As dust rolls down the former tower like heavy fumes from a beaker, I watch in dumbfounded shock alongside the crowd. Collective screams and falling debris can be heard in the distance, and although the surrounding civilians are little more than stunned, I have a feeling the hysteria will come to them soon. Unfortunately, I am proven right as a series of indeterminate explosions begin erupting from every direction. I quickly grab Lili underarm and use to land on the nearest rooftop, avoiding the frantic rush below. We survey our surroundings from on high to find an entire city in upheaval.

“O-oh my God, what is happening, Enbos? C-could it be-”

“Yeah, it can only be Tascus. He’s come for the core and his men are raising one hell of a ruckus.”

“W-we have to save the people! They are disorientated and need guidance. Will you help me, Enbos?”

“Of course. Now, the first thing we have to do is find a safe- Oh for heaven’s sake, not you again!”

Alarmed by my outburst, Lili looks around but finds nobody in our immediate vicinity. She’s probably wondering why I’m shouting at thin air. However, I can clearly sense that mysterious presence hovering right front of me. It’s a remnant of the core’s influence, and yet, it seems to be getting worse as I can make out the shape of its limbs. One of its appendages is stretched out horizontally, almost like it’s pointing at-

“Oh, don’t tell me…”

“Enbos, is something the matter? What have you observed?”

“… I’m sorry, Lili,” I say while looking between the chaotic streets and the waiting ghost, “but you'll have to lead the people on your own. I know you can it.”

“Huh? What are you-”

“Let’s see: the bazaar looks untouched so far, so it should be safe to take the civilians there. As for me, I need to go after the core.”

“But why? Why do you believe you are needed there? The core is already being guarded by the most capable people in the city. Maximillian will not appreciate your aid.”

“Because Tascus wouldn’t launch this attack if he wasn’t sure. In the event that he manages to obtain the core, the only one who can track it… is me.”

“Then please, tell me, Enbos: for whose sake are you doing this for?”

“... I don’t know, Lili. An hour ago, I would have said it was solely for my dream, but now, I'm not too sure. All I know... is that it’s something “I” must do.”

"Enbos..."

"There is no time to waste. Take care, Lili," I say as I take out my mask and envelop my face once more.

“Sister Basilisk, this is Arion. The “gift” is on route to the extraction point.”

“Message received, leader. We’ll seal the path behind you.”

“Proximity of holy knights?”

“Positions unchanged. They are engaged with our bretheren, but have yet to realise the “gift” is in our possession.”

“And the Forlorn Soul?”

“Location unknown. He has eluded both the holy knights and our spies. His apprentice, however, has been spotted alongside a group of adventurers.”

“Send Sister Faun and Brother Griffin to secure the apprentice, if possible. As for the ensnarement team, tell them maintain the array but be ready for immediate departure. The Forlorn Soul is only a secondary objective.”

“Noted. Godspeed. brother.”

“Likewise, Sister Basilisk. Brother Cyclops and I shall-”

“Strong mana signature detected, Brother Arion!”

“What direction, Cyclops?”

“South-South West.”

“… I see nothing. Where is it now?”

“The “shade” is still closing in, brother. It’s right in front- No, above-!”

“!”

On wings of black mana, I follow my invisible guide and attack the float below, instantly destroying the fragile sculpture. Although I was worried they could be civilians at first, all reservation instantly dissipated the moment I saw the float was a giant, golden ram. It's not over yet. Tonight is going to be a long night.

I land on an adjacent roof and fling after into the plume of dust. Suddenly, two silhouettes spring onto the side of my building and begin running up the walls. I immediately redirect my attacks, but as they defy gravity to weave past my spells, I notice a flash of silver and lurch back as a knife comes flying past my head. In my moment of distraction, a pair of shadows fly over my head and reattach to two sets of feet on the roof.

Two slender figures clad in dark garb stand before me. One is wearing a smooth mask with a single slit for the eyes, while the other has his head completely wrapped in runic bindings, eyes and all. Although I’m curious how Bandage-head can even see, I’m far more concerned with the familiar wooden box attached to his waist.

Damn it, so they managed to snatch the core after all. Despite the impressive feat, I doubt they are as powerful as Maximillian or his knights. The annoying thing is I don’t have my beloathed sword. I could always resort to my blessing, but Maximillian may raise questions about my inhuman strength if his knights catch up. I need to keep my distance and continue-

“The Forlorn Soul has been found,” says Bandage-head in a raspy voice. “Disengage!”

Eh, don’t tell me… They’re legging it!?

“!”

Leaping from roof to roof, I give chase while firing balls of compact energy at their backs. I hit nothing but air as they dodge my attacks with ease and parkour across the chimneys. I can barely keep up with them, even with the winged one’s innate speed added to my own. In that case…

“!”

I take advantage of the ill-lit rooftops to throw my spell at their feet. Although it’s not strong enough to pin them in place, even a slight tug can change everything in a high-speed chase. Naturally, they tumble forward with fluid movements, but that one second disruption was all I needed to bear down on them with my hunting knife.

“.”

Two can play at that game!

“!”

Following their trace of magic energy, I reappear right in front of the pair and-

“.”

What the hell!?

How in the world did he cast two in such a short time? No, that’s not it. One of them used the skill while carrying the other, and then they switched. It’s a clever way of exploiting the skill, but a two-person uses a lot of mana. In any case, they’ve reappeared atop a different building with a wide, domed roof. I need to close the distance before-

“.”

Now they decide to attack?

The masked cultist conjures a phantasmal bow and fires a beam of black mana straight at my “heart”. I narrowly dodge the high-speed shot, but upon hearing a metallic *clang*, I turn to find a tennis-ball sized hole in the weathervane behind me. He winds up another shot, so I hurriedly fling a at his feet and leap the gap. However, the moment I land on the same roof, the two cultists rush toward my flanks with daggers in each hand. I immediately dash forward to avoid their pincer attack, but I’m unable to shake my foes as they catch up with ease.

Head and thigh. Torso and lower back. They strike as one from different angles, chaining their moves into a relentless flurry. My senses are being pushed to the limit as I deflect the attacks on my right and dodge the ones on the left. Nonetheless, I can’t keep up with their trained techniques and I can’t change souls lest I lose the buffs to my speed.

One of Mono-eye’s thrusts goes straight for my neck and I raise my arm to intercept it. However, as his knife pierces my sleeve, I catch the blade between my forearm bones and twist it out of his grasp. The second attacker runs his blade through my non-existent kidney, and in return, I grab his very-real arm.

“!”

Plonk!

Huh? Did his arm just come off? No, it’s a prosthetic connected to a chain!

“Oh shoot.”

In the blink of an eye, Bandage-head wraps the chain around my arms. I try channelling electricity, but for some reason he appears unaffected as he pulls me in with superhuman strength. A hidden spike protrudes from the centre of their other palm as he moves in for the kill.

“!”

Gaining access to , there is a sudden reversal in fortunes as I dig my feet into the tiles and pull him towards me instead. I immediately follow with an electrified kick, but to my astonishment, he practically folds himself backwards to dodge my attack before backflipping away. Meanwhile, I sense his partner charging another shot at my back.

Three… two… NOW!

Timing my movements with the windup, I turn at the very last split-second and use the deadly beam to break the chain on my arms. I immediately fire , and although Bandage-head manages to dodge the invisible crescent of energy, Mono-eye is less fortunate as it hits him square in his head. He instantly crumples to his knees, but it won’t be long before he recovers. Meanwhile, Bandage-head has installed a new arm, with three metal prongs instead of a hand, that projects a circular shield made of mana. Although his other hand is empty, I’m wary of the fact it can extend a foot-long spike.

“Geez, what in the world are you? A dark fairy in a mana-controlled automaton?” I say as I take the dagger lodged in my forearm. He doesn’t say a thing, but I’ve already got all the information I need.

Name Colligo (Arion) Race Human Class Shadow Stalker HP 100% MP 70% Max HP 92 Max MP 147 Attack 68 Defence 36 Magic 91 Resilience 57 Agility 118 Integrity 73

Damn, he is fast. It seems he’s been holding back up until now to coordinate with his partner. I no longer have the Winged One’s buff to even remotely keep up with Bandage-head, or rather, Colligo. It’s too late to switch back to the Winged One as I would rather be synchronised with something sooner than reset now. The good thing is he has rather low HP, so all I need is to land one or two hits from range.

“! !”

With a blade in each hand, I begin firing my spiritual energy in quick succession. Colligo dodges them with relative easier and closes the distance in the blink of an eye. However…

“Phantom Edge!”

… Colligo falls for my feint and immediately leaps a dozen metres back.

I knew it. He can’t actually see my spirit arts, not with an Integrity stat that low. He’s just following the movement of my swings to pre-emptively evade. Which means…

“Phantom Edge, , Phantom Edge…!”

Mixing genuine attacks among my flurry of brazen declarations, I nudge my opponent into more compromised positions. Even so, he manages to dodge with inhuman flexibility, dislocating and reattaching joints, although he’s no longer approaching me with the same eagerness as before. He’s probably figured out what I’m doing, but with no way of distinguishing or blocking my spirit arts-

Wait a second, where did his magic shield go? Did he deactivate it? If so, why equip that arm in the first place if he knew it couldn’t block spiritual-

Shiiiiing!

“Oh shi-”

I to safety just as something comes soaring from behind. I reappear elsewhere to find the projectile is the missing “shield” he had conjured earlier, except it’s cutting through the air like a remote-controlled buzz saw.

“.”

Damn it, he’s already up to my face!

“.”

“.”

Even with two arms against one, Colligo is jabbing with such speed and frequency that I’m being pushed up the domed roof. It seems he’s figured out how works as he’s stopping me from making wide movements. Worse…

Shiiiiing!

He’s controlling that destructive disc to attack from my blind spots, waving his metal prongs like a conductor’s baton. Since the caster is too close, the disc can only land glancing blows, but it won’t be long before I’m squarely hit by any of his multiple attacks. I hope he doesn’t notice what I'm planning…

“!”

Shiiing!

HP: 152/172

MP: 79/157

"."

HP: 145/172

MP: 77/157

Come on, come on...

HP: 137/172

MP: 75/157

There, a connection! Now I need an opening for a decisive attack, although I might not get the chance. His techniques and experience are leagues above my own, and at this rate, I may have to resort to my bless-

“.”

All of a sudden, Colligo launches an unnatural high kick from an upright position. I block his attack with little effort, but while his leg is pressing against my arm…

BANG!

… his heel suddenly explodes, empowering his blow and sending me skidding up the domed roof. As I’m flying back, I sense his deadly buzz saw coming straight for my back.

“!”

Increasing my weight tenfold, I cut off all momentum and slam my back on the roof as the disc comes zipping over my head. Colligo is about to redirect the deadly disc, when all of sudden…

“What!?”

His old arm flings itself from the floor and grabs his new arm at the elbow. It worked: he didn’t realise, I used to gain control of his former limb. Unable to control the spell, he hastily dives to the side as the disc comes flying towards him.

He's open, but I’m still too close to attack with . I have to take the high ground and conjure a flame to negate his .

“!”

In a single bound, I glide through the air and land at the top of the domed roof. The cultists are still some distance away and-

CRACK!

“What the-!”

The masonry below me crumbles like wet cardboard and I fall through the roof before hitting the wooden floor. I immediately jump back on my feet, but judging by his spiritual energy, he is neither leaving nor approaching my position.

Good grief, I did not see that coming. It’s obviously the handiwork of those cultists, but when did they prepare such a… a…

“… Oh my god. What have you monsters done?”

As my peels back the veil of darkness, I realise I’ve landed on the stage of an indoor amphitheater. Most disturbing of all is that the theatre is full... Full of fresh corpses, all slit at the throat. I feel as if I'm the one watching this horrid set, or perhaps where I stand really is a fantasy. A shiver goes up my spine as the stage lights turn on and three hidden souls make themselves apparent. I then look down to find a large heretical array beneath my feet.

“.”

Like a hundred fountain spitters from hell, blood streams out of the audiences’ necks and stain my entire body. It’s no longer a liquid but a living thing, as countless crimson tendrils wrap around me and grip harder and harder. I barely take a few strained steps toward the cultist in front of me before I fall to one knee.

The chase, the electricity proof clothing, Colligo’s tactics… I-it was all a trap just for me. They killed a theatre full of innocent people, both young and old... JUST TO GET ME!?

“GODDAMN YOU ALL!”

I'll kill them if it's the last thing I do! Whatever I may become, I will never forgive these fanatics who can commit such atrocities and brush it aside in the name of an imaginary figure, Status!

Tch, it’s still not ready. Did controlling that prosthetic delay the progress? By the time it’s done, all this blood would be as hard as diamond. I have no choice. 50 skill points to-

No, hold on a second. It’s impossible that they haven’t taken that into account. I can’t let my anger cloud my judgement. I have to use something Tascus and his men know nothing about, which leaves…

“How is the spell holding?”

“The Forlorn Soul has been completely encased by , Brother Arion. It is only a matter of time before the seal is complete.”

“Then the Prophecy is set. Nevertheless, remember not to lose focus. Enbos will inevitably use his Pact of Power. Brother Cyclops, your condition?”

“I am well enough to fight, my brother.”

“Good. Now we must defend our brethren lest Enbos reanimates the corpses around us. Maintain your concentration.”

“*Ha, ha…*”

“… Are you certain of your condition, Brother Cyclops?”

“I am, but for some reason, it is becoming harder to breathe…”

“Brother Arion! It is not… just Cyclops… we can’t…”

“Poison? No… the air has turned stale. What has Enbos…”

.

It’s a skill I don’t usually use in combat, but since me and my opponents are basically stationary, it’s the perfect spell for this situation. Judging by their movements, Colligo and Mono-eye seem to have realised and are trying to escape the field. However, it’s too late. The casters’ life forces are flickering, their magic is waning and… my synchronisation is finally done.

Crack!

“The blood… is breaking… main… -tain…”

“WEAK!”

I burst from my crimson chrysalis and descend on them like a avatar of vengeance. No more thinking. No more waiting. All I can see is red, and it’s not from all the blood on my mask, crying for retribution.

“DIE!”

With a single punch, I hit the cultist's cheekbone and their head whips so fast that it snaps their neck. I proceed to throw the body at the next cultist with . It knocks them onto their back, but before they can push aside their dead companion, I reanimate the corpse and it begins wrangling their neck. While this is all happening, Colligo, Mono-eye and the last caster are cautiously backing off.

“Brother Arion?”

“… Retreat! We no longer have a means to stop him if he uses his Pact of Power. Prioritise the primary objective.”

“Like hell I’ll let you! !”

Colligo and Mono-eye quickly jump towards the hole in the roof. However, the remaining cultist is a fraction too slow as I control the river of blood to knock him down. I’m soon upon him as I lodge my dagger into the side of his skull and use his body like a launching pad. As I pull myself up, I spy the duo prancing across the rooftops.

Without synchronising with the Winged One, I have no hope of catching up to them on foot. No matter. Now that I’m on the tallest building in the district, I have options.

“!”

“! ! !”

Chaining my skills in quick succession, I adopt a wingsuit design and soar across the rooftops. However, as I’m closing the distance, they deliberately drop into one of the alleys. I can’t slow down or overshoot the gap. I have to risk it!

“! !”

Bringing my arms to my sides and vastly increasing Garea’s pull on my body, I narrowly plunge into the dark alley at breakneck speed. I land with thunderous force and lose a chunk of HP, but there is no time to waste. The pair are well ahead and are about to turn a corner.

“! !”

Swinging my knives, I fire my skills not at their disappearing backs… but through the wall itself. The blades of spiritual energy phases through brick and mortar, and to my savage delight, I hear both of them take a fall. I quickly turn the corner and prepare to fire another, however…

“.”

Here we go again.

“!”

“.”

As expected, they alternate their skills an reappear at the end of another ally. However, before they they can escape my line of sight…

“!”

… I reappear in front of them once more. Colligo uses his metal prongs to catch my blade, and behind his bandaged face, I can sense his confusion over my seemingly impossible feat.

While it’s true has a minute-long cooldown, it's not like I'm suddenly defying this rule… I'm simply using their companion’s instead. As expected, they all shared similar abilities, so I was able to "skill stack", or so to speak. Anyway, the important thing is I still have two more charges so it doesn't matter where they choose to flee.

“!”

“Ugh!”

As I’m pressuring the impaired Colligo, Mono-eye throws a magic core before my eyes, which erupts in a blinding flash of light. I’m hardly affected, but that split-second distraction was all they needed to slip past and reach the end of the alley. I stomp on the core to destroy the light and after them, however…

“Eeeeek! Run for your life!”

… I’ve appeared at the edge of the bazaar where hundreds of citizens are taking shelter. Upon seeing my bloodstained form and experiencing the crippling effect of my skill, it has turned into an open stampede.

Damn it, they’re trying to slip into the crowd! I can’t fire magic or spirit arts haphazardly. The good news is they’re still maimed from , so I should be able to catch up to them quickly.

“.”

I land on a stall roof and begin running along the cloth and straw rooves. I can already see them. The crowd just needs to disperse a bit before… Now!

“!”

I chuck the knife in hand at Colligo’s back, but just as the handle leaves my fingers, he grabs a nearby pedestrian and pushes him in front as a meat shield. I desperately cast to stop my own knife. Upon seeing this, the pair suddenly stop as I drop to ground level to confront them.

“What are you-”

“L-let go! Let go of me!”

“Oh no…”

Reaching behind a stall, Mono-eye drags out a young woman and holds her from behind, pressing a knife to her throat. Meanwhile, Colligo begins limping away with the core. I reach into my robe and-

“Do not move, Enbos.”

“…”

“Take whatever you have in your hand and cast it away.”

I follow his directions and quickly throw it behind the stalls. It seems he is too focused on me to realise what it was. He takes a few steps back, but when I take a step forward, he digs the knife deeper into the terrified woman’s neck.

“To think you are such a soft-hearted fool...”

“Let her go.”

"If we had known, we would have spared some of the audience..."

"Your partner has already left and I have no hope of catching him. If you leave her be, I swear I won't chase you."

“These ignorant lambs mean nothing to you. You can never be their shepherd, and even now, there is nothing but fear in her eyes. It is no wonder you are the Forlorn Soul…”

“You can go back to Tascus and continue to serve Maleosis. However, if you choose to remain or draw a single drop of her blood, I'll gut you like a squid and send you directly to your god!”

“... My life means nothing before His Holiness’ ascension. If I must keep you here for eternity,,,"

"Damn it, why are you all so..."

"... then I shall gladly offer it for the sake of an everlasting Eden.”

“Oh, FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE! Can’t you murderous drones show mercy for once in your god. Damned. LIVES!? That woman is not a sacrificial lamb, but a human being who sheds as much blood and tears as you! Your worship of Maleosis is nothing but madness, and with your so-called Prophecy, all you’re doing is looking for a reason to die. I'm sick of seeing you treat lives like utter garbage, especially your own. So please, I’m begging you! If you have even a shred of humanity or common sense‑”

“The forlorn opens the forbidden pass

Bearing a soul with pure intent.

Once my champion overcomes his impasse

My full rebirth he shall foment...”

“…”

“Do you really think the Prophecy so senseless? We all have our roles in His grand designs. I will follow mine… as will she.”

Damn it! There’s no reasoning with this madman. He will gladly deliver her to Maleosis if I dare make a move. As far as he’s concerned, her only other worth outside of dying is to keep me put, but it's likely he'll kill her anyway once he's sure Colligo has escaped. Luckily, I managed to manoeuvre Mr. Bonny, the thing I secretly threw, behind the stall next to him. Now I need to think of a way to-

“.”

“… H-huh?”

… Although I heard the spell called long before it connected, I can hardly fathom what I'm seeing before my very eyes. Likewise, there is nothing but disbelief in the cultist’s and hostage’s eyes as they look down to find… the tip of a glowing spear has impaled the former’s heart, and gourged a part of the latter’s upper arm.

The spear scatters into flecks of golden light, and Mono-eye soon collapses to the ground like a stringless puppet. The woman quickly follows suit, her whole-body twitching, eyes wide and unfocused. I immediately rush to her side and try to press on the wound, blood seeping between my narrow fingers. My desperation is soon soothed with all-encompassing rage as I hear the perpetrator’s footsteps on the cobblestone floor. I look up to see the approaching figure, and while I’m taken aback at first, my eyes harden at their placid expression.

“Get up, Enbos the Black. There is no time to waste."

"What... the hell... do you think you're doing... MAXIMILLIAN!"