{Mount Decima. Military Housing District, Tristan and Stephanie’s Home

9:20 P.M.}

In the family bedroom, Isfet is sitting up on the red sleeping bag, with the given eyepatch over her left eye socket. Her Eyelien fixated on the woman of the house in front of her.

Stephanie: "From what Tritty and Bethany have told me, that Don Laban woman has been abusing her power and deserves proper justice.

We are nothing like her, and the Erinyes territory has the opposite ideology of that dictator-like environment she was in charge of.

Here, respect isn’t earned, it’s given.

We’ll treat you with the kindness and respect every life deserves, but around here, it’s solely up to you, it’s your responsibility, on whether or not you gain more of that hospitality, or lose our trust all together.

By the way, I’m Stephanie, it’s my pleasure to be of any help you may ever need.

Teehaaha!"

With her endearing smile, Stephanie holds out her lightly bandaged right hand.

After a second matching laugh, as confirmation from the lime green haired woman, Isfet gains her composure and reaches out, with no hesitation.

They connect a handshake.

Isfet: "...Isfet.

M-My name...is Isfet.

Nice to meet you, and th-thank you for your hospitality."

The door to the room slowly opens and one of the little quadruplets, Petra, waddles in rubbing her eyes.

Petra: "Stephy, when’s dinner?

I wanna go to bed, but I’m really hungry too, and Timothea ate all the snacks again."

Stephanie: "I know, it’s late, Pae.

The food is ready and Tritty should be home in 10 to 15 minutes, Pumpkin.

You know we can’t eat without him, it’s rude.

Since we have 3 extra people tonight, can you go make sure there are places set for them at the table?"

Petra growns, slowly drags her feet out, and closes the door behind her.

Stephanie looks back at her new guest.

Stephanie: "Don’t worry, dinner is usually never this late. We’re just waiting for my fiancee to return from his own military obligations.

Can you walk, or should I bring your plate in here?"

Isfet slowly gets up from the sleeping bag.

Isfet: "I can move just fine.

Actually, may I please use your bathroom?"

Stephanie diligently rolls up the unused sleeping bag and places it in the corner with the rest of the stack of 10 others in the corner of the room.

An observable increase from the 6 individual rolled up camping sleeping gear from before.

Stephanie: "The bathroom is to the left out this room, and the first door on the left down the hall.

Feminine products are under the sink, along with washcloths to clean your face up.

Take your time, like I told Pae, dinner will be served in about 10 minutes."

Isfet exits the room, immediately moves down the hall, and enters the clean, sky blue painted bathroom, locking the door behind her.

No different from an ordinary house bathroom, there’s a tiled floor, a medicine cabinet with a mirror above a cabinet sink, a toilet, and a shower/bathtub behind the cheerful, sunshine and crown designed curtain.

Isfet makes her way to the sink and crouches, opening the cabinet underneath.

Like Stephanie had claimed, 3 boxes of feminine products and stacks of clean washcloths are in plain sight.

Isfet(thinking): *Will Esau be coming back here too?

I didn’t want to ask. It seems rude, especially if they don’t trust him because of his actions tonight.

But that DæMon...*

The guest takes a yellow cloth off the top of a stack and closes the cabinet. Turning on the faucet, she dispenses two pumps of hand soap and washes her dirty hands first.

Isfet(thinking): *If she really is on a higher level, it’s not out of the realm of possibility she also has a God complex, like Laban.*

Once her hands are cleaned, Isfet runs the washcloth under the warm water.

She looks at herself in the mirror.

Dirt scuffs on her face, with dried blood visible in her nostrils and on her chin.

Isfet(thinking): *For now, as long as I know that Esau is back in my life, it’s already better than living in Roronora City.*

She cleans her gorgeous face and the inside of her nose, then gives herself a check to see if she had missed a spot. Using the Eyelien attached to her, she looks at the same alien symbiote in the reflection.

Isfet(thinking): *When did Esau get an Eyelien?

Did he not see me when he fired at Laban, or was he too focused on getting our revenge?*

Before opening the door to leave the bathroom, she tosses the dirt and blood covered cloth in the half empty/full hamper.

As she exits, the excited shouts from two of the quadruplets can be heard across the home.

Jamie & Pauline: "Tritty!"

[20 Minutes Earlier, Within Mount Morta’s domed Helipad/Military District]

While the dome mountain top closes above them, Nephilim and his possé walk away from the helicopter and towards the control building besides the large helipad.

Tristan starts jogging away from the group, seemingly in a hurry.

Tristan: "Sorry for not being able to check back in with you guys, I really gotta get home. Nobody else eats dinner until everyone is home, and if I know those girls like I do, they’re starving right now and bugging Steph."

Nephilim waves him off with a generous grin.

Nephilim: "No worries, young Tristan. I will make sure to check you back in the records.

Go and be the lucky family man we all wish to be."

Tristan bows, then makes his way to the only elevator in the vicinity. It opens, he enters, and it closes with him giving a single wave goodbye.

The rest of the group (Arai, Maniae, and Silpheed) follows their General to the control building.

Nephilim holds the door open for everyone else, then enters last.

Within the dispatch of the building is a receptionist window with two sliding glass panels on separate tracks.

In the office on the other side of the reception window, the *click* *click* *click* of a calculator being used can be heard and Nephilim quietly leans through the opening between the two rooms.

Nephilim: "Sorry for the false alarm on the first call, Treasurer Eden."

The skittish and soft spoken young woman almost falls out of her office chair from being startled.

She fixes her glasses before addressing her new company.

Eden: "M-Mr. N-Nephilim...G-General N-Nephilim Sr!"

She sees the small audience that is accompanying him and Eden’s face glows red in embarrassment.

Nephilim: "I assure you, I didn’t mean to scare you, Miss Eden.

You must’ve been so succumbed by your duties, you didn’t hear us come in.

Make sure you don’t overwork yourself."

Maniae(to Arai): "Hehe, ’duties’."

However, Arai doesn’t even smirk at the juvenile joke. Not because it wasn’t funny, but because of their earlier confrontation inside the helicopter.

Eden: "A-Ah-As y-you wish G-General N-Nephilim S-Sr.

D-Do y-you want me t-t-to sign you all b-back into the m-mountains registry?"

Nephilim slightly bows his head in appreciation.

Nephilim: "I wouldn’t dare place anymore burden on you than I already have, my dear Eden.

Please continue your work as our cherished treasurer, I will have Silpheed do those sort of menial tasks, right Silph?"

Sitting backwards in a chair, Silpheed gives a thumbs up. Their exposed left red eye closed in a smiling expression.

Nephilim: "We’ll be off now, Treasurer Eden. Please don’t stay out too late, and call me when you’re on your way home.

I’ll unlock the door for you."

Eden: "Th-thank you, General N-Nephilim S-Sr."

From the door the group of four had entered in, they all exit and head for the same elevator Tristan had used earlier.

Nephilim pushes the button for the lift and the down arrow lights up.

Nephilim: "When we get home, you boys choose a frozen dinner, take a shower, then it’s time for bed.

You can leave a movie on, but only one then, tv off.

I’ll be checking."

The elevator *DINGS* and the crew files in.

Arai is mean mugging the man attempting to act parental-like.

Nephilim: "We got a lot to prepare for, starting tomorrow.

If we ever do get put in Dice’s cross hairs, we need a contingency plan."

The elevator door closes with another *DING* and the descending momentum is felt.

Arai: "Here’s an idea, why don’t we just go fuck their shit up?

I mean, we already know where they sleep. Why don’t you do your job as General, and order all our forces to converge on their hideout, before they attack us first?"

Silpheed’s fists clench, hearing the unfiltered and irrational teenager try to tell the respected and respectful General how to do his job.

Nephilim: "Because it’s one thing to pop in, uninvited, and give conditional plans to Dice and his gang, but it’s another thing to send a militia into his territory where innocent people could get harmed in the crossfire.

Even if they aren’t the innocent lives that depend on us for today’s safety from Hell, they are still the weak and vulnerable, who may require our protection one day in the future.

Does that answer your question, young Arai?"

Once again, just from their exposed left eye’s sole expression, anyone can tell Silpheed is smiling wide under all their face coverings, because of Nephilim’s profound words.

Maniae: "I-I kinda agree with Arai on this one, G-General Nephilim Sr."

Everyone’s head quickly turns to the young man.

Maniae: "If we have the superior military force over them, for now, why not eliminate the problem before those murderers get more out of hand and less under our control?"

Arai’s ears perk up but he still gets a look of skepticism as his red eyed friend continues his point.

Maniae: "You said we should start preparing for the defensive, but why do that, when we can easily win on the offensive?

They’ve murdered an entire city, as far as I’m concerned, those people are awful, and can’t be trusted for a single second."

Silpheed stares at their worshipped leader, waiting on bated breath for his response.

Nephilim takes a deep inhale, waits over 1 minute, and finally releases a long exhale.

Nephilim: "Have you boys already forgotten?"

There is third and final *DING*as the elevator stops and opens.

Nephilim: "We already got an organized war set up in a few days from now, remember?

With Madame MamMon DæMon on our side, and with my mission given to me at birth, as the definitive word of our God, we will never lose to those dispicable monsters."