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[X] Chase after the stranger and try to get some answers.

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Before they can reply, the stranger flees into the depths of the Forest of Magic. Grimnír can only blink in surprise as the man runs off with incredible speed and agility. The stranger races into the shadows as if possessed, and soon he disappears from their sight. Is this person really human?

"Alice! Grimnír!" cries Reisen suddenly. "Snap out of it!"

That man is dangerous. Alice couldn't even react to his movements. If the stranger didn't retreat, he could have killed her where she stood. He could have killed all of them with that weapon. It was only for a moment, so he couldn't get a good look at the trident.

"We can't go back without the reading," says Reisen. "And that man is getting away as we speak."

"Eh? W-what... I don't -" mumbles Alice, still confused.

They need to save Marisa.

"Let's go after him," says Grimnír as he stands himself up with his staff. This may be dangerous, but they need to push forward. Perhaps he can come up with a plan as they catch up with the stranger.

...

"Just stay away! I don't want to hurt you!" cries a desperate voice.

Before they can answer, a shower of spears wrapped in black energy fly at them from the trees below. Alice gasps loudly as she evades the attack. Grimnír barely avoids them as he follows. Reisen dodges the projectiles as she leads the chase.

"What the hell?" says Grimnír. "He can use magic?"

"T-that idiot almost hit Shanghai!" cries Alice. She looks positively furious.

"I think we should focus on not getting hit," warns Reisen. "I can't observe the details clearly, but those things seem to be made up of some powerful and dangerous energy."

They continue the chase, making sure to avoid the stranger's attacks. Alice looks quite angry, but even she seems to understand the danger of this situation. She keeps Shanghai close to her as she flies to the left of the lunarian rabbit. Grimnír stays along Reisen's right side. As a precaution, he raised a barrier around them, though he feels that this is a futile gesture against the dark energy.

At the lead, Reisen looks extremely worried for some reason, but she stays silent as they continue after the stranger. Unlike the timid girl he met at Eientei, this rabbit seems to be completely focused on the mission. Perhaps she did things like this in the past? For some reason, Grimnír feels that asking her would be a rude, if not dangerous, thing to do.

Finally, the stranger stops running. He is standing in the middle of a small clearing, and he seems to be waving his weapon threatingly at them.

"Damn your persistence," he cries angrily. "You are nothing but women and children!"

The three of them land a good distance from the stranger.

"Do you think we can kill him with just the three of us?" whispers Alice.

Grimnír shivers at the tone of her voice. She asked the question in a completely business-like manner.

"It's too dangerous," replies Reisen. "Maybe we can try to take the weapon instead. Dr. Yagokoro can easily create a cure if she can examine that trident closely."

Grimnír quickly shakes his head, interrupting both of them.

"I can't explain it right now, but something doesn't feel right," he says. "Maybe we should get some answers before we do anything rash."

Suddenly, the stranger waves mockingly at them.

"It's rude to speak about someone like that," he says. "Don't you have any manners at all? Even if you are girls, you shouldn't gossip about someone right in front of you!"

"Girls?" repeats Grimnír. He looks down at his clothes. He isn't wearing anything like a dress, though he must admit that the robe isn't exactly very masculine.

"And you there!" cries the stranger as he points at Grimnír. "Don't you think that your voice is too low for a woman?"

"What? Wait a sec," argues Grimnír. "I'm not a girl! Are you blind or something?"

The stranger gives him a puzzled look, then squints at him. After a few moments, he shakes his head.

"Well, whatever," he mumbles. "It doesn't really matter to a crazy man like me."

The stranger sneers at them threateningly.

"You all should leave before I lose control again," whispers the stranger. "I can't guarantee your safety. After all, my weapon hasn't tasted blood this day."

The trident glints in the sunlight as he speaks. As he looks at it closer, the weapon seems to be releasing a powerful crimson aura. Somehow, the desire to take the trident into his own hands grows stronger and stronger as Grimnír stares at it.

The bracelet around Grimnír's wrist seems to be growing warmer for some reason.

[ ] Try to kill the stranger.
[ ] Try to steal the stranger's weapon.
[ ] Try to subdue him without hurting him.
[ ] Try to distract him while Reisen takes her reading.
[ ] Try to talk to this "crazy" man. (Specify)
[ ] Use an item. (Specify)
[ ] Use magic. (Specify)
[ ] Custom