful over here; I guess we just had bad luck that we couldn't take her with us to the laboratory."

"Maybe we should have tried to call him over instead," Naosu sighed.

"I knoooooooooooooooooooow," Hamette pouted, looking down. "I just wanted to make sure he was doing well with his whole plan thingy; what if he needed us but he couldn't tell us!"

The insectoid demon girl shrugged. "I suppose that hindsight is 2020," she said as they moved deeper into the maze, coming to an intersection where the paths split in multiple directions, none of them looking more promising than the others. "So, what to do now?"

"Hmmm..." Hamette narrowed her eyes as she rubbed her head in thought. "We gotta find a way to get through this place quick enough... the traps are already going to be hard to deal with; if we get lost the wrong way, this is going to be even worse." She added, tapping her foot on the ground as she looked down and rubbed her chin.

"Is there some kind of spell you can use to help us get through here?" Naosu asked, scratching the side of her head.

"I could try to think of a ritual, but I don't believe I have the necessary material to make something like that around here," Cho answered, her multiple eyes continuing to search the various paths that branched from where they were.

"Wait!" Hamette interrupted, raising her finger, perking up, and her hair tail shooting upward. "I know what to do to lead us right back to where Artemis-Chan is!" she added as the heart pupils in her eyes sparkled.

"Go ahead then," the princess of gluttony said.

"Yeah, show us what you got."

The Princess of love walked ahead of them, breathing deeply, letting the air hang in her lungs for a couple of seconds, then placing her hands on her chest as she exhaled; small pulsations of pink magic emanated from her palms, and the mystical waves began to mimic the rhythm of her heartbeat. When she opened her eyes, a string of translucent sparks began to emerge from her chest, stretching toward the pathway between the center and the farthest one to the left.

She gasped, jumping happily and shaking her hands. "It worked! It worked!" she cheered as she pointed back at the line. "Look at that! And on the first try!" She giggled to herself.

"Impressive," Cho nodded.

"What is that?" Naosu asked, stepping closer to the string out of curiosity, only to be pulled back by her partner.

"It's a spell that I learned from Mom when I was very little!" She turned to face with her tail swinging in excitement once more. "It lets the people of my family make a pathway to guide us to the person our heart is most connected with."

"Huh... so that means the connection goes both ways?" the princess of gluttony asked with an almost imperceptible teasing smile.

Hamette's whole face turned red. She brought her hands to her face with a flustered smile, "A...ah, I dunno! Maybe? I never heard if that part is necessary or not, hehehe..."

"Nice, nice," Naosu nodded. "I feel like we are forgetting something though."

"Perhaps the fact that 20 or so minutes have already passed and that we are still standing here," Cho pointed out.

Hamette gasped, placing her hands on her cheeks as her tail shot up. "Oh no! We are going to run out of time if we keep on like this!"

"Well, I wouldn't say." Before the insectoid demon girl could finish, Hamette grabbed her and Naosu's wrists and ran into the designated pathway, dragging them behind her with surprising strength.

Meanwhile.

"Hmmm, it seems like they are already on the move," Yume stated, rubbing his left ear through his feathers. "I suppose we should get comfortable; this might take a while."

"It's going to take less than 3 hours, two hours and 45 minutes at worst." Artemis sat down in the center of the cage.

The Prince of Pride cooed, sitting in front of him, "Even then, two hours and 45 minutes should be plenty of time to get bored, so why don't we do something to pass the time? I doubt you'd want to stay here without moving a muscle."

"I would if it'd stay quiet, but that is a very low possibility with you around, isn't it?" He scoffed, resting his face on his hand as his elbow was propped atop his knee. "Why don't you tell me what you have in mind then?"

'So now you're making friends again?' Kuro asked him.

'Quiet, you; it's not like we have anything else to do'

'Hmmm, maybe you're starting to be more open to relating with people around you,' Goliath added.

'You really do not understand instructions, do you?' his eyes tightened for a moment as he waited for the avian demon boy's response.

Yume chuckled, smirking as he placed his hand between them. "How about a different game to pass the time?" he asked as a dark blue line extended in the shape of a square, materializing into a chessboard of black and deep blue, the pieces being based on different kinds of demonic birds.

Artemis blinked for a second, his eyebrow arching in incredulity. "You are proposing to play chess... against me..." His mouth twitched, almost as if to laugh. "Seriously?"

"Oh no, no playing against you. I'd heard stories about your reputation before you left the Jigoku two years ago; I don't want you to just play against me. I want you to teach me?"

The red-headed boy's expression returned to neutral. "You want me to teach you how to play chess in less than three hours?"

"Not just teaching me," Yume said, taking one of the pieces and holding it firmly between his finger feathers. "I want you to teach me how to be the best chess player in the seven rings."

"I am afraid that is impossible," Artemis hummed, closing his eyes and leaning further into his hand. "I already exist."

The Prince of Pride scoffed, his smile arching a little. "You are awfully sure of yourself, god killer. Is that Pride I am sensing?"

"Pride is confidence without evidence," the demon boy retorted, his green draconic eye opening as he stared at the avian demon. "I have a lifetime of results to back up my statements; ergo, I know for a fact it is impossible to become a better chess player than me."

Yume's eyes narrowed at the scarlet-haired boy's statement, the feathers on his arm twitching ever so slightly as he processed it. Even in something as simple as chess, he saw no doubt in that emerald eye, a smirk that didn't show arrogant confidence, but full, unshakable certainty. "You are a peculiar little demon god-killer."

His grin widened at the corner of his mouth, revealing a pearly fang as he let out an almost devilish chuckle. "Why don't I explain it to you?" He grabbed the bishop piece. "Today, I am the best chess player in this realm; nobody has been able to beat me. And you want me to teach you, even if I were to agree, the moment I start teaching you how to beat me, I will simultaneously be teaching myself how to counter the very strategies"

As he spoke, he twirled the bishop piece between his fingers, rotating it with effortless fluidity. "I didn't start to play chess as an infant because I wanted to be satisfied; I played because I wanted to be challenged. When it became apparent nobody could beat me, I simply stopped looking for people to play with it." he moved the piece from his thumb to his pinkie. "But that doesn't mean I would settle for my current level simply because I am the best."

The demon boy stopped the piece between his middle and index fingers. "Even now, I am playing against myself, thinking about how I would win if someone equal or better than me appeared, so... I must correct myself: teaching you to be the best is not impossible... I despise that word... however," He placed the piece back on its spot, his blue eye opening as a gust of dark and scarlet aura emitted from him. "Playing chess is like my search for knowledge; it's never-ending and I constant, just like my mind."

The Prince of Pride stared at him, dumbfounded and silent, his avian pupils shrinking for about 5 seconds before dilating back to their usual size the next instant. "That kind of decision, I've never seen pride in such an honest form...'

Artemis hummed at his comment, sitting straight with his hands on his knees. "Well then, know that you cannot beat me even if I were to teach you." He tapped the queen piece with one finger.

"Do you still want to play, Prince of Pride?"

Yume's eyes darted back down at the board, his feathers twitching for a few seconds. "How about this: if you can't make me the best, how about we play until you can make me the second best?"

"You want to be the second best at chess?"

The avian demon shrugged. "If you truly believe that your mind won't allow you to teach me how to beat you, then that is the next best thing, isn't it?"

The redhaired boy stared at him, his eyes stuck between skepticism and analysis, then, a grin cracked upon while he leaned back on his sitting position, a diabolic snicker escaping through his teeth, "Such an amusing statement you are making, the next best thing you say?" he hovered his hand over one of the pawns. "I guess I could spend the time teaching you to be decent... let's see how quick you can learn, Prince of Pride."

Meanwhile.

"Sooo... any ideas for this?" Naosu asked as the trio stood on the edge of a cliff, the pathway they were following having collapsed before them; the pink string still went on, but there was no floor in sight.

"Aaaahhhh I knew I shouldn't have been rushing like that!" Hamette held her head in panic. "We almost fell there!"

"Well, at least now we know the traps can be triggered by stepping on the wrong stone," Cho hummed as she ran her hand over one of the bricks that made up the ground. "Now how are we going to get through this..."