Serena had driven until her eyes went heavy, and the six kept swapping for the rest of that day. Blackburn's fog ensured they never had to stop but for food, and the disastrous weather had kept pace an hour behind, forcing Nuiko back three.

They passed over one hill on a backroad -

" - fuck me, she's got some long range." muttered Aimee, feeling the artifact swell in its pouch. "Should be able to shrink it again, once we…" She sighed.

"Could just throw it out the window." yawned Jeanne, the driver. "Anything up ahead?"

"I'll check." mumbled Yuruko, tapping her phone. "Looks like… uh, what the fuck?" She leaned around her seat, peering through the back window.

"What's up?" said Aimee, turning as well. Mia's head was on her lap, and Rider's tendrils were taut.

"Uh. Shit's gonezo." said Yuruko. "As in - it just disappeared."

"It - what?" sputtered Samuel, and the rest soon followed.

"That's - what it looks like from all the news reports - uh, the ones that are left." said Yuruko, showing her phone out.

"Lemme check on mine." said Aimee. "Uh. Could still be a trap, so just keep going, Jeanne."

"Mmhm." yawned Jeanne. "So sleepy. Should swap soon."

"I'll get it." said Yuruko.

"… fuck." muttered Aimee. "That's fucking weird. Just - yeah, like you said. Just completely stopped."

"Could be another suicide by Revenant." muttered Samuel. "Might've gotten lucky."

"As if." laughed Yuruko. "Maybe someone else ganked his ass."

"A real guardian angel." said Serena.

The five laughed perplexed.

◆◆◆

Akira's passion had bested him. The imperfection of her decapitation still made him curse, as a fisherman who had wounded too heavily his catch might. He crouched over her head, having just finished with it. "Have you ever fucked someone in the ass?" he muttered, standing and glancing to Goorin&Logan.

"Can't say I have."

"Nor I."

Akira felt their necks' sweat. He could kill if they wouldn't listen. It was a service, regardless; he had the interesting personhood to back up his ego, and Goorin&Logan had been plucked from some nearby gang of drifters or another. They were lowest common denominators of people, but even they couldn't fuck up Ten&Top.

"It's a degenerate act." said Akira. "I remember the previous host of Meteorology. I would fantasize -" - he laughed - " - when I had FTL. I would have fantasies about transporting her in to danger. I eventually needed, in reality, to transport her closer and closer every time. I wanted to see if I could control myself. If I transported her in to the bottom of the ocean - I might have been able to kill her. But it would be known, immediately." He laughed. "But you - you would be in a lot of shit if I did that now, wouldn't you? No one would ever know."

He tapped Goorin's neck, and he was gone.

◆◆◆

The six reached their next evacuated destination, one less desolate, the city of Python with skyscrapers that held no light. They arrived by the time the moon was rising, and took separate hotels; but Aimee still missed that touch. She'd used Rider on the drive just to feel Mia's sleeping head for a few seconds more.

Mia and Serena came in to their room. Serena stood tense as they unpacked their bags. If she was talking behind Mia about her mentorship, it wouldn't be right not to talk ahead of her.

"…hey, um, Mia. Can we talk about something?"

"Of course, Serena." murmured Mia, dreading the topic now. It'd almost slipped. Serena was likely going to ask for more guidance.

"I… just - ugh, I dunno how to say this. I don't wanna hurt your feelings, but... I wanted to talk. Especially after yesterday." Serena went to her bed with a sigh. "… It kinda feels like you see me as your kid, rather than your protégé or friend." (Mia's cheeks filled.) "I mean - you got me that cup, but like - I kinda wanted to be the one to request it - or even if you suggested it, I wanted to be the one to go ask Yuruko for it. I mentioned wanting to buy something - and you immediately offer to buy it. You even had me move in, because you didn't want me in one-star housing."

"I - yes, but… I suppose I have…"

"You're acting like my mom." Serena smiled. "Seriously. Yuruko caught that, too. You're trying to make sure I never struggle. I kinda liked it at first, 'cuz you're right that - Odyssey wasn't that good, but…"

The floor caught Mia's eyes. "… I - I suppose I did not ask you if you were even interested in Blackburn before springing it on you."

"Yeah - and just… I know this sounds like a lot, but... the way you've been treating me in fights recently. I don't wanna say it's bugging me - but... not letting me use Blackburn unless you tell me to. I know you're good - but, c'mon. I can handle stuff. I've gotta get stronger too. Right?"

Mia took a big breath, sat down beside Serena. "I... suppose you're right, but I simply wished to… I - apologize that I -"

" - c'mon. You're still doing it." muttered Serena. "I don't want to be talked to like you're scared to hurt my fragile ego, or something. It's just - hey. When you order me and shout at me, my mind just kinda goes - I get screwed up, because I have to think about whether you're actually right, whether I should do it, and that's hard, right? 'Cause I know you know more than me - but, I mean - I did figure out that one Revenant, and Yuruko and I did pretty good against those two."

"… even when you had Odyssey." murmured Mia. "I never ordered you to save us from the roof collapsing. Or those spearmen."

"Yeah." Serena smiled. "It - it means a lot to me that you recognize that. 'Cause I know you're strong as hell. I - I dunno, it sounds kinda dumb - but I want you to believe in me. If I'm running low on fog, or if you need something - then yeah, tell me - 'cuz I get scared and don't know what to do sometimes - but… I dunno. Do you get what I mean?"

The two smiled, and Mia tried not to show what Serena's praise meant. Her confidence hadn't yet grown over that patch of nerves.

"… Seeing you nearly die the first week worried me." said Mia. "I've been very worried on how to be a good mentor for you, but I… I - I can't stand the thought of you being hurt from - my mistake. It's s-something important to me - and the stress of everything else." She looked at Serena and smiled. "But every fight we won - I thought it was because of my ordering you. Even when you saved my life."

"Hey - you saved my life, too." laughed Serena. "Um. Plus - sometimes you ordering me helped. Like when you told me not to fill that hole in the wall with rubber, until you made a crack in the floor, so I could run on that. When we fought the lightning Revenant. But…" She sighed. "… This is hard. I don't want to be shouted at or ordered around - but I don't want to be left alone. I still feel like a kid."

"Imagine how it is for me." chimed Mia, and the two laughed.

"Talking about it is a start, right?"

"It is."

"Yeah." Serena smiled. "Plus, my first trip as a Urasaria student, and it's this. I get why - I bet you've been stressed recently, too."

"That, and - Aimee leaving in a few weeks, as well."

"Wait, what?"

"She has a longer contract, with her three." murmured Mia. "She'll be gone for most of the year. Our relationship will be temporarily long-distance."

"… oh." mumbled Serena. "Uh. That sucks - I'm sorry."

"It's alright." nodded Mia. "We haven't spent much time apart in quite a while." She smiled. "Still, I - I believe you're correct. Marisa and I were always friends - and she's always trusted me with my Revenant."

"Yeah. I mean - um. I don't want to be - totally on my own, but -"

" - then from now on - if I need something, I will tell you, and you shall ask me for help if you need it. Yes?"

"Yeah. Just - yeah. Less shouting. I don't wanna accidentally fill my cut with salt again." Serena laughed. "I want us to be friends. You know?"

Mia smiled. "Then as your friend, I won't mention your crush to Yuruko."

"Huh?"

"I'm not a clueless lesbian, Serena."

"…s-shit." laughed Serena, cheeks filling. "U-Uh. Is - is it really obvious?"

"It - you only entered one number in to your phone, when I told you everyone's -" laughed Mia -

" - that - that doesn't mean I have a crush, c-c'mon -" laughed Serena -

" - shall I check, then?" smirked Mia, miming her hands over -

" - okay - okay -" laughed Serena. "But see what I mean? Like that, um. I know you're, um. Not in to videogames and - stuff, but. I still want to be friends."

Mia nodded. "Then may I ask something?"

"Um, sure."

Mia took a deep breath. Admittedly, if Serena's praise was good, her criticism would be worse too. "…er. Yuruko mentioned that, she…"

Serena winced. "I kinda told her the same stuff, yeah. I'm - I shouldn't have done that, but - I didn't really know… what to say, and - um. Yeah. I'm, I'm sorry."

"It's - it's alright. But, er. In the future, I…"

"…yeah. I, um. I promise I'll talk to you first." nodded Serena. Often in her community she had hated gossipers, particularly when it was about her (as it had been right before she entered Urasaria).

◆◆◆

[Tuesday, September 24th]

The next morning, the formerly-clueless lesbian and punk came up the corner, peeling their eyes around to the avenue. The other two pairs had taken a restaurant on the other end of city, and Mia&Serena had just finished their breakfast.

"Clear." said Serena, and the two started down the sidewalk, avenue and skyscrapers right and left. "Man, this shit is so surreal. Like we're in some apocalyptic movie."

"Be careful for zombies." chimed Mia, the end of the avenue two hundred feet away.

"Yeah - wait, they still have physical stores?" said Serena, stopping at one, waving right. "… Man - shit, I could steal all of those videogames. You'd cover me, right? Say it was someone else?"

"… Serena, we're the only six that could have -"

- Mia gasped as she saw the back wall of the store, where a drill was embedded, and in the next instant -

- the building began to buckle in - the two swept away and back, and as a rumbling began from the building across the street -

- the two buildings were yanked together as if by a tether, smashing in to each other in the center of the avenue, and as the shattered rubble burst outward to their necks -

" - Worldwide!"

- pillars of white flame burst from the ground, scorching the foul concrete -

" - Blackburn!"

- and streams of black fog filled the concrete shards with gasoline, quickening Mia's flame as she burnt the initial volley of rubble, the mountainous ruins ahead blocking the center of the avenue and their sight.

"Shit." muttered Serena, Blackburn's fog clearing the smoke, as was often the case. "Revenant."

Mia grinned, her eyes flurrying around as they stepped back. "This is what you wanted, isn't it? Remember - tell me if you need something."

"Er - yeah - but we should run for now, right?" said Serena, placing her hand on Mia's shoulder -

- and it dipped in as if she were liquid. With a shriek, Mia yanked herself away, pulling Serena in to her -

- and the two women phased in to each other, combined and were trapped within each other.

'What the -'

' - fuck?!'

"World-"

"- burn!"

And before their eyes appeared their merged Revenant; a humanoid torso and arms formed of scarabs, a trail of black fog below.

'We're -'

' - merged? Oh shit - can she hear me think?'

'I - can, yes? I believe.'

'So this is what it'll feel like to have a - nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing -'

' - stop clogging our brainwaves!'

'Hey. Mia. What's our name?'

'Mia and Serena? Mirena?'

'Have you thought of this before? Wait, am I actually thinking with you, or am I just imagining your voice?'

'I don't think I could stoop to your intelligence.'

Mirena laughed. Their appearance&voice had changed, their hair merged as white&black, a leather jacket with a dress bottom - but they had no time left to think.

From the other end of the ruins, they heard the rumble begin, and in the next instant -

- a titanic drill burst out from the rubble, shot out and pierced their torso; Mirena stumbled back, a second drilling volley eroding the rubble ahead, sucking the ruins inward, disintegrating them as if a true Vortex; but the pertinent projectile still drilled further and deeper in, swirling their skin open -

" - Worldburn?!"

- and a flash of ice scarabs chilled it, attempting desperately to slow the sprinkler of blood and skin; but the speed was immeasurable. It shattered in an instant its icy prison, and as the melted water spun red -

" - Worldburn?!"

- streams of black fog filled the water, slowing the drill's spin as a clogged cog, rusting now. A swift swarm burnt the drill to ash, a second stream of fog filling their wounds as their strength returned, Worldburn mysteriously growing in size.

'Hydrochloric acid and copper. Rusts stuff.'

'I never knew you were in to chemistry.'

But Mirena panted, stumbling and rushing back around the corner, not even hearing their foe as they ran down the sidewalk, seeking space first.

'That's because I want to impress Yuruko and - nothing nothing nothing -'

- Mirena laughed as she ran; but from behind, the drilling began anew. As she turned, she saw a second drill curve around the corner and seeking her direct -

- and their torso dodged one way and their legs another, ensuring the drill pierced their right arm; Mirena's left arm flashed back as she gasped, and as they attempted the same rusted counter -

- the drill grew in size, shot through their elbow and tore their arm clear off -

- and bizarrely, black fog filled their arm anew, the women panting as they saw the drill fly away.

'That's - what the fuck?'

'You can do that?'

'I've never felt this strong. I'm controlling arms. Are you legs? I hope so, 'cuz I'm not controlling those.'

A wave of realization struck Mirena's lower half, and the upper rode along for the ride as she rushed back down, hurtled around the corner and down the road, the ruins of the two buildings ahead.

'What are you doing? Mia? Mia?'

'A hunch.'

Down the street the woman ran, and as she came up to the ruins, she put her ear to the rubble; and Serena realized it then. Her fire scarabs burnt a tunnel through the concrete pile, and as a second swarm flew deeper in -

- they felt new strength flow in to them as they felt the first drill destroyed, having never left its initial wall. Worldburn grew in size again, and as they leaped to the top of the rubble mountain -

- there, at the other end of the avenue, a hundred feet separating them and he, a man (but two men) Mirena knew as their foe. His right hand yanked back as if to pull something, and in the next instant -

- a second building behind was pulled off its hinges, yanked in to the woman's back, and as the entire rain of rubble shattered against her body -

- she grunted, thrashed, but still stood by the end, fire scarabs melting the rubble that sought to bury her. She swept her eyes back and leaped down to the sidewalk adjacent, rushing down to the foundation of the building that had just struck her.

Inside was another drill drilling in to the ground; but as they approached, an invisible force yanked it upward, and as it flew back to the woman -

- a wall of blue flame erupted ahead, disintegrating the foul projectile, Worldburn growing again. Another moment, and a circle of blue flame surrounded them, the woman resting as new strength flowed in to them.

'I get what it is. You're thinking about it - I know what it is.'

'Serena, notify the others - they need to evacuate immediately - as far away as possible. There's no possible way the benefit is only for us.'

'That's risky.'

'Do you want me to coddle you?'

'Nope.'

Mirena ripped her phone out and typed a message -

' - awww, you have Aimee saved with a heart - why is she calling you Mistress -'

'THE GROUP MESSAGE, SERENA!'

'Oh shit, sorry.'

Text couldn't replace touch, but Mirena sent one out.

But the wall of fire faded -

- and they groaned as they saw a swarm of floating drills encircling them; but the next scene was instant.

A line of fire scarabs below, burning a titanic burrow; and in to the sudden shaft the woman fell, black fog filling the shaft above as they burnt a path below -

- and above, they heard the drills hit each other and shatter, but waited another few seconds before they would burst out again.

'This is rough.'

'We can do it.'

'No, I'm just trying not to think about embarrassing stuff like when I was fifteen and had a crush on a girl and she said I love you and I said I love you too but she just meant it as a friend and fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck -'

'I told you to stop clogging our brainwaves!'

'Wait, how are you shouting? Every thought is the same volume.'

'What are you talking about?!'

'It's all at the same volume. But I hear you shouting. That's weird.'

'I should have asked for another protégé.'

Mirena groaned and threw a fire scarab above; a jet of water blasted them from below, and out of the hole burst the woman, their watery geyser engrossing them as they were launched up -

- and landed in the avenue again, rubble cleared and their foe still a hundred feet away. He aimed midway down the road, and a drill burst from his right palm and shot in to the center of the road -

- and the entire avenue was sucked inward, the vortex swallowing buildings, concrete, rubble, skyscrapers and sidewalks in its wake; with a shriek of desperation, Mirena ran back, her feet a flurry of movement, running desperately up the sides of the rapidly growing crater -

' - we're not going back in there, huh?'

Mirena glanced back -

'SERENA - YOU'RE OUR EYES!'

- and Mirena's eyes turned back ahead. Closer and closer, the rubble drew, the titanic vortex behind threatening to swallow the woman alive -

- but the next scene was instant. A leap up again; a cloud of fire&ice scarabs behind, forming a swift gust -

- that blew the woman up and out of the crater with the force of a million, launching them up in to the air -

' - uh - I hope you thought this through!' shouted, bizarrely, Serena's thoughts, despite all thoughts being at the same volume as they fell from a hundred feet.

'I trust you to think of something, Serena!'

What road left was fast approaching below, and as they landed -

- a fire scarab burnt the entire asphalt cover off, and in to the pillow filling landed the woman, Worldburn's fog having filled it. With no time to waste, the woman drew up, turning back, the entirety of the crater separating them and he.

'Mia. Think they're evacuated yet?'

As if to answer, the tablet vibrated, and Mirena knew they had.

'Do you have a plan, Serena?'

'Trust me. Crater.'

With the trust in her protégé, Mirena rushed to the edge of the crater, and a cloud of black fog the size of the entire crater filled it -

- with TriNitroToluene. A fire scarab lit the fuse -

- and the entire city was claimed by an explosion as if a hydrogen bomb had struck it, shattering every building, every window, every home, every road, every sidewalk, scorching every tuft of grass, every fence, every car, every videogame.

"What the fuck kind of Revenant are they fighting?" said Aimee, fortunately far away by then. "Christ."

"At least everyone evacuated." chimed Yuruko, relevantly.

"What the fuck is with these fucking Revenants, indeed." said Samuel.

"They're either alive, or they died in the most metal way possible." said Jeanne.

And fortunately, back at what remained of the city turned-crater, the two combatants (but four) still stood at opposites inside, a hundred feet separating the two, dodging between volleys of drills as they rushed forward. Worldburn's size had grown to a skyscraper - but even they couldn't last forever.

A lucky drill pierced through their torso, and as it tore their skin open, the pain that would've instantly killed any other staggered them back -

- but as a scarab might flick a straw, one of Worldburn's fingers tapped the drill, and a titanic swarm ate the steel whole.

Another drill formed in the man's hand, growing to the size of a second skyscraper, and as it shot through Worldburn's headless torso -

- a titanic swarm of scarabs surrounded it, were sucked in as if by a vortex, and the enormous drill still spun against the enormous Worldburn above as Mirena ran ahead.

'If it gets any stronger -'

' - this thing will end up destroying the entire country. Serena - fill the top of this crater - we can't get within range head-on.'

'With what?'

'Something I saw once.'

And as another drill grew -

- Worldburn covered the top layer of the crater, black fog filling only the top half with glass, and before their foe could react-

- a scorching beam that threatened to pierce the heavens erupted and hit the reflective material, and in the next instant -

- a bouquet of enormous refracted light blinded their opponent as they rushed forward, only fifty feet separating the two, and as they cleared the clearing in a single bound -

"Listen to the last words you'll ever hear, drill bitch! -" shouted Mirena, Worldburn's insectile fists shattering the drill above to bits -

- and with the speed of light, titanic streams of fog entered their foe's lips and nostrils, burrowing in through his ears -

- and filled them with a dozen swords of Worldwide, golden blades piercing out through his limbs, chest and eyes, a dozen geysers of blood; he stumbled back, screaming as a titanic swarm surrounded him -

"- who the hell do you think we are?!"

The bouquet of gold burst in to blue flames -

"WORLDBURN - TRI-SWARM FILL!"

- and the entire crater filled with a blue inferno, threatening to scorch the entire state to the ground; Mirena rushed through the blaze and to their foe, claws of scarabs gripping them by their neck; she threw their foe ahead, and as he flew back -

- a skyscraper of ice filled the ground behind, and in to the titanic barrier smashed his body. Mirena rushed through the blaze, electrical scarabs swarming ahead, and as his drill raised again -

- as if called by the heavens, a hundred bolts blasted him. Mirena's hands filled with a golden sword the size of a skyscraper -

- and a sweep split the entire city and he in half, disintegrating the latter two instantly.

And from out of each other burst the women, the flame, ice, lightning, and sword suddenly gone.

"Holy - "

" - fucking shit!" shouted Serena, tears in her eyes - " That - that fucking - Revenant is so fucking - cool - fuck!"

The mentor&protégé laughed as they ran to each other, embracing tight.

"I've - I've never felt that - strong before!" shouted Mia, glancing down, the entire crater burnt clear - " - let me - ahaha -" - she laughed, still shaking as she took her tablet - " - let them know we -"

" - my fucking God!" laughed Serena - " - we - fuck, I wish the Revenant survived - imagine we had a third person with that combining shit, holy shit!"

Their laughter barely calmed as Mia typed a message out, hands shaking. "I - I've never felt that - I've never felt that - strong before, just -"

"- that was so - that was fucking - I don't care what even comes next, holy shit - fuck, I can't wait to tell Yuruko -"

" - or Aimee -" grinned Mia. "I'll try not to mention your thoughts."

"Or - or your's, yeah." laughed Serena. "Man - and even just…" Her eyes went down for a second, and she smiled wider. "… Yeah. Uh - that was just - really great."

The two laughed.

◆◆◆

The two met with the four at a nearby town and took up an evacuated diner. Aimee hadn't needed to argue with the mayor that time.

"You two." laughed Aimee, seeing the two step in, four already sat.

"I gotta know what that was." grinned Yuruko as the two sat down.

"After." laughed Mia, still shaking. "Was there something else to discuss?"

Aimee nodded. "Getting a call from Renault in a few minutes." She placed her tablet down. "Though - uh, he said noon, and it's 11:59, so -"

- the tablet vibrated, and she took it quick.

"Mad Dog."

"Yes." answered the paranoid himself. "I've looked in to the matter you've asked. Are you alone?"

"Nope." said Yuruko. "All of us here. All six."

His sigh scratched the speaker. "Mad Dog has asked me to look in to the Revenants you've been fighting recently - and I've certainly found their source, if not their abilities."

"And?" said Mia.

The hiss grew in his voice. "Tell them yourself where these Revenants have come from, Mia Schultz."

"Where - what?"

"Every single Revenant you've fought so far has been from the Eastern League - the twenty heroes Magnus murdered! What on earth is with this persistent interest in you - you should have taken the removal surgery when -"

- Aimee tapped it muted, and the six spoke swift.

"I - It is the Eastern League, then?" sputtered Mia. "The nineteen?"

"He, um - he doesn't know about the Worldwide chick?" said Serena. (Mia had told the tale.)

"Ryumi." muttered Aimee. "Sorry, he said he doesn't know their abilities, right?"

"He does not." said Mia, tapping the tablet unmuted -

" - honestly, for how many dead civilians you've caused -"

" - thanks, Renault." Aimee sighed and hung up. "So - guess you were right. These are their's, then."

"Just making sure, Mia." said Samuel. "They took his wife's Revenant, and he took, uh…" He paused. "… Alright, that joke is way too easy. I'm not making it."

"He took their liiiiives!" preened Yuruko, and the six laughed with the B-movie narrator. "But - uh, if he did, why do these dickholes have their Revenants?"

"Doesn't sound like a guy who'd trust someone else with them." mumbled Samuel.

"Er, are we sure they actually died?" said Jeanne. "I mean - uh. You said he was testing you for Worldwide. Right?"

"Correct, to - allow Ryumi to live on through me." Mia frowned, feeling that odd connection.

"Are we sure he actually killed the other nineteen? I mean - I dunno. Maybe they wanted to go - do this, or whatever, and he tried to stop them."

"Like he was forced to kill Ryumi?" said Yuruko.

"I -" Mia sputtered - " - saw him snap a man in half for daring to interrupt our duel. There's - I can't imagine a man like that would ever…"

"Unless he was…" Jeanne's lips pinched. "… uh. Sorry. I dunno."

"He seemed to love her. Uh. I guess." mumbled Aimee. "Dunno. Don't think that's right."

"But, the only other possibility is he had someone he trusted to take the Eastern League's Revenants, correct?" said Mia.

"Wasn't he a total, uh - what's that word for when you hate everybody?"

"Matoi." said Samuel, forcing a laugh from the six.

"He was." said Mia. "Before he died, he thought about Ryumi. He told me he never cared about anyone but her."

"Guessing 'also, nineteen pissed off heroes are gonna come back for you' wasn't in that, huh?" said Yuruko.

Mia's head shook. "And - he could have easily destroyed their Revenants if he killed them. That - they survived, means it was deliberate, but…"

"...sorry, we gotta…" Aimee shook her head. "Uh. We've gotta decide what we're gonna discuss. Who thinks he really did kill the Eastern League?"

Six hands went up, and Aimee nodded.

"Uh - alright, yeah. So - nineteen heroes. Right? Ryumi's the twentieth. He wasn't part of it, right, Mia?"

"I don't believe so. He was a researcher."

"Nineteen heroes. So he - killed them, but left their Revenants to someone else? Maybe?"

"It's the only possibility, isn't it?" said Serena, brain working overtime. "How many have we dunked on?"

"Slammed and jammed." chimed Yuruko. "Twenty, minus coolio scarabs. There's acid dumbass, speed dumbass, car dumbass, hallucination dumbass -"

- the five laughed as she continued -

" - weighted dumbass, lightning dumbass, wasted-by-Samuel dumbass, pierced-by-a-tree dumbass, water dumbass, magnetic dumbass, weather dumbass, aaaaaand…" She gestured to Mia and Serena.

"I - believe we fought two. It allowed our Revenants to -"

" - don't spoil it." grinned Serena. "Uh. Yeah, though. Two guys, pretty sure."

"Two cykas." chimed Yuruko.

"Suka?" said Jeanne, and Serena laughed.

"It's bitch in Russian."

"They're always on U.S. East servers for some reason." said Yuruko.

"At least Urasaria has the fastest internet in the country."

"Still fifty megabits slower than Sweden."

"So, uh - six left, then? Unless someone…" Aimee frowned. "… uh, wait. Did you count Nuiko's?"

"Yep. He got pierced by a tree, didn't he?"

"… Wait, yeah." nodded Jeanne. "Uh - can't that not be it? The curator said those four guys came for him, but that was the night you and me got attacked. They wouldn't have known about us yet."

"There's a second group." Samuel sighed. "God. Can we just smash that tablet and be done with it? Just go back to Urasaria?"

"Three thousand dollars…" murmured Serena.

"It's - so if it's - four for… Unless they find us - but he only snitched about Nuiko. Seven left." sighed Aimee.

"Just seven left." nodded Jeanne.

"Seven left."

Despite their situation, the six smiled.

"At least we've got a number." laughed Samuel, and they forced their's out to share that bond.

"… man, I gotta know, though." said Aimee, typing out a message. "Jeanne, can you get the pouch out on the table?"

Jeanne got the pouch out on the table, and Aimee nodded. The tablet began to swell back to normal size.

"No worries -" she said, catching Jeanne's instant worry - " - uh, just wanted to read it. Might as well see why the hell people are gonna pay 300 grand for it."

"Don't break it." chimed Yuruko, and Aimee displayed the tablet out. The clay was cracked, written on in a language they couldn't understand. Their eyes went over it long.

"… fifty thousand each if we sold it ourselves…" murmured Serena, and the six cracked just as hard. "Can't place a price on history."