A host of officers were all situated within the large briefing room at the ECPD headquarters. The proverbial powder keg that had been brewing ever since Nina’s attack was finally primed to explode. In the final hours of that day, everything would be put into place. At the front of the room stood a tall wooden podium, and standing at that podium was another bizarrely pale individual. However, this one was a young woman. One of the last pieces to take her place on the board. Her long white hair was perfectly straight and cascaded down like glowing paint strokes. Her bright ivory locks complimented her intimidating gaze of ruby. Those eyes had shown strength and will, yet behind that feint was the faintest inclination of sorrow. That woman wore some fragment of lingering pain. An old and eroded cross still bearing on her shoulders. Her face was soft and pleasing to the eyes. Crisp angles of illuminant, porcelain skin starkly contrasted by cherry lips and the faintest hint of blush. She seemed, to any passerby, to be like a living doll, silent and emotionless, but bountiful in beauty. The living doll’s slim body was attired in a simple short white dress of modest design. Her exposed legs were clad by soft stockings of matching color. The upper chest of the garment seemed to be elaborately embroidered and was complimented by the black ribbon tied in a loose bow at the collar. Her sleeves were wide and fell gracefully like drapes within an old palace. A black sash was worn tight around the girl’s waist, also wrapped up in a bow at the back. Her dainty white shoes completed the look as they glistened in the light of the room, not that anyone would notice them through the podium.

"Welcome everyone…," the woman began in a soft yet commanding voice.

"My name is Syrah. I work closely with Chief Lazarus. He asked me to give the briefing on our next big assignment. If everyone is ready we will begin."

The room was dead quiet as Syrah stood firmly at the podium. She took a single breath before beginning the briefing.

"Deep below this city, there is a network of tunnels. The Evo City Police Department believed for the longest time that these tunnels have long since been derelict. We were told that the network was decommissioned years ago after the destruction of the Industrial District. That was a lie. According to the late Chief Mason’s records, those tunnels are still in use to this day. Chief Mason was paid a large sum of money in order to keep quiet about operations occurring in the network. The files detailed the existence of a facility that is linked to these tunnels, and that facility is currently still in use. Its code name is Cocoon. Tomorrow, at six hundred hours, everyone in this room will accompany me to an entry point that we have located in the Slums. We will traverse the network and raid Cocoon. If we can flush out the enemy there we may be able to put a stop to the madness that plagues our city. Authorizations have been put in effect for standard raid gear. The use of breach charges has been permitted. The standing order is to kill on sight anything that moves. We are also prioritizing the extraction of any evidence that may help us to uncover what exactly is happening in our city. That will be all."

Syrah said nothing as she left her place at the forefront of the room and made her way towards the exit. Her movement was as graceful as one might expect, yet swift as if driven by anxiety. As she came upon the exit to the briefing room, her eyes glanced at two detectives who were leaving their seats. They looked exactly alike one another. A hidden directive motivated Syrah to approach the doppelgangers before continuing on with her own duties.

"Excuse me, detectives?" Syrah interrupted in as friendly a voice as she could muster.

"Oh, pardon us Ma’am, did you need something?" said the twin on the left in a stern utterance.

"Are you Philip Lane?" Syrah asked softly.

"I am. Did you need something Ma’am?"

"Chief Lazarus wanted to speak to you in person, alone. You should head to his office immediately."

*****

Philip Lane was a simple young man of twenty two. He led an easy life with a well-paying job as chief detective. He was a tall and thin man with simplistic short black hair and boring hazel eyes. His skin was fair and healthy and his overall diet was decent. He wore a classy suit and he appreciated the quiet things in life. He was, all in all, a rather droll person when you really looked at him. This was especially true when compared to his identical twin brother. His brother always seemed to be doing something, but he still had a great work ethic despite his rather rambunctious behavior. Philip may have harbored a little jealousy towards his brother’s more extravagant and exciting life, but at the end of the day he appreciated his own peace. No one thought that someone who seemed so insignificant would fill the chess board's final vacancy.

Philip entered through the office door of Chief Lazarus. As he approached the desk, Philip saw Lazarus in all his splendor. Up until this point, Philip had never seen the Deputy up close. Philip never imagined that Lazarus would be as intimidating as he was in that moment. Lazarus looked like a radiant god seated at a onyx throne. He had the look of a man in total control. His silky voice spoke to Philip with concise diction.

"Are you Chief Detective Philip?"

Philip simply nodded as he responded with a "Yes sir."

"Congratulations then. You are being promoted to deputy."

Philip seemed completely surprised by the sudden announcement. He couldn’t help but stare at Lazarus in disbelief. His thoughts raced each other like charioteers in a stadium of formulating questions. What a sudden thing to say to someone when you first meet them.

"Why me? I’m no one particularly special," Philip claimed in response.

"You only believe that because your ideal life is a mundane one. You seem to have forgotten that you are the Chief Detective here. You have a great responsibility, and you also do your job with the utmost professionalism. You are the next rung down on the hierarchal ladder Mr. Lane. The position of deputy is vacant and needs filling."

Philip simply took a deep breath before nodding. Anxiety set in his stomach. He worried that the moment he took that first step into his abruptly new position, the quiet life he worked so hard to preserve would be ruined. A great fear loomed over him like a black monolith piercing the heavens, of which Philip did not believe in. It was an intangible, unintelligible feeling of prudence. Nevertheless, his new rank could still prove beneficial to his simplistic lifestyle. At the end of it all, he could do with a raise.

"Okay. I’ll take the promotion."

"Well of course, it’s not like you really had any choice in the matter," Lazarus retorted with a small smirk.

Philip seemed a bit thrown off by Lazarus’ words, but that wasn’t the only strange thing Philip would hear that day. The next sentence out of Lazarus’ mischievous mouth was the thing that sent Philip down a spiral of perturbation.

"Now then, I want you to report to my office at six hundred hours tomorrow," Lazarus declared.

"But, sir, shouldn’t I present during the raid?" Philip asked in response.

"No."

"Why, sir?"

Lazarus stood up from his seat as he released an audible sigh. He adjusted his tie in few quick motions and then spoke with the same calm and rational voice as ever.

"Deputy Philip, may I ask you a personal question?"

"I don't see how that has anything to do with-"

Before Philip could finish his statement, Lazarus proceeded with the question anyway. The conversation all of the sudden took a turn for the strange and awkwardly personal. It seemed to Philip that there was far more to this "job interview" than he assumed. Lazarus was after something, he wanted Philip’s secrets.

"I'll take that as a yes. Have you ever seen anything strange or inexplicable in your life?"

"What does this have to do with anything!?" Philip cried out in defense.

Lazarus continued to press his interrogation further. No request to cease would be answered by the strangely symmetrical Chief of Police. He knew what he wanted, and he always got what he wanted.

"Your medical records show that you have been suffering from hallucinations for most of your life. Is this true?"

Philip clenched his fists tight as his voice began to raise in volume. The questions Lazarus asked were striking some kind of nerve with the newly appointed deputy. He could feel his calm demeanor slipping away as an instinct to protect precious secrets took over.

"My medical history has not hampered me in my work in any way! Sir, please, what are you trying to get at here?" Philip said between clenched teeth.

"What do you know about FST Signatures?" Lazarus finally asked, seeing as he knew he was getting nowhere.

Philip felt his guard lower. His mind was assaulted by more and more questions. He failed to understand what Lazarus was after, despite knowing fully well that he was practically interrogating him at this point. There was no mistaking that simple fact. But Philip had no idea how to respond to such pressure. So many questions, both from Lazarus and from Philip’s own head were starting to grain on the quiet deputy’s psyche. Nothing was making any sense and the conversation was becoming more of a hazy cloud of words flowing out from a stream of consciousness.

"FST? I've never- What the hell does that even mean!?"

"Precisely. It stands for Fractured Space-Time. You see, there are places in this world where the very fabric of space-time is thin, soft spots if you will. In addition, there exist certain individuals in this reality who are sensitive to the radiation emitted by these so called soft spots," Lazarus explained in a calmer tone that was unexpected of someone uttering a revelation in physics.

"That doesn’t make any fucking sense! What does that even have to do with me!? Are you crazy!?"

It was a rare thing when Philip swore. He was clearly on edge.

"In your hallucinations, what do you see?" Lazarus finally asked, his red eyes gleaming with intimidation as they stared down Deputy Philip.

"I don’t want to answer that question." Philip responded with his voice showing signs of the faintest hints of fear.

"This has no bearing on your ability to do your job Deputy Philip. This is to satisfy my own curiosities. As a matter of fact, if anything, this will help us to further our relationship as superior and subordinate."

Philip exhaled a loud gust of breath as he tried to calm himself down. Lazarus was trying to establish some trust between the two of them despite such aggressive questioning. Philip decided that the whole debacle would be over quicker if he just talked, and that is exactly what he did.

"I can see just about anything, but there is always a recurring theme. I can always see another version of myself in the hallucination. Sometimes I see events from only seconds ago, sometimes I can see myself hours from now. I've even seen myself die more times than I’d care to mention."

"Are you seeing anything now?" Lazarus continued.

"Yes."

Philip’s breath grew shaky as a hallucination he had been ignoring finally came into focus. He could see himself clear as day, talking to Lazarus by the window of the office. But there was something strange about the other version of himself that Philip witnessed. He had white hair.

"What do you see?" asked Lazarus, his voice now softer as to ease the stress on Philip’s mind.

"I can see another me, with white hair, talking to you." Philip finally claimed.

Lazarus nodded to himself as he began to ponder. He walked out in front of his desk and leaned against it in hopes of easing the tension and making the air more casual. He couldn’t have Philip panic. It would ruin everything. That’s when he finally dropped the first bombshell.

"What if I told you that you are looking between the fabrics of space-time?"

"Th-that's insane!" Philip replied in disbelief.

From the desktop Lazarus retrieved a small tablet like object. With a loud click, a switch was triggered and the machine flickered to life. A repetitive ping resounded throughout the room with the origin being that small tablet. Lazarus stepped closer and the ping grew wild. It morphed in a high pitched whine that strained on the ears of both men. Turning the screen around, Philip could see an active graph that was spiking violently the closer the machine was to him. Philip had no idea how to react. He still was unsure if all of it was a joke or not. Even if it wasn’t, it was still a cruel thing to show someone you just met. Philip wasn’t sure how he could process such mind boggling information. All logic said to deny anything Lazarus said. Philip’s mind screamed at him that Lazarus had to be absolutely insane, but a shred of belief somehow wormed its way into the cold and calculating brain of the deputy.

"This device measures FST Signatures. Judging by these readings, you may have one of the strongest signatures ever recorded." Lazarus explained in a calm voice.

"That doesn’t make sense!" Philip cried as he finally exploded into rage.

Lazarus merely smiled as he drew close to Philip. His red eyes were staring right into Philip’s soul as he spoke with a rather terrifying undertone.

"Sure it does. You have this signature because you are somehow able to witness the lives of countless versions of yourself. Your awareness is heightened to a point where it encompasses not only the version of you that stands here before me, but every Philip Lane across the entirety of existence itself. You are, for all intents and purposes, an anomaly, one that will be taken into my care."

Philip’s mouth was left agape in a prolonged moment of speechlessness. What the hell was happening to him, to his perfect little life?! Was this fate? Was he being punished? If so, what crime did he commit? Why would destiny play such a cruel joke upon such a simple man? Lazarus immediately took notice of the shock. Slightly relishing in his victory, Lazarus gave his farewell to Philip.

"My office. Tomorrow. Six hundred hours."

*****

As the sun began to complete yet another journey beyond the horizon, I stood on the balcony of my apartment in stoic observation. The air grew cool as the moon rose upward into the clouds and brought with it, a calming night sky. I watched as the city lights all blinked and flickered back into the world. A strange thought came over me as I watched the city illuminate itself like a beacon in the middle of the Atlantic. It was baffling to think how people could still go about their lives despite such tragedy happening all around them. Ministry Square was in ruins, the task of governing had fallen to the police, most citizens would get stopped at least once on their way to work or home, yet despite all new hardships and inconveniences they carry on. Humanity is fascinating. We are often called stubborn, but that stubbornness is what allows us to persist in the face of adversity. It is truly an amazing thing about humans. As I continued to ponder this, I could hear Hell’s voice in my head.

"You’ve got a lot on your mind"

"How could I not? The whole city seems like it’s gone to shit."

"You got that right."

I took a deep breath of the cool night air. It was hard not to think about the possibility that the small fraction of peace I had attained was slowly slipping away from me. Scattered upon the very wind that filled my lungs. My life was fading back into that war torn abyss I since crawled out of. I didn’t understand why Nina did the things she did, but it was clear something else was at work. I had to solve this mystery. Three years had gone by and I still longed for answers. Hell could sense my uncertainty as he continued to speak to me.

"Look, Hev. Judging by the way things are going now, I don’t think it’s going to get any easier for us."

"I know that, I’m just scared of going back into the fray."

I could almost sense Hell smiling from within my mind.

"Don’t worry. You’ve had three years of relative peace, three years to make yourself sure of your resolve. You are nothing like the kid you were back then. You don’t have to worry about regression. What you need to worry about is how you plan to protect everything this new life has given you."

"You’re right," I responded with a somber smile.

The city looked beautiful that night. Even in the midst of the looming shadows over my head, the city always looked so stunning in the night. Every light, every neon sign, all of it gave the illusion that every skyscraper was carved from a mountain of shimmering gemstones.

"We should get some sleep, Hev. Things aren’t going to get any easier if we aren’t at the least well rested."

"Yeah… I just hope I’ll be able to look at the city like this at least one more time."

*****

The morning came violently. The halls of the Cocoon where tinted with red light. Alarms rippled off the walls like a chorus of droning electric noise. A squad of Excaliburs held their rifles aimed at the southern entrance of the Cocoon. The alarms continued to sound off, beating in tune with the anxious heavy hearts of soldiers clad in black. Terra rushed down the halls in a panic. Her heart weighed the most out of all those tormented by anxiety amidst the loud red scene.

"It’s happening again!" she thought.

"It’s just like that time!"

Terra fought her own emotions like a wild animal. Terra’s will was like a terrifying beast, born of the very earth that she could bend to her whim. Her emotions would never bring her down. She was far too fierce and cunning, like a sly fox, or a mighty bear. Her desire to fight for the home she cherished brought her to the south entrance of the Cocoon, where Goose and his soldiers were waiting. Where the first battle of many would begin. Goose saw Terra approaching the south entrance and immediately rushed up to her. His gaze was concerned and equally frustrated. His eyes stared into Terra’s as he gripped her shoulders.

"What are you doing here Terra? Lockhart told all the Demons to evacuate."

Terra said nothing. She let actions speak before her voice. Her left hand reached out and grasped at Goose’s throat. In one swift motion, Terra pinned Goose into the wall. Her teeth scraped against each other as Terra’s whole body tensed in rage. Two Excaliburs aimed their guns at the enraged Demon, yet they prayed they wouldn’t have to shoot. That was when the grizzly unleashed her roar.

"Now you listen to me, motherfucker! I am not running anywhere! This is my home and I’ll be damned before I let anyone take it away!"

Goose closed his eyes in sympathy as he double tapped Terra’s arm. Terra showed the Excalibur Commander mercy and let him down. Goose coughed and sputtered for but a few short moments before glaring back at Terra.

"Look at me Terra. This is not a fight about honor. Lockhart wants you to run because he doesn’t want any of you being exposed. We are on a tightrope here-!"

That was when Terra kicked Goose to the side. Her rage returning full force. She couldn’t stand the idea of running away, but it wasn’t pride or honor that restrained her feet to the ground. It was fear.

"What does exposure matter now Goose!? We all fought at Ministry Square! I won’t let them take me, they will have to kill me first!"

Goose sighed to himself. He knew he wouldn’t get anywhere with her. He reached behind him and retrieved his assault rifle. He handed the weapon to Terra and lowered his eyes.

"If you want to fight, then you have to fight like a human."

Terra’s eyes were widened as an almost surreal wave of emotion crashed down onto her. It had been years since she had held a gun in her hands. Goose could hear the rattle of metal as Terra could hardly contain her fear as all that she repressed rushed back to her. Terra clutched the weapon tightly and hurled it back at Goose with all her strength. Goose snatched the weapon out of its trajectory without breaking a sweat. Terra glared at Goose as she breathed heavy breaths of rage.

"Don’t fuck with me Goose…"

Just as Terra was about to start her own fight with her comrades, the south entrance ripped apart into a cloud of dust and flame. The sounds of gunfire broke out into a lead filled chorus of carnage. The percussive beats of rifles, sub-machine guns, and shotguns blended together with cries of pain, fury, and madness. That hallway of hell was what true battle looked like. Crimson ink splattered onto the alabaster corridors of the Cocoon as the ECPD pushed the offensive. Goose clenched his teeth and immediately dashed into the fray. The Commander slid behind a barricade where several of his comrades were held down. Goose aimed his rifle around his shelter and fired blindly into the crowd of armored law officers. His blind fire was met with a storm of bullets hitting the barricade and ricocheting in all directions. Goose pulled his rifle back to him to reload it. In a few short seconds, a fresh magazine was locked and loaded in. Just as the brave Commander was ready to take aim at his foes, his eyes watched in slow motion as he saw a frenzied Demon dash past his sight.

"Terra! Don’t!"

"Shut up! I’m sick of your whining! I’m not going to let them take my home!"

Terra entombed her arms in jagged stone as she leapt into the crowd of officers. She landed on top of one enemy trooper and threw her fist straight through his helmet. The sound of crushing bone drowned out any scream that could have been heard. The peacekeepers immediately opened fire on Terra who leapt back in the nick of time. Bullets and pellets flew in a frenzy and pierced through the panicked faces of many unlucky police allies. Several more squads began to breach into the corridor. Bodies piled up as Terra unleashed her rage upon every last one of them. Crushed skulls, broken and torn limbs, severed heads, pulled entrails. With every kill Terra found herself diving deeper and deeper into a battle rage.

"More…," she thought to herself as she slew her way through a seemingly endless supply of flesh.

Terra kept fighting harder and harder. Soon it was clear that even she didn’t know what she was doing anymore. She had lost all control of her power and was running wild. That is, until Goose managed to sneak a tranquilizer into her back.

"Cover me!" Goose shouted back as he ran down the corridor with a comatose Terra on his back.

"I fucking warned you Terra! Shit!"

*****

A VTOL sped across the dark, deep waters of the Atlantic Ocean. As the sleek aircraft darted towards its destination, Genesis gripped the handle of his sword tight as the door of the VTOL opened mid-flight. The craft would be flying directly over the site of the ECPD camp, where Genesis would make his grand appearance. The voice of the pilot blared from the intercom.

"Twenty seconds to drop. Nineteen. Eighteen."

Genesis slowly made his way to the edge of the hold. He gripped a handlebar on the wall of the craft tight as he stared at the sea. Water turned into concrete as the VTOL flew over the city Genesis called home.

"Ten seconds to drop."

Genesis took several deep breaths as he closed his eyes. The pilot continued the countdown.

"Five. Four. Three. Two. One."

Genesis’ eyes flashed open as he dashed from the hull of the aircraft and leapt out into the open air. Gusts of turbulence rushed past his face as he nosedived towards the surface like some kind of fallen angel. Genesis could see the ground as he began to careen further on his crash course towards the surface. In a single moment, Genesis unsheathed his blade and threw it down into the ground. The lengthy blade impaled the cement of the ruinous avenue before Genesis landed on the very tip of the sword’s pommel. With a dainty step, the swordsman leapt off the sword and withdrew it from the ground as he flipped forward. Genesis rested his blade upon his shoulders as he landed. The swordsman slowly turned and found himself faced with a squad of police officers in full combat gear rushing his position. Genesis readied his blade without a moment of hesitation and dashed towards his foes. A squad of four officers armed with batons and shields intercepted the Demon’s charge. Genesis quickly deflected a strike from one of the officers. His eyes seemed to flash with murderous intent in that split second as he utilized that one small opening in his foe’s defense. Genesis’ claymore cut and severed with precision. Three long slashes across the policeman’s chest erupted with a burst of liquid life. The mangled body of the officer hit the ground hard as blood seeped through his torn armor. His insides slowly spilled out of their marrowy encasing. The now dead officer’s allies began to step back out of pure instinct. Fear spread like a cancer through the hearts of Genesis’ enemies. Each one of them knew they were severely outclassed.

The remaining three riot cops ran at Genesis in a desperate hope to overwhelm the skilled swordsman. As their thunderous steps approached the lone target, a chill rushed down the vertebrae of the policemen. Before they even knew what had happened, another life had been claimed. Flung into the air on ropes of red was the severed head of another officer. One of the enemies screamed in rage and tried to bring his baton down onto Genesis’ skull. One swift cut severed the unfortunate man’s arm from his shoulder, while also cleaving his weapon in two. The last two officers raised their shields in hopes that they could fend off the attacks beset by the monster they were facing. Their hopes were dashed before their very eyes in fluid flower petals and shimmering shards of glass.

Just as the last two officers hit the ground, Genesis felt a burst of rifle rounds whiz past his cheek. He immediately spotted the two riflemen protecting what looked to be a commanding officer. Genesis then knew who he was gunning for. He ran towards the commander with inhuman speed. He quickly summoned forth his Mind Gates which launched Swan and Serpent at the riflemen. Genesis raised his claymore and brought the full force of his mighty blade down upon the commanding officer. Much to Genesis’ surprise, his strike was blocked by the armored policeman. Genesis swiftly brought his blade back for another strike, but once again he was met with a firm opposition. Genesis smiled warmly at his opponent.

"I didn’t expect one of you guys to put up a fight," Genesis expressed in a cocky tone.

The officer ripped off his helmet in an instant. It was as if the policeman wanted Genesis to see the face of the single man who would never back down against his sword.

"I don’t have a choice!" the police officer screamed as he forced Genesis back.

"There are a lot of wounded subordinates behind me, some of them are even close friends. If I let you through, you’ll kill every one of them. I won’t let that happen!"

Genesis sighed to himself as he lowered his sword. He stared down the officer in slight aggravation. A somber feeling overcame Genesis like the cold and heartless sunset of a winter afternoon. Killing the man before him would be a challenge of the heart. It pained him to have to lay down the life of a good soul.

"You know, we’re the same you and I," Genesis said softly as he stood with his guard lowered.

"The hell we are! You murdered innocent people! Those men had families!" the officer shouted back.

"You miss the point, kid. You and I, we are both soldiers. We both are just following our orders. The two of us were given orders to protect something. You protect your allies, and I protect my home. Do you understand now?"

The man said nothing as his fist clutched his baton tight. The squeeze of contracting rubber was audible as his fist built up more and more pressure.

"Even still, I won’t back down. I don’t have a choice," the man replied.

"No, you did have a choice. You just already made it…"

Genesis sighed as he slowly began to prepare himself to fight once again.

"Hey… Before we do this, could you tell me your name?"

The officer nodded his head and quickly brought his feet together. The officer's left hand went behind his back, while his right hand made a fist and was firmly placed over his heart.

"Chief Detective, Damien Lane."

Genesis smiled to himself as he readied his blade.

"Genesis."

Genesis ran at Damien, his blade scraping along the pavement creating sparks as it glided. Damien readied himself as Genesis approached. The black cloaked swordsman leapt into the air and brought his blade down upon Damien. Damien quickly dodged out of the way and landed a blow to Genesis’ head. Genesis staggered back and threw up his guard as Damien rushed him. Genesis quickly blocked Damien’s swift strikes as he advanced. The cloaked fencer stared in analysis as his perception of time crawled to a halt. In the heat of battle he was searching for an opening. Genesis thrust his blade forward only for Damien to barely deflect the attack. Genesis guided his sword in a sweep towards the detective’s abdomen only for him to dodge back from the blade. The two men stood apart from each other locked in a face off. Genesis was beginning to feel quite refreshed.

"You really aren’t half bad," Genesis remarked to the detective.

"I could have been Chief Detective a lot sooner if I wanted. I know every move you are going to make!"

Damien swiftly pulled his gun on Genesis and fired a few rounds. The bullets were easily dispatched by Genesis’ parries. Damien took the opportunity to dash towards his opponent and strike him several times with his blunt weapon. Genesis staggered a little from the weight of Damien’s baton. A swift cut from his sword scraped Damien’s chest as his arm swung in reaction. Damien stepped back and raised his guard.

"No more games," Genesis muttered in a gravelly voice.

He dashed at Damien in the blink of an eye and brought his sword back. The tip of Genesis’ claymore was eager to pierce through tissue and bone. It wanted a taste of the poor detective’s blood. Genesis’ sword hungered, and it wouldn’t let up until it was satisfied. Damien’s eyes widened in fear. At that moment, the young detective understood perfectly how out of his league he was. He believed it to be the end, but fate had different plans for him.

Genesis leapt back as an alien projectile hit the ground where he stood. A barrage of unknown missiles rained down on Genesis forcing him to dodge to best of his ability. Dust and rubble littered the area as a woman in a white dress stepped forward from the police encampment to aid Damien. As the dust began to clear, Genesis found his gaze met with red eyes. Red eyes that were all too familiar to him. Those were eyes that reminded him of a time he tried desperately to forget.

"Dammit… Of course you’re behind this, Syrah!" Genesis shouted in a contained rage as he gripped his weapon tight.

Syrah sighed to herself as she brought an object she carried into view.

"Where is your old sword?" Syrah asked.

Genesis simply tapped his skull with two fingers as he glared back at Syrah.

"Where else would it be? Besides, I like this one better."

The object in Syrah’s hand began to draw the attention of both Genesis and Damien. It was a grey rectangular box of sorts. It was seemingly made of some kind of metal or perhaps hardened silicon. The box had a barcode running along the width of its long face. Syrah began to concentrate on the device as it slowly began to deconstruct itself by cubic units. Those cube like structures began to slowly collapse and break down the object and turn it into something new. Soon, Syrah was gripping a sleek grey katana. The box had somehow transformed into a sword. Damien looked at the ground before him and noticed another box similar to the one Syrah used. He picked it up out of its crater and looked to Syrah.

"Use it," Syrah said with little emotion.

The second those two words escaped her lips the box began to transform. Before long, Damien’s hand was clutching a grey longsword. Genesis readied his claymore as the two foes stood before him with their weapons ready. Syrah and Damien charged at Genesis with their blades eager to strike. Genesis deflected Damien’s attack before bringing his sword to meet with Syrah’s katana. Damien ran back at Genesis who stepped away as Damien’s longsword swung downward. Genesis ran at Syrah to press the attack. Syrah easily parried Genesis’ strike while Damien swung his sword at Genesis’ side. Genesis dodged away from the swipe and thrust his blade at Damien hoping to bite a little at his armor. Genesis clenched his teeth tight as he felt the sting of a blade scraping at his back. He swung his claymore back behind him hoping to catch Syrah with his steel. Both Syrah and Damien regrouped as Genesis stood hunched over with blood leaking off the wound in his back. Genesis took a deep breath before summoning his Mind Gates.

"What the hell!?" Damien exclaimed as he raised his sword.

Syrah said nothing as she picked up another box from the ground and transformed it into a katana identical to the one she was already holding. Genesis had already brought Swan and Serpent to his hands and was running at Syrah and Damien. Syrah blocked Swan’s glistening blade as it dove towards her pale face. Damien ran at Genesis only for him to leap over him and attempt to dig Serpent into the unaware officer's back. Syrah dashed forward and blocked the dagger’s movements while bringing her other sword towards Genesis’ neck. Genesis blocked the katana strike with Swan and backed up to give himself some distance from his foes. He was panting as he stared down Syrah and Damien. Rage ate as his heart as he charged forward into the fray once more. He had to buy as much time as he could.

*****

I was only a few blocks away from the harbor. I was pushing myself to keep running. I had to get to the Cocoon in time. I couldn’t be absent from that battle. I had to make it. I could see the rooftops of the harbor warehouses in the distance. Before long I had bolted into the secret entrance that hid a lift that would take me down into the depths of the city. When the lift doors opened I saw several squads of policemen positioned down the hall. I clenched my fists tight and did my best to hold back my rage. I could hear the rippling sounds of an orchestra of firearms through the white halls.

"Hell…," I muttered between clenched teeth.

"Yeah."

"Who’s nearby?"

"Everyone has evacuated it seems. I’m picking up their Second Personalities, but they seem to be getting further and further away."

"Then I’ll just do my best to assist them from here."

I tried to focus my mind. The squad of officers was beginning to push down another corridor and had completely missed my presence. I did my best to steady my breathing as my Mind Gate began to open in front of me. I struggled to open the Gate fully and watched as it began to flicker before finally diminishing. I slammed the elevator wall with my fist and let out a grunt of dissatisfaction.

"I guess we’re doing this the old fashioned way!"

I summoned my light and dark swords and swiftly cut my way into negative space. I reappeared within reality right in the center of the squad of policemen. In a split second I would cut and sever as many bodies as I could. The second I emerged from the gate, a shower of red followed in my wake. The remaining officers scattered in a panic and attempted to fire their guns in retaliation. One return trip to negative space was all it took for the soldiers’ bullets to rip through their fellow men. When I returned to regular space, the entire squad of cops laid about the ground in a pool of mixed blood. An Excalibur emerged from cover and yelled to me in hopes of reaching my ears.

"Hey! Thanks for the assist! You should catch up to the other Demons, they’ve all gone ahead."

"I know."

I stood there for a few moments. My eyes couldn’t seem to come off the corpses strewn around me. Somehow I knew it would come to this, our survival dangling on the edge of a knife. A sickening smile stretched across my face as I raised my head.

"Who am I kidding? Demons don’t live quiet lives."

*****

Genesis slid back on his feet as sparks flew from three clashing swords. He was bent over and panting as his weapons fell to the ground before vanishing into a pool of light. He clenched his teeth as a strand of blood began to drip from his mouth. With animosity, he glared at Syrah and screamed.

"Why are you still alive!?"

Syrah allowed her swords to revert back to their original box form, including Damien’s. She took only a few steps forward before finally speaking to Genesis.

"Were you trying to forget me?"

Genesis felt a phantom hand gripping at his heart as his eyes were beginning to water. It took every fiber of his being to fight the emotions swelling within his addled mind. After steeling himself against the dark reaches of his mind, he retorted.

"I guess… I just don’t like looking at the past. Just tell me, why are you here now? That’s all I want to know."

Syrah nodded and motioned for Damien to leave the two of them alone.

"But-!" Damien tried to interject.

"I’ll be fine!" Syrah shouted in a demanding tone as she cut off her comrades concern with words like shears.

Syrah then turned her gaze back to Genesis. Her red eyes seemed to look upon him fondly. There was a pleasurable reminiscence in that gaze of hers.

"I cannot tell you everything, Genesis. Just know this, things in Evo City will never be the same. Events have been set in motion and it all started with the death of ‘you know who.’ All I can say is that you and the other Demons will all need to prepare for what’s coming."

Genesis sighed to himself in disbelief and turned away from Syrah. Syrah tried to shout to him as he began to walk away from the scene. Genesis ignored her words of concern and merely turned back to give her one final farewell.

"I bought as much time as I could. I’ve done my duty."

With that, the cloaked swordsman walked down the lonely streets of the Slums. His footsteps were broken and dragged weight with them. He distanced himself as far as his legs would carry him. Eventually his feet gave in and he collapsed, defeated by sorrow. In that moment, all the memories rushed back to the swordsman. He simply looked to the sky and screamed.