“Like I said, that’s not Donva,” Enidri whispered again. She pointed at the man on the other side of the room that stared back at them with a wicked grin and cocky eyes. "That thing he’s got on the back of his neck," she tapped the back of her head, pressing onto the same spot where she noticed the mysterious object that was latched onto him. “It’s got to be affecting his mind.”

"You sure about that?" Itzel asked with a whisper.

"Positive. There's no way Donva would do what he's done here. Not to mention that he's like me; he doesn't have a natural affinity. And his arms never had... tentacles sticking out of them! I’d wager any number of Tokens that thing has taken control of him!"

"What do you suggest we do then? He's got all of these Exterminators hostage!"

Enidri frowned. She faced her brother again, her eye locking with his. There was no reaction, only a vapid and sinister stare. His body was hunched over as he took in a series of long and deep breaths, as if he had lost all agency over his motor functions. "I'll try to take that thing off his neck. If I had my Ion Blade, it wouldn't be that difficult. I think a quick slash would do it."

"Enough talking" Donva said in a notch just below a shout. His panting continued as the veins on his arms began pulsating. "I can’t… wait here all day!" His words carried a hint of pain.

"What do you want Donva?" Enidri barked back. "If you want the Exterminators dead, you would have done so by now."

"Killing them isn't enough. I want them to suffer!" He put emphasis on the last word of his sentence. "All of the Essencima they've harmed. All the hurt inflicted upon the world. It's time that they go through what both Tersaia and Essencima have experienced because of their greed!" His mouth curled downwards, and his entire body twitched. He raised one hand, summoning more tendrils from a multitude of angles and directions.

One wrapped around Itzel's leg while another latched onto Enidri's arm. He then walked forward, keeping his hands in his pockets as he laughed silently to himself. Donva then paused his advance. He tilted his head upwards, making the sludge beneath their feet creep up their legs. "Don't worry sis," he said as looked into his sister's eye. He stood in front of her, cackling as he watched her try to pry her arm free from the appendage that held her captive. "I’ll make sure you and your friend get special treatment. Afterall, you’re two of Labrisson’s most successful Exterminators."

"She's..." Enidri moved her entangled arm downwards, but the force wasn’t enough to break free from the hold. "Not my friend!"

"That's what concerns you now, Eni?" Itzel annoyedly shot back.

Enidri looked down and saw the shadowy material rise, she could feel it tightening and keeping her grounded. She tried to raise her foot, but the sludge kept her glued to the floor. "If I'm gonna die here, I don't want anyone thinking we're friends."

"Thanks, Eni. That means a lot." Itzel rolled her eyes. Sludge crawled up her legs as well, only giving her enough flexibility to bend her knees. She looked to her left and saw Donva was focused solely on Enidri, laughing at her as she winced from the tendril squeezing her wrist. With the Donva looking away from her, Itzel crouched herself as much as she could before shouting "Advancing Tempest!"

The rush of wind that engulfed her body made the substance that covered her legs expand like a bubble. The sludge then burst into thin and stringy black chunks that splattered across the floor. Her restraints lowered her momentum, making the movement of the attack shorter and slower. Itzel’s path was crooked as she stumbled to the side, barely grazing Donva enough with the Technique to knock him to the ground. They both fell to the floor, with Donva releasing Enidri's Ion Blade and sending it skidding to the side.

"Pass me my weapon!" Enidri yelled. Her free hand reached towards the sword, grasping for it despite it being just over a foot out of her reach. Itzel got up and jumped towards the Ion Blade. As she lunged through the air, one of Donva's hands grabbed onto her ankle and brough her back down the ground. Protruding out the side of his arm, a long and spiraling series of muscle-like extensions crawled up Itzel’s ankles and began wrapping around her leg. Donva tightened the coil once it extended past her knee. Itzel yelped as the tendril began to press into her flesh.

"Neither one of you are going anywhere!" Donva shouted with hatred in his eyes as he sent the extensions of his muscles further up Itzel's leg. She screamed again. Despite the constantly increasing pressure, Itzel continued to crawl towards Enidri’s weapon, only to be dragged back by Donva as her outstretched hand missed the sword and grabbed air instead.

"Itzel!" Enidri shouted, still extending her arm in futility to grab the weapon. “I can almost… reach it!”

With her restricted movement, Itzel mustered enough energy to toss a weak Serrated Gale at the Ion Blade. The rush of wind was enough to send the deactivated weapon skidding across the ground until it bumped into Enidri’s foot. The swordswoman reached down with her free hand and snatched the Ion Blade off the ground.

“About time,” she said quietly as she activated the weapon. The bright orange blade shot out. Enidri slashed at the tendril that held onto her other arm. The appendage fell to the floor, twitching violently as the point of severance sizzled. Enidri then cut away at the sludge that entrapped her feet, making the substance expand from the heat of the sword. With her legs free, she focused on the battle in front of her.

Itzel rolled to the side and kicked at Donva's head with her other leg. He blocked the attacks with his other arm before extending out his muscles again to bind her legs. "Don't come any closer, Enidri! Or else she dies!" Donva exclaimed, staring up at the swordswoman from his prone position. She watched in horror as the shadow had moved well past her legs and begin to engulf Itzel’s waist.

“Eni…!” Itzel moaned, reaching her hand out as if she were asking for help. Tears rolled down her face as the upper part of her body trembled in pain.

"Flying Cutter!"

Enidri tossed her weapon, sending it spiraling towards her brother. With terrified eyes, Donva stared at the twirling blade soaring at him. He lowered his head to the floor, the weapon grazing the back of his neck. The sword spun rapidly, sending sparks across the room as it sliced away at soft flesh.

The weapon stopped its rotation before flying back into Enidri’s grasp. Itzel took a deep breath as the tendrils retreated from her legs and back towards Donva's arms. He lay face down, both silent and completely still. All throughout the room, they could hear a long hiss, like that of a deflating balloon. The puddles of sludge that coated the floor began to shrink.

"Enidri..." Itzel said as she got up to her feet. Her eyes remained focused on Donva. The swordswoman ran past her and to her half-brother's side, looking at where her Ion Blade had hovered struck. Some of his hair was singed from the weapon. "I'm... sorry..." Itzel whispered.

The swordswoman knelt by her brother with a squinted eye as she checked the back of his head. "I guess my aim was off," she said as she held back a tear. After a deep breath, she brushed back the burned hair with trembling hands to examine his neck. She placed two fingers between his chin and his throat until something on the floor caught her attention.

"Is he..." Itzel began. She watched Enidri stand up, this time holding up two halves of a small Essencima with one hand.

"Turns out I didn't miss," she replied. Itzel moved in closer to look at the bisected creature that Enidri held. It was cut straight through the middle with most of its body scorched and melted. The outer sections that weren’t burned resembled a scorpion with short claws and sharp, narrow legs. A tinge of red stained the white marrow of the stinger that jutted out of the tip of its tail.

“I’ve never seen that type of Essencima before,” Itzel said inquisitively.

“Neither have I.” Enidri threw the slain creature on the ground, making it splat across the tile before grinding her heel onto its remains.

“I think it’s dead, Eni.”

“You can’t…” Enidri gave it one last stomp. “Be too careful!”