On August 20th, Mia had been given a map of Urasaria, declined Aimee's escort, and was stepping up to the first-year building when a muscular, orange-haired woman opened the door for her.

"Thank you." said Mia, and the woman nodded as she followed beside down the hall.

"No problem. You a first-year?"

"Yes."

"Cool." she chimed. "Me too, uh. Sylvia. Still got a few minutes until orientation."

Sylvia thought Mia was attractive, but admittedly thought that about every female student she'd seen so far. Thinking herself slick, she'd resolved to keep her options open.

"Mia." said Mia. "Er, are they going to assign mentors today?"

"Think so." nodded Sylvia as they walked. "Probably going to ask us if we've used our Revenants. Heard they uh, do that every year, since it's technically illegal."

"I - it is?"

"Yep. Remember in highschool orientation? It's like -"

" - er - sorry, I didn't have a Revenant in highschool -"

" - o-oh." laughed Sylvia. "Sorry. They did that then too, yeah. But - sorry. I don't think anyone actually gets in trouble for it, though."

"I suppose." nodded Mia. "Er, I only became a host last week."

"Nice. Did you buy one, or -" - Sylvia winced - " - sorry, I'm being kinda nosy. New school jitters. Especially this one."

"It's alright." laughed Mia. "But it's … a bit complicated."

"Nice."

Mia nodded as they came up to the double doors at the end, and Sylvia opened them to the empty gymnasium. The first-year students were lined horizontally, facing the second-years with Hirogane & Saya standing between them. Mia saw the redhead student from earlier in the second-year line.

Hirogane counted down the first-years. He had run this for twenty years; he rarely bothered double-checking now. "I assume all of you broke the law and tested your Revenants. If you haven't, talk to me - I can suggest a career in a parish."

Nothing but silence & Sylvia's elbow prodding Mia.

"My name is Hirogane. If you get injured, come see me or Saya in the infirmary immediately. I don't ask questions, so long as you and your mentor are alive." He yawned. "...during your first year at Urasaria, you'll be given an experienced mentor. They'll teach you how to use your Revenant, hunting down scum, and what protocol to follow."

A black-haired Japanese woman with thick eyebrows muttered something in the second-year line. Mia watched her brush an eyeball off her shoulder, no disgust coming at the gore.

Hirogane took a tablet out. "Second-years, starting with… Marisa Gwynvere. You're assigned to Mia Schultz."

A woman with long black-hair & a frilled rainbow dress came up from the line. Mia felt Sylvia tense beside as Marisa grinned at them.

"Mia-Mia! Come with me."

Mia stumbled forward and felt a bit embarrassed, but quickly figured the rest were probably staring at Marisa too. The two set off to a wall with a rack of melee weapons, and she noticed Marisa's badge read 'LAVENDER MENACE'.

"Sooo, nice to meet you." chimed Marisa. "All good to summon your Revenant?"

"E-Er, nice to meet you, as well. I-I believe so. Should I summon it now?"

"Sure thing."

Mia nodded, Worldwide's scarabs appearing on her sleeves. "Worldwide. Er, I believe they only can burst in to flames."

"Cool." said Marisa, having known it already. "Kinda gross, but neat, like. So. I don't want to tell you mine yet, 'cause - I want us to duel first, and you can try to, like counter me. Right? Remember, hosts are pretty durable, so - don't be afraid of hurting me too bad."

Mia pressed her nerves down. "Y-Yes, er - is there something that would be well-suited? To a fire Revenant?"

Marisa shrugged. "We can just start with a sword for now."

Mia nodded, picking one off the rack, and felt oddly familiar handling one.

"Just be careful with it, right?" chimed the fashionista, and ripped part of her dress's fabric out, sword forming as it hardened.

"A-Alright."

"Let's go!" said Marisa, and in the next instant -

- the two clashed with metal and rainbow blade, more familiar rushing in to Mia, grip & balance returning to her as Marisa's blade shot back -

- and her too-slow swipe caught only the flat of Mia's blade; a swift bash threw Marisa's sword off of her, and in a single sweep seeking her torso -

- that cleaved halfway through her dress and stopped right before her skin, Mia grunting as her sword swept out again -

" - Boudoir!" shouted Marisa; a dozen rainbow strands erupted out of her dress, pulling Mia's sword back in -

- and her dress hardened to trap the blade within the fabric -

- but a swift fire scarab set Mia's blade alight, forcing Marisa to release it as the two stepped back again. Mia swept her left palm over her blade, snuffing out the orange flame & leaving the metal heated as they clashed again. Inch by inch, the pressure of Marisa's strikes forced her further back, and as she swept back & against the wall -

- another rainbow web erupted out of Marisa's dress -

- but Mia swept left just in time to avoid it as it stuck against the wall. Scarabs swarming her wrists, her blade clashed with Marisa's again as the fashionista stomped down -

- and a strand from below yanked Mia on to her back; Marisa's blade craned her down as the two grunted, pressing hard against the other -

" - sure you wanna block like that?" said Marisa -

" - w-what?" grunted Mia -

- and the next scene was instant. Boudoir's sword softening, Mia's blade split it in half -

- and two Boudoir halves were at her neck in the next, swift strand coiling around her blade and leaving a grinning Marisa. "I can change Boudoir's consistency, so, like -"

- two fire scarabs flew in to Marisa's gloves and burst open -

- and the orange flame burnt clear holes through Marisa's gloves & hands; she shrieked as she staggered back -

- and Mia's blade was at her throat a second later.

"S-Shit." laughed Marisa.

"I - what -" - Mia's eyes widened as she saw the dripping holes, ghastly apertures with charred veins - " - I - are - are you alright -"

" - I'll be fine." chimed Marisa, stepping back and head turning. "Saya!"

Saya came up to them, and Blackburn refilled their wounds.

"All good." chimed Marisa, and Saya nodded, eyes on Mia.

"Is Worldwide working alright?"

"Apparently." grinned Marisa, and Mia nodded.

"It is. Thank you."

Saya nodded and left. The grisly image had already passed from Mia's mind, and she wondered if that was Worldwide too.

"…man, though." laughed Marisa, turning back. "You're really good with a sword. Did you practice before today?"

"I-I haven't." laughed Mia. "Er - could that be the Revenant?"

"Maybe. Like, if you have - I mean, it definitely helps, but some Revenants give you experience like that, too. Like, if you can summon a sword or something. It might just, like, be the general fitness or whatever, though. Uh. I wanna try something, too. Can you, uh…" Marisa ripped a ball from her glove, handing it to Mia. "Try to set this on fire."

"Alright." nodded Mia, and a single scarab set it alight -

- and was just as quickly snuffed, Marisa nodding as Boudoir's ball hardened. "Sweet. Yeah, so like, I can extinguish for you and all that too, right?"

"That sounds good, yes."

"Sweet. Let's train more, Mia-Mia."

◆◆◆

Two hours later, Mia-Mia and Marisa walked out of the first-year building. Marisa tried to keep note of anything to tell Aimee later.

"And my classes start tomorrow, right?" said Mia as they walked down the stairs.

Marisa nodded as they came down to the rows of housing. "Yeah. Classes are super easy, though. Like, it's usually about uses for your Revenant and stuff like that."

Mia nodded, admittedly already frustrated over her Revenant's narrowness - but she figured most were at the start. "Er, also. When does my paycheck come in?"

"October 1st."

"What?"

"Yeah. You don't get paid until your first month." Marisa winced. "Uh, speaking of…" She turned and pointed near the fourth-year building. "There's a free cafeteria. Never eat there. Just go to - do you know Luna?"

"Yes. Er, and Saya."

Marisa smirked quite homosexually. "Aww, yeah, they're so cute. Did she tell you about where she worked before Urasaria?" Without waiting: "Uh, also, like - before I forget. One-star housing is pretty crappy, but I'm two-star, so, do you want to move in with me for the year?"

"Is that allowed?"

"I won't tell anyone if you don't."

Mia laughed as they came in to her street. "I-I'd like to see my house, first, but - if you have a spare room, then yes."

Marisa nodded. "Believe me, you'll know what I mean."

They came up to Mia's house in the one-star row. Key readied, Mia unlocked it and tried the door -

- and the two burst in to laughter as the doorknob fell off.

" - my first day?!" laughed Mia, already turning -

" - yep -" cackled Marisa - " - like, that happened to me my first day too -"

" - I - you win." said Mia, setting back off with her. "I-I hope your house is better than that."

"Yeeep, it's actually presentable." Marisa laughed again as they left the row.

"Good." Mia smiled and shook her head. "I'll move in, then, y-yes."

As they walked in to the two-star row of presentable housing, Mia remembered that Aimee had come in an hour through their training to talk Marisa off to the side, and asked Marisa if they knew each other. A little nervously, the fashionista shrugged. "Kinda. Uh, mostly when she calls me up to her office."

"When she calls you up to her office?"

Marisa nodded. "It's not her fault, it's just like, something she has to do every time someone gets reported. And I get reported a lot, since..." She turned. "Uh, I guess I should like, get this out of the way. My family lives nearby. They're really struggling, and I've got legal immunity, and I feel bad if I don't..."

"You steal for them?" (Marisa nodded.) "I understand. Completely."

"Yeah. I just - I hate that they can't enjoy life without feeling guilty. So, I steal stuff for them." She paused. "Uh, and for me, too, but that's because our salary sucks, like."

"$500 a month." muttered Mia and Marisa laughed.

"I make $1000, but yeah. Like, being a student sucks sometimes, but you get to have superpowers and be surrounded by other lesbians."

"I did notice your hero name." grinned Mia and Marisa laughed.

"Do you know where it's from?"

"It's - lesbian, isn't it?"

"Yeah. There was some like, feminist group that said they were worried about 'the lavender menace' taking over, so I thought it'd be a cool hero name."

Mia nodded as they went up to a presentable house. Marisa set her glove to the knob, Boudoir's strands unlocking it, and in they stepped to the kitchen, living room across & hall right.

"Much better." said Mia.

"So yeah, like - they'll update your key and mailbox and all that if you want to move in. Uh. Guest room is second to the left."

Marisa led her to the guest room and Mia nodded.

"I'll move in, then. Er, I need to get my stuff out of the infirmary."

"Need any help?" (Mia's head shook.) "Cool. I'm gonna take a shower, but, uh, use these, or..." She ripped her strands off and handed them to Mia. "Or just knock really loud."

"I will. Thank you."

"Sure thing." she said, leaving down the hall.

Mia went outside and left for the infirmary. For a moment, she wondered if Marisa's forwardness was indicative of some crush on her, and resolved to be more assertive this year.

As she was returning with her clothes to Marisa & her's home, she ran in to Aimee, who asked her if they could go to dinner together, and, as Aimee was her first Urasaria friend, she accepted. Aimee texted Marisa before they walked out of Urasaria's main gate, and she talked with Mia mostly about how hosting Worldwide felt.

As they came out in to the streets, Mia asked Aimee about Marisa's history of theft. Her situation wasn't entirely unique among students; Aimee as a president usually allowed such non-violent abuses of legal immunity. She figured it wasn't her place to lecture any student who made half of what she did, much as she came in to conflict with Urasaria's staff over it. In private, they spoke of her as a woman whose only inheritance from her wealthy parents was a firm sense of guilt.

"Er, have they made any progress on the investigation?" said Mia as they turned the sidewalk's corner.

"Not yet." winced Aimee. "Sorry, uh. Urasaria's staff is kinda shitty."

Mia nodded. "I haven't mentioned it to Marisa yet. Is it alright if I do?"

"Sure, yeah, u-um. What do you … think of her, anyway?"

"What do I think of her?" said Mia. "She's... a bit excitable, I-I suppose, but I believe we'll work well together. She seems kind."

Aimee nodded, trying not to feel envious. Makoto had been pushing her towards Mia; otherwise she might've wanted to give up on dating entirely. "And, uh, proud?"

Mia laughed. "That - that too, yes. I don't mind it, but I've… I've never really felt that way, I suppose."

"Me too." said Aimee. "Didn't really have any gay friends growing up, so - and even, uh, Urasaria just feels different. Forget sometimes that there's people who don't like us."

"Unfortunately." muttered Mia. "But yes, e-er. I didn't have any - I had some people who tried to be friends with me, but after I couldn't host a Revenant, I... withdrew a b-bit, I suppose."

"Makes sense." said Aimee, passing by a glass-faced diner. "Um, Rider is natural, but I … kinda did that too, yeah. That's why Mad Dog's a good fit for me. And, uh, this." She pointed at her face.

Mia just blinked at her, and in the next instant -

- glass shards burst out of the diner's window and shot towards the two -

- but Aimee pulled her down with her as she hit the ground; Mia shrieked -

- and her cheeks filled a second later as she felt Rider's tendrils dipping in her veins, world slowing as if a disturbed pond.

"You got this." nodded Aimee, helping her step back from the diner, patrons scattering under their tables & one man standing thirty feet away inside. "Rider'll keep you safe, right?"

"I - what should I do?" panted Mia, and in the next instant -

- a spike of glass formed from behind & extended towards her -

- but a swift set of fire scarabs set it molten and burnt it to death before it could reach her, Worldwide's enhanced senses in her head as her & Aimee sidestepped another barrage from the diner.

"Control over glass." muttered Aimee. "Could light a chair on fire and throw it at him."

"I-I suppose there's not much else." muttered Mia, a little bitterly.

Rechecking to make sure Aimee was keeping pace with her, she rushed inside the diner, and as the man lifted his hands again -

- spikes of glass shot up from the floor and blocked Mia's step -

- but the keen end of a burning chair went through his chest and sliced him in half, and Aimee nodded at Mia's side as he fell dead ahead, charred torso sliding off of his burnt legs. Mia blushed as a few diners applauded her; whether they were sincere or wags she did not know.

"You okay?" whispered Aimee and Mia quickly nodded.

"Y-Yes."

"Okay. Gonna, uh - take his corpse around the corner, alright?"

"T-Take his corpse around the corner?"

Aimee disappeared, and Mia realized what she meant as the corpse disappeared with her. Trying to keep her hands silent, she walked out and passed the corner to Aimee standing over his corpse with his still-beating heart carved out.

"First fight down, right?" she chimed.

Mia sat against a wall. "I - y-yes. S-Simply, simply still nervous."

Aimee crouched down beside. "Hey, um - it'll get easier. First fight is always the most stressful one. Right?"

"Y-Yes."

Mia thought she'd have more to say after killing someone, but maybe the bacteria touching her heart were keeping that suppressed, or years on Urasaria fan forums had solidified her correctness. Laughing a little nervously, she said: "I-I did get him good."

"You did." laughed Aimee. "Revenant will help keep you calm, too."

"I already feel a-a bit desensitized." nodded Mia, slowly standing.

Aimee smiled. "Good. So, I'm gonna scan the Revenant so you get credit, and - can just leave after. Somebody always picks them up. Right?"

Mia nodded, then watched as Aimee pulled out her tablet & scanned the heart. Trying some humor, Aimee said: "Still got an appetite?"

◆◆◆

After class the next morning, Sylvia had approached Mia asking if she & Marisa would accompany her to a local gay bar. (First-years weren't allowed outside without a second-year or higher.) Two things stuck with Mia about this request: one, that Sylvia's mentor was male & Mia's first words if she met him should be "I'm a lesbian," and two, that Sylvia had remarked only desperate women would be drinking on a Tuesday. When Marisa asked if she included herself in this, she only mumbled affirmatively.

On the way there, she had stuttered through a pass at Marisa, precipitating her next half-hour of failures. Thinking Mia & Marisa would think worse of her if she didn't, she was one or two drinks in when a fourth woman sat next to her.

"Hey." muttered the new arrival, her hair swept over her eyes.

Sylvia nodded, cheeks the color of her target's hair.

"I - h-hey. How - how are you?"

"Good, good. Yeah. All good."

"S-Sweet. I like seeing beautiful women like you smile. Uh. Not that I. Never mind."

"What do you mean?"

"U-Uhm. You look nice. Are you single?"

"Uh, maybe."

"M-Maybe? What does -"

" - hold on." said the woman, tapping her ear and looking at Sylvia. "Do you mind? I'm trying to talk to someone here." She swept her hair back over her left ear, revealing her headset, and walked off with a huff.

Marisa laughed. "I mean, she's a total weirdo for using those, but damn. That's cold."

Sylvia was a limp corpse in her seat. "…t-this bar sucks. Let's try somewhere else. With no phones."

The prodigal pair nodded and escaped with Sylvia out to the street, and down the sidewalk. She checked her phone and sighed. "...there's a place a few blocks over, I guess." she muttered, and in the next instant -

- Marisa hit the ground, and two strands yanked Mia & Sylvia down -

- just in time for the crescent blade to miss their heads from behind, thrown and flying ahead, anda s it started to fly back -

" - Equivalence!" they heard a man's voice shout behind, and as a geyser of acid shot out of the blade -

" - Magma!" shouted Sylvia; Magma's tongue grew out of her palm, tapping the corrosive spray -

- and turning it in to a solid & to a dense, three turning as it fell limp behind, seeing their foe a hundred feet away with his Kabuto helm catching the crescent blade again. Mia winced as Sylvia's right arm glowed red & burst open like a maw, three holes drilled in to it and an enormous tongue coming out of the palm.

"U-Um. Turns stuff - gas, liquid, solid - saves stuff up." whispered Sylvia, and Marisa nodded. Boudoir's sword readied, their foe threw his blade at them again as they started their forward rush, lampposts flanking them as the projectile flew close -

" - Boudoir!" shouted Marisa; a strand erupted from her glove and grabbed the midair blade -

- and a second strand tethered it to the lamppost as they ran underneath it; Mia's scarabs flew back and lit the blade alight -

- but a spray of water erupted from the blade's end, dousing itself, slickening Boudoir's grip & freeing itself again as it flew towards them. Sylvia swept her arm back as they came fifty feet within their foe -

- and a puff of acidic gas hit the blade & corroded it away; ahead, their foe staggered as Marisa came in range, and as Boudoir's strands gripped his neck -

- she ripped his head clear off in a geyser of blood, Sylvia laughing beside as his neckless corpse fell, his hands still outstretched as it hit the ground.

"All good?" said Marisa, glancing back as Mia & Sylvia came up.

"Y-Yeah." laughed Sylvia. "F-First fight. J-Jitters."

"Cool. You okay, Mia-Mia?"

"...yes." said Mia, trying not to frown at her easy counter.

"Alright. Uh, I'm gonna make an incision, and scan his Revenant."

Mia nodded as Marisa crouched down and scanned.

◆◆◆

Aimee unlocked the front door to her mansion, and walked inside with Makoto. "I don't even know if she likes me. I'm not exactly the most attractive person, y'know."

Makoto shrugged as she sat on the sofa. "Aimee, you're not ugly. Even if you were, there's people who look ten times worse dating chicks ten times hotter than…uh…"

Aimee sighed. "Mia."

"Yeah. And if you don't ask her out, then I'm gonna."

"Don't do it for me." winced Aimee, crush having reached code red.

"Uh, I'm not talking about doing it for you. I mean, she looks kinda cute. Probably kisses pretty good."

A sense of envy came over Aimee and she did not like it.

"Yeeep." laughed Makoto. "Guess you better -"

" - fine - fine." sighed Aimee. In some ways Makoto knew where to strike better than she knew herself. Makoto did respect her, but leaving their wills to themselves on romance hadn't done any good. "I'll - fuck, I'll just. I'll do it right now."

"Uh-huh." said Makoto, eyes leaning back, miming a head between her thighs. Aimee doubted she had any interest in Mia at all, but it still worked. She took out her phone, and to her surprise, it vibrated before she unlocked it.

(Mia) "Can I talk to you about Worldwide when I get back?"

Thinking it was the Council of Four's groupchat, Makoto checked her phone before Aimee told her it was Mia. "Ooo. What'd she say?"

(Aimee) "Sure. Are you feeling okay?"

(Mia) "Not really."

"She's in a bad mood." muttered Aimee. "Wanted to talk alone."

"And a shoulder to cry on?"

"Maybe." mumbled Aimee, head shaking as she stood. "Anyway, so. Get the fuck out."

Makoto laughed as the two left for the gate. Aimee sent Makoto and waited for Mia, who peeled off from Sylvia & Marisa once they returned, said goodnight to both, and went off with Aimee to her mansion.

"…god." said Mia as they went inside.

"You like it?" asked Aimee and Mia nodded.

"It's - it's very nice."

Aimee agreed, guilty as she felt over her accommodations compared to one-star housing. "Yeah. Uh, three-star - past rank #25 - gets mansions, and president one has some special stuff. Whole movie theater and stuff back there."

"May I sit down?"

"Sure." The two sat on Aimee's sofa, but not too closely. "Um, still want to talk?"

"…Worldwide is frustrating me." muttered Mia. "I didn't realize how narrow its ability was until - until I had class this morning, and…" She sighed. "There's - someone in my class can create a-any element at their hands. Sylvia can turn anything to gas, liquid, o-or solid - and all I have i-is fucking fire. I-I can't even extinguish it w-without looking like an idiot, a-and…"

Aimee saw tears form. Hirogane had asked her not to tell.

"…hey." She put her hand on Mia's back, then quickly moved it to her shoulder. "I - I want to, uh - tell you something about Worldwide. Remember when Hirogane checked you? Uh, when it activated?"

"Y-Yes."

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you, but - Marisa knows this, too. Your colony's not complete. I - we can go talk to Hirogane about it, but that's what he said.

"I-I don't know what that means."

"…um. We kinda don't know either." Aimee nervously laughed. "But we were talking, um - with Saya, too - about what it might be. It's … not a normal size for a-a Revenant."

Mia sniffled. "I-It's not fully activated?"

"Something like that, yeah. Maybe it's - it might be really strong, or maybe there's more abilities, or - but Hirogane said you've got the gene now. For Volgari proteins. Right?"

Mia smiled a bit. "T-True."

"And, um… few months from now, if it's still having trouble, students -"

" - can swap for free." Mia nodded. "I-I remember."

"Yeah." said Aimee. "Um, maybe who gave it to you would know, too."

"Have they made any more progress?" said Mia, sitting up.

"Renault - one of the security guys - wanted to talk to me tomorrow morning. Or, uh, his wife. Guy's super paranoid, so he just sticks in his office."

"His wife relays his messages?"

"Yep. She's, uh - technical term for it is - 'fucking asshole'."

Mia laughed at another stolen Makoto joke, though she had used a different noun.

◆◆◆

The following morning, Aimee had spoken with Marisa & Mia, and the three had set out on one of the trains out of Urasaria. (Students were allowed to skip class so long as they hunted well & passed their finals.)

Renault's wife had relayed to Aimee that her husband's Revenant - Rewind, whose fireflies acted as Urasaria's cameras - had seen an invisible figure drop Mia's body off at the gate, with some blood on her mouth. To no apparent sense, the figure had revealed himself before leaving the edge of Rewind's sight.

"He turned around?" said Marisa as the train slowed.

"Yeah." said Aimee. "That's how, uh - I mean, Renault had to keep projecting it, but that's how he even got the guy's face. Guy's name is Doppori."

Marisa frowned. "…huh. Maybe his Revenant is like, limited use?"

"Maybe, but… yeah. Dunno. Good news is that they found his apartment, so. Can start there."

"Er, hopefully that'll lead to more clues." said Mia, and Aimee nodded as the train stopped.

They stepped in to an urban district that had been rural forty years ago, and Aimee led them to an apartment complex. The three came up to a door on the third floor, and in the next instant -

- a gust of wind blasted it in to them -

- but in to a thousand shards it split as it flew, Aimee dipping Rider's tendrils in Mia's veins -

- and Boudoir's strands discarded the projectiles to the side as the three stood again, brown-haired man inside & in his kitchen, eight blue tendrils bursting out of his shoulders -

" - that's him." muttered Aimee, thirty feet separating the two, foe laughing on the other end - " - can kill him instantly, but -"

" - come!" he shouted - " - I was waiting for you to show up, anyway!"

Marisa rushed left along the wall and Mia & Aimee followed; scarabwoman nodding, a spray of orange flame hit the wall -

- and burnt a clear hole through to the apartment's bathroom, Boudoirsquare forming to keep the hole's fire from spreading. In to the room swept the women, and as Aimee rushed out to the hall -

- a gust of wind blasted her with the strength of a thousand left; Mia heard her crashing through another door, Rider's protection leaving her as she rushed out to the hall with Marisa -

- and seeing their foe right & still in the kitchen up the hall; another gust of wind shot towards them -

- but the next scene was instant. Marisa threw her palms out, a dozen strands erupting & hardening from her gloves -

- and their friction slowed the wind but not their advance as they kept their run up the hall; ahead, Doppori rushed to block the entrance -

- and in to an invisible wall smashed Marisa -

- and in to Marisa smashed Mia behind, two wincing as they staggered back -

" - another trick of wind, if you're curious." droned Doppori, still in his kitchen with fifteen feet separating them. "The tentacles create an airless environment - or harden -"

- the ceiling started to rumble behind him, and in the next instant -

- Aimee dropped with knife-drawn out of the aperture; Doppori turned -

- and a swift blast of wind launched him right just in time to dodge her vicious swipe, Aimee sighing as she rushed back out to the hall, Mia & Marisa catching up with the invisible barrier gone, chasing after Doppori down another main hall -

" - gonna - I can flank at the front door -" said Marisa, and in the next instant -

" - FTL!" shouted a familiar voice; a sense of fear came over Mia -

- and a sword of ice decapitated Doppori in the next, three with shocked eyes as they saw ahead -

- to something that was an utter dreadnought, the size of three headless men, two right arms & one left bursting out of his armor's back. A sword of ice was in one four-fingered hand, and before they could react -

- his torso turned away as his legs didn't, as if two separate halves, and his otherworldly tone said "FTL." and he was gone in a cloud of scarabs.

"I - w-wait -" panted Mia, two standing straight behind - " - I - I recognize that voice -"

" - Mia, are those -" panted Aimee -

- and the three filled with gasps at the scarabs disappearing ahead. Mia's hands filled with her own, Aimee nodding quick.

"That's -" - she kept her glance going - " - gotta be - same type of scarabs, right?"

"They, yes, but -"

" - alright. Alright, alright, alright." nodded Aimee. "Just stay cautious. Going to, going to check something."

Rider's tendrils went taut -

- and Doppori's head appeared in her hands. "Marisa, can you - cloth?"

"S-Sure." Marisa nodded and gave her a Boudoirchef. Aimee wiped the blood off his skin.

"…look." she muttered.

On his neck, a golden scarab tattoo, signed 'R.D.'.