Meracle and Leone meet each other with their own kicks head on, sending a backlash of air from the impact. As their legs pushed together, both leaped back, skidding on all fours as they came to a stop.

Meracle glanced up, remaining on all fours while Leone stood back up, still with her usually cocky grin. Hissing, Meracle lunged forwards to Leone, who sends a roundhouse kick in response. Meracle dodged by leaping up over her, twirling around bending her legs before using sky jump to propel herself towards Leone, somersaulting around performing a spinning axe kick. Leone raised an arm to block the kick, her arm to block the blow, gritting her teeth in response to the unexpected strength.

Meracle leaped back once again as Leone held her ground, still with her arm still raised, which had a bruise on it left behind. "Not bad screwball. That actually hurt."

Meracle didn't respond to that. Instead, she narrowed her eyes at Leone. "Why are you doing all this?"

"Huh?" Leone lowered her arm, "Cause I'm being paid a shit ton of Rundes to-"

"Shut up!" Meracle yelled, interrupting Leone. "I know what they're trying to do, what they're trying to bring out and what it can do. You'd never accept a job this dangerous, even for all the money in the world."

Leone's smile disappeared.

"Mew... What was it you always said? 'Money's all well and good, but I ain't gonna put that over my life?'" Meracle continued, "This doesn't seem like you to risk your life over! So why- GHAA!!"

Before she could finish, Leone charged forwards and slammed her foot hard into Meracle's belly, launching her at high speeds towards one of the buildings on the plateau, crashing through what looked like a market stand, breaking it.

"Geez, you picked up a pretty bad habit from either that bitch of an Arch Sage or blondy." Leone said in a more sinister and dangerous tone. She lowered her leg and walked towards the wreckage. "All you really need to know is that I'm gonna kick your ass again, screwball. And those little friends of yours are gonna die, this time around." She stopped, short of the wreckage, putting on her sly grin. "You and your little band of losers can play hero all you want, it won't change a single-"

Leone was interrupted when Meracle rocketed out of the repackage, sending a flying kick, connecting to the unsuspecting Leone's face. Leone was sent flying backward before righting herself by spinning in the air, skidding across the ground while holding her face.

Meracle recovered, keeping her body low to the ground with her right hand stretched outwards, glaring at Leone.

"Owwww..." Leone growled, moving her had from her face, burning her stare into Meracle. "You're really asking for it screwball...." She hissed.

"I'm not the same screwball I was before," Meracle said, regaining her stance, "I told you, I'm here to settle things with you!"

Leone stood back up, wiping her nose, which had a trail of blood flowing from it, a result of Meracle's kick. The look she gave Meracle was more serious then she'd ever looked before.

"....Fine," Leone adopted a similar stance to Meracle, standing sideways, but keeping her arms to her side. "Then let's settle things screwball."

****

"Take this!"

Rodger slammed his hammer to the ground, sending rocks flying towards Robin, who flew around, dodging each one as a silver arrow materialized.

He twirled around, aiming the arrow at Rodger, who raised four earth walls in the way. Robin let loose the arrow, which blasted through the three walls, but failed to break the fourth.

"Hm?"

"Haha!" Rodger, with his hand slammed to the ground, sent three earth spears towards Robin. Taken slightly off guard, Robin swerved around, narrowly avoiding the attack as another silver arrow materialized. Following the third dodge, Robin let loose the arrow towards Rodger once again.

Robin leaped out of the way as the arrow passed by, but it swerved around, flying off before curving around, flying back towards Rodger. With a grin, Rodger slammed his hammer into the ground, where just behind him, his Golem was formed, which blocked the arrow. Unlike the other ones, attached to its left arm was a large earth cannon that was aimed at Robin, who materialized another arrow.

"Take this," Rodger pointed his hammer towards Robin. "Ga Ga Golem: Earth cannon!"

A bolder fired from the cannon. At the same time, Robin fired. The two collided, and as predicted, the bolder was shattered. The arrow continued, landing into the golem's cannon, smashing the entire left arm apart.

"You forget what happened last time?" Robin said in his usual voice devoid of emotion. "My arrows can blast apart all your lame sculptors." He glanced down to where Rodger was, "Hm?" Only to find he wasn't there.

"Looking for someone!"

Robin looked down, seeing Rodger skidding to a halt just below him, slamming a hand on the ground. Rock spears shot out from the ground around him.

Robin was forced to float away fast as each tip intercepted the ear where he was, another silver arrow materializing on his bow. Floating upside down, he aimed at Rodger and fired just as a wall was up. The arrow slammed into the wall, causing it to crack and fall apart instead of destroying it outright.

Robin's eyes widened. He realized that the silver arrow he shot before, didn't penetrate the final one of Rodger's walls, as opposed to the last time where he could blast through practically everything. This time, there was only one wall, which managed to withstand the full power behind the shot.

As the dust fell, a massive pillar was suddenly launched just as the pillar crumbled. Robin floated out of the way, readying an arrow with a green cylinder, firing at the pillar's origins. The impact unleashed the force of a tornado, obliterating the pillars from the resulting cyclone.

"Did that get him?" Robin asked himself, seeing the dust settle. When it did, Rodger was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh I get it." Robin said as another silver arrow materialized. He then turned sharply, drawing back his bow to fire at Rodger anticipating that he used the pillar he just fired to launch himself forwards to get behind him.

When he did, he found he was wrong. Rodger wasn't behind him.

Suddenly, rock hands shot from the earth, aiming to crush their opponent. Robin quickly floated out of the way as the hands smashed into each other hard enough to break themselves.

"So he's somewhere on the ground?" Robin evaluated, scanning the plateaus floor, looking for his target. He then noticed another pillar, one that looked to have been done recently.

"Uh oh-"

Without warning, Rodger fell from above, slamming a rock mallet into him, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Got ya now!" Rodger boasted as he spun in the air with the rock mallet still formed around his silver hammer.

Robin turned around; letting loose the arrow in his bow, which hit the mallet's head, shattering it. The resulting backlash blew Rodger off, sending him back, tumbling across the ground before he righted himself, just as Robin began to regain altitude.

"That's twice now...." He whined. "Looks like I actually underestimated you. You must have a pretty high mana level to actually block my shots."

Rodger grinned as he rested his hammer on his shoulders. "Told ya I want giving it 100% last time." He boasted.

"Looks that way," Robin then gave outa small smirk, "of course, I haven't been giving it 100% either,"

"No point bluffing," Rodger said as he slammed a hand on the ground, sending a pillar towards Robin, who just remained in place as the pillar came within a few meters from him.

Then all of a sudden, he disappeared.

"Who's bluffing?"

Rodger's eyes widened, seeing Robin upside down, right up in his face.

Startled, Rodger swung his hammer at Robin, who vanished before he could hit.

Robin appeared behind Rodger, with another silver arrow forming on his bow. Rodger slammed a hand to the ground. A rock burst from the ground, which he batted with his hammer towards his opponent, who vanished again before it could impact.

Robin repaired a few feet away from where he was originally, letting loose the arrow. Rodger slammed his hammer down, summoning a wall to protect him. The arrow, however, curved around, aiming directly at him.

"Oh crap!" Rodger swore as he leaped back as the arrow passed him by. Robin materialized a second arrow, firing at Rodger's wall. The arrow hit, blasting the wall apart, sending Rodger tumbling back by the shockwave.

Rodger regained his footing, just as the first arrow came back around, aiming directly at him.

"Oh no you don't!" Rodger yelled as he summoned a pillar directly in front of the arrow. Those homing ones are weak. I can block them with just this.

As though proving him wrong, the arrow suddenly split into four fragments, flying directly at Rodger.

"?!!" Rodger leaped back, at the last minute, just barely dodging the arrows, which hit the ground before him.

"You didn't think I was taking it seriously last time?"

Rodger turned his head, only to see Robin a few feet away, readying another silver arrow to fire at point-blank range. "See ya-"

Suddenly, a ball of compressed air hit the bow, forcing Robin off the mark just as he loosed the arrow, which continued on before hitting another plateau, shattering it.

Robin disappeared and repaired, looking towards the source of the compressed air. "Oh, you decided to stick around?"

Rodger turned his head to see what had saved him. "Wha- what are..."

"You really think I was gonna let a loser like you take this guy head-on?" Standing at the drawbridge to the plateau, holding his blowpipe, the one who just saved him, was none other than Rodger's rival, someone he constantly competed and picked fights with.

"Hey floating kid! Don't you dare take me, Steve E. Ferlo, lightly!"

****

"And here we are," Yensin announced, spreading his arms out before a massive stone door before him, the mummy and Lire Lim. The secret door they had walked down lead to a larger circular room, dimly lit by a massive crystal, which floated above. Along the walls were murals, all dedicating a battle between what looked like people, and winged beasts that descended from above, dotted with large demonic eyes near the ceiling.

"Fascinating? Isn't it?" Yensin said as he surveyed the murals. "These ruins predate the coming of Saruin and the age of chaos. A time where beasts descended, heralding calamity." He grinned, resting his hands on his hips, letting out a big sigh. "It makes you realize just how old this place is. How no human has ever set foot."

"Fror.... Jukshi..." Lire Lim wheezed, causing Yensin to sigh once again.

"Killjoy," He said as he approached the mummy, wrapping his arm around his neck. "What about you? Your opinions? Anything you want to add? No?" He gently smacked the mummy where the cheek was before backing off. "Ahh, I don't know why I even bother."

"Dechigo..... Lo.... Rokoria ssssommreee...."

"Oh come now. I don't think I spout nonsense. Well, most of the time."

"What are you standing around here for?"

Yensin turned to see Ellie enter the chamber, with barely a scratch on her given the previous battle she was involved in.

"Just passing the time while we wait for you to catch up. I feel it's only right you get priority seats for what's to come." Yensin said, waving as Ellie caught up to them. "So how did it go?"

"What do you think?" Ellie said, bluntly folding her arms. "So..... how do we get through?"

"That's all you're gonna say?" Yensin continued, earning him a contentious glare from Ellie. "Fine fine. Lire Lim, my dear, would you be so kind?"

Lire Lim raised her jade skull, which glowed an eerie green color that coated the door in green light. With a creak, the door opened slowly, showing a long corridor stretching out before it.

"I believe the phrase is 'open sesame,'"

Ellie, ignoring her master walked on straight through the door.

"I must agree with Leone, she seems colder than usual," Yensin said as he, Lire Lim and the mummy followed on. "Oh and.... Have our 'stars' arrived yet?"

Lire Lim looked up towards Yensin and nodded.

"Good, good." Yensin smiled sinisterly. "Well then, what say we leave them a little 'gift?'"

Lire Lim brought out her skull which shone. From that, just behind them, a green gate opened.

"Oh, that is a nasty one,"

"Toorrdi...... Grokare..... yoyshookreee....."

"Ha ha, you right," Yensin smiled sinisterly as a large baby hand reached out from the portal into the chamber they just left. "I certainly pity the fools who will be fighting it."

****

"S-Steve?" Rodger muttered with his mouth agape, staring at Steve who had just arrived.

Robin floated where he had retreated from, glancing at the small burse on his left arm. "I actually gotta give it to you there. Not only did you knock my aim off, but that hurt a little." He glanced towards Steve, "So you decided to stick around after all. Pretty sure you'd run away like your little friends."

"Tch, Don't underestimate me, you freak," Steve spat. "You bastards come into my home and wrack the place. No way I'm gonna stand for that." Steve glanced over to Rodger. "Look, I don't like you, and you don't like me, and I don't have the slightest clue what's going on and who these guys are," he looked back to Robin, "but even I can tell this guy's not gonna go down easy. Only way we can win is if we team up." Steve glanced back to Rodger. "So, are you in?"

Rodger looked to Steve, then back to Robin. He then smiled and glanced towards Steve and spoke. "No way."

..............

"H-Huh.... Wh-WHAT?!!!!" Steve snapped furiously, pointing his blowpipe at Rodger. "WHAT THE HELL, I JUST SWALLOWED MY PRIDE TO SAY THAT YOU DAMN LOSER!!!"

"SHUT UP!!!! I SAW HIM FIRST AND I OWE HIM FROM LAST TIME!!"

Robin floated by silently as the two children got up in each other's face, yelling back and forth.

"Last time?!!! That means you lost to him before!!"

"I wasn't at full strength last time!! Besides, a real man always settles the score!!"

"Ahhhh enough of that real man crap!!! Bottom line is you can't even beat me!! How the hell do you expect to beat that floating freak!!"

"I'm stronger then I was when I left!!"

"It's only been five days, you moron!!!"

"Well, what's your excuse?!! Ya look like ya had the crap beaten outta ya!!!"

"Sh-Shut up!! I was just caught off guard by that blond cat lady- AHHHH!!"

Suddenly, a cyclone formed close to where the two were Robin remained in place with his hands positioned like he'd just fired an arrow.

"Oops, my hand slipped." He said casually as the cyclone began to die down. When it did, his eyebrow raised with surprise. Before him was a cone of earth that seemed to have survived the cyclone even when the area around it was devastated right down to the vegetation that peeled off due to the force.

The cone then cracked and fell apart. Inside where the two boys, both of which were unhurt and unaffected by the attack.

"Whew... that was close," Rodger said as he sorted out his helmet as Steve emerged, looking just as relieved.

"Can't believe this thing actually held up."

"Casue it did! It was done by me after all!" Rodger boasted.

"Yeah, that's what makes it hard to believe," Steve said, narrowing his eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Yeash, you're pretty hard to kill," Robin said, causing both boys to flinch and tense up, as though they almost forgot about him. "I honestly thought you were bluffing when you said you weren't at 100%"

He then glanced out towards the village seeing the chaos unfold. In the distance was Lire Lim's monsters still running rampant with a behemoth tearing into them. There was a massive water dome that seemed to cover one of the plateaus in the center, and by the entrance they made, he could swear he saw flames on one of the plateau with large bursts of water coming from below.

"Boy, did they pick the wrong person for the job."

Rodger and Steve stood by as they're opponent returned his attention to them, both tightening their grip on their respective weapons.

"Look, I don't like the idea of teaming up with you as much as you do," Steve said, "But think about it, this guy's got nothing on Dolton. I believe you won by a fluke or was just lucky, but even so, I can tell this is someone who you won't be able to beat on your own."

"Sorry, bit it ain't gonna happen," Rodger said determined, gripping his hammer. "If I back down from him and ask for help, then I got no right being with Allisa and the others."

Steve looked astonished, "Come on! Do you really think nows the time to think about that crap!"

"A real man never backs down." Rodger said, flashing a grin at his opponent, "I'm gonna be an adventurer, just like pa and see the world beyond the forest that he loved so much.

"I know he’s stronger than Dolton. He proved that last time," he stuck out his hammer at Robin, "but if I back down from this fight, right after they wrecked my home, then I got no right being with Allisa, or calling myself Graham's son." His eyes flashed with determination, "No matter what, I will beat this guy, save my home, and see the world my pa loved."

Steve was speechless. Rodger was one of the most headstrong and stubborn people he had ever met, constantly challenging him to duels or competitions that he usually loses. He'd leave the village to fight the monsters, even risking being torn apart by the monsters in the village. Once he made a decision, he'd stick to it.

In the end, Steve let out a loud sigh. "You do remember you haven't beaten me once."

"Wh-What the heck does that gotta do with anything?! And I was able to beat Dolton one on one, remember!"

Ignoring him, Steve shot him a cocky grin. "Don't let beating Dolton go to your head. I bet it was some kind of fluke anyway." He then glanced up at Robin, twirling his blowgun around. "And you can forget about beating this freak," then grinned, with a look full of determination, "cause I'm the one who's gonna take him down."

Rodger looked surprised but then grinned as he looked back to Robin. "In your dreams," He said as he rested his silver hammer on his shoulder. "Cause I'm gonna take this guy down."

"You both are idiots," Robin said as he readied his bow, "guess this won't be as easy as I thought."

Nel vs. Thelma and Louise

"Gimdo!"

Allisa, Kira and Nel made it to the chief's hut to find it in ruins. The area around showed signs of a recent battle with broken walls, several scorch marks that burred away the vegetation along with gorges carved into the ground. Lying around was a battered Gimdo and Dorian.

Allisa ran up to Gimdo, kneeling down and gently on his front. "Gimdo! Are you ok?!" Allisa pleaded as she cradled him in her arms.

To her relief, she saw Gimdo open his eyes, glancing at Allisa wearily. "Y-You're here......?"

"That goodness," Allisa sighed with relief.

"He's alive to?" Nel announced, kneeling beside Dorian.

Kira glanced at the battlefield, her hands clenching into a fist by the sight of the battle damage. "..... Ellie,"

Weak, Gimdo spoke in a strained voice. "R-Rodger..... where is he?"

"Don't worry, he's fine." Allisa said reassuringly as Nel approached, crouching down to Gimdo's level.

"The people that did this, where did they go?"

Gimdo moved his hand weakly, pointing to a passageway that had open up in the wall close by. "T-There's something down there..... which we chiefs were tasked with protecting..... That man..... and that woman with the bandaged left arm...."

Kira twitched.

".... You.... you have to stop him...."

Allisa nodded to him. "Don't worry, that's why we're here."

Nel got up and looked to the passageway, then glanced at her surroundings, narrowing her eyes. She then looked to Kira.

"You! Kira!"

"Hm?" Kira snapped out of her trance to look at Nel, who pointed to Dorian.

"Pick him up and carry him into the ruins."

"Wha-Huh? Why me?! You're closer!!" Kira exclaimed.

"Allisa," Nel ignored Kira and continued. "Carry Gimdo."

"Uhh...." Allisa looked to the passageway, then back to the injured Gimdo. "Shouldn't we leave them somewhere safe? They're both badly injured."

"If we leave them out here, there is a chance those monsters will get them."

"That's.... a good point."

"Those ruins probably run deep underground. Just leave them somewhere that seems safe. Remember, we're pressed for time."

"I know, I know." Allisa said as she cradled Gimdo in her arms, gently lifting him up.

"I-I'm.... sorry," Gimdo said wirily.

"It's ok. Try to get some rest, alright."

Nel glanced over to Kira, who hadn't moved from her spot. Reluctantly, Kira sighed saying, "Fine!" and walked over to the unconscious Dorian, picking him up.

With the Samiets in their arms, both girls walked towards the entrance of the passageway with Nel walking behind them.

"Hey," Kira whispered leaning into Allisa, "Is Red always like this?"

".... Pretty much," Allisa said, with a whirly smile as both reached the passageway.

Both stopped as they reached the entrance, looking at the dark corridor that stretched out before them. The walls decorated with murals, depicting what looked like man and beasts clashing together in a battle.

"So.... Ellie's down there, huh," Kira muttered.

"Kira...." Allisa glanced over at her, seeing her conflicted look. She then glanced back to Nel, who had stopped by the entrance with her eyes closed. "We should hurry. We probably don't have a lot of time left."

"....... Sorry, you'll have to go without me," Nel said as she opened her eyes.

"N-Nel...?" Allisa turned around, looking confused by Nel's actions.

"Something wrong Red?" Kira asked, looking just as confused. "What, don't tell me your scared or something?" She joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Nel didn't laugh but instead turned around. "I've got some unfinished business out here."

"..... Is it... one of them?" Allisa asked, feeling her hands clenched. If she was right, that would mean she had to leave her behind, just like her other friends.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Nel spoke, looking behind her, giving Allisa a gentle smile. "I'll bring up the rear, so just keep moving forward."

"...." Allisa wanted to say something, to change her mind, but she knew that it would be pointless. Once Nel makes a decision, little could be said or done to change her mind.

"Ok," Allisa nodded, firming her resolve as she turned. "Be careful, and don't do anything stupid."

"Ha, don't compare me to those idiots."

Allisa walked away with Gimdo cradled in her arms. Kira followed her after saying "Good luck Red!" and walked alongside Allisa with Dorian in her arms. "You sure about this?"

Allisa nodded. "We don't have a lot of time. We need to keep moving forward."

"That's not what I meant. I ya sure we should leave her out there."

"Yeah, she'll be fine," Allisa looked to Kira, giving her a determined smile. "I trust Nel."

Back outside, Nel walked away from the passageway, stopping at the center of the plateau where Gimdo and Dorian lay. Eyeing the view of the devastation, Nel took in a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"I know you're there." She said as she opened her eyes.

Staring back at her, standing just a few meters away, was the demon masked twin assassins.

"How did you know?"

"Our dummy check was activated."

"There's no way you could have seen us,"

"Or sensed us,"

"Right Thelma?"

"Right Louise." The twins spoke.

"Call it a lucky guess," Nel said as she crossed her arms. "If you two where going to jump us anywhere, here would be the best time when we're close to catching up with your master."

She glared at the assassins. "That ability of yours is certainly powerful. Not even my eyes can see you. By that logic, you could have killed back at Deadmans End.

"Löwe Höhle, even walking into this village. You could have killed all of us and we'd never know. So why haven't you?"

The twin assassins let out a small chuck each, reaching their gauntleted hands up to the masks, slowly removing them to show Nel their young faces.

"Because it would be boring,"

"To kill your opponent,"

"Without them even knowing what killed them."

Both twins gave a sadistic grin.

"The fear,"

"The helplessness,"

"The despair,"

"The madness,"

"The emotions present,"

"That is what we like,"

"That is what we foster,"

"Before taking life,"

"Right Thelma,"

"Right Louise."

Nel felt her fingers digging into her arm, holding back the anger that built up in her. "It seems you've lost your way as assassins." She said, glaring at the twins. "One of the most important rules that any assassin must follow is to never take life for pleasure. We are tools, trained to kill, no more than weapons for the highest bidder. When we kill, we don't feel joy or remorse.

"The last Assassin I fought had that integrity right up to the end. But you two.... You're nothing but killers, senselessly killing for little reason other than joy."

"You condemn us,"

"But you are no different." The twins countered, not losing their smile.

"When you killed Ingrid Terdara."

"That look in your eye."

"And when you lost control,"

"And assaulted Ellie."

"That wasn't even the actions of a killer,"

"No, more like a savage beast. Right Louse?"

"Right Thelma."

Nel flinched in response to their words.

"But really," The twins continued, "When it comes to losing their ways as assassins,"

"You're worse then we are."

"The second rule of the assassins,"

"One not even we have broken."

The twins then spoke together. "Never form attachments."

Nel smiled softly, glancing down at the ground. "You're right," she said, looking at her left hand. "Never grow attached to what could one day become a target, be it friends or family. A rule I've never broken," she then clenched her left hand into a fist, "until recent."

She glanced back to the twins, returning to her cold gaze. "So, since you've only revealed yourselves to me, I guess I'm your target."

Smiling, one of the twins reached into her corset and brought out a small booklet, opening it at one page. "Nel Zepher. The last known assassin of the Crimson blades."

"Bounty of 500,000 Rundes for your head alone."

"With the price for your eyes on the Miltesa black market reaching the millions."

"Right," Nel let out a small huff. She knew full well that she had a bounty, even present in her own Bingo book. Even out of date (with the bounty on her head of only 300,000), she knew full well that she was wanted amongst assassins and even bounty hunters. "You're not the first to try." She continued, putting a hand on her hip, "And since you've let Allisa go, I take it you don't care much for Yensin's goal of awakening the nine tails."

"Not really," The twins spoke, with one tucking the bingo book back into her corset.

"Master Yensin's goals don't particularly interest us."

"Killing is our business."

"We don't care much for politics,"

"Or saving the world,"

"Or destroying it,"

"Right Thelma?"

"Right Louise."

Both twins smiled once again at Nel. "You are the one we have interest in."

Despite the deceleration, Nel couldn't help but smile in response. "And I chew those two out for being reckless." Her eyes then glowed yellow. "I guess I'm no different."

Both assassins placed their masks back on their faces. "Let's go!" They then launched forwards, throwing synchronized punches towards Nel. Nel moved her hands, parrying both to allow them to slide past.

Both turned around, lunging forwards once again at Nel, sending a flurry of coordinated attacks at Nel, who parried each one, keeping up with their movements with relative ease thanks to her eyes. Both twins leaped back, sending another combined punch at Nel, who ducked in response, pulling her arms back into palms, striking both in the gut. Both twins were sent backward, flipping around in the air before coming to a halt.

Grinning, Nel drew her blades, "Come on, let's take this seriously." She said as she raised her short blade out in front of her, holding her dagger in a down position.

Both twins recovered, crossing their arms and sending both out. Out of their gauntlets, just above their knuckles, twin blades shot out from them. Both stood back-to-back with their blades raised.

Nel braised herself as one of the twins lunged herself forwards, swinging her right blade outwards. The two clashed and ground together, the two coming closing in on each other, Nel's glowing yellow eyes meeting the onyx eyes visible behind the mask.

With a push, the twin backed off before releasing a flurry of strikes with both knuckle blades, all of which Nel intercepted, blocked and parried with her short blade, moving in speeds that to the bystander would see as abnormal.

Following the strikes, the blades locked again, this time with the twins blades crossing over with Nel inverting her blade. In the same motion, she moved her dagger, blocking a strike from the second twins strike from behind, allowing the blade to slide along her dagger all the way to the gauntlet.

Nel launched both legs from the ground, kicking the first twin away, and backfilling in the process causing the second twin to disengage. Upside-down, Nel spun her legs out, causing the twin to block with her left arm before lunging her right arm out. Nel responded by hooking the double-edged blade with the back of her curved short blade and dagger, forcing it downwards as she spun upwards, over the assassin before skidding to stop behind her.

The assassin pivoted around, swinging her blades out, causing Nel to block again. The twin then moved her head to the left, just as the other twin lunged one of her blades past, coming close to piercing Nel's right eye. As though just in time, Nel vanished from her position, reappearing a few meters away, raising her blades up again.

"You certainly earned that bounty." One of the twins said.

"You're no slouches either," Nel complimented. Her eyes widened when she noticed that there was only one of the twins in front of her. The other had disappeared.

"Too late," The twin that was still visible charged forwards, swinging her blades out. Nel backed away instead of blocking the strike. "We've won."

Unknown to Nel, the other twin, under the cover of her 'dummy check' ability was circling around, watching as Nel landed back on the ground, approaching from behind while crossing her blades, ready to cleave Nel in half just as she touched down, only just catching sight of the sinister grin on Nel's face.

Unexpectedly, Nel inverted her blade and pivoted, striking outward.

Startled, the twin raised her blades, blocking the strike that was aimed at her head. "What?!"

Nel then broke off her dagger, sending a roundhouse kick into the twin in the gut, sending her flying backward, slamming into one of the raised walls leftover from the previous battle.

The other twin took a step back, her eyes widened. "I-Impossible...."

"As I said, you lost your chance to kill me," Nel said as she slowly turned around to the twin.

Despite the shock, the twin charged forwards, under the cover of her ability, her arms stretched outwards, prepared to strike.

Just as she reached her, and was about to strike, Nel moved first, lowering herself and spinning out her leg, striking the twin in her left leg, causing her to stagger, then kicked out with her other leg into her right flank, knocking her to the ground.

She rolled across the ground before righting herself, glancing towards Nel. "B-But how....?" She cried. "She couldn't see us before, even with her eyes- !!!?"

It was then, staring directly at Nel that she noticed.

Nel's eyes were closed.

"I must thank that girl, Ellie, for what she did to Allisa," Nel spoke with an unsettling smile. "Your ability allows you to blend in perfectly to the background, right in sight but hidden from view. The reason why I can't find you is because I was looking for you.

"When Allisa was cut down, I forgot everything, with my sights locked solely on the one responsible. Thanks to that, I realized how much I relied on my eyes, forgetting about what I can't see."

The twin got back to her feet, holding her blades out, acting more cautious than before. "You're saying..... you're reacting out of instinct?"

AS if to test out that theory, the second twin, who Nel had kicked away before, charged forwards, lunging her right blade. When it came a few meters from piercing her skin, Nel moved suddenly, slipping past the lung, using her dagger to glide past the assassin, striking down with her short blade before the twin jumped back, avoiding having her head taken off, receiving a small slit in her mask, looking just as shocked as her sister.

"Why are you doing all this....?" The twin said.

"Why are you taking such risks...." The second asked as she ran to her sister's side.

"All for.... For that girl?"

With her eyes still closed, Nel smiled softly. "My mission is to keep Allisa alive, and through these past three months, I picked up on her biggest weakness. She's too trusting. She'd let anyone close to her no matter what the intent, and would always look to the good in others.

"That's why.... She needs someone like me by her side. One willing to walk in darkness so she doesn't." Nel changed her stance, holding her short blade up, speaking mostly to herself.

"No matter what she chooses, if she continues walking in the light, I'll gladly be her shadow."