Emi didn't show up either at the demons' or Suzuno's place for days, and they decided to wait until she came of herself. They had to be on guard of course, it wasn't sure she wouldn't turn against them. But Chiho was the one who couldn't wait any longer and went to check on her on Thursday. She knew where she worked, and was relieved when she saw her coming out of the building.

'Emi, please, wait.' She ran up to her. Emi was walking beside Rika; they both turned around.

'Chiho,' Emi whispered, but it wasn't meant to be a greeting.

'Please, I want to talk to you,' Chiho begged.

'No,' she said immediately. 'I don't have anything to say to you. Sorry. Go home, please. Come, Rika, let's go.'

They turned around again and continued walking.

'Don't go!' Chiho shouted after Emi. She didn't respond.

'What happened between you?' Rika asked.

'Many things... sorry, I can't tell you. I need some time to think. Don't ask more.'

Rika was surprised – she had never seen Emi that cold.

Saturday morning the Hero was sitting in her apartment, at the table, and was just staring in front of her. Then she heard knocks on the door and got up slowly. She didn't bother to look through the peephole to see who her visitor was – the bigger was her surprise when she saw Ashiya standing there.

'A-ashiya... what are you doing here?'

'I came here because I assumed you forgot our meeting,' he said. 'It's Saturday and half past nine. I had been waiting for you for twenty minutes, then I decided to come here. The fact that you might turn against us does not mean you are not obliged to meet me if we had agreed so.'

Emi stood there for a second staring at Ashiya, then looked down, and a small smile appeared on her lips.

'Yes, you're right,' she said. 'Excuse me for a minute, I'll be right here.'

She closed the door and Ashiya waited. Five minutes later, Emi came out in street wear and with a bag.

'Let's go.'

They acted as if nothing had happened; even Emi's melancholy disappeared. She was not cheerful, but critical with Ashiya as usual.

'So?' he looked at her when they finished their shopping. 'Are you coming with me now?'

Emi didn't respond immediately.

'No, Alsiel,' she said at last. 'I have to talk to the others before that... I mean, I don't think it's appropriate to go there after all what had happened. I will talk to you all, I just don't know when... but soon.'

'Hm.' Ashiya turned to her with his whole body now. 'I assume that means... you did not take your mother's offer.'

'No, I didn't.'

A few seconds passed with the two staring at each other.

'Lailah is not here anymore,' Emi continued. 'She went back to Ente Isla. I told her that after all I had seen I would not hurt you if it was not needed. Otherwise, I would hurt the feelings of a very good friend of mine. I am talking about Chiho of course. And if she saw the goodness in creatures like you, even if she knew who you were, well, that's a thing. I'm sure the day will come when we all have to go back to Ente Isla and become sworn enemies again. But until then, as long as we live by the rules of Earth and you follow that, I don't have any reason to turn against you. I no longer have personal reasons. You caused many casualties to my kind, but maybe Chiho's right, and you too had reasons for your acts. Complicated. Even I get insecure about my choice sometimes. But that's what I think.'

Other seconds of silence passed.

'Right.' Ashiya nodded. 'And your father?'

'He stayed here with me. I'm going to have lunch with him now.'

Ashiya nodded again.

'And...' Emi spoke again, with a small smile appearing on her face, 'and I guess... thank you, Alsiel.'

Now Ashiya smiled.

'You don't need to thank me for anything, Hero. You're welcome,' he added. 'I have never thought I would ever say that.'

'Neither have I. And another thing. You know, I think... I've kind of grown to like you.'

'The same goes for me.'

Somehow the words 'I've kind of grown to like you' and the smile Emi gave him after saying that stayed in Ashiya's mind on the road home. Somehow familiar, somehow strange... maybe because that was the moment when they first felt a friendship-like bond between them, and this whole company became closer with that.