In the midst of battle, Winn looked surprised as they unexpectedly missed their swing at Jasmine. They see Dev standing between them.
"Dev!" Hazel blurted.
"You!" Jasmine yelled at him.
Winn's intuition tells them that this is all Deb's doing. The realization is agitating to them. "What did you do?" They yelled at Dev. They swung their spear at Dev. Before they could strike Dev, he instantly teleported behind Winn. They took a leap backwards as they turned. Their posture was defensive and their face turned pale. Dev looks at them in silence. "I see. You are that irregularity, huh? That is some strange magic you have then." Winn told him.
Suddenly, Jasmine had recovered from her injuries, she charges to attack Winn. "Get out of the way!" She yells at the two. Dev instantly teleports behind Jasmine and delivers a surgical strike to the back of her neck. Jasmine loses consciousness and falls limp onto the floor. Dev discards Jasmine as he turns around to approach Winn.
"Jasmine!" Hazel says as she runs towards her fainted
friend. She holds Jasmine in her arms.
"She's okay. She is just unconscious." Irep told her.
Winn feels dubious about Dev's true intentions. "Who are you? Whose side are you on?" Winn asked him.
"I am on the side of those who maintain their composure, and an enemy to idiotic aggressors. Which side are you on, Winn Harper?" Dev asked Winn.
"How do you know my name? Have we met before?" Winn asked him. Rarely called by their first name, Winn looked wary and surprised.
"I wonder." Dev said.
Anxiety grows for Winn against this opponent that they knew nothing about. Judging the situation unfavorably, they withdrew their spear. "Since I haven't got a clue what you can do, I'll back down for today." Winn told him.
"That is wise of you." Dev told them.
Quickly and without waiting, Winn leaves the scene with a great leap.
After watching Winn leave the area, Hazel felt relieved that the fight was over. She then saw Dev snare at her with an angry expression. "You saved us..."
"How many do I have to warn you Hoozel! How stupid can you possibly be?!" Dev yelled at Hazel. He usually called Hazel names when he was angry at her. "I have warned you countless times not to get involved with this!"
"But-" Hazel said. Before she could explain herself, Dev interrupted her.
"I will not hold back against a fool." Dev told her. With Hazel still trying to comprehend the searing warning, Dev turns around and leaves Hazel. From behind Hazel, Irep stares at Dev with caution.
"At any rate, it's obvious he is planning something. Be on your toes." Irep hypothesized.
Later, Jasmine arrives back at her house. She is a little upset about the fight from earlier. She touches her soul gem with the grief seed she earned from the witch he fought at the family-owned factory. The darkness in her soul gem decreases as the grief seed darkens. "You should be fine for a while." Irep informed the new magical girl.
Jasmine examines the grief seed. It was now painted eerily black. "It's pitch black..." She told the creature.
"It's dangerous now. If you taint it any further, a witch might hatch from it." Irep told her. Jasmine looked shocked. "Give it to me." Irep then takes the grief seed and tosses it into his mouth. Light then emits from his mouth.
"Did you just eat it?" Jasmine questioned him.
"That's just another one of my many duties." Pumpkin told the girl. Jasmine then starts to look at her soul gem in an anxious way. "You need to keep your soul gem clean. You should fight another witch to get a grief seed." Irep suggested.
"Is it really important to keep this clean?" Jasmine questioned.
"Winn was strong." Irep informed him. Jasmine's face turns stiff after hearing Winn's name. "They always kept their soul gem in the best condition. That's why they are able to use magic freely."
"But that doesn't mean you can just sacrifice innocent lives to get them!" Jasmine responded.
"The more you use your magic, the more it will taint your soul gem. Jasmine, you'll never stand a chance against Winn without collecting more grief seeds." Irep told the girl.
Jasmine looks at the ceiling, unconvinced. She then remembered Peri. "Peri never had enough grief seeds either, but he was able to fight just fine. Are some magical warriors more talented than others?"
"Some definitely are." Irep verbalized. The refusal makes Jasmine more dejected.
"That's not fair at all!" She cries.
"There's nothing you can do about it. Winn is talented and they have more experience than you. But, there are more magical warriors who have the potential to surpass Winn's talent, even without any experience." Irep advised.
"Like who?" Jasmine wondered.
"Hazel Wells." Irep answered. Jasmine stays silent, her face looking surprised and perplexed. "That's why if you really want an edge in your fight with Winn, you could always ask her. That is, if she makes a contract with me."
"No, I can't..." Jasmine told him. Despite Irep's compelling argument, Jasmine refuses the offer. "This is my fight. I can't get her involved..."
