Haru charged toward the open balcony door of the treehouse, high off the ground. She swung her arm out and reached to wrap around Momo’s waist. Behind, Invidius advanced across the rope bridge leading to the hut. His boots clattered with each meticulous step.

  “What the—” Momo started before gasping at the sight of Invidius’s jagged emerald armor filling the entry doorway.

  In a running dash, Haru hurled both Momo and herself from the balcony.

  Just as the witch’s feet rounded over the railing, the demon evaporated into a cloud of green fog. Then, in the blink of an eye, the mist bolted across the room. He emerged from the cloud as it dissipated, standing upon the balcony. He swiped his arm in a bid to grab Haru’s foot as she dove head-first.

  But Invidius missed. He placed a hand on the railing and looked down as the two tumbled to the ground.

  As they fell, Haru reached out with her free hand. A beam of light formed within her balled fist, and in a heartbeat, she was gripping her summoned staff. A jolt pulled her upright. The staff took flight, and the witch dangled from her weapon that burst into motion, speeding across the sky.

  Still wrapped in Haru’s arm, Momo dangled like a ragdoll as she stared down at the landscape below, her dangling legs suspended just barely above jumping height from the ground. The princess gripped her teddy bear, her fingers buried in its belly.

  Haru clenched her teeth and pulled against the staff, hurtling through the air. Trees whirred past them as they careened through the forest.

  Momo turned to look at the quickly disappearing treehouse and stuck her tongue out in the direction of Invidius, wagging one hand with an open palm as to wave goodbye.

  With a quivering arm, the witch managed to latch onto her staff with the arm still wrapped around Momo. As she gripped, they darted upwards, and blew through the canopy, gaining altitude. Haru closed one eye and averted her gaze to brace.

  Momo sputtered and coughed as broad leaves smacked her in the back and sides of her head and face as they ascended.

  High in the sky, far above the trees, Haru held onto her weapon with one hand, the same arm that wrapped Momo tight. She dangled and looked down at the disappearing landscape. Then, with the flick of her wrist, the staff disappeared with flecks of blue light dissipating into the air.

  “I—what are you…” Momo gasped and let loose a terrified screech as they tumbled once again to the ground.

  In a freefall, Haru adjusted her grip on Momo, bringing herself level with her new-found ward. Then, just as the treetops neared, the witch reached downward, in the direction they fell. The staff reappeared beneath them and scooped the two up as it ascended once more.

  Momo, still gripping both her bear and Haru tightly with eyes closed, relaxed just enough to look around as the staff lifted them higher. She cast her gaze in all directions as her shoulders lowered. Both her legs wagged from the same side of the staff. “Was that really necessary?”

  Haru looked back and nodded. “I didn’t want to dangle the whole time. It would have gotten tiring.”

  The princess looked back in the direction of the treehouse. “How’d you know he was coming?” Then she blinked for a moment. “How do you know who he was?”

  Haru sighed. “We’ve met.”

  The princess gasped and looked at Haru, leaning away.

  Without turning her head, the witch looked to her side. “It wasn’t a friendly visit.”

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  The thought of the red warrior crossed Haru’s mind once more. The elegant dance the stranger committed to against the demon, the poise against and precise prediction of the demon’s moves. Then she remembered how completely unprepared she was against this new foe. Her only strength was pointless when pitted against Invidius’s agility.

  Momo looked at her feet. “I wish he’d just leave me alone.”

  Haru’s brow lowered, and she turned her head toward the princess. “What do you mean?”

  Still looking down, Momo kicked her feet gently. “Lately, everywhere I turn, he just shows up out of nowhere.”

  Haru blinked, strangely feeling the same way even though this was only the third time encountering the demon. She needed a place to stop and get to the bottom of what was happening. A dearth of ideas for remote places that the two could hide away rushed into her mind. She started turning the staff toward the south, to hide away in the mountains.

  “The only safe place lately seems to be Fairbank, but it gets boring and lonely without anyone around.” Momo muttered.

  Haru blinked rapidly. That made sense. If there was trouble, the first place the admins could respond would be in the capital city. Without hesitation, she yanked on the staff and spun them around in a tight bank.

  Momo kicked and wailed as the two leaned almost horizontal. “What are you doing now?”

  “We’re headed to the city. I want more choco biscuits.” Haru aimed their trajectory directly for the western beach of Fairbank.

  The princess tilted her head. “You’re hungry already?”

  After a short trip blazing across the daytime sky, Haru landed on the beach behind a sand dune not too far from the city’s side entrance, leading to the underside where the job trainers were located. She slid to a stop and the staff hovered above the sand, blasting fine particles away from the glowing blue gem at the rear.

  Momo hopped down and brushed herself off. “A little bumpy in places. At times I didn’t know where we were going, but we still got here in one piece. Five stars.”

  The witch dismissed her staff, and she plopped down on the sand, with one eyebrow cocked, looking at the princess. The two departed from behind the sand dune and toward the entrance. With each step, Haru scanned her surroundings. Though she was certain that she outran the demon, the witch couldn’t shake the sense that someone was watching.

  Nearing the giant open portcullis, Haru was tempted to pull out her cloak, the disguise she used to hide from being recognized by players. But after her removal from the game, most people didn’t seem to notice her anymore.

  They entered the crowded elevator, to exit the next level up on the auction house level. Both Haru and Momo were more than a head shorter than the rest of the players. Only the witch’s pointy hat was enough to make her just about as tall as everyone else.

  Momo, on the other hand, would have been swept away by the crowd if it wasn’t for her inexorable grip on the witch’s arm.

  As the majority of the elevator flooded out onto the main thoroughfare of Fairbank, Haru’s sense of being watched only worsened. Despite being among an impenetrable wall of players, a lingering sense of dread wallowed in her gut. She led Momo across the plaza, toward the small pub on the other side of the bridge from the auction house.

  “Ooh, my favorite place.” Momo uttered as they approached the bistro. “I’m glad you had a craving for cookies.”

  Haru smiled and nodded, but couldn’t help but to furiously scan her surroundings, shaken by the sense there was something prowling, hunting them. She ushered Momo to a table positioned in the middle of the restaurant, where the front door could be seen, but near enough to the back in the case they needed to make a fast getaway.

  “Hum, hum, hum. It has been a long time since I’ve gone for tea with anyone.” Momo hopped up on a chair and tapped her fingers on the table, putting on a regal tone. “Perhaps, I shall have a grand pudding for such an occasion.” She placed her teddy bear on the tabletop, pointed inwards as if he were sitting with them.

  The runes etched into the fur started to shimmer. Colors of the elements: red, green, gold, and blue; tracked along the symbol lines like waves on the ocean.

  Haru sat in the seat that looked toward the main entrance, leaning forward, muscles tensed. Something was coming.

  In the blink of an eye, a giant parfait glass appeared on the table before Momo. “So do you come here often?” She picked up the spoon and scooped up a big wobbly hunk of pudding.

  Haru couldn’t take her eyes off the entrance.

  “A—are you going to get anything? I thought you wanted cookies.” Momo’s voice was shaky. She turned to look behind for a moment, then shrugged and took a bite of pudding.

  The princess’s question caught Haru off guard, and she looked away for a moment to order Royal Choco Biscuits from the menu. After completing the transaction, she turned back, and a red glint caught her eye.

  From within the chaotic hustle and bustle of the crowd, emerged the red warrior, staring at them from the auction house courtyard.

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