There was a heavy silence in the workshop, the kind that only showed up in the aftermath of horrible news. It lasted less than two seconds though.

Gabe: "Okay, mourning silence is over, back to work!"

To the complete bafflement of the girls the scientist absentmindedly grabbed a wrench and continued working on the door mechanism even after hearing the mortifying news.

Kay: "Wait, what do you mean?!"

Gabe: "Eh?" The man looked up at the girl as if she asked something really weird. "What do you mean what do I mean? He’s dead. End of story."

Kay: "But I don’t understand…!"

With one last hit of the hammer Gabe successfully removed the last safety clamp from the fake wall which then slowly slid aside so that the entrance was completely open.

Gabe: "Well, that was a hassle…"

Lily: "So?"

The blonde girl slowly walked up to him with a serious expression, which still wasn’t able to faze the scientist.

Gabe: "So what? He’s with you, why aren’t you doing something about it?"

Lily: "Cut your crap already, I’m getting really angry here."

The girl’s clearly threatening tone was yet another in the long chain of shocks Kay had to endure this day, and apparently it finally reached the scientist as well.

Gabe: "Seriously, just what do you want me to do? I’m about as empty as an Irish whiskey-store the day after Saint Patrick’s-!"

Finally, Kay couldn’t take it anymore.

Kay: "Wait! Would someone tell us what the hell is going on!? How do you even know Pabloc is dead? And what’s going on with Lily?! And…"

Gabe: "Whoa, slow down. I’ll put you up to date once we discussed this intruder-problem with Lily, be patient."

Kay: "Be patient?! You just told me that Pabloc died and you want me to be patient?!"

Gabe: "Listen, like it or not, we can’t do anything about it until I recover enough viridia so that I won’t flicker out of existence just by sneezing too hard. I know it sounds cruel but right now I don’t really care about Pabloc’s wellbeing. If he got himself killed, it’s his problem and he has to deal with it himself."

Kay: "You are not making any sense!"

Lily: "Unseal me."

Gabe was about to continue arguing with Kay, but the sudden declaration of the uncharacteristically severe blonde girl stopped him on his track.

Gabe: "Huh? Hey, hey, hey! Are you even listening to yourself? That would be a serious overkill, don’t you think?"

Lily: "I don’t care. They killed him; I’m going to make them pay!"

The malevolent intent was literally radiating from her eyes, taking Kay completely aback with its nauseating aura.

Gabe: "Okay, okay! Geez, cut the scary look, it doesn’t suit you."

The girl finally relaxed as the scientist moved over to her. He flexed his fingers and reached for Lily’s forehead.

Gabe: "I think I have just enough juice left to undo the seals. You will have about an hour before you will vanish."

Lily: "I’ll be back by then."

Gabe: "Good. Oh, and take Kay with you."

Kay: "Huh? What?"

While Kay was still confused and lagging behind the conversation, Lily only nodded sagely.

Lily: "I see… You are right; I will need someone to distract them while I’ll get geared up."

Kay: "W-Wait, I can’t do that! I cannot fight on my own!"

Gabe: "She meant that you will join Soketsu. Anyways, let’s get this done. I still have stuff to do."

As he said that, his fingertips flared up with the colorless light and quickly tapped Lily’s forehead like he was punching a code into a security terminal. As he finished with that, he quickly drew a circle around the area he was tapping on with his thumb.

With a barely audible sound akin to a gust of wind blowing through a narrow alley, her eyes flared up with an eerie red light. Kay could feel a sudden surge of viridia in the air, except that it was strange, almost alien. So much so that it even made her a little nauseous. If viridia was normally a slightly sweet fragrance, the feeling assaulting her senses at this moment was more like the stinging stench of sulfur.

The scientist’s thumb suddenly separated from the girl’s forehead as she abruptly turned around and grabbed Kay’s hand.

Lily: "We are going!"

Kay: "W-Wait! I need to transform first and…"

Lily: "You can do that on the way there."

Kay: "B-But…"

There was no point in arguing against her, she dragged Kay behind her with almost no effort. In fact, the girl felt like she was being pulled by a tow truck. The two of them barged out of the room without any further notice, and just as they disappeared, there was another sound in the room, a modest cough coming from the direction of the bed.

For the first time the scientist shuddered. He slowly turned his head towards the young woman glaring at him with a scorning expression. For a moment they wordlessly stared at each other, then just as Jill was about to open her mouth…

Gabe: "Oh, you finished your tea? Would you like another cup?"

Jill: "I—"

Before she could say anything the man abruptly walked up to her, took the empty cup from her hand and returned to the kettle.

Gabe: "By the way, sorry for not having anything else, but I wasn’t really expecting company. … No, wait, I was actually expecting you, but… … Well, the thing is, I put so much thought into the ‘How to bring her back?’ thing that I kinda forgot to think about what to do once you are back, so—"

Jill: "Gabriel."

Once again, the scientist involuntarily twitched hearing her voice.

Gabe: "Y-Yes…?"

The glare meeting the man’s eyes was nothing short of chilling. Not in the malicious way, but similarly how a snow rabbit might perceive an avalanche coming their way.

Gabe: "Uhh… This… is getting really awkward…"

Finally, after silently watching the scientist for a few seconds, Jill raised her voice with a furious visage.

Jill: "Would you finally tell me just what in the nine layers of hell happened here?!"

The man’s eyes opened wide for an instant, then he began to scratch the back of his neck with a complicated expression.

Gabe: "You mean, since we last met, or in the last ten minutes?"

Jill: "Since we last met, of course."

Gabe: "I… I think you should settle with the latter for now."

Jill: "Why?"

Gabe: "The truth is, I don’t think you are in a condition where you can sit through my explanation of the past three hundred years, so I think it would be better if we—"

Jill: "Wait… I mean… WHAT?!"

~~~

Time seemed to be frozen as Soketsu kept staring at his fist with dumbfounded disbelief. He was there. His enemy was there just a split-second ago, and yet…

Soketsu: "(How…?)"

It was nothing more than an infinitely quick flash of light. The split-second before his fist would have buried itself into the chest of his immobilized opponent he… blew into countless particles of green light…

Kiseki: "Wow, that was close…!"

The man wasn’t there anymore. Instead there stood the other half of the duo, brandishing an enormous, triple-barreled Gatling-gun, bigger than herself, yet holding it with only one arm. It was an outrageous weapon something that would have been an overkill even on a battleship, and seeing it in the hands of the young woman dressed in white silk seemed even more incomprehensible.

Soketsu: "They are both…?"

His daze was abruptly cut short as his mind suddenly recalled something horrifying. At this moment, time seemed to slow down even more. The gun, improbable as it might have looked like, was still a weapon and it was aimed right at his chest. Not to mention, there was him.

Soketsu was standing in a pool of fresh blood, and it wasn’t his own. He already knew that, but he was still horrified at the sight at his feet.

The scientist’s lifeless body was spread out on the floor like a marionette with its strings cut. The cause of death was obvious; the huge slash on the scientist’s side was a lethal wound if he had ever seen one. The blade of the scythe entered into the body from the left, just under the ribs, making its way diagonally upwards right through them, slicing thought the left lung and maybe even the heart, judging by how the cut ended right at the middle of the sternum. And why did it stop? The answer lied in the scientist’s still clenched fists.

Soketsu: "[You idiot… You fucking lunatic!]"

Pabloc, grabbed the shaft of the scythe and held onto it with his very last breath. He said he would create and opening, and he did just that… But…

Soketsu: "[Why!? What the fuck did you try to accomplish with this!? There must have been a better way! Why?! WHY?!]"

There was no answer. The other side of the transmitter was completely silent. No, it was worse; it was void. Not even stray thoughts or unfiltered emotions, the white noise of the telepathic communicator. There was only emptiness on the receiving end. But on Soketsu’s end, there were emotions enough for both sides…

Soketsu: "Bastards…"

His whisper was barely audible even in the silence of the passage. However, his eyes spoke louder than any words could.

Kiseki: "Wha…? Wait! The evil scientist is down, we don’t need to…"

He heard her voice, but it was nothing. He didn’t care. He was just angry. Angry at the mercenaries for killing Pabloc, angry for Pabloc for sacrificing himself in such a stupid way, and even more than that, he was angry at himself for letting this pass.

His entire body was engulfed with a faint layer of ethereal green light. His fists were flaring with power, his left eye seemed like it was glowing with pure, undiluted rage. He was what he had been three hundred years ago; a raging tempest, the greatest and most powerful warrior of his time. And as such, reason retreated from his mind, leaving only one absolute resolve to dominate it entirely.

Soketsu: "I’m. going. to. kill. you."

Kiseki: "W-Wait…!"

He lunged at her with clear killing intent in his eyes. She had nowhere to run, no time to evade, and he could almost feel his fist crushing her skull… but his punch did not connect. The green flash of light has once again blinded him and he fell through the whirling cloud like he was punching at thin air. He could feel the particles skim around his skin, and an instant later he could already hear the familiar sound of the scythe cutting through the air behind his back.

Soketsu: "(Not so fast!)"

He immediately planted his feet and shot his left hand out. With his mystic eye it was not big feat to know exactly where the blade was coming from, and just like that, another small explosion shook the walls of the hallway.

Adhi: "Gh!"

The mercenary was surprised by the man’s speed, which was magnitudes greater than before. He was still in the middle of regaining his balance when it was his turn to be momentarily blinded by a green flash of light. It was Soketsu’s right hand that lashed out at him with blinding speed. The mercenary desperately twisted his body, but with little success. The man’s hand firmly hit him on the left shoulder and sent him flying with its explosive force. But just as Soketsu was about to press on, it was his turn to desperately bend his body.

The scythe whose blade was blown aside its previous meeting with his enhanced fist, was right behind his head at a perfect blind-spot. He managed to get out of its way in time, no small part thanks to his left eye, but the tip of the blade still grazed his neck.

The man involuntarily twitched. It was a pain like nothing he ever felt before, and the blade only grazed the upper layer of his skin… For a second it made him wonder just how the scientist was able to shrug his wounds off, but he quickly expelled the distracting thought from his mind once his instincts screamed at him.

He unconsciously jumped to the side only to see that the place where he had been standing on was simply obliterated. As he landed a blazing heat assaulted his skin, originating from the holes blown into the ground. He glanced up only to find himself staring down the barrels of the impossibly huge machinegun held by the frail-looking woman.

With a small frown she readjusted her aim and pulled the trigger once again. The three barrels of the gun revved up with an earsplitting sound and a moment later, hundreds upon hundreds of white-hot glowing matter flew towards Soketsu like pellets of hellfire.

He quickly regained his senses and began running. The ‘bullets’ were surprisingly slow, but it was no relief from their real dread. The projectiles of that weapon weren’t lead but small pockets of something that Soketsu’s couldn’t even fathom, burning their way through the concrete walls and floor like they were made of butter. They didn’t even really need to hit him, testified by that even the first salvo’s projectiles that missed him by several centimeters were able to almost burn the clothes off his back. If they hit him, he would have been a goner no matter how much viridia he pumped into his body.

Kiseki: "Stand still!"

But they didn’t. His speed astonished even Kiseki as he kept running towards her, using not only the floor but the walls and the ceiling as well, just like Adhi did not so long ago. He skillfully dodged the hail of projectiles and kept closing on her with astonishing speed. Finally he steadied his feet and, with one huge leap, suddenly covered the remaining distance.

Yet again, the green light of transformation filled the passage, and by the time he reached his opponents he once again met with the familiar whistling of the scythe. Blade and fist met yet again, but this time it was different. Instead of downright stopping the blade, Soketsu opted for deflecting it. The scythe harmlessly flew by his side, but by the time he was ready to deliver a counterattack, it was coming back from another direction.

Block. Dodge. Evade. Block again. Roll under. Jump over. Block yet again. Rinse and repeat. The two of them appeared as if they were dancing around each other with insane speed and even more outlandish precision. After a while the constant bangs created by their clashes sounded like they were shooting at each other with automatic weapons.

From an outside viewpoint, the battle would have seemed like a perfect standoff. Soketsu was able to dodge or repel the all-cutting blade of the scythe with mechanical precision but at the same time wasn’t able to land a single clear hit on his opponent, much less one with real power behind it. This was bad, but there was an even greater problem.

Soketsu: "Ugh!"

Once again, the blade grazed his skin. It was just like any of the other dozens of strikes he had successfully avoided, but the problem didn’t lie there. He was getting slower. For the naked eye it would have been impossible to tell, no small part due to the fact that a normal person could barely even see anything more than a blur of movements and small explosions from the battle of the two men, but in this kind of superhuman combat, split-seconds were enough to decide between life and death. Worse still, Soketsu’s left hand was close to being turned into mince-meat. His sigil might have been able to stop the flickering portal from touching him, but there was a very real and sharp scythe blade behind that and it could still hurt him no matter how much viridia he was circulating in his hand. Because of that at this point his left hand was entirely covered in shallow cuts. His body was also at its limits. He used his sigils to recklessly strengthen his still-recovering body, and the effect finally kicked back. His viridia-reserves were running low, his body was getting worn out and his sigils alone weren’t able to hold it together…

Soketsu: "(Fuck!)"

He launched yet another quick attack, but his range was just too short. No, it was only part of the problem. His enemy was too fast.

Soketsu: "(I can beat these bastards! I’m better than them! I’m better than… this…)"

He blocked yet another strike, but his determination still wavered. Can he really beat them? Is this his limit? Back then, even when he was injured and depleted, no one could stand in his way! He was the pinnacle of human potential, the perfect fusion of technique and extraordinary power. He had beaten his way to the top of the world once, and he did it…

Soketsu: "(…all alone…?)"

His guard lapsed for a split second. It was only a flash, the scythe slashing through the air, and then silence.

Soketsu: "… What? Aren’t you going to cut me?"

The mercenary’s sweat-drenched face turned into an irritated grimace.

Adhi: "… Our job is to recover you, not to kill you."

Soketsu: "Really now?"

Adhi: "Yeah, and you better snap out of it already."

Soketsu’s hand was able to stop it, but still, the blade was only about half an inch away from his neck. If the mercenary had only put a little more power into his swing Soketsu would certainly have become a head shorter, yet he looked at the man with a calm, almost tranquil expression.

Soketsu: "Sorry…"

Adhi: "Huh?"

Soketsu: "I bet you expected something more from me, didn’t you?" The irritation on Adhi’s face rapidly turned into alert. He was still a single stroke away from ending the fight, yet his opponent’s suddenly change in behavior put him on edge. "I’m sorry to say this, but it seems like you guys really are better than me. I guess the Rampant Fist has to retire after all…"

Adhi: "Rampant Fish?"

Soketsu: "No, not fish. Fist."

With every moment, the mercenary got even more nervous. Soketsu’s manner was completely different from before. Almost all hostility disappeared from his voice. In fact he sounded downright amicable, and yet Adhi shuddered before the pressure of his eyes.

Soketsu: "You see; I was once called that. The Rampant Fist. I was something of a ‘No. 1.’ of this whole world, you know. The ‘best of the best’."

Adhi: "What are you tal-"

To Adhi’s greatest shock, the ex-Rover slowly reached for his scythe and gently pushed it away from his neck like he was politely refusing a hair-trimming, all the while talking with a calm, even tone.

Soketsu: "You see, three hundred years ago, I was a warrior. I spent my entire life refining my technique and power, developing my Sigils, finding new ways to use them and to test my abilities against the best fighters this world could offer."

Adhi: "Listen, I don’t know what you are talking about, but-"

Once again the confused mercenary’s sentence was cut short as Soketsu slowly started walking to his left while talking like it was the most natural thing to do in this situation.

Soketsu: "You see, once I was the best. I was the most powerful fighter of this world, and I could even take on eldritch abominations… But now… I guess I just can’t do it anymore. You have bested me. In terms of raw abilities, you are certainly better."

Adhi: "Listen, I hate to-"

Soketsu: "So, I guess as a veteran, I have to at least give some advice to you upstart rookies, as you most certainly lack some important fine points."

Adhi: "Rookies?!"

The man ever so slowly took a few more steps away from his flabbergasted opponent while not breaking his monologue’s pace even for a moment.

Soketsu: "My first advice is that you should be more direct in your approach, you dance too much around your opponent."

Adhi: "Wait…"

Soketsu: "You also need to be a little more mindful of that scythe’s capabilities; you are using her cutting power way too wastefully."

Adhi: "… what is that sound…?"

Soketsu: "And finally, my most important advice."

As if he just reached the point he was aiming for, Soketsu promptly turned around and faced the mercenary with an almost gloating smile.

Soketsu: "… Never let your opponent monologue. They always do that to buy time to turn the table."

The echoing of small feet rushing through the hallway. A faint glimmer of silver in the darkness. The whistling sound of metal cutting through the air. And finally, a powerful yell…

Lily: "CATCH!!!"

Adhi: "Wha…?!"

Maybe it was the sound or just his finely honed reflexes, but Adhi immediately ducked to the side, just in time to avoid the polearm flying by his left ear with sharp sound, followed by a small body on the other side. He reflexively swung his weapon at the incoming enemy, but…

Lily: "Tch."

All he could see was a flicker of a golden flash coming his way, landing on his swinging scythe like a small butterfly, then kicking off from it and landing almost next to Soketsu. He frantically swirled his blade around and assumed a defensive position for the first time since this ordeal began.

In Soketsu’s hands laid a majestic halberd, pulsing with raw destructive power yet delicate like a piece of art. Just by glancing at it the mercenary could tell that it was a weapon of terrifying power, and it was even something of an understatement. The amount of power that his weapon was channeling into Soketsu’s body made his previous appearance seem downright pathetic in comparison.

[Kay]: "Soketsu! Are you all right?!"

The man’s lips involuntarily curved hearing his dear partner’s concerned words. For a moment a strange feeling of nostalgia washed over him. He missed this feeling. Not the power, her. Her thoughts in his head, the warm, soothing feeling of her viridia flowing though his veins, the unparalleled connection between their minds. It was a feeling he had been longing for without even noticing it… But…

[Soketsu]: "Idiot. I told you you mustn’t transform anymore."

[Kay]: "What?! I just came to save you and that’s your reaction!?"

[Soketsu]: "… Actually, no, but if I’m not consistent with this you will never stick to it."

[Kay]: "Ooooowww!!! I’m so going to slap you to oblivion for that once we are done with this!"

The man couldn’t help but smile at the girl’s words.

[Soketsu]: "By the wa-!"

Soketsu: "Uaah!"

His mind was suddenly filled with a whirling vortex of information that Kay dumped into it all at once. It was a crude and somewhat painful method, but it was an effective way to share important information really fast.

[Kay]: "Here, I put you up to date."

[Soketsu]: "You did that on purpose!"

[Kay]: "No comment."

[Soketsu]: "Grrr… Once we are back I’m so… wait… Wait a second, are you serious?!"

[Kay]: "Yes, that’s what Lily said."

His mind just processed the memories she shared with him and it made him almost literally drop his jaw.

[Soketsu]: "Okay… that was… unexpected."

Before he could continue his high-speed conversation with his partner he noticed that Lily rose to her feet. The communication between wielder and alternate was different from the TCs. Since they were deeply connected, almost sharing a collective mind, the exchange between them was nearly instantaneous. As such only a seconds has passed in the outside world while they were ‘talking’ inside the boundary of their crossed minds.

Lily: "Where’s Pabloc’s body?"

Soketsu briskly raised his left hand and pointed behind himself with his thumb.

Soketsu: "Down that corridor, just beyond the section that looks like it was blasted with the devil’s burning shotgun. You can’t miss it."

The girl wordlessly nodded and disappeared into the hallways with speed that made it seem like a golden flash of lightning was blazing through the place.

[Soketsu]: "So, we have to hold them off…. how long exactly?"

[Kay]: "Until Lily gets ready."

[Soketsu]: "Okay, and how much juice do we have?"

[Kay]: "With your remaining reserves, I would say we have about twelve minutes."

[Soketsu]: "Just twelve minutes?"

[Kay]: "If we go all out, of course."

[Soketsu]: "Full throttle, huh? Okay, I think that’s good enough."

[Kay]: "Now it’s your turn. Who is that guy?"

[Soketsu]: "There are two of them. The scythe is actually a woman."

[Kay]: "Wait, a guy with an Alternate partner who turns into a pole arm? Ripoff!"

[Soketsu]: "Actually, they are both alternates."

[Kay]: "Wait, what? That’s impossible! One Alternate cannot synchronize with another one! It would cause a severe aggregation and backlash that would…"

[Soketsu]: "Okay, you can stop right there. I don’t really understand the issue and don’t really care either. I have seen them switch places, so you better believe they can."

[Kay]: "… Okay, what else can you tell about them?"

[Soketsu]: "The man is fast, the scythe can cut through any bits and pieces, and when they change the guy turns into a hot-stuff spewing minigun while the woman is… I guess she is just strong or something."

[Kay]: "Are you serious? That is your tactical assessment?"

[Soketsu]: "Hey, I only want to beat them to a bloody pulp, not to write an essay on how their tricks work."

[Kay]: "U-huh… By the way, ‘hot-stuff spewing minigun’?"

[Soketsu]: "I have no earthly idea what he fires, all I know is that he does it fast as hell and its bullets are even hotter."

[Kay]: "Hmmm… He cannot fire actual bullets; that would be like you flinging your kidneys at someone, so it must be something like-"

[Soketsu]: "Hey, don’t think about the ‘how he does it’, think about the ‘how we should dodge it’ part."

[Kay]: "What are you saying? You have the legs. Dodging is your job, not mine."

[Soketsu]: "… Yeah, right... Any more questions?"

[Kay]: "No, I’m okay. They are coming at us anyway."

[Soketsu]: "Yeah, kind of noticed that."

The sudden shift in the power-balance took Adhi completely unprepared. The two weapons clashed with immense force, not only halting the mercenary’s assault but also sending him flying back while on Soketsu’s part it seemed like he was just sweeping a fly away.

Adhi: "Ugh!"

The mercenary forcefully planted his feet as he landed and took up a defensive stance once again, yet Soketsu seemed even more surprised than him.

[Soketsu]: "That was… kind of unexpected… Kay?"

[Kay]: "Yes?"

[Soketsu]: "By any chance, did you tap into my sigils?"

[Kay]: "I… yes. They seemed important so pumped some surplus viridia into them… Did I do something wrong?"

[Soketsu]: "… Actually, no. Say, did I mention I love you?"

[Kay]: "I-Idiot! This is not the right time!"

The man let out a small laugh. The tables truly have turned. The viridia coursing through his veins filled him with absolute confidence; the sigils on his body were operating at maximum capacity and holding his partner in his hand made him feel unstoppable.

Soketsu: "Say… Remember what I just told you?"

While asking so, Soketsu’s fingertips quickly ran over the pole and blade of his weapon.

Adhi: "… Which part?"

Soketsu: "About the Rampant Fist thing. You know, how I was the greatest, and how you have beaten me, stuff like that?"

The mercenary nodded uncertainly.

Soketsu: "No, you actually didn’t listen. If you did…" As Soketsu his fingers reached the tip of the halberd’s blade, an intricate pattern of shining lines flared up on its surface and a moment later he was already holding his weapon in the ready. "… you wouldn’t have let me talk!"

It was just a flash. Soketsu rushed at his opponent with a mighty thrust. His blade was countered at the very last moment, but it was far from the end of it. In fact, it was just the beginning of the real battle.

The two polearm-wielding men were seemingly dancing around each other. The mercenary’s strikes were swift and accurate as ever, never stopping for even a moment, each attack beautifully flowing into the next… yet he was still being cornered.

Soketsu was utilizing his weapon in an improbable way, only using one hand to wield it, yet his attacks were both extremely accurate and tremendously powerful, not to mention he had no openings whatsoever. Both fighters relied on speed and precision, yet their technique was fundamentally different. Adhi was jumping around his opponent, constantly dodging and looking for blind spots to deliver that one fatal strike, apparently no longer caring about the recovery option.

Soketsu in comparison seemed to be barely moving. His movements were subdued, like he wasn’t even really interested in the battle anymore, yet at the same time he was able to hold a defense that deflected every single strike his opponent threw at him with little to no effort. He scarcely counterattacked as they kept moving through one corridor after the next, and even though it seemed like Adhi was cornering Soketsu with his barrage of attacks, it was actually him who was being overpowered.

One with trained eyes could easily see that Soketsu was dominating the battle. He deflected every strike with a calm, somewhat condescending expression while he never let his enemies get away either. With Kay in his hands he actually had a somewhat longer range than the mercenary. This fact, combined with that they were equally fast gave him an advantage that he mercilessly exercised upon his opponent, keeping him right where he wanted him to be; not too close, not too far.

The weird stalemate continued for a few more seconds, until something unexpected happened. Adhi tried to get out of his range yet again, so Soketsu delivered a quick thrust at him.

[Kay]: "Ah! Wait, we shouldn’t…!" It seemed like the mercenary had no way of getting out of the way, but then there was a green flash. "Wait, what?!"

[Soketsu]: "Oh, I forgot to mention that they can switch on the fly."

[Kay]: "Whaaaaat? Why didn’t you tell me that before?"

[Soketsu]: "Well, it’s no big deal, is it?"

[Kay]: "But…"

[Soketsu]: "Let’s just concentrate on this, okay?"

Not a moment later as they finished their inner conversation they were already staring down the barrel of the outlandish gun. Soketsu immediately dodged to the left, just a split-second before a hail of burning pellets filled the air where he stood just a moment ago. Still, this revealed a crucial weakness of the gun: it needed at least a second to rev up before being able to shoot, and thus providing more than enough time to dodge its barrage even at point blank range. Still, Soketsu decided it was best not to tackle this firepower head-on, so he disappeared behind one of the corners… only to reappear behind her a few seconds later.

She was completely dumbfounded by the man’s sudden appearance, which felt strangely satisfying for Soketsu. After all, they used this very same circling tactic against him and Pabloc not too long ago, it was only fair to make them taste their own medicine.

Once again, his blade was cutting through only air as the whirlwind of glittering particles danced around it and assembled themselves into the scythe-wielding mercenary yet again.

[Kay]: "Argh! Cheaters! This is not fair!"

[Soketsu]: "Tell me about it…"

[Kay]: "But we will never beat them like this!"

[Soketsu]: "Weren’t we supposed to only hold them back?"

[Kay]: "Yeah… But still, I wanted to cut them at least once!"

[Soketsu]: "Okay, I find a way for that once Lily is ready to… Wait, how do we even know when she is ready?"

[Kay]: "I don’t really know… She just said she will find a way to signal us."

In the meantime, Soketsu parried Adhi’s scythe four times, delivered three counter-attacks to keep him from getting too close and blocked his two retreating attempts by positioning himself between him and the possible escape route. He actually almost felt bad for his opponents, as ever since Kay joined him, he was pretty much bullying them into a corner. Well, ‘almost’ was the keyword here.

Soketsu: "Huh!"

[Kay]: "Hm? What is it?"

[Soketsu]: "Pssst!"

For a moment he thought his senses were playing a trick with him, but all his doubts dispersed in just a few moments…

Soketsu: "… You gotta be kidding me…"

[Kay]: "What is it?"

[Soketsu]: "Oh yeah, you cannot hear this…" For a moment the man’s lips curved in a defiant smile. "I’ve got the signal! Time to chase the pests out the way they came from!"

His partner didn’t answer, but he could immediately feel the viridia in his veins becoming even denser, courtesy of her putting every last ounce of her output into him. The dim green light in his left eye became a brilliantly burning flame; his body was bathed in an emerald light while the raw amount of power around his weapon created a mirage-like distortion in the air.

[Kay]: "Oh, look at his expression!"

[Soketsu]: "I think it says ‘Oh crap’."

This was his full power, the power he could never grasp alone, and he was ready to put it to good use.

His feet not as much kicked off the ground but exploded the area underneath as he lunged at his enemy.

Soketsu: "Ever 1: Straight Pulse!"

The strike was devastating, just as it was expected from one of the Seventeen Holy Imprints, the most devastating viridia-fueled techniques the Order developed. It not just sent the mercenary flying, it created a shockwave that wrecked the already shambling tunnel as if someone blew up a cluster of grenades in the vicinity, collapsing its ceiling with an earsplitting rumble.

Adhi barely had the time to land when a humanoid form blew into his field of vision from the left. Soketsu was even faster than before, surprising even himself. His speed was even greater than when he fought Gabe a few weeks ago, and it was only natural. His body had the same strengthening effect by the impossible amount of viridia coursing through it and that was before the sigils took effect.

As Soketsu was just about to strike the man yet again, the flash of familiar green light filled his vision once again, and he instantly found-himself face-to-face with the huge machinegun. The weapon that seemed so insanely overblown and dangerous at first now only managed to bring a small smirk to his face. The rotating barrels started revving with a loud scream, but by the time they were ready to fire…

Kiseki: "Kyaaaah!!!"

… the halberd’s slate collided with the underside of the weapon, almost knocking it out of the woman’s unprepared hands. While she was still struggling with the out of control gun Soketsu quietly slipped under her guard and forcefully grabbed her by the chest.

[Kay]: "Hey!"

With his dress in his hand Soketsu rammed his body into the completely baffled Kiseki, and with one huge push he managed to throw her over, right next to the intersection on the left. In her perception, the entire world around her turned upside down without a moment’s notice. In the end, just as she was about to hit the concrete floor head-first, she got engulfed in the usual green sparkles and, instead of the rumble of an uncontrolled impact, it was a solid tap that rang through the hallway as Adhi’s feet hit the ground.

[Kay]: "Oh come on! This is getting ridiculous!"

The man stood up after a momentary stagger, briefly glanced at Soketsu, then suddenly turned tail and started running like the devil himself was at his heel.

[Soketsu]: "Phew! Finally…"

[Kay]: "Finally what? They are getting away!"

[Soketsu]: "Exactly."

[Kay]: "Awww… Tell me what’s going on already!"

[Soketsu]: "I’d rather not. … Come on, don’t pout! It will be a surprise!"

With that they started running, although in a completely different hallway.

~~~

Adhi: "Shit!"

The mercenary was running with all his might. It might have been somewhat unsightly, but at this point survival was more important than appearances. It became painfully obvious that he couldn’t beat the Soketsu in close-quarters combat while his alternate was with him and ranged combat was put out of the question as well. The series of tunnels formed a chessboard-like layout, so the man was able to circle around them, making it impossible to set up a position where they could just lay down suppressive fire.

Adhi: "Damn!"

They were beaten; there were no two ways about it. If only they didn’t play around at the beginning, this would have been like taking candy from a child, but once Soketsu and his halberd was reunited he became a monster that was nothing like he had ever seen before.

[Adhi]: "Just what the hell is that guy!?"

[Kiseki]: "It must be his Alternate. What was her name again?"

[Adhi]: "Doesn’t matter! We have to get out of here!"

[Kiseki]: "But what about Vikki? We were supposed to be a diversion…"

[Adhi]: "I say we did quite enough by keeping this monster from going after him."

[Kiseki]: "... I think you ar- ouch!"

[Adhi]: "Kiseki? Are you all right?!"

[Kiseki]: "Yeah, I just got scraped when he threw me, I’m fine."

The man didn’t answer, just pushed his already exhausted body even further over its limit.

[Adhi]: "Damn, damn, DAMN! If only I killed him when I had the chance!"

[Kiseki]: "There’s no point crying over spilt mil-"

Soketsu: "Ever 4…"

Adhi: "Oh fuuu…!"

Soketsu: "… First Blood!"

The lighting-quick slash sent Adhi flying into a wall while simultaneously struck and collapsed the hallway they were running in. It seemed impossible. They had a head-start and he was running with all his might. The passages were literally passing by him with a blur and yet Soketsu still managed to catch up with them. No, even worse, he was attacking them from the side, so that meant that he managed to not only follow them but circle them while they were still running at top speed. And to make things even worse…

Adhi: "Kiseki!"

Kiseki: "…Ugh…"

The impact of the attack apparently knocked her out, meaning she immediately reverted to her human form. This was a disaster on several levels. Not only was she injured, but without her pumping viridia into him there was no way he could run like before.

The man felt helpless for the first time in a long while, yet he pushed on and rose to his feet. Even though hitting the wall seriously bruised him, none of his bones were broken. He gently scooped up the half-conscious woman, at least as gently as he could in this situation, and started running yet again.

His legs were somewhat unsteady, but he still pressed on. Sometimes he saw a shadow jumping in the corner of his eye, sometimes it was just the sound of a few stray footsteps. It was certain, his enemy was still around and very much ready to strike… yet he didn’t.

Adhi: "(Are you… playing with me…?)"

There was no other explanation. Just like he was dancing around his opponents with the knowledge of his own superior abilities, the Soketsu was doing the same to him right now. Like a cat playing with the mouse in a maze of corridors. The situation might have seemed hopeless, but he expelled all such thoughts from his mind. It was not over yet. If only they could find their way out of these damned tunnels, they would have a chance. Not for fighting back, but for survival…

Suddenly a small gust of cold wind hit his face, prompting him to stop.

Adhi: "Could it be…?"

Just as he was about to give into despair, he found himself at a familiar place. It was a ruined tunnel with a huge hole on the ceiling. It was almost completely filled with sand, but the remaining hole was still enough to get through. To think that he would accidentally find this place… no, it was too perfect of a coincidence. Could it be that…?

Kiseki: "What… happened…?"

Adhi: "Shhh."

He quietly raised his index finger to his mouth as Kiseki suddenly began squirming in his arms. For a moment he looked at her with a surprisingly gentle expression and then steeled his determination. It was obviously a trap, but this was their best chance of survival. It was still better to walk into a trap expecting it than running around aimlessly only to be inevitably struck down.

He cursed the day they accepted the job one last time in his head and readied himself. He collected all his remaining viridia for one last, huge burst. With it, he was confident he could cover the distance in a split-second and jump out this hell-hole. Once they are in the desert, it should be easy to hide their presence until they come up with some sort of plan for the rest. Now survival was the first priority…

As such he took one last breath, collected even the last remaining trace of viridia from the other parts of his body and focused on his legs. When he kicked off the ground, it seemed like he was propelled by an explosion. His speed was astonishing even compared to his previous running tempo.

Adhi: "Aaaaaarrrrhhhh!!"

He could feel his body creaking under the insane g-forces. His legs were superhuman, but since he removed all the viridia from the rest of his body it was a wonder they didn’t tore themselves off his torso with such acceleration. Still he was moving with speed extraordinaire, and his goal was just in arm’s reach. And then… the worst possible eventuality.

From the opposite direction came a small glimmer of silver carried by legs that were as fast as his own. Not that they needed to be. If they just stood there holding the halberd in his way he would have still been done for. There was no way he could stop, not even slow down. They had only one chance. He had to make it.

He steeled his nerves and concentrated on the incoming Soketsu. Only one strike. There was no time for any more than that, so it was only one strike that he had to survive somehow. It was a doomed endeavor, especially with the limp woman in his hands... but he had no choice. He had to try it; he had to believe he can do it.

And then the strike finally came. It seemed surprisingly slow thanks to his heightened senses and the buckets of adrenaline coursing in his bloodstream, but it was still obvious that he had no way of dodging it… except its trajectory seemed awfully strange.

It was… surprising. The man made a mistake. He could have struck him down, but somehow the blade only grazed him. Well, ‘grazed him’ was a bit of an understatement. The tip of the halberd ran across his face, drawing a deep furrow into his skin and flesh from his right eyebrow to his left cheek, but that was entirely acceptable. After all, he was alive, and the exit was right in front of him. He didn’t even slow down as he sidestepped the man, seemingly frozen in place, and threw himself towards the hole on the ceiling. The moment it was within reach, he immediately jumped with all his might. His feet once again left the ground with the illusion of being propelled by a small explosion, but this time he was heading vertically instead of horizontally. They shot out of the tunnel like an artillery-shell, tracing a beautiful arc.

They lost their momentum exactly at the height of the fringe of the sand-cone, so the impact of their landing was downright negligible, further softened by the sand itself.

They made it. The impact shook Kiseki out of his arms, but after all he’s been through, it was not surprising that it was his partner who rose to her feet first.

Kiseki: "Are we… safe?"

The man managed to sit up and sharply shook his head.

Adhi: "We are out of the frying pan, but we need to find a place to hide."

Kiseki: "In the desert…? Where?"

Adhi: "I don’t know, but we need to find a hiding place quickly. He was…" He finally managed to scramble to his feet. "… smiling?"

His words died in his throat as he tried to take a step forwards, but he couldn’t. He was stuck. The golden sand was sticking to his legs like a snake coiling around its prey, preventing him from moving.

Kiseki: "No… way…"

He was still in a mild daze after all that happened, so it took him a second to realize what Kiseki was looking at. There was something in the sky illuminated by a faint golden light. A human figure with clothes fluttering in the air, floating high above them. It took him another second to realize who it was, then another one to actually believe it…

Pabloc: "So we meet again."

It was the dead scientist. Or at least he was supposed to be dead. His blood-drenched clothes were still in tatters but his body underneath seemed completely unharmed.

Adhi: "Oh fuck…"

He was looking down on them from above with a smile, filled with equal amounts of amusement, anger, condescension and pity.

Pabloc: "[Nice delivery.]"

Soketsu: "[You are welcome.]"

The man’s voice on the other side of the TC seemed almost ecstatic. The scientist shook his head and reached for his nose, only to find that his glasses were still missing.

Pabloc: "Yeah, I guess it’s a tie. Bad habits and I die equally hard."

The mercenaries were still struck silent with confusion and dread. One of their targets suddenly became ridiculously powerful and the other just came back from the dead.

Adhi: "(Just who… or rather… what the hell are these guys?)"

There was an oppressive silence, right until the woman started laughing.

Kiseki: "Well, I think we are beaten."

Her words suddenly blew away all the anxiety and terror in the man’s heart. The gaping hole of despair in his chest was now filled with quiet, calm resignation.

Adhi: "Yeah, I guess."

Kiseki: "But wait… hey, mister evil-prophet-scientist-guy!"

Pabloc: "...Yes?"

He looked down upon the strangely acting pair with unconcealed surprise.

Kiseki: "I was kinda thinking… You are not dead, right?" Pabloc didn’t answer but that didn’t stop her from continuing. "So, you see, I thought that since ‘technically’ we didn’t actually kill you… Could we just sweep this whole issue under the rug?"

Adhi enthusiastically nodded.

Adhi: "Yes, forgive and forget."

Kiseki: "Yeah, so… what do you say?"

The scientist’s expression became even more amused as he looked upon the two.

Pabloc: "Well… If it’s forgiveness you seek, then there’s no problem here. I can forgive you."

Adhi: "Huh? Really?"

Pabloc: "Yes, but… The real problem is that she won’t."

Kiseki: "’She?’"

Instead of answering the scientist just extended his hand and pointed at the ground. For a few moments they didn’t know what he was pointing at, but then the man’s eyes suddenly widened like never before.

Adhi: "The sand!"

He felt utterly stupid. How come he didn’t realize sooner?! It was night, yet they could see not only the ground all around but the scientist’s small outline in the air high above them. The sand… it was shining.

No, it was wrong. It was not the sand itself that was shining. There was something under the sand, something huge… and just as they realized this, it began to move.

Adhi: "Kiseki!"

As they were looking at each other in utter confusion, the horizon abruptly disappeared. It was a maddening sight: countless gargantuan tentacles rose from the ground in a circle around them, each one thicker than a full-blown oak tree. They towered above them like giants, yet in the end they were but like teeth of a giant maw, ready to swallow them with the entire dune.

Adhi: "Run!"

She couldn’t. The maw was closing upon them. It was like an impossibly massive antlion with a polyp’s arms on its face. It was gargantuan, it was throwing tons of sand around like a kid playing in a sandbox, and worst of all, it was alien. It was burning with a dark golden flame that gave off no heat but rather drained it, making the chilling desert air even colder around them. Its gigantic tentacles seemed solid as granite yet when they crossed each other’s path they passed through the other like they were quicksilver. Finally, the air around them was filled to the brim with a scent that was nothing like they have ever felt before. It was a sweet fragrance yet at the same time stinging and making their eyes water, pleasant yet nauseating at the same time, completely filling their nostrils with its impossible, pervasive odor. And then came the worst of all.

Eyes. Everywhere. Upon its massive body countless eyes opened in unison, eyes of all creatures of the present Earth, eyes of creatures long gone in the maelstrom of time, eyes of creatures that will only exist once humans are long gone from the face of this wanderer of space. They were not just staring at them, they were boring their way into them. Both of them froze from the overwhelming power of these stares that were bombarding their body and mind from every possible direction.

The pressure was insane, yet the man grit his teeth. He endured. And finally, he moved. He tore out his legs from the sand encasing them and took a step. And another. It felt like he was walking with the whole world on his back, yet he moved. And finally, he reached her, still frozen in place by the overwhelming power of those stares. He extended his hand as he took one more step. By then, there was no more sand under his feet. The thing underneath has completely consumed it, now he was standing on a sea of squirming, worm-like tentacles. But he did not stop. Only one last step.

His hand reached her and pulled her to him. He embraced her with all his might amidst of the whirling tempest of despair clawing at their minds. She didn’t say a word. There was no need to. They embraced each other one last time as the maw closed over them… After that, there was nothing. It wasn’t cold, nor was it hot. No light, no sound, no smell and no pain. The world disappeared, and the only thing that remained was… silence.