"What is this? A gathering of beings from other worlds?" Lesteria whispered.

  "No. They... You see..." He tried to put it into words. "They're just dressing up as fictional characters."

  "Fictional characters?" she repeated. "From legends and fairy tales?" That was the only definition she could come up with.

  "Sort of." He grimaced. "Books, comics, games, anime..." He listed words she didn't know. After a moment, when they reached the end of the line, Lesteria sighed.

  "I don't understand." She didn't take her eyes off the cosplayers. "Why do people dress up as someone who doesn't exist? It's... How can I put it?" She looked the Apostle straight in the eye. "Childish."

  Hearing these words, he swallowed loudly. He felt attacked by his friend's sudden statement. For a moment, he tried to say something constructive. Even though Lesteria didn't know his true face, he felt he had to speak up.

  "Not true," he replied briefly, then turned toward the crowd. So many people like him. Many of them escape into a world of fantasy, and the routine of life is forgotten, at least for a moment. For a moment, he remembered why he became the "Apostle of Destruction." His head spun slightly. If Lois hadn't caught him, he would surely have landed on the pavement.

  "Are you okay?" Lesteria looked around, searching for the enemy. After all, the Destroyer of Worlds would not lose his balance on his own.

  "I think it's something you said." The nymph sitting in her pocket watched the Apostle. She knew people very well. The pink-haired girl lowered her gaze. She had forgotten about Mirela's presence.

  "Something I said?" she whispered. What if her idol was angry because of what she had said about cosplayers? She took a deep breath. From that moment on, she decided not to discredit this hobby. She watched the people having fun. It reminded her of the royal carnival ball she once had the opportunity to attend. Some of the costumes were so carefully prepared that they looked like they were not of this world. She looked at her tunic and immediately felt like a fraud. She remembered the compliment from the girl on the tram. She had no idea that it was a genuine magical artifact. She didn't deserve the praise. She glanced at her companions' tacky costumes, and a smile appeared on her face.

  "You're right," she admitted. The Apostle raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to elaborate. However, she kept that lesson to herself. Fun is not always childish. She changed the subject by pointing to a group of people dressed alike. Their dark, loose-fitting clothes contrasted with their silver hair. They were striking various poses, taking pictures of themselves.

  "That's Goltor." The Apostle rolled his eyes. "From an anime called... 'Reborn in a Fantasy World as... Something'. I don't remember the title, to be honest. It's very popular right now, and many people are dressing up as this character."

  "Why this 'Goltor' character?" she asked curiously.

  "Isn't it obvious? He's the strongest and the coolest." He looked at the nearest cosplayer being discussed. "His powers transcend the boundaries of reality in the world depicted... and... I don't know, actually. I dropped out in the second season."

  "So it's just like you. The Destroyer of Worlds!"

  "Maybe if he existed..." Seeing the girl's questioning look, he continued. "...Maybe if he existed, he'd have a chance with me." He smiled artificially.

  "Maybe we should have a chat about every person in costume." Lois interrupted sarcastically. "But I'm not the one who's going to tell the water nymph that we won't find her knight because of the length of the queue."

  "That's right! At this rate, we won't get in until evening!" Mirelia said.

  "Does anyone have any ideas on how to squeeze in?" The Apostle contemplated, stroking his beard. Convention attendees are reluctant to let others in. He had seen many fights in such places.

  "Usually, people working on organizing the event don't need a ticket," Lois replied.

  "I have an idea!" Lesteria looked around the square. "Do you see anyone like that here?" The Apostle joined the search. He immediately noticed a woman dressed in a peculiar manner. She wore a kimono that revealed her skin. The only thing that didn't match her provocative outfit was the ID badge hanging around her neck. Slightly flushed, he pointed at her.

  "She's not ashamed to walk around like that," Lesteria commented, then raised her hand. "Excuse me! Could you come over here, please?" Seeing that the employee was approaching, she turned to her companions. "Keep the conversation going."

  "How can I help you?" The woman stood in front of them, showing off her colorful kimono and her assets. Her eyes lit up when she saw Lesteria. "What a beautiful outfit!" She grabbed her sleeve. "And that hair..." Did you dye it specially? You really made an effort..." Then her gaze fell on Apostle and Lois.

  "...Gentlemen. Please... What is this..." She grimaced at the sight of the black plastic material. "Never mind. What universe are you from?" She smiled. "I'm from..."

  "The Chronicles of the Cherry War," Apostle finished. He would recognize that indecent outfit anywhere.

  "Exactly. I see you're familiar with it." She puffed out her chest proudly, and Lesteria was able to take a closer look at the employee's ID badge.

  "Universe?" she asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

  "I mean, who are you dressed as and what characters are they?" she explained patiently.

  "Sphinxphere...?" Lesteria turned to her companions questioningly. They just shrugged. They couldn't think of anything better on the spot.

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  "Sphinxphere"... She repeated aloud, as if trying to remember if she was familiar with it. "I haven't seen it. I'll add it to my list, and the list is long. Maybe we'll talk about Sphinxphere some other time." She laughed. "Sorry. I got carried away. You wanted to ask me something."

  The Apostle waited for Lester's answer, but she stared mesmerized at the woman's badge. He had to take matters into his own hands.

  "Is the line always this long?" he asked, knowing the answer to that question.

  "Yes, always," she smiled. "But think about how much fun you'll be having once you go inside. A whole Sunday of entertainment!"

  "Does she know it's Saturday?" Lois whispered.

  "I'm afraid so," whispered the Apostle.

  "I'm not done yet," Lesteria joined in. "Keep talking."

  "What unforgettable entertainment awaits us inside?" Lois asked in the most disinterested tone possible. The woman, slightly taken aback by his lack of enthusiasm, replied only after a moment.

  "There are many activities. Cosplay shows, knowledge contests. You can also buy merchandise from your favorite series. It's the perfect opportunity to meet new friends..."

  "More like animals," interrupted the Apostle. "Instead of having fun, they argue about which fictional character is stronger."

  "Well, yes..." She smiled artificially. "There are some like that. But it's rare."

  "I've been there a few times and it always ends the same way..." He realized he had said too much.

  "Thank you for talking to me," Lesteria bowed. She finished memorizing the appearance of the employee's ID badge.

  "There's no point in arguing about which fictional character is the strongest. Fictional or not, no one can hold a candle to the Apostle of Destruction." She smiled proudly.

  "If you say so." The amused woman waved goodbye. After a moment of silence, Lois spoke up.

  "Did you really take part in such discussions?" He grimaced.

  "No!" The Apostle protested. "I was just a witness. I assure you that this year will be the same."

  The girl wasn't listening to their exchange, as she was busy with something else. She took a shapeless pink mass out of her pocket. She separated it like plasticine, and the pieces turned into three employee badges. The Apostle smiled from ear to ear, grabbing the one with the name "Apostle of Destruction."

  "My assistant!" he praised her. Her face flushed slightly at the compliment. She stuck out her chest.

  "At your service!" They headed towards the entrance for organizers. Seeing their badges, the security guard nodded in greeting. Trying not to draw attention to themselves, they whispered incoherent greetings.

  Lesteria thought there was chaos outside the building. However, she realized that it was nothing compared to the inside. Shouts and laughter echoed through the huge hangar. Colorful stands with comics and manga were set up everywhere. They were all full of queues of cosplayers. She thought that if even one percent of those present were not dressed up, it would be the perfect place to recruit new members for the organization.

  "Let's split up," decided the Apostle. "Mirelia, stay with Lesteria. We'll ask all the knights if they've lost a fairy.

  "A nymph," she corrected him.

  "Exactly."

  "It's the Grand Master of Chaos, the garbage bag," laughed one boy in line. The apostle's stand seemed to attract negative attention. Dressed in a plastic toga, he just grimaced. He had to focus on finding a knight. However, he did not expect there to be so many knights.

  "Good morning. Have you lost a chatty fairy somewhere?" All such questions were met with laughter from the cosplayers. He realized that the water nymph hadn't even given them the name of the person they were looking for. If they knew it, it would be enough to shout it out.

  Resigned, he sat down on the only empty bench. He leaned against the wall and watched. He decided to focus on the behavior of the costumed characters. Surely a warrior from another dimension would be lost in this new reality. Not to mention that his equipment would be of a different quality than the other props.

  "How's it going, boss?" Lois sat down next to him.

  "Same as you," he sighed. "Don't call me 'boss'. Call me by my name."

  "I don't know your name." He shrugged. At these words, the Apostle nodded silently.

  "Call me what everyone else does."

  "I'm not going to call you that in front of people." He grimaced. "It's too embarrassing."

  "Did you come here to annoy me, or do you have something specific to say?"

  "You can't bring real weapons to conventions, right?" He got to the point, and the Apostle's eyes lit up with enthusiasm.

  "Lead the way." He immediately stood up. Lois led him down a crowded hallway. They saw a group of cosplayers. All dressed in medieval costumes. A young knight dressed in brown robes laughed along with the rest. He showed off his real metal blade to the right and left. The young man had clearly settled into his new world. They approached the cheerful group. As usual, they first listened to comments about their costumes. Then they asked a question.

  "Good morning. Have you lost a fairy somewhere...?" Hearing these words, the short-haired brunet turned pale. He slowly sheathed his sword.

  "Allow me to leave you for a moment, my friends." He nodded to his acquaintances. The knight quickly grabbed the seekers by the wrists and dragged them to a relatively quiet place. He wanted to talk to them in private. He sighed heavily. He took a deep breath.

  "I beg you! Give me one day!" he exclaimed desperately. The Apostle raised a questioning eyebrow. Lois, however, nodded understandingly.

  "Just as I thought..."

  "No 'Just as I thought'!?" The redhead was the only one who didn't understand the situation. "What's going on here?"

  "I ran away!" The knight lowered his gaze. "We suddenly found ourselves in this world, and I took advantage of the situation. I wanted to get away for a moment." Guilt was evident on his face. Seeing his boss's confusion, Lois clarified:

  "How would you feel if a little dragonfly was talking over your head 24/7?" Finally, the Apostle understood why Mirelia had lost sight of him immediately after arriving in the new world.

  "Not dragonfly... A fairy." However, he couldn't resist correcting his companion.

  "A water nymph." The knight corrected them both.

  "So you want us to keep her away from you..." The Apostle scratched his head.

  "Yes! I beg you... At least until the end of the day!" He looked desperately into the red lenses of his potential savior, who gave in.

  "Helping beings from other worlds is our mission," he assured them professionally. "Have fun at the convention."

  They watched as the real knight returned to the cosplayers with a smile on his face. Who would have thought that Sphinxphere would help both the seeker and the sought?

  "So what do we do now?" Lois asked.

  "We keep Lesteria away from this place." He pointed to the medieval-themed stands.

  The girl was being accosted far too often. She was frequently asked for photos by other participants of the event. She herself was unable to determine whether it was because of her unique costume or because she was considered so beautiful. Every time she stopped, she felt a slight tap on her pocket. Mirelia was becoming increasingly impatient.

  "We're leaving," she whispered. "Sorry."

  "You know you don't have to agree to all these 'photos'," she said, peeking out from behind her pocket.

  "You're right..." She didn't know why she was so willing to allow it. Perhaps it was the effect of her new surroundings.

  She was snapped out of her thoughts by the sight of a certain person. In the crowd in the wizards' section, between the stands, she caught a glimpse of familiar black robes. She knew she had a mission to accomplish, but the safety of the people present was her priority.

  "Change of plans," she informed the water nymph. She began to chase the enemy. Her fast running and sharp turns stood out against the backdrop of the prevailing chaos. The trail led her to the women's restroom. She opened the door without hesitation.

  Nelly stood in the middle of the room. The sorceress was in quite a state of shock. She stood with her legs apart, as if hiding something behind her back. Lesteria only saw her for a moment with her hood off, but she recognized her immediately. Her ash-blond hair was tied in a braid resting on her shoulder, and her enigmatic dark robes contrasted with her eyes. Her usually dangerous gaze betrayed panic this time.