Amidst the sounds of battle dying down and the rushing of blood roaring loudly inside my body, the noise of laughter cut across the battlefield. It was a sound that stood at complete odds to my current emotional state.

Sigura began to stroll in Streiphen's direction, stretching her arms out to either side, a grin visible in the creases of her suit. He seemed similarly happy, beginning to walk back towards Sigura with a smile, oblivious. Neither of them had seen the reinforcements yet.

"Knew you had it in you, pipsque-"

"FIRE!" the red haired Minotaur woman in bronze [Gladiator] attire off to my left said.

The sound drew the eyes of the Velvet Star members as the [Delinquents] of the Chained Wolves glowing with [Mantle] raised their weapons. Bows. Crossbows. Slingshots. Even the occasional firearm for the less trained members. They fired in unison, sending a wave of projectiles flying through the air.

My plates flew out from around me, moving instead to push Fareel and Streiphen closer to my body as the projectiles pinged and smacked against my telekinetically controlled metal. Just outside of my protective shell, an arrow pierced one of the flying Chimen, sending it careening to the ground with weakly flapping wings.

Sigura leapt into the air as I worked to shield her, landing on top of the floating metal. With the Aera she was generating, she felt extraordinarily heavy. With both arms raised, the air became a blur in front of her as she slashed at the projectiles in the air, knocking arrows, bullets, and bolts out of the sky. One of her hands snapped out, grabbing one of the arrows out of mid air.

I could see the reactions of shock from the [Delinquents] at the action as Sigura brought the tip up to her face. She could see the yellow liquid dripping from the end. Poison?

Sigura snorted, cracking the arrow through the middle with her clenched fist as she hopped down off the plate, standing in the shade of the makeshift shell I'd created around Equinox.

"What's happening?" Streiphen asked, looking more confused and concerned than afraid.

"The Wolves followed us here," Sigura drawled. "The [Delinquents] from the other day. Big Tooth had reinforcements waiting in the wings."

The Chained Wolves. How could they have known we'd come here? I suspected part of that was our fault, given what had happened the other day. Their leader knew the Don was still around and looking to revive his group. Had he been on guard or prepared in some way because of that information? My heart sank at the thought. This was our fault, and-

No. Focus. Think about the enemy. The [Delinquents] were easy enough to handle. They could harry us and slow us down, but they weren't the real threat. The Chained Wolves had some skilled Casters among their ranks. Dangerous ones. They weren't even the least of our worries anymore either. They had Boost. If that Kitsune took a captive when those Orcs with Boost lost control and started causing unrestricted damage to both sides, this could be bad.

"[Change of plans, everyone,]" came the sound of the Don's voice, echoing in my mind. By the way Sigura's ears perked up, I guessed it was a message for all present. "[The Chained Wolves and several other independent Casters have arrived. I suspect that the Wolves waited here in anticipation of our revival. No matter. Target Cynosure, the Kumiho, above all others if she reveals herself. Her Racial Skills are weaker than they should be, given that she's concealing her true form from the public eye. Still, she's a capable threat. Take her down and gain distance from the Boost users to assess the changes to their Soul states. If they're unstable, they'll wear themselves down. If not, they could become potential threats. Remain on guard.]"

Kumiho? The word caused my blood to boil and seethe, a reaction caused by experiences and feelings that weren't my own. So she wasn't a Kitsune, but something similar? No, it didn't matter. The Don didn't even sound ruffled by this, but he didn't seem as... amused as he had before. He was thinking about his next action.

My [Insight] flared to life, giving my [Sensory Zone] the lens it needed to perceive the magical changes happening inside. I could see and feel those changes painfully clearly. The distortions of the Souls of those within were palpable. Their Souls and auras were bulging and warping in ways that looked somewhat familiar, ways that I knew meant nothing but trouble. They were even more unstable looking than the 'settled', measured bulges in my own Soul, and those of the trio around me.

Dangerous.

Inside the building, I saw two of the Orcs who'd imbibed the Boost cast reflexively. One of them began to cough, sending droplets of the black and blue liquid splattering to the floor. Alongside those droplets was a gout of flame that spurted out with each exhale. The man's eyes widened as his coughing became more intense. Two Orcs lying next to him yelped, rolling away from him as the fire licked at their skin and armor. The Boosted Orc rose to his feet, running outside with both hands held over his mouth, coughing up small flames as the metal of his gauntlets turned red.

The bits of Boost coated spittle and uncontrolled magic was easy for those within my shell to see.

"They've got Boost?!?" Sigura growled, fingers curling up into fists. "Don't they get that it's... Fuck!"

Inside the building, another Orc lying on the floor was beginning to tremble. He clutched at his stomach, shivering as he rolled onto the empty bottle, smashing it to pieces beneath his metal armor. Reddish smoke began to escape the pores of his face, and his eyes snapped wide open. He struggled to his feet, running out of the building before the smoke could spread.

It could've been poisonous, or cursed, or... anything. There was no way of really knowing, not for people without developed magic. That was the danger that Boost created.

"We must show our resolve!" roared one of the Orcs inside the building. The members of the Velvet Star worked to take cover as another barrage of projectiles pinged against the metal barrier. The eyes of our allies turned towards the warehouse. "We must show how far we will go for our people! For our pride! We will not let the Don trample over it again!"

The sound of roars, both violent and approving, were working hard to bury the noise of coughing, groaning, and vomiting that were suppressed beneath their 'resolve'.

Fareel reached up, tugging on the sleeve of Streiphen's jacket with one arm while tapping the side of my mech with the other. He pointed towards the buildings at the edge of the clearing. Our route for retreat.

"We can't retreat now, not after this," Sigura said between teeth grinding together. "If we-"

The sound of hooves crashing against the pavement became loud again. Clusters of Orcs holding metal boxes releasing a jangling sound emerged from the warehouse, running for their downed allies. Each Orc holding a box was surrounded by a group of both Orcs and [Delinquents]. Guards.

They were trying to get more Orcs to use Boost. The plates not forming the protective shell around us flew forward, heading straight for the Orc holding a metal box closest to us. One of his guardians, an Orc with one arm that had grown to a size equal to the rest of his body, swung through the air. It was an arm covered in brown, interlocked plates like that of a large reptile, strong enough to smack my plates away. Blood seeped out from between the scales, cuts on his arm where the metal of his gauntlet and chestplate had cut into his transformed limb before being bent and torn free.

He moved like a Gorilla, using the massive arm to half-pull himself along as he swung with a warped, erratic brown [Mantle], blocking the plates as I sent them forward. The other guards with him protected the Boosted Orc from all sides, allowing him to get to-

The Casters. Those were the targets.

They'd given plenty of the grunt Orcs Boost, and now they were aiming for their Casters.

The head of a bottle was ripped off by an injured Orc. Patty, the fat pink Orc that had been doing battle with the Aetherman, looked towards the brown furred Orc with the blond mohawk. The one I knew as 'Belcher'. With a solemn look in his eyes, he nodded. As the worried, stunned looking Belcher watched, Patty downed a bottle of Boost in a single motion. His body was covered in gashes, deep slashes along his body. They looked painful, even reaching him through the layers of magically magnified fat.

Then, they began to 'heal' as he expanded again, growing back to his giant size. His skin looked different, now. Shifting and moving in ways skin and muscle shouldn't. It looked less like solid matter and more like a thick sludge. His body moved like moldable putty, a semi-slime-like matter that rose back to its feet as it approached the Aetherman once again.

The Boosted Patty swung a massive arm forward as the Aetherman raised its blade. Without any of the resistance from earlier, the weapon effortlessly cut through the limb. The forearm fell over the blade, landing on the Aetherman's head and upper chest. It began to expand and melt like slime, soaking in between the joints of the gigantic construct as it started to seize up, movements slowing.

Patty was breathing hard, but the punch with the other arm served to knock the Aetherman backwards as it fell, smashing against the pavement.

It reminded me of Toya's goo. But this... it was formed from a true physical body. From a Tierakin, not a malleable Spirit like a Slime. What would be the lasting effects of such a change? It was painful to think about, even if he was the enemy.

All around the battlefield, more Casters were taking Boost now. I kept the plates hovering around my allies, ensuring the covering fire of the Chained Wolves couldn't reach us.

Sigura leaned out of my protective shell, one claw-tipped hand gripping the side of a metal plate. I could guess where she was looking, even while being unable to see her eyes.

Close to the warehouse, I saw another one of the Casters being given a bottle of Boost, just like his less powerful comrades around him. Belcher. He looked away from Patty, glancing back towards the bottle with a resigned look.

"Don't drink it, you idiot!" Sigura roared, her voice drawing the attention of Belcher and our allies scattered around the battlefield. "You were the one who was with me the other day, weren't you? You've seen what this shit does to people! Throw it away!"

Was that what happened the other day? She'd met with Belcher, went to train the kids, and... She'd found someone suffering from... from Boost? They'd gotten more after her warnings?

I saw his designated opponent from our side, Markdown, rush towards him with trident extended, aiming for the bottle with his orange coral weapon outstretched. The Familiar Belcher had created, a massive, cartoonish looking Boar with drool falling from its mouth, stepped in front of the Orc to block the hit. it had thick black marks on its forehead, forming an X shape. It didn't look a natural mark, and reminded me more of ink. Markdown's magic? The trident connected with the mark, causing force to explode outwards, rippling along the Familiar's body as it exploded into shards of light.

But it had done its job. The Familiar had delayed Markdown just long enough.

Belcher sighed, his shoulders slumping as he popped the cap off the bottle with a single meaty thumb.

"Sorry Sunburst," he replied. He was far away, but his voice was painfully clear. "We have to defend this. I'll make this sacrifice so that they won't have to."

"FUCK, DON'T DO IT YOU-"

Sigura's words came to an abrupt stop as he brought the bottle to his lips, downing the contents. The bottle fell from his hands, the glass breaking against the concrete as he began to splutter. His skin rippled, moving as though a hive's worth of insects were writhing beneath the surface. Then, he began to belch. It wasn't the sound he'd made during our previous fights, either. It sounded rough. Pained. Like he was doing it through a throat made out of sandpaper. Lucky for us, nothing was coming up. Not yet.

Even if I couldn't stop those Orcs handing out the Boost, I could stop their reinforcements. With [Sheen] over a set of metal plates, I began to barricade the warehouse, covering up the main doorway and the two doorways of the adjoining buildings. Rods, nails, and other weapons hovered around the windows and rooftop, ensuring that any who-

I felt a heavy impact smash against the central plates. An impact that left me stunned. Judging by the shape of the strike, it had been a punch. A punch capable of denting my [Sheen] empowered steel with ease.

The fist came again, and my metal plates were blown away from the main doors. Standing in the entrance with two arms coated in a golden [Sheen] with an appearance akin to fur, I saw the leader of the Chained Wolves. A colossal grinning Human wearing a black leather jacket and a white mask atop his head, one fashioned after a white Wolf. Out from behind him, a collection of [Delinquents] guarded by fast moving, shivering Orcs with bulging auras sprinted out from the building, each carrying a metal box.

"You're here too, you bastard. Why the fuck're you here?" Sigura growled, her voice low and eyes locked firmly on their leader. I felt more small 'impacts' along the metal of our protective shell. Not from projectiles, but from Sigura's golden claws digging in without reservation.

"Sunburst," the man said, stepping out of the warehouse and into the open plaza. Off to the sides, I saw our allies begin to retreat into side alleys, dipping away from the battleground. "How could I not, when I knew the Don was making a return? I was certain he wouldn't pass up the chance to create a spectacle like this. It was only a matter of time."

He sniffed at the air, throwing a glance around at the Orcs shivering and rising to their feet, skin and Souls rolling with change.

"I know you're listening too, Don. It is good to see you didn't retire peacefully, although I had my suspicions for some time that you hadn't been killed during the Disciples attack. You were never the type to go down so quietly," the Chained Wolves leader said.

"It's good to see you too, Wolfheart. These circumstances weren't beyond my expectations, but once we inevitably come out on top, I'll ensure that you tell us exactly where you bought that Boost from," came the Don's voice. It emerged from the mouth of a Chimen, one positioned at the forefront of my protective shell, guarded from the hail of projectiles.

"I would not be so certain of victory, Giovanni," the Chained Wolves leader, Wolfheart, smiled. "These Orcs have true spirit. They were adamant about securing such materials to ensure their group would live on beyond this day."

"Screw 'spirit'!" Sigura roared. "Do you know what this shit does to people? How the fuck could you just hand it out to them? What'd they do to you?"

"They showed me their resolve," Wolfheart replied, cracking his knuckles. "This was their decision, not mine. I forced no man's hand."

Now that the central barricade had been destroyed, I sent more plates to harry the Boost carriers once again. I attacked several groups at once with the help of my [Battlefield Awareness], but I couldn't reach any of them. The carriers were protected by groups of Boosted Orcs that were entirely on the defensive, using their warped abilities and even their own bodies as shields, blocking my attempts with armor and ability alike.

I wasn't the only one trying to stop this growing problem despite the Don's instructions.

Clever Girl leapt forward, her legs snapping against the ground as she shot forward like an arrow from a bow. She'd taken her transformation potion, but two heavily armored Orcs stepped in front of the [Delinquent] nearest to her. They worked together to block the force of her empowered punch, their hooves carving lines through the pavement as they were pushed back by her blue gloved hands.

The [Delinquent] reached his target, who downed the contents of the bottle without hesitation.

The grinning, dark grey furred Orc that Clever Girl had been chasing, Trotter, got back to his feet. His body was covered in bruises and small cuts from where she'd struck him, cuts that only opened wider as he began to transform again. The bottom half of his body grew further as more and more legs ending in hooves sprouted from the sides. He was beginning to remind me less of a Centaur, and more of a Caterpillar. He started breathing hard as the transformation began to take its toll. His arms trembled and fingers spasmed as more and more legs grew, with some even sprouting from the sides of his torso. His perpetual smile shifted into a temporary grimace as the legs beneath his arms kicked at the space in front of them without his consent.

Then, he rose to his feet, sprinting at Clever Girl with a stunning level of speed for something his size.

"What now, little Rabbit?" the Orc laughed. He pursued her as she hopped around the battlefield, legs snapping out in an attempt to kick her. "You're fast, but long can you keep-"

The monster let out a scream, turning in place as he grimaced once again. His head turned just in time to see my handiwork. I'd sent three of my flying hands after Clever Girl, the silver Ironmaw Spider threads around them unraveling to form lassos. I'd bound some of the monster's legs in place, the skin beneath them burning from [Heated Steel]. More legs grew by the second, and I felt the hands being slowly dragged through the air. I wouldn't be able to hold him off for much longer.

"[We need to retreat!]" I called out, my [Telepathy] spreading to all of the Velvet Star members in the area. "[Fall back to the side streets and work to gain distance! Once the Boost settles somewhat and we learn what kind of abilities they have, we can form countermeasures!]"

"[Excellent decision, Homebound. I'm glad to see this situation hasn't ruffled your tactical mind.]"

The Don's voice echoed in my head, and I heard myself respond before the thought had even finished forming.

"[With... With all due respect, please be quiet, sir, unless you have a direct command or advice to give,]" I responded stiffly. I was doing my best to remain civil, but I could almost hear his smile on the other side of the [Network].

"You want us to run?" Sigura said, her head whipping around to look at me. "If we don't put these assholes down now they'll be a serious danger to everyone else. Us, and civilians. This is the perfect chance to-"

"[You said you'd take orders from me in the field, Sigura. Prove it. We're retreating,]" I told her, bringing the remaining hands in close as I felt Trotter break free from my lassos. I lost a lot of thread from that, still wrapped around his legs, but I needed to work with what I still had. "[I'm not saying we're abandoning this battle, but we have to gather information and pick these people off. We... we don't know what else they'll be able to do, either. The Boost... the Boost might end up killing some of them. We can't let them take us down with them with a final attack. We need to observe those that remain and methodically take them out.]"

Sigura's nails dug further into the metal plate. She cast another look over the battlefield, at the Orcs beginning to rise from the ground with trembling limbs, at the [Delinquents] supporting them, and at the Casters we'd just defeated get even stronger than before.

Then, her head turned back towards me.

"Fine. Alright, yeah. You're the boss, Yur. I... I'll follow you on this," she responded, a comment I reciprocated with a nod. Her voice sounded choked. Forced, almost.

Fareel and Streiphen were looking up at me, dual expressions of conflicted worry and concern on their faces.

"[Streiphen, Fareel, we're going to split up. Fareel, you go with Sigura, and Streiphen will come with me.]"

Fareel nodded, while Streiphen's head turned to look towards the Fishman Chimera. After a deep breath, he looked back up towards me, nodding firmly.

Splitting up would cause the enemy to divide their forces. Sigura had a sharp mind when it came to battle, and between Fareel and I, we could scout and gather info easily. We could share gathered intel through Screen's [Network], and had the potential to assess the enemy from range while still having combat power in the event of an ambush.

This was the best way to do it.

Other Casters on our side were making the retreat too. High in the air, I saw Bubblegum on her stylised broom. She wore a skin-tight costume like Sigura's, albeit with a bright neon pink design to it. A pair of Cat-like ears stuck up from the top of the costume like hers, but I figured it was more for the aesthetic than a utilitarian purpose like it was in Sigura's case. [Witch] fashion.

She flew away on her broom, leaving her designated opponent seething as he rose from the ground, already feeling the effects of the Boost. It was the Orc with the Shark tooth necklace. He was on his knees now, trembling as his eyes bulged and teeth sharpened. The Orc capable of Water Magic that could eat away at metal. His eyes lingered on the sky, watching her fly away. Then, as she disappeared beyond the skyline, his eyes snapped towards me.

"[Time to move! Go!]" I commanded, turning my mech around as I began to scurry back towards the safety of the side streets. The protective shell around us kept the projectiles from striking at our backs, but Sigura was in no mood to wait. She picked up Fareel, carried him beneath one arm, and darted out from the shade of my shell, slipping behind a building with incredible speed before she was struck.

Leaving the plaza behind, we all split up.

My metal legs and [Telekinetic Field] carried me from the plaza as fast as they could with Streiphen at my side. The shadows of buildings fell over us again as we slipped into the gloom, thoughts running rampant inside my head with every passing second.

We were going to be fine. Sigura and Fareel were going to be fine. The others were going to be fine. I needed to keep my cool, focus, and use my abilities properly. If I did, we could handle this.

The sound of hooves smashing against stone as the crowd of Boosted Orcs far behind us began to give chase gave the fears welling up inside me form. We had little info on them, and they knew how our abilities worked. We needed to run.

The metal hands floating through the air returned to me, landing on the top of my form. I needed to keep Shafu's words in mind. The Don wouldn't let good help go to waste. If things went from bad to worse, there was backup around if needed, right? Casters like Pack Rat, Incognito, and Shafu would be on standby. But... how close were they? I hadn't seen or sensed them since coming here. Could they respond quickly in the event of a real emergency?

I couldn't think of how or when they'd appear, but I was wasting valuable time and energy mulling over these things. As painful as it felt, I'd have to trust in the Don's plans, as murky as they were. If he said there was backup waiting around, I needed to believe in that if I wanted to have the strength to keep going.

I could have asked him. Directly spoken to the Don and asked about the backup. But what if he was vague? What if he gave an answer that I didn't like? That I couldn't take?

That would be worse than the uncertainty. The hope inside me that there could be help on the way if needed worked to keep me going, and I couldn't afford to lose that. It would affect my ability to plan ahead, and that would have been critical.

Instead, I ran with Streiphen through the streets filled with old shells of buildings covered with the damage of former battles. Of a bloody history we had only seen glimpses of.

"W-what's the plan, Miss Yuri?" Streiphen asked, calling out to me as we ran side by side. He'd seemed a little slower after the fight with Venison, but he still had juice left in him. All of his training was paying off.

"[We need to find a good spot that we can lay low at. If we wait to-]"

I'm going to fight, and I'm going to grow. Whether you do the same or not is up to you, Yuri.

The thought echoed within me, rattling endlessly. Louder than the faraway sound of hooves stampeding over cracked stone.

"[And we're going to look for enemies,]" I abruptly continued after Sigura's words lanced through my mind. My voice sounded a little steadier, now. "[We don't have time to set traps, but when the enemy follows, we'll be prepared to engage them in combat. They'll have to split up and create squads if they want to chase us all down. We should keep an eye on those that chase us to try and discern their abilities. If we see a Caster on their side we recognise, we should engage them. Casters that possess abilities we've already seen will probably have just had their powers heightened or warped by the Boost. We'll have... some knowledge of what they'll be capable of, unlike the Goons.]"

Yes. This was the right move to make. We needed to be part of the Velvet Star. If we ran away here or devoted ourselves exclusively to information gathering, the enemy could move away from us and attack one of our allies at a critical time. We needed to take on our share of the fighting.

"So... it's better to fight the strong Casters?" Streiphen asked, face contorting with confusion.

"[Yes. In one sense, they're more predictable. In a fight like this, information is key. We should tackle those we can handle first to free up-]"

The sound of a blade raking through stone rang out in the air, near the edge of my zone. It wasn't far from here. The enemy was close.

"[I've detected the enemy. We're moving out, Streiphen,]" I told him, turning down an alley with my metal flying overhead.

"Yes, Miss Yuri!" Streiphen responded, not missing a beat as he turned with me, jumping over bags of rubbish long abandoned and festering.

I heard another sound, one akin to an explosion. The breaking of stone and the spraying of rubble. Up ahead, I saw flashes of black light. [Release]. If there was an existing battle, we needed to catch up and help with-

I saw them. They were closer than I thought, and heading our way.

In the street next to ours, I saw Tick Tock, panting and struggling to escape from the Caster pursuing him. His abilities were better suited for support, and now that our enemy's power had been bolstered, he was outclassed. If the sweat running down his face and over his bronze tinted goggles was any indication, he seemed close to his limit. Behind him were spheres of bronze light hovering in the air. They had the same pattern to his Aera, a bronze tinge with a shiny look to it, patterns of caramel brown rods that turned and moved slowly, like the ticking hands of a clock.

"Stop!" Tick Tock cried out. I saw his pursuer through the bronze light domes. It was Mince, the black furred Orc wielding kitchen knives in each hand. Now both had been stained with blood, and they were closing in on Tick Tock quickly. He'd taken the Boost, too. His eyes had grown broader and bloodshot. His limbs had shifted and warped. Both his arms and legs were double jointed. It was an extreme change, given that his magic seemed closer to Enhancement than Transformation, but Boost was unpredictable, and magic itself was no better. "If you all die from this, you won't be able to protect the people anyway! Why sacrifice yourself for this? It'll be pointless!"

Tick Tock's cries didn't slow down the Orc in the slightest. Slowed as he was by the [Chronomancer's] magic, he still gave chase, a relentless hunter.

"It... It is better to have fewer people that are dedicated and strong than those who would betray Divastyr's people for foolish, vain reasons! This is a w-worthy sacrifice," Mince replied, his voice sounding abnormally slow. I couldn't tell if it was an effect of the Boost, or because he was caught in Tick Tock's magic.

"[Streiphen,]" I spoke, the sound met with an instant "Right!"

Metal cast a shadow over our ally as I formed a wall of steel in front of him. Smoke exploded outwards from Streiphen's body, further limiting visibility amidst the clouds of dust and tinted light. Streiphen's abilities, limited in diversity as they were, excelled at this sort of work. Disrupting and stalling the enemy were our strengths, while Sigura could outrun most Casters. These were the right teams to form, and... and we'd be fine.

Mince's double jointed arm erupted from the dome of slowed time, stabbing into the ground. He tried to pull himself forward with the free limb, and although it was slow, he emerged.

He lunged towards us, leaping up towards the wall. He planted his hooves on the grooves between my metal plates with a sense of balance and dexterity that I would've associated with a Mountain Goat. That had been enhanced, too. He worked to leap over the wall I'd formed, but the rest of my metal finished slotting into place, forming a dome around us, one that cast Streiphen and Tick Tock into darkness.

"Come o-out! C-cowards!" Mince roared, the sound of his knives raking against the steel audible from within. I could tell for certain now, his voice was being distorted by the Boost, not just from TT's magic. It was a good sign, if one could even call it that. A sign that the Boost was causing some deterioration in his body.

"Thank you, Homebound..." Tick Tock breathed, falling to his knees as he worked to catch his breath. "I owe you one."

"[Are you alright?]" I asked, keeping an eye on Mince as the sound of steel raking ineffectually against my dome worked to drown out the sounds of TT's breathing. He was unrelenting, more like a rabid animal than a determined warrior.

"Tired," he responded with a weak smile. The smile fell from his face as he pulled up one of the pants legs of his Velvet Star uniform. There were several slashes, with only one of them being anything more than a graze. "If not for Debutante's uniforms, he might've taken one of my legs off, even through [Mantle]. My [Slow Zones] have helped, but he's too fast. He's flexible enough to dodge some of my grenades if he sees me throwing them unless I predict his path now, too. He's getting faster, and wiser, and I... I don't think I can beat him myself anymore."

"That's okay, Mr Tick Tock!" Streiphen nodded, walking over to place a gloved hand on the man's shoulder. "We'll help you! That's what we came here for!"

"Thanks, Stardust," he responded, the small smile returning to his face. He turned, sitting down as he looked up towards the roof of the dome, towards the sound of steel raking against us desperately. "I... I didn't think they'd go this far. This level of... self destructiveness. It's a little scary. I know we'll win in the end, but if they came out on top, what would be their plan after this? Boost can have long term effects, and if it's this bad already..."

"[Yeah. It's... short sighted,]" I responded idly. Mince's slashes were getting stronger, but no faster. Did his abilities require him to slash against flesh to increase his speed? A useful Condition we could make the most of. He was fast, but he didn't have the power needed to pierce through. For all of his skill and speed, his abilities were simple. I knew how to deal with someone like him. I'd learned from our first fight for the Velvet Star.

Beyond my dome, I saw Mince leap away as a shadow passed over him. Metal plates formed over the mouths of alleyways and along the end of the street. Blades of steel hovered high in the air and around rooftops. I didn't think he'd try to escape, but it was better to be prepared for anything. He ran around the dome as the walls closed in, sensing that I'd pinned him. He leapt for-

"[Get away from the walls!]" I yelled, right as Streiphen ran to Tick Tock's side, pulling him down to the ground.

A knife pierced through a small space between my plates, a spot where Tick Tock's back had been moments ago. Had the Orc seen through the wall with [Insight]? Or was it some other sense the Boost had enhanced or given him? Tick Tock let out a breath of relief, belatedly taking my advice as he scurried to my side in the middle of the dome.

"T-thanks..."

Mince's escape routes were cut off, and he couldn't attack us inside the dome. Now, it was only a matter of time. Within the cage I'd crafted, I sent out my metal hands. The dome parted overhead just enough to let them out, and I saw Mince's head in the gloom looking into the dome, blocking the temporary ray of light piercing through. For a moment, I thought he was going to try and wriggle his way in through the hole somehow, but the flying hands deterred him.

I went with two strategies I'd used before. The dome to catch Yo-Yo, the teleporter working with Trainmech, and the strategy I'd used to train Streiphen.

I closed up the hole at the top of the dome as my eight flying hands coated in silver threads orbited Mince overhead. He leapt off the dome, landing on solid stone as they followed. All of them were charged with [Heated Steel], flying towards him with none of the restraint and safety I'd allowed Streiphen. He dodged blow after blow, grab after grab. His movements were unnaturally dexterous and abnormal, his joints and body bending in ways they shouldn't to avoid multiple hands at once. It was far harder to predict than anything I'd fought before, but I was adjusting.

His arms swung around, blades cutting through the costume and into the hands. He was only leaving small cuts and gouges, but it still hurt. I knew I was no [Artisan], and that the hands themselves were crude, but I'd been proud of them. They were a reminder of what I'd been before... this, and it hurt to see them get damaged. I pushed myself, moving faster.

He couldn't dodge forever. And he'd grown used to my attack pattern now. He'd focused more on attack than defense, and that was his mistake.

Mince swerved one arm away from a ducking hand, just enough that he could slash at it as it passed. He'd let the hand get too close. The silver threads around the hand snapped out, wrapping around his wrist. His bloodshot eyes widened further as he twisted and swerved. The sickening sound of bone cracking and creaking as he tried to wriggle free of the controlled metal sent a shiver along my skin. Unnatural.

Now that one hand had made contact, holding him in place was simple. Although it took longer than I would've liked because of his unnatural body movements, I got another hand around one of his ankles to slow him down, and ensnared his second wrist. He was restrained.

Once I was sure that the Orc was secured I began to dismantle the dome, creating a doorway at the front. Tick Tock and Streiphen both winced as the light of the sun pierced the darkness, only to spot Mince hovering in front of them some distance away, restrained.

"Whew..." Tick Tock breathed with relief.

"Good job, Miss Yu-"

Streiphen's praise was cut off as Mince dropped one of his kitchen knives. He threw it with what little force he could without full use of his arms down to his free leg. With a single deft movement, his hooved foot connected with the back of the handle, sending the knife hurtling towards TT's head. With a single swift motion, Streiphen pulled the malformed blade from his back, knocking the knife out of the air.

Tick Tock's face had gone pale, and he turned to look towards Streiphen. Even before the man could open his mouth, Streiphen smiled up at him.

"No problem, Mr Tick Tock!"

One of my spare hands grabbed the other knife before he could try a stunt like that again. Now, he was both restrained and disarmed. Despite being in a hopeless situation, he wriggled desperately, spittle flying from his mouth as he grunted and squirmed, trying to pull his wrists and ankle free from the iron grip of my hands.

His movements were definitely abnormal, too. The result of Boost augmenting his body in strange ways. What would happen when this high wore off? Would he even be able to go back to using his limbs normally?

"[We can take him from here,]" I informed Tick Tock and the Chimen that had been hovering around us inside the dome. "[Do you still have artefacts on you?]"

Tick Tock looked up at me, reaching for a pouch at his waist.

"I... still have some of my grenades, and I haven't used much of my own Aera yet," he told me.

That was a good sign. Now he could return the favour.

"[Good. You should go and help the others. Your abilities work best for support rather than solo confrontations. We can handle Mince.]"

Tick Tock opened his mouth, looking like he was about to say something else. Then, he stopped, closing his mouth as he gave Streiphen and I a nod in turn.

"Understood!" he replied, his voice lacking a lot of the worry and... well, cowardice it had before. He was able to rack up the determination to fight on. "Thanks again for the save."

Then, he turned, reaching into his pouch as he began to ran off. I pulled up one of the metal sheets blocking off another street, letting the Human [Inventor] leave the area to help the others.

"Y-you cannot beat us all!" Mince spat, raising his voice as his opponent ran away. "With this power, there is no hope for your group to defeat-"

His words were cut short as a metal clamp locked into place around his mouth. I'd molded it with [Heated Steel], and if it burned, he could deal. I gripped his other ankle with a hand, bringing both wrists and ankles together before molding a form-fitting pair of cuffs, locking his limbs together. I formed a metal link between the ankle and wrist cuffs, completely securing him as he dropped to the ground, landing on stone. He struggled against the restraints, but with this, he wouldn't be able to call for help or attack anyone else.

"[We'll leave him here,]" I told Streiphen as I used my [Heated Steel] to strip his knives of their metal. I could always use more material. "[In the best case scenario, he doesn't find a way to dislocate his body in a way that lets him slip out of that.]"

"Do you think he could?" Streiphen asked with surprise, looking down at the black furred Orc. Even now, he was reluctant to get close.

"[No,]" I admitted. "[But that's nothing but an assumption formed from what I know of his magic so far. Magic itself is an unpredictable force, and in a pinch with Boost in his system... There's the possibility it could evolve further.]"

"Is... that enough metal to restrain him, then?" the Chimera boy asked.

It wasn't. He'd be restrained perfectly if he stayed at this level, but if his magic warped in some unpredictable way, he might be able to break free. Still, that was an unlikely scenario, and he wasn't a big enough threat to warrant expending metal to form a full body prison or dome around him.

"[I don't want to waste any more on him, not when I might need the metal for future enemies. This battle is long from over,]" I replied.

Streiphen only nodded firmly in response, securing his weapon back where it belonged.

"[Let's get moving,]" I told him, turning around to run back the way we came with Streiphen following closely behind.

We dipped into a side street, leaving the immobilised Mince behind as we worked to seek out more opponents. I hadn't seen or heard any indication of other battles while we were helping Tick Tock. Was that a good sign, or a bad omen?

"[Screen, can you hear me? This is Homebound. Are there any enemies nearby we could help fight? I'm with Stardust, and we're looking to support the others,]" I said, sending my words through the Machina's [Network].

I didn't know if we should be returning to the plaza or working to further thin out the enemy's numbers. Without a complete view of the area, I had no way of knowing what the next best move was. I needed the input of someone with a greater grasp of the situation.

"[Sunburst and Yakamoz are in the middle of assisting Clever Girl and Bubblegum with the Wheel Caster, Trotter. They've got the situation under control now, but Mire is struggling to your-]"

The Machina's words were drowned out by the sound of roaring as a group of five Boosted Orcs leapt down at Streiphen and I from a rooftop. My attention turned from Screen's words to the enemy as soon as they appeared. I hadn't seen any of them in my zone. How? Did they have some sort of cloaking ability?

I tried to raise a wall of metal to block the attack as one of the Orcs snapped a hand forward. I saw a wavy pattern spread through the air, one that seemed to bend my view of the space it took up. I couldn't pull the panels in front of me. Instead, they curled upwards, moving as though trying to get around an invisible wall. It felt as though the wavy pattern created some sort of current in the air that I couldn't oppose.

Without a defense in front of me, one of the falling Orcs-

Damnit.

A spray of water shot forward, splashing against the side of my mech. I could feel the effects setting in quickly, unraveling and eroding the Ironmaw threads. The effect was slow thanks to whatever Debutante had done to them, but the fact that he was here at all was a problem. I scrambled backwards, working to gain distance as the Orcs touched down on solid ground.

One of the Orcs landed next to me, swinging a spiked club at Streiphen. With shock in his eyes, the boy barely blocked the attack with his own weapon, yet a flash of red light created a shockwave that sent the younger Chimera flying. The Orc with the club cackled, darting after Streiphen.

There were four enemy Casters, three of which possessed abilities I knew nothing about. The one I did know looked both angry and elated to see me here.

"T-this is for the ah-o-other day," Sharktooth snarled, the brown furred Orc's face contorting with rage. "F-fo-for making it c-come to t-this."

The thread was resistant to the water's decay, but the metal beneath wasn't. Some of it had splashed through the temporary opening in the suit, and metal next to my compartment had become rusted and worn. I used the thread, weaving it into the cracks left by his magic, working to fill the spot where I could. It wasn't optimal, but I couldn't afford my sole source of meagre mobility to break down. If my mech stopped being able to carry me, I'd be an easy target.

Sharktooth brought his hands together, and I saw the other three wide-eyed Orcs dart away, heading into an abandoned shell of a building behind them. I did the same, scrambling into a narrow alleyway to gain distance as Sharktooth used his magic.

"[R-ravenous Wa-Wave!]" he roared, letting a torrent of water surge forth. Everything it touched withered away. The water eroded stone, caused the wood of buildings to rot, and had even made every other member of his squad back away for cover.

What would that look like if it hit flesh? It was a frightening thing to consider, and I needed to deal with him now.

Streiphen and his opponent, an Orc with his tongue hanging out limply in a way that made him look borderline feral, were in the process of leaping off of an alley dumpster and onto a rooftop to avoid the incoming wave. I hoped he'd be fine, but knowing how strong Streiphen had become, I could trust him to hold his own.

I couldn't climb, or... I might have been able to try climbing or jumping, but if the rooftops couldn't hold my weight, I could fall through and get injured, or worse, get stuck and end up as an easy target. I couldn't risk letting that happen. The other three Orcs were... gone. Hidden by whoever had let their group get this close to us without me seeing them in the first place.

I had to deal with Sharktooth quickly. Flying rods and plates soared through the air, heading towards him in droves. His neck expanded, inflating in a way that reminded me of Fareel, and he spewed a torrent of water while giggling to himself. The sound was an erratic gargle, one that sent a shiver along the surface of my skin. The metal flying through the air rusted and eroded quickly as the water made contact, making them slower and harder to control.

I needed a weakness to exploit, and luckily for me, Sharktooths were easy to see. Plaque was beginning to build on his teeth. Parts of his gums that had touched the water spraying from his throat had turned green. Whenever he used his magic like that, the inside of his mouth was rotting away, but he'd been forced to do it. He couldn't create shots of water with his hands while producing the wave. He was resistant to the 'withering' effect of his own water, but not immune to it. Not since taking the Boost.

Could I beat him before the wave caused damage to my legs? Metal plates continued to orbit the manic Orc, flying towards him from more directions. The spray of water came out faster than my rusting metal could fly, and some pieces dropped from my grip, falling into the fast moving water below, consumed. But I'd expected as much.

He couldn't guard his blind spots while defending from the front. Metal pipes and blades flew around to his back, aiming to disable him before-

The space behind Sharktooth's back bent. The pipes and blades were caught in the 'current' of the warped area, the same effect as before. They were pulled off target and pushed down into the wave in front of Sharktooth's feet, meeting the same fate as the metal in the air. The space behind Sharktooth looked like a mirage, bent and warped to look like a spiral pattern. The Orc capable of this must have been nearby, shrouded by one of his allies.

It was impossible to deal with when I didn't know where the other Orcs were, and I didn't have the luxury of conducting a thorough sweep of the area. I needed to defend myself.

The wave reached the mouth of the alley as a multi-layer wall of plated steel covered in [Sheen] blocked its advance. The [Sheen] was effective in slowing down the erosion, much as it had during my second battle against Sharktooth, but his magic was stronger, now. I couldn't rely on my metal to hold out forever.

I lifted my legs, jabbing them into the stone walls on either side of me. Although the movement was awkward, I managed to jab each of my legs into the walls around me, hoisting myself off the ground. If the wave managed to pass over the alley's floor, it wouldn't be able to strike me. Not immediately. It was only a temporary solution, one that wouldn't last long. I couldn't afford to waste more materials against him either.

"[Are you okay, Streiphen?]" I called out, my [Telepathy] reaching towards the rooftop two buildings across from me.

"I'm fine, Miss Yuri!" he shouted as he swung his blade forward.

The rooftop around Streiphen was covered in white smoke, obscuring the eyesight of both him and his opponent. Balls of dancing red flames orbited the grinning Orc, drifting around with trails of smoky crimson behind them. More of them floated around the rooftop near Streiphen. They were shooting smaller fireballs from each of them. The projectiles were no bigger than a bean, but exploded into hot flame on contact with the Chimera child or his weapon.

It was clear that Streiphen was getting exhausted. His weapon arced around fluidly, catching each 'fireball' as they exploded on his weapon. Still, his movements were slower than before, and the [Smokescreen] wasn't helping. I doubted the grinning Orc could see Streiphen in the murk without [Insight] active, unless... I assumed he had another ability, like [Heat Sense]. The fireballs seemed to have it too, shooting towards Streiphen without any need for standard vision.

He was getting grazed by attacks he could have dodged before as small bean-sized fireballs exploded against his arm. He winced from the heat, although the uniform took the brunt of the blasts. If the Orc's fireballs worked how I believed they did...

One of my metal hands flew up and out of the alleyway I was stuck in. It hovered over Streiphen's rooftop, and the Orc seemed entirely unaware of it. That was, until I used [Ignite] through the hand. The Orc's grinning face snapped up towards the flame as my suspicions were confirmed. The hand lowered as the orbiting fireballs surrounding Streiphen drifted upwards, shooting their projectiles towards my armored hands.

They weren't targeting Streiphen specifically. The fireballs were automatic, and tracked the highest source of heat beyond the Caster. Even if I hadn't figured out how to deal with Sharktooth, I could at least give Streiphen a moment to breathe.

The beans of flame exploded against the armored hand as Streiphen took the opportunity to rush his opponent. The spiked club collided with Streiphen's blade, although it was clear to see by the skill in both movements that the Chimera had the upper hand in close combat.

My awareness traced back towards my [Ignite].

How could I counterattack? If the flying blades couldn't stop Sharktooth... No. There was one other option. It wasn't an idea I liked, but as soon as my awareness landed on the conjured flames and it came to mind, I realised it was the only strategy I had.

He was able to defend against metal from the front, and that metal wouldn't last forever. He was able to defend against metal from the back too, given the aid of his allies.

I couldn't beat him with my own strength alone. I'd need to abuse the weaknesses of the power he'd been given.

"[Sharktooth!]" I shouted, sending my [Telepathy] out towards the giggling Orc. "[Prepare yourself! I'm not going to go easy on you anymore! This is the last chance you'll have to give up!]"

The Chimen were still following us, even after all of this. The Don must have been watching, but he wasn't doing anything about it.

He laughed as a pair of hands lowered to the front of my mech. The panels on either side of my coloured rose opened up. At the mouth of the alley, the rusting [Sheen] covered walls of metal took to the skies, allowing the tide of water to coat the base of the alleyway. The moment it shot upwards or the wall was eroded, I would take severe damage.

"J-just tryyyyy it," Sharktooth gargled, grinning to himself.

"[Remember. You asked for this.]"

Rings formed in front of my mech, formed from the cupped thumb and forefinger of two hands. [Ignite] activated inside the rings, bolstered by the [Heat Runes] and [Heated Steel]. The fans within my mech flared to life with a [Burst of Air], sending twin gouts of flame forward like a Dragon's breath, as Sigura had called it.

Sharktooth's eyes widened in fear as he spread his jaws wide. Water sprayed out in a vicious torrent, meeting my flame in the middle of the street. Hot steam temporarily filled the air as our magic collided and disappeared, returning to harmless Aera as their forms changed.

It seemed like an even matchup, or even one he would win if this was a normal clash of elemental magic. But it wasn't. I had the high Aera reserves of a Chimera using a few basic abilities with little cost, and Sharktooth had a complex, self-destructive ability that was slowly killing the inside of his mouth.

He wasn't going to be able to hold out. His ability was more costly, both in terms of magical output and physical harm. He'd need to choose between letting my ability burn him, or destroying himself with his own power.

They weren't ideal options, but they were all I had left. I couldn't hit him with anything else. As much as I didn't want to go for a potentially lethal attack, we-

My thoughts stopped dead in my tracks. At the edge of my vision, a massive shape leapt into view. A shape that was familiar, yet different from how I'd seen it before. It stunned me enough to stop the torrent of flame. From the building behind Sharktooth, a looming shadow darkened the streets. The Orc coughed, retching from the constant water as he rubbed at his throat. He blinked with confusion, looking towards me with unrestrained hatred before the feeling gave way to realisation. The sun was blocked out, and the street had become darker.

He turned his head, looking up over his shoulder towards the massive creature sitting atop the roof of the building behind him. It was a gigantic Cat, one formed of neon pink light, its two sparkling, pupiless eyes staring directly down at the Orc.

Sharktooth's eyes filled with recognition as he spun around, trying to dart away from the giant Familiar. He stumbled, his hoof catching on a jagged piece of stone in the pavement formed by the cracks his own magic had caused. He began to cough again as the Cat raised a single leg. Reaching down from the rooftop, the leg extended, stretching and weaving like a neon pink Snake with claws and paw pads. Sharktooth opened his mouth to spew water once again as the massive limb wrapped around him, coiling around his form until only the top of his head and the base of his hooves were visible beneath its mass.

I saw his magic activate again, causing water to spill out between the coiled folds of the abnormally long limb. It cracked the ground as the water sloughed out from behind the creature's leg, but it seemed to have no effect on the Familiar itself.

Did his 'eroding' effect not work on magical constructs?

To my left, another Orc leapt up onto the roof where Streiphen was putting pressure on his opponent. Was it the Orc capable of the stealth abilities? The space distorter? The last Orc?

It didn't matter.

Another shape leapt into my zone from a building further to my left, darting across rooftops with ease before a leg snapped out, striking the Orc in the chest with blinding speed. The Orc was sent soaring backwards from the force, falling towards the alleyway I was currently perched above.

Without a thought, I brought one of the half-rusted metal plates I'd been using as a wall backwards, using it to catch the Orc. The bang of metal against metal as his armor smacked heavily against the plate made me wince, but it was better than the alternative. While it couldn't have been a comfortable fall, it had to have been better to whatever the water below would have done to him.

Two of our allies had come to help.

Once the Orc had fallen onto my plate, I laid him onto a dumpster next to us as Clever Girl turned her head, directing her masked face towards Streiphen's opponent.

"Bubblegum and Clever Girl, here to the rescue!" came the voice of our second savior. Bubblegum, wearing her purple uniform that reminded me of Sigura's suit, flew down towards the restrained Orc atop her stylised broom, a gaudy form of transport with pink, soft looking bristles on the ends and a design akin to that of neon pink lips opened wide on the sides. It was her own personal emblem, one that marked the back of her costume, too. The Velvet Star design was surrounding the lips, standing out against the rest of the blaring pink suit. Her reddish-pink puffy hair spilled out the back of the suit's head, much like Sigura's, partly obscured by the wide brimmed purple [Witch's] hat.

She stood atop the broom, striking a pose with one arm raised towards the sky. She was definitely a performer with a wasteful move like that, but this wasn't the time.

"Stop casting, you're only gonna hurt yourself," Bubblegum said, crossing her arms as she looked down at the Orc trapped in her Familiar's grip. "I'm not going to get close enough to you that you could spray me with that stuff, so don't get any funny ideas. If you don't shut the water down now, you'll regret it."

The Orc's eyes only filled with greater rage as more water began to spill out between the coils from his mouth and hands. The waves along the street became more intense, splashing upwards around the alley. Some of it splashed onto the front of my mech, deteriorating the threads on a frontal leg as a rusted hole began to form. It was eating through my metal even faster than before.

I grimaced, putting more energy into the [Telekinetic Field] to ensure I didn't fall into the water.

"[Don't waste time!]" I shouted, directing my voice towards Bubblegum. "[Take him down while you can!]"

The [Witch] glanced towards me, and then her eyes towards skyward, looking at the Cat.

"Do it, Blaze," she said as the Cat's leg tightened. The Orc wriggled ineffectually, groaning as the metal beneath the folds bent. Her Familiar was stronger than it looked, if it could damage armor like that.

The water slowed to a trickle as the Orc lost the strength to keep the waves going. The water remained in the streets, slowly seeping into the cracks it had left in the pavement. I used my twin gouts of flame once again, angling my body downwards to evaporate all of the water I could. Thankfully the water was entirely magical in nature. Once it changed 'form' from water to something else, it would lose its identity and return to being just Aera.

I let out a mental sigh of relief as the water beneath me was slowly burned away, pulling my legs free from the walls to once again stand on solid ground. I maneuvered my threads, plugging up the awkward, rusted hole that Sharktooth's magic had left behind. It wasn't perfect, but it'd have to do for now. Mobility was key.

On the rooftop, I could see that both Streiphen and Clever Girl were getting tired. While we'd been fighting, these two must have been hard at work too. Tired as they were, the pair easily outclassed their opponent in close combat.

Streiphen darted forward, blade swinging in from the left as the Orc quickly raised his spiked club to block the attack. The force of the strike send him stumbling, leaving his guard completely open on the other side. Clever Girl wasted no time, leaping forward before turning with a roundhouse kick, smashing her foot against the back of the Orc's head. The attack send his head crashing against the flat, tiled roof. He groaned once, and I saw the flames intensify for just a moment. With one last kick from Clever Girl against the back of his head, the flames died away.

One less problem to deal with.

"T-thanks for the help, Miss Clever Girl!" Streiphen chirped, burying the end of his blade in the roof as he worked to catch his breath.

"Don't mention it!" she responded, smiling beneath the mask. "I'm just glad to see you're holding up."

With my rusted metal plate, I once again picked up the Orc I'd left behind on the dumpster. He was heavy, doubly so because of whatever the Boost was doing to his Soul, but I managed to raise him up again, planting his groaning form on the rooftop.

"[Streiphen, take off their armor,]" I told the boy.

Without hesitation, he nodded, taking a deep breath as he raised his blade once again.

"Yes, Miss Yuri!"

Clever Girl let out a sigh, stretching her legs as she glanced towards the pair of defeated Orcs. Her eyes were on the one she'd kicked off the roof, looking prepared to strike him again if he resisted.

"Are you making sure they don't have the armor to fight again if they get back up?" she asked, her voice sounding a little deeper from within the mask.

"[More than that,]" I replied. "[I need metal to replace what I've lost.]"

I turned towards the rooftop, my metallic legs tapping against the crumbly, brittle stone. I was glad that we'd had help to defend against an ability like that. If it had gotten a cleaner hit on my mech, I could've been in serious trouble. If I'd been immobile for even a moment, they might've been able to get to my real body.

The tip of Streiphen's blade was used to cut the leather straps around the Orcs' bodies, pulling free gauntlets, boots, and chestplates. I sent one of my metal rods up to the rooftop, tapping them against the removed armor to help quicken the spread of my telekinetic grip. Tools flew up from my compartment, helping to mold and change the armor with [Heated Steel]. I salvaged all of the spare metal I could, bringing it back down to my body in the hopes of repairing my leg.

Meanwhile, I used the remnants of the armor to craft more ankle and wrist braces, binding the limbs and mouths of the Orcs in the same way I had Mince. The Orc that was still conscious didn't resist in the slightest, although he grimaced and groaned as the hot metal wrapped and molded itself to fit around his limbs.

Bubblegum flew over to their rooftop on her broom. With a single leap, the neon pink Cat jumped across the street, its shadow passing over the brittle ground below as it landed on the roof. It didn't seem to shake the roof or lose its balance in the slightest despite still carrying Sharktooth. Clever Girl rushed to the Cat's side, immediately swinging one leg high above her head, bringing it down in a vicious arc as she crashed it against Sharktooth's skull. The cold fury in his eyes briefly turned to shock before he faded into unconsciousness, his blue [Mantle] disappearing.

"There! He won't cause any more damage to himself if he's out cold," Clever Girl said as the Cat's limb unwrapped from around Sharktooth.

I hadn't been focused on the [Hydromancer], but looking at him now, the Orc had caused substantial damage to himself. His own armor was beginning to rust from the effects of his magic. His skin was patchy and green in spots from rot, and he was breathing hard. I couldn't bind him as easily as I could the others, and his rusted armor meant I had less good material to work with, yet I bound his limbs and mouth regardless.

Hopefully he wouldn't try anything stupid, but... I couldn't stop him from hurting himself. All I could do was limit the damage he could do to us.

"How did you find us?" Streiphen asked as Bubblegum sat back down on her broom, hovering close to Clever Girl.

"Sunburst helped us fight against my target," Clever Girl said. "She was able to keep up with that 'Trotter' Orc after his transformation, even if it wasn't easy. We managed to take him down with her magic, and she pointed us towards the street you and Homebound had run through. She said we should help you as payment."

"It was a good thing she came, too. His magic is so annoying. I couldn't catch up to him at all, so I could barely help CG." Bubblegum added. "Once we heard the roaring waves it was pretty easy to find you."

"[What about the others?]" I asked, sending my [Telepathy] to the three Casters standing on the rooftop.

"Screen told us a lot of the fights are still happening, but a lot of the grunts are being whittled away," Clever Girl responded quietly, crossing both of her arms beneath her chest. "A lot of them didn't make it far from their base though..."

"Some of them have tough abilities, so we're taking it slow, but we'll come out on top as always," Bubblegum said, picking up after Clever Girl trailed off.

"What should we do now?" Streiphen asked, placing his weapon onto his back after plucking it from the roof.

"We're going to go and support the others to make sure everyone's okay," Clever Girl told him.

If there were still battles going on, with other Casters of Mince and Sharktooth's power...

"[Do you want us to come with you to help?]" I asked.

Clever Girl and Bubblegum shared a look before speaking.

"Sunburst told us to send you to the warehouse," Clever Girl told us.

"[What? Why? There are still Boosted enemies to take out.]"

"She wants you to be with her when she fights the big guys," Bubblegum told us. "She plans on tackling the enemy leaders."

"[But the Don-]"

"[You have my permission. This has been a fascinating development, and I'd hate for it to stop here.]"

The man's voice echoing in my mind cut off my telepathic concerns. I openly groaned at the [Message], even if I knew I shouldn't have. I should be remaining professional, but...

"Don't worry about us, Homebound!" Clever Girl blurted out, raising both palms. "And, uh... The Don's got everyone's best interests at heart, y'know."

"[Yeah. When they line up with his best interests,]" I grumbled. I knew it was a horrible idea to say that, but I couldn't help the bitterness that leaked out. Maybe Shafu was a bad influence.

"But don't they?" Bubblegum asked, hovering over the rooftop to the space above the alley I currently stood in. "We all joined for money, or power, or fame. The Don wants that too, and that's why we're all here! He's a pretty open book about this stuff."

Was that all we joined for? No. I wouldn't mind money, or power, or fame, but it wasn't the reason I decided to back this group. I wanted... security. A place to call my own that I didn't just need to squat in, worrying when the next group of thugs would arrive to attack or threaten us.

It was more than that. I wanted a place for us all to be safe. People that we could be happy to hang around. People we could trust. I wanted a community.

I wanted... a home.

"[Alright,]" I conceded, redirecting the focus of my [Telepathy]. "[Streiphen, you go with Clever Girl and Bubblegum. I'll go and meet up with Sunburst.]"

His face turned from joy to worry in a single moment. He made his way to the edge of the roof, looking down towards me with anxiety in each and every star within his eyes.

"Why can't I come with you? I can fight!" he exclaimed. He sounded desperate, but...

"[You're exhausted,]" I told him. "[I won't tell you to stop fighting, but pick your fights well. Right now, Sunburst needs me to fight with her, and you'd be better suited supporting Clever Girl. You'd learn more from fighting other abilities, too. They need your help, Stardust.]"

Streiphen gulped, his expression turning pensive for several long, tense seconds.

"Okay..." he murmured, taking a deep breath before his voice rose once again. "I-if you need backup, call for me! Please! Let me know how you're doing or... or... or I'll worry! And then I'll fight worse!"

I felt myself relax beneath the bronze helmet atop my suit.

"[Thanks, Stardust. I'll be fine.]"

"Promise you'll tell me if you need me?" he asked, his stare practically burning holes into the top of my mech. I felt a moment of hesitation pass over my mind before I managed to speak.

"[Promise.]"

"Okay," he said, a small smile dawning on his face. Clever Girl had joined him at the ledge as I began to walk forward, stepping over crumbling pavement with slow, tentative motions.

"[Thanks again for the help, you two. I appreciate it,]" I told them, the makeshift repair job to my leg using the salvaged metal coming to a finish. It wasn't perfect, but it was workable.

Beneath their costumes, the pair smiled.

"No problem, Homebound. We know you would've done the same for us," Clever Girl responded.

"[Yeah,]" I responded dumbly, feeling a tinge of red at my sides. It was a simple comment, but one that warmed me to my core after hearing it. They trusted that I would've helped them if our situations had been reversed.

It was a sign of progress. A sign of bonds forming. A sign of community.

"Stay safe!" Streiphen called out as the trio waved. I arrived at the other side of the street, only now noticing that even the giant Cat was waving.

I'll try were the words that wanted to come out of my mouth.

"[I will. You all stay safe too,]" were the words that made the cut.

Then, I arrived at an alley opposite the one I'd been stuck in. After landing on what was perfectly solid ground in comparison to the crumbly mess left in Sharktooth's wake, I began to pick up the pace.

"[How many active enemies are still at the warehouse?]" I asked, sending my words through Screen's [Network]. "[Are the enemy commanders still around?]"

"[All of the Big Tooth Casters capable of moving are back up, although some were too wounded to move, or had the Boost within them exacerbate their wounds,]" Screen informed me. "[Venison's Boost caused his injuries to worsen, while Roast got burned by the residual damage and his magic going berserk.]"

Roast...? Who? Ah, right. Sigura's opponent.

"[And the Chained Wolves?]" I asked, my body beginning to pick up the pace as I worked myself into a rhythm. I was getting better at 'running' with this metal form, even if it was a little uncomfortable for the body within.

"[They're still around. Many of the Wolves' Goons followed the Boost augmented Orcs, but some remained at the warehouse to assist with first aid or beat those that were rejected by the Boost into unconsciousness.]"

'Beat'. It made sense, given that people who couldn't control the changes to their Souls that Boost caused would cast indiscriminately, but... It was still enough to make my blood boil. The Wolves were the ones that gave Big Tooth the Boost in the first place.

"[The Wolves' commanders Grimsmoke and Duellona have gone into the side streets to aid the active combatants. I'm referring to the Enenra and the Minotaur,]" Screen finished, clarifying.

That smoky Spirit was an 'Enenra', and not a Sylphid? I couldn't think of any other Caster that would've fit the name 'Grimsmoke'. Maybe I should research this stuff later, but racial classification could get confusing.

"[Who should I be worrying about when I arrive at the warehouse?]" I asked, recognising a patch of curled gashes on one of the buildings a street away from me. I was getting close.

"[Cynosure, the Kumiho, is still there. She's standing atop the warehouse to keep watch, but hasn't taken any captives with her Racial Skills. The Don has informed me this was likely on their leader's orders. And-]"

She didn't need to finish.

My [Sensory Zone], stretched to its limits, saw the final obstacles in our way to victory before Screen had finished speaking.

The plaza itself was covered in bodies. The doorway to the hall was wide open, and Orcs that 'rejected' the Boost were being treated by other Orcs and [Delinquents], including my former target, Red Meat. I'd completely forgotten about him. Some of the bodies had white blankets draped over them. It was clear who and what they were. Those that couldn't be saved from their own attempts to gain strength without consequence.

Off to the left, I saw the corpse of the Aetherman, destroyed and covered in pinkish goo. It lay on the ground, unmoving and inert in front of the warehouse. I wanted to retrieve it if possible, to get the parts back for Gamechanger. Even if he couldn't rebuild the Aetherman, bringing the parts back to the workshop would be some consolation.

The Orc who'd expelled all of that 'goo' and toppled the Aetherman, Patty, was nowhere to be seen.

Like Screen had said, Cynosure stood atop the warehouse, a 'Kumiho' with long white-silver hair, three swaying tails, and blinding golden eyes. Beneath her sat a pair of individuals right in front of the warehouse. The enemy leaders.

Wolfheart and Big Tooth.

The former was a massive Human with a black leather jacket stretched thin over his muscular form, wearing a white Wolf-like mask with red eyes poking out from behind the sockets. The latter was a 7ft Minotaur with dark brown fur, a colour that one would think of when the word 'Orc' came to mind. His snout was prominent, a reddish nose that stuck out far from his face, surrounded on either side by a pair of abnormally large tusks. Despite the muscle on his arms and legs, the Orc looked round, with a thick stomach. He wore loose leather clothes akin to the sort a [Hunter] living in the wilderness would, with thick light brown furred patches around his shoulders and wrists. A powerful Orc with abilities we still knew nothing about.

The last figure I detected, and the one closest to me, landed right next to my mech as it arrived in the alley.

"About time you got here, Yur," Sigura said, grinning beneath her outfit. "I told you I'd get you that last hit, right?"

The 'last hit'. The Don had been against it before, but he seemed keen to allow it now. What had changed? Did he deem that we could actually beat them? Or just that the 'risk' of fighting them would be worth it even if we lost? He might've been gambling with our well being, but his approval wasn't the only reason I was here.

I didn't feel much anger at the fact that this Orc's patrol had attacked Dronrowth. It had angered me at the time, but now it felt like the distant past.

No. What I was truly angry at the Orc for was what he'd done today. Making his subordinates drink Boost to fight for him, and not lifting a hand to help in the first aid of those that couldn't take the effects. Worse still, it didn't look like he'd drank Boost, either.

"[Yeah, you did. We need to finish this.]"

It wasn't the safe, methodical choice. It was undoubtedly a risk, but... if the enemy leaders fell, would their subordinates lose heart? Would the Boosted Orcs stop their rampages if their leader was defeated? It was hard to say without truly knowing them.

It was a frightening thought, but we needed to do what we could to help, and this was the best way of doing it. If our other allies were getting worn down like Streiphen, or caught in situations they couldn't come out of unscathed like Tizam, then there were people in real danger. For them, we had to do our best to put an end to this.

"Then let's get goin'," Sigura said, reaching over to tap her elbow against my side. "I'll take the Mutt, and you take the Pig, alright?"

"[One gang leader for each of us? You don't want to try and fight Big Tooth together?]"

The thought bordered on being ridiculous, but the Don hadn't spoken out against our conversation.

The sound of a clap cracked through the air. My senses immediately snapped to the Kumiho standing atop the warehouse. Sigura's [Mantle] burst to life on reflex as the sound drew the attention of both leaders. With a toothy grin on her face, the Kumiho pointed directly towards the alley we were standing in.

Big Tooth exhaled, sending a puff of cold, visible breath into the midday light, his brows curling into a frown.

"Some of the Gnats have slipped through the cracks," the deep voiced Orc sneered. His Soul looked stable, which meant he hadn't taken Boost, but that didn't make him seem any less threatening than he was. The sound of his voice dripped with violent intent.

"You're about to get crushed by these 'Gnats', Piggy," Sigura called back, stretching her arms as she stepped into the clearing. From within my compartment, I brought out two metal plates, hovering them above my head and Sigura's just in case Cynosure's Skills made our ability to resist fade away. "Why didn't you take the Boost too? Too afraid to make the same sacrifice as your pals?"

"I will take Boost when the time is right," the Orc huffed, rising to his feet. "Those with me who survive this ordeal will come when I wage war on the Don. Only then will I put my life on the line with this Devil's brew. The likes of you are not worth it."

"I'm glad I'll get the chance to fight you again," Wolfheart said, his smile visible beneath the snout of his mask, both eyes locked on Sigura. "Have you been keeping up with your training? I'd hate to be disappointed after the display you gave the other day."

"Why don't you come over here and find out?" Sigura replied, walking over to the left as the [Delinquents] and Orcs providing first aid locked their cautious, wary eyes on her.

"Hmpf. You are the one to face me, abomination?" the Orc asked, his eyes turning towards me. He picked up a massive metal club that had been leaning against the grafted warehouse's wall, resting it atop his shoulder.

He was huge as far as Orcs went, but he was still shorter than I was at my full height. That didn't make his Aera reserves and muscled form any less concerning.

"Don't interfere, Cynosure," Wolfheart said, looking over his shoulder as his red eyes locked onto those of the Kumiho. "Focus on protecting the wounded and the dead. If they get too close, give them some incentive to move away, but do not use your abilities until then. Do I make myself clear?"

The Kumiho continued to lock eyes with him, unflinching for several long, tense seconds. Then, she nodded. Was she unable to reply verbally? Or was she unwilling?

"[Yes. I'll be your opponent, Big Tooth,]" I responded, feeling doubt well up within me.

Tactically, this was an awful idea. The two of us, going up against two gang leaders? It was a massive risk. A risk that could potentially save lives if it were to pay off. It was a risk I was willing to take, and one the Don seemed content to let us take, too. I was annoyed by that on multiple levels, but I had to put the thoughts of that aside. Metal from within my compartment took to the air. Plates, rods, blades, and hands. I was ready.

It was time for the final fight.