The three-person team: Tomoe, Titania and Lacus, come down the river that feeds Aquamarine Port City. Passing under the drawbridge, they enter through one of the many channels that the water enters through to the city, feeding its water channels.

Being now in the outer ring of the city, Tomoe turns back and points upward to Lacus and Titania. Lacus, who is towing Titania holding her arms as she has wrapped around him, turns to her and Titania nods back. The three of them swim upward the water wall, all the way to the top, to determine the state of the city.

Pillars of smoke rise towards the sky. Buildings are burning. The streets are almost empty, besides the bodies of enemies and allies alike. Blood runs through the floor, forming puddles along the way, with flies starting to get to them and some beasts from the Stardust forest managing to get into the city, normal and magical alike.

The conflict is in a stalemate at the moment. No sound of clashing of any kind can be heard. From where they are, they can see from time to time, soldiers of the invading army being sent flying along the water walls, many more meters into the air before the landing finish their lives. Only one or two can be seen using their flames in a way that slows down their fall, not before running out of Aura and fall to their knees, unable to move and completely out of combat.

Coming out of the water wall to the roof of the building beside them, Tomoe says “I’m glad we managed to sound the disk back there.”

“Yeah. The city doesn’t look good, doubt we could’ve won if we didn’t sound the disk back there.”

“What’s the next move?”

“That would be” Lacus replies “to get to command camp.”

Entering the water wall again, Tomoe goes to the top of it. Having been there for a moment, she then comes back down, getting out of the water wall.

“Tried to see, but it seems the command camp isn’t set on the main plaza.”

“Then” Lacus answers “the next place should be the bay plaza.”

“How do you know?” Tomoe asks.

“That is just the standard procedure. Come on, we learn about it back in the Beheaders induction.”

Sinking her head between her shoulders, Titania says “Oh, I remember that day very well… By very personal reasons I was unable to move from my bed, couldn’t attend.”

“Now that you mention it, I think I remember learning about it at some point” says Tomoe.

Lacus snorts as his palm meets his face.

“Any idea on how to get to the bay plaza?” asks Tomoe.

“Follow me, I know the water channels pretty well. I will guide us all the way there” Lacus answers.

“Since when did you turn out the reliable one?” Titania asks.

Tomoe snorts, as they enter back into the water wall.

Getting back into the water channel, Lacus takes Titania in order to keep towing her. Once she is secure, Lacus gives a nod to Tomoe, and goes forward, with Tomoe following back.

The clouds cover the entire city, and as they get darker and darker, the visibility gets lesser and lesser. Following Lacus, Tomoe catches sight of many things: Many bodies, now in the water channels. Blood, darkening the little visibility they had. Many rocks and debris. Looking up, the little light that manages to get through turns everything almost into a shadow, even when she is really close to them. Buildings, animals, more pillars of smoke.

Lacus turns left, then right, then right again. Then passes through many turns going instead straight. Turns left, but the road is blocked, the debris of a fallen building blocks the water channel. Lacus makes a sign with his hand, to turn around a seek another route. He turns back and takes the next right. Three more times they find water channels being completely blocked, and three more times Lacus finds another route, after all, in these blocked channels the Water Wall doesn’t go across.

Gotta give it to him, he seems to really know the water channels of the city.

As they keep going, the shadowy silhouettes of people catch Tomoe’s eyes. Swimming the water channels is really complicated by itself, and they end passing through pockets of the invading army soldiers trapped between the intersections were a couple of water channels meet, and besides some larger ones too.

While they keep going, Lacus turns and signs Tomoe to get closer. As she does this, Lacus creates a hole to the surface, in order to create a bubble where they can speak.

“We kinda have a problem.”

“What is it?” Tomoe asks.

“Well, it is easy to explain: The most direct routes towards the bay plaza have been blocked, followed by the next ones. We could take the longer routes, but don’t know how long it will take us to get to the bay plaza.”

“So? What is the problem with the longer route? Let's take it and be safe” Titania says.

“Well, I don’t know the state of the longer route, and we might not have a clear idea right now because of the clouds, but I believe the sun has started to go down from its highest point.”

“I’m sorry, I’m failing to see why it is a problem. The styx sea comes again today, yes, but we can handle some… oh” says Titania, putting her right hand to her mouth.

“Polsen” Tomoe completes for her.

“That is the problem indeed. We need to make haste.”

“How could I forget about Polsen” Titania says “the bastard is tougher than fifty beheaders together.”

“And we don’t want to get late to the bay plaza. They may need our help to face it… or we might be left behind, only to find we are alone against him.”

“What do you mean with being left behind?” asks Tomoe, as her head sinks a little bit between her shoulders.

“Just a hunch this time, but I believe it is better if we get to the bay plaza quickly.”

“Let's take the risk” says Titania.

“Very well, guide on” answers Tomoe.

As she says this, Lacus nods and takes the lead, this time going back in the previous channel. Tomoe followed him, as he takes a left turn, a right one, a left one again. The shadowy silhouette of the soldiers invading the city can be seen, as Tomoe passes through besides them. Getting to a corner, Lacus stop, turns to Tomoe, signs her with both of his hands, to swim hugging the floor. Tomoe nods, at which Lacus turns, and takes the channel on his left.

Following suit, Tomoe sees that the channel is almost a straight line to the bay plaza. Blood and debris are on the way, but they can swim through. As they swim with precaution, suddenly, Tomoe realizes something: Something isn’t quite right. Hugging the floor more closely, she starts seeing to her sides, to the front, top, front again, to each of her sides.

I… I don’t like this. What is…

As they get half of the way, another intersection comes up, and suddenly, it hit her like a thunder: Looking up, there were no shadowy silhouettes on top of the channel. The channel borders are clear of enemy soldiers.

Why?

She slows down, seeing how Lacus starts to leave her behind. Titania looks at her, being worried at Tomoe’s expression. Before they get to the intersection, Tomoe’s suspicions prove true: Multiple shadowy silhouettes appear at once, besides both sides of the channel, in a coordinated fashion, and with fire taming, they attack directly the water channel. Seeing Tomoe that Lacus hasn’t realized what is happening, she water tames to give Lacus a boost forward, in order to let him escape the attack. A building from one of the sides fall down into the channel, telling Tomoe clearly that everything was an ambush, but the speed Lacus gained led him out swim the falling building with Titania, both safely. Seeing her way cut out, and with the fire tamers already throwing their second attack in her direction, she swims and takes the channel towards the left, full speed ahead, leaving the ambush behind.

Taking herself some turns, she then realizes she doesn’t know exactly where she is. Grabbing herself to a border, she climbs slowly out of the water channel, paying attention in all directions… But nothing. The area seems to be clear, without any kinds of enemies at sight.

Laying her forehead on the border, many thoughts started to rush in her mind. She was separated from everyone. She is alone. For the bare grasp they managed to get a bit before, it seems that thanks to the water walls, the battle has successfully being brought into a stall, but just like went through moments before, that doesn’t mean danger is completely out of the question.

What could she do then? If every channel surrounding the bay plaza guarded just like this one, crossing alone could spell her end. Can she risk it?

Raising her eyes, she looks at the street in front of her again. Then, a sudden realization crossed her mind. This street, she has been here many times before. Lately, she had stopped passing through here because of a change of her patrol duties as a Beheader, but if memory served her, further down this street there should be the Red District. The District of the night, its street is long enough to connect with the lower plains.

Raising her eyes to the sky, images of everyone she knows go through her mind. Her mother, Amelia, Bran, Titania, Oscar, William, Lorelei, everyone… even Lacus. Tomoe snorted at this, but she understood why almost immediately.

Then, another idea shakes her. What if, because she wasn’t there with the rest, one of these people she cares so much for dies?

She puts her forehead again against the border. Biting the nail of her right thumb, she takes a couple of deep breaths.

I can’t dawdle anymore. I have to go back.

With the sound of the drizzle being made by the water walls on her ears, Tomoe gets herself on the ground, taming all the water out that is still on her clothes, she starts walking down the street, taking cover with everything that can be used as a cover that is left on said street. The burnt marks, the local multiple fires there and there tells Tomoe that while the area is clear, the invading soldiers already went down this street. It is not safe.

As she keeps going down the street, a sound reaches her ears. A groaning, heavy breathing. Following it, she enters into one home, slowly. Walking in, the sounds turn louder and louder, especially when being near the kitchen. Entering it, she sees multiple bodies in there, wearing foreign soldier armor, and a couple of beheaders, all in a pool of blood. Of the pile of bodies present, one of it, a Beheader, still breathes.

“What happened here?” asks Tomoe, as she comes closer to the beheader male on top of the pile of bodies, as cascades of blood continue to feed the lake below.

The man, turning, starts talking, being interrupted by constants heavy breathing “Ah, good to see a friend alive… in the middle of the bloody battle” he takes another breath “What happened? Sure you can piece together that girl.”

“I can, but only you would know the truth, why are you here?”

“You’re a hard-headed one eh? Don’t worry, I-” He takes another breath “Well, I was about to tell you anyway, since I don’t believe I’m coming out of this one alive” another breath, this time a deep one “Hear me girl: We have, under direct orders of Lady Aquamarine, sent as strike teams all over the city, in order to rescue the most Aquamarines possible and bring them back to the bay plaza”.

As the man takes another deep breath, Tomoe asks “What about Polsen?”

“Polsen? We have little time for Polsen today girl. See, Lady Aquamarine already confided that once the time comes, we will fall back to the citadel, and let our unwanted guests deal with Polsen themselves.”

Tomoe falls into silence, eyes wide open, and whispers “that is actually a great idea.”

Another deep breath and the man continues “It is, it is! Sadly, I don’t think I will be able to see the face of the bastards when they meet Polsen face to face” says the man, while giggling with anticipation, a giggle that soon turned into a cough.

“Keep it together!” murmurs Tomoe, as her hands reach for the man’s chest.

The man catches her hands, stopping her, and adds “Don’t bother girl. I’m already gone. Save your Aura, you will need it for what I’m about to ask from you.”

“Ask from me?” wonders Tomoe, as her lips curves with sadness.

“Yes. You see…” another deep breath, followed by a series of coughs “we, we, my mates and I, managed to find three Aquamarines. They are on the second floor, hiding. Please, girl, take them to safety.”

A heavyweight fell under Tomoe’s stomach, while her thoughts started to race, clouding her mind. The image of everyone on her side, waiting for her return and fighting for their lives appeared once again. Now, she would need to escort three more civilians with her too, all the way back. Her breathing is suddenly cut short, as she lingers in that thought for a moment. With a slight curl at the end of her lips, now there, now gone, and taking a deep breath herself, she puts a hand on the man’s chest and says “May Lord Hazuki guide you to the next life. May you leave without regrets, having burnt your life in its entirety, leaving nothing behind, not even Cinders.”

A smile is drawn on the man’s face, and a tear drops from his eyes, running upward through his hair all the way to the floor “Funny. I’ve never ever been the religious one. Can ask anyone here and you would know, but” he continues as he snorts, and another tear falls through his hair “forget about it… just… what was it? Oh yeah, ‘Let it be that way, let it be that way. Until the end’. Now, go.”

Nodding, Tomoe gets up, exits the kitchen, and climbs up the stairs. Standing at the top of it, she exclaims “I’m a beheader, my name is Tomoe. My colleague back down in the kitchen sent me here for you to guide you all the way back to the bay plaza, where Lady Aquamarine had ordered everyone to gather.”

Some sounds can be heard. From one of the three doors that are on the second floor, sounds of people speaking can be heard, although Tomoe can’t make what they are saying. Opening the left-most door, a man comes out, followed by a woman and a young child.

“She’s a beheader alright” says the man, looking Tomoe’s beheader gear.

“Is it only you?” the woman asks.

“It is. Can’t say that we will have back up.”

“She will have to suffice” says the man.

“I agree” Tomoe says “now, let's get moving, we can’t be sure for how long this area will remain empty. Follow me.”

“Yes” replies the man.