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"This is strange," Sakuya says. "It's almost as if the beast youkai are coming from inside the Voile Library, rather than breaking in from outside."

"That can't possibly mean anything good," replies Grey. "We better find the source before things get any worse."

The chief maid nods in agreement. She turns her head slightly in the direction of the fairy maids. They can't just leave the others like this. But they might be a hindrance if they come.

"Is there any place where the fairies can retreat to?" he asks quietly. "The injured need to recover, and most of the others don't look like good fighters."

Sakuya pauses for a moment before speaking.

"For some reason, there are hardly any attackers on the second floor," she says finally. "Perhaps they can stay in one of the larger rooms. I believe that they can defend themselves adequately upstairs."

Grey nods in agreement.

"The others should be able to move the wounded," he says. "They will also need an escort. The armed fairies should accompany them to minimize the risk."

Sakuya smiles at him thoughtfully.

"Strange that a normal human would be so concerned about fairies," she says. "Or anyone else but themselves, for that matter. You seem to be something else."

"Human or not, they are part of the staff too," he replies. "This is just part of my job here, after all."

"Or perhaps you have other reasons?" whispers Sakuya seductively. "Like making sure that we are alone together?"

The chief maid steps dangerously close to him. From this distance, he can feel the heat of her warm breath. Grey forces himself to maintain a poker face, though he is beginning to feel very nervous for some reason.

"E-er..."

Suddenly, Sakuya flicks him on the forehead. He gasps in surprise and irritation.

"D-damn it, Sakuya," he mutters. "That really isn't funny."

The chief maid laughs at him lightly. Several moments pass before the two of them realize that they aren't alone in the hallway. Some of the fairy maids are whispering animatedly to each other. A few of them glare at Grey angrily.

"Ahahaha.."

Sakuya clears her throat before giving out orders. After making sure that the fairy maids understand the instructions, she turns back to Grey.

"Let's go," she says.

...

The two of them encountered several more beast youkai on their way to the Voile Library, but for some reason, the number of enemies decreased as they approached. But nonetheless, they were most certainly coming from the direction of the library. Sakuya said nothing as they pushed forward and dispatched the youkai.

"Shouldn't there be more of them around?" asks Grey as he reloads his weapon.

"Perhaps Patchouli took care of them already," says Sakuya. "These youkai shouldn't pose much trouble for her."

Grey nods slowly as he follows. However, her words feel uncertain, as if she suspects something else.

When they arrive at the library, the shelves near the entrance are completely destroyed. Books and broken wood can be seen all over the area. However, there are no beast youkai to be seen. They continue forward, carefully examining the debris as they pass. While there are clear signs of battle, they find no corpses or dead bodies. The area looks as if something stampeded through, but the fighting didn't occur here.

After several minutes of walking, they find themselves at the undamaged portion of the Voile Library. For some reason, Grey feels more and more uneasy as they continue forward. He draws his weapon and checks the safety as they walk. Sakuya draws out a single knife in her hand as well. She must feel it too.

Something is wrong here.

"Sakuya, maybe we should try to -"

"Get down!"

Suddenly, a bright flash of light blinds him. By the time he is able to open his eyes, Sakuya is standing in a defensive stance in front of him. The shattered remains of her knife lie on the floor nearby.

He looks over the chief maid's shoulder to see a single humanoid figure walking toward them.

"So it was you!" cries Sakuya angrily. "What the hell are you planning?