《Three Hundred Years After The End Of The World》


 Prologue: Three centuries after the end of the world

    It was the year Anno Nov¡¯Elsfaan 312, the thirtieth of November. Friday, to be precise. But more importantly, it was one of those days; those rare occasions when somehow everything seemed to be just perfect in the bustling town of Quintus.


    The weather was cheerfully sunny yet uncharacteristically cool for the season, especially considering how close the town was to the equator. The wide blue skies were only dotted with fluffy white clouds, and even the slight breeze felt pleasant as it ran past the festive ornaments adorning the town¡¯s streets. It was an army of little figurines in the likeness of fairies hanging from every window- and roof-beam, from the simple mud-walled houses on the outskirts to the old concrete buildings around the town square.


    Under those ornaments the streets were awash in the muffled songs of choirs. One would have expected that they would be drowned out by the constant background noise characteristic of a thriving town, and normally they would have been right. Not on this day though. The solemn hymns, reminiscent of old Latin, yet subtly different, could be heard even in the backstreets thanks to the rowing groups of chanters. They were from many walks of life; priests from frontier villages on pilgrimage, local workers on their day off, even eager children who cared nothing for the religious aspects of the day and only wished to take part in the festivities. Most of them wore long black robes with wide-brimmed rectangular hats to keep the scorching desert sun at bay, though not all of them. While it was tradition for one to dress for the occasion, no one enforced the dress code so long as the chanter participated with all their heart.


    There were many seasonal vendors swarming about and peddling their wares to the countless pilgrims, as was expected for Quintus. It might not have been the most prosperous town in the Order¡¯s jurisdiction, but it was still one of the hubs of the so-called Trans-African Trade Route, though barely anyone used the old name of the continent anymore. Now the land was either


    or <everything else>. While that sounded vague, it was a fact that event after three hundred years, the Order was still slowly expanding by reclaiming the corrupted borderlands square-meter by hard-earned square-meter. Who knew? Maybe one day, when the entire continent was safe for human habitation again, it might be called ¡®Africa¡¯ once more. Or it might gain a new name altogether. The people of the street didn''t care either way.


    However, as vital as Quintus was for uninterrupted trade, it was not the reason why it was the most important settlement in the area, if not on the entire continent. From a bird¡¯s eye view the townscape was dominated by the central square and the large, rectangular building at its north end. It was the provincial Cathedral, the center of life both in the religious and secular sense. It was a church and a government building rolled into one and housed in an ancient romanesque building. It was plain but imposing in its own way, like a mountain that weathered countless generations and planned to do so for ages to come.


    The masses on the cathedral¡¯s courtyard were like an army of finely chiseled statues, their reverent gazes fixed upon the ceremonial podium on the only balcony on the building¡¯s face. The subjects of the Order from all over the land gathered together on this special occasion, thousands upon thousands of families momentarily leaving their ordinary lives behind to participate in the festivities of this day.


    However, not everyone in the town was there to celebrate. In fact there were at least two strange, formally dressed travelers wandering the merry streets with decidedly awkward looks on their faces.


    Woman: "Ah¡­ I think we took a wrong turn somewhere¡­"


    Man: "Yeah. I guess it was around the salted-fish stand¡­"


    The two of them rounded another corner and they stopped, completely stumped. They both had light skin, though their faces betrayed their Asian ancestry, which was fairly rare around this part of the world. The man was dressed in a black suit over a white shirt that seemed to glow in the sunlight while the woman was wearing a thick white dress adorned with countless frills and she held a large white parasol in one hand while the other was loosely entwined around her partner¡¯s arm.


    Suddenly the woman¡¯s eyes opened wide as a sharp whistle reached their ears.


    Woman: "Ah¡­ Was that the steam-train?"


    Seeing her dejected expression, her partner hurriedly attempted to console her.


    Man: "Maybe it wasn¡¯t. Maybe it was just an exotic bird that learned to mimic train whistles. Because evolution."


    Woman: "That¡¯s right!" The woman giggled and hugged the man. "You are so clever, you know?"


    Man: "I know."


    Woman: "I know you know."


    Man: "I know you know I know."


    Woman: "I know you know I know you¡­"


    The two of them would have probably continued on while being completely oblivious to their surroundings if not for the sudden honking coming from their left. They both twitched and automatically stepped back.


    A second later there was a loud whirring noise and a large truck passed through the crossroad, its twin exhausts puffing white smoke and steam in regular intervals.


    Man: "Wow! Look, look! A steam-lorry!"


    Woman: "Are you sure? It looked more like a steam-truck to me."


    Man: "Maybe it was a steam-wagon then?"


    Woman: "That must be it!"


    The two of them stared at the lumbering vehicle as it made its way down the street while continually honking at the much slower carts and coaches around. Even in the center of a province, steam-driven cars were a rarity, most preferring to stick to animal-drawn carriages. Even after perfecting the technology for three centuries, steam-cars were nowhere as fast or reliable as the combustion-engine cars of old.


    They stared down the street for a while before they started wandering again, pointing at ornaments, people or anything that caught their interest. They would have probably done so for hours if not for another sharp whistle coming from the distance. This time the woman in white looked really down.


    Woman: "Aw¡­ That was the train for sure. What do we do now?"


    The man in black raised his fist to his chin in a theatrical motion and nodded to himself.


    Man: "We should ask someone when the next train is leaving!"


    Woman: "That¡¯s a great idea! You are no longer just smart, you are a genius!"


    Man: "Aaaaw, you flatterer!"


    The two held hands and looked each other in the eye longingly before the woman cocked her head to the side.


    Woman: "But wait¡­ There is no one to ask here."


    They separated and looked around the empty street. While the main roads around the cathedral might have been bustling with life and lined with food- and souvenir-stands, the side-streets were hauntingly empty, and they stumbled upon one such place.


    Man: "That¡¯s a problem."


    Woman: "Isn¡¯t it?"


    Man: "Yes it is."


    They both crossed their arms and rested their chins on one hand in a classic thinking position, though it only lasted for a few seconds before the woman straightened herself with a revelatory finger extended.


    Woman: "I know!"


    Man: "You know?"


    Woman: "I do!" She grinned so wide her lips threatened to run off the sides of her face as she pointed at the direction of the source of the hymns mingling in the noises of the town. "Let¡¯s follow the song."


    Man: "That¡¯s a wonderful idea!"


    Woman: "I know!"


    Man: "I know you know!"


    After a few minutes of further excited banter the two headed down the streets, following only their ears, and soon they found themselves standing on the edge of the cathedral¡¯s courtyard.


    Man: "Look! So this is where all the people were¡­!"


    Woman: "Wow! You know, this seems to be some kind of festival."


    Man: "Ah, now that you mention it, there was something about a holiday in the abbot¡¯s letter!"


    Woman: "Oh, you are right! We were supposed to get to the abbey before that!"


    Man & Woman: "¡­"


    With absentminded eyes, the two quietly gazed at each other as if waiting for a cue. Maybe they were. Nevertheless, the lady of the duo slowly raised her fist and dropped it into her own open palm with an expression like she just made a great discovery.


    Woman: "Ah, so it was this holiday!"


    Her partner followed her theatrical performance with equally exaggerated gestures.


    Man: "Oh noes! Does that mean that we are late?"


    The woman nodded twice.


    Man: "Aww. What a pity. We are going to get scolded."


    She nodded again, this time with a sad twist in her mouth, an expression that somehow didn¡¯t reach her eyes.


    Man: "Wait! Maybe if we run really, really fast, we can turn back time and arrive yesterday! You know, because of quantum!"


    Seeing her partner¡¯s sparkling eyes, the woman almost jumped into his lap with a beaming expression.


    Woman: "Ah, you are right! You are so clever!" She giggled mirthfully as she opened her arms to engulf her partner in a bear-hug.


    ?????: "Shhh!" A tall, tanned man from their left turned to the two, his beady eyes barely visible under his bushy and deeply furrowed brows. He wore baggy clothes yet even through those it was easy to see he had a physique that dwarfed the man in the suit. He glanced around uncomfortably before he leaned closer and spoke to them in a forceful whisper. "Please stay silent. The Yearly Oration is about to begin."


    Woman: "Oration?"


    Finally noticing the pair¡¯s obviously foreign appearance the large man took a step towards them as he let out a small sigh and began whispering in an even more subdued voice, as if to avoid disturbing anyone else around them.


    Large Man: "You are not from around here, I take it? Listen, this is the annual Anniversary mass. We are here to celebrate the anniversary of the descent of Nov¡¯Elsfaan. Our cardinal is just about to begin his annual speech."


    Man: "Ah, I see. Thanks."


    Woman: "Thank you~!"


    The huge man gave the two a small nod accompanied by a surprisingly honest smile, not something one would have expected from his rough appearance.


    Large Man: "You are welcome. Please stay quiet until the end of the Oration and have a merry Anniversary."


    Reassured by their (maybe a bit overly enthusiastic) nods, the man turned away from the two and focused his gaze onto the podium on a small balcony of the cathedral. The two reflexively followed his gaze. Just as they laid their eyes upon the pedestal the already quiet crowd became completely silent.


    Man: "Ah, is that the cardinal?"


    A surprisingly young-looking man dressed in richly ornamented robes walked out onto the stand above the crowd with measured steps. He stopped in front of the white rails at the edge and extended his hands into the air as he spoke up with a deep, majestic voice.


    Cardinal: "Welcome my brothers and sisters."


    Even though the man didn¡¯t seem to shout, his voice rang out with a strong echo, completely filling the air around the silent mass. He might have seemed to be only in his early thirties, yet the Cardinal¡¯s presence and tone of voice commanded respect with ease.


    Cardinal: "We have gathered together on this most esteemed of days to celebrate. To celebrate the day, when He, whose name we shall only speak with quiet reverence, the almighty and benign Nov¡¯Elsfaan, descended upon our world to baptize us with his limitless wisdom. We all have to remember that fateful day, and never forget its significance, as it was the day when our world was truly born from the womb of ignorance in which our ancestors lived and toiled their sad lives. We shall praise His name, and we shall praise the First Prophet of Nov¡¯Elsfaan."This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    To his words, the whole crowd spoke up in unison, as if they were waiting for this all along.


    Crowd: "Praised be the almighty Nov¡¯Elsfaan and his First Prophet!"


    The sheer power of the roaring voices made the couple dizzy for a moment as they were looking around in mild confusion. Finally, as the thunderous praise calmed down, the man on the pulpit raised his hands again and continued his speech with renewed vigor.


    Cardinal: "On this glorious day we shall remember that very moment, and carve it into our very soul, so that its significance would never be tarnished by the iron fangs of time." Following these words, the man cleared his throat and raised his hands over the crowd one last time before beginning his tale. "Exactly three hundred and twelve years ago, Nov¡¯Elsfaan descended upon our ancestors. However, his arrival was just the last, magnificent keystone of the arch of events leading up to his advent. His coming wasn¡¯t heralded by choirs of angels, but by the screams of war!"


    Woman: "Oh, he¡¯s going to talk about the Reckoning War?"


    Man: "Reckoning War, huh? What does that even mean?"


    Woman: "I reckon it had something to do with a reckoning."


    The man chuckled and shook his head.


    Man: "I get it, but what does that really mean?"


    Woman: "I don¡¯t really know, but it sounds kind of cool¡­"


    Meanwhile¡­


    Cardinal: "¡­ when the First Prophet waged his righteous battle against the army of his shadowy foes on the side of his loyal winged servants¡­"


    Man: "Winged servants?"


    Woman: "He¡¯s talking about the fairies."


    Man: "Ahh, right¡­"


    Large Man: "Please be silent already!"


    The man at their side hissed at them and the couple shrunk back in front of his scorn.


    Man & Woman: "Sooooowwwwy¡­"


    Cardinal: "¡­ to punish those who wronged him, and he struck them down with divine vengeance. The battle shook the earth and raged for seven days and seven nights without a moment of silence. Finally, on the daybreak of the last day, as the First Prophet was meditating alone in his quarters, his enemies struck at him using their weak, cowardly ways of deceit and assassination, and ambushed him in his tranquility with tools of silent death¡­ But the First, protected by the grace of Nov¡¯Elsfaan himself, defeated them with divine wrath¡­"


    The cardinal paused, presumably for dramatic effect.


    Cardinal: "¡­ And thus the next morning, fueled by righteous anger and divine fury¡­"


    Man: "Wow, he likes to use those big words, huh?"


    Cardinal: "¡­ entered the battlefield himself in his holy garment, leading his mystic forces with his very own hands. With the battle raging on, he pushed his enemies back on every front, and by His holy guidance, he unleashed the Divine Beast upon his foes!"


    Man: "Wait, don¡¯t tell me¡­! I¡¯ve got this! Its name was¡­ the Glawrklarw!"


    Woman: "Close! It was actually called The Gwlarkhvl."


    Man: "Ah, really¡­! You are so clever!"


    Woman: "Awww¡­ You flatterer...!"


    Large Man: "Grrrr¡­"


    This time the man¡¯s furious visage was enough to silence the two, though judging by the previous instances, it didn¡¯t seem to work for long.


    Cardinal: "¡­ and so the Divine Beast, whose name cannot be spoken, decimated the First¡¯s foes with celestial fury and an unrelenting lust for their accursed blood¡­ and thus, finally, the leader of his foes showed his face on the battlefield, challenging the First to a duel, wielding a profane weapon of twisted ideals in his blasphemous hands! Their long battle began not with blows, but with words of wisdom, with the First attempting to convince the man to stop his madness, but for no avail. However, as their final confrontation was nigh, their deadly battle was interrupted a miracle!"


    Man: "Ah, this is the good part!"


    Cardinal: "Before they could even lay a single strike on each other, the almighty Nov¡¯Elsfaan descended from the very heavens to deliver his infinite wisdom to the two in a celestial litany¡­ His holy words swept through the world, spreading his divine benevolence amongst all of us, and thus bringing forth a new era!"


    Man: "And then he flew away on a chariot of flaming unicorns."


    Woman: "Flaming undead unicorns."


    Man: "Yes, that¡¯s what I wanted to say. Thanks for-"


    Large Man: "SHUT UP ALREADY!!!"


    Finally, the man beside them reached his breaking point and lashed out at the two, his voice echoing through the shocked square. For a few moments the entire crowd was looking for the source of the interruption, and only after mere seconds, the man was surrounded by scorning gazes from all possible directions. In his fury, it took him a few seconds to realize that everyone had their gazes nailed at him, and his anger immediately turned into embarrassment, which itself soon gave its place to fright as he noticed the group of armed men parting the crowd and heading his way.


    Large Man: "T-This is a misunderstanding! I was talking to the¡­!"


    Even before the men could get close to him, he was already trying his best to writhe out of the situation, but¡­


    Large Man: "H-Huh? Hey! Where did you¡­?!"


    ¡­ the two travelers were nowhere to be seen. In fact, there was no one at his side, as the people formed a circle around him, making his apprehension even easier. And as such¡­


    ~~~


    Cardinal: "That was fairly unexpected¡­"


    The cardinal had just returned to his workroom after the speech and was right in the middle of peeling himself out of his ceremonial outfit when someone knocked on his door.


    Cardinal: "Just a moment."


    He quickly got out of the ornate clothes and threw them over onto a nearby chair. It was a decidedly non-regal act, but he was too tired to care about appearances. The servants would later put them away properly anyway, so there was no point for him to trouble himself. Not to mention, it was his office, more or less the only place on this planet where he wasn¡¯t forced to put up airs as a cardinal of the Order. He dared anyone to tell him not to be sloppy in his final haven. At last, after quickly straightening his everyday garments, he spoke to the men standing at his doorstep.


    Cardinal: "Come in."


    After a second of silence, the thick wooden door swiftly opened with a loud creak as two templars, members of the Order¡¯s peacekeeping force, entered the room with a frightened man between them.


    Large Man: "¡­?"


    The tall, muscular man seemed both surprised and confused as he looked around in the cardinal¡¯s study. It was a relatively puritan room with only a desk, a chair and a few bookcases. Not a single carpet or painting on the bare walls. His attention, however, was soon torn from the plain room and was focused on the cardinal himself, replacing his surprise with fear. Even without the ceremonial clothes, the man still felt imposing enough to make him shudder. At long last the cardinal cleared his throat and spoke up with a surprisingly laid-back expression.


    Cardinal: "So, you were the trouble-maker? How surprising¡­"


    Large Man: "Y-Your Eminency! It¡¯s a terrible misunderstanding!"


    Cardinal: "Yes, I¡¯m sure it is."


    He might not have intended to mock the man, but as his reaction shown, his words still managed to instill the fear of Nov¡¯Elsfaan in him.


    Large Man: "I-I didn¡¯t¡­! I wouldn¡¯t dare to raise my voice against Your Eminency! I was only trying to talk some sense into two disrespectful travelers! I swear in the name of Nov¡¯Elsfaan, I¡¯m innocent!"


    Cardinal: "Travelers, you say?"


    For a moment a faint smile appeared on the cardinal¡¯s face, but it was hard for the man to decide if he should be relieved or scared by such an ambiguous reaction.


    Cardinal: "Please continue."


    Large Man: "Y-Yes!"


    The man quickly cleared his throat before continuing, and while his voice got firmer, his hands never stopped fidgeting.


    Large Man: "There were two of them, a man and a woman. They looked foreign and were dressed in these strange, antique clothes and¡­ and¡­"


    He paused while grasping for air before gulping loudly. The cardinal circled his wrist to indicate he should continue.


    Large Man: "¡­ they kept talking during the ceremony and they were talking about all sorts of crazy things! Blasphemous things, like that Nov¡¯Elsfaan was riding on flaming unicorns, and¡­ and¡ª"


    Cardinal: "Flaming unicorns, you say¡­?"


    Large Man: "N-N-No! It wasn¡¯t me! They said it! It was them, not me!"


    Cardinal: "I understand¡­"


    Even though the man was way too nervous to notice it, the cardinal seemed to be quite amused by his words.


    Cardinal: "Just one last question: Could you describe those travelers for me in detail?"


    Large Man: "Yes! Most certainly!"


    Cardinal: "¡­ Then please do so."


    Large Man: "Ah, yes! As I said, man and a woman. I think they were married, or at least a couple. The man was wearing a black outfit, old formal-wear and the like, and the woman was in a white dress with a long skirt. She had one of those things too, those portable shades with a wire frame and a handle."


    Cardinal: "They are called parasols."


    Large Man: "Yes! Of course Your Eminency would know the word! It is rare, so it should be easy to find them if you look for one! They were about the same height, about a head shorter than me¡­ No, maybe the man was a little taller than the woman¡­? And¡­ Oh, yes, now I remember! They were talking about going to an abbey!"


    Cardinal: "To an abbey, you say?" The cardinal paused and rubbed his chin with a thoughtful expression. "I see, that actually makes sense."


    Seeing the man¡¯s slightly confused expression the Cardinal forcefully cleared his throat and walked over to him.


    Cardinal: "Don¡¯t concern yourself with those two. I have a very good idea know who they are and they will be dealt with accordingly. For the time being we should decide on your punishment."


    Large Man: "Punishment? B-But, I didn¡¯t do¡­!"


    The cardinal raised his open palm to silence the man.


    Cardinal: "I am inclined to believe you, but this is a necessity. You have disturbed the Annual Oration. While it is not a crime, it is a misdemeanor that requires punishment, don¡¯t you agree?"


    Seeing the man¡¯s frightened and somewhat confused expression, the cardinal shrugged his shoulder in resignation.


    Cardinal: "All right, I decided on your punishment." The man tensed up like a piano-wire, but the prelate only waved his hand dismissively. "After the celebrations are done, we are going to be in need of strong people to take down the decorations and clean up the square. You are going to help out, free of charge, and we will forget about this embarrassing intermezzo."


    For a few short moments the man, expecting nothing less than public caning, stared at the prelate with utter bafflement, then almost fell on his knees in his show of gratitude.


    Large Man: "Yes! Thank you Your Eminency! I will do my best, I swear!"


    Cardinal: "Please do."


    As such the man was led out by the silent templars, all the while grinning like a child who just avoided being grounded for a mischief. The cardinal, on the other hand, let out a huge sigh and sat down in front of his desk the moment the others left.


    Cardinal: "(Was I a bit too lenient¡­?)" He pondered as he absentmindedly straightened the hems of his robes. "(I suppose it¡¯s pointless to think about that now¡­)"


    With a tired expression, he reached into the drawer and pulled out a couple of manila folders. After paging through them he picked out one in particular and opened in up in one hand. His eyes quickly glanced over the contents written on the pages within, and just as he reached the end he immediately closed it and put it away with the rest of the documents.


    For a few moments he seemed to stare absentmindedly at the opposing wall, but that was only on the surface. His mind was working overtime, inlaying the information he just received into the bigger picture. The appearance of the two mercenaries was something outside of the Plan, or at least an unexpected deviation. Sure, it wasn¡¯t an issue big enough that would have warranted him to make a move, but they should not have been there. Not yet. Not until the Soketsu¡¯s part is done.


    Cardinal: "Hm¡­?"


    Thinking about him, the cardinal reached into another drawer and pulled out another bundle of papers, copies of the mission briefing he gave to the Soketsu a few days ago. If everything went smoothly, he should have arrived at his destination already¡­ and why wouldn¡¯t he?


    That man was the vanguard of the Rovers, the most powerful representatives of the Order. They were agents well-versed in the arts of combat and subterfuge, able to project the force of the Order more effectively (and if needed, more subtly) than small armies. Each one of those men and women were irreplaceable war-assets, but the Soketsu himself was a god of war among his peers, and stubborn enough to follow through with any mission no matter how strange or pointless it might have looked. He was a good subordinate, one who would fulfill his role without questions. He will be sorely missed.


    Still, he absentmindedly skimmed through the contents of the documents one last time before stashing them away. Afterwards he let out a small yet heavy breath. This far everything proceeded in accordance with the Plan, but not having the Soketsu around was still a little unnerving.


    Not to mention, just the other day he was forced to send his strongest ally, his personal bodyguard, to the other end of the world for a task as well. Not having those two to depend on made him feel almost naked. After all, those two were his only reliable subordinates to whom he could entrust tasks too risky or questionable for the templars. Without them he could only depend on the Golden Oracle¡¯s predictions and the Plan¡­


    Cardinal: "Hah¡­!"


    However, the sharp groan leaving his lips wasn¡¯t caused by the absence of those two. No, it was something entirely different. He could be sure that they were going to play their part, but lately there have been so many unexpected deviations from her predictions that he couldn¡¯t help but worry. To be frank, it wasn¡¯t the notion of the deviations that had him troubled; those happened from time to time. No, it was the fact that all of them were seemingly insignificant yet strangely coinciding.


    Like just then. The mercenary couple shouldn¡¯t have been here yet. In fact, they shouldn¡¯t have been anywhere near this region for at least three more weeks, yet they were, and heading towards an abbey. He had a really good idea which abbey as well. Normally something like this should have been completely inconsequential; they weren¡¯t even a real factor in the Plan, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel that there was something more to this than what met the eye. The pieces were already on the table, he just had to assemble them¡­


    Once again he raised his eyes upon the plain wall in front of him as his pondering mind retreated into its own depts. An unexpected weapons-research team with a young scientific advisor that hasn¡¯t produced anything of importance. A huge amount of resources collected for classified projects that haven¡¯t been used for years. The Abbots¡¯ Council almost tripling the number of military personnel stationed in the central provinces seemingly without a cause or without consequence. Two high-caliber mercenaries heading to the Sextus Aquilonis Abbey, the center of said military and research expenditure.


    Are these things connected? No matter how he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t see them otherwise, but¡­ they neither went directly against the Plan, nor did it mention taking actions against them.


    But why? The only reason he could think was that they were considered completely trivial from the perspective of the Plan... but then what was this nagging feeling, this haunting tension he felt hanging in the air?


    At last he raised a hand to gently rub his eyes as he let out yet another tired breath.


    Cardinal: "I¡¯m thinking too hard about this." He surmised flatly before he abruptly stretched himself and loosened his shoulders while expelling all those troubling thoughts from his mind. There was no point worrying too hard about these things after all. If they didn¡¯t matter for the Plan, they shouldn¡¯t matter to him either.


    That was the number one rule he learned along the long years of being a cardinal of the Order. So what if those two were here too soon? They were of no importance and they would eventually leave .


    Cardinal: "(Still, I should consult our Oracle, just to be on the safe side¡­)"


    Just as if they were waiting for him to reach the end of his train of thought, the door slowly opened with a group of servants on the other side.


    Servant 1: "Your Eminence, it¡¯s almost time."


    Cardinal: "Oh¡­"


    The three young male servants entered the room without any reserve, carrying a set of differently colored garments than the one he was wearing during his oration. Naturally, this was for another occasion.


    Cardinal: "How many of them do we have this year?"


    Servant 3: "More than three hundred."


    The oldest of the three answered while skillfully helping the cardinal into his new ornamental robes, a pale blue outfit with golden and silver embroidery around the neck and the hems. It was the traditional priestly garb worn during overseeing a wedding, though this particular attire was naturally more lavish than the average.


    Cardinal: "Three hundred couples? Wasn¡¯t there less than two hundred of them yesterday?"


    Servant 3: "It¡¯s the usual. A lot of them only applied today."


    The Anniversary was one of the three times of a year when the church of the Order allowed mass-weddings, courtesy of the holy day. Because of the festivities already surrounding the occasion and the presence of the cardinal, the event was always popular among the more religious couples. The prelate smiled wryly as he imagined the throng of would-be-newlyweds swarming the cathedral grounds.


    Cardinal: "I see. It¡¯s good that they are eager, but can we even fit that many people into the main hall at once?"


    Servant 2: "Don¡¯t worry Your Eminence; the staff is going to deal with that."


    Cardinal: "True. It¡¯s reassuring to have competent subordinates."


    Servant 1: "You humble us, Your Eminence."


    Cardinal: "Well then¡­"


    The cardinal looked into the big mirror in the corner of the study, checking his garbs one last time, then turned to the door. He lightly shook his head, as if to shake all his previous troubling thoughts away, and left the room at once. This was a day of celebration after all, the day when people were supposed to forget about their toils and pains, and he intended to follow their example.

 Ch 1: A long time ago, in an evil lair far, far away…

    The desert, not nearly as full of scenic sand-dunes as one would have expected, extended in every direction around the heavy-set man perched on top of a hill. He raised his hand to block out the scorching rays of light from his eyes as he observed his surroundings for several seconds before letting out a weary sigh.


    ???????: "Sometimes I have to wonder why they always insist on building their secret hideouts at places like this¡­"


    He stood out from his environment like a sore thumb; his imposing figure loomed over the weeds and shrubs of the arid plains like a giant bird of prey, slowly and deliberately scouting the horizon with a natural sense of superiority.


    He was tall, his features angular and striking, and while from a distance one could have easily mistaken the dark spot on his face as nothing more than the shadow cast by the hood of his heavy grey desert clothes, a closer inspection would have quickly revealed a personalized black eye patch adorned with the brilliant crimson crest of the Order hiding his left eye. All things considered, his features seemed surprisingly young when compared to the deep, raspy baritone of his voice.


    Suddenly there was movement beside the man, a flicker of shadows followed by a girlish voice.


    ???: "Soketsuuuuu¡­"


    A tiny girl appeared from his long shadow, wrapped in the same type of desert gear as him, except hers was a lighter shade of grey and a tad less frayed at the edges. He turned towards her with a casual familiarity that was in stark contrast with his gruff exterior.


    Soketsu: "Yes?"


    ???: "I want to take a break!"


    The man slightly inclined his head to the left and slowly raised a single eyebrow.


    Soketsu: "Again? But we just had one about three hours ago. At this rate we¡¯ll never get there."


    ???: "But it¡¯s so hot!" The girl complained, her puffed cheeks clearly visible under her hood.


    Soketsu: "Yes, I noticed. We are at the border of a desert. That¡¯s how they work."


    ???: "Uuu¡­"


    The girl let out a pouty groan as the man put his hand upon her head and gently began pulling her along.


    Soketsu: "Come on Kay, we have a job to do."


    The girl called Kay dropped her shoulders in dejection and let out an exhausted sigh. She didn¡¯t look more than twelve years old, her head barely reaching up to her one-eyed companion¡¯s chest. She was all but clinging to him and somehow managed to always keep herself quite literally in the shelter of the large man¡¯s shadow. However, just as he was about to pick up the pace she suddenly skipped ahead, twirled around and clasped her hands in front of her chest before setting her face in a look that normally only belonged to dejected cartoon puppies.


    Kay: "Just a few minutes? Pretty pleeease¡­?"


    Soketsu froze mid-step as the torrent of pure charm hit him in the chest. It didn¡¯t show on his face, of course. He had spent more than enough time with her to learn how to hold back his reactions in favor of professional appearances, at least most of the time. In the end though, even though was a bit embarrassing to admit it, they both knew he was extremely weak against her pleading eyes¡­


    For a few seconds they maintained a surprisingly tension-free eye contact, apparently both aware what Soketsu¡¯s answer was going to be. Per se, the man let out a small sight and gave his partner a defeated frown.


    Soketsu: "Fine. But only for half an hour and not a minute longer."


    Kay: "Roger!¡±


    His answer immediately put a smile onto the girl¡¯s face and she ran over to the nearest of the scarcely scattered trees at once. Once she arrived she eagerly waved to her companion and sat down under the shade. After a few moments of hesitation he followed after her.


    In the meantime Kay removed her hood, allowing her short, dark green hair to come to light. Under normal circumstances the man would have admonished her for revealing her nature so casually, but taken that they were in the middle of nowhere he decided not to bother.


    In fact he soon decided to follow her example and he took a seat in the shadows as well. He had been a Rover for years, one of the Order¡¯s solitary, wandering agents in the field, so he was used to the harsh environment of the great outdoors, but that didn¡¯t mean he enjoyed unnecessarily standing in the scorching sunlight. For a few moments he peacefully watched over the girl as she began struggling with her old metal flask.


    Soketsu: "Need any help?" He asked with the barest hints of a smile touching the corners of his lips.


    Kay: "No¡­ I almost¡ª got it¡­!"


    With a final push she managed to open the container and started gulping down its contents without a moment¡¯s notice. In the meantime the small hints of a smirk turned into a genuinely amused smile on the man¡¯s face. At last he leaned against the tree¡¯s trunk and began absentmindedly rummaging with something under his long robes.


    Kay: "Ahhhh¡­" Kay exhaled with a wide smile and put down the flask. "I really needed that! I felt like I could melt away at any moment¡­"


    Soketsu: "Why don¡¯t you just transform?" Soketsu glanced back at her while still looking for something under his garments. "It would take care of your heat issues and you wouldn¡¯t need to worry about sunstrokes either."


    Kay: "I don¡¯t know," The girl pursed her lips for a moment. "I¡¯m not really worried about getting a sunstroke.¡±


    Soketsu: "But I am."


    Kay blinked at his partner and then sheepishly averted her eyes. It took all of Soketsu¡¯s self-discipline to keep himself from giggling at her reaction. That just wouldn¡¯t do at all. Grown men like him didn¡¯t giggle, not even when no one could see them. After repeating that a few times in his head he finally got the urge under control. In the meantime Kay thoughtfully pursed her lips, non the wiser to the great battles the man was fighting against himself at her side.


    Kay: "No. It wouldn¡¯t really solve anything."


    Soketsu: "Why?"


    The girl rolled her eyes, a gesture that required Soketsu to repeat the mantra five more times.


    Kay: "Because then you would have to carry me?"


    Soketsu: "And¡­?"


    She pursed her lips even tighter, and after a few seconds of forehead-wrinkling silence she sharply averted her eyes.


    Kay: "It¡¯s just¡­ no."


    For a moment or two Soketsu simply stared at the girl in silence, then it was his turn to roll his eyes¡­ well, his visible eye at least.


    Soketsu: "Oh, now I remember. Is it because I said you were heavy?"


    The girl¡¯s head immediately snapped back and simultaneously turned a shade of crimson, her eyes aflame with the kind of scowl that only pre-pubescent girls with wounded prides and maybe some especially scary legendary creatures of myth could muster.


    Kay: "It has absolutely nothing to do with your incredibly inappropriate and hurtful comment about my weight at all!"


    With that she turned around in place and set her shoulders with her back at her partner. Soketsu allowed himself a moment of amused silence before poking her again.


    Soketsu: "¡­ Is that a yes?"


    The girl puffed up her cheeks and refused to turn around, which was just enough to make him roll his eye again.


    Soketsu: "You know I didn¡¯t mean it that way."


    Kay: "It¡¯s not an excuse! You should never talk about a lady¡¯s weight, ever!"


    Soketsu¡¯s eye opened a bit wider at the word, but then it narrowed into a squint as he looked over his petite companion.


    Soketsu: "Lady, huh?" He whispered just loud enough for her to hear and Kay¡¯s head instantly snapped back.


    Kay: "What did you say? I couldn¡¯t hear you¡­"


    Her glare was sharp enough to cut glass, but for some reason the man couldn¡¯t help but find even that adorable. In the end Soketsu coughed to hide an escaped chuckle and casually waved his hand in front of his face like he was chasing a fly.


    Soketsu: "It¡¯s nothing, just mumbling to myself."


    Kay: "Uuu¡­ You don¡¯t even have a shred of delicacy¡­" She grumbled as she turned away and set her shoulders again.


    Soketsu: "How mortifying. I wonder how I can live with myself." Came the dry answer.


    After a few seconds of silence Soketsu considered the topic finished and began rummaging in his robes again. At last he took out a small leather pouch and from that he retrieved a thin book. He took one last glance at his companion, then at the sun and finally at the book, and with a small sigh he hit it up on the first page.


    For a minute or two silence reigned under the shade of the three, right until the girl carefully glanced over her shoulder. She kept studying her partner for a while.


    Kay: "What are you going?" She finally asked.


    Completely deadpan, Soketsu waved the booklet a little as he answered.


    Soketsu: "I¡¯m checking the mission intel one last time."


    The girl cocked her head to the side as she turned around in place again to face the man, still cross-legged.


    Kay: "Why? You have read it about, what, three times already? I don¡¯t see the point."


    Soketsu: "Just memorizing. We have to be prepared."


    Kay: "But it¡¯s so boring¡­ I mean, even more than usual!"


    Soketsu: "And that¡¯s why I¡¯m going to do your share of preparation as well," Soketsu answered sharply, eliciting a small twitch from the girl. "I want to get to the end of the report this time, so please try to be quiet."


    Kay: "¡­.Uh. Okay."


    With that, Soketsu began flipping through the pages. Each one of them contained countless lines of haphazardly scrabbled letters coupled with maps, weirdly proportioned schematics, old satellite images and various other materials held in by glue and tape. In the meantime his partner quietly cleared her throat, for no apparent effect.


    In the following ten minutes she tried counting the clouds, which failed courtesy of the fact that there were none present. Then she tried to stare a hole into the man¡¯s forehead in order to provoke a response, but that particular venture only managed to make her feel left out and a little lonely. Finally, she decided to try a little mischief and grab the book, but this particular effort only led to her falling over when Soketsu pulled it away in the last second, which in turn led to her being covered in sand.


    Finally getting fed up with her antics, the man let out a tired breath and closed the book while keeping a thumb at the relevant page. He turned to the girl and gave her a particularly thorny look as he reached out and picked her up from the ground with one hand, then slightly shook her to get off the sand.


    Kay: "Ow-ow-ow! Hey, stop that!¡±


    Soketsu: "That¡¯s what I would like to say." He told her wryly as he set her back down onto the ground. "You are the one who wanted to have a break, now sit still."


    Kay: "But I am bored!"


    Soketsu: "Read something."


    Kay: "I can¡¯t!" The girl complained loudly. "You made me leave my books at the town because you said they were heavy! I already told you twice!"


    Soketsu only gave her a knowing look in response.


    Kay: "Do you feel guilty already?"


    Soketsu: "No, not particularly."


    Kay: "Ugh¡­ You are the worst."


    The green-haired girl slumped back beside the man with a peevish expression. For a moment Soketsu¡¯s eyes seemed to be trapped by the profile of her face.


    He knew her partner very well. In fact, they have never been separated for more than a few days during the three years they have been together. Spending so much time with someone had its problems, but it also built bonds of familiarity as strong as family. And with such bonds came the understanding that made such relationships special. Or at least so Soketsu hoped.


    As he looked at her he suddenly noticed that she had been nervously glancing at his direction from time to time, seemingly getting redder by the minute. He let out a quiet breath between his teeth and finally smiled.


    The girl¡¯s face suddenly flashed crimson. Soketsu never really understood how blushing like that actually worked, but that was unimportant at the moment.


    He quietly raised his hand and reached out towards the girl¡¯s tiny head. Actually, Kay¡¯s head was no smaller than what one would expect from a child of her apparent age, it was only Soketsu¡¯s large hand that made her look positively petite in comparison.


    Kay: "W-what¡­?"


    The girl nervously glanced up at him as his hand finally reached her skin¡­ and then he promptly began scraping off the sand from around her lips. For a few seconds she silently let him rid her face from the dirt, then his hand moved up to the top of her head and began gently shaking the sand out of her hair. Her haircut was just long enough that it wasn¡¯t really boyish and felt surprisingly silky to the touch.


    While he was doing this Soketsu also closely observed the girl¡¯s face and finally spoke up in a gentle voice, a far cry from his serious demeanor from before.


    Soketsu: "You are nervous, aren¡¯t you?"


    The girl¡¯s eyes opened a bit wider and then she cast her eyes down.


    Kay: "Is it¡­ that obvious?"


    Soketsu: "Of course it is obvious. You are always fidgety before missions, but this time it¡¯s even worse than usual¡­." Kay cast her eyes downwards in response, soliciting yet another smile from her partner. "Are you sure you don¡¯t want to review the reports after all? Knowing your enemy helps with the nerves."


    Once he finished with dusting her head Soketsu sat back and offered a beckoning gesture to the girl. Kay appeared to be momentarily torn, an expression she couldn¡¯t have hidden even if she tried, but in the end she slowly nodded and shuffled closer with an obviously fake pout.


    Kay: "Okay, I get it. I will be serious now, so¡­ can you give me a refreshing course please?"


    Soketsu: "Of course."


    The Rover tapped the ground beside himself and Kay moved even closer, though by the end she was practically sitting on the man¡¯s lap while intently waiting for him to begin. He looked her in the eye one last time, flashing a tiny smile, then steeled his expression and returned to the booklet.


    Soketsu: "So, just to recap, our target is this man." He pointed at the picture of a young bespectacled man on the second page. It was actually hard to tell if the picture was a really good drawing of him or a really, really low quality photograph. "He is known as ¡®Pabloc¡¯. His surname is unknown, and we are not even sure if it¡¯s his real name or just an alias. He was the head of an Order research facility until six years ago, when one day he erased all his records and vanished with some extremely valuable research data."


    Kay: "He doesn¡¯t seem that scary¡­" The girl mused and Soketsu shook his head in response.


    Soketsu: "As I said, he is a scientist. It¡¯s not him we should worry about but whoever he is working with. According to these he was a sought-after researcher and engineer studying pre-Devastation physics and bioengineering. "


    Kay: "Physics and bioengineering?" The girl interrupted, her expression difficult to read. "Those two don¡¯t really seem compatible¡­ Or that scary, if we are at that."This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Soketsu: "Don¡¯t ask me. I hit things until they break for a living, remember?" The man let out a faint laugh over his self-deprecation, but when his audience didn¡¯t seem to share his amusement he swiftly picked up the explanation where he left off. "What I know is that there aren¡¯t many organizations that could employ and hide someone like that for so long, so he either has powerful friends or he has gone rogue and built up his stronghold alone. Both options are troubling. Oh, and if you want scary, I should point out that the intel says he might be in possession of some advanced pre-Devastation era weaponry, so it¡¯s expected that his base of operations is heavily fortified."


    Kay: "Such as?"


    Soketsu: "No further details, I¡¯m afraid."


    Kay: "Wow. The intel guys took it pretty easy this time, didn¡¯t they?"


    The man glanced over at the girl and his eyes slowly narrowed into a suspicious squint.


    Soketsu: "I wouldn¡¯t know, but why are you acting like this is the first time you¡¯ve heard this?"


    Kay: "Umm¡­ Just continue."


    The one-eyed man sent a sharp glance at the girl, but in the end he returned to his book without further ado.


    Soketsu: "So, the intelligence division at the Cathedral found his lair only a few weeks ago. It¡¯s an underground complex, possibly a pre-Devastation bunker or tunnel network no longer on the maps. The reports are a little sketchy on the details, but he is apparently experimenting with trans-dimensional rift technology¡­"


    Kay: "Transdimwhat?"


    Soketsu: "Portals."


    Kay: "Ah. Why didn¡¯t you say that on the first place?" The girl paused for a moment and added, "And that¡¯s bad?"


    Soketsu: "Beyond punching holes into the fabric of reality, you mean? Actually, I have no idea, but if they say we need to shut him down then we do that." He paused for a moment while he turned a few pages. "It says here that he is trying to open a portal to a place filled with su¡¯blolis."


    Kay: "Question! What is a su¡¯bloli?"


    Hearing the question immediately made the man furrow his eyebrows.


    Soketsu: "Kay, were you even listening during the briefing before we came here?"


    Kay: "Ummm¡­ I got a little bit distracted halfway through¡­" Seeing her partner¡¯s disapproving glare, the girl gave him an embarrassed smile followed by a stuck out tongue, "It¡¯s not like I really have to know these kinds of things anyway. My job is to let you hit things with me until they break, right?"


    Soketsu let out a disappointed groan as he turned back to the book and continued his explanation.


    Soketsu: "Really now, I can¡¯t believe I have to explain this. I thought you would have certainly read about them already."


    Kay: "Well, I didn¡¯t."


    Soketsu: "So then¡­ Su¡¯blolis are¡­" He paused, visibly straining to find the right words. "Well, they are said to be hellish, shapeless creatures with terrifying power. We have no records on what they are, but I think it¡¯s safe to say it¡¯s most likely anything but pleasant. Why that scientist would want to open a doorway for them is beyond me... As far as we know even The Devourer could have been one of them."


    Kay: "And that¡¯s why we have to stop him?"


    Soketsu: "Indeed."


    For a few moments the girl fell silent and then slowly shook her head.


    Kay: "Say, how are we supposed to fight against these ¡®su¡¯bloli¡¯ things if all we know is that they are dangerous?"


    Feeling his partner nervously fidgeting on his knees, the man couldn¡¯t help but loosen his face as he placed his hand upon her head and slowly began stroking her hair. Normally he would have been more concerned about why she was getting fidgety about this particular issue only at this point, but he was willing to let it slide for the moment.


    Soketsu: "Hopefully we won¡¯t have to. We should shut this guy¡¯s operations down before things get out of hand."


    Kay: "Are you sure we don¡¯t have any more info on them?"


    Soketsu: "No, we don¡¯t. If you are so awfully interested in these creatures you should just ask the scholars once we are back at the Cathedral."


    Kay: "Ummm¡­ I don¡¯t want to. Those guys are creepy, and they always want to poke me at weird places¡­"


    Soketsu: "Poke you?" The girl meekly nodded and the Rover¡¯s visible eye narrowed with a scary glimmer as his voice dropped at least an octave. "I guess I¡¯ll have to have a little ¡®talk¡¯ with those guys once we are done here."


    Kay: "Uuuu¡­ I-I think they were just joking!" The girl spluttered while vigorously waving her hands. "Please don¡¯t hurt them or they won¡¯t let me borrow books anymore¡­"


    The man took a few deep breaths and gave a small, somewhat ambiguous nod.


    Soketsu: "We¡¯ll see about that. But now, back to the¡­"


    As Soketsu turned over to the next page, his eye suddenly widened, and after a brief moment of silence he turned to his partner with a scary tone in his voice.


    Soketsu: "Kaaaaaaay¡­?"


    Kay: "W-What?"


    Soketsu: "Care to explain what a caricature featuring me and the arch-bishop is doing on the back cover of the mission manual¡­?"


    Kay: "Oh, that¡­? It¡¯s¡­ Ummm¡­" If she was fidgeting before, the girl was positively squirming at this point. "Do you¡­ remember when I said I was distracted during briefing and everything¡­? It¡¯s¡­ you know¡­"


    Soketsu: "No sweets,¡± Soketsu declared dryly.


    Kay: "But¡­!"


    Soketsu: "For two weeks."


    Kay: "B-B-But¡­"


    Soketsu: "And you have to do the laundry in those two weeks as well."


    Kay: "Uuu¡­ You are so unfair!"


    Soketsu shot an annoyed glare at his partner while snapping his book shut and curtly added:


    Soketsu: "The next time you find yourself bored; find a more constructive way to waste time."


    Kay: "You are mean!"


    Soketsu: "Yes, I am, and it¡¯s also time to move on."


    Soketsu stood up and dusted the back of his robes while shaking his head. Kay, though protesting, jumped into his shadow like it was the most obvious thing to do.


    Kay: "Hey! Wait up! It hasn¡¯t even been thirty minutes yet!"


    Soketsu: "Yes, but you seem rested enough. Let¡¯s move on, or we¡¯ll never get there."


    Kay: "Ummm¡­ Fine."


    She reluctantly put her hood back on and they started walking through the scorching waves of heat once again. However, Kay¡¯s attention was soon drawn to the man¡¯s difficult expression under his hood.


    Kay: "¡­ Is there a problem?"


    Soketsu only turned his head towards the girl but didn¡¯t stop walking for even a moment.


    Soketsu: "You mean beside your appalling lack of attention?" He asked with a smile that didn¡¯t touch his eyes.


    Kay: "I¡¯m serious."


    The Rover¡¯s expression became sullen as he raised his eyes towards the horizon.


    Soketsu: "I just¡­ I have a bad feeling about this. Something is amiss."


    While taking care to stay in his shadow as much as possible, the girl carefully grabbed Soketsu¡¯s hand while pondering.


    Kay: "Now that you mention it, the intel feels weird. I mean, usually it¡¯s either pretty sharp or completely vague all around, not mixed like this." She paused for a moment and her grip tightened on Soketsu¡¯s hand. "Like, how do we even know what he is working on if his lair was just discovered? Wouldn¡¯t that mean someone had to get inside? But then if someone made it in, how come we don¡¯t know anything about who he is working for? It just doesn¡¯t add up."


    Soketsu: "Exactly. This whole mission smells fishy somehow."


    For a moment, both of them fell silent, until the girl lightly pulled on the man¡¯s arm.


    Kay: "So, what are we going to do¡­?"


    Seeing the uneasiness in her eyes made Soketsu regret the moment he spoke his mind. Kay had a bad habit of worrying over things anyway and he just threw oil onto the fire.


    After a brief moment of deliberation he slowly pulled his arm out of the girl¡¯s grasp, but only so that he could raise his hand and lightly pat her on the head.


    Kay: "Umm¡­?"


    Seeing her confused reaction made the Rover smirk in delight and he slowly started ruffling her hair through her cowl.


    Soketsu: "Don¡¯t worry. Even if there is something weird about this mission, we can deal with it."


    After a second of hesitation the girl nodded with the man¡¯s hand still on her head and a small smile appeared on her face.


    Kay: "You are right. We can deal with anything!"


    Soketsu: "Right?"


    Kay: "Right!"


    The two of them looked each other in the eye and then they both let out a small, relieved chuckle, instantly evaporating the built-up tension in the air like it was never there to begin with. After this there was no point in talking, so they simply faced forward with renewed vigor. After all, this was the only thing that neither of them would ever question; as long as they were together, there was nothing in this world that could make them falter¡­


    ~~~


    The small cottage on the side of the hill didn¡¯t seem anything special for the untrained eye, but if one looked closely enough the clues were unmistakably there. Soketsu put away his worn-out military binoculars and turned to his partner.


    Soketsu: "This is the place, there¡¯s no mistake."


    Kay: "Are you sure? It doesn¡¯t look like an evil lair at all."


    Soketsu: "Evil lair?" Soketsu raised a brow, once again knocked out of his professional mannerism by a well-placed non-sequitur.


    Kay: "You know? Like a big medieval castle with bats and lightning in the background!" Kay gestured with her hands.


    He more or less expected something like that, but the girl¡¯s words still made him shake his head.


    Soketsu: "¡­ I think you¡¯ve watched too many old horror movies in the archives lately..."


    Kay: "But seriously, I don¡¯t think that building is suspicious."


    Soketsu: "Indeed. And that¡¯s why it¡¯s even more suspicious."


    Eyebrow raised, Kay looked at Soketsu with an almost pitiful expression.


    Kay: "¡­ You make no sense."


    Soketsu: "You will understand once we get there."


    The girl exhaled a heavy breath and gave an impatient look to his partner.


    Kay: "Okay. So¡­? How are we going to infiltrate the place?"


    Soketsu: "We won¡¯t. We can¡¯t tell what kind of traps there might be, so we are going to bust in through the main entrance."


    Kay crossed her arms in front of her chest and bobbed her head to the side with a small frown.


    Kay: "I don¡¯t know¡­ If you expect traps, isn¡¯t that the worst possible thing to do?"


    The man shook his head while he began digging a hole into the sandy soil.


    Soketsu: "No. They expect that we expect traps, so they expect that we try to find another way in, but we expect them to put even more traps there, so we go against their expectations and will do the unexpected thing by doing what they expected on the first place."


    The girl¡¯s previously pitiful expression rapidly turned into one of confusion.


    Kay: "Ummm¡­ My head hurts."


    Soketsu: "Just trust me. This is basic stuff. Like Evil Lair Extermination 101 basic." The Rover declared with about as much confidence as he could muster under the circumstances.


    Kay: "Fine, fine, I leave this to you then."


    Soketsu: "Okay, then please transform."


    Suddenly the girl¡¯s eyes popped wide open like her partner just asked her to eat her own legs with chopsticks.


    Kay: "Wait! You mean¡­ here¡­?"


    Soketsu: "Yes, where else?"


    Kay: "But¡­ but¡­"


    Soketsu let out a barely audible groan and raised his hand to his face, his lips curled into a tired frown.


    Soketsu: "We¡¯ve been through this already. I¡¯m not going to peep."


    Kay: "But what if someone else does?"


    Soketsu: "In the middle of the desert?"


    Kay: "¡­ Those spy satellites have insane resolutions, you know¡­"


    Soketsu: "You mean the spy satellites that have been out of order for more than three hundred years?"


    Kay: "Ummm¡­"


    Soketsu shook his head and raised his hands.


    Soketsu: "Fine, then how about this: You transform in your clothes, and I will pick them up afterwards."


    Kay: "Ummmmmmm¡­"


    Soketsu: "Kay¡­" For the first time the man¡¯s eyes turned severe. "We don¡¯t have all day¡­"


    Kay: "Uhh¡­ Fine, fine, I¡¯ll do it! Turn around!"


    The hooded man faced away as the girl grumpily closed her eyes and completely stopped breathing. After only a moment of concentration, her hair became a brighter shade of green, and in just a few seconds it actually started shining. In conjunction with that her entire body became more and more luminescent, until suddenly her whole figure turned into millions upon millions of tiny, blindingly bright spheres of green light with a barely audible popping sound. The mass of swirling light slowly slipped out of the clothes around it and rose above the ground, changing its shape in the process.


    As the light subsided Soketsu finally turned around. Over the scattered clothes on the ground was a finely ornamented halberd floating in the air like a giant feather in the wind. Its simple metal shaft, shorter than what one would traditionally associate with a polearm, was in sharp contrast with its blade. The head of the weapon bore an elongated curved edge, ending in a fine point in parallel with the spearhead at the top. Both the axe-blade and the spearhead appeared to be white silver with a series of delicate leaf-motif engravings on their flat, which was sparkling with a green light under the sun¡¯s rays. At first glance it looked more like a work of fine art than a weapon, but Soketsu knew that she was, in fact, both. And so much more.


    He slowly reached out for it and softly wrapped his fingers around the shaft. The familiar feeling of viridia coursing through his hand hit his nerves without a moment¡¯s notice, forcing him to exhale sharply in response. Viridia was many things. Some called it the source of magic, others referred to it as life force. For Soketsu it was like a fresh breath of air in a closed room or, ironically enough considering the location, a mouthful of water in the desert. It entered into him and filled him up with a profound sense of completeness. More importantly, he could also feel the consciousness within the weapon flowing into him and sighing in relief.


    [Soketsu]: "Is everything in order?"


    [Kay]: "I¡¯m fine. No side effects this time."


    The voice of the weapon sounded like it came from a great distance and it softly echoed in his mind. It couldn¡¯t be heard by anyone else but him, nor could his inner voice be heard by anyone else but her. Their thoughts were connected in the most primal level, like they were sharing a single mind. The peculiar sensation of such an unusual connection never disappeared entirely, but their three years¡¯ worth of expertise has long since transformed these mind-crossing experiences into something reassuring and warm. A link of trust, unwavering and unbreakable.


    [Soketsu]: "Glad to hear that. How are your reserves?"


    [Kay]: "I¡¯m not in my best shape, but I¡¯ll manage."


    [Soketsu]: "Do you want me to go a little easy?"


    She hesitated for a moment.


    [Kay]: "Just a little, if you can. This desert got me a little drained."


    [Soketsu]: "Okay. Now, I just pack your clothes and we are ready to go."


    [Kay]: "Don¡¯t look at my panties."


    The deadpan order stopped Soketsu right on his tracks as he was about to reach for the discarded garments on the ground.


    [Soketsu]: "Why? It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t seen them before."


    [Kay]: "H-huh? When?!" The girl spluttered and even without actually seeing her human form Soketsu could picture the exact shade of red she was turning into.


    [Soketsu]: "What do you mean ¡®when¡¯?"


    [Kay]: "When did you look at my panties?! You weren¡¯t¡­ or were you¡­?"


    Soketsu¡¯s face went through half a dozen different expressions, but neither of them could properly express his emotions, so in the end he just buried his face into his free hand.


    [Soketsu]: "You do remember that I was the one who bought them for you, right? I bought all your clothes." The girl suddenly fell suspiciously silent. "You forgot, didn¡¯t you¡­?"


    Her silence was answer enough, prompting Soketsu to lightly shake his head in disapproval as he temporarily laid his weapon onto the ground close enough that it didn¡¯t break their bond.


    [Soketsu]: "Really, sometimes you are just hopeless."


    [Kay]: "H-Hey! That was totally uncalled for!"


    The one-eyed man nonchalantly folded up the clothing lying on the ground, paying little to no heed to the girl¡¯s disembodied voice fuming in his head, and packed them away into his backpack while looking as composed as ever. After hiding said backpack inside the hole he prepared he also shed his heavy desert robes, revealing a completely different getup underneath.


    Said outfit could be best described as a midnight-blue scapula strewn over a worn black combat uniform based on pre-Devastation riot police gear, its belt packed with small pouches and bags. With the baggy desert gear gone, it also became apparent just how well-built he really was for the first time. His body didn¡¯t have an ounce of unnecessary fat or muscle. His was the toned body of a predator; lean muscles stretched under tanned skin, ready to pounce at a moment¡¯s notice. Finally he retrieved a pair of firm armored gloves from his belt and donned them with practiced motions before he covered the rest of their belongings in the hole he dug and buried it all under a layer of soil.


    Once the ground was sufficiently evened out he rose to his feet while recovering his weapon and softly whispered to himself:


    Soketsu: "Nov¡¯Elsfaan, guide my hand."


    It was only a short prayer, one that was customary amongst the Rovers going into battle. It was a good-luck charm and also served as a reminder that they had the divine on their side. Soketsu himself would have admitted that he wasn¡¯t exactly the paragon of piety one would have expected from his position, but these words somehow still filled him with a quiet resolve that he found reassuring in these situations. At last he raised his head and looked straight at the small cottage with renewed vigor in his eyes.


    [Soketsu]: "Let¡¯s go!"


    [Kay]: "Aye!"


    If one were to look hard enough they could have seen a tiny spark of bright green light run through the man¡¯s veins, shining bright enough that it was visible even though the uniform. It came from the arm clutching the halberd, ran up to the center of his chest and then washed over his entire body in the blink of an eye. Albeit, to be frank, no one actually could see it since, by the time their mind would have finally processed the sight, Soketsu simply wasn¡¯t there anymore.


    A cloud of dust and sand blew into the wind as the he kicked off the ground under his feet and dashed over the distance like a stone skipping on the surface of a calm lake, gaining more momentum with each step. The g-forces alone would have been enough to render a normal person unconscious, if not dead. For him it was a small nuisance at best in his current state.


    He rushed forward in a straight line, his weapon raised and ready for anything and everything the defenses might throw at him. Even though he started from over a mile away from the lone building, he closed the distance so fast the dust of his first step didn¡¯t even have the time to settle yet by the time he got halfway there. Keeping up such a pace was taxing even for him, but he was confident he could manage it as long as it was only for short bursts.


    As the cottage grew bigger and bigger, so did the nagging feeling at the back of his mind. It¡¯s strange, he thought. There were no traps at all. Not a single landmine or tripwire, not even a hapless sentry to be seen. Normally he would have considered that reassuring, a clear indication of the incompetence of his target, but for some reason it only made him more anxious this time.


    After one last leap he finally landed in front of the entrance of the building, kicking up another plume of sand and dust. It was a lonely, worn-down hut of a house, its white walls stained and its wooden door slightly ajar. Soketsu¡¯s eyes darted over his surroundings looking for any signs of movement, then he swung his weapon without a moment of hesitation.


    The door in front of him exploded into several pieces like it was blown away by a shaped charge. The remains flew into the interior and scattered with residual sparkles of lively green viridia dancing between the fragments. The only recognizable pieces of the door were the simple metal lock and the handful of splinters limply hanging onto the hinges.


    After split-second of pause, which was spent with a quick survey of the immediate area, Soketsu stepped over the threshold of the building and found himself face to face with¡ª absolutely nothing.


    [Kay]: "Huh. Do you see what I¡¯m seeing?"


    [Soketsu]: "Since you are looking through my eyes¡­ Yes."


    [Kay]: "¡­ This is weird."


    The only sounds in the room were the high-pitched whining of the rusted hinges still flapping from the momentum of his entry and the barely audible popping of the dissipating sparkles. On the visual front the place had even less to offer, as there was nothing in the building aside of bare walls and a freshly littered concrete floor.


    For a moment Soketsu almost entertained the thought that he might have had the wrong cottage, but he quickly shook the idea out of his head. It was the desert, for Nov¡¯Elsfaan¡¯s sake! It was hard enough to find one standing building in the middle of nowhere, so managing to find the wrong one would have been downright embarrassing. He cautiously took a step further inside the anteroom. Or rather, the single room filling the entire building.


    On closer inspection he had to realize the walls and floor were both uniform, spotless white. In fact, Soketsu could immediately recognize the smell of fresh plaster. Maybe it was a new construction? Not only that, he could also feel a faint tinge of chemicals masked by the smell of wildflowers.


    [Soketsu]: "I think I can smell some kind of detergent. Did someone clean the room recently?"


    [Kay]: "Maybe they were expecting guests?"


    [Soketsu]: "Yeah. Let¡¯s hope they weren¡¯t expecting us."


    After taking another curious yet cautious step inside, a sudden quake almost knocked him off-balance. He quickly planted his weapon to regain his footing and a split-second later he was already raising it back up towards the source of the trembling.


    On his left, just under the wall, the floor slowly split apart with a loud mechanical noise and a long staircase leading underground came into view. With cautious eyes he examined the new path that opened before him. Just what kind of mechanism was moving the floor? He had heard of pre-Devastation technology that could do things like this, and more, but hidden doors like this were well outside of his expertise. Could it have been moved by electricity? That would have been dangerous.


    Speaking of dangers, he was expecting a lot of things but this was certainly not on the list. He was more or less invited to enter the lair of his target.


    Soketsu: "¡­ I see." He murmured under his breath as he carefully circled around the new venue.


    [Kay]: "So they were expecting us after all. That¡¯s bad, isn¡¯t it?"


    [Soketsu]: "It¡¯s hard to say."


    That¡¯s what he told his partner, but even Soketsu couldn¡¯t deny the chills the situation was sending down his spine. He looked down the stairs and clicked his tongue in frustration.


    The decision of whether he should follow this invitation or not was arguably something he should have mulled over for at least a few minutes, but ultimately he simply didn¡¯t. He had been prepared to go head on against anything his foe might have thrown at him from the beginning, and that determination didn¡¯t change the slightest. He carefully put his foot onto the first step and, after he made sure it was stable he began his descent into the darkness of the underground corridor.

 Ch 2: Welcoming party

    In the end it turned out it wasn¡¯t particularly hard to find one¡¯s way in the subterranean caves, as the walls around Soketsu were literally marked at regular intervals with signs pointing towards his destination. They even provided him lighting in the form of luminescent rods stuck to the wall over said markings.


    [Soketsu]: "Awfully considerate of them."


    [Kay]: "You don¡¯t hear me complaining. It¡¯s better than stumbling around in the dark."


    [Soketsu]: "A fair point."


    After almost forty minutes of wandering in the dimly-lit caverns (the scaffolding suggested they might once have been part of a mining shaft), he finally reached the end of the tunnels. In the natural cave walls stood a huge metal door.


    [Kay]: "Now look at that¡­" Her partner spoke with an awed voice in his head, and he couldn¡¯t blame her.


    The door was almost three times as tall as him and its surface was polished clear like a mirror. He had never seen anything like it before, and for a few moments he was honestly baffled by the unexpected sight.


    He had little to no time to marvel however, as the moment he got close to the entrance a bone-rattling noise shook the still air of the cavern as another quake ran through the ground under him.


    He steadied his footing as the enormous metal door began to move. Huge, rune-like marks flashed in various colors and shapes underneath its seemingly solid metal surface, filling the cavernous chamber with a breath-taking play of light as the gigantic gate¡¯s wings slowly swung open.


    The other side of the gateway produced yet another unlikely sight to add to the chain of already baffling vistas. At this point Soketsu has gotten to the point where it only stopped him on his tracks for a moment.


    There were rows upon rows of heavy machinery he couldn¡¯t recognize, connected by an intricate system of conveyor belts and arranged in orderly rows under pale white neon lights. At first glance it seemed like one of the factories of old times, from before the Devastation, except that the place seemed way too clean for a three hundred years old construction.


    [Kay]: "Soketsu¡­ I think we might have stumbled onto something big."


    [Soketsu]: "¡­ Yeah"


    It was the only response Soketsu could muster to his partner¡¯s worried words. He took one final breath and crossed the threshold with a bold stride. As he did so the great wings of the metal gate behind him began moving again. For a short moment he considered whether getting locked in an unknown area like this was a good idea, but his train of thought was cut short by a nearby voice.


    ??????: "Welcome to m-SKREEEEEChhh!!!"


    [Kay]: "Kyaaah!"


    Kay cried out in surprise and Soketsu instinctively swung his weapon towards the source of the voice in response without even thinking. In retrospect he actually felt a little silly about it, but in the heat of the moment such thoughts would have been a potentially lethal distraction. The blade of his halberd bit deeply into something and he could feel it crashing to the ground.


    [Kay]: "Wha¡­ What was that?! It startled me!"


    [Soketsu]: "Focus." The man chided his partner with a single word. "We can¡¯t have you distracting me like that."


    [Kay]: "Sorry, I was just¡­"


    While the girl mumbled her excuses Soketsu quickly surveyed the area before focusing on whatever spoke to them a moment ago. It was obvious he didn¡¯t hit a person; he was all too familiar with the grotesque sound of cleaving someone and this sounded nothing like it, but he was still more than a little surprised by the thing lying in front of him. On first glance it seemed nothing more than a big, semi-transparent slab of glass. On closer inspection he quickly realized that it was made of some kind of exotic plastic and underneath its broken exterior he could see the remnants of something that vaguely looked like integrated circuitry, except it was seemingly etched into the glass and it sparkled like diamonds for a few seconds, then it became dull like the rest of the panel.


    He had never seen anything like that. He couldn¡¯t even recall any stories about such pre-Devastation tech. The closest match would have been the things called ¡®television screen¡¯, but he had no idea why one would be lying around like that. As he further thought about he could feel a pang of regret at the back of his mind. He might have just destroyed some still functioning pre-Devastation technology. The scholars at the Order would fray his skin if they learned of this.


    On a whim he reached down to touch the unusual piece of technology but his fingers were retracted before they could get even halfway there. There was another voice. Or rather the same voice but from a different direction.


    ??????: "That was absolutely uncalled for. Not to mention rude. Also, wasteful. Do you even have any idea how much one of those panels costs?"


    As he turned towards the speaker he found himself face to face with another screen. It was floating in the air like it was the most natural thing to do with a familiar face looking down at him from its polished surface. The image was so crisp and lifelike that if he couldn¡¯t see that there was no body attached to the head, he would have thought he was looking at the real man behind a window.


    From the little he could see, Soketsu figured the man was fairly thin, though not to the point of being gaunt. He had a well-groomed appearance and his chestnut hair looked like it was recently cut and styled by a professional hairdresser. He wore a pair of wireframe glasses on his nose, and combined with the faint laugh-lines on his still youthful face it gave the man an air of affability.


    The fact that Soketsu could even tell these details spoke volumes about the image quality and for a second Soketsu couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the screen. He had seen the scavenged technology of the scribes and had ventured into pre-Devastation ruins as part of his duties, so he was exposed to more old technology that most, and at times like this he couldn¡¯t help but mourn the wonders humanity lost three hundred years ago.


    He didn¡¯t dwell on it for long though. With a twitch he inclined his head and directed a not-at-all amicable smile at the speaker.


    Soketsu: "¡­ Pabloc, I presume?" He spoke while rising to his feet from beside the broken panel. His body language might have seemed relaxed, but his expression was focused and his eye periodically swept the factory floor for other threats even as he faced the rogue scientist¡¯s image.


    Pabloc¡¯s lips slowly curved into an affable smile. It looked natural on him. He brushed away a tuft of his mid-long hair from the front of his glasses as he finally answered with a hint of amusement in his eyes.


    Pabloc: "Indeed, it is I. It has been a long time since we last met, Soketsu."


    Soketsu: "¡­?"


    [Kay]: "Wait, you know him?"


    [Soketsu]: "No."


    [Kay]: "But he knows you."


    [Soketsu]: "It seems so."


    [Kay]: "Is he your long lost brother? Separated at birth due to tragic circumstances and reunited on different sides of a conflict?"


    [Soketsu]: "... You have been reading too many bad novels lately."


    [Kay]: "Boo."


    Soketsu took a deep breath and made an effort to uphold his polite fa?ade.


    Soketsu: "Excuse me, but have we met before?"


    The scientist on the other side broke into a mellow smile while fidgeting with the collar of his white lab coat.


    Pabloc: "You could say that, though it would be somewhat inaccurate. I am afraid it is a fairly long and complicated story," After a moment of thinking, he continued with a more casual tone. "Before you ask, yes, I really do mean that, I am not just trying to sound mysterious. It really is a long story and I reckon it would get uncomfortable for both of us if we tried to discuss it at blade-point. How about you put that pointy stick aside so we may sit down and talk things over like reasonable adults? I have tea and cookies."


    [Kay]: "Hey! Who are you calling a pointy stick you¡­ you four-eyed weirdo!"


    [Soketsu]: "You know he cannot hear you, right?"


    [Kay]: "I don¡¯t care!"


    Soketsu quietly chided his partner and turned his attention back to the screen.


    Soketsu: "Sadly, I cannot do that. I have my orders and I cannot just stand down and engage in idle chatter," He paused for a moment and then added, "More idle chatter, I mean. However, if you really want to talk, surrender yourself and we may do so on the way back to the Cathedral."


    Pabloc: "That would be¡­ inconvenient. For both of us," The runaway scientist told him in response, and Soketsu couldn¡¯t help but feel what he was sincere. Or at the very least he believed what he said. After a moment he continued, "How about just a temporary cease-fire? Just until you hear me out?"


    Soketsu: "I¡¯m afraid that is impossible. Even this discussion is more than I would usually allow. I have my orders and I intend to follow them without any further delay."


    For a few tense seconds, the scientist stared right into Soketsu¡¯s eye from the other side of the screen. In the end he let out a surprisingly disappointed sigh and shook his head.


    Pabloc: "Too bad. I hoped to prove our resident clairvoyant wrong and settle this peacefully, but I guess I really cannot go against those pesky predictions. I hate to resort to violence, but..." The bespectacled man abruptly flashed an amused smile at Soketsu and shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well, what else can I do? Have fun."


    With that said, the screen suddenly swung back with an audible ¡®whoosh¡¯. Soketsu tried to reach out towards it by reflex but he was suddenly hit by a spike of anxiety before he could utter another word.


    Danger. Maybe it was a small shadow flickering on the edge of his vision, or a barely audible noise in the spacious hall, yet it felt like a sharp needle hitting his temple and he instinctively rolled to the left. It was but an unconditional reflex etched into his very subconscious by countless encounters with danger¡­ but it was proven right once again.


    [Kay]: "Kyaaah!"


    He just barely got back on his feet when the air around him burst with the sounds of metal grinding on concrete. He could also feel the wave of displaced air hitting his temple and he immediately jumped back and distanced himself from the site.


    [Soketsu]: "Ugh¡­ What did I say about screaming in my head?"


    [Kay]: "It wasn¡¯t my fault! Tell the guy to stop startling me!"


    Soketsu shook his head. Once he got over the first moment of shock he focused his attention upon the spot where he stood a second ago and he could immediately make out two silhouettes rising to their feet. They appeared human; though only from the corner of his eyes.


    On closer inspection a number of things became much more apparent. First off, his attackers were vaguely humanoid figures painted red and blue respectively, each wielding two strangely shaped curved weapons that seemed too thick and blunt to be called ¡®blades¡¯. Their resemblance of humans was only superficial at best; they had wide shoulders and chests covered in metal plates angled to deflect incoming strikes. Their limbs on the other hand seemed almost comically thin in comparison, though their shins and forearms (or at least what would have been the shins and forearms of a human) bore the same armoring as their chest. They didn¡¯t have hands, instead they had their weapons grafted onto their arms with a large ball-joint and they had reverse-jointed legs ending in bulky, three-toed feet.


    However, most strikingly, they had no heads whatsoever. Instead they had three glass lenses where the nape of a human neck was supposed to be and Soketsu could almost feel their mechanical stares on his skin. When they fully rose to their feet they were only a little taller than him, so around two meters at most, but that was without a head so they appeared much bigger overall.


    Even under the circumstances Soketsu had to admit he was downright awestruck for a moment. He had heard of humanoid machines from before the Devastation but he had never seen a working one, let alone two that moved with such fluid motions.


    [Soketsu]: "I have to say, I really wasn¡¯t expecting things to develop this way."


    [Kay]: "Yeah, me neither." Kay paused, though since communicating in the mind-crossing was near-instantaneous, the time interval was purely subjective. "Do you think we would get a reward from the scribes if we brought one home?"


    [Soketsu]: "Reward? What do you have in mind?"


    [Kay]: "Books?"


    [Soketsu]: "Go figure¡­"


    In the meantime the newcomers theatrically whirled their blades. Their unnaturally swift and precise motions were accompanied by an eclectic series of buzzes, screeches and whirrs. Finally they stepped back in mirror unison to let the floating screen forth. Pabloc¡¯s image positively beamed at Soketsu and gave two nods towards the mechanical warriors like he was in the room with them.


    Pabloc: "Allow me to introduce you to Mr. Red and Mr. Blue, our security guards prepared specifically for you."


    The Rover looked up at the scientist on the screen with a wry smile.


    Soketsu: "Red and Blue? Really? Do you also happen to have a pet called ¡®Mr. Cat¡¯?"


    For a second the scientist looked at him with a blank expression and then he suddenly snickered with a small and somewhat affectionate smile.


    Pabloc: "That actually was not half bad as snide comments go. You have grown slightly more personable I see. Good. Now I am actually looking forward to our future discussions. I am sure they are going to be much livelier than they used to be¡­" The scientist sent another small smile towards Soketsu through the floating screen, though he got no response from him. "Still, we better get started. We do not have all day after all. See you later, one way or the other."


    Soketsu readied himself and his opponents locked their mechanical gazes on him at the same time. For a second or two the air was filled with tension as the two mechanized swordsmen lowered their stances for what Soketsu was quite certain was going to be a predatory lunge. This also gave him ample time to consider his environment one last time.


    While he was talking with the scientist, or rather while Pabloc was talking to him, Soketsu used the opportunity to make a quick mental map of the factory floor. There were three rows of machines in the hall, all of them connected by a web of stable-looking conveyor-belts running at hip-level. He was certain he could easily vault over them if the need arose, though he was also reasonably certain his opponents could do the same as well.


    The huge industrial machines, which seemed to be individual stations of some sort of metal-working process, were large and firm enough to provide solid cover to hide behind. Of course that also meant that there was no guarantee they didn¡¯t hide more enemies, but he decided to cross that hypothetical bridge when he got there. His primary concern was undoubtedly the two colored attackers he already knew about.


    [Soketsu]: "We are going on the offensive. Increase the flow rate a little."


    [Kay]: "Roger."


    Soketsu smiled inwardly. His partner¡¯s answer was curt and tense, but he could also feel the unwavering confidence she had in him. It made him feel lighter. Or maybe it was the extra viridian in his veins. One or the other.


    He raised his weapon and charged. Kay¡¯s halberd form was relatively short as pole-arms went, only about a meter and a half from the spearhead on the business end to sharpened thrusting tip on the butt, but it still had the superior reach compared to his opponents¡¯ single-edged sabers.


    If he only had to keep one of them at bay he would have had no trouble at all. Since there were two of them, said option was out of the question from the get-go and Soketsu decided on a more aggressive approach. His body subtly flushed with viridia as he threw himself at his opponents, focusing all his attention on the red one. While the two mechanical assailants were both inhumanly fast, the blue one appeared to be a half-step slower, just enough for Soketsu to get a few pot-shots at his companion before he could have closed in to back it up. In theory, at least.


    Soketsu rushed ahead and pulled his weapon back for a ferocious thrust. Just as he was about to launch his first assault his eyes widened. The blue machine, which was a step behind its comrade a moment before, suddenly lunged forward and raised its right blade.


    In a split-second decision Soketsu darted to the left, barely managing to get out of range of the vicious swing coming his way. Doing so however opened his side up for a counter-attack by his original target. The red one spun around and delivered a lightning-fast roundhouse-kick that should have completely unbalanced any human performing it. On the mechanical creature it looked downright graceful. Its three-toed feet connected with a metallic clang and it dug right into the solar plexus of the Rover.


    The impact drove the air out of his lungs in a painful gasp but he jumped with the strike and so he avoided the worst of it. On the other hand it sent him all but flying and he tumbled over one of the nearby conveyor belts. He somehow managed to roll on landing more by chance than skill and got onto his feet on the other side a split-second later.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    He let out a small curse under his breath and pointed his weapon against his opponents once again. His viridia-enhanced body was much tougher than that of a normal human¡¯s, and while the ballistic mesh he wore under his outer garments wasn¡¯t designed against hydraulic kicks, it still provided enough padding to blunt the worst of the damage.


    [Kay]: "Are you all right?"


    [Soketsu]: "Yeah¡­" The man spat on the ground and took a step back as the two automatons vaulted over the same conveyor belt with almost contemptuous ease. "I walked into that one."


    He reined in the urge to curse again and instead just glared at the incoming attackers. He underestimated them and he pretty much gave them the first strike on a silver platter. He misjudged their speed and because of that¡ª


    At this point he froze mid thought as a chill ran down his spine. The two mechanical swordsmen walked towards him at a brisk pace, exactly in the same formation as the first time. Just like before, the blue one lagged behind its red companion by no more than a half-step, as if showing off.


    Soketsu: "Son of a¡ª!" He muttered under his breath as the realization dawned on him.


    [Kay]: "What? What happened?"


    Soketsu ignored his partner¡¯s surprised questions for the time being and grit his teeth. He didn¡¯t just underestimate them; they actively drew him into a trap by pretending one of them was slower than the other. These bloody things used tactics! Well, they were trying to use the same tactics again, so they couldn¡¯t be that clever, but the ache in his ribs served as a sharp reminder to never underestimate them again.


    He took a deep breath and lunged at his opponents again, vaulting over the same conveyor belt he flew over with a single leap. This time he didn¡¯t rush in, only delivering a light thrust towards the red machine. As expected, the blue one spun into action again, raising its twin blades in unison. This time Soketsu was prepared, as he raised his own weapon in kind and caught both of the swinging blades on the staff of the halberd.


    The machine was strong. Incredibly strong. On the other hand Soketsu wasn¡¯t exactly a light-weight either, and he had enough viridia in his system to throw back his assailant before it could slide his blades down the shaft. It was for the best. While he was confident the gauntlets he was wearing could save his fingers in case his usual opponents were to try such tactics, he wasn¡¯t so sure they would serve quite as well against these metallic monstrosities.


    Either way, he was in no mood to test their craftsmanship under the circumstances, so he pressed on while his opponent was thrown off-balance. He swung his halberd, striking the reverse-joint in the left leg of the blue automaton with the butt end of his weapon while simultaneously placing it in position to guard against the follow-up from its red twin. The impact of the strike reverberated up the shaft and into his shoulder like he was hitting a solid wall, but it worked. The blue mechanical swordsman lost its balance and fell to one knee; though because of the way their legs worked it looked like the thing just fell onto its ass.


    For a moment he wondered whether he should focus on the incapacitated foe after all, finishing it off while the opportunity was open. Unfortunately he had no chance to follow up on the idea as the red automation crossed its blades in front of itself as it charged in with a bull-rush. Using the flats of the blades as leverage it pushed Soketsu a good ten meters along the conveyor belt.


    The man¡¯s smile twisted into a ferocious grin in response. His goal was to separate the two attackers, even if for just a moment, so he had no objection to the situation. After bracing himself he pushed back against the assault and then immediately turned to the side and guided the still rushing automaton past himself and into one of the largest assemblers in the factory.


    For the first time the mechanical swordsman let out a noise that somehow sounded like the frustrated howl of a beast even though Soketsu was certain it was only the groaning of metal grinding against metal. He took a half-step back and swung the head of his weapon against his momentarily disoriented foe. The blade bit into the armor just over the mechanized warrior¡¯s cluster of visual sensors but it didn¡¯t seem to get deep enough to actually penetrate it.


    The Rover angrily clicked his tongue and took a step back, trying to increase the distance in order to take advantage of his longer reach, but the automaton seemingly read his intent and charged at him again, using one blade to push him while the other was drawn back to deliver a quick jab at a moment¡¯s notice. Soketsu dodged the first such attempt, though the back of the saber nearly caught his ear on the back-draw.


    In any other fight he would have welcomed an enemy rushing at him like that. It wasn¡¯t the first time his opponent tried to use his own reach against him, and over the years he developed quite an array of countermeasures. Sadly most of them were not applicable against half ton metal monstrosities. Oh well, that just meant it was time to improvise¡­


    Soketsu dodged one more of the jabs aimed at his head. Just as it sailed past his temple he eased his resistance against the red machine¡¯s advance and simultaneously let go of his halberd with his right hand, only to immediately clench it into a fist.


    [Soketsu]: "Extra viridian into my right!" He barked the silent order,


    [Kay]: "Already on it!" Came the immediate answer at the same time as a new flow of power entered his limb.


    With an ear piercing war cry he raised his plated fist and slammed it right into the glass lenses at the base of the automaton¡¯s nonexistent neck. Then again, and again, each strike punctuated with one more howl of fury. On the third strike something snapped and the metal warrior let out a chirping sound as it jumped back. One of its lenses was cracked into an opaque mess and another was half-covered by a warped piece of its own outer casing.


    Soketsu bellowed another war cry and charged the retreating opponent. It has been ages since he felt so exhilarated in a fight and he chased after the fleeing foe with the fury of a hungry war-hound. Then he suddenly froze. Something was amiss. It was big and blue.


    The man¡¯s eyes opened wide as he realized that he was so absorbed with his close-quarters struggle against the red automaton that he completely forgot about its twin. A quick glance to the side immediately told him that it wasn¡¯t where he left it and he could already feel the warning prick on his temple.


    Soketsu: "(Behind me¡­!)"


    He threw himself to the side and swung his weapon at knee-level, hoping to strike his opponent at its already weakened joint, and it would have surely did so¡­ if there was anyone there.


    Still, the call didn¡¯t go completely amiss. As he turned his head he caught one of the heavy industrial machines in the corner of his eye and he quickly realized that there was something wrong with it. Then the ¡®wrong¡¯ part kicked off from the top of the assembler and dived right at him, its dull, heavy blades scything in a wide arc like the claws of a giant praying mantis.


    Without thinking Soketsu threw himself forward, hitting the cold concrete floor with a painful belly-flop and just barely managing to stay under the incoming blades. He turned a part of his forward momentum diagonal and managed to enter into a clumsy roll that nevertheless got him on his feet. For a split-second he had to wonder why the machine bothered with such a crazy maneuver.


    He didn¡¯t have much time to ponder though, as suddenly his vision was filled with something big, fast and very red.


    Soketsu: "Motherfu¡ª!"


    He was just able to ward off the red automaton¡¯s strike with his halberd, but it didn¡¯t help him against the full body blow coming right after that and he suddenly recognized that his feet were no longer touching the ground.


    Then, as if that wasn¡¯t enough, he had to realize that his trajectory might have put him right next to the landing point of the blue machine, which was promptly confirmed by a viciously strong kick sweeping him right out of the air and sending him tumbling through the air like a ragdoll.


    His short flight was abruptly stopped by an industrial machine just like the one the blue mechanical swordsman used as a jumping point before (or maybe it was the very same one; he kind of lost track of it while tumbling back and forth) and its hard metal cover let out a painful screech as it bent and twisted under the impact of the man¡¯s body.


    [Kay]: "Soketsu!"


    [Soketsu]: "Ugh¡­ I¡¯m fine." The man hissed. Even with viridia coursing in his veins that one hurt a lot, but he was not about to complain to his partner just yet. "Looks worse than it is."


    He shook his head and stumbled onto his feet, and a moment later he was already assuming a fighting stance like nothing happened, though at least some of that was just bravado.


    [Soketsu]: "Damn, those things are though¡­" He mumbled inside his head as he leveled his weapon towards his opponents with a smirk that he didn¡¯t even notice.


    [Kay]: "I am readying the Imprints," His partner stated forcefully, but Soketsu only shook his head.


    [Soketsu]: "Not yet. Those take a lot out of you and we need to preserve your strength. I¡¯ve got this."


    It was obvious that he was pushing the limits of his passive viridia infused body. His hands were still tingling with the aftershocks of the previous clashes and his chest kept stinging whenever he took a deep breath. Probably a cracked rib, nothing new.


    There was one more thing that became obvious to him; while his opponents were wicked fast and probably the strongest melee combatants he had ever faced, he could have probably beaten one of those things without problem even in his current state. Two of them at the same time though? Not so much.


    He assumed a defensive posture, a low stance with the shaft raised high and the tip of the blade pointed at his opponents in preparation to parry and counter. He focused his eyes upon the two mechanical fencers and grit his teeth. By that point his attackers should have been at his heels again, but instead he found them casually walking towards him with the familiar sheet of glass floating between them.


    Pabloc: "Honestly, I am a little disappointed," The scientist grimaced at him and Soketsu suddenly wanted to punch right through that screen. "I thought you would have finished with these two by now," Suddenly the bespectacled man¡¯s face twisted in a difficult to read expression. "Are you hurt, by any chance? Or otherwise handicapped? If you want to take a break before we continue, you can always drop by my office. I still have the cookies and we could still talk."


    Soketsu: "No, thank you." Soketsu hissed through his teeth and once again wondered if the rogue scientist would feel it if he hit that screen really, really hard.


    Pabloc: "Are you sure? Because you look really beaten to me. Beaten and weak. Like, weaker than the last time I saw you, and then you were missing an arm and about half your chest¡­"


    Soketsu¡¯s eyes darkened with a fearsome glare. He knew the scientist was taunting him, trying to get him off-balance¡­ but such thoughts were soon drowned out by the slowly rising tide of frustration and anger in his mind. After a moment of silence he changed his grip on his weapon and spoke.


    Soketsu: "Very well then!" He declared with a fierce glare. "I think I will get a little serious after all¡­!"


    At the same time he directed a thought at his partner as well.


    [Soketsu]: "Kay!"


    [Kay]: "Yes?" The girl replied, audibly startled.


    [Soketsu]: "Circulated infusion, one-third!" The man barked the order in his head. "And prep the sixth, just in case."


    [Kay]: "Wait, didn¡¯t you just say I should not do that and preserve my strength just a couple of seconds ago...?"


    [Soketsu]: "That was back then. Things have changed."


    [Kay]: "You are just being impulsive, aren¡¯t you?"


    [Soketsu]: "Kaaaay¡­"


    [Kay]: "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m already working on it. Just give me the word."


    [Soketsu]: "Thanks." The man took a deep breath, flashed a fierce grin at his opponents and curtly said,


    Soketsu: "Word."


    For a split-second a sensation that could be best described as a certain person rolling her eyes in his head washed over him. A moment later it was followed by a veritable torrent of viridia flooding his body, washing away all of his aches and pains and giving his eyes an ethereal green flare.


    The very next second the halberd flew out of his hand, piercing the floating screen right in the middle like a giant nail fired from an especially angry nail-gun. The two mechanical swordsmen immediately adjusted their center of gravity and prepared to charge at him. They didn¡¯t have the chance.


    Soketsu launched himself at his assailants with a flash of emerald light and the howling of displaced air. He glanced at the two automatons as he skimmed between them. The huge metal warriors that seemed to be so agile before now only seemed to move at a snail¡¯s pace. Their stance was all messed up, their weapons still not drawn to their ready position. They were easy prey for him now.


    For a second he could hear a manic chuckle from somewhere, but it was inconsequential. His first target was the red one. It was already damaged. It should be easier to dismantle, he concluded. Then he could have all the time in the world to have fun with the blue one. All in due time¡­


    He charged directly at the red automaton. The machine swung its right blade at him but dodging it was as easy as sidestepping a child¡¯s punch. He weaved under the strike, grabbed hold of the thing¡¯s outstretched arm and simultaneously braced his right leg against its chest plate. Then, with a furious groan and a savage grin he kicked as hard as he could.


    The automaton¡¯s arm popped out of its socked with an ear-splitting screech and it staggered back a few steps, seemingly confused about what just happened. For a moment Soketsu wondered whether a machine could even feel confusion on the first place, but then he shelved the question for later as he turned towards the leaping blue assailant.


    He flicked his hand and threw the severed metallic limb at his charging opponent with contemptuous ease. It swatted the incoming object aside with its left blade and raised its right for an overhead strike, but the act staggered him just long enough for Soketsu to roll forwards. He grabbed hold of his fallen halberd mid roll, and the direct contact immediately filled him with another surge of viridia.


    By the time the blue machine turned around to follow after him, Soketsu already rose to his feet and charged at it with the point of his weapon ahead of him. It had no chance.


    He swatted away the blade it raised in defense and stabbed the tip of the spear into the exposed armpit of the machine. Upon withdrawing the weapon he used the piercing tip on the butt end to strike at the already weakened left knee of his opponent, then he drew back his weapon, his entire body coiling up like a giant spring, or the arms and strings of a huge bow, and the moment the blue automaton collapsed he released all that pent up energy into a vicious thrust.


    The spearhead of the halberd plunged into the mechanized swordsman¡¯s armor about a palm¡¯s width under its lenses. Then the Rover pushed on, striking the automaton down onto the ground with pure, viridia-fueled momentum. It hit the ground like a sack of rocks, limbs flailing in vain as Soketsu landed on its chest as well, putting even more weight on the weapon and driving its tip a fair bit deeper.


    Soketsu snarled and stomped on the damaged shoulder-joint of the machine before glancing up, only to find himself face-to-face with the one-handed red machine leaping at him. His lips parted to give way to a ferocious laugh bubbling up from the some dark corner of his mind. He didn¡¯t mind.


    Soketsu: "Ever 6!" He bellowed, his voice impossibly deep and resonant. "Razorlight!"


    The moment the last syllable left his mouth the halberd¡¯s head flared up with a searing light, immediately followed by the smell of molten metal and ozone. A blink of an eye later the weapon slid into the chest of the blue automaton with casual ease, eliciting a number of twitches and popping sounds in the process. Then, with a triumphant cry Soketsu lashed out at the incoming red machine.


    The halberd slid out of the downed blue, parting metal and kicking up a small shower of sparks as it left its body. Then, as he swung the weapon diagonally upwards, there was something else among the sparks, a torrent a green-white flames following behind the head of the halberd and then spreading out in its wake in a diagonal, two-dimensional shockwave of torrid heat and pure destruction.


    The wave hit the charging red machine and caught it in a clean line running from the lower abdomen to the opposite shoulder with angry hiss of boiling metal. The automaton flinched but its momentum carried it forward. The moment its leg touched the ground it simply slid apart, its entire body cleanly melted across¡­ then the wave continued on, cutting right through the nearest conveyor belt, putting a huge molten gash on the large assembling machine behind it and even scorching the wall a good twenty meters behind that.


    Following that Soketsu twirled his weapon over his head and then planted its butt onto the concrete floor with a thunderous boom. Then silence. A long, triumphant silence only interrupted by the irregular twitches of the trashed machines.


    [Kay]: "That was a bit of an overkill¡­" The girl grumbled with a sulky voice.


    The man let out a small chuckle, though he had a strange time realizing he actually had to consciously stop himself from smiling ear to ear to do so.


    [Soketsu]: "Sorry, I just wanted to¡ª"


    Pabloc: "Wow¡­" From beyond the rubble another floating screen came into view and cut their inner conversation short¡­ "I mean, wow!"


    The scientist grimaced as he looked over the trashed mechanical swordsmen, the screen bobbing and tilting in time with his head-movement for some reason. At last he looked up at Soketsu and adjusted his glasses.


    Pabloc: "That was actually fairly impressive." He paused for a moment and then gave Soketsu a puzzled expression. "Why didn¡¯t you do that on the first place?"


    Soketsu remained silent for a moment. The better question was; why did he actually do that at all? There was no reason for him to waste viridia like that. He could have easily beaten them with a tenth of what he used, and now that he thought back at it, an icy chill ran down his spine at once.


    What the hell was he thinking?! He threw Kay! Getting more than a few meters apart was enough to completely sever the flow of viridia between them, so his number one rule have always been ¡®Don¡¯t let go, no matter what.¡¯


    Things turned out right at the end, but if he messed up he could have been stranded without viridia right between two of the most powerful opponents he had faced in years. Just what the actual hell was he thinking¡­!?


    And then the realization dawned on him: he had no idea. The last minute or so have been one giant blur in his memories. Nothing like this happened to him ever since¡­


    Soketsu: "Ugh¡­"


    In the end he shook his head and glared at the screen instead.


    Soketsu: "None of your business." Then, after a moment of frowning he added, "Just how many of these floating things do you have anyway?"


    Pabloc: "Oh, I have a few," The scientist answered coyly with another affable and¡­ somehow familiar smile. Soketsu shook his head again and took a step towards the screen.


    Soketsu: "Then I guess you won¡¯t miss this one," He said and then his fist lashed out with the last remains of his previous viridia-rush. It sent a radial fracture running through its glassy surface and it tumbled to the ground without any further ado.


    Pabloc: "Now that was just uncalled for¡­" The scientist grimaced wryly on the flickering screen.


    Soketsu: "I am coming for you," Soketsu hissed in response, spite coloring his voice to the point even he was surprised by it. The scientist also seemed to be taken aback for a moment before he once again reached for his glasses.


    Pabloc: "Of course you are. And I¡¯m waiting." With that the screen went black¡­ then it turned back on and the man added. "And just so you know, I wasn¡¯t kidding about the cookies and tea. See you soon." After those words and a knowing wink the screen went black again, this time for good.


    Soketsu waited for a few seconds, intently staring at the broken device, then finally turned his back on the carnage and shook his head.


    [Soketsu]: "Kay?"


    [Kay]: "What?" The girl answered curtly, her harsh tone stopping Soketsu on his track in an instant.


    [Soketsu]: "Is¡­ everything all right?" He asked tentatively. He got no answer. "Kay?"


    [Kay]: "You threw me," She answered flatly after several seconds.


    [Soketsu]: "What?"


    [Kay]: "You. Threw. Me." Kay repeated, her previously peeved voice slowly heating up to full-blown anger.


    [Soketsu]: "I¡­ Uh¡­" The man stumbled, his face getting uncharacteristically flushed. "It¡­ seemed like a good idea at the time?"


    [Kay]: "How did that ever¡ª"


    [Soketsu]: "Sorry!" He hastily interrupted before the girl could get any momentum. He knew that if he let her get riled up, he wouldn¡¯t hear the end of it for weeks. Sometimes peace in the future required some sacrifices in the present. "It was a stupid thing to do, but to my defense, it worked. I promise it won¡¯t happen again."


    For a few long seconds the man was sure that if she had any eyes at the moment, Kay would have been looking him up and down with scalding disapproval in them.


    [Kay]: "No more throwing?" She said at last.


    [Soketsu]: "No more throwing." Soketsu answered firmly.


    [Kay]: "Good¡­" She said, and then added ¡®It was dark.¡¯ in a mumble.


    Soketsu¡¯s eye opened wide and then he closed it in shame. Right, how could he forget it? While Kay was transformed into her halberd form she had no eyes. Or ears, if we were at that. Instead she was observing the world through Soketsu¡¯s senses.


    Which in turn, meant that if they got too far apart and their connection broke Kay was left completely isolated, without any way to tell what was going on around her. He suddenly took a sharp breath as another realization reared its ugly head: he must have inadvertently scared the soul out of her with that stunt! That¡¯s it, he scowled. No more throwing for sure.


    [Kay]: "So¡­ You wanted to ask something?" Kay interrupted his train of thought. Her voice was still a little tense but otherwise there was no hint of her previous anger in there.


    [Soketsu]: "Right¡­" He answered with a sigh of relief. "I just wanted to ask you to try and refine as much viridia as you can. I have a feeling that things are not going to get any simpler from here on."


    [Kay]: "All right. I guess that¡¯s it for going easy on me¡­"


    [Soketsu]: "Sorry, I made a mess of that encounter."


    [Kay]: "Lucky you had me to drag you out of it, right?"


    Soketsu silently rolled his eyes. Fishing for compliments at a time like that was so¡­ typical of her. He decided to let it slide, especially since he didn¡¯t want to start another fight, but one of these days she really had to learn some modesty. Though in retrospect he had to admit that some praises might have been in order anyway.


    [Soketsu]: "Indeed. And the Sixth Holy Imprint was perfect even without the full invocation. I am proud of you."


    [Kay]: "Yay!" Kay exclaimed with a cheerfulness that was just a wee bit too loud to be one hundred percent genuine. Maybe ninety-six percent, plus-minus five.


    Mulling over the percentages, Soketsu stood still for a minute or two, partially to give his partner a breather and also so that his body would have some time to heal up. The viridia coursing through his body not only served as a fuel to his superhuman abilities, it also made him very resilient against injuries and sped up the healing process. It couldn¡¯t handle anything serious, but for bruises and small cuts it was better and faster than any field dressing.


    Just those few minutes were enough to dampen the pain of his strained muscles and to help his breathing return to a stable rate. After even his heart-beat steadied itself and he could no longer feel any pain in his ribs, Soketsu casually shook himself and faced the exit.


    [Soketsu]: "Okay, back to business. Please continue to give me your best."


    [Kay]: "You don¡¯t even need to ask!" Kay answered, this time her enthusiasm completely sincere.


    [Soketsu]: "Good."


    With that Soketsu strode over to the only door beside the entrance, no doubt leading to the inner section of the facility, and ever so cautiously continued his mission.

 Ch 3: Remains of a bygone era

    It was 9:00 AM. In the morning light the dead city seemed like the carcass of a titanic beast of long-forgotten times, its concrete ribs and asphalt blood scattered all over the hilly landscape in irregular patterns. For hundreds of years its lifeless existence was only disturbed by the occasional wild animal roaming its dry streets, but even they only did so under duress.


    It used to be a bustling place. Once it was filled with the unmistakable noises of life, but as of now it was nothing more than a dead husk. One of the numerous graveyards of a fallen civilization.


    On second thought, it couldn¡¯t even be called that. A graveyard had the decency to remember and to remind others of the names of the deceased and honor their memory. The concrete carcass covering the landscape had no name for itself to remember, let alone for the thousands upon thousands of cadavers buried deep under its ruined surface.


    Abandoned and all but forgotten, the empty city was a sad memento of the destruction the Devastation wrought more than three centuries years ago.


    But the nameless ruins weren¡¯t completely empty this morning. There was movement on the roof of one of the tallest buildings still standing against the hot, dry winds of the land. A man leaned over the unstable railing of the rooftop and turned his gaze towards the streets below with a weary expression.


    He was tall and wiry, yet his light gray overcoat made him appear positively huge. After a few minutes of seemingly tense observation he wordlessly swept back his short dark hair, revealing a thin silver headband around his high temple.


    After a few more minutes of idling his eyes were drawn to some movement down below. There was a small, rushing shadow taking a sharp turn at the intersection and heading right towards the building he was standing on. When he strained his eyes a little he could finally make out the owner of said shadow skillfully skimming over the rough terrain, navigating around the broken pavement and fallen debris as if it was the easiest thing in the world. She headed for the building straight as an arrow and upon arrival she grabbed hold of the closest windowsill and began scaling the structure with speed implying that she considered Newton''s law of universal gravitation to be barely more than a polite suggestion.


    It took her only half a minute to work her way up to the roof, finally grabbing hold of the railing the man was holding onto and flinging herself over to his side. For a moment her figure was bathed in the morning sun as she casually hopped to her feet and faced the man with one hand on her hips and the other carefully sweeping back an unruly tuft of her hair from her temple. She appeared to be a girl in her late teens, short but lean with all the pronounced but still developing curves that were expected from her apparent age.


    Her long black hair fell unto her shoulders in slightly curly waves, framing a lovely face adorned with emerald eyes. However, as striking as her profile might have been, it was in no way her most obvious characteristic.


    That dubious honor belonged to the pair of catlike ears poking out from the top of her head and the equally feline tail on her rear. Both of them seemed to be genuine beyond question. Otherwise she looked just like any normal human girl of her age, easily verified through her light clothes. She was wearing tight bike shorts and a top which left her belly-button in plain sight. On the back of her pants fluttered a short, cape-like cloth fastened to her belt, reaching down to her knees under which she was wearing black knee-socks and a slightly worn leather ankle boot.


    After taking a moment to stretch in a very theatrical and slightly mischievous manner she smiled at the man and spoke up in a familiar manner.


    ?????: "Everything is in order. They are coming this way."


    The man slightly narrowed his eyes but didn¡¯t take them off from the distance he seemed to have been staring into for the past few seconds. In response the girl roughly cleared her throat.


    ?????: "Ahaz?"


    Hearing his name, the man finally turned his attention to the girl and gave her a small nod.


    Ahazkun: "I see. Thank you."


    After the curt answer Ahazkun turned his gaze towards the horizon once again. As he did, the girl frowned and elbowed him in the side. He didn¡¯t even flinch.


    ?????: "Is that all that you wanted to say?"


    Her voice was filled with thorns and was just about to elbow him again when he looked at her one more time with the exact same glassy expression.


    Ahazkun: "Nice work."


    ?????: "That¡¯s all?! Do you even have any idea how hard it was to¡ª"


    Her response was cut short by man¡¯s hand softly landing on her head and he slowly started scratching the base of her feline ears. For a moment her eyes opened wide in surprise, seemingly about to object, then a blissful expression spread on her face and she started, for a lack of better word, purring.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    The next few moments were filled with an affectionate silence as the girl snuggled herself to the solemn man. He, however, was still gazing into the distance with an expressionless face. In the end it was him who broke the silence, with a low, almost whispering voice.


    Ahazkun: "Say, Tiari¡­"


    She glanced up at him while still basking in the afterglow of his caress, but seeing his expression quickly wiped it away and gave way to a more serious response.


    Tiari: "Yes?"


    Ahazkun: "Do you remember?¡±


    The girl¡¯s lips curved downwards in a small grimace, though she tried to hide it as hard as she could.


    Ahazkun: "I do. I remember when this town was filled to the brim with people. Men, women, children..."


    The catgirl¡¯s expression slowly clouded as she realized where he was going with his monologue. Needless to say, this wasn¡¯t the first time she heard it.


    Ahazkun: "It was so long ago. It feels like as if it was just yesterday¡­ but it¡¯s gone. All of them are gone without as much as a trace. Only steel, concrete and the corruption remains¡­"


    Tiari: "You are doing it again." The girl¡¯s voice felt annoyed but not overtly harsh and slowly trailed off into a soft whisper. "You are still blaming yourself, aren¡¯t you?"


    Hearing her question, Ahazkun finally smiled, even if it was the pitiful, self-deriding smile of a burdened man.


    Ahazkun: "I can¡¯t really help it. It¡¯s just so¡­ It¡¯s hard to believe that the better tomorrow those people waited for was destroyed so utterly. And it was our fault. All of it."


    For a second or two they looked at each other in silence. In the end the man raised his eyes upon the panorama of the abandoned city and the girl¡¯s eyes followed suit by reflex.


    It was quite eerie how well preserved the place looked from up above. There were ruins, naturally. It would have been even stranger if three hundred years of desertion didn¡¯t leave a mark upon it. There just weren¡¯t enough of them. Not as many as one would have expected, and even those were only taken by the weather instead of the encroaching flora one would presume.


    She knew why. On the surface everything felt empty and eerily quiet, but she knew that underneath the rubble there was still something that could be called ¡®life¡¯, albeit only by the loosest definition.


    It was the corruption, or at least what remained of it. In the cables, the broken electric appliances, under the collapsed buildings and in the bones of the dead below. It was still there, waiting for something, or someone, to disturb its hibernation so it could attach itself to it.


    No, even saying that gave it too much credit. It didn¡¯t wait. It had no will or plan or consciousness. It was a force of nature, an inert potential for destruction that could be unleashed by even the smallest mistake.


    Just knowing it was there made her uneasy. She rationally knew that it was probably so sparse after three centuries that it would require a horrible case of bad luck to stumble upon it, but it was still there. It was dangerous. Everything in the nameless dead city was dangerous until proven otherwise.


    When she was running through the streets her attention was always preoccupied by other, more apparent matters, but when she looked over the landscape in front of her from above like this, it always made her choke a little.


    She wanted to leave. The memories of events that took place in the history books of this day and age came flooding back at her whenever she let her mind wonder about it, and she wanted to get as far away from it all as possible¡­ But she knew she couldn¡¯t.


    She wasn¡¯t the only one who felt like that. In fact her feelings of dread and regret couldn¡¯t even compare to the pain the man at her side must have felt. The girl hesitated for a second, wondering whether it was the right moment, but she finally mustered her resolve. She brushed away the hand still resting on her head, stepped closer and gently hugged the man¡¯s waist with her slender arms, burying her head into his chest.


    Tiari: "Don¡¯t blame yourself. It wasn¡¯t your fault. No one could see it coming."


    Ahazkun looked down at the small figure holding onto him and blinked in surprise, yet his expression only seemed to grow darker by the second.


    Ahazkun: "But I should have. It was my job to see it coming."


    Tiari: "I said stop blaming yourself! It won¡¯t make things any better! You are just torturing yourself for no reason. It¡­ makes me sad."


    The man silently gazed at her for a few moments. For the first time in the past few days his lips were shaped by a warmer emotion and slowly curved into a small but heartfelt smile. He reached for Tiari¡¯s head and held it between his hands, firmly yet with great care, and laid a small, gentle kiss on her forehead.


    Ahazkun: "Sorry for making you worry." After a few more affectionate moments he raised his hands and Tiari let go of him as well. The man shook his head and stretched his arms. "You are right. I can¡¯t change the past, so it¡¯s time to start working on the future. Thank you¡­ and sorry for making you remind me of that."


    As Ahazkun left her behind, the feline girl¡¯s expression returned to the more carefree one she had when she arrived to the rooftop and crossed her arms in front of her small chest.


    Tiari: "Are you going?"


    Ahazkun: "It¡¯s time."


    Tiari: "Are you sure you don¡¯t need me to come along?"


    Her voice quivered a little, obvious hiding a good amount of bottled up worry behind a professional attitude. The man looked back, his face as unreadable as ever and slowly shook his head.


    Ahazkun: "No. It¡¯s dangerous."


    Tiari: "That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking!"


    The tall man looked at her with gentle eyes, his expression softening under her piercing gaze, and spoke with a calm voice.


    Ahazkun: "I cannot risk you getting hurt. If something were to happen to you¡ª" His voice suddenly choked, quite unbefitting to his serious expression, and spoke with hushed tone. "¡­ I would probably break."


    Tiari looked at him with eyes wide open for a moment, then averted her gaze with a small scowl.


    Tiari: "You are so unfair, you know that?"


    Ahazkun: "Yes. Sorry."


    After forcing one last apologetic smile onto his face the man began walking towards the partially collapsed stairwell on the middle of the roof.


    Tiari: "Still¡­ Be careful, you hear me?"


    Ahazkun looked back at Tiari. She appeared to be in the middle of trying not to look worried but for some reason she chose a bone-chilling glare to hide it. For a split-second the man didn¡¯t know how to react, but in the end he allowed himself an amused chuckle as he nodded.


    Ahazkun: "Don¡¯t worry. This time everything should go according to plan."

 Ch 4: (Tea)time is an illusion

    Soketsu stopped and glanced around the junction of underground corridors. The hallways were wastefully spacious, almost five meters wide and three meters tall with slightly arched ceilings that ran into tidy domes at each intersection. The white concrete walls around him were eerily smooth and clean and illuminated by a chain of bulbous lights embedded into the corners where the walls met the ceiling. They filled the air with an ambience that managed to be both bright and yet somehow gloomy at the same time.


    As if the weird lighting and the uniformity of the environment wasn¡¯t enough, there was also a pervasive scent in the air that he had to struggle to identify. It was lavender, or some other similar flower, masking a sharper stench that reminded him of an Order hospital. It was probably from the cleaning supplies used to scrub the walls into monotony, he concurred.


    That actually made him ponder for a moment. The tunnels were obviously scoured very recently. That meant that the place was either cleaned regularly or, more likely, in preparation of his arrival. But wouldn¡¯t that mean that they knew he would be coming well ahead of time? After a moment of consideration he sharply shook his head.


    Was that really a question at this point? Of course they knew. Not only that, they were expecting him in particular, not just any odd Rover, and the scientist seemed quite eager to talk to him as soon as possible. At least that¡¯s what his attitude and the little notes glued to the wall suggested.


    Speaking of notes, Soketsu stopped in front of the latest one. It was a mundane piece of white paper fastened to the wall with transparent tape right next to one of the irregularly placed doors in the tunnels. It was the sixth or seventh he found. He wasn¡¯t counting.


    They all had arrows drawn on them with different colored crayons and they were all leading him from one note to the next. They also had various crudely drawn stick figures under the arrows. This one in particular had two such illustrations. The first was probably the scientist, he ventured. It was smiling and holding a kettle with an arrow pointing at it saying ¡®Tea¡¯. The other figure had no identifiable features save for a teacup in its hand, so he supposed it was probably representing him.


    As much as he tried, Soketsu couldn¡¯t wrap his head around the point in these notes. Why stick figures? Why in crayon? Why tea? He didn¡¯t even like tea¡­


    [Soketsu]: "What do you make of this?"


    [Kay]: "That he is either not a very good artist, or this is some kind of prank."


    [Soketsu]: "A prank? That is¡­" Soketsu paused uncertainly.


    [Kay]: "It¡¯s what?"


    [Soketsu]: "I wanted to say it is implausible, but then I thought about the situation we are in and kind of realized I couldn¡¯t deny the possibility, and that makes me worried."


    [Kay]: "Because you hate being pranked?"


    In the end he rolled his eye and continued on. He decided he would have all the time in the world to question the scientist about his choice in artistic expression and beverages once he was safely tied up and gagged. Well, maybe not gagged. Unless he kept insisting on tea.


    Just then he noticed the next sign guiding him around a corner, this one featuring the now-familiar stick-figure of Pabloc accompanied by a shorter figure with long, yellow hair. Both of them were smiling and there were the words ¡®Over here!¡¯ written over the arrow with rainbow letters. He rounded the corner.


    There, at the end of the concrete passageway stood a finely crafted wooden door sticking out of the monotony of the hallway like nun in a bordello. He approached the door cautiously. The first thing that caught his eye was the gaudy silver plaque with the name of his target engraved on its polished surface with stylish cursive letters. The second thing was the small note under it written in the same rainbow lettering saying ¡®Welcome, Soketsu!¡¯


    [Kay]: "Ooooooh¡­ Ominous."


    Soketsu rolled his eye and automatically reached for the doorknob, however as he was about to touch it his mind instantly threw up a number of warning flags. Could it really be this simple? Maybe it was a trap. Probably a mine or a shaped charge. At least that¡¯s what he would have used, though he usually couldn¡¯t get his hands on either of those because of the Cathedral¡¯s chief requisitions officer was a pompous little bureaucrat.


    But then again, why would his target jump through all these hoops to invite him like this only to blow him up? But what if he only did that to loosen his guard for a sneak-attack? On the other hand, maybe he only wanted him to think that so that he could place the explosives in a place where¡ª


    Then there was clicking noise and the door opened. Soketsu blinked uncomprehendingly and glanced at his hand. Apparently his brain was too preoccupied with trying to untangle the motives of his target to actually forward the memo to his extremities. He let out a short string of curses that would have had a prelate pale in blasphemy-induced anemia and finished it off with a resounding ¡®Bah!¡¯ Oh well, he thought, at least now he knew there were no explosives. Yet.


    He opened the door wide and cautiously glanced over the interior of the room before entering. He found exactly what he has been looking for, though not exactly what he expected.


    Pabloc: "Come on in," The scientist waved at him cordially while sitting in his comfortably padded swivel-chair behind a fine wooden desk. Soketsu hesitated for a moment longer and took another glance.


    It was a medium sized room no bigger than five by five meters at the most. It was way more colorful than the outside corridors, though he had to admit that it was not a hard feat to achieve. The walls and ceiling were covered in simple, sand-brown wallpaper, which went surprisingly well with the antique furniture and hardwood floor.


    Speaking of furniture, there wasn¡¯t much to speak of. Aside of Pabloc¡¯s desk there were only a set of simple shelves on Soketsu¡¯s right and an empty chair by the desk. All of them looked to be aged but well-maintained; they were probably antiques even pre-devastation.


    [Kay]: "Affable, smug and classy. I¡¯m afraid we are dealing with a class A supervillain here."


    [Soketsu]: "Hush. I am trying to focus here."


    [Kay]: "Buzzkill."


    As his partner fell silent Soketsu continued mapping the room. First and foremost, there was also another door at the back corner of the room, though it didn¡¯t seem to have a handle or any obvious opening mechanism. An escape route, Soketsu surmised, and he made a mental note of it in case the scientist decided to flee.


    Speaking of Pabloc, he was still nonchalantly sitting in his chair and beckoning for the Rover sent to apprehend him to enter. There were a handful of the familiar floating screens buzzing around him, most of them replaying recordings of his fight with the two mechanical guards while others were showing texts or diagrams too small for Soketsu read from afar.


    The moment he entered the screens turned blank and then moved behind Pabloc with unexpected grace, forming into a neat stack as the bespectacled man turned to him and welcomed him with a smile most people reserved for old friends or people that happened to bring very expensive gifts.


    Pabloc: "Welcome!" He beamed and gestured towards the chair by the desk. "Please take a seat. I am sure you have a lot of questions."


    Soketsu placed a tentative foot inside the room all the while his eye was focusing on the scientist¡¯s smallest movements.


    Soketsu: "I was set up, wasn¡¯t I?" He spat the question at Pabloc, intently watching for his reaction.


    Pabloc: "Oh?" The man raised an eyebrow with a pleasantly surprised expression. "What makes you think that?"


    Soketsu: "Everything," He shrugged while casually inching forward, his halberd held low but ready to rise in guard if necessary. "The quality of the intelligence reports for one. Then there was the whole ¡®being invited¡¯ deal. That was pretty blatant."


    Pabloc: "Ah, yes¡­" The man chuckled softly. "I wanted to be sure."


    Soketsu: "On the other hand, I don¡¯t get what you want. Your ¡®guards¡¯ let me get away with not one but two lethal mistakes. That couldn¡¯t be a fluke either."


    Pabloc: "Sorry about that," To Soketsu¡¯s surprise the scientist appeared apologetic, even a little awkward. "I know you hate when your opponents are handicapped, but I couldn¡¯t really risk you dying, now could I? That wasn¡¯t their purpose anyway."


    Soketsu barely suppressed the urge to snap at the man with the glasses. Even now he was skirting around his questions as if to irritate him. But then again, maybe that was exactly what he was planning. Getting him angry and sloppy. In the end Soketsu took a deep breath and slowly shook his head.


    Soketsu: "So they never meant to kill me. I suppose this entire recovery mission was a trap."


    Pabloc: "Weeeeeell, in a way it is a recovery mission," The scientist contemplated with an amused twinkle in his eyes that made Soketsu¡¯s own twist in anger in response. "You just got the roles reversed."


    Now, that was something he wasn¡¯t expecting. Soketsu narrowed his eye and choose every word carefully.


    Soketsu: "So you are saying that I was lured here on purpose for¡­ ¡®recovery¡¯."


    The scientist gave him a big nod with a smile. His eyes were positively sparkling with approval, like a teacher whose student just solved a difficult problem. Soketsu pondered for a moment.


    Soketsu: "Was anyone in the Order a part of this charade?"


    Pabloc: "Why do you ask?"


    The Rover straightened himself to his full height and his visible eye blazed with a sudden fury.


    Soketsu: "Because if you had accomplices amongst our ranks, they will wish they have never been born once I get back to the Cathedral with you."


    For a second the scientist looked startled but then a series of soft, breathy chuckles escaped his mouth.


    Pabloc: "Ah, there we go," He smiled warmly at Soketsu. "That¡¯s the man I know. Stubborn, impulsive and uncompromising to a fault. For a moment I was afraid you totally lost your true colors after so many years."


    Soketsu grit his teeth. The man has been acting way too familiar with him and it irritated him to no end. Worse still, while he felt a faint trace of familiarity when looking upon the face of the scientist, he couldn¡¯t recall ever meeting him in person. It was vexing, to say the least. At last he exhaled sharply and raised his weapon.


    Soketsu: "I had enough of this charade!" He declared while he pointed his halberd at the sitting man, the tip of the weapon only about a meter from his nose. "We both know why I¡¯m here. Let¡¯s get it over with so I can start sorting out this mess."


    Pabloc: "Indeed," Pabloc beamed at him in response as if completely oblivious to the explicit threat. "I knew you could never resist tea and cookies. Just give me a second and¡ª"


    Soketsu: "That¡¯s not what I am talking about!"


    To his sincerest bafflement the scientist casually brushed off his bellow and reached for a teapot that has indeed been sitting on a shelf beside him all along. He looked at the one-eyed man, then back at the teapot, and finally spoke with a slightly patronizing voice.


    Pabloc: "Ah, but you still have many questions, don¡¯t you? This might very well be the last time you can ask them, so why don¡¯t you do that first?"


    Soketsu desperately wanted to give the man a snappy answer to clean the smile off his face. Sadly, no suitable words came to mind, so he just silently glared at him. Not that the scientist seemed particularly bothered by it.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Pabloc: "Tea?" He asked again, tilting the teapot at his direction. Soketsu roughly shook his head. His target gave him a shrug and began absent-mindedly polishing the kettle like it was the most natural thing to do in this situation. The man had zero tension in his body-language.


    Soketsu grit his teeth. As much as the one-eyed man hated to admit, there was at least one last question he wanted to ask Pabloc before things went south. He inhaled deeply to clear his mind and spoke up in a voice steadied by years of self-discipline.


    Soketsu: "Actually, there is one thing..."


    Pabloc seemed pleasantly surprised.


    Pabloc: "Oh? Very well then. What do you wish to know?"


    For a few seconds Soketsu tried his best to see through the smile on the scientist¡¯s face, but the effort felt wasted, so he simply spoke his mind.


    Soketsu: "Tell me, just how much of that intelligence report was a fabrication?"


    The question raised Pabloc¡¯s brow in surprise and he put the teapot he was polishing back onto the shelf.


    Pabloc: "That¡¯s an interesting question. It depends on how much was presented to you. Which part are you curious about?"


    Soketsu: "The facility?" Soketsu inquired, tilting his head slightly at nothing in particular. "How did you get your hands on it?"


    Pabloc: "It¡¯s Gabe¡¯s, like pretty much everything else," The scientist answered as if stating the obvious. "I think it was a minting facility he used to make counterfeit Order coins."


    A chill ran down Soketsu¡¯s back.


    Soketsu: "So those machines¡­"


    Pabloc: "A minting press. They have been out of use for quite a while, that¡¯s why we decided to re-purpose it for your¡­" The man¡¯s face suddenly lit up in amusement. "Well, I suppose I could call it your ¡®welcoming party¡¯."


    The wheels immediately began spinning in Soketsu¡¯s head. This was a hidden counterfeit operation right in the middle of Order territory. There were a scant few organizations in the world that would try something this bold, and none that would have the funds and infrastructure to create a facility like this. Except maybe one¡­


    Soketsu: "You are working for the Eastern Union," His growl was somewhere between doubtful and distasteful.


    Pabloc: "Excuse me?" The scientist cocked his head slightly and his expression seemed to have a hard time deciding whether it was more surprised or irked. "No, I am not working for anyone¡­ Although technically you could argue I am working for Gabe in the sense that I use his resources, but it is a partnership at the end of the day."


    This Gabe person again¡­ Was he the leader of this organization? Maybe an agent from the Union? Either way, there had to be more to this.


    Soketsu: "You are lying."


    Pabloc: "No I¡¯m not." Pabloc¡¯s answer was as blunt and forceful as the flat of a hammer. Under normal circumstances Soketsu might have taken such an instant denial at face value, but these were not normal circumstances, now were they?


    Soketsu: "There is no one else who could finance something like this."


    Pabloc: "A fair point, but the truth is we don¡¯t really need financing per se. In fact we are quite detached from the economy of the outside world." The rogue scientist re-adjusted his glasses and in a wondering tone added, "I don¡¯t even know why Gabe bothered with counterfeiting on the first place. One of his weird whims, I suppose."


    Soketsu: "You want to tell me that you have no need for money."


    Pabloc: "As I said, we don¡¯t really interact with the outside world so no, not really. Don¡¯t worry if you don¡¯t get it, I found it strange when I first arrived too."


    Soketsu: "You mean after you ran away from the Order with the stolen data? How long has it been again?"


    Pabloc suddenly let out a mirthful little laugh and waved his hand dismissingly.


    Pabloc: "That part of the report was made up. I didn¡¯t actually work for the Order. Not as a researcher at the very least."


    Soketsu: "Oh. So I suppose that entire segment was made up along with the su¡¯bloli nonsense," Soketsu concluded grimly, though it was more to hide his momentary uncertainty and, even to his own surprise, relief.


    Pabloc: "Excuse me?" The scientist¡¯s sincerely baffled expression now added another layer of emotion hidden by Soketsu¡¯s grim visage: apprehension


    Soketsu: "The report. It said you tried to open some sort of portal to bring a su¡¯bloli into the world."


    Pabloc: "Oh, that!" Pabloc grinned wide as he finally understood. "Of course. I¡¯m not trying to open a doorway there. Why would we need another?"


    Soketsu¡¯s mask didn¡¯t as much crack as it shattered and crumbled to dust as the casual remark struck him. His visible eye went wide in shock but a moment later it narrowed into a glare observing the scientist¡¯s face. Finally it opened wide again, this time in abject horror as he let out a small gasp.


    Soketsu: "By Nov¡¯Elsfaan¡­ You are serious!"


    Pabloc looked at the Rover¡¯s ashen face with a mixture of emotions. At last he slouched back in his chair and shook his head with a disappointed sigh.


    Pabloc: "It¡¯s not really such a big deal, you see. We already did it once three hundred years ago, though back then we didn¡¯t bring anything through. Well, anything worth studying. The new one is smaller though, just in case."


    Soketsu: "Are you mad!?" Soketsu suddenly bellowed and leaned closer, the tip of his halberd now only couple dozen centimeters from Pabloc¡¯s face. "What if one gets through?!"


    Pabloc: "They wouldn¡¯t," Pabloc Said dryly. "And even if they tried¡ª" The scientist paused for a few seconds and the shrugged. "You know what? It would be easier if I just showed you."


    With that the scientist nonchalantly turned away from the confused man currently threatening him with the pointy end of his weapon and pressed a few buttons on one of the screens beside him. Nothing happened. Silent seconds slowly trickled into silent minutes and Soketsu could feel tension building up in him until he felt like a human piano-wire.


    Then, just as he was about to speak up, the unusual door at the back of the room abruptly slid into the wall with a quiet hiss. Soketsu¡¯s breath caught in his throat, but to his considerable confusion it was a small girl in an orange nightgown who pattered inside. She stumbled under the doorframe, drowsily glanced inside the room and then let out a huge yawn before continuing on. She couldn¡¯t have been older than nine and her nearly knee-long golden hair gently waved with every step she took. No, on second look it didn¡¯t just ¡®wave¡¯, it appeared as if it was blown by a gentle breeze that didn¡¯t actually exist in the room.


    ????: "What is it Pabloc-san? I was taking a nap¡­" Her voice was clean and tinkling even though her words were slightly slurred with drowsiness. She also had some kind of accent, putting strange emphasis on seemingly random syllables and pronouncing words in an unusual way.


    Pabloc: "Sorry Lily, but I wanted to introduce you to an old friend of mine."


    ¡®Old what?¡¯, Soketsu would have liked to ask if he wasn¡¯t too baffled by the scene unfolding in front of him to squeeze the words through his teeth. The little girl wiped the drowsiness out of her eyes and looked over him before she absentmindedly jumped onto Pabloc¡¯s lap without the slightest of reservations about the armed stranger in the room. This, consequently, forced Soketsu to lower his weapon lest he would injure her by accident.


    Lily: "Is that Soketsu-san?" She asked innocently, her voice even more angelic without the sleepiness weighting it down. "I thought he would be taller¡­"


    Pabloc: "Don¡¯t be rude to our guest¡­" The scientist chided her while rubbing the top of her head.


    Lily: "Gomen~."


    Seeing Soketsu¡¯s baffled expression drew a muffled chuckle from Pabloc¡¯s lips.


    Pabloc: "Let me introduce you to Lily, our resident su¡¯bloli. She serves as a sort of emissary, amongst a number of other things."


    Soketsu: "Lily¡­?" Soketsu croaked, his voice hoarse and confused.


    Pabloc: "Yes. She has a surname too, but only Gabe could pronounce it, and I am not even sure about that. I think he was just pulling my leg about it. Too many rolling ¡®r¡¯s and tongue-clicks."


    Lily: "Nice to meet you, Soketsu-san~!" The girl beamed him with a sunny smile that could have melted icebergs. Soketsu instead froze in place. Just how exactly was he supposed to react to that¡­?


    Pabloc: "As I was saying, we are not afraid of any other su¡¯blolis coming through, because if they tried, Lily would eat them."


    Lily: "Gao~!" The little girl growled while playfully clawing at the air, her smile positively sparkling. She was¡­ just plain adorable, strange accent and weird hair included.


    Soketsu shook his head and tried to collect his thoughts. It was only a partial success.


    Soketsu: "Are you seriously trying to tell me that she is a su¡¯bloli?" He finally squeezed the words through the haze of his confusion.


    Pabloc: "Hard to believe, isn¡¯t it?" The scientist grinned at him with almost childish glee. "At first, I was prepared to cut out a few incompatible parts from my brain if she happened to be more like some unspeakable eldritch abominations with tentacles and everything, but it turned out she can consciously shape-shift. ¡®A shape you are comfortable with¡¯, she said, but I honestly never expected she would become the cutest thing ever."


    The little girl blissfully squirmed in his lap as Pabloc ruffled her long golden hair. Soketsu on the other hand was bewildered to the point where he just nodded in a daze while his brain worked overtime trying to make sense of the situation.


    Lily: "Pabloc-san! I¡¯m hungry!" The girl suddenly glanced up at the scientist.


    Pabloc: "Now that you mention it, Gabe said she brought you a few kittens yesterday. They are in the fridge of the guest-room."


    The girl¡¯s eyes suddenly gleamed with childish joy and she let loose another of her stone-melting smiles.


    Lily: "Yay! Kittens!"


    She jumped off Pabloc¡¯s lap and gleefully pattered out of the room the way she came.


    Pabloc: "Dress up before you catch a cold!" The scientist yelled after her in fatherly voice and she answered from the other side of the wall with a resounding,


    Lily: "Ha~i!"


    Pabloc finally turned his attention to the man in front of him once again. By this time Soketsu already got over the first shock and he managed to mount a serviceably threatening frown against the scientist¡¯s affable smile.


    Pabloc: "She¡¯s just adorable, isn¡¯t she?" Then, as if he just realized something, the scientist leaned closer and added in a conspiratorial whisper, "By the way, she is not eating actual kittens. It¡¯s a kind of cake, but Gabe keeps insisting they are made from real cats. You know how he is."


    Soketsu absent-mindedly nodded, more in a daze than for actual agreement, but it immediately widened the smile on the scientist¡¯s face.


    Soketsu: "That was¡­ quite unexpected. And hard to believe. And crazy."


    [Kay]: "In that order." His partner added in a deadpan voice.


    Soketsu: "In that order." Soketsu echoed her words after a second of pause.


    Pabloc¡¯s brows shot up at the wry comment and then he abruptly broke out into a heartfelt laugh.


    Pabloc: "I cannot deny either of those, but trust me, there are many more unexpected and hard to believe things I can tell you. As for crazy ¡­" He raised a hand to fidget with his glasses for a moment and concluded, "I believe Gabe can take care of that part better than I do. So, what do you say? Wouldn¡¯t it be better if we just sat down and discussed everything like reasonable adults, without any more bloodshed or collateral damage? Please?"


    Conflicted as he might have seemed for a moment, Soketsu slowly shook his head in face of the scientist¡¯s offer.


    Soketsu: "I might have taken you up on your offer under other circumstances¡­" He spoke slowly.


    Pabloc¡¯s face became sullen.


    Pabloc: "But?"


    Soketsu: "But you have deceived me, assaulted me and insulted me, and with me the Rovers and the Order as a whole." Soketsu answered with a chilling glare. "I am Soketsu." He declared as he raised his weapon once again, pronouncing each word separately for emphasis. "I do not respond well to that kind of treatment."


    Pabloc¡¯s sullen expression became severe for a moment.


    Pabloc: "Is that your final answer?" He asked with a disappointed frown in his eyes. Soketsu nodded in response, drawing a frustrated sigh from the scientist¡¯s lips. "I see. I suppose I can¡¯t really go against those pesky predictions after all. Very well then, I guess I have no other choice but to fight and subdue you myself."


    Soketsu¡¯s brows involuntarily rose in response to the man¡¯s nonchalant declaration of resistance. He didn¡¯t expect the mild-mannered scientist to lash out at him, but it wasn¡¯t the first time his expectations were betrayed this day, and for some reason he had a feeling it wasn¡¯t the last time either. Nevertheless, he immediately tightened his grip on his weapon.


    In the meantime Pabloc began fiddling with his glasses on the bridge of his nose as his muscles visibly tensed up.


    Pabloc: "Before we start, can I have a request?" He raised his face and looked Soketsu in the eye. His gaze was heavy and it quickly made the one-eyed man uncomfortable.


    Soketsu: "What is it?"


    Pabloc: "Would you mind if we took this fight outside?" Pabloc nodded towards the open door behind Soketsu. "While this office was prepared for our meeting, I actually quite like it and I don¡¯t want to see it wrecked."


    Soketsu stayed as silent as a statue, his one eye fixed on the scientist without even blinking.


    Pabloc: "I take that as a no." Pabloc groaned with an annoyed smile. "I suppose I have to do it the hard way then¡­"


    With that the scientist casually extended his palm towards Soketsu, fingers spread, and his eyes suddenly grew icy cold behind his glasses. Soketsu could once again feel the pinprick sensation of incoming danger on his temple and he immediately tensed up, ready to lunge at the man still within the reach of his weapon. Then the word suddenly blurred as he was thrown back.


    No, ¡®thrown¡¯ was inaccurate, he mused with a sudden, almost clinical detachment. Throwing involves a number of things. Leverage, gravity, grappling points, those kinds of things. In that light, he wasn¡¯t thrown. He wasn¡¯t struck, tackled or shot either.


    In fact, there was no impact whatsoever. At one moment he was standing still and the next moment the entire world flew out of under him in a blur. He was just moved.


    His momentary stupor ended with a hard jerk on his weapon, and a moment later his feet touched the floor again. Without thinking he lowered his center of gravity and took a defensive stance.


    [Kay]: "What just happened?" Asked the baffled voice in his head.


    [Soketsu]: "I don¡¯t have the faintest idea." Soketsu answered in a similar tone.


    He glanced around, visible eye wide open. He was almost under the doorframe of the entrance and he figured the only thing that kept him from flying out into the hallway was the butt of his halberd being embedded into the frame. He forcefully tore the thrusting point out of the wood and his eyes snapped back to the scientist. He found him right where left him, sitting behind his desk with his hand extended towards him.


    The bespectacled man clicked his tongue irritably, audible even over the distance and folded his arms. Then he rose from his chair. At first it looked like he just stood up, but then he kept rising higher and a moment later his feet casually glided over the back of his chair.


    Soketsu: "Magecraft¡­" The one-eyed man muttered in muted disbelief.


    Pabloc: "Actually, the proper term is Core Hacking. Calling it ¡®magecraft¡¯ is a wee bit unscientific," Pabloc spoke sardonically and then frowned at Soketsu again. "I ask you one last time: are you sure you don¡¯t want to rethink this? I would rather not hurt you if at all possible."


    Soketsu glared back at the scientist. Like he was the one who should be worried about injuries here! Bah! In the end he grit his teeth and silently raised his halberd with a faint trail of green light. The scientist sighed in disappointment and straightened the collar of his white coat.


    Pabloc: "For the record, I tried everything I could think of." He told him with an apologetic smile. With that he rose even higher into the air. For some reason the act looked surprisingly natural, without any gust of wind or billowing coat to accompany it and he told Soketsu in a grave voice, "You have no one else but yourself to blame after this point¡­"

 Ch 5: Hidden Depths(perception)

    For a long moment the two men faced each other without speaking, moving or even breathing. The silence was very, very loud. At least on the outside.


    [Kay]: "What¡¯s the plan?" The girl¡¯s businesslike question rung clearly in Soketsu¡¯s head, taking advantage of their shared consciousness to exchange words faster than vocal speech would have ever allowed.


    [Soketsu]: "We strike first and we hit him hard," He told her firmly. "I don¡¯t want to make the same mistake twice."


    [Kay]: "No throwing!" She warned him sternly. Soketsu sighed inwardly.


    [Soketsu]: "No throwing," Came the dry answer. "As for the actual fight¡­ one-fourth should be enough."


    [Kay]: "Roger."


    The moment she spoke Soketsu could once again feel the viridia coursing through his veins accelerating and he readied himself for a charge. He lowered his center of gravity, and after a moment of consideration he let go of his halberd with his right hand. In the cramped office the only way he could use his weapon was for trusting, and while perforating the annoying scientist¡¯s skin was a distinctly alluring proposition, it would sadly interfere with interrogating him afterwards. As such his goal was to get into grappling range and subdue the man ASAP.


    Just then, as he was about to launch himself, there was a loud popping noise as the sides of Pabloc¡¯s desk suddenly opened up, revealing two small hidden storage spaces. One was filled with half a dozen hiltless blades. Each of them was a good thirty centimeters, the length of a long knife that was on the verge of being an outright sword, and they took to the air with a snap of Pabloc¡¯s fingers.


    Conversely, the other compartment held six solid metal balls, each the size of a man¡¯s fist. They were smooth and reflective like giant ball-bearings and they too rose from their sockets at a flick of the scientist¡¯s fingers.


    After a short pirouette in the air the knives lined up in front of Pabloc, points aimed right at Soketsu. The metal balls also floated beside him, though much more ponderously.


    [Soketsu]: "Well, that complicates things¡­" Soketsu said in his head wryly. "I think you better prep the eye."


    [Kay]: "Isn¡¯t that against guns?"


    [Soketsu]: "Bullets, flying knives, I don¡¯t see the difference."


    Just then there was a flicker of movement and Soketsu instinctively dodged to the right. The incoming projectile, barely more than a blur in the air, sailed past him and out the open door. Soketsu let out a silent curse. These things were fast. He didn¡¯t have the leisure time to idle for long though, as a moment later another blade was streaking as his direction and he barely had time to duck aside.


    These blades, unlike typical throwing weapons, didn¡¯t tumble through the air. Instead they flew straight and true without even a hint of an arc, their viciously sharp tips pointing at their target without erring. Under other circumstances Soketsu would have actually considered that as a flaw to exploit, as it allowed someone with his heightened senses and speed to parry them as if they were sword thrusts. Unfortunately that required space to move around, something he didn¡¯t have.


    He twisted his upper body again and barely managed to avoid another projectile, but by the time he regained his footing and tried to rush at Pabloc another knife whistled through the air, forcing him to evade and throwing him off-balance yet again.


    His original plan of striking first and grabbing Pabloc was in tatters, but he had nothing better to replace it yet. He had a number of lethal options that could get around his current conundrum, but they would rob him of the possibility to apprehend the rogue scientist; and through him his allies. He needed an alternative, one that preferably left the man alive and able to talk.


    He took a sharp breath and he observed his environment with a strangely detached clarity that often descended on him in the heat of battle.


    First off, he needed cover. While he was confident he could dodge the blades coming at him indefinitely, at least as long as they came ones and twos, he wasn¡¯t nearly as optimistic about his chances in case Pabloc decided to use more than that at once.


    He had two options present: Temporarily retreat through the open door or hide behind the wooden desk, the only decent cover in the entire room.


    He considered the first alternative and then quickly discarded the idea. No, there was another door at the back, the one where the blonde girl entered before. While the scientist did declare that he would fight him, there was no guarantee that he wouldn¡¯t slip out of the room while Soketsu was hiding on the other side of the entrance. After that, who knew what kind of further defenses the man could have roused if he got out of sight? Also, even if Pabloc followed after him, it would have meant ¡®taking things outside¡¯ and doing just what his opponent wanted on the first place. Now, that just won¡¯t do. It was a matter of principle.


    That left the desk. It seemed solid enough, and since Pabloc was floating at the back of the room, hiding behind it put one just outside of his line of sight. On the other hand it was in the same general direction as Pabloc, so any rush towards it would meet the same counterattack as if Soketsu was going right at him.


    Soketsu didn¡¯t hesitate for long. After a moment of concentration he lunged forwards with a faint flash of green at his feet. One of Pabloc¡¯s blades answered his charge by flying right at him. This time he didn¡¯t dodge. Instead he raised his plated fist, grit his teeth and swiped the knife out of the air with the back of his hand. Metal slid on metal, and for a moment Soketsu was afraid the edge of the blade would find its way between the plates of his gauntlet, but in the end he got through¡ª only to face another projectile following closely after the first.


    He didn¡¯t even attempt to parry that one. Instead he dropped down to the ground feet first and slid to the desk, hitting it with a muffled thump. So far so good.


    Only then did he realize that there had been a small, throbbing pain shooting through his right shoulder. He glanced over and let out a surprisingly eloquent curse under his breath. Apparently the blade he parried went on and hit his shoulder, slashing right through his outer surcoat and the soft ballistic mesh underneath. Thankfully even a cursory inspection could tell that the wound was skin-deep at best, but that was the second time he gave first blood to his opponent this day. It was infuriating, to say the least.


    With that said and done, he took a deep breath and decided to take full advantage of the few seconds of lull his cover provided him to come up with something that resembled a plan of advance. For starters, he wasn¡¯t expecting either the magecraft or the projectiles, so he had no counter-measures prepared against them. It was about time he rectified that.


    For the former, Soketsu only had tidbits of information to go on. First off, if what Pabloc said was true, then his ability had an astounding range, being able to precisely move his floating screens (though, in retrospect, they were just screens) from across the facility. He also gathered that he preferred to use light objects, or possibly he could only use light objects to begin with. Sure, the man floated, and he managed to move him as the opening act of their fight, but it was a far cry from the speed and elegance of his smaller tools. That could even hint to some inverse-relation there. The heavier the object, the harder it is for him to move it¡ª


    Soketsu paused for a moment and had to struggle not to chuckle. Nice observation there, Captain Obvious. Not that it made it any less valid, but still¡­


    Then came the issue of the projectiles. The blades, while light and not carrying much of a force, were incredibly sharp. He gathered that much from the cut on his shoulder. They were also fast¡ª though not so fast that he wasn¡¯t able to track them with his eye. Thankfully Pabloc was really bad at using them effectively, so they seemed manageable under the right circumstances.


    Finally, he had to wonder about the large ball bearings floating around his opponent in a seemingly random pattern. This far he only used his blades to strike, but those had to have some kind of purpose too. Maybe they were defensive?


    Just then a familiar sound caught his ear and he instinctively dropped to the ground, his back still at the desk. Because of that he had a perfect view of the knife flying at him from the direction of the entrance, no doubt trying to flush him out of his cover.


    With Soketsu out of the way the blade hit the desk, embedding itself a good two or three centimeters deep into the wood. There were some muffled curses from Pabloc in response, but Soketsu was more worried about the fact that the scientist was able to strike at him without seeing him.


    The Rover sprung to his knee and cautiously peered over the edge of the desk. Pabloc was still floating at a safe distance and he was staring daggers at him (which in his case was oddly literal). He still had all of his knifes¡ª all save the one embedded in the desk, that is, and for some reason that left Soketsu with a nagging feeling. It took him a glance at the stack of transparent screens sitting in the corner to finally realize what was bothering him: the scientist was holding back.


    In fact, he was holding back big time. He could move all those objects, and he had seen him move the much bigger screens as well, so he should have had no problem with skewering him with a full volley at any time. He was capable of doing so, but instead he was only probing at him, only sending out his blades in ones or twos. Sure, both of them declared that they wanted the other alive, which made this confrontation a little less hairy than usual, but he could see no reason why his opponent wouldn¡¯t capitalize on his advantage, unless¡­


    Then recognition suddenly hit him like a bucketful of bricks. The bastard was playing with him! Him! The Soketsu of the Order!


    Soketsu: "Cocky bastard¡­" His whisper trembled under his breath as an indignant scowl knit his brows together and he could feel an uncomfortable yet somehow familiar heat rising in his chest. Now, more than ever, he wanted to grab the scientist and beat him to an inch of his life. In fact, he was going to do just that, floating trash be damned. All the consideration, all the thinking he had done in the past few seconds went out the window, giving way to action.


    Without a moment of hesitation he set his shoulder against his cover, planted his feet and let out an almost animalistic roar. The one eyed man¡¯s sudden bellow seemingly stunned Pabloc. That, or it was the oaken desk flying his way. One or the other.


    The shock only lasted for a moment though. The bespectacled man hastily extended his hands towards the impromptu projectile, fingers open wide, and it immediately froze on its trajectory.


    So he can work on heavy objects after all. Better keep it in mind next time, noted a small, analytical corner of Soketsu¡¯s mind. Then he shoved any unnecessary thoughts aside as he burst forth from under the floating desk, accompanied by another war cry and a dim flash of green light as he swung his weapon upwards.


    It was a clumsy strike from an uncomfortable position with little power behind it, but it served its purpose. Pabloc instinctively moved his blades in defense, forming a vaguely interlocking plane of metal in front of the halberd before dodging in the direction of the swing. Steel met steel, but with the scientist¡¯s attention divided between upholding his guard and escaping, there was little contest. Soketsu scattered the blades with a grunt of effort and his teeth flashed in a fierce grin. Until this moment he didn¡¯t even know he had a plan, but for some reason he was sure the scientist was right where he wanted him to be.


    Soketsu took a split-second to steady himself and pounced right at his opponent with another deafening bellow, his weapon held low for a stabbing lunge. Pabloc visibly winced at this display of overt aggression and he flew back by reflex, just as Soketsu expected from a non-combatant under pressure. With a predatory grin he trained the tip of his polearm onto the man¡¯s chest and went after him without any hint of his previous non-lethal considerations.


    It was at this point that Pabloc¡¯s back hit the rear wall of the room. His alerted eyes snapped back at the Rover leaping his way and he flashed a wry smile of all things. After a fleeing moment of hesitation he rose up to the ceiling and with a small groan of effort he picked up speed, flying right over Soketsu with a faintly muttered ¡®Up and away!¡¯.


    Soketsu: "Stop messing around!"


    The Rover considered striking at him, but then he had an idea. It went against his previous declarations, but for some reason he couldn¡¯t find it in himself to care¡­


    Soketsu tumbled past the flying man but then he planted the butt of his weapon and, after a series of seemingly impossible contortions he managed to swing his body around to collide with the wall feet-first. It wasn¡¯t a perfect landing and the impact shook him to the core but he was too busy to care. With a cry of effort he kicked off from the wall and followed after Pabloc, using his still grounded halberd as leverage to aim himself. It was only then that he noticed he forgot something. It was big, wooden and floating right in his path.


    There was a moment of panic. Then it passed, and it was replaced by a detached, icy serenity. Soketsu stared at the object in front of him, and without even thinking he grabbed hold of it with a flaring green hand. He knew that his body was making the motions, and he was sure that what he was doing was incredibly intuitive, yet he had absolutely no idea just what exactly he was doing.


    What he knew for sure was that instead of crashing headlong into the desk he, for the lack of better words, slid around it. His hands and legs, moving independently as if performing practiced motions, guided his body around the floating furniture without changing his trajectory or losing any of his momentum. In fact he could faintly remember bracing against the side of the airborne furniture and using it as a jumping platform at the very last moment, but he wasn¡¯t sure even about that. By the time he regained his faculties he was already on the ground rolling, and a moment later he jumped to his feet to chase after Pabloc with another challenging bellow.


    He had him on the run, and it seemed like Pabloc couldn¡¯t move and strike at him at the same time, so every fiber of his body told him that he should be pressing his assault and end it as quickly as he can.


    In the meantime Pabloc glanced back and his left brow rose involuntarily at the sight of the Rover rushing after him. The relaxed expression somehow made his face look even more punchable than before and Soketsu charged forward, not letting the pressure up for even a moment. After all, the more pressure there was, the less chance his target had to realize he was being guided.


    To be precise, he was chasing Pabloc towards the entrance to take the fight outside, principles be damned, and in mere seconds he forced him out the door and into the corridor of the facility.


    The logic behind that move seemed quite sensible¡ª at the time. The wide, well lit corridors were naturally much more advantageous for a polearm like Soketsu¡¯s halberd and it allowed him greater freedom when it came to evading as well.


    What he didn¡¯t consider in the heat of the moment was that the same spacious corridors were also providing a lot more space for Pabloc to move around, which he immediately demonstrated by leaving the Rover in the dust by flying back a good five meters in the blink of an eye. Soketsu could arguably follow after him at leisure, but he was fine with letting him increase the distance that much, at least for the moment.


    Pabloc: "Huh¡­" The scientist groaned, expression his expression suddenly irate. "When I ask you to take things outside you refuse. Then you wreck the room I asked you not to wreck, and then you take the fight outside." He growled with a severe scowl. "I am not amused."


    Soketsu: "Oh, bite me." Soketsu scoffed at him as he too left the room and whirled his weapon, partly to show off his newfound range and partly just to show off in general. "I work with what I got. Not to mention I don¡¯t like cramped spaces."


    Saying so he casually reached behind himself, closed the door and then wrenched off the doorknob with a hard jerk of his right. Pabloc frowned at him, and for good reason. In the confusion of his escape he left all but one of his blades in the office, and Soketsu just made him unable to recover them. Then, after a moment of consideration he shook his head and grinned defiantly at his opponent.


    Pabloc: "Actually? Neither do I." He laughed while readjusting his glasses and then leveled a focused gaze at his opponent.


    Before Soketsu could grasp the meaning behind the scientist¡¯s words he was once again assailed by the familiar prickling sensation on his temple. This time he didn¡¯t dodge, but instead he swung his weapon and swapped the blade coming from the left out of the air with a satisfying clang. The projectile on the right side, on the other hand, hit him without advance notice.


    Soketsu let out a surprised yelp, followed by a hiss of pain, as one of the ball-bearings came at him from his blind spot after circling around him and struck him in the side of his chest under his raised arm.


    He instinctively rolled with the impact, greatly diminishing its force, but when he rose onto his feet he could once again feel his previously cracked rib acting up. And then there was another movement, the solitary blade coming at him from a low angle. He prepared to parry, but then his body was rocked by another impact, this time on his right shoulder blade. It was another blunt blow, but on the bright side it accidentally got him out of the blade¡¯s way. Or¡­ was it really an accident?


    In retrospect Soketsu had to admit that getting the battle into a more open area might not have been one of his brightest ideas after all. While it was true that the wide tunnels gave him much greater freedom when it came to wielding his halberd, it didn¡¯t even compare to the amount of freedom it provided to his opponent. In fact Pabloc seemed to have a field day with the change in the scenery, using the larger space to exploit Soketsu¡¯s blind spots.


    Not only that, he was also using the solitary blade as a constant distraction. It made a lot of sense in retrospect. The bespectacled man wanted to capture Soketsu, so the blades were only decoys. He used them first to establish them as a credible threat that made it necessary to focus on them, opening Soketsu up for strikes from the much slower iron balls now. It was a cheap and therefore incredibly effective tactic.


    Soketsu let loose another colorful curse and dove under the newest incoming projectile only to be grazed by another coming from the other side. Now that his head cooled down a little, he really wished he could get back into the office. Why did he ever think chasing the man out into the open was a good idea?! What the hell was wrong with him today?!


    Under other circumstances he might have went ahead and searched for a silent corner to contemplate on that question for a while, and he might have even wondered about why he still looked like he was having fun even though he was being pelted by iron balls. But then again, the former prevented him from retreating anyway and the latter made him didn¡¯t want to retreat on the first place. Not until he extensively introduced the scientist¡¯s face to the concrete floor, at the very least.


    [Soketsu]: "How¡¯s the eye?" He asked silently between two volleys. "Is it ready yet?"


    [Kay]: "Barely." His partner answered glumly. "You have been messing up the startup sequence."


    [Soketsu]: "I have?" He said with eyebrows raised before he rolled forward to dodge a strike and get closer to Pabloc at the same time, only to find that the scientist flew back just enough to keep the exact same distance. He clicked his tongue in frustration before returning to the conversation. "When?"


    [Kay]: "During your stunt with the desk. You used up almost as much of our reserve as the rest of the fights put together. I had to compensate." There was a thoughtful pause for a moment and she continued, "How did you do that anyway? I have never seen you use viridia like that before."


    [Soketsu]: "I have absolutely no idea." Soketsu answered.


    [Kay]: "Weird."


    [Soketsu]: "Tell me about it," The man grumbled. "I will try to get into a better position. Fire up the eye when I give you the signal."


    [Kay]: "What¡¯s the signal?"


    [Soketsu]: "The usual."


    There was a brief silence and then Kay let out a muffled giggle.


    [Kay]: "You are really like theatrics, don¡¯t you?"


    Soketsu wanted to give a snappy answer, but then his right leg was grazed by an iron ball, dropping him onto one knee.


    [Soketsu]: "We¡¯ll talk about that later," He said as he rolled to the side, barely avoiding two more projectiles in the process.


    [Kay]: "Roger." There was a smile in Kay¡¯s voice, prompting Soketsu to shake his head as jumped onto his feet again, only to be nearly knocked senseless by another steel ball aimed at his forehead.


    Due to his expertise at taking blows (read: pure luck), the projectile only grazed the top of his head as it passed on, but it still hurt like hell and for a moment he could see stars dancing inside his eyelid.


    Soketsu grit his teeth, forced his eye open, and began running towards the scientist even as a number of other projectiles were closing in on him. He didn¡¯t care about them, his visible eye locked onto the floating man instead. He didn¡¯t move, probably because there was still a good ten meters between them. Good, Soketsu murmured with a smile.


    He once again let go of his halberd with one hand and focused on the incoming objects. The blade was coming straight at him from a low angle with speeds that made the ball bearing closing in on him from the right in an arc look almost ponderous. Those were the visible ones, so Soketsu presumed there was at least one but more likely two others hiding in his blind spots, waiting for an opening. Not this time.


    He waited for the very last moment. He needed to be as close to Pabloc as possible. One step. Two. He almost risked a third but thought better of it. He took enough risks for one day.


    By then his right hand was already up to his face and his mouth unconsciously twisted into a defiant smirk. His feet reached the ground to complete his third step and he simultaneously grabbed hold of his eye-patch. With a single forceful tug he practically tore it off his face, which was just as well. The clasps on the piece of leather were designed with this in mind, after all.


    As it fell from his hand he swiftly opened his left eye and raised its crimson glare at his opponent.


    There was a suddenly explosion of viridia in Soketsu¡¯s veins as he took a small but blindingly fast step to the right, casually side-stepping the incoming blade without as much as looking at it. The action easily segued into a flourish of his weapon, catching the still flying knife in the short beak of his halberd and pulling it off its trajectory.


    While taking another step forward the Rover swung his weapon overhead, the knife still glued to it by momentum, and hit the incoming metal ball, sending both blade and bearing tumbling down the tunnel behind him. All of it was performed with perfect precision, yet his eyes never left Pabloc.


    Of course there was the issue of the inevitable hidden strike that was soon to follow. But then again, it wasn¡¯t hidden anymore. On the fifth and sixth steps he changed his grip on his weapon again and half-turned to the left just as the ball-bearing shadowing him rushed in for a strike.


    He extended his right hand, palm open, and grabbed hold of the ball. It was heavy, and while it didn¡¯t move with the speed of the blades, it still had enough momentum behind it that stopping it with one hand would have been a tall order. But then again, he didn¡¯t plan on stopping it per se.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Instead he pushed it a little, making its trajectory just a little higher and to the left, and then gave it some extra speed by driving it forward with all the strength his viridia-enhanced muscles could muster, sending it right at his target.


    Pabloc¡¯s eyes opened wide in a mix of surprise and admiration as he realized what the Rover was doing and he immediately raised his hands towards the incoming projectile. Soketsu figured he would be able to stop it. He stopped the desk after all. But that wasn¡¯t his ultimate goal.


    Just like before, the scientist froze in the air, concentrating on halting his own hijacked weapon and not focusing on Soketsu. Big mistake. By the time he realized this the Rover was in arm¡¯s reach, and incidentally his arm was indeed reaching out towards him.


    For a moment Soketsu let glee wash over him over the success of his gambit and was already planning on what he would do to the annoying bastard for putting him through all this trouble. Now, that was his big mistake, and its consequences came in the form of a pair of designer leather shoe heels digging right into his face.


    Soketsu let out a surprised yelp as he tumbled backwards, only to be yanked forwards as his hands involuntarily clasped onto something. Then there was a tearing noise and he staggered back again, finally regaining his footing.


    After a brief moment of confusion he raised his eyes at his opponent, once again floating at a respectable distance and for some reason circling his right shoulder. Also, there was a piece of the bottom of his coat missing. Soketsu glanced at his still clenched hand and after a small display of displeasure he dropped the piece of white cloth in it onto the ground.


    Pabloc: "So you still had something up your sleeve after all¡­" The scientist quipped with a smile that didn¡¯t quite touch his eyes, prompting Soketsu to glare at him again. "How come I am not surprised?"


    Soketsu: "I am getting tired of this." Soketsu sighed in response and readied his weapon once again.


    Pabloc: "Before that¡­" Pabloc raised a hand with an intrigued smile. "I can¡¯t help but wonder about your eye. The glowing red one, I mean."


    Soketsu took a step towards his foe as he gestured to his eye.


    Soketsu: "It¡¯s one of the perks of being the Soketsu of the Rovers." Once again he knew that it was wholly unprofessional to brag in the middle of battle, but he couldn¡¯t help it even though he could feel the disapproving glare of his partner in his head. "It¡¯s an experimental magecraft¡ª"


    Pabloc: "Core Hacking." The scientist corrected, but then he noticed Soketsu¡¯s glare and let out a light cough. "Never mind, please continue."


    Soketsu: "As I was saying, it is inscribed into my body as a counter-measure against guns. It allows me to perceive and react to everything around me in all three dimensions, no matter how fast they are, without any blind spots. It¡¯s the Mystic Eye of Depth Perception."


    For a few seconds, the scientist was visibly shocked. He tried opening his mouth then closed it without a sound. After repeating that a few more times he suddenly raised his hand to his glasses with a conflicted expression.


    Pabloc: "You¡­ do realize that depth perception is not a superpower¡­ do you?"


    Now it was Soketsu¡¯s turn to show signs of shock as he slowly cocked his head to the side.


    Soketsu: "Come again?¡±


    Pabloc: "Depth perception. Unless everyone on the outside turned into cyclop¡­ cyclopses? Cyclopes?" He murmured but then shook the head. "The plural of cyclops. Anyway, unless everyone turned into one since I came here, it should be nothing special."


    Soketsu: "¡­ Are you trying to tell me the power that I just used doesn¡¯t exist?"


    For the first time since their meeting the scientist raised his voice while poking the bridge of his glasses with one finger.


    Pabloc: "Listen, because I¡¯m only going to explain this once: Depth perception is not a superpower. Everyone has it."


    Soketsu: "¡­ You are delusional." Soketsu said dismissively.


    Pabloc: "No, I¡¯m not. You are. Or at the very least someone with a crooked sense of humor is having some serious laughs at your expense back at the Order."


    Still skeptical, Soketsu shook his head.


    Soketsu: "Maybe you just think everyone has it because you have it?" He mused. Pabloc cocked his head in response.


    Pabloc: "Excuse me?"


    Soketsu: "You are moving things around with your magic, so I suppose having the power of depth perception is natural to you. Or¡­" Soketsu nodded thoughtfully. "I get it. It must be the glasses."


    Apparently the scientist was so baffled that he had to stop floating for a minute.


    Pabloc: "¡­ Come again?"


    Soketsu: "It actually makes sense in retrospect," Soketsu continued completely oblivious to the man¡¯s reaction. "Every single time you were using your magic, you were fidgeting with your glasses.¡±


    Pabloc: "No, I¡¯m not fidgeting with my glasses." The scientist declared firmly while pushing said glasses up the bridge of his nose, and then hastily added, "And no, they don¡¯t have any ¡®power¡¯ either."


    Soketsu: "And that¡¯s exactly what you would say if they had." Soketsu said sagely and then flashed a wolfish smile at his opponent. "But it also means that if I can take those away from you, I would cripple your power. How careless of you, giving away vital information like that¡­"


    For a second Pabloc seemed sincerely bewildered but then he let out a tired sigh as he stopped messing with his glasses and let his hand fall by his side.


    Pabloc: "You know what? Right. It was very careless of me to try and explain anything to you. Woe is me." He shrugged and spoke again with a smile. "But on the bright side, you forgot something as well."


    Soketsu twitched and tensed up immediately. He scanned his environment using his crimson eye, but to his surprise he saw nothing moving. He sent a questioning glance at the scientist and Pabloc casually inclined his head towards the ground.


    Soketsu¡¯s eyes followed his gaze and they fell on one of the metal balls sitting on the ground, right next to the Rover¡¯s feet. After a moment he figured it was the one he threw at Pabloc beforehand. The scientist apparently let it drop out of the air when he made his retreat¡­ except¡­ Soketsu didn¡¯t remember it glowing bright red before.


    Soketsu: "Shit!" Soketsu exclaimed and tried to jump back. He was too late.


    There was a tiny clicking noise coming from the ball, and a moment later it, for the lack of better words, imploded on itself in a flash of multi-colored light. Soketsu was hit by a gust of scolding hot air followed by a deep, bone-rattling boom that sent him reeling back several meters. At first his head went blank, but then his entire body was burning at icy cold at the same time and his head felt like it was about to break into tiny little pieces while his eyes were swimming through an ocean of distorted colors and shapes. Then the flood of colors subsided, only to give way to crippling nausea.


    Soketsu: "What the hell was that?!" Soketsu hissed through clenched teeth.


    Pabloc: "A grenade." Pabloc told him while another ball flew to his side. "I call them ¡®The Hand Grenade of Nausea Plus Three¡¯. Unlike regular flash bang grenades, they are designed to interrupt concentration and disrupt viridia-based effects."


    Soketsu blinked, mostly just to get his eyes to focus, but then he tentatively tried to use his mystic eye. It didn¡¯t work.


    [Soketsu]: "Kay? What¡¯s with the eye?" He asked inwardly. There was no answer. "Kay?" He a spoke again, with a hint of alarm in his voice.


    [Kay]: "That¡­ hurt." Came the pained answer. "All of it flushed back¡­" Kay continued, her voice feverish. "Like a hammer to the head¡­"


    Soketsu¡¯s eyes went wide, then his jaw clenched as he looked at the scientist. His glare was terrifying.


    Before Pabloc could say anything else Soketsu lunged at him with rage he had never shown before. In response a number of the ball-bearing grenades flew at him, already glowing red.


    The sound of repeated explosions filled the tunnel, the deep booming waves reverberating from the ceiling and shaking the walls. What they didn¡¯t do was stopping the charge of Soketsu. Blinded and battered, the Rover rushed at his opponent nevertheless, completely ignoring the debilitating flashes around him.


    Pabloc¡¯s face went slack. Soketsu was not supposed to be standing after all that. In fact, no one was supposed to be standing, let alone a virida-user.


    And if that wasn¡¯t enough to panic, he couldn¡¯t avoid him. While he was out of the range of the jamming explosions (they had a very limited area of effect, he designed them that way) so many of them going off at the same time had an unintended side-effect: they created turbulence in the hallway. Not simple air turbulence¡­ well, they created that too, but the more important disturbance made his ability harder to use, if only momentarily. As a result of that he already knew he was not going to be able to fly for a few seconds. The real problem was that in said few seconds Soketsu would be already on top of him, and not just proverbially.


    He frowned and reached into his pocket. He didn¡¯t plan for this, but this was as good a place for a last stand than any other.


    Pabloc: "I¡¯m so going to hate myself for this tomorrow¡­" He whispered angrily as he removed his hand from his pocket.


    In it there was another grenade, though this one actually looked like one as well. He pulled the safety pin, but instead of throwing it directly at his opponent he threw it against the ground and immediately covered, holding his head in his hands.


    Soketsu either didn¡¯t notice all this or didn¡¯t care. Or, taken that he was temporarily blinded by the rapid explosions and still seemed to be in the grip of rage, maybe both. He raised his weapon and¡­


    A moment later an even greater explosion of blinding light filled the area as they were both thrown onto the ground. Unlike the previous explosions, this one had a considerable amount of physical force behind it aside of the mental and it shook the entire hallway. Not only that, it also blanketed the immediate area in a thick, foul-smelling fog.


    After a moment of silence, Pabloc managed to rise to his feet. He appeared to be groggy and coughing but otherwise unharmed. After a few unsteady steps he propped his back against the closest wall and let out a pained groan.


    Pabloc: "I was wrong¡­ I already hate myself for that¡­"


    He was about to search for his opponent when a sudden flash of bright green light drew his attention. Impressively enough, his face managed to get even paler than before.


    The next moment there was shuffling of feet, then a hand grabbed onto the collar of his coat and smashed him against the wall, hitting his head against the concrete with a meaty thump. As if his head didn¡¯t hurt enough¡­ As he wearily opened his eyes again he could see the heavily breathing Soketsu holding the blade of his weapon against his neck. Neither of them spoke for a good minute and the only sound in the hallways was the ragged, pained breathing of the two men. The thing that broke the oppressive silence was, surprisingly, a soft chuckle. And even more surprisingly, it came from Pabloc.


    Soketsu: "What¡¯s so funny?" Soketsu grunted between two heavy heaves.


    Pabloc: "Nothing, this situation just takes me back," The scientist mused with a smile, though his voice was still pained. "I knew you were tough, but it¡¯s still insane that not even The Unholy Hand Grenade of Supreme Nausea Plus Five could take you down."


    Soketsu¡¯s face went slack for a second before he steeled his eyes again.


    Soketsu: "I think I have mentioned this before, but you have a horrible naming sense¡­" He grunted as he tightened his grip on the scientist¡¯s collar.


    Pabloc: "Says mister ¡®Mystic Eyes of Depth Perception¡¯¡­" The scientist noted sardonically.


    Soketsu lightly shook his head, trying to get rid of the high-pitched ringing in his ears. It didn¡¯t work. After delivering another glare at his opponent he finally turned inward once he was sure the scientist wasn¡¯t about to try anything.


    [Soketsu]: "Kay, are you okay?"


    [Kay]: "I¡¯m fine¡­ I think." Her partner answered uncertainly. "That first one hurt, but you weren¡¯t using viridia afterwards, so I didn¡¯t feel those¡­" She paused for a moment. "More importantly, are you all right?! Those explosions¡­"


    [Soketsu]: "I¡¯ll live." He answered curtly, unsuccessfully trying to hide his relief. For a moment he was scared there. Very scared. So scared that he couldn¡¯t even muster to willpower to act coy about it, and the mere fact that his partner was all right after all felt like a stone was lifted off his chest. A large, scary stone.


    Pabloc: "So? What now?" The scientist interrupted, though from his point of view he just carried on with the previous conversation. Soketsu glared at him again, but apparently the man already got inoculated against those during the battle.


    Soketsu: "You are under arrest," He declared dryly as he squeezed the bespectacled man against the wall even harder. "You will have to explain your actions to the Cardinal. If you cooperate and disclose your plans and allies, he might even show mercy on you."


    Suddenly the scientist glanced to the side, his eyes distant like he was listening for something, then his face eased up as he gave a wide smile to his captor.


    Pabloc: "Right. Mercy and all sounds nice, but just for the record¡­ Are you one hundred percent certain that you don¡¯t want to lay down your weapon and talk after all?"


    Soketsu¡¯s brows involuntarily rose.


    Soketsu: "You are still going on about that? At this point?!"


    Pabloc: "Hey, I¡¯m just asking." Pabloc shrugged, an act that was quite uncomfortable under the circumstances. "At this point we can still put this intermezzo behind us and discuss things like civilized people."


    Soketsu: "I¡¯m afraid we are already past that point." Soketsu answered while bringing his weapon even closer to the scientist¡¯s face. In response Pabloc put his index finger on the shaft just under the blade and pushed it back a few centimeters with a smile.


    Pabloc: "Oh well, I tried. Please don¡¯t blame me later."


    Soketsu: "For what?"


    The scientist nodded to the side and Soketsu suddenly realized wit abject horror that what he thought was just the ringing of his ears was actually getting louder¡ª and it was accompanied by rapidly closing footsteps.


    Soketsu:"What the¡ª?"


    Before he could say anything more flicker of black rushed down the tunnel too fast to even properly perceive.


    ????: "Geronimo!"


    The next moment there were a number of overlapping noises mixing together, culminating in an earth-shattering explosion that literally shook the entire complex. Of all this the first thing Soketsu recognized was the metallic fist embedded into his face. His nerves didn¡¯t even have time to process the pain by the time he was sent flying and collided with something. His perceptions went exactly that far before he blacked out. Even with a body hardened to unnatural levels by viridia, the strength of the impact was nothing to scoff at.


    When he finally managed to open his eyes the first thing he became aware of was the pain coursing through his entire body. It was like his skin was on fire and all his bones were shattered into tiny pieces. Of course neither were the case, or at least being able to move and not smoking indicated as such. In fact this pain was good news in a way; it meant that he was still alive and the viridia in his body was already fixing him up from the inside.


    For a moment or two he kept lying on his back and staring at the high ceiling. Then he blinked, which somehow felt harder than usual, and took a closer look at the ceiling. It was very high. Too high, in fact. He was quite certain the only place with a ceiling like that was...


    His eyes opened wide, another small movement that somehow took way too much effort. He snapped his head to the side; or rather he forced his cramping neck muscles to slowly move and took a good hard look at the large metalworking machine standing a few meters to his right.


    It took several long seconds for the dreadful realization to sink in, but there was no question about it; he was definitely back in the factory floor where he first arrived, though he had no idea how or why. With superhuman effort he managed to first sit up and then rise to his feet, leaning on the weapon he was still clutching hard in his fingers. Looking at it reminded him of something¡ª


    then he finally realized the source of the strange sounds he was hearing since he came to. He replayed the noise in his head a few times, and slowly but surely they began to coalesce into words. Then, with a sudden snap akin to switching a breaker he suddenly understood.


    [Kay]: "Soketsu!? Soketsu! Are you all right?!" Kay¡¯s panicked words sounded distant yet clear in his head and it made him bolt upright like an electric shock. He instantly regretted the motion when pain shot through his body from a thousand different angles, but he only let out a low hiss and slowly slacked his body again before answering.


    [Soketsu]: "No, not really¡­ What in Nov¡¯Elsfaan¡¯s name was that?" He mumbled while feeling out the tender lump on the back of his head. "Was I hit by a train? What was a train doing in that corridor? How did it even get into¡ª?"


    [Kay]: "Don¡¯t worry about that!" His partner yelled at him from the edge of hysteria. "We need to get out of here! Now!"


    While some rational part of his consciousness was certain he should be following those words, his brains were still too rattled to actually make his body follow through with the idea. Instead he raised his eyes and took a long, dazed look at his surroundings with special attention to the hole in the wall he apparently came from. He was a good twenty meters away from the site and he could see at least one broken machine in-between, though he didn¡¯t actually remember hitting it, though if the damage done to it was any indication he might have been better off that way.


    He swiftly averted his gaze from the mangled machine and focused on the hole in the wall instead, and for a short while he felt quite offended by the fact that it didn¡¯t resemble his outlines at all; but then his higher brain functions finally reasserted themselves and urged him to pay extra attention to the people moving on the other side of said hole instead. Especially who- or whatever thought it was a measured response to send him flying through a wall.


    He could only catch a split-second glance of his unknown assailant, and his view was woefully obstructed by a fist to boot, but there was something about the blurry black and red image burned into his memory that felt uncomfortably familiar. Just then there was movement on the other side of the hole and after a few agonizingly tense seconds Soketsu could finally make out the new combatant¡¯s silhouette. As he did so, his face slowly twisted into an uncanny mixture of dumfound surprise and seething anger.


    Soketsu: "What the¡ª?" He mumbled as he tried to force his eyes to focus, but the effort only made him dizzier.


    The armor-clad man (or at least he thought it was a man) entering the large hall was indeed familiar. Correction; it wasn¡¯t the man per se that was familiar to him. It was his armor. In fact, the getup should have been instantly recognizable by practically every citizen of the Order by sight.


    The newcomer stood clad in a sleek, dark crimson body armor crafted from some matte, non-metallic material with a long-coat as black as night strewn on top of it. On closer inspection, once his eyes finally relented and began to do their job, Soketsu also concluded that said coat looked just like Pabloc¡¯s except, well, black.


    As hard as it felt to think coherently, he couldn¡¯t help but recognize the man. Or rather, recognize the outfit. There was only one person in the history of the Order with such trappings; the First Prophet, the founder and patron saint of the new human civilization and the single most revered human since... well, since the founder of any other world religion.


    The armored man seemingly glanced at his direction, though it was hard to tell with his helmet still on. Said ambiguity was soon remedied when his faceplate split into two pieces with a barely audible hissing noise. His expression was hard to see, but Soketsu would have sworn that he was grinning at him. Not a mad grin but a jovial one, like as if he just met an old friend for the first time in years. Then the armor-clad man suddenly raised his hand over his head and gave a cocky wave.


    ????: "Long time no see, Soketsu! Be right with you in a moment! I hope you didn¡¯t lose your edge since we last met!"


    The Rover was once again left speechless by the familiar way he was addressed, though his concussed brain for some reason wanted to convince him to wave back. His higher brain functions once again vetoed the idea and made him assume a fighting stance instead, though he did find the intermezzo strangely curious. He didn¡¯t have much time to ponder though, as now it was Pabloc¡¯s turn to appear from the other side of the crack in the wall.


    Pabloc: "About time you showed up¡­" The bespectacled scientist was casually dusting his torn lab-coat as he walked up to the armored man with a slightly peeved look on his face.


    ????: "Yeah, yeah. You should be glad I arrived at all. Do you know how hard it is to get into this suit without help?"


    Pabloc: "I can imagine. Also, ¡°geronimo¡±? Really?"


    The man shrugged his shoulders.


    ????: "Hey, I was late already. I had no time to come up with a proper punch line."


    Pabloc: "¡¯Punch-line?¡¯ Was that a pun?" Pabloc paused for a second and then gestured towards the hole. "And what about the wall?"


    ????: "¡­" For a moment the newcomer glanced around like he didn¡¯t get a joke and then meekly answered, "It¡¯s broken?"


    Pabloc: "Yes, I noticed, thank you very much. I want to know why it is broken," The scientist growled while reaching for his glasses again.


    ????: "Because I punched Soketsu through it. Duh." Pabloc¡¯s companion answered while rolling his eyes.


    Pabloc: "But why?!"


    ????: "Dynamic entry," He stated in a matter-of-fact manner and cocked his head to the side. "Did you hit your head or something? You are unusually slow today."


    Pabloc¡¯s brows rose in bewilderment but then he quickly buried his face into his hand with a pitiful expression.


    Pabloc: "Right¡­ It¡¯s you. I shouldn¡¯t have expected a sensible answer. But you do know that I hate when you do that, right?"


    ????: "Oh, come on! Don¡¯t be like that!" He said dismissively, waving his hands in the process. "It¡¯s just a little wall; the girls are going to fix it in the matter of minutes!"


    Pabloc: "It¡¯s still no reason to¡ª"


    Soketsu, still in shock, quietly observed the banter between the two. His stance was indicating he was ready to attack or defend on a moment¡¯s notice, but it was easy to see how it was little more than a brave facade.


    He took a deep breath and carefully examined his situation. His own viridia reserves were completely empty, which meant that he was relying entirely on Kay¡¯s to get him back of his feet. This meant that they were using up their fighting reserves to restore him. Not that they had any choice; his already exhausted body was wounded too badly by his unplanned journey through solid matter to be stingy on the healing.


    For example, his chest was already hurt, but by now it was sending spikes of burning agony through his nerves with every breath, indicating a number of cracked if not outright broken ribs. He also had trouble focusing his eyesight, which meant he probably suffered concussion as well. Finally, his left shoulder felt unusually tender, which turned out to be the after-effect of a serious dislocation he didn¡¯t even notice, probably because he unconsciously popped the joint back in place as he got up. The viridia in his veins took the edge off the pain, but he was still hurting all over bad enough to knock two normal people unconscious.


    He wasn¡¯t complaining though. It wasn¡¯t every day that one got punched through a load-bearing wall and lived to tell the tale after all. Just another story for the grandkids. Well, if he survives the rest of the day, that is.


    ????: "Okay, fine!" Soketsu¡¯s attention was abruptly drawn back to the duo where the armored man was in the middle of melodramatically articulating his point. "Sorry for breaking down a wall, which was technically mine to begin with, I would like to point out, in order to save your sorry skin. Are you happy now?!"


    The scientist tweaked his glasses and nodded.


    Pabloc: "Yes, in fact I am."


    ????: "Geh! Whatever." Apparently looking for a way to change the direction of the conversation, the armored man nonchalantly poked his finger towards the injured man in the hall. "Say, how is our old pal doing?"


    The man in the armor, even though a few short minutes ago declared his willingness to fight, has seemingly forgotten about actually doing so. Not that Soketsu was all that eager to do so either. Every second they spent bickering meant more time for Kay to refine viridia.


    Pabloc: "He took all the grenades."


    ????: "All of them?" The man whistled, apparently impressed.


    Pabloc: "Including the prototype," Pabloc added.


    ????: "Wow¡­" He nodded like he just heard something profound. "And he is still taking punches after that? Damn!"


    Pabloc: "He should be at the end of his rope. Be careful though¡ª his weapon seems to be a bit of a rogue element."


    The bespectacled man apparently didn¡¯t suffer any serious injuries in their fight, as he was talking like he had all the time in the world. For a few seconds Soketsu began considering what his chances would be if the scientist would decide to fight him in his current state and for some reason the word ¡®depressing¡¯ came to mind.


    In the end he lightly shook his head to clear his thoughts and he was pleasantly surprised by the lack of head-crushing nausea he was expecting. If nothing else, his healing factor was giving one-hundred ten percent this day.


    He weighted his options. Escape was sadly not one of them. The entire reason he was lured here was so that he could be captured, so they obviously wouldn¡¯t just let him waltz out without a fight. This meant that, as much as he wasn¡¯t in a suicidal mood, he had to make a stand and come up with a plan, preferably in the next five seconds. He called out for his partner in his mind.


    [Soketsu]: "Kay, how are your reserves?"


    [Kay]: "I have pumped most of them into you already to keep you alive," The girl responded with a painfully exhausted voice. "I¡¯ve been trying to recollect as much viridia as possible, but I doubt I could hold out for too long¡­"


    [Soketsu]: "How much time do I have?"


    [Kay]: "I don¡¯t know..." The girl hesitated. "Ten, maybe fifteen minutes if I use every last drop I have. Under five if you actually try to fight them. I don¡¯t think I could keep it together for much longer."


    Soketsu grit his teeth. That was way worse than he expected.


    [Soketsu]: "In that case, we are going all out, with the eye and all. I¡¯m going to defeat them before we deplete our viridia reserves."


    [Kay]: "It¡¯s too risky!" Kay protested vehemently. "We could barely take on that Pabloc guy alone and now you are injured!"


    [Soketsu]: "It¡¯s different now," Soketsu answered as calmly as possible, hoping that it would calm his partner down a little as well. "I wanted to take him alive back then."


    Kay didn¡¯t answer but it was obvious she understood the implications of his words. After a moment of silence Soketsu could feel a huge amount of viridia rushing through his veins. The pain in his body slowly faded as he tightened his grasp on his halberd.


    [Soketsu]: "Thank you, Kay. This will be the last time I ask you something this unreasonable."


    [Kay]: "Don¡¯t say it like that¡­" The girls spoke softly with a tinge of fear in her voice. "It feels like you are saying goodbye."


    Soketsu¡¯s expression suddenly gave way for his emotions as a small, affectionate smile settled on his face.


    [Soketsu]: "Don¡¯t be silly. You are not getting rid of me that easily," He said teasingly, then added in a more serious tone. "No, I told you that we would stay together till we die, and I don¡¯t feel like dying today. We¡¯ll pull through like we always do. Trust me."


    Soketsu¡¯s determination finally calmed his partner. He could feel the flow of tingling power in him becoming smoother, almost soothing. He silently thanked Kay once again and faced his enemies.


    Soketsu: "Hey, you!"


    On the surface his face was stern and cold as ice. He knew he couldn¡¯t show weakness. Not now. The men looked at him with mild irritation as Pabloc replied.


    Pabloc: "Excuse me? We are talking here if you don¡¯t mind. Wait for your turn."


    Soketsu: "I¡¯m not talking to you!" Soketsu bellowed at the pair and slowly pointed his halberd at the armored man and paused for a moment with barely suppressed anxiety. He knew he had only one chance at this. "I don¡¯t know who you are or how you had the nerve to don such an outfit, but I have no business with you. I came for the scientist. Stand aside."


    After a brief moment of surprise the man¡¯s face was first conquered by an unfettered smile, and in a second his expression of amusement culminated in a brief but grating cackle.


    ????: "Kehehe¡­ You have nothing to do with me, you say? Oh boy¡­ You have no idea just how hilarious that was." The armored man flashed one last smile before turning away from Soketsu while skillfully folding his dark coat¡¯s sleeves up to his elbows and addressed the scientist at his side. "It seems like he¡¯s still in pretty high spirits." After a brief pause he suddenly raised his hand a patted Pabloc in the back so hard he almost fell forward. "Say, how are you holding up?"


    Pabloc: "I¡¯m fine." The bespectacled man answered with a small glare that disappeared as fast is it came. "I got caught in the blast of the prototype but I had time to brace myself, so it wasn¡¯t that bad. I should be back to normal in a few minutes."


    ????: "Glad to hear that. If you are good, then go and prep the infirmary¡­" The armored man leisurely cracked his knuckles as the subtle humming of his suit gradually became louder and louder. "¡­ I will try to be gentle, but I have a feeling he¡¯s gonna need a lot of stitching once I¡¯m done with him."


    For a few moments the scientist was visibly sizing up his companion while trying to determine just how serious he was, but at the end he just shrugged his shoulders in resignation.


    Pabloc: "Don¡¯t go overboard," He warned him sternly, but his words only elicited another chuckle.


    ????: "There¡¯s no such word as overboard in my dictionary!"


    With those words the armor-clad man flexed his suit¡¯s artificial muscles under the plating and started walking. In the meantime Pabloc let out a huge sigh as he turned his back on the combatants.


    Pabloc: "That¡¯s the exact what I was afraid you would say." He whispered under his breath half annoyed and half amused. "Better get the life-support into working condition..."

 Ch 6: The First Prophet

    Soketsu raised his halberd and scowled in frustration. From a purely technical standpoint he knew he should be content. In a sense his plan had worked; he did separate his opponents with a well-placed taunt¡­ It¡¯s just that it was the wrong one that decided to engage him.


    Since the man¡¯s visor was still open, Soketsu used the opportunity to take a closer look at his new foe. He seemed young, probably in his early thirties, though the circles under his piercing green eyes might have thrown him off. Other than that he looked remarkably unremarkable; his sharp chin and slightly hollow cheeks kept him from being handsome, but at the same time he didn¡¯t look particularly ugly either. In fact his features seemed more familiar than anything¡ª yet Soketsu couldn¡¯t place the man anywhere within his memories.


    He didn¡¯t have much time to ponder though, as his new opponent stopped a few paces away from Soketsu and firmly planted his feet. Upon closer inspection he seemed to be about half a head shorter than the Rover, however his armor made the two of them appear similar in size and bulk.


    Soketsu: "Who are you?" Soketsu asked after a moment of silence with the barest hint of a disdainful wrinkle on his brows.


    His opponent didn¡¯t answer. Instead he let out a mirthful snort before opening his arms.


    ????: "Can¡¯t you tell by the gear?"


    Soketsu hesitated for a brief moment, but then he steeled his face and somehow managed to point an even harsher glare at the man.


    Soketsu: "I know who you are dressed as. What I want is a name." He hesitated for a second and then forcefully added, "Now."


    Gabe: "Oh well¡­" His armor-clad opponent spoke with mock disappointment as he gave Soketsu a polite bow and scraping. "The name is Gabriel Zhul. For my friends it¡¯s Gabe. I used to hold a number of fancy titles, such as Emperor of the Fairies or Professional Dinosaur Puncher, but the one you would be most familiar with as you are right now should be the First Prophet of Nov¡¯Elsfaan¡­ That is unless you are familiar with obscure 300 hundred years old sports records, in which case you might know me as the 22<sup>nd</sup> Bowling World Champion." He paused and then in a conspiratorial hush he added, "I had a phase."


    For a few seconds the two stared daggers at each other (or rather just Soketsu, the armored man seemed rather amused) until the silence was broken by a single word.


    Soketsu: "Liar."


    Gabe: "Oh, come on!" The armored man threw his hands into the air in an exaggerated act of obviously faked outrage "I tell you, I won that cup fair and square! It was even in the record books!"


    Seeing that Soketsu was giving him the cold shoulder (in reality he was quite bewildered, he was just too hurt to let it show), the man finally dropped his shoulders and shook his head with a sigh of defeat.


    Gabe: "Okay, fine! I admit I wasn¡¯t entirely straight with you. You see, I only punched one dinosaur till now, and even that was more like a Lovecraftian crossbreed of giant prehistoric raptors and the horrors crawling in the empty blackness of the space between spaces¡­ It¡¯s a long story, but to get to the point, I¡¯m technically not a professional dinosaur puncher. Only a hobbyist. There, happy now?"


    There was a telling twitch in Soketsu¡¯s face, which when translated would have said ¡®Oh my god, I exchanged Pabloc for this¡­¡¯, but he immediately got it under control and even managed to get his slacken face into a proper determined scowl again.


    Soketsu: "Impersonating someone is a crime."


    Gabe: "Um¡­ Yes? So?"


    Soketsu: "Impersonating someone who lived three hundred years ago is not a crime, it¡¯s just stupid."


    Gabe: "I still don¡¯t¡­" The man suddenly cocked his head to the side with a childish glee in his eyes. "Oh! Wait, I know! You are doing a thing!"


    Unperturbed, Soketsu continued.


    Soketsu: "However, impersonating the founder of the Order, is blasphemy." He paused for a moment to let the words sink in. Instead he was met with vigorous nodding.


    Gabe: "I knew it! It¡¯s the classic buildup! Well executed too! Five stars!"


    Soketsu fought down the urge to hold his head in his hand. That was probably what his opponent wanted anyway, to have him break his stance. Or at least so he hoped. The other alternative was that the man was annoying him for no reason whatsoever.


    Soketsu: "Now, I am not the most pious of men, but even I find this charade in bad taste. Not to mention tedious. I¡¯ve had a rough day, so I would appreciate if you would just tell me your real name instead of making me jump through hoops. I had enough of that for a lifetime."


    The armored man let out an irritated sigh and shook his head lightly.


    Gabe: "So you don¡¯t believe me, huh? I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. You were always as stubborn as a-"


    Soketsu: "Okay, stop." Soketsu raised his voice with a tired glower. "Listen, I am sick and tired of you people acting familiar with me and talking over my head like I was a child. I already had a rough day, so you either give me a name now or I will just keep calling you imposter. Your call."


    Gabe didn¡¯t seem to be taken aback either by his words or his glare and just rolled his eyes in what looked like mild bemusement.


    Gabe: "Oh come on. Did you really forget this face?" He said while pointing at himself accompanied by a silly grimace. "Really?"


    Soketsu: "I told you it is useless, imposter." Soketsu scoffed.


    Gabe: "Wait, you were serious about that ¡®impostor¡¯ thing?" The man frowned in disbelief. "For your interest, I am not impersonating anyone, so you can just call me Gabe as usual. Just try it and¡ª"


    Soketsu: "That¡¯s enough!" Soketsu finally snapped and snarled at the man. "I have a mission to complete and I have no time to listen to madmen. Either get ready to fight or get out of my way."


    For a split-second it looked like the armored man might snap back at him, but in the end he just let out a disappointed groan.


    Gabe: "The guy tries to be a good sport and makes small talk so that the idiot can recuperate himself, but nooooo¡­" He grumbled for a moment while circling his shoulders. "Fine, have it your way."


    With that his armor¡¯s visor snapped shut with an almost liquid grace. Once it was secured into the helmet a dozen or so white dots appeared on its angular surface, arranged in a symmetrical pattern. For some reason it reminded Soketsu of the eyes of a giant spider.


    With an oddly mechanical hum the armored man assumed a threatening stance with one hand stretched forward. Soketsu could immediately tell from his posture that he was well-trained. He didn¡¯t know exactly what he was well trained in exactly, but the mere fact that he could take up a martial stance put him leagues above the riff-raff he usually faced. The next time he spoke, Gabe¡¯s voice was distorted into a deep, computer-modulated sound.


    Gabe: "You are the guest in this place, so you can have the first strike. It¡¯s on the house."


    Though he was momentarily taken aback by the proposal, Soketsu didn¡¯t hesitate for long. He firmly planted his feet and locked all his attention onto his opponent, and a moment later he could already feel the pre-combat anxiety subside to give way to a detached serenity as he surveyed his situation.


    First, the area of engagement. The now familiar factory floor was in the same condition he left it, save for the hole in the wall and that one broken machine. All things considered, the place looked as serviceable as a battleground as before.


    As for his opponent, he had to admit he had no idea what to think about him. He seemed mad, or at the very least excessively quirky, which was just as bad. He had no doubts about his strength (he did punch him through a wall after all) and he obviously had combat training, but that was all he could gather from their brief and very one-sided exchange. Also, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder about his armor.


    It was¡­ unusual. He had seen plenty of plate armors before; the Templars of the order wore breastplates as part of their uniform and their riot-gear involved a full-body kit, but what the impostor was wearing was completely different. It was not just the material or the incessant humming noise it made; its very shape was unorthodox.


    First off, it wasn¡¯t made of large metal sheets, nor was it fastened together by belts and clasps. Instead it looked like it had about a hundred individual platelets glued to a single, full-body wetsuit. Not only that, but said under-suit had the shape and texture of muscles with the skin removed and they were seemingly moving on their own. The whole suit flexed and relaxed in accordance to Gabe¡¯s movements, but there were just enough discrepancies between tensing and movement to make him look decidedly unnerving.


    Looks aside, the real question was the utility of said armor. The interlocking platelets covered all of the vital spots but at the same time they left large areas completely uncovered, plus he had no idea about the arms and back of the suit as those were covered by the man¡¯s black coat. Still though, one thing he could assume with high certainty was that there were probably no shoulder-pads under the coat.


    Now, he couldn¡¯t tell the material of either the plates or the under-suit, but considering the track-record of the place, they were probably made of some crazy pre-Devastation super-alloys or something. Probably the same applied to his coat too.


    Now came the final issue: the weapon of his opponent. Or rather, the lack thereof. If the stance of the man was any indication, he was a hand-to-hand combatant. That was the first good news Soketsu heard all day, as it meant he had the advantage of reach over his foe. It wasn¡¯t much, but one takes their silver linings where they can get them.


    After considering all of these things, he decided on a course of action. Not a plan though. Plans generally involve more planning than ¡®rush him and see where the chips fall¡¯.


    Soketsu closed his eyes, emptied his lungs in an almost meditative stream and simultaneously forced the viridia in his veins to speed up to dangerous levels. Of course the viridia wasn¡¯t actually in his bloodstream, but he always visualized it as such. It was easier to move it like that.


    In mere moments the exercise pushed his wounded body way over its limits, something that was risky even under ideal circumstances. He took one final sharp breath to steel himself and suddenly¡ª disappeared.


    His rush was way beyond human capabilities¡­ well, even more so than usual, that is. With each green-tinted step he kicked the floor strong enough to embed his footprint into the concrete and the air was positively sizzling around him with friction and flashes of emerald light. His foe seemed to be in a standstill (which wasn¡¯t due to some kind of time dilation as much as him simply not moving an inch) and Soketsu readied his halberd to thrust at the small space between the platelets on his target¡¯s abdomen. He lashed out without hesitation, a restrained battle cry barely trapped in his throat.


    There was a sharp ringing of metal as the spear point struck with lightning speed and enough force to skewer a bull elephant. Soketsu could already see his enemy ran through in his mind, his armor pierced from front to back like a piece of cardboard and his blood splattering through the air¡ª but then reality politely raised its hand and objected, yanking Soketsu back to the present with a bone-crunching jolt of resistance.


    Soketsu: "What¡­ the¡­?"


    The sight before Soketsu¡¯s eyes was baffling, and that says something considering the insane day he had. The attack he put all his weight behind stopped dead in the air so abruptly and indomitably that he almost lost his grip on his weapon. He blinked once and, since the scene didn¡¯t change, had to conclude that he didn¡¯t go delusional and that his weapon¡¯s spear point was indeed securely held in his opponent¡¯s extended hand. He blinked again and for a moment he wished he was delusional.


    His attack wasn¡¯t just stopped, it was caught. With only one hand. Without his opponent even changing his posture. Soketsu shock was so great that he could almost feel time coming to a near standstill around him as his brain was desperately trying to come up with a coherent thought that could hope to explain what just happened. However this only meant that he could get an even better view of his opponent¡¯s counter attack.


    It started with Gabe firmly yanking his weapon back by the spearhead, pulling the dazed Rover along with it and completely unbalancing him. Then his foe took a lithe step forward, his leg moving in a sweeping circular motion as he allowed the Soketsu¡¯s weapon to pass by him and stepped right into the path of his unbalanced tumble. A split second later his left fist lashed out, catching Soketsu right in the solar plexus and stopping his forward momentum. In the same motion he pulled back his right hand and with an oddly twisting motion he delivered a brutal palm strike at Soketsu¡¯s side just under his armpit.


    For a split-second Soketsu was blinded by white-hot searing pain as his already battered ribs cried out in agony and he blacked out just long enough for his legs to lose their strength and he fell back and to the side. Without missing a beat Gabe followed after his toppling form, taking another step towards him with the same circular motion and he drew back both of his arms.


    Soketsu could once again feel a hazy pang of familiarity tugging at his thoughts when he looked at his foe, but he didn¡¯t have much time to ponder. A mere split-second later the armored man¡¯s strike connected and the world around Soketsu suddenly flipped upside down. Not only that, it was also passing by at alarming speeds.


    A painfully long instant later he recognized the reason for the latter as another bout of agony assaulted his chest, this time from two separate points. It was a double-palm shove, his mind deduced with surprising efficiency. It was using the Green Demon style and the strike with the left hand was a split-second too slow¡ª at least that¡¯s what a strangely annoying corner of his mind told him.


    He would have normally took a second to wonder just what a ¡®Green Demon style¡¯ was, but his tumbling through the air reminded him that he had more important things to worry about. Like not breaking his neck on landing.


    With little more than base instinct he managed to regain his senses in mid-air and hastily planted his halberd into the ground to stop himself before he hit the floor. The blade, just as overflowing with viridia as his body, easily embedded itself into the concrete and gave him the leverage to land on his feet instead on his head.


    After a moment of recuperation he rose from the rough landing and faced his opponent, and for a moment he almost wondered why Gabe retreated so far. Then a sudden chill ran through his spine from the realization: It was not the armored man who moved, it was him. Even by a conservative estimate, he was thrown for almost twenty meters.


    Not only that, he had to realize with another startled twitch that if he didn¡¯t stop himself, he would have surely collided with the large metal door leading into the underground factory, which was a scant few meters behind him. With cold sweat on his brows Soketsu audibly gulped.


    Gabe: "If it was anyone else, I would have called that a splendid effort." Gabe was still standing at the exact same spot where he laid his nigh-embarrassing beatdown upon Soketsu and was casually cracking his knuckles. "From you? Disappointing. Damn, at this rate I will start feeling bad for you¡­"


    The armored man shook his head hard and let out a groan.


    Gabe: "You know what? I am not really comfortable with beating you up any further; or at least until Pabloc comes back with his medical gizmos, so¡­ how about we take a break?" Saying so, Gabe began walking towards his unsteady opponent with open arms as a sign of non-aggression. "I even sweeten the deal for you a little! I bet you are curious how I caught your attack, right? I can tell you if you want¡­"


    Soketsu was in a pinch. He felt, hell, he knew that his foe could end the battle with a single stroke if he wanted to. He was playing with him, confident in his superiority. Under any other circumstances he would have been offended to the core, and to be perfectly honest a part of himself wanted to blow the lid and lunge at the armored mad again, but his better judgment held back the impulse.


    Gabe was right after all. He was too exhausted, too badly hurt and just generally too beaten both physically and mentally to stand up to the overwhelming speed and power of his foe. The armored man had the upper hand and they both knew it.


    What Gabe didn¡¯t know however, was that Soketsu still had an ace up his sleeve. A very dangerous ace that was difficult to use even under the best of circumstances and was just as likely to kill him as to save his sorry skin, but if there was ever a time more fitting for gambling he dared anyone to point it out to him. All he needed was time and the right opportunity, and his opponent was apparently arrogant enough to give him the former on a silver platter. As such he slowly exhaled and turned inwards.


    [Soketsu]: "Kay¡­ Ready the seventeenth." His command was grave enough that his partner didn¡¯t even try to argue. That, or she was just too exhausted to bother with speaking. Soketsu hoped it was only the former, but in the end he also added, "After the previous battle the air around here should still have a lot of exhausted viridia. Once you are ready, tap into that and conserve your strength."


    There was still no spoken answer, but he could still feel the equivalent of a tentative nod in his head. With that settled he slowly let his weapon down and addressed Gabe.


    Soketsu: "I¡¯m listening."


    The armored man abruptly froze on his tracks for a moment.


    Gabe: "Really?! Wow! I¡­ I didn¡¯t actually expect that!" For some reason his voice seemed altogether too foolish considering the situation. "Okay, just let me remove this¡­" With that the armor¡¯s humming subsided and his visor opened once again. "¡­ Here you go. So, where was I¡­? Oh, yes I was going to talk about these¡­"


    Gabe nonchalantly approached Soketsu, though he seemed keen to keep way out of his range. Whether it was for a reason or just by reflex, Soketsu couldn¡¯t tell. Once he deemed he was close enough, Gabe lightly tapped at his armguards with his fingers.


    Gabe: "I want to level the playing field a little, so consider this a lesson. But first a question: Have you heard of the Seppuku line of weapons?"


    The only thing he received that could be remotely considered a reply was a glare sharp enough to cut glass.


    Gabe: "Oh come on! I¡¯m nice enough to give you time to rest a little, at least be so good to answer me when I ask!"


    Soketsu let out an exasperated groan and finally responded with an irritated voice.


    Soketsu: "They were¡­ disguised weapons created by the First Prophet. They are rare and fabled armaments of legends."


    Gabe: "They are?" The man¡¯s brows rose in a quizzical arc and then he shrugged. "Well, sure. Of course they are. I made them."


    The mad scientist paused for a second and then leaned forwards like he wanted to whisper something. Of course it was just a gesture at best, taken that they were still a good six or seven meters apart.


    Gabe: "Just for the record¡­ You guys do know that they were cooking utensils, right?"


    Soketsu: "They were shaped like utensils," Soketsu posited with barely contained indignation. "They were created by His hands to be easily concealed and strike without warning."


    Gabe: "Errr¡­ Just between you and me, I originally built them because of a stupid bet I had with Ahaz," Gabe said with an embarrassed smile. "Of course he claims that it was part of another of his grandiose plans and I played right into his hands and yada-yada, but just between you and me, I think he is just a sore loser." Seeing his passive-aggressive audience¡¯s glare, the armored man swiftly cleared his throat. "But back to the topic! So, do you know how they actually work?"


    Soketsu: "No one knows." Soketsu answered tersely. "They never managed to figure out how they worked or replicate them. They were the creations of a genius no Order scribe could hope to live up to." He said with a pointed stare, but his foe only chuckled mirthfully in response.


    Gabe: "Kahaha! You are such an unabashed flatterer! Still it would have been easier to explain what my armor does if you knew how the Seppuku Spoon worked. Oh well, I just have explain that too, I suppose." Saying so, Gabe began walking in a circle around Soketsu while heavily gesticulating. "To put it simply, they were reflecting incoming forces by reversing the vectors of anything hitting their surface. You know what vectors are, right?"


    The armored man paused for a moment, but Soketsu¡¯s silence quickly prompted him to groan out in frustration.


    Gabe: "Seriously? What did they teach you over at the Order, flower arrangement? I thought they had at least a semi-decent science education¡­" Gabe shrugged his shoulders and glanced over at the hole on the now distant wall. "Pabloc doesn¡¯t seem to be about to get back any time soon, so I might as well¡­"


    With that the armored man casually walked over to one of the heavy machines and with a screeching noise he began scratching illustrations into its metal cover with the tip of his fingers.


    Gabe: "All right kids, class is in order! In Euclidian space, vectors represent physical quantities that have both magnitude and direction. Velocity, acceleration, mechanical forces¡­ stuff that make no sense if they have no direction associated with them." Saying so he scratched an arrow onto his ad hoc blackboard. "We represent them by arrows like this. Is this clear?"


    Soketsu awkwardly nodded.


    Gabe: "Good! Now that we are on the same page, this is what the redirection field on a Spoon does." With that the armored man returned to his illustration, scratched the out the end of the previous arrow and draw a new arrowhead to the other end. "Any questions?"


    Seeing Soketsu¡¯s less than satisfied expression, Gabe let out a tired sigh.


    Gabe: "Okay, so to elaborate: When a sufficiently strong force is applied to the redirection field, it¡­ well, to use layman terms, it hacks reality into thinking that the said force was actually going the other way around, so then reality flips out and rushes in to fix the ¡®mistake¡¯, thus reversing the actual force of the vector. So if, say, you took one of the aforementioned Seppuku Spoons and hit a wall with it, the counter-force you would have received from hitting the wall would be flipped around to become more force behind your strike, which in turn creates more counter-force. Repeat the process a few million times per second and you will end up with enough hacked force to cleave through concrete like it was butter. Trust me; it¡¯s more fun than it sounds like."


    Soketsu: "I can imagine¡­" The Rover spoke sardonically, but Gabe didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    Gabe: "Of course we also had other variants, not just the Spoon. Like The Fork that was designed to create aimed shockwaves using the air-molecules between the prongs or The Ladle, which was just a bigger version of the Spoon. Ah, and of course there was The Whisk. Its wireframe was actually a series of interlocking field-generators, each one with the capability of a Spoon. The coupling actually put their output to the fourth power! That little thing had enough destructive force be an actually viable weapon against the big thingie back during the Devastation, though if I remember correctly you thought it was silly."


    Suddenly finding something familiar in the mad scientist¡¯s monologue, Soketsu raised a brow.


    Soketsu: "Thingie?"


    Gabe: "Oh you know; the huge monster with the funny name that Nov¡¯Elsfaan dropped on us three hundred years ago." Finally recognizing his audience¡¯s confusion prompted the mad scientist to shake his head. "More on that later, I suppose. I went a little off-topic here anyways. The thing is; my whole armor is coated in a similar redirection-field, except instead of reflecting incoming vectors it absorbs them for later use. Neat, huh?"If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Soketsu appeared to be in thought for a moment before speaking up again.


    Soketsu: "So it¡¯s something like a defensive magecraft."


    Gabe¡¯s expression visibly hardened after hearing the word.


    Gabe: "Magecraft?"


    Soketsu: "You say you ¡®hack reality¡¯, whatever that means. It sounds like magecraft to me."


    After a moment of deadpan stare Gabe groaned out in exasperation.


    Gabe: "Listen, I am not even sure I can explain this to you. The basic principles of the system themselves are so advanced that you couldn¡¯t even comprehend them unless you spent years studying the Core Theory¡¯s practical applications. I mean, we are talking tying up and stuffing Newton¡¯s laws of motion into a closet as just the first step here."


    Soketsu: "So it changes the laws of nature. Ergo, magecraft."


    Gabe: "No, it¡¯s science." The armored man insisted. "Core Hacking is to magic what alchemy is to chemistry. It¡¯s sufficiently advanced science that looks like magic."


    Soketsu: "Or maybe it¡¯s just sufficiently advanced magic that could be mistaken for science?" Soketsu mused with a smile as irritatingly cocky as he could manage under the circumstances.


    Gabe: "What?! That doesn¡¯t even begin to make any¡ª" For a moment it seemed like the mad scientist was about to lose his temper, but then he suddenly halted mid-sentence and cocked his head. "Now that you mention it, it actually does make a bit of sense. A weird, twisted kind of sense, but sense nevertheless¡­" After a moment of pause the armored man suddenly relaxed his stance and gave a thumb up. "I approve."


    [Kay]: "Ready."


    Kay¡¯s voice was barely more than a whisper at the edge of his hearing but it made Soketsu exhale with relief, much to his opponent¡¯s apparent surprise.


    Soketsu: "Are you finished?" The Rover asked with a taunting glare as he readied his weapon. "I think we have wasted enough time with this."


    Gabe: "Wait, what?" Gabe said, his approving thumb still standing tall as he cocked his head to the other direction.


    Soketsu: "I said we wasted enough time already!" Soketsu repeated with a threatening growl.


    Gabe: "But¡­ You still don¡¯t get it!" The scientist threw his arms into the air in a gesture of outrage and on the way down pointed at the hole. "And Pabloc isn¡¯t back either!"


    Soketsu: "All the more reason for me to end this now. I have indulged your delusions long enough. It is high time I returned to my mission, impostor."


    The armored man froze up for a moment as he looked over his opponent in disbelief and then dropped his shoulders in resignation.


    Gabe: "Fine! Whatever!" The man grumbled while his visor closed once again. "I go out of my way to explain things to him and let him catch his breath, and this is what I get¡­"


    Still complaining, the scientist lowered his body as his armor¡¯s artificial muscles tightened around his skin. Soketsu did the same while holding his weapon high, ready to lunge at any moment.


    Gabe: "All right. Your call. If you are in such a hurry, I will make this quick."


    The second he ended his sentence the armor¡¯s hum suddenly turned into a high-pitched whistle and the next moment his body suddenly disappeared with the rumbling noise of rushing air filling the space where he stood. His approach was so fast that for a moment it looked like he just materialized out of thin air next to Soketsu and he immediately brandished his knuckle in a left hook.


    This time Soketsu wasn¡¯t caught off guard. He nimbly avoided the punch and planed his feet for a vertical swing, however he was instead forced to jump back by a lightning-fast backhand-strike delivered by Gabe¡¯s right. He tried to intercept it with his own plated gauntlet but his raised right fist was swept aside by the inexorable power behind his opponent¡¯s strike and it sent him reeling back.


    Soketsu glanced up and clicked his tongue. He was pushed aside, but not far enough to make a break for it. On the other hand he was momentarily out of his opponent¡¯s range, so he decided to capitalize on the opportunity. It only took the Rover a split-second to regain his footing, and the instant he did so he pulled his weapon into a one-handed thrust aimed at his opponent¡¯s throat.


    In theory the idea was straightforward: the neck was one of the few areas no armor could adequately cover without completely restricting head-movement, so it was his best bet at finding the weak spot of his foe¡¯s defenses. Said strike however was intercepted by a swift palm that simply pushed it aside just enough so that it sailed safely over Gabe¡¯s shoulder.


    Soketsu¡¯s first reaction was to try and pull the halberd back while hooking the beak of the weapon into his opponent neck from behind, but the mad scientist instantly launched another palm-strike towards his side before he could put the idea into action. Not willing to take the risk of further rib damage, Soketsu dived in the direction of the attack and allowed it to push him aside.


    This was the breakthrough he had been waiting for. He allowed the momentum of the strike to carry him and he landed in a roll, only to spring to his feet a moment later and rush towards the nearest factory line.


    Gabe: "Hey!" The armored man cried foul. "Where are you going?!"


    Instead of answering Soketsu amped his speed and jumped over a conveyor belt. While he feigned disinterest in the mad scientist¡¯s explanation, he was actually listening quite closely, and even though he didn¡¯t really understand the particulars, one thing became quite clear to him: if he told him the truth about his armor, something he was inclined to believe after their first skirmish, he was not going to be able to beat the man in a fair fight. But then again, no one said he had to fight him fairly¡­


    He could hear his opponent¡¯s heavy steps thumping behind him as he dived behind one of the large machines.


    [Soketsu]: "Kay, can you turn on the eye again?" He asked hurriedly as he circled around his cover, keeping it between him and his opponent.


    [Kay]: "I¡­ don¡¯t think so." His partner replied. "It¡¯s eating too much viridia. If I turn it on, there won¡¯t be enough left for the seventeenth."


    [Soketsu]: "I don¡¯t want you to turn it on for long, only for a split-second."


    There was a moment of pause so loud Soketsu almost forgot to keep circling his cover.


    [Kay]: "¡­ I think I can do that," Kay said hesitantly, "But what would that accomplish?"


    [Soketsu]: "I just need a snap-shot of his position to know which way to run to get behind him."


    [Kay]: "Oh¡­" She spoke, audibly impressed. "I think I can do that. How about one shot every three seconds?"


    [Soketsu]: "You can do it on repeat?" Now it was the Rover¡¯s turn to sound impressed. "Can you make it two seconds?"


    [Kay]: "I¡¯ll try."


    The first flash of the area was slightly disorienting. The Mystic Eye of Depth Perception was not just for perceiving the area around the user, it also helped processing all the visual information the human brain was not built to handle by itself. Still, after the third or fourth flash Soketsu was able to block out most of the unnecessary details and only focus on the important bits, such as the armored man sprinting right at him from the left and¡­


    Soketsu: "Oh crap!" He croaked as he dived to the side, rolling over yet another conveyor belt while his opponent rushed past him like an oncoming train.


    Gabe: "What¡¯s wrong with you!?" Gabe bellowed as he teetered to a halt. "Stand still already!"


    Soketsu had no intention of doing that. Instead he sprung to his feet and got behind another machine. He didn¡¯t stand still this time. Instead he swung around his cover and came out on the other side, getting behind his opponent just as he vaulted over the conveyor belt as well.


    He held his halberd at the bottom like a giant club and delivered a bone-crushing two handed swing at the back of his foe¡¯s head with the flat of its edge. There was a jarring lack of impact, yet the sudden halt still managed to nearly wrestle the halberd out of Soketsu¡¯s hands. However, he wasn¡¯t the only one who was shocked, as Gabe also stumbled forward, more in surprise than due to the actual attack.


    While the clumsy strike didn¡¯t even scrape the proverbial paint-job on the helmet, it still accomplished what Soketsu was hoping for. He already figured that even if the man was telling the truth about his vector-whatchamacallit magic, it still had to let some force through, otherwise it would be impossible to know how to grab onto something like he did with his halberd.


    Sure, the actual impact he delivered with his two-handed swing only seemed to gently knock his opponent on the back of the head, but it was enough for what he had in mind.


    After the first moment of surprise the mad scientist spun around to face him, but by that time Soketsu was already diving behind the next machine.


    Gabe: "Hey!" He yelled indignantly, but by that time the Rover was out of sight again.


    Soketsu heaved a desperate sigh and focused on the image delivered by his mystic eye. His mouth soon twisted in a satisfied grin, as it appeared his tactic was effective after all. As he expected, or at the very least hoped, the armored man¡¯s advance took a more cautious approach. Instead of rushing around the machine he only seemed to carefully tiptoe around it like he wanted to surprise him.


    This in turn gave Soketsu ample time to position himself for another hit-and-run at his back, and while he didn¡¯t do any damage per se, his goal was never to strike the man down. Not yet, at least.


    What he was aiming at was his confidence. By striking and fading repeatedly he made the mad scientist unsure about his position and slowed his advance. Of course they both knew this stalemate was not going to last. Without a reliable way to get through his opponent¡¯s defenses Soketsu was going to run out of viridia rather sooner than later and the fight would end just as surely as if he fought and lost fair and square.


    Thinking about that, Soketsu threw his back at his newest cover and tried to get his ragged breathing under control. Right, this tactic was not going to bring him victory, but it was never intended to do so on the first place. What he really needed was a distraction to create an opportunity to actually use his trump card, and all of this was just preparation for that. He glanced at his feet and smirked.


    He was at the site of his battle against the mechanical guards, and their pieces were right where he left them. In this case he was interested in one piece in particular, the severed arm and blade of one of his foes that was now lying at his feet. He closed his eyes for a moment and checked for Gabe.


    The mad scientist seemed to be standing right on the other side of his cover, one of the largest machines in the hall. Good, he murmured. With one last sharp intake of breath he readied himself and using the butt of his halberd he picked up the severed metal arm from the ground and tossed it over behind the next machine in the line.


    It made a loud clanging noise upon impact and he could actually hear the mechanical hum of his opponent¡¯s armor rise in pitch as he tensed up. Soketsu couldn¡¯t help but smile as he readied his weapon, already going through the necessary incantations in his head¡­ and then he froze.


    The armor¡¯s mechanical hum on the other side rose even higher and the next flash of information his mystic eye delivered confirmed his fear: his opponent didn¡¯t take the bait. Then there was an ear-piercing shriek of grinding metal and Soketsu could only gaze in dumbfounded disbelief as his cover suddenly rushed at him and sent him tumbling forward in an undignified sprawl.


    Then, as if that wasn¡¯t crazy enough, by the time he got back on his feet the machine was gone, or to be more precise, it was gone from original its place. Instead it was sitting on the shoulder of his opponent, the enormous apparatus nearly dwarfing his form underneath it. Then, with a small show of effort the armored man tossed the immense machine to the side and dusted his hands what Soketsu imagined was a smug smirk under his faceplate.


    Soketsu: "Oh come on¡­" Soketsu gaped in dismay. "That¡¯s just unfair¡­"


    That machine was big. As in, it had to weight several tons at the very least and the mad scientist just picked it and somehow even raised it over his head. The entire concept was so ludicrous that for a moment he even forgot to run away. Sadly, that one moment was all his foe needed and he charged at the dazed Rover without further ado.


    Still in shock over the insane sight, Soketsu swung his halberd by sheer instinct rather than any conscious effort.  The armored man once again stepped right into his swing, deflected his blade by his armguard and grabbed him by the collar. A split-second later his body was hurled at the floor so hard it drove even what little air remained out of his lungs.


    Soketsu could once again feel that annoying corner of his mind dryly complaining about how the mad scientist¡¯s throw was ruined by his legs being too far apart and not providing a solid enough foundation. He didn¡¯t have much time to think about such things though, as his foe¡¯s heel was raised as soon as he hit the floor, ready to crush whichever unlucky body part happened to be under it. Soketsu frantically rolled out of the way at the last moment, but by the time he was on his feet his foe¡¯s relentless assault was upon him once again.


    The situation was quite grave no matter how he looked at it. His plan was in tatters and it didn¡¯t seem like Gabe was gracious enough to allow him to get out of sight and try again. That left him with no other choice but to stand his ground and fight, and if he still had any hopes about coming out on top of a direct encounter, the still vivid image of his armored foe handling a giant machine like cardboard box was enough to shatter them.


    Not only that, his opponent was also faster than him, even in the heavy armor, and his relentless assault robbed him of the ability to utilize his longer reach. In fact his weapon¡¯s length appeared to be a disadvantage in this situation, as he could barely block or parry any of his opponent¡¯s hand to hand strikes with it, yet letting it go would have cut his direct connection with his partner¡¯s viridia reserves, meaning instant defeat.


    And on top of that, as if all that wasn¡¯t bad enough, Gabe¡¯s attacks were downright devastating. Even though Soketsu¡¯s body was filled with viridia to the brim and was supposed to be as hard as iron, the mad scientist¡¯s fists delivered considerable damage even with glancing blows. Even worse, from time to time he would suddenly use one of those sweeping steps before delivering a palm-strike that somehow always managed to get through his guard.


    The most disconcerting thing about those strikes however was that they dealt more damage to his psyche than his body. Each time the mad scientist threw one of those, the ever-louder corner of his mind kept screaming about sloppy executions, wrong footwork and throwing around terminology that sounded like it came from an old kung-fu movie, like ¡®Green Demon style¡¯ and ¡®Ardent Palm strike¡¯ and there was something about ¡®green oil on grey canvas with red stripes¡¯ or something like that. It all sounded silly yet said inner voice felt very, very serious about it.


    Which in turn only made it all the more distracting, especially when it was chewing him out for not avoiding something no living being on the planet had any business dodging. You think you can do better, asshole?¡ª He grumbled between two strikes, and it made him pause for a moment. A moment in which Gabe almost broke his skull with another palm-strike, but that¡¯s beside the point.


    The important bit was that, as far as he knew, he could do better. After all, he was arguing with himself. Considering that he had nothing to lose, he decided he might as well give it a chance.


    With that he focused his eyes on Gabe and let his bottled up instincts loose, and its effects were immediate. What was previously just some annoying, incoherent mess off thoughts suddenly became obvious knowledge. Yes, the scientist was using the Green Demon style. It was the world¡¯s only viridia-fueled martial art, which in practical terms meant that it was movie kung-fu, except without kicks. Kicks are dangerous and usually cause more problems that they were worth. He didn¡¯t need those, and apparently nor did his enemy.


    Except the armored man wasn¡¯t using viridia. And his footwork was incredibly sloppy, a pale imitation to the proper and well-honed craft of his¡­


    Focus; he glared at himself, a decidedly unusual thing to do, and forced himself to look at the practical applications of this newfound knowledge while also trying not to think about where it came from.


    Without any prompting his right hand lased out on its own and parried one of the mad scientist¡¯s strikes before he automatically took up an unfamiliar stance. Or rather, it was a familiar stance, except not. It was complicated.


    He put his halberd behind his body, its blade pointing downward, and he extended his right hand towards his enemy in a position that was nearly mirroring the armored man¡¯s own and he focused his attention onto his adversary¡¯s feet.


    True to form, the mad scientist¡¯s left feet swept forward in preparation to another palm strike. Soketsu¡¯s body responded without hesitation. In a sudden motion his left foot darted forward, blocking the way of his opponent¡¯s movement. Gabe stumbled in surprise and his previously unerring palm-strike didn¡¯t even come close to Soketsu.


    This was the Rover¡¯s cue. He tightened his grip on his halberd and was ready to bring out his trump card¡ª but then his extended right hand instinctively lashed out at his target. Before he could even recognize what was happening a strong current of viridia blazed through his hand and he delivered a palm-strike not unlike the ones the armored man was raining on him right at his enemy¡¯s heart.


    The act being instinctive of course meant that he didn¡¯t really think it through. If he did, he might have remembered Gabe¡¯s spiel about his armor and might have thought twice about it.


    Soketsu entire arm erupted in a flash pain, from the marrow of his bones to the pores of his skin. While striking his foe¡¯s momentum-stripping defenses with the halberd was already far from comfortable, punching the same armor was on a completely different level. Hell, it was on a completely different plane of existence. One filled mountains. Angry, spiky mountains that really didn¡¯t like being punched.


    And it was the same pain and thought that led to his subsequent shock and disbelief when the mad scientist actually stumbled back from what seemed like a gentle shove. He gazed at the armored man in agape wonder as he took a step back, shook himself and after a moment of hesitation let out a sudden ear-piercing laugh.


    Gabe: "Finally! That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!" He cackled with audible mirth as he began to clap. "What took you so long? I was almost worried for a while back there."


    Soketsu: "What are you¡­ talking about?" Soketsu said, his throat suddenly very dry.


    Gabe: "Your thing," Gabe answered enthusiastically. "You know, your kung fu and stuff."


    Soketsu: "It¡¯s not kung fu. It¡¯s the¡ª" The Rover said reflexively, but then hesitated before continuing. "It¡¯s the Green Demon."


    Gabe: "Whatever, it¡¯s the same for me."


    Soketsu: "The same? THE SAME?!" Soketsu bellowed with an intensity that surprised even himself, but he didn¡¯t stop. Or rather the flow of pure, unbridled indignation didn¡¯t let him stop. "You steal my style, butcher it and then dare to call it the same as kung fu?! Have you no fucking shame?!"


    For a while the mad scientist was seemingly taken aback but then he just sighed.


    Gabe: "Now listen, I didn¡¯t butcher anything¡ª"


    Soketsu: "Yes you did!" Soketsu interrupted. "Your stance is all messed up, your wrists are too slack and your basic posture is like a¡ª"


    Gabe: "Excuse me, princess!" It was the armor-clad man¡¯s turn to exclaim. "I¡¯m so, so sorry for not following on your exact footsteps! How thoughtless of me not to consider your poor, brittle feelings first before changing your stupid martial art!"


    Something cracked inside Soketsu. Without any words, or for that matter, thinking, he lunged at his opponent without any further ado. With an almost animalistic roar he plunged his weapon into the ground, embedding the spear point into the concrete like it was butter, and lashed out at his opponent like a cornered serpent.


    As for the exchange of blows that followed afterwards, he would have been hard pressed to remember any of the details. It was all just one huge blur of movement and pain and exhilaration and exhaustion framed by the ground-shaking vibrations of shatteringly powerful strikes and counters streaking through the air.


    He didn¡¯t know how long the exchange lasted, but it couldn¡¯t have been longer than a few seconds. He just delivered a straight palm-strike at his enemy¡¯s solar plexus. The armored man didn¡¯t even flinch. For some reason this only made him even more furious, but even that felt distant somehow. Like, he knew he was furious, but he didn¡¯t really feel it. It was like he was submerged in deep water and all the thoughts and emotions normally filling his brain sounded like a distant white noise.


    Not all emotions though. Only those which didn¡¯t serve his victory. Also, for some reason, annoyance. Like how annoyingly slow his movements were. He stopped and thought for a moment, or at least his mind did, taken that his body continued countering the mad scientist¡¯s latest attack, an obviously botched yet by some miracle still effective piercing strike delivered with two extended fingers.


    At first he almost started wondering which of his forms his enemy twisted into this attack, but then he shelved the thought. He will have time for that. First he needed to get an edge. He needed more viridia.


    For a few moments the question itself was perplexing. He should have viridia, yet he didn¡¯t, and it took him an agonizingly long time to remember why.


    Right, he put the halberd down to be able to fight properly. All he had to do was to grab it for a moment and recharge, and so with his next dodge he reached around and¡ª


    [Kay]: "SOKETSU!"


    Suddenly the dissonant serenity of his mind was burned away by a voice so loud it would have popped his eardrums if it wasn¡¯t just in his head.


    [Soketsu]: "Wha¡­?" He mumbled inside his head, suddenly feeling woozy and unbalanced.


    [Kay]: "What are you doing?!" His partner bellowed again, her voice unusually resonant in his head. However it was soon drowned out by his own detached thought again, urging him to continue fighting now that he had Viridia again.


    He tried to let go of the handle and return to the fray¡­ but for some reason his hand refused to loosen its grip. It took him several long, confusion-filled split-seconds to realize the reason: there was something there. A word tugging at his mind that took way too long to picture: ¡®seventeenth¡¯.


    In a flash of determination he suddenly tightened his grip even further and tore the weapon out of the ground. He could hear some more protests from the girl, but he couldn¡¯t make them out over the noise of his rushing thoughts.


    He kicked the ground underneath and rolled back, taking a glancing punch at the head. There was no pain, only a slight echo of annoyance. A second later he was on his feet again, blazing halberd raised defiantly at his opponent. He was Soketsu. He needn¡¯t wait for opportunities.


    Soketsu: "EVER 6: FLASH QUAKE!"


    His halberd¡¯s blade suddenly flared up with the familiar green light, rending the very air around him as he once again drove the weapon into the ground in front of him. The blade once again entered the concrete, but this time it was different.


    In a blinding burst of green a web of cracks spread out under his feet, throwing both him and his armor-clad opponent into the air in an explosion of green flames. The mad scientist overcame his first shock with commendable vigor, regaining his balance mid-air and landing on a nearby conveyor-belt with a cacophony of twisting and breaking metal. Upon landing he immediately began searching for his opponent.


    He didn¡¯t have to look for long, as the Rover¡¯s form was right above him, floating in the air amongst the blown up debris held in place by the enormous amount of viridia leaking from the pores of his body. His whole figure was bathed in an eerie emerald glow from head to toe as he pulled his halberd behind his back. His weapon¡¯s contours were hard to see as the insane amount of tangible power distorted the very air around it, but even at a cursory glance, its brilliant green blade had seemingly grown to the size where it looked more like a grossly oversized battleaxe instead of a halberd.


    Soketsu: "Lord of Lords, our master and guide, Nov¡¯Elsfaan..."


    Even through the thumps of falling concrete and the crackling of the viridia-filled air, the Gabe could still hear Soketsu¡¯s monotonous chanting. It didn¡¯t sound like a litany, more like a dry passage read from a technical textbook, yet somehow that only made it all the more ominous.


    Soketsu: "You, who had shown us the light of your infinite wisdom, please guide my hand¡­"


    Gabe: "You gotta be kidding me¡­" The scientist muttered between clenched teeth.


    The air around them became heavy. The power was literally swirling around Soketsu¡¯s body as he kept chanting with an increasingly passionate voice.


    Gabe: "Are you out of your fucking mind?!" Gabe suddenly bellowed at the man with a voice loud enough to wake the dead. "You cannot use that! It¡¯s going to kill you! Again!" Soketsu didn¡¯t seem to care.


    Soketsu: "¡­ and help me smite my enemies with your fury!"


    The swirling abruptly stopped as he reached the end of the sentence. His halberd¡¯s edge suddenly extended even further, glowing furiously as if it was about to devour the surrounding space itself. Soketsu locked his eyes upon his enemy as a delirious smile rose to his face and he declared:


    Soketsu: "THE LAST HOLY IMPRINT! EVER 17: CHAMI¡¯S JUDGM-"


    Gabe: "LIKE HELL I WOULD LET YOU DO THAT!!!" Just as the Rover was about to release his final technique, a brilliant crimson light of even greater intensity blew into his eyes from the scientist¡¯s direction. "DROP IT, NOW!!!"


    The armor-clad man¡¯s palm, pointing towards him, was bathed in blinding radiance as a small, swirling shape of ruby light forced its way into existence within it. Soketsu had no idea what it was but he knew it couldn¡¯t be anything good. He didn¡¯t really care though. He used all his might to swing his weapon, his mind is still serene and insensitive to the panic slowly building up in his chest. It was too late.


    Gabe: "I WARNED YOU!!!"


    [Kay]: "Soketsu!!!"


    The shapeless radiance suddenly lanced out at Soketsu like a tight beam of solid color, rushing right at the Rover¡¯s chest. He had no chance of avoiding it. By the time he could even react the impact already hit him and shattered the dissonant serenity clouding his mind with a shower of blinding pain. His halberd was almost torn from his hand by the untold amount of pressure as he was propelled towards the ceiling by what felt like getting hit by an overloaded freight train.


    He hit the cold concrete and rebounded like a ragdoll, sending another wave of pain tearing at his consciousness, yet he still held onto his weapon. For some reason he felt like he was holding it in a weird way, which actually turned out to be because his arm was broken at three different points, but that particular pain was lost in the sea of agony assailing him. His thoughts were filled with a single notion: ¡®I can still do it. I can still swing it. I can still finish this.¡¯


    It didn¡¯t go any further than thoughts though. He was just about to obey gravity when a sudden flash drew his attention on the edge of his vision. To his momentary surprise, Gabe was seemingly flying towards him in mid-air with his visor open as another red pulse of raw kinetic force was coalescing in his palm.


    Gabe: "I SAID DROP THE GODDAMN THING ALREADY!"


    Soketsu had no strength left to defend himself as the impossible amount of pressure hit his chest. His weapon was finally torn from his hand as he was once again sent flying with the speed of a bullet, crashing right into the huge metal door through which he entered this underground complex on the first place.


    The immense structure stopped his flight with a deafening groan, his body leaving a giant dent on its spotless exterior. For a moment, he was embedded motionlessly into its surface like a grotesque piece of modern art, but gravitation soon claimed his body as he quietly fell to the ground with a dull thud echoing throughout in the hall. After that¡ª he didn¡¯t move.


    The momentary silence was broken by the surprisingly soft touchdown of the armored scientist. He looked over the motionless body by the broken gate with a difficult expression and painfully shook his hands.


    He raised his leg, but before he could take the first step a bright flash of green claimed his attention. Behind him Soketsu¡¯s halberd burst into countless particles of light and immediately reformed itself into a small, humanoid form. The stark naked young girl frantically rushed past him to his broken partner¡¯s side without even looking at him.


    Kay: "Soketsu! Soketsuuu!!!"


    She fell to her knees beside him and took his head into her little arms, crying. She kept calling for him with a weak voice apparently not caring about the armor-clad man approaching them.


    Kay: "So-Soketsu! Please, wake up! Please! Please¡­"


    Gabe was almost standing beside her by the time she finally noticed him. As she raised her eyes she looked like a little animal. Scared, yet fierce and hostile to his presence. For a second, her eyes kept jumping between Gabe and Soketsu and then she suddenly stood up and threw her body between the two. Naked as a newborn she threw her arms up as if forming a line between them with fiery resolve in her eyes.


    Kay: "Leave him alone! I won¡¯t let you touch him anymore!"


    Her arms and legs were shaking with both exhaustion and fear and her breathing was completely ragged, yet her eyes showed unwavering determination. The man stopped on his track for a moment as he looked deep into her eyes. Then he took a step forward. And another. With each step, the girl¡¯s legs trembled, yet she never averted her eyes.


    Kay: "¡­"


    In the end, they were standing right in front of each other. For a few seconds the standoff continued, as neither of them averted their eyes. Finally, still with a somewhat difficult expression, the man raised his hand.


    The girl instinctively twitched and closed her eyes. The following moments felt like eternity, but instead of pain she could only feel the rustling of something warm around her body. As she finally opened her eyes she found a black lab-coat strewn over her. For a few moments her confused eyes kept jumping back and forth between the black cloth covering her body and the man clad in crimson armor as he lightly patted her head.


    Gabe: "It¡¯s a little dirty, but please bear with it for now." Gabe told her with a warm smile that seemed both bewildering and yet completely natural on his face. "I¡¯m sure our boneheaded friend would be sad if you were to catch a cold."


    She was utterly befuddled by the turn of events as the scientist turned his back on them. In the background, as if just waiting for the right moment to appear, Pabloc¡¯s figure could be seen in the company of the little blonde girl from earlier. They were accompanied by a set of floating stretchers and some medical equipment. As they arrived Pabloc turned to Gabe after shaking his head in disapproval in face of the general destruction.


    Pabloc: "Was all this really necessary?"


    The armored man smiled wryly in response.


    Gabe: "Not at all, but it was cool."


    The scientist sighed and shook his head, half in disapproval and half in twisted amusement.


    Pabloc: "You never change."


    Gabe: "About time you noticed. But still¡­"


    He gave a painful groan as his armor slowly went quiet and he removed his gloves.


    Gabe: "¡­ I might have gone a little overboard this time." He whispered with a self-deprecating chuckle. "Please take care of those two. I think¡­ I¡¯ll just¡­ take¡­ a little nap now¡ª"


    And with that, like a puppet with its strings cut, he collapsed. Pabloc caught him in his fall. Even with the armor, or maybe because of it, the man was surprisingly light. After taking the time to shake his head again, this time more in amusement than disapproval, Pabloc slowly laid him onto the spare stretcher he was really glad he brought along.


    Pabloc: "¡­ And here I though the word ¡®overboard¡¯ didn¡¯t exist in your dictionary." Pabloc mumbled to the sleeping man and punctuated it with a small sigh.


    Afterwards he readjusted his glasses as he looked over his surroundings. With a flick of his hand he raised the unconscious Soketsu onto the second stretcher. While the Rover seemed to be in really bad shape at first glance, a cursory inspection told him his condition wasn¡¯t actually life-threatening. Considering the Soketsu-shaped dent in the gate, Pabloc couldn¡¯t help but smile in admiration of the man¡¯s crazy fortitude.


    In the meantime Lily was trying to make conversation with the crying Kay, smiling innocently at the girl as she was looking over the treatment of her partner. She looked a little too pale too, the scientist noted, and he automatically made a mental note about checking up on her too. Pabloc¡¯s lips suddenly curved into a smile as he let out a huge sigh. Soketsu wasn¡¯t even back for a day and he was already getting back into his old routines. Go figure.


    Pabloc: "What a day¡­"


    And with that he scooped up the girls as well and left the ruined factory floor, returning back to the depths of the complex once again.

 Ch 7: Just as planned

    ???????: "Oh for the love of¡­!!!"


    Bishop Randall stomped his feet like a madmen. He had his reasons though, as this was the fourteenth pile of blighted rubbish blocking his path that morning. The fourteenth! That¡¯s exactly thirteen more than he would have ever wanted to see, give or take one.


    The balding old man kept stomping the ground ineffectually while inventing new and creative curses under his breath until he finally settled on kicking a piece of debris over the broken pavement, his cheeks visibly flushed with bottled up anger and frustration even under his bushy graying beard.


    He loathed the day he accepted his mission. He was not a man of fieldwork; this was something the pot-belly protruding from under his ornamented robes was already indicating. He spent his entire life behind a desk, organizing scriptures and logs and following the orders of his superiors, always taking great care to stay on their good side. Because of this he managed to slowly but steadily climb the proverbial ladder at the Order¡¯s cathedral in Quintus and he was quite content with staying in his office and continuing to do so until the day of his retirement. However, as they say, fate has a terrible sense of humor.


    It all began just a week ago. Or rather a long week ago that felt more protracted than the seventeen years he had spent in his bishop¡¯s office altogether.


    He was the only high-ranking member on the clergy in the cathedral that day. He was leisurely transcribing an old textbook one of the Cardinal¡¯s personal aides recovered from somewhere when one of the man¡¯s messengers broke down the door on him.


    As the only person with the required authority in the compound, he was to lead a squad of troops to battle in the name of the Order (whether he liked it or not) and he was ordered to move out within the hour without any preparations. It was a tall order all right, but then he hadn¡¯t even heard the half of it. The messenger was yet to tell him about his ¡®soldiers¡¯¡­


    If he wanted to be honest, he might have been fine if they were simple knights. Or templars. Or even some ragtag, murderous, crazed gang of mercenaries if we were at that. He would have been fine with that. Not happy, not excited, just fine. He would have played his part, stayed in the background and maybe even got home with his head still attached to his shoulders. Simple expectations, really. However, what he was entrusted with was far, far worse than even his worst nightmares.


    As he thought about that, rubbing his aching foot, he could feel a shadow on his back. He turned around and faced his troops.


    Randall: "Ack!"


    He involuntarily gulped and shuddered at the sight, but in retrospect he couldn¡¯t have said in which order. Such things can often escape a man¡¯s memory when he comes face to face with three meters tall jet black monstrosities after all.


    Twelve terrifying creatures created from the remains of the Enemy whose name shall never be spoken again lumbered behind him with lazy steps. Crude moldings of human flesh and the maddening taint encased in a metallic shell, the most unholy beasts broken in and employed for the most holy cause.


    Their glossy skin, reminiscent of freshly cracked obsidian, was not just cold, it was emanating it and freezing the already chilly morning air around them just by their mere existence.


    Their movements were ungraceful and clumsy; their tiny, unfocused eyes in their ape-like heads were dimly glowing with a sick, yellow light and their entire shape gave off the sense that someone just sewn together a handful of different body parts without any care for proportions. They were Type-O units, the last remnants of the Enemy, reminders of the past for everyone. Terrifying. Deadly. Rock stupid.


    Not that they needed any intelligence, mind you. They might have looked superficially human, like giant men whose limbs, slim compared to their stubby armored torsos, were stretched out unevenly like as if they were made from cheap rubber and their head replaced by that of a child¡¯s. However, they were not human. They were monsters, engines of war made of flesh and corruption.


    They could barely talk, and when they did it was always an unintelligible stream of grunts and shrieking gibberish. They were created for laying waste upon the enemies of the Order, never questioning their superiors, and they simply didn¡¯t need intelligence for that.


    And that was the reason Randall, unwilling as he was, had been forced to lead these monstrosities into battle, as the only one they were conditioned to listen to. He was a bishop after all, and even though the Type-Os might have been barely more than autonomous machines, the command of obedience have been burned into their underdeveloped brains by the Order engineers without fail, forcing them to only follow one who had the authority to command them and no one else.


    This was the reason behind Randall¡¯s journey through the abandoned streets of the ruined town and the reason it was the most terrible, horrifying experience he ever had to suffer. He was alone, after the guides who led him to the city refused to follow him into the ruins, only surrounded by twelve of the behemoth monsters.


    They were dreadfully silent and always followed in his shadow with their piercing yellow eyes staring at him with attention, without blinking. They were no company. They were a nightmare manifest.


    He couldn¡¯t talk to them, they required his outmost attention so that they would not accidentally wreck everything around them and he could barely sleep in their dreadful presence, their little eyes staring at him throughout the nights like tiny little wraith flames in the darkness.


    Then, as if things weren¡¯t bad enough, he entered the ruins.


    That happened almost exactly one day ago, and he not only couldn¡¯t find what he was sent for, he couldn¡¯t find an exit either. Even though he had a map with him, it was little to no help.


    No matter which way he tried to turn, he ran into a pile of rubble or a fallen building blocking his route. If only these things could move a little more skillfully, he thought, they might have been able to scale the debris, but as luck would have it their inhibitors kept them sluggish unless they were in battle, and he really didn¡¯t want to risk having one of the beasts accidentally collapse a building on his head.


    Right now he was standing at the feet of the fourteenth such roadblock. If he didn¡¯t know better, Randall would have sworn that someone was playing a wicked prank on him, but he knew all too well how silly that sounded. No one in their right mind would enter into the ruins of an uncleansed city without a good reason, let alone try to mess around with an Order prelate with a dozen Type-Os¡­


    Randall: "¡­"


    He nervously glanced around for a second. Just to be on the safe side he took out his map again and scanned the old parchment for another path. Then, for his sincerest shock, he heard footsteps from nearby.


    He nervously peeked up from the roll of paper in his hand, secretly hoping that it was just one of the Type-Os doing something weird again, but fate decided it was time for the punchline.


    A man was approaching him with calm steps from the way whence he originally came from. His hands were tucked away in his pockets as he leisurely strolled towards them, his steel-blue coat fluttering in the light breeze.


    Randall didn¡¯t know what to do. He really didn¡¯t expect this. No one was supposed to be in the town. It was a restricted area for a good reason, and only madmen and the most desperate outlaws would have dared to enter it. Which meant this man was one of the two. The only question was¡ª which one?


    Still, as suspicious as he was, Randall couldn¡¯t help but feel that there was also a faint ray of hope in the man¡¯s appearance. Who knows, maybe he might know the way out of this maze of collapsed structures?


    He patiently waited for the man to get closer but it appeared as if he didn¡¯t want to approach him beyond a certain point and stopped at a good twenty meters away from him and his troops. Randall, slightly vexed by the man¡¯s behavior, softly addressed him, his voice perfectly audible in the dead silent street even from so far.


    Randall: "Good day to you, my child. May you be able to help out and old man in dire need of directions?"


    The bishop could barely see the man¡¯s face but it seemed like his expression was that of firm determination. He answered in an even tone, his baritone clearly echoing amongst the empty buildings.


    Ahazkun: "I¡¯m sorry bishop, but my business does not allow me to do that."


    Randall¡¯s eyebrows rose in frustration. There was something in the man¡¯s voice that irritated him to no end; a strange feeling of detachment that sent chills down the prelate¡¯s spine. Still, he was in need, thus he cleared his throat and tried once again.


    Randall: "What might your business be? I might be able to help you with it in exchange of your kindness?"


    Ahazkun: "As I said, I cannot do that. It would be quite impossible for you anyway."


    Randall: "Let me be the judge of that. Tell me about your need."


    Ahazkun: "If you insist. It¡¯s simple enough."


    Ahazkun slowly unbuttoned his coat, revealing a white shirt and a dark-lined silver vest underneath. He quickly folded the outfit with mechanical precision and tossed the bundled up cloth a good five meters to the left. It landed on an overturned trash can and sat on top of it, still folded perfectly.


    Once he was done with that the white-clad man pointed at Randall with a firm hand, index-finger extended towards the Type-O beside him.


    Ahazkun: "I¡¯m here to destroy those abominations behind you."


    For a few seconds, the bishop was dumbfounded. Then, after a brief silence, he burst out into uncontrollable laughter. It took him a good minute to even be able to finally squeeze some words out between his laughs, all the while Ahazkun was quietly watching him with the same subdued detachment as before.


    Randall: "Are you mad!? Destroy them!? All alone!?"


    Ahazkun: "Yes."


    The bishop, still reeling from his laughter finally managed to regain some of his composure and opened his arms with a condescending smile.


    Randall: "Normally, I would be inclined to execute you for such blasphemous threats, but I shall spare your soul this time as you are obviously out of your mind!"


    Ahazkun: "Am I, Bishop Randall?"


    Hearing his own name from the mouth of a stranger, the grin on the bishop¡¯s face slowly reversed itself with and almost audible groaning noise, as if iron bars were twisted in his face. He looked over this strange man once again and his voice quickly returned to the soft, ominous one from before.


    Randall: "Who are you?"


    Ahazkun: "I am Ahazkun. You might have heard of me as the Silver Oracle, the Third Prophet of Nov¡¯Elsfaan."


    For a fleeting moment Randall¡¯s expression was conquered by bewilderment, then it slowly twisted into the unhinged grimace of a man facing the grim reaper himself. He kept gasping for a while as terror and fury were vying for claim over his mind.


    Randall: "How dare you speak such blasphemy you¡­ you¡­"


    For the first time Ahazkun allowed amusement to a curve the edge of his lips upwards. The hook is already in the fish¡¯s mouth, he though. All he needs is a little tug¡­


    Ahazkun: "Calling one of the four prophets a blasphemer¡ª I wonder which one of us is the heretic here, bishop¡­"


    Randall¡¯s eyes opened wide at the man¡¯s words as rage finally overwhelmed his exhaustion-worn rationality. He reached into his robe and pulled out a short, finely crafted golden rod, no longer than half a meter and barely as thick as the man¡¯s thumb. The bishop raised the rod like it was a magic wand and pointed at Ahazkun¡¯s direction with burning eyes.


    Randall: "Silence him! Destroy him! ERASE HIM FROM MY SIGHT!!!"


    In that very moment the eyes of the twelve monstrous beings behind him blazed into bright red flames in unison. With their inhibitors taken away by the order from the wielder of their control rod, they were overjoyed by the chance to do what they do best: kill, maim and destroy.


    With a deafening roar, they pounced at Ahazkun like hungry bloodhounds at a wounded prey. Their hulking forms, moving on four legs like giant simians, rushed down the empty street with their giant maws unfolding to open wider than their head like a snake¡¯s jaws, their fists pounding on the asphalt with enough force to easily break its surface¡ª


    Yet the oracle didn¡¯t move. He didn¡¯t even assume a fighting stance. He just stood straight like an arrow, with one hand on his chin, and watched.


    In fact from his point of view the roaring charge of the creatures appeared to be in slow motion. He could leisurely observe every single particle thrown into the air by the Type-O landing right in front of him, every single muscle moving under the obsidian skin of the giant creature bearing its arm over him, every tiny droplet of viscous black saliva dripping from its giant maw filled with hundreds upon hundreds of tiny, pointy teeth embedded into dark brown gums. And then, just as the creature struck¡ª he took a single step to the right.


    The enormous fist swept through the air like a giant metal beam falling from the top of a skyscraper, and the creature¡¯s hand struck the pavement so hard his fingers got embedded into its surface.


    For a mere split-second Ahazkun silently observed the situation. He calmly gauged the distance of the other Type-Os, their speed, predicted the probability of all the ways they could come at him in their animalistic fury. It all took less than the blink of an eye and the optimal path became crystal clear in his eyes. The man lowered his stance with unnerving nonchalance and curled his right hand into a fist.


    A split-second later the air was filled with a nauseating crunching sound as his fist slammed into the side of the Type-O¡¯s elbow. The strike was in no way greater than what the muscles of a well trained man could muster, but it hit the joint in the exact moment when the ligaments relaxed after absorbing the impact of the creature hitting the ground, tearing the monster¡¯s arm-muscles and dislocating its elbow with uncanny ease.


    At first the giant had no idea what was happening, only noticing the fact that the hand he was leaning on suddenly lost its strength and that he was falling over. Then the pain finally registered in its atrophied brain and it let out an ear-piercing howl as it hit the ground with an earth-shattering thud.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Ahazkun observed his position once again. Breaking the monster¡¯s arm only took two seconds, but in that time the rest of them had already caught up with him. Or at least most of them.


    Three of the beasts were still only lumbering a good five paces behind the rest of the pack, their inhibitors taking their sweet time disengaging. The oracle¡¯s face was overcome with a grim expression.


    It wasn¡¯t good. He needed all the creatures close to him to initiate the second part of his plan. He needed them to focus all their attention on him and to follow him in one group. He did another quick prediction, and concluded that the sluggish Type-Os needed about three more seconds to wake up completely and rush at him in their earnest.


    Three seconds. It didn¡¯t sound long but it might as well have been an eternity. But of course it was all part of the deal. The man¡¯s plans were like clockworks. When all elements worked in unison it was a sight to behold, but a tiny error could make it all come crashing down in the blink of any eye, and when one faces twelve mindless monsters out for their blood, crashing down suddenly becomes all too literal.


    There were two ways to proceed. He either had to buy himself three seconds to make sure the rest of the fight goes according to plans or he could let the error slide and hope for the best. The latter option was, frankly, unthinkable. As such there was only one thing for him to do: put his life on the line one more time and stall for time.


    In the meanwhile another Type-O arrived to the scene, swinging its fist in a horizontal motion right towards the head of the man standing by its downed kind. The punch was sloppy by all possible standards, but they never needed to be refined to kill to begin with. Such a punch held enough power behind it to kill a bull with just one hit. If it hit.


    That was one huge clause when it came fighting the man in white. Ahazkun swiftly dodged under the punch, grabbing hold of the monster¡¯s arm and setting his right shoulder against the metal plate covering its chest in the same motion. From the outset it might have looked comical at first, as he was positively dwarfed by the mountain of muscle and metal still charging towards him, which only served to make it even more astounding when he lifted the creature off the ground.


    He could feel a suddenly spike of pain stabbing its way into his shoulder, but he had no time to think about it. Using the creature¡¯s own momentum and high center of gravity against it, he flexed every single muscle in his body and threw the thing twice his size right over his shoulder like it was a dummy filled with hay.


    The Type-O tumbled through the air and hit a broken lamp post crying out in a shrill voice that was more irritated than anything else. By the time Ahazkun regained his footing after the impromptu throw the creature was already in its feet again and bending the rusty metal pole like it was made of play dough in the process.


    Ahazkun didn¡¯t pay much attention to it though. HIs first issue of priority was his shoulder. It was a calculated risk he took, and he knew that breaking a bone here would have meant he would have to throw away his original plan. In the worst case scenario, it would mean his death.


    He tried moving his arm around a bit and, while it was painful, it didn¡¯t seem to be broken or dislocated. Most likely a strain, he concluded. It would probably be sore for a few days but it should not cause any serious issues in the upcoming fight. That said, the three seconds required were long overdue at this point.


    In fact there was already another creature at his throat and the others were only seconds away from ganging up on him as well. He also noted in a weird mix of worry and satisfaction that the three slower ones were also up to full speed and were charging at him with mindless abandon. He looked over the incoming Type-O¡¯s, doing one last preliminary calculation, then whispered to himself with a tiny nod.


    Ahazkun: "Phase A, clear. Variance is under zero point nine percent.¡±


    All of a sudden a mysterious smile shaped his lips into a mirror image of pure satisfaction.


    Ahazkun: "Good. Time for phase B.¡±


    Out of the blue, the man did something none of the creatures really expected. He turned his back on the roaring beasts charging at him and started running towards one of the nearby seven story buildings.


    Randall: "Don¡¯t let him escape!!!"


    The bishop¡¯s voice was ragged and probably he himself wouldn¡¯t have believed if someone told him he would be shouting such orders, but the black beasts under his command followed his commands without ever thinking about such nuances. Or anything else, for that matter.


    In the meantime Ahazkun arrived at the building with the monstrous hounds on his heel. It was a simple apartment complex. On the surface it seemed like no different from any of the dozens of other such buildings littering the landscape of what once used to be the residential district, except maybe being in a slightly better condition than average. On closer look one could see it even had some of its plate glass windows intact.


    He glanced back one more time, as if only to give his pursuers a little handicap, and took off again. However, instead of the expected and arguably sensible thing to do, he did not bolt towards the stairs. Instead he mimicked his catgirl companion and jumped towards the first floor windows and, in a breath-taking display of athletic prowess he began scaling the vertical wall with little to no effort.


    For a split-second this seemed to confuse his pursuers, but in a blink of the eye they were right on his trail again as they started climbing as well, following after his example with astonishing speed and agility. They grabbed onto the balconies, buried their feet into the holes left behind by the weathered plaster and quickly started closing the distance.


    On his last step Ahazkun leaped into the air and rolled towards the middle of the large flat roof. With his pursuers right behind him he knew he only had a moment of breathing room, but it was far more than enough.


    After drawing a single sharp breath he dashed towards the other end of the rooftop and grabbed the lightning rod with both hands. At first the metal bent with a loud groan but then the rod suddenly broke apart with a sharp clink. As implausible as it might have seemed, what remained in the hand of the man appeared to be a completely straight metal shaft of about one and a half meters in length ending in a wickedly sharp point.


    There was no time to marvel though, with the first enemy already reaching the edge of the roof. Ahazkun briefly brandished his newfound spear and immediately dashed towards the creature, but instead of attacking just he skillfully avoided its strike and jumped back down whence he came from.


    He fell feet down and couldn¡¯t help but smile again. This far everything fell into place perfectly. One could only hope the rest of the fight would work out just as well. As for him, he would just have to make it work.


    But there was no time to wonder about that or marvel at the swiftly changing panorama. While still falling he planted his weapon into the wall, drawing a long, erratic furrow into the plaster as he slid down on the side.


    He reached the ground a little bit faster than planned, or at least that¡¯s what his pained knees told him, yet he immediately jumped on his feet, raised his lance above his head and threw it right at Randall. The old bishop frantically tried to avoid the weapon, scrambling backwards until it finally fell a good two meters away from his feet, embedding itself into the soft rubble.


    He was about to let out a sigh of relief when he noticed something strange. There were seven strange rings on the narrow blade of the weapon, each attached to a long pin. Before he could even understand the meaning of this, a sudden series of explosions shook the ground under his feet¡­


    Seven strategically placed grenades, built into the wall three hundred years ago. That was more than enough to set up a chain-reaction within the old building. Huge cracks ran through its walls as each explosion weakened its structure and the beasts on the walls and top let out confused groans and cries as the whole building crumbled under them. They were falling through the floors and off the outer walls with deafening cries as debris and countless shards of glass and concrete were swirling around them.


    On the ground, Ahazkun was silently counting in his head.


    Ahazkun: "Four¡­ Three¡­ Two¡­ One¡­"


    Suddenly the plaster fell off the wall at his side, revealing a large metal cabinet. A single swift kick to the bottom of it broke its rusty door wide open, revealing sturdy-looking sledgehammer. He grabbed it and immediately raised it high above his head. A split-second later one of the monsters hit the ground right in front of him.


    Before it could even comprehend what happened he had already brought the hammer down upon it, bending its chest-plate inwards. Then he did it again. And then again, embedding the head of the sledgehammer into the metal plate while turning the creature¡¯s rib-cage and organs into a chunky red paste underneath.


    By the time the Type-O even acknowledged the fatal injury the man had already ripped the weapon from its living carcass and swung it again, this time at the cracked pavement under his feet.


    Upon impact a large piece of the thin asphalt broke off and flew aside, revealing a dark green metal box thrown open by the recent concussion, containing an old, compact machinegun. The handle of the hammer itself was cracked in the process, so Ahazkun stuck the tool into the box after swiftly recovering the gun.


    Only a second after he stepped aside from the box, another creature fell with a shrieking noise, impaling itself on the standing piece of wood, its yellow eyes open in almost childlike surprise.


    In the meantime Ahazkun reloaded the gun with a swift motion and shot the twitching monster in the face. He then started moving through the rubble, systematically filling the fallen creatures with lead while avoiding all the falling debris with mechanical precision.


    Ahazkun: "Nine¡­ Ten¡­" The man counted the fallen creatures, almost feeling pity for them as they were struggling under the debris or dazed after their fall. Almost. "Eleven¡­ Twel¡ª"


    He suddenly stopped as he was about to shoot the last beast. The reason for that was simple: it was not there. Then, in the very same moment Ahazkun stopped on his tracks, the last Type-O abruptly burst from under the rubble just in front of the man with a terrifying howl, half blind and broken and throwing pieces of concrete and rebar into the air.


    For a split-second Ahazkun was thrown into a daze as a grievous impact tore his gun from his hand. If he was just half a step closer it would have broken his arm or worse. Not that he cared. In fact he barely even registered the stinging pain in his palm. He just glared at the monster with eyes that seemed like they belonged to a completely different person.


    Gone was the professional detachment of the tactician, giving way to a primal expression filled to the brim with hate. Yes, he hated this particular creature. In that fleeting moment it represented all that he hated in the world. It was an anomaly. A slip of calculations. A spanner in the works. The tiny grain of sand that, if left unchecked, could jam the most elaborate clockwork ever created.


    Of course the creature didn¡¯t recognize this change in his opponent¡¯s demeanor. It was quite blind and confused, which was the entire reason he was still under the rubble and allowed him to inadvertently ambush Ahazkun. Not that the man cared.


    With a terrifying scowl the man let out a battle-cry that would send chills down the spines of even the most battle-hardened knights of the Order and lunged at his opponent with a fury completely unbefitting of his refined appearance.


    He reached out and grabbed a piece of rebar sticking out of the ground with green viridia crackling at his fingertips and tore the metal fitting out of its weakened structure with a single wrench. The next moment he raised his improvised weapon high and swung it directly at the head of his opponent.


    The Type-O had no idea what hit it, but didn¡¯t really have time to think about it either, as one blow after the other starter raining down on its skull, sending its inky blood flying through the air with each strike. Each hit was punctuated by another primal grunt by its opponent who dodged under all of its clumsy swings and delivered more and more punishment upon its head.


    At last the distressed creature let out an ear-piercing shriek of rage, its end caught in its throat by an unfamiliar feeling in his mouth. For a second it blankly reached for his maw, its bruised fingers finally finding the source of its discomfort: the rebar rod firmly lodged inside its head, its broken end poking through the crown of his skull.


    After another moment of blank astonishment the creature let out an almost pitiful moan and fell forward, landing at the feet of the panting oracle. The man slowly caught his breath and straightened himself, his previous detachment finally retaking his features.


    Ahazkun: "Twelve."


    With that Ahazkun recovered his gun and finally turned his attention to the lone man still standing at the other end of the street.


    The bishop watched the scene unfold in utter disbelief. Twelve of them. Twelve Type-Os, the most terrifying things he had ever seen, destroyed in less than a minute and in such elaborate ways he would have called anyone reporting on it a damn liar.


    He was terrified yet in awe at the same time. The fight was out of this world. Save for his impromptu duel, the white-clad man was moving in a way he had never seen before, with absolute machine-like precision. In fact the whole scene looked like as if it was choreographed from the beginning and everything just fell into place like the pieces of a huge puzzle.


    He didn¡¯t have time to think about the absurdity of the sight he just saw for long though, as he could soon hear the echoing of heavy footsteps approaching him. Under his robes his body was shaking uncontrollably as he laid his eyes upon the approaching man.


    Ahazkun solemnly loomed towards Randall with a calm expression. The bishop wanted to run away as fast as he could but his legs felt as heavy as stone and he was afraid that he might lose control of his already disturbed stomach if he were to try to move them.


    Finally they were standing eye-to-eye, only a few paces¡¯ distance from each other. Randall¡¯s expression was that of a man about to go crazy while Ahazkun was as calm and collected as ever and he was casually limbering up his sore shoulder.


    The oracle slowly raised his weapon as if to show it off and the threw it aside in a gesture the bishop could only hope was mean no more bloodshed.


    Ahazkun: "Listen to me, old man." Ahazkun spoke with a cold voice. "When they come looking for you, I want you to relay this message to your cardinal."


    Randall: "Y-Y-Yes¡­"


    Ahazkun: "Tell him this: ¡°The time of changing fates is upon us again. This time, things will be different.¡±"


    At first the bishop could only repeatedly open his mouth and close it again without a sound, like a giant fish out water.


    Randall: "T-That¡¯s all¡­?"


    Ahazkun: "Yes. He will know what to make of it. Now if you excuse me¡­"


    Ahazkun turned his back on him and he was about to walk away when he suddenly stopped on his tracks.


    Ahazkun: "Oh, and before you get any funny ideas¡­ You are standing on a landmine, if you haven¡¯t noticed yet."


    Randall: "Wha¡­?"


    The bishop looked down and blood immediately escaped from his face as he saw the big, round object under his feet, half-buried into the soft mound of soil collected by the wind in this particular cove in the pavement.


    Ahazkun: "Anyway, have a nice day."


    Randall: "W-Wait! Please!"


    With that, the man left the dumbfounded bishop behind with an expression as cold and unreadable as ever¡ª followed by the slow collapse of the ruined apartment building, burying all signs of the battle under a thick layer of rubble.


    ~~~


    Tiari: "You are such a show-off¡­"


    Tiari tried to hide her relief, but her curling tail quickly betrayed her true feelings in Ahazkun¡¯s eyes. She was sitting on a tall fence and he quietly smiled at her as he walked down the street next to the scene of the battle.


    Ahazkun: "It was necessary for the message to sound credible. I just followed the plan."


    Tiari: "Are you telling me that all of it was part of your plan?" The girl frowned with disbelief. "Even fighting those monsters unarmed? Even blowing up a building?"


    Ahazkun: "Yes."


    Tiari: "For the love of god! Just how much planning did you do this time? That stuff was inside the walls! The WALLS!"


    Ahazkun: "Yes, I know. I was the one who put them there."


    Tiari stared at him for a moment, then let out an exhausted breath under her nose and jumped off the fence.


    Tiari: "¡­ I know I should be used to this by now, but you still baffle me every time you do this prediction stuff. I wonder why I am even bothering to worry about you anymore¡­"


    Ahazkun: "I see. Sorry for not being powerful enough to get by without planning ahead."


    Tiari: "By centuries?!"


    Ahazkun: "If necessary."


    Tiari stared at the man for a very long moment, then sighed once again as she shook her head.


    Tiari: "So, was this a success?"


    Ahazkun: "On the short term, yes. The mid-term consequences are also very promising, while I believe I can get some long-term advantages out of the encounter as well."


    Tiari: "Don¡¯t tell me you are planning ahead centuries again¡­"


    Ahazkun: "No. Not centuries¡­ But I have to take care of every possible advantage. I cannot afford any mistakes, any miscalculations. I cannot let it happen again¡­"


    Seeing the man¡¯s expression gradually darken immediately prompted Tiari to turn one-eighty, walk back to the fence and pick up something from the ground, followed by the man¡¯s surprised eyes.


    Tiari: "Here, you forgot this.¡±


    He handed the familiar coat over to Ahazkun, who cocked his head with a slightly awkward expression.


    Ahazkun: "You really didn¡¯t have to."


    Tiari: "Oh, but I did. You never take proper care of your clothes! Or anything not in your plans, if we are at that! Do you know how annoying that is?"


    The man stared at the girl for a moment, then glanced at the piece of cloth in his hand, then his eyes wandered back to the girl again as he slowly donned his coat.


    Ahazkun: "Sorry," After a moment of hesitation he also added. "And thank you."


    Tiari: "You are welcome, but next time please take better care of your belongings."


    Ahazkun: "No, not that."


    Before the girl could react, the man suddenly leaned closer to her and laid a short peck on her lips. Startled, she stared at the man¡¯s eyes a few inches away from her own with her ears twitching. At last Ahazkun spoke again with a quiet, gentle voice that was reserved for her alone.


    Ahazkun: "Thank you for taking care of me. Thank you for being here."


    The girl blinked at the man¡¯s earnest words, then her lips suddenly twisted into a coy grin as she was trying to keep a giggle from escaping her stomach alongside the butterflies.


    Tiari: "Oh come on, you don¡¯t need to thank me for that! That¡¯s what lovers are for!"


    With that she suddenly closed the gap between their faces again, this time sharing a long, scorching kiss accompanied by some surprisingly luscious noises. It lasted for several seconds, and when they parted it seemed like it left both of them a little light-headed.


    They looked at each other in silence, sharing another short moment of affection, then Tiari suddenly stretched her back with a loud noise.


    Tiari: "Aaaaaaaal right! Let¡¯s go home!"


    Ahazkun: "Very well."


    He stood beside the girl and gently wreathed his good arm around the girl¡¯s shoulder with a completely natural motion. Tiari looked up at him and grinned in response.


    Tiari: "You know what? I¡¯m suddenly in a great mood! How about I whip up something special for dinner to celebrate?"


    Ahazkun: "I don¡¯t mind, but can we afford it?"


    Tiari: "Don¡¯t worry about that, I think of something.¡±


    Ahazkun: "All right. I¡¯m looking forward to it."


    Tiari: "You betcha!"


    And so the two of them slowly walked away from the scene of the insane battle, the air around them wrapped in warm appreciation of each other¡¯s presence and the sound of occasional giggles.

 Ch 8: Reunion

    The infirmary was dressed in soft colors by the light seeping through the curtains of the small round window at the back of the room; the clean coldness of the white walls was balanced by the glossy brown of the wooden furniture within. Its air smelled faintly of lavender, no doubt in an effort to mask the characteristic scent of antiseptics, and it was softly reverberating the quiet echoes of breathing coming from the two men lying in the beds at the opposite ends of the room.


    The calm silence was promptly broken by hushed voices from the other side of the curtain in the corner of the room. Two silhouettes moved across the hangings, their vague shapes drawn hazily upon them by the light shining through the window.


    Kay: "Is it going to hurt?" Came the girl¡¯s voice from behind the curtain. Her small shadow was fidgeting on something that looked like an examination table. The shade of a man turned towards her and reached for her shoulders.


    Pabloc: "Just a little, but it¡¯s only natural."


    Kay: "Ummm¡­"


    Pabloc: "It¡¯s your first time, right?"


    Her shadow quietly nodded as the man turned around once again, searching for something.


    Kay: "Are you sure that this is going to help me?"


    Pabloc: "Yes, it¡¯s a very simple and safe method of transferring viridia; it should work with you as well¡­"


    Soketsu: "¡­"


    The man¡¯s shadow faced her yet again, and their shades quietly overlapped in the dim light.


    Pabloc: "Just relax, okay? I¡¯ll try to be gentle."


    Kay: "Ummm¡­ Okay."


    Soketsu: "¡­¡­"


    Kay: "O¡­Ouch!"


    Pabloc: "You see? It¡¯s in already."


    Soketsu: "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­"


    Kay: "But it hurts!"


    Pabloc: "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s going to fade soon once you get used to the feeling."


    Soketsu: "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.."


    Kay: "Ummmm¡­ There¡¯s blood¡­"


    Pabloc: "Of course there is. Here, let me wipe it for y¡ª"


    Soketsu: "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.."


    Finally reaching his boiling point, the man closer to the curtains suddenly sit up in his bed with a furious bellow.


    Soketsu: "JUST WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING OVER THERE!?"


    For a moment Soketsu¡¯s yelling flatly echoed between the walls of the infirmary, right until another voice drowned out its last traces from the air.


    Gabe: "AGREED! QUIT YOUR INNUENDO PARADE ALREADY! PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP OVER HERE!"


    For a few moments Soketsu¡¯s face couldn¡¯t decide whether he was angry, surprised or bewildered as the mad scientist sat up in the other bed, scowling at the direction of the curtains without paying him any attention. In the end his visage ended up in a pained grimace as his back suddenly gave in and he fell back onto the bed with a soft thump and a muted groan. Then another voice entered the fray¡­


    Kay: "Soketsu!!!"


    Soketsu: "Wha¡ª?"


    Out of the blue Kay jumped onto his lap with a huge thud and hugged his neck like her life was depending on it.


    Kay: "You are alive! You are alive!"


    To the injured man¡¯s surprise it was Pabloc who appeared behind her after pulling the drapes. He was dressed in a white doctor¡¯s coat, subtly different from the other white coat he wore during their previous encounter, and he had a stethoscope around his neck. The bespectacled scientist gave him a small nod, probably as a means of greeting, and spoke to the girl on his lap with a chiding voice.


    Pabloc: "Yes, yes, but he won¡¯t be alive for long if you keep strangling him like that."


    Kay let out a small gasp as she finally noticed Soketsu¡¯s face twisted in pain and quickly let go of him, holding her hands in front of her chest in anxiety.


    Kay: "S-Sorry! Are you all right?"


    Soketsu: "¡­Ugh¡­ My head¡­"


    Kay: "Is he all right?"


    Kay turned to Pabloc while her hands were unconsciously clawing at Soketsu¡¯s blanket, her eyes teary and seemingly just about to burst. The scientist stepped over to the bed and gently pushed her aside while the bed creaked under them.


    By the time he carefully placed his hand against Soketsu¡¯s shoulder the fore of the bed already rose up in and angle to accommodate him into a half-lying position.


    Once he was done with that he gestured for the girl to get off the bed and spoke to her with a gentle voice.


    Pabloc: "Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s fine. The high-regenerative treatment is almost done; he¡¯ll be as good as new in a few days." He glanced over to the girl¡¯s arm and paused for a moment. "You on the other hand¡­"


    He gently reached out to her hand and pulled her back behind the now open curtains.


    Soketsu: "Okay, just what¡¯s going on here? What are you doing to her?"


    Pabloc: "Me?"


    The scientist turned towards the bedridden man with a slightly amused smile, completely disregarding his chilling glare.


    Pabloc: "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not hurting your partner or anything. She over-exerted herself in your battle with the idiot over there¡ª"


    Gabe: "I pretend I didn¡¯t hear that." Gabe quipped between two gigantic yawns.


    Pabloc: "¡­ so I¡¯m giving her a direct intravenous infusion of viridia to get her back on her feet as fast as possible."


    While saying so, he cleaned Kay¡¯s arm once again and readied a new needle. For a moment or two Soketsu was wondering whether it was even possible to infuse viridia like that but he didn¡¯t have the opportunity to voice his concern.


    Kay: "Are you going to stab me again?"


    Pabloc: "We can¡¯t help it. The previous needle fell out because you jumped like that." Pabloc flashed a small smile with practiced ease and began smearing disinfectant on her arm. "Just bear with it and everything will be all right."


    Kay: "Ummm¡­ Okay." Kay meekly nodded.


    Soketsu, though still a little dizzy (either from his injuries or the previous events, he couldn¡¯t tell), slowly started to get a grasp on his situation.


    The first question was: Where?


    That was the easy part: He was lying in a hospital bed linked to some strange machinery in a sterile white room with green tiled floor. That kind of environment didn¡¯t really give much room for interpretation. As for where the room itself was, that question was a fair bit more troublesome, though he quickly concluded that he could do little about solving the question from his bed.


    As such he moved on to the second issue: What happened?


    The last thing he could remember his fairly one-sided battle against the mad scientist now leisurely whistling in the other bed. He also remembered trying to gamble on his strongest Holy Imprint¡ª then his memories were suddenly filled with a bright crimson light and then he woke up to the sound of Kay¡¯s voice.


    As to what happened between those two events he could only guess, but if the current state of his body was any indication, he had to conclude that he must have been beaten, and by a quite embarrassing margin. His legs and right arm were encased in cast, or at least bandaged to the point he could barely move them, and to be honest he wasn¡¯t entirely sure he even wanted to move them on the first place, as they hurt quite enough already. He also had his eye patch back on, though he was so used to it by then that he only just noticed it.


    What he did notice was that his whole body was burning with pain as if all his bones had been broken, even ones he didn¡¯t even know about, and he soon had to realize that he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to stand on his own legs for a while. That also meant escape was out of the question, at least for the moment.


    Now came the final and most important question: Why?


    Apparently his enemies not only kept him alive but they were actually nursing him back to health. At first he felt strangely curious about that, but then he remembered how Pabloc mentioned ¡®recovering¡¯ him. In other words, he was held captive. Curiously though, he wasn¡¯t cuffed or restrained in any way, though it might have been just his captors considering him too battered to even mount an escape attempt.


    But then they also got Kay, and judging by her behavior it seemed like they treated her well. He was relieved by that but it also made him even more uneasy.


    Also, there was one last thing he didn¡¯t quite understand.


    Gabe: "¡­¡­. What? Why are you staring at me like that?"


    The mad scientist cocked his head in puzzlement as he met Soketsu¡¯s piercing stare. Or at least he hoped it was piercing, although he had no idea just how swollen his face was, so his expression was more akin to grimacing. The question behind his gaze was just as genuine either way.


    What was the mad scientist doing here? He couldn¡¯t land a single clean hit on him, or at least none that he remembered, yet he also appeared to be bed-ridden beside him¡­ though again, he didn¡¯t seem worse for wear, so maybe it was unrelated?


    After a few moments of silence he finally decided to do the only thing he could and ask the man himself.


    Soketsu: "Where am I?"


    Gabe blinked at him, apparently not expecting such a direct question.


    Gabe: "In the facility¡¯s infirmary?" He asked back with an amused twinkle in his eyes.


    Soketsu: "But the window¡­"


    Gabe: "Artificial sunlight."


    Soketsu: "Why?"


    Gabe: "Helps the mood. Also good for recovery and stuff. Ask Pabloc, it was his idea."


    Unperturbed by the man¡¯s affable manner, Soketsu pressed on.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Soketsu: "So we are still underground¡­"


    Gabe: "Yup. Fifteen meters, to be exact."


    Soketsu looked over Gabe one more time and couldn¡¯t help but let the question slip out of his mouth.


    Soketsu: "Why?"


    Gabe: "Why underground? Well, because¡ª"


    Soketsu: "No! I was asking why I¡¯m here!"


    The mad scientist seemed genuinely shocked by Soketsu¡¯s outburst and shook his head with a pitiful expression.


    Gabe: "Geez, I guess I hit your head a bit too hard after all. I don¡¯t remember you ever being that dumb."


    Soketsu: "Just answer the damn question!" The Rover¡¯s snarled between clenched teeth.


    Gabe: "What is there to answer?" Gabe leaned forward and began talking really slowly. "You were injured. This is the infirmary. We take injured people to the infirmary. End of story."


    Even though his brow was twitching with frustration over the man¡¯s condescending tone, Soketsu pressed on.


    Soketsu: "Why are you avoiding the question?"


    Gabe: "I¡¯m not avoiding anything! You just suck at asking questions!"


    Pabloc: "That¡¯s about enough." Pabloc interjected, emerging from behind the curtains with Kay on his side. There was a small IV-package attached to the green haired girl¡¯s shoulder; it looked like a blood-pack at first glance but it was also strangely sparkling as the light reflected off the red liquid inside.


    A single glance at his partner was enough to instantly melt the man¡¯s previous scowl and it immediately gave way to a worried expression. The fidgeting girl walked over to his side and grabbed hold of him, her small fingers curling around the man¡¯s bruised hand in a tight grip.


    Soketsu: "Kay?"


    Kay: "S-Sorry for jumping on you like that. I didn¡¯t want to hurt you."


    Soketsu: "No problem, but¡­"


    Kay: "I was just so happy you woke up¡­" The girl continued while teetering on the edge of sobbing. "You have been lying there for three days, and¡­ and¡ª"


    The man suddenly cut her off mid-sentence with a face like he had just seen a ghost.


    Soketsu: "Three days? I have been unconscious for three days?"


    Pabloc: "You are lucky you are even alive." The scientist pressed a few buttons on the screen beside Soketsu¡¯s bed before turning to him again. "That idiot over there broke more than forty-five percent of the bones in your body."


    Gabe: "Forty-seven point five, to be exact."


    Pabloc let out a small groan as he reached for his glasses and frowned at the mad scientist.


    Pabloc: "I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the thing you should be saying right now."


    For a few awkward seconds Gabe stared back at him in puzzlement until he suddenly snapped his finger.


    Gabe: "Ah, I got it! You want me to apologize, right?"


    The bespectacled man shook his head in mild irritation.


    Pabloc: "Why do I even have to tell you that¡­?"


    Gabe: "Whatever. So yeah, sorry for increasing your workload. My bad."


    For a moment Pabloc could only blink at him in response and then he began angrily fidgeting with his glasses again.


    Pabloc: "You know it¡¯s not me you were supposed to apologize to, right?"


    Gabe: "No? But I already apologized to Kay and she said it was okay."


    Pabloc: "Gabe¡­ Stop playing dumb." The scientist asserted dryly, his words emphasized with a dangerous frown.


    Gabe: "Oh come on! It was self-defense!" Gabe protested with his arms in the air. "And I was careful as I promised!"


    Pabloc: "You broke half his bones!"


    Gabe: "Well, okay. I tried to be careful¡­ But hey, he is still alive!" Suddenly a ballpoint pen rocketed through the air and hit Gabe squarely in the middle of his forehead. "Ouch! Hey, that hurt!"


    Pabloc: "Stop stalling or the next one will have the point out." The man with the glasses declared matter-of-factly as another pen rose from the nearby table and fixated itself towards Gabe¡¯s forehead.


    Gabe: "Whose side are you on anyways!?" The mad scientist complained but it was obvious from his demeanor that it was only for show. In the end he turned to the other bedridden man and gave him a small smile. "Sorry for breaking your bones pal. I promise I will try to attempt to take a stab at making an effort to do my best not do that again. Ever. Or at least in the foreseeable future." The man paused for a moment and then flashed a childish grin. "¡­ Let¡¯s make it until next month, shall we?"


    Soketsu kept staring at Gabe for a few seconds with the kind of bewilderment usually associated with meeting a ghost or a benevolent tax collector. At last he slowly turned to the more reasonable of the two men in the room.


    Soketsu: "Okay, seriously¡­ What the hell is going on?"


    Pabloc: "What do you mean in particular?"


    Soketsu: "I mean¡­ I¡­"


    Soketsu let out a desperate groan as he collected his thoughts and, maybe unconsciously, squeezed the hand holding onto his own. Once feeling adequately prepared he spoke with the firmest tone he could manage.


    Soketsu: "First of all, what am I doing here?"


    Pabloc: "We carried you here for treatment, of course." The bespectacled scientist answered just as naturally as Gabe did beforehand.


    Soketsu: "But why?"


    Gabe: "Didn¡¯t I already answer that question?" The mad scientist grumbled while rubbing his forehead. "You were injured, so we took you to the infirmary."


    Soketsu: "I¡¯m asking why you did that."


    Gabe: "Because that¡¯s what you do when someone on the team gets hurt. Duh."


    Now this was an answer that finally seemed to go somewhere. The only problem was that Soketsu had a feeling he wasn¡¯t going to like that destination.


    Soketsu: "The team¡­?"


    Gabe: "Yeah. I mean, not right now, at least not yet, but you were and it¡¯s kind of a permanent membership thing and it¡¯s also kinda complicated. You are lucky we saved your health- and dental-care package for you." Gabe paused for a moment and with a smile added, "And your free parking space too."


    Soketsu looked at the man in the bed, then the scientist standing by the bedside, and after a few long seconds of quiet brain-wrecking he finally let out a defeated groan.


    Soketsu: "I give up. I don¡¯t know what you want to achieve by telling me we know each other¡­ but I¡¯m listening. For now."


    Gabe: "Oh. Good, I suppose." Gabe said while kicking off his blanket and sitting up cross-legged on his bed. This act was also revealing a teddy-bear print pajama, but Soketsu decided it wasn¡¯t prudent pointing it out and making fun of the man who just wiped the floor with him. "It¡¯s a pretty long story though, especially if you don¡¯t remember what happened 300 years ago..."


    A single eyebrow rose on the eye-patched man¡¯s face.


    Soketsu: "I¡¯m not that old."


    Gabe: "Oh, but you are. Well, not the you you, at least not technically, but that¡¯s another veeeeeeery long story."


    Soketsu looked all over his bandaged limbs before he turned to Gabe again.


    Soketsu: "Do I look like I¡¯m in a hurry?"


    The mad scientist blinked at Soketsu and suddenly burst into his familiar cackle, apparently finding the situation quite amusing. Soketsu didn¡¯t share his views.


    Gabe: "Well, no you don¡¯t. But we should wait for Ahaz first, he¡¯s way better at info-dumping than me¡­"


    Pabloc: "Now that you mention it, he arrived just a few hours ago. He should be here in any moment."


    Gabe: "Any moment, you say?" Gabe inquired with a knowing smile. "That means¡­ Three¡­ two¡­ one¡ª" Just as he reached the end of his countdown the door of the infirmary suddenly opened with a quiet hiss and a tall man wearing white clothes entered with a girl on his side. "Rrrrrright on cue, as always."


    The newcomer looked over the room and sent an annoyed glance towards the scientist on the bed. He was tall, not particularly muscular and wore a simple silver headband. His clothes were simple, following pre-Devastation fashion; light pants, a white shirt with a light gray west and a pair of elegant, similarly colored leather shoes.


    Soketsu¡¯s gaze however was actually drawn to the girl next to him. She looked fairly young, somewhere around her late teens, and had long, curly black hair. Unlike her monochrome companion she was wearing a more varied attire, sporting a pair of black jeans, a blue blouse and a loose amber-bead necklace around her neck. Those traits were secondary in importance though, as the main attraction the girl sported were the pair of feline ears perking up from the top of her head and the long cat¡¯s tail at her rear, apparently poking through a hole in her custom-made pants.


    The man glanced at Pabloc, then at Soketsu and Kay, giving both of them small nods in greeting, and finally turned back to the scientist in the bed with a barely visible frown.


    Ahazkun: "I¡¯m happy to see you too, Gabe."


    Gabe: "Yeah, yeah." The mad scientist gave a deadpan wave to the newcomer and a moment later hopped forward while still sitting cross-legged and flashed a mischievous smile at the catgirl. "Now, would you kindly step out the way so I can properly greet Tiari?"


    The mere mention of her name was enough to prompt the girl to hide herself behind Ahazkun while quietly hissing. To his amusement, Soketsu also noted that her ears were slightly twitching and pointing skyward.


    Gabe: "Tch. Cold as always¡­"


    While Gabe and Tiari was playing a pretty pointless game of hide and seek around the newcomer, Pabloc finally turned away from the medical equipment and returned the man¡¯s nod in kind.


    Pabloc: "Welcome back. How did it go?"


    Ahazkun: "Just as planned."


    Gabe: "Boooring¡­"


    The tall man¡¯s eyes jumped back to the mad scientist, this time his frown slightly more visible.


    Ahazkun: "Says the man who almost ruined our plans¡­ Again."


    Gabe: "What can I say? Following your strategies was never my strong point, and it was pretty much a given that I was going to have to take him down at the end." Suddenly the man¡¯s eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers again. "Oh, speaking of plans; I think Pabloc owes you five bucks."


    The scientist by the machine visible twitched at the mention of his name and faced Gabe.


    Pabloc: "Did you really have to remind him of that?"


    Gabe: "Yup." Gabe gave Pabloc a satisfied smile so wide it seemingly threatened to run off the sides of his face.


    Pabloc in turn just sighed in resignation and faced Ahazkun.


    Pabloc: "Right, I lost my bet."


    Ahazkun: "Of course you did." The white-clad man answered with a certain sense of detachment. "It was only a three percent chance."


    Pabloc: "Hey, at least I was trying!" The scientist sighed again and shrugged his shoulders. "Now where the hell should I find five dollars? It¡¯s a currency that¡¯s been out of print for three centuries and it wasn¡¯t even used on this part of the globe¡­"


    Ahazkun: "Why did we even bet in dollars again?" The tall man mused with a knowing glance at the bed-ridden scientist.


    Tiari: "Gabe¡¯s idea."


    Pabloc and Ahazkun nodded in unison the moment the girl¡¯s whispers reached their ears.


    Pabloc: "Gabe¡¯s idea indeed."


    Ahazkun: "Of course it was his idea."


    Pabloc: "Quite obvious in retrospect."


    Tiari: "And dumb."


    Ahazkun: "Don¡¯t be rude." Ahazkun suddenly chided his lover still hiding behind his back.


    Gabe: "What?" The man in the bed opened his arms in a comical expression and smiled at the united front of his comrades with the self-conscious cheerfulness of the jester. "What?"


    From Soketsu¡¯s point of view the scene unfolding in from of him was as strange as it was uncomfortable. It felt like he was an outsider who accidentally stumbled upon a school reunion where he knew no one. On the other hand though¡­


    Strange as it might have felt like, the situation seemed vaguely familiar. Not the exact details, but there was something eerily cozy about the circumstances, like as if he had already seen it play out countless times. It was a vexing feeling and the more he tried to concentrate on it the more it felt like it was slipping from his grasp.


    Ahazkun: "By the way, nice to see you again, Soketsu."


    Suddenly disturbed, Soketsu blinked at the tall man with an expression so dumbfounded even he would have found it hilarious in retrospect. At the moment though he couldn¡¯t help but groan and drop his tense shoulders in dejection as the topic reared its ugly head yet again.


    Soketsu: "¡­ Here we go again."


    Ahazkun: "I see¡­" The oracle¡¯s eyes seemed intent yet his face remained completely emotionless to the point where Soketsu actually felt a little uncomfortable while trying to match the man¡¯s gaze. "So you really don¡¯t remember after all. Not that surprising, it had a fairly high chance."


    Gabe: "Did you hear that Pabloc? That¡¯s another five bucks."


    Pabloc: "Oh, shut up¡­"


    The tall man looked over at the two and shook his head in disapproval but quickly turned back to Soketsu without saying a word to them and instead focused his full attention on the wounded man.


    Ahazkun: "No memories at all?"


    Soketsu: "I have no idea how to answer that. I don¡¯t even know what I am supposed to remember on the first place¡­"


    After a few moments of thinking Ahazkun turned towards the green-haired girl next to Soketsu, silently sitting beside him on his bed while nervously clutching his hand.


    Ahazkun: "You are Kay, right?"


    The girl was surprised for a second as she heard her name from the mouth of a stranger but she quickly pulled herself together.


    Kay: "Y-Yes. Pleased to meet you."


    The seemingly cold expression of the man suddenly gave way to a slight smile in face of the girl¡¯s shivering voice.


    Ahazkun: "The pleasure is all mine. If you would let me, I just want to introduce you to someone."


    Saying so, Ahazkun reached behind his back and gently shoved the catgirl to the front. For a second or two Tiari seemed so baffled by the sudden attention that she forgot to even put up any resistance.


    Ahazkun: "She is Tiari, my familiar."


    Both girls seemed confused and more than a little embarrassed by the awkward introduction, neither of them saying a word and instead just nervously staring at each other.


    Ahazkun: "I believe you haven¡¯t been here for long. Would it be all right if she gave you a tour around the town?"


    Kay: "Town?"


    Finally breaking out of her surprised stupor the catgirl suddenly turned around and glared at Ahazkun.


    Tiari: "Hey! Do I have a word in this!?"


    Ahazkun: "I will get you something nice in exchange later. Please be friendly with her, okay?"


    Tiari tried to protest, but after a few moments of soundless gasping she finally dropped her head in resignation.


    Tiari: "Oh, fine. If you want this to be a sausage-fest, be my guest! Come on!"


    Kay: "B-But¡­"


    The catgirl stomped over to Soketsu¡¯s bed, forcefully grabbed Kay¡¯s hand and stormed off with her through the infirmary door before the green-haired girl could really say anything, all the while fuming like an especially angry steam engine. What followed were a few moments of uncomfortable silence as the four men awkwardly glanced at each other.


    Gabe: "She still has problems with socializing, I see." Gabe broke the silence with his usual tact. "Not that I expected any improvement, being paired up with mister pokerface and everything¡­"


    The oracle sent an annoyed glance towards the bedridden scientist, but in the end he just sat down onto the end of his bed without saying a word and faced the man on the other bed instead.


    Soketsu seemed lost and somewhat fidgety after Kay left his side in such a sudden manner, but his eyes looked firm and a tiny bit hostile. Ahazkun met his gaze and returned it in kind, except without any hostility whatsoever, and instead spoke to him in a voice as dry and serious as a human throat could muster.


    Ahazkun: "Even if it makes no sense to you now, you will remember."


    For a moment Soketsu was taken aback by the tone of the man but then he answered with words dipped in vitriol.


    Soketsu: "So I don¡¯t have any choice in this matter, huh?"


    The oracle took a deep breath and spoke again, though this time his voice was more strained than before, like he was struggling not to let his own anxiety spill out, forcing his words into a low whisper.


    Ahazkun: "No. The Plan demands it."

 Ch 9: Couple for hire

    It was a bright and sunny day. Of course one could argue that when one was so close to the equator and so far from the oceans practically every day was guaranteed to be bright and sunny, but that¡¯s beside the point.


    For the town of Viginti it was most certainly a very nice day. The young settlement, the farthest town to the north of the core Order provincias and right on the border of the Black Desert was just in the middle of the annual celebrations of its founding. In fact Viginti might have been the only town on the entire continent with such a tradition and they were quite proud of it. Also very enthusiastic, as anyone could tell from the noises of the fair occupying the town square, its colored tents sharply contrasting the otherwise uniform blocky white buildings, all of them new constructions without any of the ruined buildings usually associated with the outskirts of an Order town.


    The reason for that was quite straightforward: Unlike the other cities under the Order¡¯s jurisdiction, Viginti was not built upon the ruins of a pre-Devastation era city. Well, at least technically.


    If one were to ask some of the older inhabitants, the first settlers of this land, they would very well remember the ruins that once sprawled the hills of the area. That is until it was completely wiped off the map in the most literal sense possible around twelve years ago.


    In its stead now stood a gigantic silver spire, its sharp tip reaching higher than any pre-Devastation skyscraper. Whatever created it also left a gigantic, several kilometers wide and perfectly circular crater in its wake centered on the massive structure in the middle.


    The spire itself was colossal to the point of absurdity, as its base it would have covered several city blocks, and its surface was made of a smooth, other-worldly material that seemed to be permanently polished to the point where it was hard to look at it during daylight. Counter-intuitively it didn¡¯t show any sight of internal or external structure and its elongated spiral appeared to be as if it was cast from one incredibly huge lump of silver. Very simple, very elegant and very, very big.


    The spire, now called Nov¡¯Elsfaan¡¯s Tower, became a rallying point for the more devout subjects of the Order, and even though there was no actual coordinated effort to settle the land like in the case of other cities, the enthusiasm of the settlers still turned it into a sprawling town in only the span of a decade.


    It also helped that the lands appeared to be completely devoid of the corruption, the dreaded last remnant of the Devastation that normally took years if not decades of hard work to eradicate before an area could be safely settled. The lack of it on the other hand meant that the establishment of the new settlement required only a fraction of the typical time span, resources and manpower of such an undertaking, so in the end the Order grudgingly accepted the unplanned settlement into its midst.


    With that came the trademarks of the Order; the cathedral built at the base of the spire, the templars, its police force, patrolling the streets and finally, the railroads.


    In the post-Devastation world, the Order¡¯s railroad system was the fastest and safest way of long-distance personal travel and trade. The huge yet sleek workhorses of the new world, these steam engines were the heralds of progress. Being connected to the railroad system solidified the survival and growth of the otherwise outlying town, bringing goods and new settlers from all corners of the continent and beyond.


    Thus, it was all the more surprising to see the good people of Viginti suspiciously eyeing the two newly arrived travelers at the train station. The pair was wearing pre-Devastation formal wear instead of the usual garbs associated with the hot climate. This alone would have been enough to raise a few eyebrows under normal circumstances, but there also seemed to be something else. It was hard to grasp why but there was something awfully off-putting about the very air around the pair.


    Woman: "Look, look! There are decorations!"


    The young woman excitedly pointed at the simple ornaments shaped like the spire scattered around the station, the skirt of her spotless white evening dress slightly flapping as she excitedly kept jumping up and down like a child. She was short, with delicate features that still retained a hint of childishness to them. Her long, straight black hair was kept in place by a few small ribbons, but beside those she didn¡¯t seem to wear any makeup or jewelry.


    Her partner, a man only slightly taller than her and clad in a fine black suit seemed to share her enthusiasm. He swept back his short black hair and slightly leaned forward so that they would be on the same eye-level before speaking up.


    Man: "Do you know what this means?"


    Woman: "We did it~!"


    Man: "Yes! We ran fast enough and we arrived the day before the Anniversary!"


    Woman: "Because of quantum!"


    Man&Woman: "Yay~~!"


    The two of them let out a strangely eerie laugh that seemed to be a little bit too synchronized, then stopped it at the exact same time and looked at each other.


    Man: "Quick, we have to find the abbey or the head guy will be mad."


    Woman: "Righto~!" The woman gave a fistpump, but then she suddenly fell silent as her smile turned into a frown. "But where is the abbey?"


    Man: "Now that you mention it, I don¡¯t know."


    The two of them both folded their arms in unison and gloomily faced each other, apparently not even registering the mix of curious, cautious and often confused eyes locked on them.


    Man: "What to do, what to do¡­?"


    Woman: "Ah!" Suddenly the woman dropped her fist into her open palm. "I know! Let¡¯s ask one of those knight guys! They should know!"


    Man: "You are right! You are so clever!"


    Woman: "Oh, you flatterer!" She giggled to herself and sent a charming glance at her companion. "So, where should we start looking?"


    Man: "I have heard they are supposed to be stationed in abbeys! That should be a good place to start!"


    Woman: "You are right! Now, where could we find an abbey¡­?"


    Man: "I don¡¯t know, we should ask someone."


    It looked like they were just about to enter into a self-repeating cycle, something which seemed to be a surprisingly common achievement of non-thinking between the pair, when their self-imposed looping was interrupted by the sound of a heavy thud coming from a few paces behind them.


    As they looked back in unison their eyes suddenly sparkled with revelation as they noticed the large black beast and its handler getting off the recently arrived cargo wagon. The man was wearing a sand brown uniform with a dark armored west over it, with laced ankle-boots and an equally dark cowl covering his head.


    It was easy to tell from a single glance that the man was a Knight of the Order, as he wore their elaborate insignia on his vest but wasn¡¯t wearing the shiny metallic armor associated with the Templars.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    If the Templars were the police force and peacekeepers of the land, then Knights were the frontline soldiers tasked with maintaining and expanding the borders of the Order. As such they had access to better equipment, better training and, most importantly, the means to deal with the Corruption they might encounter; such as the huge black beast lurking behind the man, dwarfing his otherwise impressive frame.


    The Type-O lazily looked around the bustling station, drawing the eyes of the young running around. The elderly on the other hand had learned to completely disregard the creature¡ª it was well known that they had inhibitors built into their bodies that wouldn¡¯t let them attack anyone without the explicit order of their care-taker. Yet at the same time the mere presence of the monster was unsettling enough so that no one, not even the more curious youngsters wanted to get anywhere near it. Well, except for two¡­


    Woman: "WOW! Look, Look! It¡¯s one of those things!"


    Man: "Yeah, those things were made from that thing!"


    Woman: "Oh look, it¡¯s looking at me with its little eyes! It¡¯s so cute~!"


    To the complete bafflement of the knight beside the monstrous Type-O, the odd couple began bustling around the beast without the slightest hint of concern or apprehension.


    Woman: "Hihihi! It¡¯s so funny looking! Why does it have such a small head?"


    Man: "I guess so that they can put a normal hat on it when it¡¯s raining. You know, so that they don¡¯t have to make big ones just for them."


    Woman: "Ah, you are right! I never thought of that! You are so clever!"


    Man: "Aw, you flatterer!"


    The two of them suddenly hugged each other and started giggling to themselves. At this point the knight was just about to get over his first shock and checked his surroundings for any signs of a practical joke, but the eyes of the people staring at them told him that he was not the victim of a prank. He let out a relieved sigh, though later he claimed that in retrospect he wished it was only a prank.


    He quickly straightened himself and looked over the two strangers frolicking around the huge black creature.


    Knight: "Excuse me, but what are you doing?"


    The man¡¯s voice was deep and rough like sandpaper and he spoke with as much authority as he could muster in face of the silly display in front of him.


    Man: "Oh, right¡­" The man in the suit stopped poking the shoulder of the Type-O and turned to the knight with a wave. "Hello, my name is Adhi¡ª"


    Woman: "And I am Kiseki!" The woman cheerfully added while trying to climb onto the shoulders of the slightly confused beast. "Say, how do you pet these things?"


    The knight looked at the two with a face solely reserved to impending natural catastrophes, the news that said catastrophe was an approaching army of flesh-eating bugs and the notion that said bugs would be wearing clown makeup. Paralyzed, horrified and incredulous. In that order.


    Knight: "We¡­ don¡¯t pet them."


    He finally squeezed the words out of his mouth, at which the woman¡¯s lips suddenly curled downwards in a positively cartoonish display.


    Adhi: "Awww¡­ I guess that¡¯s why he looks so sad."


    The armed man once again checked the place for any suspiciously giggling pranksters hiding somewhere in the crowd. He couldn¡¯t find any, and this time it made him feel less relieved. He didn¡¯t know yet, but he would later recall this moment as the one when his future irrevocably derailed in a weird direction¡ª but that is for a later.


    Knight: "What exactly are you¡ª?"


    Kiseki: "Look, look! I finally did it~!"


    The knight¡¯s question was interrupted by the woman, sitting on top of the shoulders of the black beast and raising her hands in triumph.


    Adhi: "Yay! I always believed you can do it!"


    The well-dressed man answered his partner¡¯s enthusiasm in kind, flailing his hands and chuckling like his life depended on it.


    Knight: "M-Madam¡­?" The knight¡¯s voice slowly trailed off as she stared at the spectacle of the small woman on top of the giant monster. "Please don''t¡­ pet the Type-O..."


    Kiseki: "Aww, but look at him! He has such cute yellow glowy eyes!" She answered while pouting and pinched the cheeks of the creature while grinning like a child. The beast didn¡¯t seem to mind the attention; in fact it barely registered the woman flailing on his shoulders. "Who''s the most adorable soulless abomination? You are! Yes, you!"


    Knight: "Madam, please..."


    Kiseki: "Oh, look, look! He likes it when I scratch it behind the ears! Can I keep it!? Pleeeease?"


    Adhi: "I don''t know... Isn''t he Order property? What do you think?"


    Kiseki: "I''m going to call him Mister Scruffles~!"


    Finally reaching the end of his wits, the man screamed out in frustration.


    Knight: "JUST WHAT THE HELL DO YOU PEOPLE WANT!?"


    For a moment the two looked at the man, then glanced at each other in mild confusion.


    Adhi: "Yes, right¡­!" The man suddenly hit his forehead in revelation and gave the knight a grin so wide he could see even his molars. It seemed anatomically impossible, but then again, the two were weird enough already that it barely registered with him. "We actually need directions."


    Knight: "Oh, really?"


    The biting tone of the reply went completely unnoticed as the man in the suit procured a piece of wrinkled paper from his inner pocket.


    Adhi: "Well, you see, we are not from around here."


    Knight: "You don¡¯t say¡­"


    Kiseki: "But we do." The woman smiled at the knight while still petting the head of the confused Type-O. "We are from the east, you know."


    Adhi: "Isn¡¯t it more like north from here?"


    Kiseki: "Now that you mention it¡­"


    Before the two could get into another spiel the knight decided it was in his best interest to interject and, if he was at that, find out just who the hell these two were.


    Knight: "Wait, you mean you are from the Union?"


    The knights eyes narrowed in understandable worry. The Eastern Union was practically the only other government retaining any sort of resemblance to an actual country in the post-Devastation era and they weren¡¯t exactly on friendly terms with the Order. Having visitors from them was unusual at best and highly suspicious under any other circumstances.


    Adhi: "Yup!" The man nodded with a broad smile. "To be precise, we are from a little town called¡ª"


    Knight: "What are you doing here?"


    For a moment it seemed like the man¡¯s scowl fazed the two, but then¡­


    Kiseki: "Hey! Cutting off people like that is rude!"


    Adhi: "Yes, very rude."


    Kiseki: "No wonder Mister Scruffles is so timid!" The woman began forcefully petting the beast. It looked a little more befuddled in response, though none of the people around it noticed. "The bad man must have neglected him!"


    Adhi: "How nasty!"


    Knight: "¡­"


    The soldier¡¯s gaze jumped back and forth between the two a few times. It was hard to tell just what thoughts were swirling behind his exhausted eyes, but in the end he raised his hands in resignation.


    Knight: "Fine, whatever! Just tell me where you want to go and be on your way!"


    Adhi: "Yes, we are supposed to go to¡­" He turned the page upside down, then back again, and then finally showed it to the woman on top of the Type-O. "How do you spell this?"


    Kiseki: "Oh, silly!" She giggled with an absentminded mirth and leaned forwards to snatch the paper. "It¡¯s an abbey called Sextant Aquaduct. We were supposed to meet the abbot there, I think."


    For a moment the knight arched his brows in confusion and softly said.


    Knight: "You mean Sextus Aquilonis?"


    Adhi: "Yes, that!"


    The man once again looked at the two with a mixture of emotions.


    Knight: "Are you sure?"


    The two nodded and the knight suddenly dropped his shoulders in despair.


    Knight: "That abbey is on the other side of the continent!"


    Kiseki: "It is?" The woman in the white dress raised her hands to her cheeks. "What should we do?"


    Adhi: "Don¡¯t worry darling, we just take a train there¡­" After a moment of hesitation Adhi turned back to the knight at his side. "To where, exactly?"


    Knight: "To Duodecim."


    Adhi: "Righto! The next train is going there¡­" He quickly ran over to the column in the middle of the pier and checked the timetable on it, then ran back. "Right now!"


    Knight: "What?" The man looked over to the track, and surely there was a train that was just in the middle of firing up its engines.


    Kiseki: "Aw, what a pity¡­" Kiseki looked sad for a moment, but a second later she already bounced back into a juvenile smile. "Oh, but look at the bright side! Now we can play with Mister Scruffles until the next train comes!"


    The armed man suddenly went pale. He looked at the man in the suit, absent-mindedly grinning at his partner while praising her attitude, then the woman who was giggling to herself in face of the praises showered on her, then finally at the monster underneath her, and he felt like he was looking at a puppy that was besieged by two rambunctious kids. This took about two seconds.


    Then he glanced behind himself to see that the wheels of the train slowly started moving with a loud screeching noise. This took one more second.


    Finally, he looked back at the pair one more time and contemplated his choices. It took about one millionth of a second and then he spun around and bellowed from the top of his lungs.


    Knight: "STOP THAT TRAIN! IN THE NAME OF THE ORDER AND NOV¡¯ELSFAAN, STOP THAT BLOODY TRAIN!!!"


    And with that he took off chasing after the slowly accelerating vehicle like as if an entire army of flesh eating clown bugs were at his heel. The odd couple watched him go, and then the woman giggled to herself with a low voice.


    Kiseki: "Such a nice, helpful man, isn¡¯t he?"

 Ch 10: Histories

    Gabe looked around in a slow, deliberate fashion, deeply nodding at each of the men present in the infirmary until his lips finally curved into a cheery smile quite unbefitting the heavy air of the room.


    Gabe: "So the four of us are finally together once again. How nostalgic! No, in fact, vintage!" Once again glancing around, the mad scientist groaned loudly at the sight of the sour faces in the silent room. "Oh, come on people! What¡¯s with the long faces! This is a historical moment and you guys act like you are on a Christmas dinner at your perverted uncle!"


    The first to break out of the spell was Pabloc, who slowly reached for his glasses as he spoke in a thoughtful manner.


    Pabloc: "Historical or not, there is no time to be carefree. This might be an important moment for the four of us but it¡¯s also way too close to the worst-case scenario."


    Soketsu involuntarily raised his eyes upon the scientist with renewed interest.


    Soketsu: "Exactly what kind of worst-case scenario are we talking about again?"


    Ahazkun: "The possibility where you don¡¯t remember your past at all and all our plans will crumble because of that."


    The mad scientist rolled his eyes and lightly hit the overly serious man in the back of the head.


    Gabe: "Oh come on, don¡¯t be so dramatic! He is going to remember everything, or I¡¯m gonna punch him until he does."


    Now it was the bespectacled man¡¯s turn to roll his eyes in mild irritation.


    Pabloc: "Here you go again with your barbaric methods¡­"


    Gabe: "Hey! It may actually work! Ahaz said so!"


    Ahazkun: "When I said it has a zero point zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero eight percent chance of working, I meant it as a synonym of ¡®No.¡¯."


    Gabe: "Oh, that¡¯s a low chance all right¡­" Gabe nodded absentmindedly and then immediately flashed a grin at Pabloc. "Hey Pabloc, do you want to¡ª"


    Pabloc: "No, I am not betting five bucks on it. Drop it already."


    The mad scientist clicked his tongue.


    Gabe: "Tch. Party poopers."


    Soketsu: "¡­ Could we move onto the discussion please?" Soketsu interrupted. "This is getting us nowhere."


    Gabe: "Meh, whatever." Gabe said as he sat straight again and cracked his knuckles, making sure Soketsu was looking. "But if words don¡¯t jog his memory I still have my dibs on punching him first, right?"


    The bedridden man blinked at the mad scientist and, for a lack of better options, turned to the tall man sitting at the end of his bed.


    Soketsu: "Is he serious?"


    Ahazkun: "Disregard him. He is just stupid that way. It¡¯s you who we need to talk about anyway."


    Soketsu: "I feel a little uncomfortable, but I guess it¡¯s still better than listening to him."


    Ahazkun: "Agreed."


    Gabe: "Hey! I¡¯m still in the room, you know!"


    The two continued on with their conversation without even batting an eyelid.


    Ahazkun: "So, first of all: Are you sure you do not remember anything?"


    Soketsu paused for a moment. He would have also stroked his chin too, no doubt, if only he could move his hands. In the end he settled with lightly shaking his head.


    Soketsu: "As I said, I don¡¯t even know what you think I should be remembering, so no, I don¡¯t suppose I do."


    Ahazkun: "Then let me ask you this way: Have you ever felt that places you have never been before were familiar? Or that you know people who you never met before?"


    Soketsu: "¡­ Well, I can¡¯t say I haven¡¯t¡­" The man hesitated for a moment, but then remembered that he was supposed to be a bit more skeptical about things, taken his situation. "But isn¡¯t that just¡­ what is the word¡­ d¨¦j¨¤ vu?"


    Pabloc: "Normally? Maybe. In your case? Definitely not."


    In the meantime Ahazkun raised his right hand to his chin and began studying Soketsu.


    Ahazkun: "Good. It means there is hope after all. What about dreams? Have you ever had strange dreams about the events of the Reckoning War?"


    Soketsu¡¯s eyes immediately snapped back to the oracle with a dubious glint.


    Soketsu: "Wait a moment¡­What does the Reckoning War of all things have to do with this situation?"


    Ahazkun: "Everything. Everything ended there and began anew." Ahazkun¡¯s voice suddenly dropped into a low whisper. "Your fate was intertwined with ours in that orchestra of deceit, both as composer, conductor and performer."


    The bedridden man blinked at Ahazkun as slowly as he could manage, but since the message apparently didn¡¯t get through, he caustically added:


    Soketsu: "¡­ Okay, now you are just being cryptic¡­"


    Pabloc: "Agreed." The bespectacled man brought a chair over in the meantime and took a seat next to Soketsu¡¯s bed as well. "I think it¡¯s in our best interest that I take over from here."


    At first it seemed like Ahazkun wanted to object, but a subtle but sharp glare from the scientist made him reconsider.


    Ahazkun: "Very well. I will look into the exact probabilities of the current situation, please don¡¯t disturb me."


    Saying so, the tall man suddenly slumped his shoulders and began staring at the floor in a manner that Soketsu could best describe as if he was actually staring into the inside of his own eyeballs, though even he had no idea why he had this thought or how that would actually work. In the end he let out a small sigh and tried to shrug his shoulders, though the searing pain in his joints quickly discouraged him from the latter.


    Soketsu: "I really don¡¯t get you people¡­"


    Pabloc: "No wonder. We are really not showing our best side here." Pabloc grumbled while producing another sneaky glare, this time aimed at the mad scientist absentmindedly scratching his ear on the other bed. Unlike the oracle, he didn¡¯t seem to care, so the scientist turned back to Soketsu. "Anyways, could you tell me everything that you actually do remember?"


    Soketsu: "About the Reckoning War?"


    Pabloc: "Exactly."


    With a small gesture of his hand Pabloc beckoned a small writing table from the other side of the room and it obediently flew over to him and landed in his hand. He pulled out a pen from one of the many pockets of his white MD coat and nodded to Soketsu.


    Pabloc: "You can begin now."


    The man blinked at the scientist a few times, trying to comprehend just what on earth he wanted to write down, but in the end he decided to just go with the flow for the moment.


    He took a deep breath and collected his thoughts as much as the blunt pain of his bones and his fatigue would let him and spoke up with a quiet voice unbefitting his large frame.


    Soketsu: "I never really studied history, so please excuse me if my knowledge of the events is a little¡­ spotty. If I remember well, which I might not, it was a war between the¡­ I think it was called the Fairy Nation and some other army. It lasted only a few days and then Nov¡¯Elsfaan descended to stop the battle between the two leaders."


    Pabloc: "And those leaders were?"


    Soketsu: "One of them was the founder of the Order, the First Prophet, Gabriel Zhul¡­"


    The mad scientist in the other bed coughed in a manner that could be called anything but inconspicuous and winked at Soketsu, who visibly twitched in response.


    Pabloc: "And?"


    Soketsu: "Errr¡­ yes." Quickly recollecting himself after the intermezzo, Soketsu steeled his expression again. "I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not even sure his name was recorded."


    This time Gabe shuffled beside the still concentrating Ahazkun and began pointing towards him while repeatedly winking at Soketsu. After a brief moment of shuddering the injured man turned back to Pabloc with an exhausted expression.


    Soketsu: "Is he always like that."


    Pabloc: "Hm?" The scientist glanced up from the paper in his hand, but by that time Gabe was already back under his blankets and smiled at him like a well-fed cat. Pabloc tweaked his glasses and turned back to his patient. "You will get used to it after a while. Just pretend he is not there."


    Gabe: "Hey, that¡¯s not very nice."


    Pabloc: "So then," Pabloc slightly raised his voice while turning his back on Gabe, "What do you know about Nov¡¯Elsfaan?"


    Soketsu: "Nov¡¯Elsfaan is the living god whose infinite wisdom¡ª"


    Pabloc: "I meant the historical Nov¡¯Elsfaan."


    Soketsu: "Oh." It took the man a second to collect his thoughts on the matter before speaking up again. "He is the physical god that descended from a higher plane of existence and disappeared shortly after he shared his wisdom with the First Prophet."


    Once again Gabe started gesturing towards himself. Following Pabloc¡¯s advice and paying him no attention made him stop pretty fast this time.


    Pabloc: "All right. Our last topic is the Devastation. What can you tell about it?"


    Soketsu: "The Devastation?" Soketsu grumbled. "What does it have to do with the Reckoning War or Nov¡¯Elsfaan?"


    Pabloc: "Actually, they are linked quite tightly." Pabloc declared while adjusting his glasses. "But back to the original topic: The Devastation?"


    Soketsu sighed in resignation and once again began organizing his memories.


    Soketsu: "The Devastation¡­ It came about a year after the end of the Reckoning War. Maybe two. I am not really good with dates."


    Pabloc: "Never mind, just continue."


    Soketsu: "So, it started with It suddenly appearing in one of the old cities."


    Pabloc: "By ¡®it¡¯ you mean¡­?"


    Soketsu: "It. The Enemy. The Grand Beast. The Devourer. It was this huge, amorphous black blob. Or a giant mechanical monster. Or a dragon. I don¡¯t think there is one definite description of it, but it just appeared out of thin air and started wrecking the planet. "


    Soketsu stopped for a moment as he noticed the scientist¡¯s brows rising and bafflement.


    Soketsu: "Did I say something strange?¡±


    Pabloc: "No, just¡­" The scientist wiped his forehead and tweaked his glasses again. "Wow. Dragon? Really?"


    Soketsu: "Well, they didn¡¯t call it a dragon as far as I know, but it was pretty much described as one. Why?"


    Pabloc: "Honestly? I¡¯m just wondering what kind of incompetent idiots the Order is employing as historians. I mean, Christ! A dragon of all things! How do you even¡ª?"


    Soketsu: "Errr¡­ I¡¯m getting a little lost here¡­"


    Finally the scientist focused his eyes on Soketsu again and let out an apologetic cough.


    Pabloc: "Sorry, I got a little side-tracked here myself."


    Soketsu: "No worries. I got pretty sidetracked as well. I mean, I came here to capture you and instead I am giving you a history lesson."


    Gabe: "A very inaccurate history lesson." The mad scientist interrupted with a smug nod.


    Soketsu: "Bite me. I am a Rover, not a historian."


    Pabloc: "Gentlemen? Could we get back to the topic?"


    Soketsu: "Might as well." Soketsu cleared his throat and continued in a level voice. "So when It appeared, whatever it actually was, all forms of electronic communications were disrupted by the Corruption. Do you want me to elaborate on that one as well?"


    Pabloc: "You don¡¯t need to do that. It¡¯s only tangentially relevant, and we already know way more about it than you ever would."


    Soketsu: "Good riddance. This is already getting pretty long."


    Gabe: "Tell me about it¡­"


    Soketsu: "It would have probably gone better if someone wasn¡¯t interrupting us all the time¡­"The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    With that the two bedridden men proceeded to trade quips with each other. In the meantime Pabloc quickly skimmed over his notes and let a barely audible groan escape his lips in frustration.


    Pabloc: "Just for the record, you don¡¯t find any of these records you just told me strange in any way?"


    Soketsu: "Well¡­" The man tore away his glare from Gabe and seemed to ponder for a moment. In the end he shook his head. "Not really, no. It¡¯s just history."


    Pabloc: "And you never felt like it was somehow wrong or incomplete?"


    Soketsu: "Honestly, I wanted to get the lessons over with so ¡®being complete¡¯ was the last thing I cared about."


    Gabe: "Hah!" The man suddenly cracked up with an amused grin. "He might not have his memories back yet, but that¡¯s classic Soketsu right there!"


    Soketsu: "And what is that supposed to mean?" Soketsu glared back at the less than flattering tone of Gabe¡¯s words.


    Gabe: "That you are kinda¡ª"


    Pabloc: "¡ªpractical." Pabloc interjected with a withering glare before returning his gaze to Soketsu. "Anyways, I suppose that¡¯s all for the first phase."


    Gabe: "Yup. Although I could have told you things would turn out like this. I mean, if official history was all that¡¯s needed to jog his memory, we wouldn¡¯t be here right now, would we?"


    Soketsu raised a brow with a skeptical expression at Gabe¡¯s words.


    Soketsu: "¡®Official history¡¯, you say?"


    Gabe: "Yeah. I guess it¡¯s time to hear the proper version, right?"


    Pabloc nodded in response and slightly shook Ahazkun¡¯s shoulder.


    Ahazkun: "Yes?"


    The man opened his eyes wide for a second as if he was just woken from his sleep and looked at Pabloc. Before the bespectacled man could say a word Gabe suddenly put his arm around the oracle¡¯s nape with a childish grin.


    Gabe: "Morning, buddy! It¡¯s time for your specialty! Info-dumping!"


    Ahazkun sent a slightly annoyed glance at the mad scientist¡¯s direction and swept off the man¡¯s arm from his shoulder with a lazy swipe of his hand.


    Pabloc: "Were you listening?"


    Ahazkun: "Mostly. Our chances are pretty grim."


    Gabe: "Here you go with your chances again. Like they ever did us any good on the first place¡­"


    The oracle frowned at the mad scientist but in the end didn¡¯t respond to his goading. He silently limbered up his neck and shoulders and focused his gaze on Soketsu instead.


    Ahazkun: "Where should I even begin¡­?"


    Pabloc handed him over his notes and pointed at the top of one of the pages with a small smirk.


    Pabloc: "Here, we should start with the Reckoning War and then move on from there."


    Ahazkun: "I see." Ahazkun quickly scanned over the pages, occasionally nodding to himself, and in the end gave an appreciative nod to Pabloc. "Thank you."


    Pabloc: "Much obliged."


    The oracle finally cleared his throat and looked over at the man in the other bed. Soketsu was looking at him expectantly, with curiosity and anxiety mixed in his gaze in equal measures.


    Ahazkun: "The Reckoning War," With cold detachment, the man much less spoke the words than spat them out like they were a painful memory he would rather forget. "The part you know about the war seems reasonably correct. There really was a Fairy Nation led by the man about to say something stupid right behind me."


    Gabe: "Hey! Using clairvoyance for things like that is cheating!" The mad scientist complained in an obviously tongue-in-cheek manner.


    Ahazkun: "I didn¡¯t use clairvoyance. I just know you."


    Gabe: "Ugh¡­ Touch¨¦."


    Ahazkun: "Anyways," The man turned back to Soketsu like the previous exchange didn¡¯t even happen and continued in the exact same tone. "As for the other faction, it was a hastily created army made of cybernetics and simians used for lab-testing dressed as Japanese assassins."


    Soketsu: "¡­ Excuse me?"


    Ahazkun: "Please don¡¯t interrupt."


    Soketsu: "Say that before you try to tell me that there was an army of robot monkeys next time, thank you very much."


    Ahazkun: "Cybernetic simians, but that¡¯s beside the point."


    Soketsu: "I beg to differ!"


    Pabloc raised a hand a spoke to Soketsu while trying to keep his voice as level as possible.


    Pabloc: "Please hear us out first. Things are going to make¡­" He paused for a moment and then let out a defeated sigh. "Some sense by the end."


    The bandaged man didn¡¯t answer for a while. In the end he dropped his shoulders and groaned in resignation, which Ahazkun took as a signal to continue.


    Ahazkun: "As I was saying, it was a makeshift army that was led by me. Our goal was to cause an event so outrageous that the media had no chance but to focus all their attention to us, and we decided that a war between flesh and blood fairies and cybernetic simian assassins was about as good as we could get."


    Soketsu: "Wait¡­ Are you telling me the whole Reckoning War was a publicity stunt?"


    Ahazkun: "In practical terms, yes." The man nodded with an expression of outmost seriousness. "We needed something that would draw the attention of all of humanity in one way or another for our future plans, and the war served the purpose and¡ª"


    Suddenly Soketsu raised one of his bandaged hands, albeit with visible effort, stopping the oracle mid-sentence.


    Soketsu: "Okay, I promise I won¡¯t interrupt anymore, but can I have two questions?"


    Ahazkun: "Yes?"


    Soketsu: "Right, so¡­ First off, fairies are real?"


    For a second the three men in front of Soketsu blinked at him in unison, like he just asked a question so dumb it took them several seconds just to process it.


    Gabe: "Of course they are real! What kind of question is that!?"


    The mad scientist seemed oddly upset about the issue, much more so than the other two, so Soketsu decided to quickly drop this particular line of inquiry and move on as fast as possible.


    Soketsu: "Right, just checking. So, my second question is¡­ Errr¡­ You do realize that all of this happened more than three centuries ago, right?"


    Ahazkun: "Yes?"


    Soketsu: "Yet you say that you," Soketsu pointed at Ahazkun, then turned to the mad scientist. "¡­ and you were there. Doesn¡¯t that sound a little, you know, crazy to you?"


    Gabe: "Actually, Pabloc was there too. He made the cyborg assassin ninja monkeys."


    Pabloc: "Apes, and I told you already that calling them ¡®assassin ninja¡¯ is redundant."


    Now it was the bandaged man¡¯s turn to return the previously received incredulous stares to the sender.


    Gabe: "Not to mention, you were there too, though I honestly can¡¯t remember what you were doing back then. Painting the kitchen, I guess?"


    Soketsu: "Oh, great¡ª So now even I am three hundred years old." Soketsu rolled his eyes with as much flair as he could muster. "When was this supposed to start making sense again?"


    Pabloc: "It¡¯s a little more complicated than that."


    Soketsu: "Really? Fantastic. More complicated is just what we need!"


    Ahazkun: "Project Rebirth is a discussion for a later time, and I fear once Gabe finishes telling you the details you will wish you never asked."


    Soketsu: "Why? Too gruesome?"


    Pabloc: "Worse." Pabloc quipped gloomily. "Boring."


    Soketsu: "¡­ Oh."


    Using the momentarily silence, Ahazkun quickly caught the reins of the discussion again by tapping on the notes in his hand.


    Ahazkun: "Back to the war. As you know, Nov¡¯Elsfaan descended during the final battle and thus the war ended. At least on the surface."


    Soketsu: "What? I hope you are not trying to tell me that the war is still going on or something¡­"


    Ahazkun: "Actually, there was no war to end there."


    Soketsu: "Oh¡­ Okay, so we have been talking about a war that was actually a publicity act that actually wasn¡¯t even there. Yup, this just keeps getting better."


    Ahazkun: "Would you please stay silent for a while? We are never going to get to the end of this at this rate." After a moment of intense staring contest Soketsu grudgingly conceded and gave a nod to the oracle. "You are technically right, except that it wasn¡¯t a war to begin with. It was a giant experiment conducted by the four of us, following a tight script and every event of the war was planned out in advance."


    Soketsu: "I have a bad feeling about this, but¡­ What was the goal of this experiment again?"


    Ahazkun looked eye to eye with Soketsu, apparently taking the new interruption in stride and spoke in an even dryer voice than before.


    Ahazkun: "To summon Nov¡¯Elsfaan, of course."


    The Rover¡¯s eyes first opened wide, not in shock or surprise, but in the almost childishly innocent pity one shows to someone clearly insane without actually offending them. The gaze meeting his own was, on the other hand, deadly serious, prompting him to narrow his eyes again and silently nod, apparently giving the man the benefit of the doubt for the moment.


    Ahazkun: "On a second thought, summoning might be the wrong term. All that we did was creating the exact circumstances required to gain his interest, and we succeeded with flying colors."


    Soketsu: "So, even if I presume that what you are telling me is true and not just the ramblings of some madmen as they sound like¡­ What does that have to do with me?"


    Ahazkun: "That is the second part of the story. I could only predict things as far as Nov¡¯Elsfaan¡¯s descent, so we had no back-up plans when the Bahden Glis appeared."


    Soketsu: "Baden what now?"


    Gabe: "The dragon." Gabe quipped, an act which was immediately followed by the sound of several small objects crossing the airspace of the room. In the meantime Pabloc lightly cleared his throat and gave a small smile to Soketsu.


    Pabloc: "What he means is the thing you call ¡®The Enemy¡¯ and such. And by the way, no, it was most definitely not a dragon."


    Ahazkun: "It wasn¡¯t as much a creature as it was a force of nature. It had a physical form, but the real threat was its Corruption spreading through anything and everything with an electrical current. The more complex the system the worse the Corruption wrecked it. In only a few days it leveled most of the developed countries just by courtesy of destroying infrastructure and driving people crazy, and then the rest was glassed with nuclear strikes to contain its spread. Of course it did nothing to the Bahden Glis, only killed even more people."


    Gabe: "And made the thing radioactive, don¡¯t forget about that." Gabe added while rubbing his forehead and tucking a handful of pens into his pocket, all the while sending annoyed glances at the bespectacled scientist by his bedside.


    Ahazkun: "Of course at that point we did the best that we could, but our response was late. We could only defeat the Bahden Glis almost a year after it first appeared. By that time it not only destroyed most of the modern civilization, its corruption also destroyed huge swathes of the fertile farmlands wherever it went, leading to a worldwide famine on top of everything else. Even its defeat cost us dearly. "


    Soketsu: "As in¡­?"


    Pabloc: "You."


    Soketsu abruptly glanced over to the scientist on his left, playing with the temple of his glasses.


    Soketsu: "You mean¡­?"


    Ahazkun: "You took it upon yourself to assault the Bahden Glis before it could move onto the only spared continent, even though the preparations weren¡¯t ready yet."


    Soketsu: "So you want to tell me that I was the one who killed the Bade¡ª, I mean It?"


    Gabe: "Well, technically mutual annihilation involves killing it, so yeah; I guess that¡¯s what we are trying to tell you." Gabe told him with almost apathetic nonchalance.


    Soketsu: "And I am here now because¡­?"


    Gabe: "Ah, that was Project Rebirth. We collected all the bits of you that we could find and used them to send your Core into the future, that is technically our current present, to grow up so we could reunite again and have this lovely conversation." The mad scientist paused for a moment and then added, "By the way, your Core is like your soul, except it¡¯s real and you can use it to make reality do a stand-up routine for you with some training."


    Pabloc: "And then we followed after you by doing the same to our Cores."


    Soketsu: "¡­ and you did all this because¡­?"


    Ahazkun: "Because the circumstances required to contact Nov¡¯Elsfaan are lining up again in the near future and we need your help so that we can fix the world that we destroyed."


    For a few second Soketsu was silent, face aghast and periodically shifting trough a handful of other, similarly horrified combination of expressions until he finally spoke again.


    Soketsu: "So, just to see if I got this right¡­ I am supposed to be the reincarnation of some sort of hero from three centuries ago whom, along with you, who are also reincarnated since then, first scammed a physical god and then fought the thing that destroyed the pre-Devastation civilization, and now you want me along for the second round?"


    Gabe: "In broad strokes, yes."


    The man stared at the mad scientist, then his gaze moved over to the other two men in the room. They all looked solemn but expectant at the same time. In the end he pointed at Pabloc and spoke.


    Soketsu: "You are crazy," His finger moved over to Ahazkun. "You are insane," Finally he settled down on Gabe. "And as for you, I simply don¡¯t know a word that can even begin to explain how mad you are!"


    Gabe: "Tch. Harsh."


    While saying so, the mad scientist threw off his blankets and started messing with his slippers. In the meantime Pabloc also moved closer and spoke in a reserved voice.


    Pabloc: "I know this all must sound crazy to you, but please try to think about it for a moment and¡ª"


    Soketsu: "What is there to think about? You are all obviously delusional madmen, and I can¡¯t think I single reason why I would ever¡ª"


    The sloppy sound of a hand hitting a hard surface echoed in the room for a moment, observed by two baffled pairs of eyes and by one victim who appeared to be a little slow on the uptake.


    Soketsu: "Ouch!"


    It took Soketsu almost a whole five second to actually speak up in complaint and reach for the top of his aching head.


    Ahazkun&Pabloc: "Gabe!"


    Gabe: "What?" The mad scientist raised his voice in protest. "I told you I will punch him if he didn¡¯t remember! Did it work?"


    For the moment Soketsu could only hold his head in pain. Probably because of his previous injuries the mad scientist¡¯s comparatively weak smack echoed in his aching head like a hammer striking an anvil and he felt like his brain was about to split open from the pain, littering his field of vision with an entire sky¡¯s worth of dancing stars.


    Soketsu: What the hell are you doing you bastard!?"


    Gabe: "Nope, it didn¡¯t work. Let me try that again."


    Before Gabe could move again, Pabloc suddenly appeared behind him and grabbed hold of his hand.


    Pabloc: "You are not helping! You cannot do that to an injured person!"


    Gabe: "Oh come on, just one more whack and he will be as good as new! It works on my old TV!"


    Soketsu: "For god¡¯s sake, someone get Jill over here already!"


    Burdened by his headache and already high-strung by the previous discussion, Soketsu¡¯s roared out with such frustration it seemed like the entire infirmary quaked in response.


    The three other men in the room froze in mid-motion with varying degrees of surprise plastered on their faces. Gabe let down his raised hand with a small frown flickering in his eyes, only for Pabloc to push him away from Soketsu¡¯s bed with excitement he had never seen in the man before. Or did he? It suddenly seemed hard to tell.


    Pabloc: "Jill? Do you remember her?"


    Soketsu: "Yes, that little fairy advi¡­ sor¡­?" Soketsu paused as he was trying to make sense of the words coming from his own mouth. "Wait¡­ How do I¡­?"


    Ahazkun: "Please continue."


    Soketsu blinked at the oracle. His face seemed so much more expressive than before, though he could not tell what actually had changed about him. At the same time, his lips involuntarily started forming the words flooding from a strangely alien corner of his own mind.


    Soketsu: "There was this fairy¡­ About this tall, green clothes, blue dragonfly wings¡­" Soketsu paused again, suddenly finding the idea of fairies much more plausible than only a few minutes ago. It felt both normal and really vexing, but he continued nevertheless. "She was always with him, like one of those little morality angels on his shoulder tugging at his ears whenever he was getting out of hand. If not for her, I am sure I would have strangled Gabe a long time¡­ ago¡­ I¡­ Why is¡­?"


    The man¡¯s words slowly trailed off into confused mumbling, but by then Pabloc was already at his side and gently pushed him back into a half-lying position again.


    Pabloc: "Calm down. Take a deep breath and try to organize your thoughts, one memory at a time. How much do you remember?"


    Soketsu: "I¡­ Don¡¯t know. I¡¯m a little confused right now."


    Ahazkun: "It¡¯s okay. It will be clear in time." He said, his voice full of relief and warm reassurance that sounded unusually profound from the stoic oracle¡¯s lips. It somehow made Soketsu feel at ease for the first time since... he couldn¡¯t even remember the last time. It felt good even though it was tainted with exhaustion and confusion.


    He was still trying to tame his rushing memories when the door of the infirmary opened with a quiet hiss. In the heat of the moment the others probably wouldn¡¯t have even realized it if Gabe didn¡¯t speak up from the doorway.


    Gabe: "I¡¯m going home now. See you later."


    The bespectacled man spun around so hard he almost dropped the syringe he was preparing.


    Pabloc: "Wait, where do you think you are going?"


    The man standing between the doorframes seemed uncharacteristically gloomy and gave an almost hostile frown in response to Pabloc¡¯s worried words. It looked like it took a considerable amount of effort but in the end he managed to wipe away said frown and speak in a controlled voice.


    Gabe: "Soketsu seems to be fine, so I have no reason to stay here. I was only staying here because the beds were comfy anyways. I better get back to my work."


    He added ¡®I have work to do¡­¡¯ in a mumbling whisper that was just loud enough for Pabloc to hear, obviously not by mistake. After a moment of consideration the man in the white coat finally nodded.


    Pabloc: "¡­ Fine. I¡¯ll call you if something happens."


    Gabe: "You do that."


    With those words in parting, the mad scientist left the room with heavy steps. Soketsu couldn¡¯t help but take notice of the man¡¯s expression, pained yet trying his best to hide it. It obviously didn¡¯t work out for him.


    Moments later a sharp spike of pain reminded him that he had no time wondering about such things. A staggering amount of familiar memories kept swirling within his head, and most of them went completely against the current mainframe of his past.


    In the end he could feel a numbing exhaustion overcome him, no doubt thanks to some of the drugs Pabloc gave to him before the mad scientist left, and he slowly began slipping into a restless sleep, not entirely against his wishes.


    After Soketsu finally fell asleep Pabloc returned to the medical apparatus he had been operating earlier with a conflicted expression bordering between silent contemplations and utter disbelief.


    At the end he turned to the other man silently staring at the sleeping figure of their comrade and said;


    Pabloc: "What were the chances of the punch-to-the-head approach again?"


    The oracle sent him a sharp glance and answered in the driest tone he could manage.


    Ahazkun: "Zero point zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero eight percent."


    Pabloc: "That¡¯s¡­" The scientist seemed to be counting for a moment. "One in one thousand and twenty-five hundred million."


    Ahazkun: "Roughly."


    Pabloc fell silent while working on the medical equipment and then suddenly he let out a small groan.


    Pabloc: "¡­ I knew should have taken that bet after all¡­"

 Ch 11: Girl-talk

    Tiari: "Oh come on! Where is it?!"


    Kay: "¡­"


    The scene in the room was fairly unusual by most standards. By Kay¡¯s, it was more awkward than anything else. The main reason for that lied in the fact that she had been sitting in silence for the last half hour or so on a large bed in a spacious suite. It is a well known law of nature that the bigger the room, the more awkward is the silence in it; and this room was very, very big.


    On the flipside it didn¡¯t seem to bother her feline companion, as she was too busy frantically rummaging through the huge suitcase taking up most of the space on top of the other bed.


    For lack of better things to do, Kay was wordlessly observing the place. She would have been the first to concede that she knew little of the facility she was staying at, mostly because she spent all her time in the infirmary, but the size and lavishness of the bedroom was the last thing she would have expected from the place.


    While the air in the room was slightly stale, a testament of its sporadic use, it was clean and well-maintained. The colonial-style wooden furniture stood in sharp contrast with the white walls and dark hardwood floor, both dressed in a soft yellow light by the two large standing lamps in the far corners. One side of the large room was dedicated to a wooden coffee-table surrounded by a set of padded armchairs while the other side was dominated by the two large beds, their oaken frame polished and waxed to the point of mirror shine.


    Of course Kay wasn¡¯t exactly well-versed in interior decoration, so the minute details boiled down to two easy to grasp facts in her mind.


    Number one: the room was something even an Order Cardinal would have a hard time scoffing at, and if she had learned anything during her interactions with the various prelates of the Order is that scoffing at things was their bread and butter. She even wondered if it was part of the job description.


    Number two: the bed she was sitting on was the softest thing she ever touched in her life. Not only that, it was bouncy too! So bouncy in fact that she repeatedly had to fight down the urge to hop onto it and start jumping up and down in glee lest she would offend the owner of the room. Speaking of her¡­


    Tiari: "It was supposed to be here!"


    Kay shrunk back a little as the catgirl grumbled. The situation was awkward but nothing she couldn¡¯t bear. Thankfully the pain in her arm where the infusion was attached has already faded to a tiny itch and she actually felt really refreshed. It seemed like this viridia-infusion, as Pabloc called it, was actually working. All things considered she was all right. On the other hand¡­


    Tiari: "Argh! I have been looking for this for weeks and I find it when I don¡¯t need it anymore! Typical!"


    ¡­the strange girl with the cat-ears whom she was hastily introduced to was just in the middle of throwing away a small plastic bottle while furiously mumbling to herself under her breath.


    By this time Kay had already observed her emptying, scattering, recollecting, repacking and then once again emptying the contents of her briefcase at least three times in a row for no apparent avail. She was silently watching her all this time, though not by choice. She just didn¡¯t have a single clue on how to start a conversation.


    Truth be told, she had little to no experience when it came to casual chats. Or conversing with girls around her age. Or older ones. Or any girls at all. Now that she actually thought about it for a second, she had absolutely no idea how to approach anyone. The more she thought about, the clearer it became that she only interacted with Soketsu in the past few years. Him, and a few of the scribes of the cathedral¡¯s library, but those old men were not exactly known for being overly talkative.


    Yet, as the silence became more and more grating with every single passing second, Kay finally steeled her nerves and decided to strike up a conversation, sink or swim.


    Kay: "E-Excuse me? Tiari?"


    Tiari: "Huh?"


    The catgirl¡¯s face slowly rose up from behind the heap of clothes in surprise while slightly cocking her head to the side. She looked at Kay, her huge green eyes seemingly sparkling with interest. For a few seconds Kay simply stared back at her, then suddenly she remembered that she was the one who started the conversation and hastily added:


    Kay: "What¡­ are you looking for?"


    This time Tiari cocked her head to the other side with a slight frown that was mostly about surprise and maybe a bit of irritation aimed at herself. Not that Kay knew that, shrinking back a little in response.


    Tiari: "I¡­ didn¡¯t tell you, did I?"


    Kay: "No¡­"


    The catgirl stood up and made a circle with her thumb and index fingers as she was explaining.


    Tiari: "It¡¯s a small, blue orb of this size. It¡¯s kind of like a pearl or a marble, and it glows in the dark a little. We need that if I want to show you around the city."


    Kay: "Um¡­ Why?"


    Tiari: "It¡¯s a pass needed for people like me."


    While saying so Tiari returned to the heap and started rummaging once again. Kay on the other hand cautiously sat a little closer and leaned forward with a curious expression.


    Kay: "People like you¡­?" The catgirl either didn¡¯t hear that or didn¡¯t pay attention, but Tiari didn¡¯t answer. She was apparently too engrossed with her search, so after a few seconds of consideration Kay raised her voice again.  "Excuse me? I don¡¯t want to be rude, but¡­ What are you?"


    Just like mere seconds ago, Tiari rose from behind the heap and faced the green-haired girl with a cocked head, a questioning look plastered on her face.


    Tiari: "What do you mean?"


    Kay: "I mean¡­ You know¡­" After a bit of fidgeting Kay timidly pointed the catgirl¡¯s head and awkwardly added, "The ears and the tail?"


    A few moments of slightly awkward silence followed as Tiari¡¯s eyes opened wider and wider. Then, without any warning, she suddenly flashed a toothy smile that somehow seemed almost too big for her face. For Kay this was unexpected to the point that she actually had to consciously force herself not to jump back and hide under the bed. In the end she managed to overcome the gut reaction and just blinked at the catgirl with a dopey expression instead. It was a little embarrassing but still better than the alternative.


    Tiari: "Ah, sorry for being shocked for a moment," Tiari spoke in a friendly tone and slumped back onto the bed. "It¡¯s been a while since someone asked me that question. I kind of blanked out for a moment."


    Kay: "I see¡­"


    Kay managed to nod in response, albeit her movements seemed a little stanzaic, like a poorly oiled machine. Tiari apparently didn¡¯t mind it much; in fact she seemed quite amused by her reactions.


    Tiari: "You see, I¡¯m a familiar."


    Kay: "¡¯Familiar¡¯?" Kay slowly repeated the word like she was tasting it. "What¡¯s that?"


    Tiari: "Oh, well¡­"


    Tiari shoved the heap of clothes aside as she moved to the other side of the bed and sat face to face with the green-haired girl. Her expression was calm, even a little absent-minded and nothing like the annoyed scowl she wore for most of the time of their acquaintanceship. For a second or two the feline girl tapped on her knees while in thought then spoke in a slow, deliberate manner.


    Tiari: "How should I put this¡­? You see, I am just like any other flesh and blood person, except I am really not." Suddenly she paused and hastily added, "Not that I am implying that I have no flesh or blood or something silly like that. It¡¯s just that I wasn¡¯t born from another human but¡­ well, I was artificially created in... Ugh¡­ You see, even I don¡¯t know exactly how I was created, but¡­"


    Now it was the green-haired girl¡¯s turn to cock her head to the side in mirror image of Tiari.


    Kay: "You don¡¯t know?"


    Tiari: "It has something to do with Soul Cores and Image Cores and stuff like that, but I never really understood the whole thing," Tiari said while waving her hand in from of her face. "Think of me as¡­ the extension of someone¡¯s imagination taken form. That¡¯s roughly the explanation the crazy bastard gave me, sans the fake scientific gobbledygook."


    Finally noticing Kay¡¯s increasingly confused expression; Tiari shook her head in apology and let out a small sigh as she crossed her arms.


    Tiari: "Sorry, I know I¡¯m not exactly clear on the matter, but if you are really curious then just ask our resident mad scientist. Or better yet, ask Pabloc. Better for your sanity. Be careful though, give them too much leeway and they will talk your ears off."


    She finished her sentence with a little wink and Kay couldn¡¯t help but involuntarily smile in response. It didn¡¯t feel bad. She had a hard time smiling while Soketsu was bedridden, so deep down she was a little glad for Tiari¡¯s efforts. However, there was another thing left unanswered.


    Kay: "But why the cat-ears?"


    Tiari: "Oh, you mean these?"


    She causally reached for her ears and scratched them, immediately putting a sour expression onto her face


    Kay: "Is it a personal matter?" Kay prodded apologetically.


    Tiari: "Ah, no, not really. It¡¯s just¡ª" The catgirl paused for a moment and crossed her arms again. "You see, I was made¡­ or rather I came into existence as I was imagined. I have always been like this because my creator. He said he thought having cat-ears was cute."


    Kay: "I¡­ think they are. Kind of¡­"


    Once again, Tiari bobbed her head to the side as if it was the strangest thing she ever heard, but then she suddenly burst out laughing as she was looking at Kay¡¯s blushing face.


    Tiari: "Hehe¡­ Thanks kid, you are really nice."


    Even though Tiari only seemed a couple years older than her by appearance, Kay couldn¡¯t help but feel like the age gap between the two of them was much, much larger than appearances would have indicated. But then again, if there was anyone out there who was aware of how deceptive appearances could be, it was her, so she wasn¡¯t all that surprised.


    For a few seconds Tiari absent-mindedly observed Kay while smiling pleasantly. In the end she drew one huge breath and she stood up once again.


    Tiari: "Well then, I better get back to the search or I will never be able to show you around."


    Kay: "Can I help?"


    Tiari: "Oh, no, you don¡¯t have to. The guest¡¯s job is to stay back and relax." She said with another wink. "Now, then¡­ It must be here somewhere; it¡¯s only a matter of time before I find it."


    Kay: "Maybe it fell out of the bag? Have you tried looking under the bed?"


    Tiari: "Nah, I don¡¯t think it would be there. We only came back about three hours ago and I didn¡¯t have the time to pack my things away yet. I barely even had the time to take a quick shower. Not even a bath!"


    Kay: "Have you been¡­ traveling?" Kay awkwardly inquired, trying to keep the conversation rolling as best as she could.


    Tiari: "Yeah, we went out two weeks ago, set some of Ahaz¡¯s long term plans into motion and whatnot, then came back travelling through the desert and I couldn¡¯t even take a proper bath!" Tiari fumed with her ears standing tall. "It¡¯s criminal, I tell you!"


    Kay: "Ahaz? You mean the man from the infirmary?"


    Tiari: "Yeah, it¡¯s him," Tiari answered while searching through the clothes one last time, absentmindedly throwing a pair of panties into the air without even a bit of hesitation and added, "He¡¯s my master."


    Kay: "Master¡­?"


    Suddenly realizing the word she just blurted out Tiari spun around on the bed and raised her hands in protest, thought by that time Kay was already cocking her head to the side with an embarrassed smile.


    Tiari: "Wait! Don¡¯t get any strange ideas!"


    Kay: "Strange ideas¡­? You mean¡­ like¡­?"


    Tiari: "It¡¯s terminology!" Tiari protested with arms flailing.


    Kay: "Terminology?"


    The catgirl let out a big sigh and Kay could most certainly hear some mumbling concerning someone¡¯s ¡®big mouth¡¯ under her breath, but in the end Tiari gave her a businesslike smile with an equally businesslike voice.


    Tiari: "I told you that I¡¯m a familiar, right? I¡¯m his familiar, so he is my master. As I said, terminology."


    Kay: "Oh, I see¡­ So you are not in that kind of relationship¡­"


    Tiari¡¯s tail was quietly twitching, but she answered in a calm manner.


    Tiari: "I don¡¯t know what kind of relationship you are thinking about, but we are more like¡­" For a moment she seemed to hesitate as if she was pondering just how much information she was revealing of herself, but in the end she just shrugged and continued. "We are family. That¡¯s how long-term master-familiar relationships work most of the time."


    Kay: "You mean there are others like you?"


    Tiari: "Errr¡­ Not that I know of, no."


    Kay: "Then how do you know these relationships are supposed to work?"


    Tiari¡¯s eyebrows involuntarily knit in displeasure as her smile began to crack up.


    Tiari: "I just do, okay?" If Kay¡¯s eyes were any indication, she wasn¡¯t convinced at all. In response Tiari decided that a change in topics was in order. "If we are talking about relationships, what about you and Soketsu?"


    Kay spent the next few seconds stiffened up like a marionette until she finally broke out of her daze and meekly spoke up.


    Kay: "Excuse me?"


    Tiari: "You and Soketsu?" Seeing that the green haired girl still seemed completely baffled, Tiari lightly cleared her throat and added. "I mean, I¡¯ve heard that you came here with him and I was just curious about how you are related. I mean, are you related? Like siblings?"


    Kay sharply shook her head, prompting further speculations from the catgirl.


    Tiari: "Is he your guardian then? Or, like, a mentor or something."


    Still stiff and looking increasingly uncomfortable, Kay shook her head once again.


    Kay: "It¡¯s¡­ complicated."


    Tiari paused for a moment and began eyeing the girl with clear suspicion.


    Tiari: "Wait, you are not in that kind of relationship, are you?!" She asked incredulously, which met with another blank, confused stare. "I mean¡­ Sure, I was always suspicious about the guy, but I didn¡¯t think he had that kind of a taste..."


    After several seconds of befuddled confusion Kay finally figured out what the catgirl was getting at and her face was quickly taken over by a cartoonishly bright blush. Naturally she vehemently shook her head at the notion.


    Kay: "No, we are not!" She declared with a volume that was only a single notch below shouting. Realizing this she immediately shrunk back and continued with a bit more reserved voice. "It¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s just¡­ complicated."


    Tiari kept eyeing her for a little longer and finally she let out a sigh seemingly too big for her lithe frame.


    Tiari: "Fine, fine. Sorry for poking my nose where it doesn¡¯t belong, I was just curious." She said while waving her hand apologetically. "It was just really weird imagining that battle-maniac with a girl, that¡¯s all."


    Kay froze up again, but this time she seemed more puzzled than embarrassed.


    Kay: "What do you mean by ¡®battle maniac¡¯?"


    For a moment the question caught Tiari flat-footed.


    Tiari: "Well¡­" She awkwardly scratched the back of her neck. "You know¡­ Looking for fights? Training all the time? Declaring that his ancient super secret martial art is the strongest there is?" The catgirl struck a mock karate stance and did a few chops in the air for demonstration. "You know, stuff like that."


    After a brief pause Kay cocked her head to the side while contemplating.


    Kay: "Are there actually people like that?"


    Tiari: "Wait, isn¡¯t he like that?" Tiari asked back with equal amounts of shock and curiosity.


    Kay: "Not really, no."


    Tiari: "That¡¯s weird," The catgirl murmured mirroring Kay¡¯s musing expression, but then her eyes suddenly flashed open once again. "Wait, we are getting off-topic here. You still haven¡¯t told me exactly what¡¯s going on with you two."


    Kay was hesitant for a moment or two, but taken that the catgirl had already shared her own odd circumstances with her she thought holding out at this point would have been ungrateful. Not to mention she had a feeling that not doing so now would only lead to even more embarrassing misunderstandings in the future.


    Kay: "I¡¯m¡­ his weapon," She finally stated as levelly as she could and Tiari instantly raised a brow after hearing the word.


    Tiari: "Wait, what?" She blinked in shock and then her face suddenly lit up with revelation. "You mean, you are an Alternate?!" She raised her voice before burying her forehead in her palm. "Dammit, why doesn¡¯t anyone tell me about these things?!"You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Now it were Kay¡¯s brows that rose in mild surprise as she slowly tasted the word in her mouth.


    Kay: "Alternate? What is that¡­?"


    Tiari: "Uhh¡­ It¡¯s¡­ You know?" Tiari scratched the base of her neck again while looking for words. "Guys turning into other things. Are you like that?"


    Kay nodded, though it could have been called anything but a confident one.


    Kay: "Yes, I suppose."


    Tiari: "Wow¡­" The catgirl exhaled, apparently both impressed and relieved at the same time, but then her expression turned sour just as quickly. "Wait, you are telling me you didn¡¯t know you were an Alternate?"


    Kay: "I don¡¯t think I have even heard the word before¡­"


    Tiari: "But then what did people call you?¡±


    Kay: "Ummm¡­" The girl hesitated for a moment and then innocently said, "¡¯Kay¡¯¡­?"


    Tiari¡¯s mouth slowly opened, only to close without a sound. She repeated the process a few more times, and at last she just buried her face in her palm.


    Tiari: "Okay, I admit I worded that pretty badly. How about this; how did they call you when they wanted to refer to you being an Alternate?"


    Kay: "They didn¡¯t. No one knew aside Soketsu and the cardinal."


    Tiari: "Ooookay¡­" The catgirl spoke grumpily, "Then what did the cardinal call you?"


    Kay: "¡­"


    Tiari: "Wait, let me guess¡­" Tiari interrupted wearily before Kay could speak. "¡¯Kay¡¯, right?"


    The girl nodded, prompting Tiari to bury her head in her hands again with a groan.


    Tiari: "Would you please stop messing with me? I¡¯m starting to feel stupid¡­"


    Kay: "But they didn¡¯t call me anything special. I swear."


    The catgirl looked over the girl with incredulous eyes and dropped her shoulders in defeat and began fishing for a different topic. "So you are his weapon, you say? What kind?"


    Kay: "¡­ A halberd?¡± The girl answered uncertainly, imbalanced by the rapid change in the conversation. Tiari on the other hand just blinked in surprise.


    Tiari: "You mean¡­ a polearm? Like, an axe on a long shaft kind of deal?" Kay nodded, but it only served to make Tiari furrow her brows even harder. "Huh. That is pretty much the last thing I would have guessed. Well, beside a gun."


    Kay: "What do you mean?"


    Tiari: "Well¡­" The catgirl once again paused with a thoughtful expression. "It¡¯s just that the Soketsu I knew was always fighting with his fists, so I figured he would stick to that."


    Kay: "He does that too, but then we cannot fight together," Kay interjected.


    Tiari: "I see¡­" To Kay¡¯s surprise, she noticed a bit of a wistful light in the catgirl¡¯s eyes as she was talking. "So you are fighting together, huh? I suppose it must be nice." Realizing her own non-sequitur even without glancing at the green-haired girl¡¯s expression, Tiari paused again while looking for the right words, hear tail nervously twitching at her side. "Being able to rely on each other like that, I mean¡­"


    Kay: "I¡­ suppose."


    It was probably because she had already used up all her allotted energy, but Kay simply couldn¡¯t muster herself to be embarrassed by Tiari¡¯s words anymore. The catgirl on the other hand seemed to be deep in her own thoughts and spoke with a soft, longing voice.


    Tiari: "You see, I¡¯m not exactly a fighter myself. I do scouting and other small tasks, but when it comes to an actual confrontation I¡¯m always left at the rear. Waiting at the sidelines like that when your partner is putting himself in danger¡­ It¡¯s hard."


    When she looked at Tiari¡¯s eyes Kay couldn¡¯t help but understand at least part of her frustration, and so the question was more than apparent when it left her lips.


    Kay: "You are not just master and familiar, are you?"


    Instead of answering the catgirl gave Kay an impish smile.


    Tiari: "You two aren¡¯t just weapon and wielder either, are you?" Stumped by the swift riposte, Kay lowered her head and shrunk back. Tiari then playfully added, "Complicated?"


    Kay: "Yes," Kay gave a huge nod. "Very much so."


    The catgirls crossed her arms in front of her chest and chuckled.


    Tiari: "Come on kid, don¡¯t look so down. Sure, the age difference looks big now, but give it a few years..." Tiari paused for a moment and looked over the girl. "Or maybe a couple¡­ A decade, I guess? ¡­ How old are you anyways? Ten? Eleven?"


    The silence following the question felt downright ominous, and Tiari recognized it on the spot. The catgirl¡¯s ears twitched uncertainly as she tried to figure out what the problem was, but before she could ask the other girl opened her mouth and spoke a single word.


    Tiari: "¡­ Excuse me, I couldn¡¯t hear that. Could you¡­"


    Kay: "I¡¯m seventeen." The green-haired girl repeated in a low voice that almost sounded like a moan.


    Tiari: "¡­ Seriously?" She hopped off the bed and stepped up to Kay to take a better look, but no matter how hard she looked she didn¡¯t seem a day older than thirteen. "Does it have something to do with you being an Alternate?"


    Kay: "Maybe." Kay answered hesitantly. "I haven¡¯t been aging since I first transformed."


    Tiari: "That¡¯s not just a maybe then¡­" Tiari let out a sigh and plopped down onto the bed again. "That¡¯s though. I mean, I am kind of in the same boat, but you have it way worse¡­"


    Kay: "The same boat? Are you¡­?" Kay inquired uncertainly.


    Tiari: "Yeah." She nodded enthusiastically. "I am a Familiar, so I don¡¯t age. It¡¯s not a big deal for me since my body is old enough for¡ª" The catgirl abruptly coughed and forced a smile onto her face. "For a normal relationship." Seeing the green-haired girl¡¯s conflicted reaction, she leaned closer and said, "Not that I am saying there is anything wrong with your body, or that you would¡­"


    She paused again, uncertain how to continue. In the end she shook her head and decided to drop the subject of ¡®normal relationships¡¯.


    Tiari: "Can¡¯t you transform into an older form?"


    Kay thought for a moment but ultimately she shook her head.


    Kay: "No. I can only turn into a weapon and back."


    The catgirl clicked her tongue and crossed her legs, resting one elbow on her knees and her chin on her knuckle.


    Tiari: "That is a problem. You should really ask one of the science guys, they might be able to help you out."


    Kay: "You¡­ think so?" Came the hopeful question from Kay¡¯s lips.


    Tiari: "I don¡¯t know, but as long as it is not impossible, I am sure they can do at least something about it." ¡®And if it¡¯s that guy, maybe even if it is impossible,¡¯ she wanted to add, but refrained. While she had confidence in them, giving the girl hope in this situation only to be shot down later would have been just too cruel. At last she shook her head, flashed a bold smile and gave a thumbs up to the girl.


    Tiari: "Dammit kid, you have it though. I have a feeling you could really use some girl-talk over some tea and cookies."


    Kay: "You mean, right now?"


    Tiari: "Well¡­" Looking at the scattered clothes and lingerie in the room made the catgirl drop her shoulders in resignation. "I would love to, but I was supposed to show you around the town, but without that damn pass even I won¡¯t be able to get in¡­"


    Kay: "Shouldn¡¯t we go back to the infirmary and ask for a spare?" Kay inquired, trying to make herself useful.


    Tiari: "No way. There is no spare, and even if there were, they must be doing some boring recollection session to bring back Soketsu¡¯s memories right now so they would probably kick us out the moment we enter."


    Kay¡¯s eyebrows raced up her forehead in alarm in the fraction of a second.


    Kay: "Memories?"


    Tiari: "Oh yes. You know how I mentioned that I remember Soketsu being a battle-maniac? I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t know that, but Soketsu is sort of a reincarnation of another Soketsu who lived about three centuries ago, and I was talking about that one, and now they are trying to make him remember too¡­ Or something." Tiari shrugged her shoulders. "Weird and complicated stuff."


    It took Kay about five seconds to digest the new information, but then her eyes popped open in something that could best be described as abject horror as she tried to speak. Tiari was faster.


    Tiari: "I know what you want to ask, and no, it won¡¯t really change him. Much. At least they didn¡¯t really change Ahaz when it happened to him. It¡¯s just a bunch of memories that they want to unlock, not a separate personality." Though he was pretty much the same as before from the beginning, she added in a whisper too soft for Kay to hear.


    Kay: "Are you sure?"


    Tiari: "Yeah. Well, mostly. Make it ninety percent. The madman talked my ears off about the process, so I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s harmless."


    Kay raised her brows for a second, thinking, then let out a sigh that was still tense but infinitely more relieved than before. Tiari involuntarily lapsed into a smile seeing her expression.


    Tiari: "¡­ You really care about him, don¡¯t you?"


    Kay fell silent and averted her gaze. Tiari was just about to speak up again before things would turn awkward when the green haired girl raised her eyes upon again her with a surprisingly calm expression.


    Kay: "You know¡­ I¡¯ve been bullied a lot in the Order¡­ before I got assigned to Soketsu¡­"


    Tiari: "Really?"


    Kay: "Yes. With my hair like this," She picked out a tuft of her green hair and curled it around her finger. "I always stood out. That¡¯s why I have a hard time when it comes to talking with people¡­ but you probably already noticed that." Kay paused for a moment and the added in an earnest voice, "He was my first friend and the best thing that ever happened to me since I was born."


    Tiari: "Oh¡­" Tiari looked over the girl with thoughtful eyes and gave her a genuine smile. When they started talking she figured the green-haired girl might have had one of those adorable prepubescent crushes on her partner, but even this short discussion convinced her that her feelings ran much deeper. "So that¡¯s a yes, I gather?"


    Kay meekly nodded, prompting Tiari¡¯s smile to widen even further.


    Tiari: "So, you say you have no other friends? That won¡¯t do!" Kay glanced back at her again with a puzzled look. "I mean, I cannot leave you like this!"


    Kay: "Umm¡­ Meaning¡­?"


    Tiari: "I mean that I will be your second friend, and then we can start looking for others!" The catgirl enthusiastically declared, flashing another toothy smile. This time it didn¡¯t make Kay jump, though later she did wonder the logistics of fitting all that teeth into a single mouth.


    Kay: "Ummm¡­ Is that how making friends work?" She asked meekly.


    Tiari: "Yup! If you have any problems, either with the guys or with anything else, just call me and I will help. I see you also have it tough with Soketsu, so if you need relationship advice, I will support you! What do you say?"


    Kay: "I¡­ would appreciate that. Thank you very much."


    Tiari: "Don¡¯t even mention it." Tiari declared grandly. "We girls have to stick together, right?"


    The green haired girl nodded with more enthusiasm than what Tiari had ever seen in her.


    Tiari: "Good. Now that we¡ª"


    ????: "Tia-chaaaaan~!!!"


    Tiari¡¯s words were cut short quite unexpectedly and even more abruptly by the quiet sliding of the automatic door and the childish voice coming from the other side.


    With a sudden leap and a high-pitched hiss, Tiari jumped right behind Kay, shoving her before herself like a living shield. In the meantime the owner of the voice cheerfully wandered into the room, her long golden hair swaying behind her while politely refusing to obey the laws of gravity.


    Lily: "Oh! Hi Kay-chan~!"


    It only took Kay a long moment to recognize her. It was Lily, the emissary of the su¡¯blolis, or at least that¡¯s what Pabloc insisted on. In the past few days she had only a few encounters with the girl, and even then she seemed quite aloof and was usually too preoccupied with Pabloc to engage in anything deeper than the appropriate greetings.


    This time Lily was wearing a sky-blue dress with dozens of small frills and ribbons, and even though Kay was quite intrigued by it, she had little time to concentrate thanks to Tiari¡¯s shuddering behind her in rhythm of the blonde girl¡¯s fluffy steps.


    Kay: "T-Tiari?"


    Tiari: "Don¡¯t let her come close to me! She is a demon! A monster! A fiend!"


    Lily: "Nyuuu¡­ You are mean, Tia-chan¡­!"


    Tiari: "Hiss¡ª!"


    Completely dumbfounded by the weird development of events, Kay¡¯s eyes kept uncomprehendingly jumping back and forth between the obliviously smiling Lily and the quietly hissing Tiari, whose tail was twitching like it was being electrocuted.


    Kay: "What¡¯s going on?"


    Tiari: "Don¡¯t move! You are the only thing that can keep me away from her!"


    Kay: "But¡­"


    Lily: "Don¡¯t be mean, Tia-chan!"


    Tiari: "I told you my name is Tiari, not Tia-chan!"


    Kay: "Ummm¡­"


    Seeing that the catgirl was refusing to come into the open, Lily puffed her cheeks as she turned to Kay.


    Lily: "Kay-chan~! Tia-chan is mean to me!"


    Tiari: "Don¡¯t try to convert her! She is with me!" The catgirl said between two hisses.


    Lily: "But Tia-chan~! We haven¡¯t seen each other in such a long time¡­"


    Tiari: "Not long enough, if you ask me!"


    Kay: "Seriously! What¡¯s going on?" Kay asked once again, this time with a bit more vigor and much more confusion.


    Lily: "Tia-chan is avoiding me for no reason," Lily stated with a pout.


    Tiari: "No reason!? You tried to eat me!" The catgirl countered in a shrill voice racked by anger.


    Lily: "But I couldn¡¯t help it! You look so delicious~!"


    Tiari: "Nyaaa!!! Don¡¯t come any closer!"


    Just a moment before Lily reached them Tiari jumped out of Kay¡¯s shadow and started running.


    Lily: "I¡¯m going to catch you~!"


    Tiari: "No! Leave me alone!"


    In the spacious room the completely panicked catgirl kept running from one corner to another with blinding speed while Lily could only follow her with small, clumsy steps and a beautiful, bright smile on her face. At first glance they looked like they were playing tag, and the game didn¡¯t look like it would end any time soon.


    Then, just as suddenly as the first time, the soft sound of the sliding door whistled through the room as someone else entered the fray. The man looked over the situation and muttered to himself with barely hidden exasperation.


    Gabe: "What kind of fresh hell is this?"


    At first Tiari¡¯s eyes opened wide in surprise, but a split-second later she quickly darted through the room and hid herself behind Gabe¡¯s back instead.


    Gabe: "What the¡­?" He yelped at the sudden development before sending a decidedly annoyed glance at the girl.


    Tiari: "I hate to do this, but please save me!" Tiari sputtered. "She¡¯s going to devour me!"


    The mad scientist first looked over the catgirl hiding behind him, then at the blonde girl bouncing towards the doorway they were standing in.


    Lily: "It¡¯s not true!" Lily pouted. "I just want to have a little taster!"


    Gabe: "Stop." Gabe¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t all that loud, yet it immediately stopped everyone dead on their tracks like he just bellowed from the top of his lungs, thrusting the room into silence. Once even the echoes of the racket were gone he raised a hand and pointed a commanding finger to the floor in front of him.


    Gabe: "All three of you of you. Here. Now!"


    In less than a second all three girls were standing in front of him in a straight line, with Kay in the middle. Lily was shrunk like any normal girl if she was about to be scolded while Tiari was rapidly glancing between her and the angry man with her tail twitching. As for Kay, she was only scratching her head at the strange turn of events.


    Gabe: "Okay, now explain what you were doing."


    The girls shuddered for a moment, not expecting the harsh tone in the man¡¯s voice. It was Tiari who spoke first with a voice oddly reminiscent of a peevish child that didn¡¯t know why she was scolded for something she had no control over.


    Tiari: "Lily wanted to eat me again."


    The man sent a sharp look at Lily and tapped his feet against the floor.


    Gabe: "Lily¡­?"


    Lily: "I was just joking, Gabe-sama¡­"


    Gabe: "You know it¡¯s not something you should joke about. Apologize to Tiari¡­"


    Lily: "Sorry~"


    Gabe: "¡­ Properly."


    Lily: "Errr¡­ Sorry Tia-chan, I¡¯m not going to joke about eating you ever again."


    Gabe: "Don¡¯t try to eat her for real either."


    Lily: "Hai Gabe-sama~~!"


    Done with that particular topic, the man let out a groan, obviously made loud enough so that the girls could hear it, and turned to Kay.


    Gabe: "And what are you two doing here? Weren¡¯t you supposed to go and look around the city?"


    The two girls looked at each other and Tiari stood forth to answer.


    Tiari: "Well, we wanted to, but I¡­ kind of¡­" She fidgeted for a moment, then swallowed hard before quickly saying, "¡­ lost my pass and I¡¯ve been looking for it in my pack."


    Gabe: "And?" Gabe pressed on, one eyebrow dangerously rising.


    Tiari: "I¡­ couldn¡¯t find it¡­"


    Gabe: "Oh for the love of¡­!" The man groaned while massaging his temple. "This is the fourth time. The. Fourth. Time."


    Tiari: "I know, sorry¡­"


    Kay couldn¡¯t help but be amazed by the change in the man¡¯s very presence. She had talked with him in the infirmary a few times while she was waiting for Soketsu to wake up, but he seemed more of a strange, goofy character back then. In fact she actually had a relatively good opinion on him, as she could feel the effort the man put into trying to cheer her up during her stay in the infirmary.


    At the moment though his gaze was downright piercing and his voice echoed like the booming of an artillery shell. After a few moments of pondering she also had to conclude one more thing. The scientist felt, for a lack of better words older.


    Not in terms of apparent age but in some other, less obvious way. It was like an invisible quality belonging to the very air around them man. When he looked at his face she didn¡¯t see the goofy mad scientist but a tired man whose features just started to reflect the sharpened mind hidden behind his eyes. It was a sobering experience.


    In the meantime Tiari was nervously fidgeting on her side under Gabe¡¯s gaze, wrecking her brain to somehow claw her way out of the situation.


    Tiari: "Errr¡­ By the way, how did the memory thing go?"


    The scientist raised a brow at the obvious attempt at changing the subject, but answered nevertheless.


    Gabe: "Everything is fine. I was just about to get back to my room since the others don¡¯t need me anymore."


    Tiari: "Really?"


    Gabe: "Yes, really. And about your pass..."


    He took a step towards them and with a lightning-quick motion he plucked a single, long strand of hair from the top of the catgirl¡¯s head.


    Tiari: "Nya!? Hey!"


    He quickly reeled the piece of hair around his index-finger and took a half step back to the door.


    Gabe: "I¡¯m going to make you a new pass. Meet me at the city gate in about an hour. Keep the idiocy to the minimum until then. Did I make myself clear?"


    The three girls looked at each other and nodded in unison.


    Gabe: "Good. Don¡¯t forget to clean up the room or Ahaz will be mad."


    Now that Gabe was at a reasonable distance away, the catgirl finally found her courage to voice her distaste as she turned her back on the scientist and grabbed the suitcase off the bed.


    Tiari: "Yeah, yeah. You don¡¯t need to tell¡ª"


    !crack!


    Tiari: "¡­ me?"


    Everyone looked around with confused eyes as Tiari started laughing with an awkward voice.


    Gabe: "Was that¡­?"


    The catgirl slowly raised the travel case she just threw at the side of the bed, only to reveal a handful of blue fragments of something that looked like a broken marble. Tiari¡¯s face was beyond shocked as the realization slowly seeped in.


    Tiari: "I¡­ think I found my pass¡­"


    Gabe: "Found?" Gabe spoke with a deadpan voice Ahazkun would have been proud of. "I think you mean ¡®broke¡¯."


    Kay: "He¡­ hehe¡­ Oops."


    The man let out a sigh, apparently draining some of the tension from him in the process and shook his head.


    Gabe: "This is so¡­ you¡­" He mused as he crossed his arms and shook his head. "Breaking the very thing you were looking for, in plain sight¡­ Classic Tiari, right there."


    Tiari: "Well, technically I broke it because I didn¡¯t see it, so it wasn¡¯t in plain sight¡­" The catgirl protested.


    The man¡¯s eyes slowly narrowed with annoyance as he forcefully cleared his throat.


    Gabe: "Yeah, sure. Technically. Just as technically I¡¯ve forbidden Lily to eat you but technically that would not stop her from biting you without chewing or swallowing..."


    Tiari: "Wait, what¡­?!" For a moment Tiari could only blink at the non-sequitur and before she could even have the chance to answer, a sudden yell cut her short.


    Lily: "Ah!!! Wakattaaaaa~!!!!!"


    Tiari: "NYAAAAAA!!!"


    She barely managed to evade Lily¡¯s pounce by hiding behind the baffled Kay yet again.


    Tiari: "You bastard!" She shrieked. "You said that on purpose!"


    Gabe: "Technically? No." The man suddenly flashed a smile much more in line with his usual persona and added, "Practically? No comment."


    Lily: "Here I come Tia-chaaaan~!"


    The voice, cute as it might have been, sounded like the howl of a banshee to the catgirl who immediately jumped away, but altogether too late. The small hands of Lily grasped her like iron bindings and the two fell onto the ground with a light thud drowned out by a mix of giggling and stifled screams.


    Lily: "I got you Tia-chan~~!"


    Tiari: "Someone save meeee!!!"


    The two, tangled in a heap of limps, began rolling back and forth on the floor and it was really hard to tell just how serious the situation was, especially since, by all intents and purposes, they looked a little kid horsing around with her big sister. In the meantime Gabe was massaging his eyes while whispering.


    Gabe: "What a waste of time..."


    Just as he was about to turn around and leave, a small hand reached for the scientist¡¯s sleeve.


    Kay: "E-Excuse me?"


    Gabe promptly opened his eyes and he could see Kay in front of him, looking at him with a pleading expression.


    Kay: "Is Soketsu all right?"


    For a few moments there was no answer. In a matter of fact Gabe appeared so taken aback by the question that he honestly didn¡¯t know how to answer it. After a little struggling the man finally broke into a clumsy yet warm smile as he patted the small hand on his sleeve.


    Gabe: "Don¡¯t worry, he is fine. He might be a little disoriented in the next few days because of the new memories, and I think he will be quite mad at me, but there should be no lasting ill effects. Would you mind looking after him?"


    Kay nodded enthusiastically.


    Kay: "Yes, I will try."


    Gabe smiled at her once again, but this time his smile seemed somewhat sad.


    Kay: "Are you¡­ all right?"


    The question more or less only slipped out of the girl¡¯s mouth without much thinking, though in retrospect she felt quite embarrassed about it. At first the man only raised an eyebrow, but his surprised expression quickly turned back into his usual smile.


    Gabe: "I¡¯m fine. I think the nostalgia hit me a little too hard."


    Kay: "Yes, but¡­ When you came in¡­"


    Finally, after much struggle, the man managed to flash an actually genuine smile to the girl, which soon after turned into a soft chuckle.


    Gabe: "You are a really sweet kid. Thanks for your concern, but you really shouldn¡¯t waste your worries on me."


    Kay didn¡¯t answer, only stared at the face of the scientist and couldn¡¯t help but feel like there was something melancholic hiding under even his most genuine smile. She didn¡¯t have much time to contemplate on this though, as the man suddenly glanced back into the room.


    Gabe: "Speaking of concerns¡­"


    Tiari: "Nyaaaa!!!"


    Lily: "Ah, Tia-chan! Stop moving!"


    Tiari: "You heard that! She wants me to stop moving! She wants to kill me! You are an accomplice in attempted murder, you hear me!?"


    Kay and Gabe looked upon the wrestling girls, who have somehow gotten onto a bed by this point and neither of them could help but raise their brows at the silly display of the ¡®something¡¯ that was either a very vigorous show of affection, a fight to the death or anything inbetween. At last the mad scientist shrugged his shoulder and turned back to the green haired girl.


    Gabe: "Say, why don¡¯t we leave these two to play by themselves? I wanted to go back to the city this afternoon anyway so I might as well show you around myself."


    Kay: "Umm¡­ I don¡¯t know. I feel sorry for Tiari¡­"


    Gabe: "Don¡¯t worry, they are just playing. It¡¯s not like Lily would really hurt her, and that bad kitten needs to be punished for breaking her pass again anyways."


    Even though she wanted to protest, Kay just couldn¡¯t bring herself to argue with the man. At last she just nodded to him, although she didn¡¯t quite manage to look him in the eyes while doing so.


    Gabe: "All right then! This way."


    A bit reluctantly but Kay followed him through the door. However, as she finally left the room she decided to ask something that has been bugging her for a while by then.


    Kay: "Excuse me, but ¡­ Where is this town you are talking about?"


    Gabe: "Hm? What do you mean?"


    Kay: "Well¡­. We didn¡¯t move that far underground," Kay stuttered for a moment, "And there is only the desert around here, so¡ª"


    Before she could finish what she wanted to say, Gabe raised his hand, then put his index-finger to his mouth.


    Gabe: "Psst. It¡¯s a secret."


    Kay: "¡­?"


    The man let out a small chuckle at the girl¡¯s reaction and gestured her to follow him.


    Gabe: "Trust me, it will be much cooler if I won¡¯t spoil the surprise. This way."


    And with that they started walking down the quiet corridor, leaving the ruckus of the suite room behind, and Kay couldn¡¯t help but feel at least a little bit excited about the prospect of the ¡®town¡¯ she was about to see¡­

 Ch 12: Memories

    Pabloc silently stood over the medical equipment, his hands tapping on its controls as if he was playing a piano. The many small floating screens accompanying him were constantly changing their display, from diagrams and spreadsheets to camera feeds and medical scans and so on and so forth. Sometimes one of them flew into his view, but after a quick side-glance he sent it back and his gaze returned to the machinery.


    The machine itself was huge; nothing like what one would expect cutting-edge technology to be. It seemed like the bespectacled man was operating some sort of industrial apparatus rather than a diagnostic tool as Soketsu was quietly lying on his bed behind him.


    Most of his cast and bandages have been removed a few minutes earlier and he was breathing steadily in his seemingly peaceful sleep.


    Ahazkun: "How is he?"


    Pabloc glanced up from his task in response to the oracle¡¯s muffled whisper and let out a small sigh.


    Pabloc: "Physically? Surprisingly well, actually. At this rate, the regenerative treatment will be done by tomorrow morning."


    Ahazkun: "I see. Good."


    Pabloc: "His mental state though¡­ I can¡¯t say anything yet. I have absolutely no idea how to interpret these readings."


    Ahazkun: "We should just wait. Sleeping is the best way to sort one¡¯s own mind."


    Pabloc: "I suppose. Still, I would feel a lot more comfortable if I could at least understand what¡¯s going on in his head." The man let out a small sigh. "If nothing more, it would be fascinating to analyze the effects of the transfer in process."


    Ahazkun: "But you can¡¯t."


    Pabloc: "¡­ No, I can¡¯t."


    He turned his attention to the interface once again as three small screens surrounded him.


    Pabloc: "If I could only take him back to the main laboratory¡­"


    Ahazkun: "You should concentrate on searching for any tracking imprints on him instead of agonizing like that." The oracle dryly stated as his fingers kept drumming on his crossed arm. "Wasn¡¯t that what you were supposed to do anyway?"


    The scientist quietly readjusted his glasses and answered without turning.


    Pabloc: "Yes, I did that already. And yes, I checked Kay too. Twice. There is no tracking device or imprint on them, in them or around them."


    Ahazkun: "Yet the chance of the facility being discovered still rises."


    Pabloc: "What was that chance again?"


    Ahazkun: "At the moment? Zero point nine percent."


    Pabloc turned back to the oracle and silently groaned.


    Pabloc: "Really? You are making a fuss about a chance that is even less than one percent?"


    Ahazkun: "It¡¯s not zero."


    Pabloc: "It might as well be. I checked them four times in total. There is nothing."


    For a few seconds the two of them locked their gazes together in a silent tug-of-war, but it was quite obvious that Ahazkun was on the losing side.


    Ahazkun: "Fine."


    Even though the man apparently gave up with a tiny shrug, grudging as he might have been, Pabloc continued to gaze at him with a small frown. He didn¡¯t want to criticize the man, certainly not to his face, but his obsession with small chances and their possible repercussions was becoming more and more of a hassle lately.


    That said, the reason behind the scientist¡¯s frown was something completely different this time around. With a small motion the bespectacled man swept his hand towards the table. An empty vial rose to the air in accordance with the motion and suddenly cut through the airspace of the infirmary, heading towards Ahazkun.


    The oracle caught the vial out of the air with his left hand while barely looking. The motion was simple and straightforward, yet at the same time somewhat tense. Ahazkun glanced at the empty vial and then back at the scientist.


    Ahazkun: "What was that about?"


    Pabloc glared back at him.


    Pabloc: "I was right after all. You caught that with your left hand."


    The tall man¡¯s eyes suddenly twitched as he looked at the vial in his hand again.


    Pabloc: "You have been favoring your right arm ever since you came back. Did you really think I wouldn¡¯t notice?"


    For a moment there seemed to be a guilty expression running over Ahazkun¡¯s face, so quick and subtle that even Pabloc could barely catch it.


    Ahazkun: "It has nothing to do with the topic at hand."


    His tone was dismissive, obviously trying to downplay the issue, but the scientist was not going to let things slide like that.


    Pabloc: "Oh, but it does," Pabloc walked over to Ahazkun and took the vial from him. After setting said vial back to its place with a quick flight he moved his hands over the tall man¡¯s injured shoulder and suddenly gasped. "This isn¡¯t just a simple bruise, is it?"


    Ahazkun didn¡¯t answer, only glanced away with something of a remorseful expression reflecting on his otherwise emotionless face.


    Pabloc: "I¡¯m not even going to ask what happened¡­ Get off you shirt and let me take a closer look."


    The oracle obediently followed Pabloc¡¯s orders and let the man examine his shoulder. The scientist¡¯s expression became grimmer with each passing second.


    Pabloc: "It looks pretty bad. When did you get this?"


    Ahazkun: "Five days ago. I had to take a calculated risk and throw a Type-O."


    Pabloc stopped like he was waiting for a punch-line, but as it became obvious there wasn¡¯t one his brows quickly knit into a disapproving frown.


    Pabloc: "¡­ That¡¯s not a calculated risk, that¡¯s just insane."


    Ahazkun: "I had little choice."


    The bespectacled man didn¡¯t react this time; instead he just continued to examine the man¡¯s shoulder with his lips pursed into thin line.


    Pabloc: "It seems like the muscles are bruised, possibly even torn, and the joint looks badly inflamed. I cannot say much more without a proper examination, but it will certainly need treatment."


    Ahazkun kept silent for a few more seconds then looked up at the scientist with firm eyes.


    Ahazkun: "Can it wait until tomorrow?"


    Pabloc: "Are you seriously asking that?" He glared at the oracle with eyes that would make a starving bear think twice before approaching. "I am just about to chew your head off for not telling me about this the moment you arrived!"


    Ahazkun: "I know, but can it wait until tomorrow?"


    Pabloc rolled his eyes and theatrically opened his arms.


    Pabloc: "Ah yes. Of course it can! In fact, I was only joking when I told you it was bad and needs treatment ASAP! Couldn¡¯t you tell?"


    Ahazkun: "That¡¯s good then."


    For a moment Pabloc could only blink at the man in silence with a blank expression. In the end he just let down his arms and sighed while readjusting his glasses.


    Pabloc: "Sometimes I have to wonder of you are really bad with sarcasm or you are making fun of me on purpose¡­"


    Ahazkun: "That¡¯s irrelevant." After a moment of contemplation Ahazkun continued. "Are you sure it cannot wait?"


    Pabloc: "Why?"


    The tall man glanced over to Soketsu¡¯s bed then back to the scientist.


    Ahazkun: "You need to focus on him now. My problems would be a distraction."


    Pabloc: "Oh for the love of¡ª" The man audibly groaned and glared at Ahazkun again. "Is this another of your calculated risks?"


    Ahazkun: "No. He simply needs your attention more."


    For a few seconds the men locked their gazes again, but this time it was Pabloc who gave in.


    Pabloc: "Fine. But there are three conditions."


    Ahazkun: "Yes?"


    Pabloc: "First off, tomorrow morning the first thing you are going to do will be coming here and receiving proper treatment."


    Ahazkun: "Fair enough."


    Pabloc: "Secondly, the next time something like this happens you will be telling me the moment you arrive."


    Ahazkun only nodded in agreement this time.


    Pabloc: "Finally, stop putting your plans above your health. They will do no good to anyone if you are dead."


    This time the oracle seemed to be conflicted, but under the overbearing glare of the scientist he finally nodded, though it could have been called anything but enthusiastic consent.


    Pabloc: "Good. I¡¯m glad we could come to an agreement." Saying so, the man extended his hand and a small, white tube of salve flew over to him from one of the medical cupboards. "Here, this should lessen the pain and the swelling a little."


    Ahazkun: "Thank you."


    The scientist didn¡¯t answer, though his expression has thawed out considerably compared to his previous scowls. He nodded to Ahazkun and glanced back at Soketsu¡¯s bed. The man was still sleeping, though he seemed to be somewhat restless.


    He returned to the medical equipment and started a new process with a faint sigh. In the meantime the oracle carefully rubbed the salve into his aching shoulder and began dressing up again.


    Pabloc couldn¡¯t help but feel conflicted. He knew Ahazkun for a long time. In fact he might have been his oldest acquaintance, and not just by the three hundred year standard. He knew how the man was thinking and it worried him greatly.


    He knew that out of the four of them it was Ahazkun who took the Devastation the hardest. By far. Needless to say, Pabloc was quite sure that he was still blaming himself for not foreseeing it. They all knew it was irrational, especially Ahazkun himself, but it was something he probably couldn¡¯t help. If all one needed to get rid of complexes was rational thought, there would be no need for mental therapy. Not that the oracle was in the need of one, but it might have helped a bit.


    Ever since the Bahden Glis incident the man have been obsessed with perfection and having contingency plans within contingency plans, working himself to the bone in order to ensure that all his myriad plans were running flawlessly all the time, seemingly not even caring about his own wellbeing. Pabloc, on the other hand, felt it was his calling to remind the man that he had to take care of himself from time to time, though he never had to be this forceful before. It was probably the strain of the last few days, he thought, but he was still vexed by it.


    In the end though it was still something he felt compelled to do, no small part thanks to the oracle¡¯s companion. They had this unspoken understanding with Tiari after all. The girl took care of the man on the field while Pabloc¡¯s job was to take care of him once they returned, and by all means he was going to get it done even if he personally had to hammer self-preservation back into his thick skull.


    Soketsu: "Hah¡­"


    The scientist¡¯s thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the echo of a heavy exhalation. A moment later Soketsu probingly raised his hand to his head and let out an equally heavy groan.


    Soketsu: "Damn¡­ I feel like I someone put a shovelful of embers into my brain¡­ and the poured kerosene on them¡­ while my head was in a furnace¡­" He stopped for a second, and then added, "¡­on the surface of the sun."


    As he was about to sit up Ahazkun came to his help and gently helped him up into a sitting position.


    Ahazkun: "Sounds unpleasant."


    Soketsu: "You have no idea..."


    Ahazkun: "You are right. In my case the transfer was actually quite a pleasant experience."


    Soketsu rolled his eyes at the comment, but then another wave of blunt pain assaulted his skull, prompting a low hiss from his lips.


    Soketsu: "Go to hell¡­"


    Pabloc: "Now, now. No need to lose your temper." The man in the white coat interrupted with a chiding voice.


    Soketsu: "Do you have any painkillers? It might help me find my temper again." Soketsu spoke in a low hiss, struggling to get the words through his lips.


    Pabloc walked to the back of the room by the curtain without further ado and returned with an IV package. After a little fumbling he inserted the pack into the needle already in Soketsu¡¯s arm and threw the old package away. After only a few seconds the man¡¯s expression finally eased up.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Soketsu: "Thanks. It¡¯s already better. A little bit, at least."


    Pabloc: "You are welcome."


    Soketsu: "How long was I out this time?"


    Ahazkun: "A little more than four hours. It¡¯s past noon now."


    Soketsu: "I see¡­"


    As the pain slowly faded from his head Soketsu drew a huge breath and began carefully limbering up his stiff joints. In the meantime Ahazkun moved to the end of his bed and sat down there.


    Ahazkun: "How do you feel?"


    The oracle¡¯s face was as deadpan as ever, but this time Soketsu could actually recognize the tiny hints of concern on the man¡¯s expression. It prompted him to smile in response, apparently taking Ahazkun by surprise.


    Soketsu: "Better."


    Ahazkun visibly pondered for a moment, carefully studying Soketsu¡¯s face before speaking again.


    Ahazkun: "Your memories?"


    Soketsu: "I¡ª came to terms with most of them. They still feel a little strange but I think I got all the most important ones. That is, all until when I was blown into chunks the size of¡­" He paused for a moment and visibly shuddered. "Damn, that¡¯s one weird thing to remember."


    Pabloc: "Just for the record, can you answer a few questions?"


    Soketsu looked blankly at Pabloc as the scientist readied another of those note-boards he had used when he question him before.


    Soketsu: "Is this really necessary?"


    Pabloc: "Well, not really." The man said apologetically. "You can consider it a preliminary check-up on your mental state, but it¡¯s really just a bit of scientific curiosity on my part."


    Soketsu: "As in?"


    Pabloc: "Nothing major. I am just interested to see how accurate your memories are after an accelerated transfer from a broken Soul Core."


    Soketsu paused with a curious expression.


    Soketsu: "Soul Core? That sounds familiar¡­"


    Pabloc: "Of course. It¡¯s part of Gabe¡¯s Core Theory. Most of our current tech here in the facility and the labs is running on it, as well as my telekinesis and all your combat tricks as well."


    Soketsu: "So he actually finished it?"


    Pabloc: "Yes. In fact he even wrote a number of books on it. But back to the original plans¡­" The scientist scribbled something onto the notepad. "Well, now we know you remember that particular topic, though it really wouldn¡¯t have been one of my prime questions."


    Soketsu: "Ask away then. It seems like I won¡¯t be able to move just yet anyway, you might as well help me waste my time."


    Pabloc: "Very well. First off, your name?"


    Soketsu: "Huh?" Soketsu raised a single eyebrow to the question. "Which one?"


    Pabloc: "I was thinking about the original, but you can tell me both if we are at that."


    Soketsu: "Mikhail Mort, then Arlton Clarke."


    Pabloc: "Correct. Do you remember when we first met?"


    Soketsu: "Let¡¯s see¡­ It was a few years before the Reckoning War deal, when you looked me up to be your guinea pig in exchange of some power-ups. I can¡¯t remember the exact date though."


    Pabloc: "Me neither, but that¡¯s not that important either. Now, as for the next question¡­"


    The questionnaire continued for quite a while. Names, places, events, even small details about things. Soketsu had to admit the scientist was quite meticulous with his questions, but what really surprised him was how much he could remember. He didn¡¯t even really need to think about most of the answers, they came to him without any problem¡ª Yet, contrary to what one would have expected, he didn¡¯t feel any different.


    His old memories were just as vivid as the ones he gathered in his second childhood and during his duty as a Rover, neither felt any less real than the other.


    In the meantime Ahazkun was intently listening to the back and forth between the two. He seemed to be deep in thought. Or he was calculating again, as Soketsu suspected. Either way, the oracle didn¡¯t say a single word.


    Pabloc: "How about your final battle against the Bahden Glis?"


    Soketsu: "Not much to remember there. Lots of dodging and scaling buildings for vantage points. Some occasional hit-and-run strikes, then a big explosion and then the memories kind of just end." Soketsu suddenly stopped and arched his brows in contemplation as he spoke up again. "By the way, how the hell did you even manage to resurrect me? Was there even a recognizable piece left of me after the battle?"


    Pabloc: "Recognizable? No." Pabloc finished writing and looked up at the man. "That was one of our greatest concerns to be honest. We barely managed to recollect half of your body. In pieces."


    Hearing the scientist¡¯s words put a difficult expression onto the man¡¯s face, with traces of both amazement and worry mixed in it.


    Soketsu: "And you still managed to do this¡­?" He raised his hand, but by the time he did that he realized that he had no good way of illustrating his point beside existing, so he lowered it back down in a second. "You know, I often said that you guys were crazy in the past, but now I feel I have to come up with a new word just to explain how crazy you are¡­"


    The scientist¡¯s lips were tugged upwards into a slightly conflicted smile.


    Pabloc: "Even though I¡¯m happy for the compliment, or at least I suppose it was a compliment, it was Gabe who had the whole idea of using our Soul Cores to send ourselves into the future and¡ª"


    Suddenly Ahazkun forcefully cleared his throat, cutting the scientist off mid-sentence.


    Ahazkun: "We are getting sidetracked here." Rising from his seat on the bed he leveled his eyes on the scientist. "You forgot to ask him about his Core Pattern."


    The bespectacled man sent a sharp glance in the oracle¡¯s direction and deliberately cleared his throat.


    Pabloc: "No, actually I didn¡¯t forget. I simply judged it more fit for a later discussion, once he has completely absorbed his old memories."


    Ahazkun: "I don¡¯t see the issue." The oracle turned to Soketsu, followed by the slight frown of Pabloc, and spoke in a militant tone. "Soketsu, can you use your power?"


    The injured man raised an eyebrow with a confused expression in face of the question.


    Soketsu: "My power?"


    Pabloc: "I think he means your runes."


    After realizing what was going on, Soketsu quickly rebounded with an irritated grimace.


    Soketsu: "Hey! They are not runes, they are called Sigils."


    Ahazkun: "But can you use them? It¡¯s really important."


    Soketsu: "Hmmm¡­ Good question." He pondered aloud. "Can you give me something to write on? Preferably something small?"


    In response to the request Pabloc quickly threw a glance towards the table on the other end of the infirmary and one of the prescription-sheets quietly flew to his bedridden comrade and landed on his outstretched hand. After quickly examining the piece of paper Soketsu curtly nodded to himself.


    Soketsu: "This¡¯ll do. Now let me see¡­"


    He closed his eyes while holding the piece of paper in one hand. As he concentrated, he could sense the reassuring feeling of viridia coursing through his veins. At first it was both familiar and strange, but he quickly realized why.


    This was the first time since his ¡®rebirth¡¯ that he had been using his own viridia instead of Kay¡¯s. It was a peculiar sensation, and even though he knew there was nothing wrong with it, it still felt a little uncomfortable. He didn¡¯t dwell long on the issue.


    At last he opened his eyes and focused them at the paper as the memories of his skill came back to him like a final piece of a puzzle falling into its place. His fingertips suddenly flared up with something that could be best described as translucent green flames, and with the precision of a seasoned artist he drew a strange, complex symbol onto the paper with one continuous stroke.


    A ripple of green light washed over the prescription the moment his fingers left its surface, and with a faint metallic sound it suddenly became completely rigid.


    With the Sigil weakly simmering on its middle Soketsu raised the paper and, with one sudden motion, he chopped a tiny piece off the corner of the small wooden night stand by his bed.


    Soketsu: "Well, it seems to be working all right."


    For a second everyone fell silent. The momentary standstill was finally broken by Ahazkun¡¯s forced cough.


    Ahazkun: "I¡¯m glad to see you are back in shape, but I would advise against abusing the furniture. Pabloc can get a little¡ª"


    Pabloc: "Why the hell did you do that?!?!"


    After his outcry, Pabloc promptly snatched the prescription from Soketsu¡¯s hand and placed it on the table.


    Ahazkun: "I told you so." The oracle nodded to himself with a small smile that was about as expressive as he usually got.


    Pabloc: "Silence!" Pabloc glared at him. "Do you guys have any idea how hard it is to find quality furniture nowadays!? It¡¯s mahogany! Mahogany!"


    For a moment Soketsu stared at the scientist with a baffled expression and then slowly lowered his head.


    Soketsu: "Sorry."


    Pabloc looked down at him, first with a scowl, but then his expression slowly eased up as he let out a huge sigh.


    Pabloc: "I hope it can be repaired¡­"


    The scientist took the cut piece of wood into his hands and headed for the exit. As the door opened he quickly glanced back at the two.


    Pabloc: "I¡¯ll be back in a second. If there is as much a scratch more on my furniture by the time I get back, I will be really, really mad. Got it?"


    Soketsu nodded in response, which apparently was enough for the scientist as he left without further ado. Once he was out of sight, Soketsu directed his attention towards Ahazkun.


    Soketsu: "I don¡¯t get it¡­ Has he always been like this?"


    Ahazkun: "You have to excuse him." The oracle gave a sagely nod to the man, though he couldn¡¯t help but feel that there was something smug about his eyes. "Unlike you, we awakened on our own a long time ago and lived different lives. Pabloc¡¯s just left him with a new¡­ appreciation for furniture."


    While he was sure the whole furniture deal was very riveting, there was something else that caught the man¡¯s interest.


    Soketsu: "You did?"


    Ahazkun: "Yes. Project Rebirth worked that way. You too were supposed to gradually awaken on your own during puberty, but as you might have noticed there were complications."


    Soketsu: "Gradually? Just how much time are we talking about?"


    The oracle paused, like as if he was recalling some ages-old memories.


    Ahazkun: "For me, I regained my memories in the span of two months without any side-effects. It was actually quite exciting when all my chaotic dreams started making sense."


    Soketsu nodded but then immediately squinted at the man.


    Soketsu: "U-huh¡­ So I¡¯m the only one who got the mother of all migraines?"


    Ahazkun: "Apparently."


    Suddenly the bedridden man fell silent while visibly pondering. In the end he raised his eyes upon the oracle by his side with eyes wide open.


    Soketsu: "Wait, I just got it¡­"


    Ahazkun: "Yes?"


    Soketsu: "You grew up again!"


    Ahazkun cocked his head to the side with the same deadpan expression, though Soketsu could tell that he was at least moderately puzzled.


    Ahazkun: "Yes. I just said that."


    Soketsu: "But¡­ Were you called Ahazkun as well?"


    The oracle slightly cocked his head to the side, an expression that he reserved only to the sillies questions he had ever heard.


    Ahazkun: "No, of course not. It¡¯s wasn¡¯t even my original name to begin with. My second parents actually gave me a proper name."


    Soketsu: "Proper name, huh? So, what did they call you?"


    This time Ahazkun also visibly arched one of his brows, an expression reserved only for questions that were both silly and pointless.


    Ahazkun: "Why do you care? It¡¯s not funny or anything¡­"


    Soketsu: "Oh, come on! I¡¯m just really curious."


    The two kept staring at each other for long seconds in silence. In the end the oracle let out a huge sigh in resignation and spoke up with exasperation.


    Ahazkun: "If you really want to know, my name was Marul Nitas. As far as the world knows I was but a simple farmboy who ran away from home at the age of fourteen to join a mercenary group never to be seen again."


    Now it was the bedridden man¡¯s turn to bob his head to the side, though he obviously couldn¡¯t emulate the oracle¡¯s specific expressions.


    Soketsu: "That was... not what I expected."


    Ahazkun: "Why? What were you expecting?"


    Soketsu: "I don¡¯t know¡­ Something along the lines of the son of an influential bureaucrat you could manipulate or something."


    Ahazkun: "Sadly we had no such control over our rebirth, we could only choose from the available children that would otherwise have been stillborns or unborn. If it was depending on me, I would have naturally chosen a family with influence and in a high position, but sadly we didn¡¯t really have a choice."


    Soketsu: "High position¡­?"


    Soketsu¡¯s brows rose with a sudden realization and he hit his forehead with his palm.


    Ahazkun: "What is it?"


    Soketsu: "My name!" Soketsu looked up with e pitiful expression. "How the hell didn¡¯t I realize this sooner!? My old nickname is my military rank now!"


    Ahazkun: "It¡¯s not an accident."


    Soketsu rolled his eyes like it was the most blatantly obvious thing he had heard in his entire life.


    Soketsu: "Yeah, I figured that much. Was that set up by you?" The oracle glanced at the man in a manner that, if one looked very, very closely, could be called coy and lightly nodded. "Wow. It actually makes sense in retrospect. I mean, with Gabe starting the Order and all¡­"


    Ahazkun: "It wasn¡¯t his idea, but yes, you are on the right track. As I told you, we didn¡¯t have complete control over where we would be reborn. That meant that we didn¡¯t really know where you would have been reborn with certainty either, so we engineered the position of ¡®Soketsu¡¯ within the order that you would strive for, knowing your personality, and thus you would have found us on your own sooner or later."


    Soketsu: "Clever."


    Ahazkun: "Thank you."


    Soketsu: "So that¡¯s also the reason why ¡®the Soketsu¡¯ had to give away their own name and only use his title? To get me used to my own name?"


    Ahazkun: "That part was Gabe¡¯s idea, though I think it was less about reminding you but more about him finding the idea amusing."


    Soketsu: "Seriously?"


    Just as the oracle was about to answer, their conversation was cut short by the creaking of the door.


    Kay: "Excuse me?"


    Kay entered the room with small steps and Soketsu¡¯s lips immediately curved into a warm smile.


    Soketsu: "Come on in. We were just at the end of our current topic anyway."


    The moment she got the word Kay immediately walked up to Soketsu bed with a concerned expression.


    Kay: "Are you okay?"


    Soketsu: "I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry. How about you?"


    Kay: "I¡¯m¡­ all right."


    Soketsu: "Good¡­"


    Soketsu couldn¡¯t help but notice that Kay wasn¡¯t looking him in the eye. She was anxiously fidgeting beside his bed without a word.


    Soketsu: "What¡¯s the matter?"


    Kay: "It¡­ It¡¯s nothing."


    After watching the two of them for a while, Ahazkun abruptly turned round and started walking towards the door.


    Ahazkun: "I go look for Pabloc. You must have a lot to talk about and I don¡¯t want to get in your way."


    With that, the man quietly left the room, leaving the pair alone in a slightly awkward situation without saying anything else. As he closed the door behind himself, Soketsu immediately shook his head and let out a sigh as he turned to his partner.


    Soketsu: "I value the sentiment, but I hate when he does it so obviously." After the little grumbling the man turned to his partner. "Now then¡­ is there something troubling you?"


    The girl twitched and sheepishly looked over the man.


    Kay: "Ummm¡­ It¡¯s nothing, just¡­"


    Soketsu: "Just?"


    Kay: "Gabe said that you might change a little after regaining your memories, so I don¡¯t know what I should say."


    After a brief moment of pondering, he just raised his hand and pulled Kay closer. For a few moments she blankly stared at the man, feeling too embarrassed to even speak, and by the time she would have shown any resistance she was already sitting on the bed by the man¡¯s side.


    Soketsu: "Silly." He gently patted her head but she apparently still wasn¡¯t all that convinced. "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m still me; it¡¯s just that I remember my previous life with these guys¡­ Which is kind of weird, but it¡¯s nothing you should be worried about."


    For a second the girl¡¯s face seemed to be alternating between being concerned and being suspicious, but she was only again cut off before she could speak up.


    Soketsu: "Hey, don¡¯t make that face! I¡¯m seriously all right. My head is okay, and they even removed my cast. See? I¡¯m fine."


    To emphasize his point, he gently stroked Kay¡¯s hair the same way he always used to. After that it didn¡¯t take long for her expression to finally ease up.


    Kay: "I¡¯m glad, but¡­ what¡¯s going to happen now?"


    Soketsu¡¯s hand suddenly froze. This question was something he couldn¡¯t answer. Sure, if he was alone there would have been no question, but the sudden realization that he had to take care of Kay as well made his response far more uncertain than he preferred.


    Soketsu: "I¡­ I don¡¯t know. It all depends on what the others are planning, really."


    Kay didn¡¯t say anything, and thus an awkward silence fell upon them for a few minutes. In his head Soketsu was frantically trying to find some words to comfort his young partner but he soon had to realize he had none.


    He knew she was worried. He could see it in her eyes no matter how brave she tried to act, and he wanted to say something encouraging to her¡­ but then the truth slowly reared its ugly head: He had no idea what was going to happen either. He could faintly remember Ahaz mentioning something about some circumstances lining up again and them needing his help, but that could mean anything. Hell, knowing these guys he didn¡¯t even want to guess; he would be probably way off the mark no matter what.


    With that he also had to realize that with his memories regained he had no idea what to do. As Soketsu, his allegiance was to his comrades in this facility and he had already invested in their cause. As The Soketsu, his allegiance was to the Order¡­ But then again, as far as he could gather the Order might have already been connected to Gabe and Ahazkun, so who¡¯s whose ally again?


    For a moment he almost chuckled up. The situation felt quite absurd. As a Rover, he disliked the lifestyle it forced on him, constantly moving and forcing Kay to fight with him, but now suddenly it seemed such a nice job. At least there he knew what he was in for. Right now he was just as uncertain and worried as Kay¡­ and as such he decided on a different approach to calm the girl.


    Kay: "Wha¡ª?"


    Kay¡¯s reaction was flustered yet surprisingly meek at the same time when her partner suddenly put his arms around her shoulders and drew her closer to himself.


    Kay: "Soketsu¡­?"


    Soketsu: "Don¡¯t worry." The man spoke with a very gentle voice, one that he only used on very rare occasions and only for Kay. "No matter what happens, we are still together, and that¡¯s all we really need. Things will work out as they always do; we just have to stick together."


    As he looked into his partner¡¯s eyes Soketsu could still see the confusion deep inside her. He had nothing more to say, so instead he drew her even closer, and she didn¡¯t put up a fight.


    It took her a few more minutes of fidgeting, but at last Kay leaned on him with a blissful smile, resting her head on his shoulders. Feeling his small body right beside him, hearing her breathing and her heartbeat¡­ It gave him the comfort he was looking for, and he hoped his presence was giving her the same. For now that was all that mattered.

 Ch 13: Meet the Order

    Light and darkness. In the cardinal¡¯s mind the Grand Cathedral of the Order in Quintus was a perfect amalgamation of those polar opposites. The building itself was more of a fortress than a temple with its thick, reinforced concrete walls and tiny, narrow windows. Those same windows however were still enough to dress the place in a dim light with countless shades in the corners.


    The interiors were solemn, almost depressingly so, and completely puritan. No statues, no frills or marble vestments, only grey concrete and steel, function over aesthetics. In his eyes the cathedral seemed almost too perfect of an allegory to the organization it housed. On the outside it was grand, unshakeable and on solid foundations, but the inside was nothing more than faint rays of light consumed by a sea of shadows and secrets.


    He softly smiled at his own thoughts and quietly started walking through the dark hallways once again, his simple grey robes lightly waving in the air, momentarily lending him the image of a ghost soundlessly floating through the shadowy corridors. The sun was on the top of its route in the sky yet the halls were terribly dim and he was sure that without his several years¡¯ worth of experience he might have completely lost his way in the labyrinthine underbelly of the cathedral.


    With heavy steps he wordlessly contemplated upon the news he just received. The problems weighted heavily on his mind as if he was carrying a mountain on his back, and to be precise, he felt exactly like that. The troubles he had to deal with day after day had already etched deep wrinkles upon his forehead, and although his face was still of a young man¡¯s, one couldn¡¯t help but find him at least middle aged at first glance. The white streaks in his short brown hair didn¡¯t help either. His steps came to a sudden halt as he turned around a corner and faced a familiar sight, yet one that he never really got used to.


    It was one of the very few ornamented sections of the building, a wonderfully detailed piece of art depicting the Reckoning War¡¯s events in a long series of frescos along the walls, from beginning to end. The beautiful colors and lifelike characters captivated him every time he laid his eyes upon them, even though their majesty was greatly tarnished by the unforgiving fangs of time and the less than stellar lighting of hallway.


    No doubt these were made immediately after Nov¡¯Elsfaan¡¯s descent by the hands of an overly eager artist, possibly even before the Order itself was forged by the turbulent events of the following decade.


    He quickly looked over each of the scenes as he passed by them, but his eyes were always drawn to the final, half-finished piece. As he stood in front of it his eyebrows involuntarily furrowed, etching yet another wrinkle upon his face.


    The scene depicted was clear and simple. It was the iconic figure of the First Prophet, clad in his crimson armor and black coat, raising his hands towards the skies in reverence of the descending Nov¡¯Elsfaan. It was, however, clearly incomplete. The background was all white, unlike the vivid imagery of the other scenes, and the Prophet was slightly off-center.


    Anyone could tell this was only slightly more than a rough sketch of the final product, yet they would still have found it a breathtaking memento of a historic event. The cardinal knew better. He knew the truth, the whole truth behind that missing background, and it was something that carved more wrinkles onto his face than anything else. Well, maybe save for a certain brat under his care, but that was beside the point. After a short, tired sigh he steeled his expression and continued on his way.


    He was still more than a few paces away from his destination but he could already hear an angry voice he knew all too well. As he opened the door to the inner sanctum of the cathedral he found himself face to face with the owner of said voice.


    Randall: "This is an outrage!!!"


    ?????????: " I told you to stop shouting...!"


    The two people in the room were polar opposites. Bishop Randall¡¯s figure seemed large and imposing, even with his receding hairline and sunken eyes. He was completely overshadowing the teenage girl sitting on the pedestal in the middle of the circular atrium sporting an expression that somehow managed to convey both indignation and boredom.


    Her long, spotless white ceremonial robes seemed eerie yet beautiful in the dim, artificial neon light shining down upon her. Her face was shapely and feminine, with long eyelashes and just enough baby fat on her to show that she hasn¡¯t quite got out of puberty yet but she wasn¡¯t a child either. Her garments were similar to what a princess from a story-book would wear, all flowing silk and billowing skirts. Her head was even sporting an unadorned yet elegant tiara holding his raven hair back. As she finally noticed the cardinal and their eyes met, she let out an exaggerated sight and stood up.


    ?????????: "Finally! Where the hell have you been?!"


    She simply shoved the flabbergasted Randall aside and moved to the cardinal, her waist-long black hair floating behind her like a comet¡¯s tail.


    ?????????: "Do you have any idea how long I had to listen to his moaning!? Do something already!"


    The man let out a tiny sigh under his breath but didn¡¯t let the exasperation show on his face. As much as he hated to admit it, he was already used to the ¡®esteemed Oracle¡¯s¡¯ spoiled behavior and he didn¡¯t even bat an eye at her demands as he turned to Randall, ignoring her entirely.


    Cardinal: "Sorry for making you wait bishop. What seems to be the problem?"


    Randall: "The problem? The PROBLEM?!" The old man¡¯s voice was hoarse and his last word felt more like a shriek than anything else. "It¡¯s not a ¡®problem¡¯, it¡¯s a disaster! A blasphemy of the highest degree, it¡¯s a¡ª"


    The cardinal swiftly raised his palm and the bishop became silent on the spot. He knew Randall for many years, even if only tangentially, and he knew that if the usually absent-minded and peaceful man was this agitated, something big must have happened.


    Cardinal: "Start from the beginning please, I only heard the abridged version of your initial report."


    The bishop gave him a disgruntled glance and let out a worn-out sigh. With a sudden change in his tone he started speaking in a soft, almost reverent voice.


    Randall: "As you wish, you Honor. Please excuse my earlier outburst." He slowly licked his thin lips and continued. "Two days ago, I was sent out with a group of Type-Os to¡­"


    ????????: "Booooring! Get to the part where your party¡¯s ass got kicked!"


    Cardinal: "Cassandra¡­"


    Cassandra: "What?"


    The girl effortlessly shrugged off the Cardinal¡¯s reprimanding tone; his piercing gaze couldn¡¯t even graze the walls of her ego.


    Cardinal: "You are the voice of Nov¡¯Elsfaan, you should mind your words and tone."


    Cassandra: "Why? He would have said the same too!"


    The agitated bishop suddenly stepped closer to the two, demanding their attention.


    Randall: "May I continue?"


    Cardinal: "Yes, by all means. Please do so."


    Randall: "So as I was saying, I was leading twelve Type-Os when I was ambushed."


    The cardinal involuntarily raised an eyebrow. From the initial report he already heard about an attack on the bishop, but he had a hard time imagining anyone in their right mind would assault a priest of Nov¡¯Elsfaan accompanied by a dozen Type-Os.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Then there was another question: Where did the bishop get his hands on twelve of the monsters? They only had about thirty at the cathedral in total and he personally had to authorize every deployment, yet he didn¡¯t remember ever filling the paperwork. Unless¡­


    He sent a sharp glance at Cassandra, though she didn¡¯t seem to notice. Right, if it involved the Plan, she could have issued the order. On the other hand this meant that the girl was acting behind his back. After a moment of hesitation he decided to keep quiet and play along, but also made a mental note about ripping the brat a new one later.


    Cardinal: "Ambushed?" He finally asked, hoping that his hesitation would be interpreted as surprise.


    Randall: "Yes, and¡­"


    Cassandra: "Stop dancing around it!" Cassandra glared at the bishop and then turned to the cardinal with almost childish glee. "It was Ahazkun!"


    The moment he heard the word Randall¡¯s face became red with anger. The cardinal quickly raised his hand once again before the situation could get out of hand, though he had to admit he wanted to smack the girl over the head himself, and sent another sharp glance to Cassandra. Once she recognized the gesture and grudgingly settled down he turned back to Randall and spoke with a firm tone.


    Cardinal: "Tell me the details."


    Randall: "Yes, of course..." Randal said, still agitated. "As I said, I was ambushed by a single man who destroyed all twelve Type-Os."


    Cassandra: "I bet it was awesome!" The girl exploded again, enthusiasm spilling forth from her like a fountain. "He mopped the floor with those ugly critters in a minute! Pow! Bang!"


    The two men glared at the girl in unison and after a short pause the cardinal simply said;


    Cardinal: "I believe it would be best if you just disregarded her for now. Please continue."


    Visibly vexed, the old man nodded and continued.


    Randall: "So, as I said, the assailant destroyed my troops. He claimed to be the ¡®Silver Oracle¡¯ and the ¡®Third Prophet¡¯, by the name of Ahazkun. The man was obviously using some powerful magecraft, and¡­"


    Cassandra: "You heard that! He is finally ba¡ª" Before she could finish her line the edge of the Cardinal¡¯s palm lightly struck the girl on the top of her head with a barely audible thump. "Ouch! Hey!"


    Cardinal: "Quiet down. This seems like a serious issue." He said, and then in a barely audible hiss he added; "I am mad enough at you already, stop testing your luck."


    Cassandra gave a pointed look at remark but in the end she averted her gaze and crossed her arms in a pout. After the quick reprimand the Cardinal turned his full attention to the man in front of him. For the first time since the old man has known him, his eyes seemed to be filled with a vigorous light.


    Cardinal: "Randall¡­"


    Randall: "Yes, your Honor?" He answered, his back reflexively straightening.


    Cardinal: "Tell me everything¡­"


    ~~~


    Kiseki: "Yay! We are finally here!"


    Adhi: "It took longer than I thought it would¡­"


    The strange pair entering the small chapel in the middle of the abbey complex on the mountain stood out like a sore thumb amongst the knights and other servicemen performing their daily prayers. They wore clothes completely unfit for the mood of the building, or practically any building of this era if we were at that. One would almost think they were a couple waiting for their wedding to commence, though considering the environment even that interpretation would have been off the mark.


    While the place was called a chapel, it was only self-appointed jargon, something the Order very much liked to abuse in order to dress its mundane institutions in sanctified guise. As such the ¡®chapel¡¯ was closer to what one would consider a cut and dried example of a barrack. Sure, the religious iconography was there, like everywhere else the Order set foot, littering the dull brown walls with scrolls and golden eyes, the symbols of Nov¡¯Elsfaan. In the grand scheme of things it hardly seemed to be more than lip-service.


    However what the place lacked in piety, it made up in big, burly armored men. Men who were all stopped on their tracks and sending suspicious glances towards the newcomers in the doorway.


    Adhi: "Hey, easy people, easy! We are not here to fight you or anything." The man protested with hands in the air.


    Kiseki: "Wait, are you sure about that?"


    Adhi: "Now that you mention it¡­" The man mused absent-mindedly as he lowered his hands. "Where did you put that letter again?"


    Kiseki: "I gave it to you."


    Adhi: "No you didn¡¯t."


    The two of them crossed their arms in unison, apparently deep in thought and not caring about the eyes surround them the slightest.


    Kiseki: "Why do you need it anyway?"


    Adhi: "To make sure if this is the place where we meet or the place we are supposed to blow up."


    Kiseki: "Oh." She giggled with an innocent mirth. "You are so clever!"


    Adhi: "Right. So, where is it?"


    Kiseki: "I gave it to you."


    Adhi: "No you didn¡¯t."


    Knight: "Excuse me¡­"


    The back and forth between the two was broken by the arrival of a new participant joining the fray. As they looked up, a tall man was standing in front of them. He was wearing what seemed to be a polished dark gray breastplate made of a number of interlocking plates, its surface adorned by various symbols and short phrases of litany engraved into the metal itself worn over lightly padded riot gear.


    It was a weird combination of the aesthetical platemail of the templars and the more practical garment of a knight. In short, it was the traditional armor of the bodyguards and knight officers stationed in very important places, where being imposing and being useful held equal importance when it came to the uniform design.


    The man cleared his throat and looked at the couple with slightly skeptical eyes.


    Knight: "Who are you people?"


    The male half of the duo flashed a juvenile grin that had no business on a grown man¡¯s face at the knight and offered a hand.


    Adhi: "We are the C¡ª"


    ??????: "I told you idiots to wait for me!" Adhi was suddenly interrupted by a tall, wiry man bursting through the door behind them and he glared at the two from under his dark cowl. After taking a moment to catch his breath he straightened himself, and looked over the situation with a desperate twitch in his eyes. "Please don¡¯t tell me you already got into trouble¡­"


    Kiseki: "Oh, of course we didn¡¯t, silly!"


    Adhi: "Right, have some faith in us!"


    Judging by the man¡¯s exasperated expression he had about as much faith in them as in unicorns, but he decided it wasn¡¯t the right moment to give them a lecture. Not that it would have helped. It never worked before either. In the meantime the knight continued to cautiously observe them.


    Knight: "Could one of you please tell me what¡¯s going on?" He finally spoke with barely concealed irritation.


    ??????: "Right¡­" The brown-clad man nodded as he removed his cowl, revealing a short military crop underneath, and flashed the Order insignia on his jacket. "Sergeant Viktor Delaise, Northern Border Guard."


    Knight: "Colonel Harran, Sextus Aquilonis," The knight answered dryly with a small nod. "Now, about my previous question¡­"


    Viktor sighed in exasperation and pointed at the two behind his back with his thumb over his shoulder.


    Viktor: "These two are mercenaries that were called in by your abbot for something. I met them in Viginti and I was ordered by my CO to accompany them to make sure they get here."


    Harran: "Viginti?" The man¡¯s brows slightly rose as he glanced back at the two again. They were apparently arguing about something involving camels, but something told him he didn¡¯t want to listen too closely, so instead he turned back to the sergeant. "Isn¡¯t that town the other end of the continent?"


    The brown-clad knight let out a tired groan and nodded in a slow, deliberate manner.


    Viktor: "Precisely."


    After a few seconds of thinking the colonel¡¯s eyes suddenly opened wide with recognition.


    Harran: "And you say they are mercenaries? We were expecting a pair of mercs two weeks ago, but¡­"


    Adhi: "Oh you were waiting for us!" Adhi suddenly interrupted with another unnerving grin. "Then this is not the place that we have to blow up after all."


    Kiseki: "Good to know." The woman nodded merrily.


    The man in front of them was visibly confused by their behavior.


    Harran: "So, are you¡­?"


    Adhi: "The Calamity Couple!"


    The tall man blinked in surprise, then he blinked again in disbelief, then finally he blinked a third time in incongruity. Then, at last, he looked over at the totally exhausted sergeant and whispered:


    Harran: "Are they always like that?"


    The young soldier¡¯s lips twitched up in a flash of madness and he replied:


    Viktor: "All. The. Time."


    The colonel visibly shuddered for a moment but then he cleared his throat and addressed the pair again.


    Harran: "The abbot has been waiting for you. This way." Afterwards he turned back to Viktor and gave him an appreciative nod. "As for you, soldier, consider yourself off-duty."


    Viktor: "Thank you sir."


    Without any further ado the sergeant turned 180 and left the premises as if fleeing.


    Kiseki: "Yay! I¡¯ve never met an abbot before!" Kiseki drew the colonel¡¯s attention as she moved up to him with bouncy steps. "Is he cute?"


    The armored man paused for a moment brought forth by his brain desperately trying to un-hear the question.


    Harran: "The abbot is the leader of this branch of the Order¡¯s military," He stated dryly.


    Kiseki: "So¡­ he isn¡¯t cute after all?"


    Harran: "Just¡­ Just follow me¡­"


    As such they descended into the back of the chapel, and unbeknownst to them their already exhausted guide was already contemplating whether the sergeant deserved a promotion or court marshal for delivering these two¡­

 Ch 14: The monkey-thing

    It was hard to tell how much time had passed in the infirmary. Kay sat still in the bedridden Rover¡¯s arms and neither of them said anything, only basking in the warmth of the other. It was quiet. Not the awkward, tense silence one would expect in regard of the circumstances, but a gentle tranquility. But then of course it is only the nature of such moments to disappear in the most abrupt of fashions, like a soap bubble popping in the air, and this particular instant apparently didn¡¯t want to break well-established patterns¡­


    Pabloc: "Are we in the way?"


    Soketsu blinked in surprise and glanced over at the source of the voice, spotting Pabloc and Ahazkun standing in the entrance. It took Kay a few seconds longer to react, but then she immediately became flustered and started fidgeting. Surprisingly enough she didn¡¯t let go of him on the spot, though it seemed like it was more because of the suddenness of the men¡¯s arrival than a conscious choice.


    Soketsu glanced at her, then back at the two in the doorway and shrugged his shoulders.


    Soketsu: "Not really."


    Even though the tone wasn¡¯t completely welcoming, the two let themselves in all the same.


    Pabloc: "Okay then. Now, let me see¡­"


    As the scientist walked beside them, Kay quietly slipped out of Soketsu¡¯s arms and sat next him. Soketsu actually felt a little vexed, since they could barely spend a few minutes alone, but he tried his best not to show his feelings on his face.


    In the meantime Pabloc took a small tube out of his pocket and crouched down by the night stand.


    Pabloc: "I really, really hope this experimental superglue works on wood. For your sake."


    Soketsu rolled his eyes in a covert fashion. Kay on the other hand seemed to be interested in what the scientist was doing. She leaned closer, but then something else caught her interest.


    Kay: "What is that?"


    While saying so Kay cautiously pointed for the small piece of paper on the top of said night table, still rigid as steel. The Sigil, while less bright than before, was still quietly smoldering on its surface.


    Soketsu: "This?"


    Seeing the curiosity in her eyes Soketsu quickly seized the opportunity to change the subject and reached for the prescription. He picked it up by its corner, yet it remained completely inflexible and the symbol in the middle started shimmering at his touch.


    Kay: "Wow¡­ There is so much viridia flowing through that inscription. I have never seen anything like that before."


    Soketsu: "Neat, huh?"


    Kay: "Yes." The girl¡¯s answer sounded quite absentminded as she was carefully tapping the piece of paper in Soketsu¡¯s hand, then looked at the man with questioning eyes. "How did you make this?"


    Soketsu: "It¡¯s kind of my thing." Soketsu proudly grinned at Kay for a moment, after which his expression turned questioning as well. "Wait, how did you know?"


    The girl seemed to be stumped for answers.


    Kay: "I don¡¯t really know. It just¡­ kind of feels like you."


    Ahazkun: "Not surprising. Alternates are very sensitive about the characteristics of viridia."


    Speaking up for the first time since he entered, the man walked over to the bed Gabe used in the morning and wearily sat down. In the meantime Soketsu quickly grabbed hold of Kay¡¯s attention again by poking his finger against the softly shining symbol on the paper.


    Soketsu: "It¡¯s called a Sigil. It¡¯s an ability that I developed in my¡­ what should I call it? Previous life?" Kay appeared to be somewhat confused about the topic, but since he didn¡¯t know much about the issue either he decided to continue. "Anyways, I can make Sigils like this one to give different properties to things. For example, that is the Blade Sigil. It makes things hard and sharp."


    Ahazkun: "Nomen est omen."


    Soketsu: "Gesundheit."


    Apparently too engrossed with poking the Sigil, Kay didn¡¯t seem to care about the exchange between the two.


    Kay: "Weird¡­ It still looks like a normal piece of paper." The girl pondered as she tried to bend the corner of the prescription for no avail. "Wow. Just how hard is it?"


    Soketsu: "Well, I could¡ª" Soketsu spoke up, but then he was immediately interrupted by a scowl from the bespectacled man by the bedside.


    Pabloc: "No demonstrations!"


    Soketsu: "Fine, fine." Soketsu rolled his eyes again and turned back to Kay. "Anyways, the reason why my Sigils are unique is because I can use them to make complex modification tasks that would normally require multiple steps, and they can be applied to anything that makes sense." Soketsu waved the prescription again, making a faint sound as it cut through the air. "For example, the Blade Sigil can only be applied to things with an edge. On a ball it would simply burn itself out in a moment without any effect."


    Kay: "Is it supposed to dim like that?"


    The man glanced at the prescription and the sigil on it has indeed faded considerably compared to the time he first applied it.


    Soketsu: "Yeah¡­ These things only work for a short time without supplying them with viridia, and this one is a little sloppy to begin with. I need to get my touch back ¡­"


    Even though Soketsu apparently wasn¡¯t really satisfied with his first Sigil, Kay appeared to be entranced by the shimmering symbol and her eyes were sparkling with curiosity.


    Kay: "But how does it work?"


    Soketsu: "Um¡­" Soketsu suddenly felt a little stumped himself. "I don¡¯t really know, actually."


    Kay: "You don¡¯t?"


    Ahazkun: "It¡¯s a Core Pattern." The oracle came to the rescue. "Soketsu developed it without actually knowing the underlying principles."


    Soketsu: "Right, it¡¯s kind of like how you transform. No one knows how exactly that works either right?"


    Pabloc: "We do."


    Soketsu arched a brow as Pabloc nonchalantly answered while just finishing up the repairs on the furniture.


    Soketsu: "Really?"


    The scientist turned to him while sinking the tube of glue into his pocket with an ever so slightly condescending look on his face.


    Pabloc: "Of course we do. It¡¯s done by using one¡¯s Soul Core to directly influence their Image Core, which then first disassembles one¡¯s physical form into Ether and Viridia, and then re-assemble said physical form in accordance of a new Image Core while the Soul Core remains intact. It¡¯s quite basic, really."


    For a few very long and very awkward seconds both Soketsu and Kay kept staring at the man, their brows furrowed and mouths drawn into a confused grimace.


    Kay: "I¡­ didn¡¯t really understand that." The green haired girl glanced up at the man sitting beside her with expectant eyes. "Soketsu?"


    Soketsu: "Sorry, I have absolutely no clue what that torrent of random jargon was supposed to mean."


    Pabloc: "Don¡¯t look so proud about it."


    Soketsu: "Hey, it¡¯s not like¡ª"


    Before the man could finish his sentence it was cut short by the creaking of the door and the sound of someone stomping through it in a hurry.


    Tiari: "¡­!"


    The catgirl much less walked than jumped through the doorway, promptly followed by the blonde girl at her heel, though it seemed a little odd how the floundering Lily could stay so close to the disheveled Tiari.


    However, just the moment before she would have reached her, the catgirl quickly scanned the room with her eyes and the moment her gaze met with Ahazkun¡¯s she lunged at him with lightning speed.


    Tiari: "Save meee!!!"


    The girl covered behind the sitting oracle as Lily merrily entered the room.


    Lily: "Tia-chaaan~"


    Once she noticed her target she lunged at Ahazkun¡¯s direction as well, though considering her way of running it might have been better to say ¡®she tottered over to them slightly faster than usual¡¯.


    The group silently watched as the girl slowly and without even a hint of menace walked over the room, but just as she was about to reach them she suddenly found herself obstructed by Ahazkun''s long arm.


    Lily: "Nyuuu¡­ Ahazkun-kun! Don¡¯t help Tia-chan. It¡¯s not fair!"


    Ahazkun: "And what exactly are you two doing, if I may ask?"


    Lily looked up at the man on the other end of the long arm pressing against her forehead and flashed a toothy yet innocent smile.


    Lily: "Playing tag!"


    Tiari: "We are not! She wants to chew me into a pulp!"


    Ahazkun: "¡­"


    Looking sharply over at the blonde girl, the oracle retracted his hand and then lightly tapped her on the top of her head.


    Ahazkun: "Sorry Lily, but Tiari apparently doesn¡¯t want to play right now. Please do it later."


    Lily: "Nyuuu¡­ Okay."


    The bubbly girl turned her back on them with a disappointed look and moved to Pabloc¡¯s side. As she felt the situation was finally defused, Tiari¡¯s wandering eyes suddenly met with someone else¡¯s.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Tiari: "You!"


    Kay: "¡­?"


    With one lightning-quick leap she landed right next to Soketsu and pointed at Kay.


    Tiari: "Why did you leave me alone with her?! I could have died!"


    Kay: "Ummm¡­ But Gabe told me to go with him."


    Tiari: "That¡¯s not an excuse! You should have at least tried helping me, or kept the door open or something¡­!"


    Kay: "S-Sorry."


    Seeing her embarrassed display made Tiari sigh as she shook her head.


    Tiari: "Fine, fine. You don¡¯t need to be that sorry, just¡­ next time, please be more considerate, okay?"


    Kay: "Next time?"


    Tiari: "Ugh¡­ Right. Let¡¯s focus on avoiding situations like this instead¡­"


    Soketsu: "Tiari?" The catgirl looked up at the source of the voice, only to find herself face to face with a completely transparent smile and a somewhat menacing glare. "Would you be so kind to get your knee out of my side?"


    Suddenly realizing where she was, Tiari jumped off the bed in a hurry while her eyes kept darting between the place she was at and Soketsu¡¯s face. Needless to say he didn¡¯t seem amused.


    Tiari: "Sorry, my bad¡­" Suddenly her eyes opened wide as she remembered a perfect topic to change the direction of the discussion and faced Kay. "Hey, you recognized me! That means your memory is back! Congrats!"


    Soketsu silently nodded and was about to answer when¡­


    Lily: "Yay! A hiragana!"


    Soketsu: "A what?!"


    Seeing everyone¡¯s surprised faces, Lily started enthusiastically pointing at the paper in Soketsu¡¯s hand.


    Lily: "There! It¡¯s a hiragana!"


    Tiari: "No, it¡¯s a seal."


    Soketsu: "Actually, it¡¯s a Sigil¡­"


    Tiari: "Seal, sigil, all the same."


    Soketsu: "No, they are not¡­"


    While they were arguing, Ahazkun¡¯s figure quietly moved up to them with a slightly concerned expression and slowly extended his hand towards Tiari¡¯s head.


    Ahazkun: "Tiari, are those bite-marks on your ears¡­?"


    Hearing the remark, the catgirl quickly hid her ears under her palms and looked up on his master with an embarrassed glance.


    Tiari: "Just¡­ Just don¡¯t ask, OK?"


    After sending an annoyed glace towards Lily¡¯s back and letting out a small sigh, Ahazkun gently brushed away her hands and took her ears into his palms.


    Ahazkun: "I¡¯ll take care of this, please don¡¯t squirm."


    With that a weak, green light engulfed his hands alongside Tiari¡¯s ears, and a moment later they were completely healed.


    Ahazkun: "Here."


    After checking them out for herself, the catgirl glanced up at the oracle with a slightly sheepish smile.


    Tiari: "¡­ Thanks¡­"


    Ahazkun: "Don¡¯t mention it."


    Kay was just about to raise her voice about this last piece of the chain of oddities she had seen that day when, yet again, the door opened and drew everyone¡¯s attention to it.


    Gabe: "Whoa, why is everyone here?"


    Soketsu: "Good question."


    The mad scientist swiftly entered the room with his long, black lab-coat soundlessly fluttering behind him. Soketsu couldn¡¯t help but smile in amusement. The man was exactly the same as in his newfound memories, down to the clothing. However it wasn¡¯t him who spoke up first after all.


    Pabloc: "What are you doing here? Weren¡¯t you going back to your place?"


    Gabe: "Yeah, but I got sidetracked." He answered while absent-mindedly scratching the back of his neck. "Oh, by the way, catch!"


    Tiari: "Nya?!"


    Before she could even realize what was going on, a small projectile hit Tiari on the middle of her forehead with a soft thud. The catgirl almost fell backwards in surprise but in the last moment she regained her balance and somehow even managed to grab hold of the small blue marble that hit her. Once she was steady on her feet she shook her head and leveled a furious scowl at the black-clad scientist.


    Tiari: "What the hell are you doing?!"


    Gabe: "That¡¯s your new pass." Came the nonplussed answer as Gabe plopped down onto a nearby bed. "I made it even harder to break, but that doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t have to look after it this time."


    Ahazkun: "New pass?"


    Under her master¡¯s piercing gaze the catgirl awkwardly scratched her chin while averting her eyes.


    Tiari:""Hehe¡­ That¡¯s¡­ a long story."


    Gabe: "Oh, and by the way, since I know you won¡¯t be able to take care of it even if I warn you¡­" Gabe mused with a smile apparently completely unconcerned with the glare of the catgirl, "¡­ here¡¯s a tracker."


    Just as Tiari was about to voice her dislike, the man reached into his pocket and handed a small device to the baffled girl.


    Tiari: "What is this?"


    Gabe: "I just told you, it¡¯s a tracker that helps you find your pass when you lose it again."


    Tiari: "¡­"


    Gabe: "Oh, and here."


    After reaching into his pockets for a second time he handed two other small devices to the oracle at their side.


    Gabe: "This one is a spare tracker in case she loses that as well."


    Tiari: "HEY!"


    Gabe: "The other one is a tracker for her tracker so you can find that too when she inevitably loses both."


    Tiari: "I said ¡°HEY¡±! I¡¯m not that scatterbrained!"


    The two men looked at her with deadpan faces, though it admittedly looked much less natural on Gabe than on the oracle, and they spoke in unison.


    Gabe&Ahazkun: "Yes, you are."


    Tiari: "Ack! Ahaz! You are supposed to take my side!"


    Ahazkun: "Thanks, I will keep these safe."


    Gabe: "You are welcome."


    Tiari: "Don¡¯t ignore me!!!"


    Without paying any attention to her demands the mad scientist turned to Soketsu while Ahazkun promptly turned around and moved to the back of the infirmary with the catgirl in tow.


    Gabe: "Hey there buddy. It looks like they finally peeled you out of your cast."


    Soketsu: "Yeah." The man answered awkwardly. "Actually I¡ª"


    Before he could finish the sentence he was cut off by Gabe as the mad scientist¡¯s eyes suddenly sparkled the moment he noticed the paper sheet in Soketsu¡¯s hand.


    Gabe: "You can draw your monkey-thing already! Awesome!"


    Soketsu: "It¡¯s called Sig¡­ Wait, what?!"


    Gabe: "The monkey-thing! You know; the monkey-thing!"


    For a moment everyone looked a little bit confused, though in Soketsu¡¯s case it was closer to being outraged.


    Soketsu: "How the hell does this look like a¡­ ¡®monkey-thing¡¯ to you?!"


    Gabe: "It¡¯s not just looks like that; it is a monkey-thing! You know the monkey-thing, right?"


    For a second or two the bedridden man¡¯s annoyed glare clashed with the mad scientist¡¯s nonchalant smile, and it appeared that it was the glare that lost the ensuing struggle.


    Soketsu: "¡­ I give up. You are still too random for me."


    Gabe: "Why, thanks!" Gabe flashed a toothy smile and moved closer to the bed. "By the way, how are you doing? I mean, besides being out of the cast."


    Pabloc: "It was only necessary for the first day. We were only waiting for him to wake up before we took it off." Pabloc added absentmindedly while petting Lily¡¯s head. She was in turn resting her head against his side in bliss.


    Soketsu: "And just to answer your question, I¡¯m fine. My head seems all right, I can move my body and as you have seen my power works as well."


    Gabe: "So you can move, right?"


    There was something about the man¡¯s demeanor that worried Soketsu. He was too¡­ eager. He couldn¡¯t pinpoint the exact memory, but he had a feeling that he had at least one very, very bad experience starting like this, so he was immediately put on guard by the mad scientist¡¯s cheerful smile.


    Soketsu: "Yes, but¡ª"


    Gabe: "Great!" The man declared before Soketsu could say a single word more. "Hey Kay, do you remember what you said? How about we do it today, since we are all here and everything?"


    The girl blinked at him in surprise, not expecting to be addressed in this situation, and could barely squeeze out the words through her lips in her flushed state.


    Kay: "You mean the city?"


    Gabe: "Of course! Someone, get a wheelchair!"


    Soketsu: "But¡­"


    Ahazkun: "Here, I got one in advance."


    The oracle promptly arrived back from the rear of the room where he was apparently putting together an old wheelchair all this time, bearing an expression as unreadable as ever. For Gabe it was a different expression though, and he slowly narrowed his eyes into a squint saying ¡®you smug clairvoyant¡­¡¯. Not literally, of course, only effectively.


    Soketsu: "Hey, are you sure I should be moving?!"


    Pabloc: "Well, your body is all right and we are done with the final tests as well. You should be fine if we take the regenerative IV with us." Saying so Pabloc stepped away from the fixed night table and readjusted his glasses. "Speaking of IVs¡­ Kay?"


    The girl slightly twitched when she heard her name and sheepishly looked over to the scientist.


    Kay: "Yes?"


    Pabloc: "Can I see your package?"


    Kay: "Ummm¡­ Here."


    Pabloc swiftly checked the package and let out an impressed whistle.


    Pabloc: "Well I¡¯ll be damned. It is almost empty¡­ I best give you another one."


    Kay: "But¡­"


    Gabe: "Don¡¯t worry."


    As if he knew what Kay was about to say, the black-clad scientist spoke up while he helped Soketsu into the wheelchair.


    Gabe: "We are going to show the labs to Soketsu¡ª!" Gabe let out a small groan as he helped to lift the immobile man into the seat. "Geez man, you are heavy."


    Soketsu: "Gee, please excuse me."


    Gabe: "Well, okay, but just this once." Rolling his eyes, Soketsu shook his head while Gabe continued. "Anyways, we will wait for you guys at the labs so we can go to the city gate together."


    Seeing his partner¡¯s expression Soketsu decided to try his hand at convincing her as well.


    Soketsu: "Listen, if Pabloc says it¡¯s necessary you should really get that IV. Don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t let them go anywhere until you catch up with us."


    After a moment of hesitation, Kay finally nodded.


    Kay: "Fine."


    Gabe: "Okay, then we should hurry! The Main Labs are huge and we have only a little time to show you around."


    Saying so he started pushing Soketsu¡¯s wheelchair out the room.


    Soketsu: "Hey, slow down!"


    Gabe: "No time! See you soon!"


    As the commotion suddenly settled, only three people remained in the infirmary. Kay, Pabloc and¡­


    Pabloc: "Aren¡¯t you going with them, Lily?"


    Lily: "No, I want to stay here! I want to be the nurse!"


    The man chuckled to himself affectionately and patted the girl on the head.


    Pabloc: "All right, please bring me some sterile needles and a high-density package."


    Lily: "Hai isha-sama~~!"


    While Lily left with her radiant permanent smile, Kay lifted herself onto the examination table she got used to during the previous few days. Pabloc couldn¡¯t help but notice her slight fidgeting while she waited for her treatment.


    Pabloc: "Are you still scared of the needle?"


    Kay: "Hm? No. I mean, I am. A little, but¡­"


    Pabloc: "But¡­?"


    Kay: "Can I ask you something?"


    Noticing the serious tone of her voice prompted Pabloc to readjust his glasses and answer in kind.


    Pabloc: "Of course, ask away."


    Kay: "I am¡­" She began, but then she paused uncertainly. Her discussion with Tiari before gave her a glimmer of hope, but she wasn¡¯t sure she should act on it yet. At last she swallowed and instead asked, "What does it mean to be a Familiar?"


    For a moment the scientist seemed to be thinking, apparently less about the question and more about the questioner.


    Pabloc: "Where did that came from?"


    Kay: "Tiari said I should ask you because she couldn¡¯t explain. She said you could tell me and help me with¡­ various things."


    While readying a pair of sterile gloves Pabloc visibly pondered for a second.


    Pabloc: "Well, for you understand them I would also have to explain the basics, like the relation between Existence Cores, Soul Cores and Image Cores, the nature of viridia and ether and how one affects the other¡­ I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t really have the time for that."


    Kay: "Umm¡­ I see." She paused uncertainly for the second time before asking, "So¡­ could we talk about it later? I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on at all right now."


    Pabloc contemplated some more as he was readying the package and finally his face lit up as an idea surfaced in his mind.


    Pabloc: "You know what? How about I give you a few books on the subject?"


    Kay¡¯s eyes opened wide for a moment.


    Kay: "Books? You mean there are books about those things?"


    Pabloc: "Yes. They were written by Gabe, so they are a little¡­ strange, to say the least, but they explain the basics quite well. And now that we are talking about it¡­"


    He suddenly put down the medical tools and began quickly rummaging through the contents of a nearby cupboard and returned with a small, hard-cover book in his hand.


    Pabloc: "Here, I just happened to have the second volume on me."


    Kay: "The second one?"


    Pabloc: "Don¡¯t worry, I told you it was written by Gabe. He has a tendency to repeat everything, so you can find almost the whole first book in this as well. It should explain the basics."


    Kay: "Ummm¡­ Can I borrow it?"


    Pabloc: "No need. I give it to you."


    Kay: "Really?"


    The girl¡¯s eyes suddenly became so lively that Pabloc could have sworn he had seen the proverbial sparkles in them.


    Pabloc: "Sure. I only used it to refresh my memory after my reawakening. It will do more good for you than it does sitting in my desk."


    Kay: "Thank you!"


    Seeing her ecstatic expression Pabloc broke into a smile himself.


    Pabloc: "Do you like to read?"


    Kay: "Yes, a lot."


    Pabloc: "But this one is a little boring¡­"


    Kay: "But I want to understand what you are talking about! I¡¯m going to read  no matter what!"


    Looking at the how fired up she got, Pabloc couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Pabloc: "Haha¡­ Well, good luck then."


    Kay: "Thank you."


    Pabloc: "Don¡¯t mention it."


    Lily: "I¡¯m back~"


    Lily returned from the sully room at the back of the infirmary with a new pack and a handful of needles on a plastic tray, cheerfully smiling all the way though. The man took the tray from her and gently patted her on the head again. In response she began squirming like a puppy that was being petted after fetching the stick. It was a heartwarming but kind of odd spectacle.


    Pabloc: "Well, let us begin then. We don¡¯t have all day."


    As such, Pabloc began the treatment of the girl pored over the book in her hands while the other girl kept cheerfully tugging on his sleeves.

 Ch 15: There will be consequences

    Cardinal: "Things will be different this time?"


    Randall: "Yes, those were the words I was to convey to you. It didn¡¯t sound like a threat, but I believe it might have some deeper meaning."


    Cardinal: "I see¡­"


    After listening to the long and detailed explanation of Bishop Randall, the cardinal¡¯s expression was hard to read. As a few moments of silent contemplation passed by, the nervously fidgeting bishop spoke up again.


    Randall: "If you would allow me, I would like to organize a group to hunt down the¡ª"


    Cardinal: "That¡¯s unnecessary."


    As rejections went, this was about as quick and straightforward as they got; so much so that the bishop immediately dropped his respectful tone in shock.


    Randall: "W-What do you mean? Unnecessary?!"


    Cardinal: "Indeed. We don¡¯t know who this man is or where he came from. It would be pointless to waste resources and manpower on pursuing him."


    The cardinal¡¯s voice was measured and dispassionate, in sharp contrast to the aging man looking like he was about to pass out from anger.


    Randall: "But¡­ but¡­ He claimed to be a false prophet!!!" Randall bellowed, his old lungs quickly running out of air and forcing his voice to trail off into a painful wheeze. The cardinal stood silent for a few second to allow the man to catch his breath, though it didn¡¯t seem to change his disposition.


    Cardinal: "Yes he did, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that hunting him down would be a waste of time and effort."


    Randall: "How can you say that!?" The balding bishop glared at him, his voice toned down into a boiling whisper. "He destroyed a dozen Type-Os and ridiculed us! He is a threat the Order cannot overlook!"


    Cassandra: "Oh, shut up," Cassandra blurted out as she hopped off her throne where she has been absent-mindedly playing with her hair while the bishop was giving his report and she rolled her eyes. "His holy cardinalness said the word, stop shouting and go play with your scrolls or something."


    Randall: "You insolent¡­!" The man raised his voice, only to almost topple over as his throat was about to give out again. Instead he glared at the girl, then glanced over at the cardinal, but after realizing he had no intention of interjecting this time the bishop face turned crimson. "I. had. enough!" He finally declared in a low hiss, punctuation each word with enough venom to kill a horse.


    With his head boiling the bishop rushed to the door, all but tackling the girl in the process. He reached for the doorknob and turned back.


    Randall: "If you don¡¯t want to recognize the danger that man poses to the Order, then I have no choice but to talk to people who are actually listening! Mark my words! This is not over yet!"


    Cassandra: "Yeah, yeah. Bye-bye!" The garnished girl gave an innocent wave to the old man, though the malicious glare hidden behind her smile made it clear the intention behind it was anything but.


    After sending one last furious glance at her the bishop snorted, stormed out the room with thundering steps and slammed the door behind himself hard enough that its sound kept echoing for several seconds in the spacious room. For a few long moments the remaining two people in the premises just stared at the door wordlessly.


    Cardinal: "My head hurts," The cardinal finally broke the silence with a groan as he painfully rubbed his temples, the events no doubt etching yet another line onto his face. The girl on the other hand just glared at the door, stood arms akimbo and shook her head.


    Cassandra: "Yeah, stupid shouting-machine," She said with a mouthful of spite and turned around to return to her throne.


    Cardinal: "Actually, you are causing me more headache than him."


    The girl stooped halfway on his track and turned to the cardinal with her cheeks puffed up.


    Cassandra: "What? Why?"


    Cardinal: "You know all too well what I¡¯m talking about." He answered while still massaging his temple. "Why did you goad him like that?"


    Cassandra: "¡­ I just don¡¯t like his face."


    The cardinal couldn¡¯t help but hold his head in disbelief at the completely irresponsible answer.


    Cardinal: "You are just¡­" He shook his head and spoke in a whisper. "I swear if there was anyone else who could do your job, I would personally throw you out of the cathedral this very moment."


    Cassandra: "Oh come on, we both know you wouldn¡¯t," The girl stated unrepentantly as she returned to her seat and began looking for something. "You are too nice to do that."


    Cardinal: "Just you wait¡­"


    Completely disregarding his words, the girl jumped off her throne and haughtily walked back to him with a smile.


    Cassandra: "Are you done complaining? Good, I need your help anyway!"


    To the cardinal¡¯s sincerest shock the girl began tiptoeing in front of him with a blissful expression while holding onto a sketchbook like she didn¡¯t even remember what they were talking about a second ago. On closer look, every page seemed to contain drawings of women in unusual, gaudy or just downright impractical costumes.


    Cassandra: "Say, which clothes should I wear when I meet him for the first time?" She asked while shoving the illustrations into the man¡¯s face.


    Cardinal: "Him?" For a moment, he couldn¡¯t even comprehend what she was talking about. "Are you¡­ talking about Ahazkun?"


    Cassandra: "Of course, who else! He is already back; it¡¯s only a matter of time before we meet! I have to make sure I capture his heart on the spot, and you are the only guy I can ask!"


    Finally realizing what it was all about, the man let out an annoyed groan and slumped his shoulders in resignation.


    Cardinal: "Here you go again¡­ Why are you so fixated on him?"


    Cassandra: "What are you talking about? He is a living prophet on par with the First! And he is strong and wise and has a great sense of humor!"


    After blinking a few times the cardinal raised his hand in his usual manner to silence the girl.


    Cardinal: "Wait, where did that last one come from?"


    Cassandra: "Weren¡¯t you listening?!" Puffing her cheeks once again the girl lightly stomped on the ground in a tantrum. "He made that annoying Randall stand on a busted landmine for two days! It was hilarious!"


    Cardinal: "¡­ Your sense of humor is bizarre as usual."


    Cassandra: "Shut up!"


    Letting the impetuous comment go, more out of necessity than by the goodness of his heart, the cardinal sighed and decided to move on with the conversation.


    Cardinal: "Still, he is formidable. To think he destroyed a full squad of Type-Os¡­ I suppose it was to make sure it had enough impact so that his message would reach my ears, but still¡­ A letter would have worked just as well."


    Cassandra: "He is awesome, isn¡¯t he?"


    It was apparent he could not talk about any serious issues with the hyperactive girl, so he just shrugged.


    Cardinal: "Yeah, sure¡­"


    The cardinal¡¯s gaze wandered into the distance as he replayed the story Randall told him in his head. And as he finished, the final message involuntarily burst from his lips.


    Cardinal: "Things will be different, he says¡­ Am I supposed to be relieved to hear that?"


    It took a few moments for the words to register in the girl¡¯s ears and even longer for her to tear her eyes away from the pages of her sketchbook, but at last she glanced over the cardinal with an annoyed squint.


    Cassandra: "Yes, you should. That¡¯s why he sent you the message."


    Cardinal: "I guess so, but I can¡¯t shake the feeling that choosing Randall as the messenger was a mistake."


    The girl rolled her eyes, like she just hears something outrageously silly, and promptly snapped her book shut with an disapproving scowl.


    Cassandra: "No it wasn¡¯t. It was part of his plan."


    Cardinal: "You say that for everything."


    Cassandra: "Of course I do, because it¡¯s all part of his plan! Everything!"


    Cardinal: "Sure. If you say so, miss Golden Oracle¡­"


    The girl¡¯s eyes opened wide.


    Cassandra: "Whoa! Did I just sense a hint of sarcasm in our straight-laced cardinal¡¯s voice? It must be a miracle! Nov¡¯Elsfaan be praised!"


    Cardinal: "Just your imagination."


    Saying so the man promptly turned around and reached for the doorknob.


    Cassandra: "Whoa, wait!" The girl lunged at him and grabbed him by the sleeve. "Where do you think you¡¯re going?"


    Cardinal: "To do my job. Unlike you, I have other duties to attend to."


    Cassandra: "But you didn¡¯t help me choose my clothes!" The girl pouted.


    Cardinal: "I¡¯m not you maid."


    Cassandra: "Come oooon!"


    For a few strangely suspenseful moments the two of them looked each other in the eye while staring daggers, then the man groaned again with frustration as the first thing he could think of came to his mind.


    Cardinal: "Sixth page. It was ¡°Gothic Lolita¡±, I think."


    Cassandra bobbed her head in response. Apparently she wasn¡¯t expecting such a straightforward answer. Seeing her reaction the man rolled his eyes again and took the opportunity to pull his sleeve out the girl¡¯s grasp.


    Cardinal: "Anything else?"


    Cassandra: "W-Wow! No, that was already more than what I was expecting! I completely misjudged you, your holy cardinalness!"


    Cardinal: "¡­ I told you to stop calling me that. If you want to address me, address me properly."


    Cassandra glared back at the man and forcefully twisted her lips into a cheerful smile, though even a blind man could tell she was anything but.


    Cassandra: "Okay, his absolutely holy cardinalness, lord of the stick-in-the-mud, valiant pooper of all parties!"


    After a moment of shock the man quickly collected himself and decided not to grant her the joy of reaction¡­


    Cassandra: "What?"


    However, the silence was apparently completely lost on her. He gave her one last harsh stare, then dropped his shoulders in defeat.


    Cardinal: "You know what? I had enough of this. Just call me by my name; it would be a lot simpler for both of us."


    Once again the oracle girl cocked her head to the side in surprise.


    Cassandra: "Really? I thought you don¡¯t like when people call you by name."


    Cardinal: "Anything is better than the idiotic titles you keep making up¡­"


    Cassandra: "But they sound so nice and regal!"


    The cardinal narrowed his eyes and gave a firm nod to the girl in goodbye, though his frown was anything but courteous.


    Cardinal: "¡­ Goodbye Cassandra."


    Cassandra: "Goodbye Saberger." She returned the courtesy with a monotone voice.


    After exchanging goodbyes like that he closed the door and started walking down the hallway whence he came from. Once again, he passed by the old frescos and couldn¡¯t help but sigh in frustration.


    The last words of Randall still weighted heavily on his mind. He said he would talk to people who listened, and the cardinal actually had a good idea about who those people might be¡­


    ~~~


    Adhi: "Wooooow!!!"


    Harran: "Please stop being impressed by everything or we will never get to the abbot¡¯s office!" The officer bellowed, turning quite a number of heads in the spacious courtyard.


    Kiseki: "But it¡¯s so strange!" The woman in white answered with her finger on her lips, making a contemplative gesture as she eyed the metal barrel in front of her. "What is this? I¡¯ve never seen anything like that where we came from!"


    Harran: "It¡¯s just a trashcan!" The colonel bellowed again, this time turning the previous faces away as they suddenly seemed very busy moving along.


    Adhi: "Yes, but a really impressive one!" The man told him with a childish smile. "Wow, it even has a pedal to open up the top!"


    Harran: "I swear they are doing this on purpose¡­" He muttered in exasperation while clawing at his own forehead.


    Kiseki: "Did you say something?"


    Harran: "¡­" The officer took a moment to collect himself and swiftly raised his eyes upon the two again, this time wearing his best poker-face. "No, nothing. If you are done with that, please follow me¡­"


    At first his request seemed downright amiable, but a quick look at the man¡¯s twitching eyebrows and bulging veins was enough to tell that he was on the brink of blowing up. Surprisingly enough it seemed to finally get the message across and the couple nodded to him.


    Adhi: "Okay."


    Like that they were finally on their way¡­ once again. Normally it took only a few minutes to get to the main building from the chapel, but the two newcomers took their sweet time adoring the most mundane of objects they could find. Needless to say, it considerably stretched out both the travel time and their guide¡¯s nerves.


    Finally, after fighting many small battles against the urge to leave them behind, the knight realized they finally reached the doorstep of their destination. The building in front of them looked like a gray concrete box with only a few small, square windows about two storeys high. It sat at the back of the circular compound on the summit of the mountainside, diametrically opposed by the chapel at the road access, and with that it occupied the most fortified position in the abbey.


    Speaking of the abbey, if the mercenary couple would have known much about the standard layout of these military encampments, they would have probably been quite surprised by the spacious training yard encircled by the buildings. It was almost three hundred meters in diameter, so improbably large that the entirely of the provincia¡¯s military personnel could have been lined up upon it and they would still have quite a bit of leg-room.


    It was also quite strange how the abbot¡¯s office building seemed to be almost built into the rock wall behind it, but the duo apparently didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. ¡®Good riddance¡¯, murmured the knight under his breath, relieved that he wouldn¡¯t have to listen them jabbering about this particular feature of the abbey. He mechanically raised his arm and lightly waved to the guards wearing the same ornamented armor as him in front of the office building.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The two at the door slowly observed the incoming group with the healthy dose of wariness their job required; their hands already on the safeties of their bulky assault rifles. To everyone¡¯s surprise it didn¡¯t seem to faze the mercenary couple.


    Normally firearms were a rare sight these days, as the Order had an incredibly strict and severe anti-gun policy, yet the two didn¡¯t seem to pay any attention to the weapons of the guards. Colonel Harran closed his eyes for a moment, but the eyes looking up at the guards were not one iota less exhausted than before he closed them.


    Guard: "Halt." The gruff man in front of the thick metal door raised his hand in a practiced gesture and nodded at the knight. "Sir?"


    Harran: "At ease lieutenant. These are the mercenaries the abbot was talking about¡ª" The man paused and then added, "Two weeks ago, that is."


    The guard took a glance at the two standing behind the officer and leaned closer to him, taking his voice down to a whisper.


    Guard: "Are you sure?"


    The knight looked back as well and then let out an exhausted sigh.


    Harran: "Unfortunately, yes¡­"


    At first the man didn¡¯t know what to make of the officer¡¯s words, but after a moment of hesitation he finally gestured to his mate to open the heavy iron door. Its well-oiled hinges turned without a sound.


    Guard: "The abbot said you should see him whenever you arrived. It¡¯s better later than never, I suppose¡­" The man mused as he returned to his post by the door. "Go ahead, it¡¯s the big brown door at the end of the hall."


    Adhi: "Thanks."


    Kiseki: "Thank you!"


    As they entered and the door closed behind them, the Harran¡¯s face suddenly lit up as if a huge load was lifted from his shoulders.


    Harran: "Damn it all¡­"


    He abruptly turned around and stomped the ground something fierce before he groaned and broke into a forceful stride.


    Guard: "Errr¡­ Sir?" The guard spoke up awkwardly, apparently expecting the man to wait for the two outside. "Where are you going?"


    Harran: "The training ground." The colonel barked back. "I just have to hit something¡­"


    And saying so, he briskly left the place behind.


    ~~~


    The difference between the rest of the abbey and the chamber of the abbot was astounding. The walls were covered with the extravagant portraits of the previous abbots while the space between them was draped with fine, crimson velvet. It generally looked more like the office of an especially posh nouveau rich government official who had nothing better to do with his fortune¡­ so in retrospect, it actually made sense. Sort of. In some regards, at least.


    The large shelves on the sides of the room were filled with countless books, scrolls and parchments while the back of the office was covered with large filing cabinets. Most surprising of all however was the computer standing on the large desk in the middle of the spacious office, a piece of pre-Devastation era technology that could hardly be found anywhere anymore. Even more astonishingly the machine seemed to be in working condition, professed by the abbot¡¯s hands furiously typing on its worn keyboard.


    The owner of the room himself stood out of the environment as well, which was not a small feat by any measures. It was decidedly hard to guess his age with the most telling wrinkles of his face being hidden under a neatly trimmed sand-brown beard. At least one could tell that his similarly colored military-cut hair and bushy eyebrows held no stray white hairs yet, so he was probably still at the peak of his life.


    As for his garments, he was dressed in pre-Devastation jeans and wore an open azure robe over his worn black shirt; its edges trimmed what probably used to be golden thread at one point. At first glance it seemed as if it was only thrown on him to stand out even more from in surroundings, but a closer look quickly revealed a number of pockets on the cloth, so it must have had at least some practical use to the man.


    Abbot: "Sit down."


    He didn¡¯t bother with greetings or even glanced up from his computer, yet his cold voice carried a sense of authority that made even the normally oblivious duo follow it without a word. After a few more seconds he finally raised his gaze and leveled his dark green eyes upon them with a look that could best be described as a ¡®bone-chilling glare¡¯. As the pair soon discovered, that was his neutral expression.


    Abbot: "You are the mercenaries, I presume?" If his eyes were scary before, after this point they suddenly gained a severity that had no business on a human face. "You are late."


    The abbot¡¯s voice was dry and emotionless, like as if a computer was trying its best to imitate human speech without any understanding of tones other than cold antipathy. For a second or two the mercenary duo seemed awfully awkward, as if the man¡¯s piercing stare has drained all the enthusiasm from them.


    Adhi: "Yes, the Calamity Cou¡ª" The sharply dressed man began but he was immediately interrupted by the abbot clearing his throat.


    Abbot: "Spare me the infantilism. I know all about you and your nicknames."


    After cutting him off mid-sentence the abbot quietly stood up, his frowning gaze never leaving the two for a moment.


    Abbot: "I am abbot Artorius Yorhel, CO of the abbey in provincia Africa Inferior of the Ordo Magnus Nov-Elsfaan Caelestis, Sextus Aquilonis." The abbot narrowed his eyes while looking at the mercenaries and the sight of their confusion managed to tug the corners of his lips into a biting, sardonic smirk. "But you are well aware of all this, aren¡¯t you?"


    Adhi: "¡­ Y-Yes. Naturally."


    The man nodded as convincingly as he could, which wasn¡¯t much, considering he started off his words with an audible gulp.


    Abbot: "I¡¯m glad to hear it."


    Apparently satisfied for the moment, abbot Yorhel turned around and walked over to the filing cabinet in the corner of the office. His guests anxiously followed him with their eyes without as much as a squeak.


    With that he started rummaging through the files in the drawers, seemingly completely disregarding the two. This lasted about two minutes, which is a long time to spend in awkward silence. For the duo it pretty much felt like a century. At last Adhi lightly cleared his throat and spoke up in a conversational tone.


    Adhi: "You have a nice office here, sir."


    Kiseki nodded to her partner¡¯s words.


    Kiseki: "Yes, very nice. It¡¯s¡­ errr¡­"


    Adhi: "The drapes."


    Kiseki: "Yes, the drapes are very stylish!"


    Adhi: "And red!"


    Kiseki: "Especially red!"


    Yorhel: "It is only a matter of pure necessity."


    The moment the man spoke the couple shuddered and all the budding enthusiasm flew out of them like scared pigeons. In the meantime abbot Yorhel returned to the desk in the middle with a bundle of several neatly arranged brown folders.


    Yorhel: "People of all standings and ways of life respect and fear wealth. It is a rule of life as old as human civilization." He placed the files onto the desk and took seat, never taking his eyes off his guests. "Demonstrating one¡¯s wealth is the same as demonstrating one¡¯s power. The weak will cover, the strong will show interest and the resentful will be on guard. It makes people predictable either way."


    The abbot¡¯s voice seemed a bit less hostile than before, but his piercing eyes made sure the two didn¡¯t feel themselves welcome even then. He carefully linked his fingers into a small dome in front of him and continued.


    Yorhel: "I have to admit, sometimes I can¡¯t help myself but feel amused by how primitive we humans are. Being swayed by such base things as one¡¯s material possessions..." The man¡¯s lips were once again twisted into a mocking smile under his thick beard as he looked upon the two in front of him. "But of course, I don¡¯t need to tell about this to you either, do I? Mercenaries such as yourselves should be well aware how wealth simply cannot compensate for some, so to say, even more basic needs."


    While saying so, abbot Yorhel slid two of the folders towards the pair and leaned back in his chair.


    Kiseki: "Errr¡­"


    Yorhel: "Go ahead, take a look at them."


    At last Adhi carefully reached for the dossiers and opened the first one. To his surprise it was his own face that looked back at him from the first page. He glanced up at the abbot in mild confusion, but by then the man¡¯s face returned to the perpetual scowl he wore when they arrived.


    As he glanced over, he could see that the other file in Kiseki¡¯s hands was the same. They were collections of reports focusing on the two of them and just a quick glance at them was enough to tell that they were improbably detailed. In fact, some of the particulars sent chills down the pair¡¯s spines.


    Adhi: "You have¡­ good intelligence."


    Yorhel: "Of course."


    If one asked him at that moment, Adhi would have probably declared that there was no way one could say those words in a more matter-of-fact fashion than the abbot just managed. He couldn¡¯t help but gulp nervously as his eyes quickly scanned the room.


    No matter how he tried, he simply couldn¡¯t come up with a plausible explanation for how the Order could get such detailed intelligence on them. In fact, he had no idea how anyone could find these things out, as some of them were so personal that they would have sworn that only the two of them knew about them. Either way, with their lives laid bare in front of them the two couldn¡¯t help but feel the already swirling nauseating unease gagging at their throats.


    Yorhel: "Don¡¯t look so surprised. It is only logical that I would need that much information before I would ask for a meeting like this." Seeing the darting eyes of the pair the previous sardonic smile of the abbot slowly stretched into a devilish grin as he raised one hand. "I would advise you against moving."


    Adhi: "Wha¡ª?"


    Yorhel: "I know what you are thinking." Abbot Yorhel¡¯s glare was chilly as a glacier and felt about just as insurmountable. "You suddenly realized you are way in over your head and are thinking about ways to get away as fast as you can. I advise against such actions. "


    The previously squirming woman timidly raised her voice, though it barely counted for more than a slightly louder whisper.


    Kiseki: "You cannot really blame us for not feeling welcome after all that¡­"


    Yorhel: "Oh?" The man¡¯s brow slightly rose, but even that felt more mocking than an actual expression of surprise. "It couldn¡¯t be helped. We need to establish the lines, you see, otherwise there could some nasty complications later. Needless to say, neither of us would really want something like that to happen, especially not you. It would be also quite counter-productive to leave without even hearing the details of the job I am about to offer to you."


    Finally steeling his nerves, the man in the suit cleared his throat and glared back at the abbot.


    Adhi: "So you are still trying to hire us?"


    Yorhel: "Well, of course. It is why you are here, is it not?" The two awkwardly nodded. In the meantime the abbot grabbed hold of the remaining dossiers on the desk and smiled at them again. It was the same derisive smile as before, except this time it had a pitying edge to it. "As I said, we had to establish the power hierarchy before I could discuss these delicate matters with you. It is only natural to ascertain such things with hired dogs such as yourselves; otherwise you might get some silly ideas, like biting the feeding hand."


    The two started squirming once again, though this time they were quite sure it was because of the abbot¡¯s expression.


    Adhi: "So? What is it?"


    The suited man¡¯s voice was uncharacteristically dry and he was visibly forcing himself not to let the abbot¡¯s words get to him. Contrary to expectations, the effort seemingly pleased him.


    Yorhel: "So you can act businesslike after all? Very good." With these words he finally put the folders back onto the desk and slid them over to the pair. "These would be your targets."


    Kiseki: "Targets?" The woman cautiously reached for the documents and quickly glanced over the topmost one. "You are aware that tracking and assassination is not our expertise, right?"


    Adhi: "Yeah, we are more experienced in the ¡®destroy things and wreak havoc¡¯ kind of work."


    Yorhel: "Naturally. That is why your mission has nothing to do with assassination but wreaking havoc."


    Adhi: "Oh¡­" The man scoped up another dossier and glanced over the first few pages. "Excuse me, but this one says ¡®Soketsu¡¯¡­"


    Yorhel: "Yes, he is one of your targets."


    Kiseki: "You mean, the Soketsu?"


    Yorhel: "Is there any other?"


    Kiseki: "I don¡¯t know."


    Adhi: "Me neither."


    The abbot slightly shook his head and began his explanation.


    Yorhel: "The current Soketsu went missing roughly a week ago during a highly classified mission issued by cardinal Saberger of provincia Africa Superior. I have a good guess where he disappeared to, and if I am right, I need you to find him."


    Adhi: "So¡­ It¡¯s a recovery mission?"


    Yorhel: "Not exactly." The abbot stood up again and circled over to the side of his desk. "Your primary objective will be just locating him. Your secondary objective is the recovery of him or his Alternate but only if a chance presents itself."


    The pair twitched in unison when they heard the word, cold sweat visibly trickling down their foreheads.


    Adhi: "Wait, he has an alternate?"


    Yorhel: "Indeed. Her picture is on the fourteenth page of the Soketsu¡¯s dossier."


    Kiseki: "She is pretty young. And cute."


    Adhi: "Yeah." The man glanced up at her partner and hastily added. "I mean, young."


    The abbot pointed at the rest of the folders as he continued.


    Yorhel: "If my theory is correct, you are also likely to encounter one or more of the following three men specified in the documents. In such a scenario you are authorized to use lethal force and engage them in any way you find satisfactory. I would personally advise against any such engagement, but in case it would be unavoidable, causing collateral damage could serve further purposes."


    Kiseki: "You mean¡­?"


    Yorhel: "Wreaking havoc."


    Kiseki: "Ah, gotcha."


    Adhi: "Just a question." The man meekly raised his hand.


    Yorhel: "Ask."


    Adhi: "I see we have a lot of info on these guys, but where exactly are we supposed to find them again?"


    Kiseki: "Yeah, that¡¯s pretty important."


    Adhi: "Right?"


    The abbot let out a small sigh and pointed at the map hanging on the wall right to his desk.


    Yorhel: "Are you familiar with the Black Desert, by any chance?"


    Kiseki: "Well, it¡¯s a¡­ desert?"


    Yorhel: "I take that as a no." The man walked over and stabbed the map with his finger. "If my theory is correct, they should be somewhere north of Viginti."


    Adhi: "Oh, we¡¯ve been there."


    Completely disregarding the man¡¯s words, the abbot continued at his own pace.


    Yorhel: "We know that this was the last known location of the Soketsu, before he left northwards towards his destination. Since the central bureau of Cathedral Africa Superior still denies his disappearance and thus refuses to share any information with us, I decided to take matters into my own hands." He turned back to the mercenaries and began walking back, only to notice that the woman had raised her hand as if she was in a classroom. "Yes, any questions?"


    Kiseki: "Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but are you saying that we are supposed to go into the desert to find this missing man who might not even be missing?"


    The abbot sent him a sharp glance, though in his case it was hard to tell whether it was a bad sign or just his typical demeanor and let out a barely audible groan.


    Yorhel: "I assure you, he is indeed missing."


    Kiseki: "And how are we supposed to find him?"


    Yorhel: "You will have a guide and a small retinue to help you with that. They will help you reach the facility where he is kept, at which point your actual work will begin."


    Adhi: "Wait, there is a hidden facility? No one said anything about hidden facilities!"


    Kiseki: "Wait, if we know it¡¯s there it¡¯s not exactly hidden, is it?"


    Adhi: "Good point."


    Kiseki: "So, is it just a normal facil¡ª"


    Yorhel: "Silence." The duo immediately tensed up and fell silent like their throats were cut even though the abbot only raised his voice by the smallest of degrees. "At this point the base of operations in question is technically only theoretical. It¡¯s underground and impossible to locate by traditional means because of the hostile environment. Discovering its location and size is also part of your task."


    There was a momentary silence, then the woman once again raised her hand.


    Kiseki: "So, if I get what you are saying, you want to hire us to find some kind of underground bunker in a desert that may or may not even be there and then find the Soketsu in it while dealing with the people who captured him, but we are not exactly supposed to recover him but instead just map things or something?"


    Yorhel: "On very basic terms, yes. You are also to engage any hostiles and cause collateral damage, but that is the gist of it."


    The mercenary couple glanced at each other and stood up in unison with fake smiles plastered on their faces.


    Adhi: "We are sorry, but this kind of job really sounds like more trouble than it¡¯s worth."


    Yorhel: "Oh?"


    The abbot once again chose to speak in a voice apparently designed to make even that single word sound like he was leering at them.


    Adhi: "That would be it, I think. Thank you for your time, I suppose we are going to return to sight-seeing or¡ª"


    Yorhel: "Would you care to tell me how do you plan on leaving?"


    The question was deceptively simple yet it instantly sent cold sweat tricking down the suited man¡¯s neck.


    Adhi: "Through the door?"


    Yorhel: "Very funny." Those were the words, but the voice carrying them said exactly the opposite. "I advise you to sit back. After all, we haven¡¯t discussed the matter of your payment yet, have we?"


    Kiseki: "We just said we are not¡ª"


    Yorhel: "Sit!"


    The abbot¡¯s voice suddenly filled the room like an explosion, booming with an echo that did not tolerate any opposition. Just like that, the duo reflexively fell back into their seats like scared children, although once already sitting they both seemed confused about how they ended up like that.


    Yorhel: "It appears you are still not completely aware of your situation, so let me enlighten you: you are not leaving this office until you hear me out and accept this job. That, or in body bags."


    Adhi: "Are you¡­ threatening us?"


    The abbot¡¯s face lit up in response, almost managing to even erase his frown for a second or two.


    Yorhel: "As a matter of fact, yes."


    Adhi: "I see, but¡­ what exactly keeps us from just breaking out of here and going home?"


    Yorhel: "Oh?" The abbot cocked his head to the side with a decidedly amused look in his eyes. "Very well, please explain how you would do that."


    Taken aback by the sudden request, the two awkwardly glanced at each other.


    Kiseki: "Well, I for one was thinking along the lines of grabbing the files, then break down the door, use it as a shield against the snipers and then bolt once we are out of range."


    Adhi: "Or we could use the abbot as a human shield."


    Kiseki: "Oh, good idea! That would work as well."


    Yorhel: "Huh."


    The disappointed grunt of the man suddenly froze his guests in mid-discussion. He slowly shook his head with disapproval as he lightly tapped the surface of his desk with his fingertips.


    Yorhel: "Decidedly unimaginative. Also, you still appear to be unaware, so let me inform you that the moment you would try and raise a hand against me, you would be cut down."


    Once again, the mercenary couple shuddered in face of the abbot¡¯s glare, but even more so because of the sudden revelation. ¡®You would be cut down¡¯, he said.


    Adhi¡¯s eyes skimmed over the interior of the room in a nervous rush one more time and he could feel the beads of cold sweat trickling down on his forehead. As his eyes finally reached Kiseki, he found her looking at him with the exact same expression he felt he must have had at the moment. Something was wrong and they both realized it at the exact same time.


    There was something in the room. In fact it was there from the very beginning. All this time they thought that their discomfort originated from the distant antagonism of the abbot, but it finally dawned on them that there was something else behind those feelings. Whatever it was, the thing in the office was obvious eyeing them. They could not actually perceive it but their honed instincts still picked up on its presence and now they were practically screaming at them in panic.


    Yorhel: "So you finally noticed his presence? I hoped it wouldn¡¯t take so long, I think it would have made things run smoother." The abbot¡¯s dry voice seemed to fall on deaf ears as the duo kept nervously glancing around. After a moment of observation the man cleared his throat and once again began tapping on his desk with his fingers. "Stop being apprehensive of him. He won¡¯t touch you as long as you don¡¯t do anything rash."


    Instead of verbal answers the abbot received a pair of glares. Normally he might have considered such conduct rude but this time he preferred this approach. For starters, it was way faster and much more efficient.


    Yorhel: "With that I think it is clearly established who has the upper hand, am I right?" He looked the mercenaries in the eye one at the time and waited until both of them averted their eyes. "Good. If my memory serves me right, we were just about to discuss the finer details of your assignment and your payment."


    The downcast eyes filled the abbot with a sadistic glee as he put his hand onto the desk again and began his rhythmic tapping one more time, purposefully making the two wait before he continued.


    He had experience with people like them. One had to establish superiority if he wanted a smooth operation, now all that remained was giving them the incentive to work with him on their own volition. Put the stick aside and start dangling the carrot, as they say.


    Yorhel: "As you are well aware, I have extensive intelligence regarding the two of you. I know that you two have little use of money or power, but I know what you really want."


    It appeared even the prospect of the carrot was more than enough to pick the interest of the crestfallen pair as they raised their eyes in unison.


    Kiseki: "What¡­ are you talking about¡­?"


    The abbot smiled. It was too easy. She might have tried to put up a front, but the woman had already took the bait. For a moment he almost felt bad for being so blatantly manipulative, but then he remembered how he loved doing it and his lips curved even further, showing some actual teeth for the first time. It was an unnerving sight to say the least.


    Yorhel: "You know very well what I am talking about. Do I really have to spell it out to you?"


    The mercenaries glared at him, but there was something else in their eyes beyond the animosity expected. It was hope, the greatest loop any halfway talented manipulator could sink their hooks into, and he was anything but halfway talented.


    It was probably only a whim, but he suddenly walked over to the back of the office and pulled aside one of the picture frames. His guest silently followed him with their eyes but still couldn¡¯t see the moment he glanced into the retinal scanner mounted on the wall. Not that they really looked for it, with their minds much too preoccupied with the man¡¯s previous words.


    Adhi: "Hey¡­" Adhi spoke up with a hoarse throat, obviously trying to keep his voice as level as possible. "Can you really do that?"


    Kiseki: "Can you?"


    Abbot Yorhel glanced back at his guests as one of the large filing cabinets slowly sunk into the wall behind him with a low rumbling noise. He faced the two with a bright white light engulfing his body from behind and beckoned the two with his hand.


    Yorhel: "Follow me, and I will show you just what I am capable of."

 Ch 16: Transparent research

    Corridor G/32 was quiet. It was just like any other of the dozens upon dozens of long, winding corridors laid out in the meticulously measured grid pattern embedded into the solid sandstone bedrock. In fact the only reason one could even tell it apart from the rest was thanks to the tidy little metal plaque mounted on the wall by the corner right at eye level.


    It was clean, well-lit and its wastefully spacious interior smelled faintly of lavender; once again conforming to the standards of the facility.


    Soketsu: "Slow doooown!!!"


    ¡­ Of course these details were all completely lost on the one eyed man. Not that anyone could blame him though, taken that he was speeding down the aforementioned corridor at speeds every cop worth their penny would take a spit-take at. In a wheelchair.


    Gabe: "I can¡¯t!" The scientist answered with a second delay. "There¡¯s no time to waste!"


    Soketsu: "Yes there is!"


    Gabe took one last sharp turn with Soketsu¡¯s wheelchair and finally came to a halt in front of a dead end capped by a solid looking metal door. For some reason the Rover could have sworn he just heard the stereotypical screech of pedal-to-the-metal braking, but he decided not to be bothered by it in favor of trying to keep his heart from escaping his chest through his throat.


    As far as context goes, this all happened approximately ten minutes after they had left the infirmary, though Soketsu had a hard time telling the actual time or distance passed. In retrospect he had to conclude he was too busy watching his life flash before his eyes. As excuses went, he considered that a reasonable one.


    At last the injured man let out a groan and limbered up his arms. The task proved to be a fair bit harder than expected, as they went quite numb from gripping the arm-rests of the wheelchair, but he managed.


    Soketsu: "Finally¡­"


    Just as he let out a relieved sigh, Ahazkun¡¯s figure appeared from behind the corner with an amused look on his face. Of course that only looked so for the initiated observer. For the average onlooker his expression would have held more similarity with the exhausted disapproval of a mother-in-law finding an unwashed sock under your bed.


    Ahazkun: "You are hyperactive as always," He spoke in his usual sardonic voice, prompting a toothy grin from the mad scientist in response.


    Gabe: "Thanks!"


    Soketsu: "I¡¯m pretty sure that was not a compliment," The wheelchair-bound man grumbled after finally getting his heart-rate out of the radio frequency range.


    Gabe: "Whatever," The man shrugged, the jabs sliding off him like water from a duck¡¯s back. "Hurry up Ahaz, we have no time to waste!"


    Soketsu: "I told you we have! This is not a race!" Soketsu protested, straining to scowl at the man standing right behind him.


    Gabe: "It is!" Gabe countered ferociously. "We can only show you around before Pabloc and the girls arrive!"


    Soketsu: "So? That should be plenty enough."


    The mad scientist shook his head and let go of the wheelchair.


    Gabe: "You know; the main labs are big. And I mean BIG big, not small big."


    Soketsu blinked at the man exactly three times with a completely pitiful expression before answering.


    Soketsu: "That¡­ made no sense whatsoever¡­"


    Gabe: "Stop nitpicking!"


    He was about to give a retort when Soketsu realized that something was missing. It didn¡¯t take long to realize what it was.


    Soketsu: "¡­ Wait a second, where did Tiari go?"


    Ahazkun: "She went home to change her clothes," The oracle told him while finally lining up with the two of them.


    Gabe: "Yeah, didn¡¯t you listen to her?"


    Soketsu: "I would have, if I didn¡¯t have to concentrate on holding onto my wheelchair in mortal terror the whole way," Soketsu answered in a deadpan voice.


    Gabe: "Big mistake. Anyways¡­"


    Gabe suddenly began pushing the wheelchair and they started moving once again. Thankfully this time it was at a comfortable walking pace. The wide metal door in front of them quietly slid open, revealing another long, brightly lit corridor on the other side. It looked more or less like all the other hallways of the facility save for the half dozen black plastic spheres embedded into the walls and the ceiling in pairs at regular intervals, their dark, shiny surface sticking out of the conformity of the place like a series of sore thumbs. Noticing the curious look on the armchair-bound man¡¯s face, the mad scientist was more than happy to come to the rescue without any further prompting.


    Gabe: "It¡¯s the quick-decontamination chamber. It will be just a few seconds."


    Soketsu: "That¡¯s quick," The man muttered absent-mindedly. Gabe shook his head with a wry smile and told him in a chiding voice,


    Gabe: "That¡¯s why it is called the ¡®quick-decontamination chamber¡¯ and not the ¡®slow-decontamination chamber¡¯."


    Soketsu rolled his eyes just as the first set of hemispheres flared up and a bright ray of cyan light ran over them several times like a strange laser-show. Weirdly enough the beam of light felt slightly cold and he could swear there was a faint whiff of ozone in the air afterwards.


    In the meanwhile a low humming noise could be heard from the other side of the walls. For some reason Soketsu immediately pictured a set of giant hydraulic machines ready to crush the walls together at a moment¡¯s notice. He paused for a second and he had to conclude that Kay wasn¡¯t the only one who watched too many vintage horror movies recently.


    Thankfully the sound abruptly subsided without any bone-crunching result as they finally reached the door on the other end and a discrete digital ¡®ping¡¯ notified them of the completion of the process. The entrance itself was quite unremarkable; it was just another metal door with the words ¡®Main Labs¡¯ written on its surface in large black letters. It was so unassuming that Soketsu had a really hard time imagining just what could be on the other side.


    Well, that wasn¡¯t completely true. He had at least a basic idea. Knowing the mad scientist, he was quite sure there would be at least one antique alembic somewhere in the room, with some bubbling green liquid and whatnot, just for the heck of it. Also, a giant laser gun. Or rather a dozen giant laser guns. Oh and those glass things with the plasma inside. A really, really big one.


    However, as much as he steeled himself for any and all kinds of weirdness, what awaited him on the other side still managed to take away his breath.


    Soketsu: "Wow¡­"


    Gabe: "Neat, huh?"


    At first Soketsu didn¡¯t even know what he was looking at. Then for a moment he even questioned if he was looking at anything at all, but then a few reflections told him that yes, he was indeed seeing something.


    It was hard to describe the scenery in front of his eyes, mostly because he practically couldn¡¯t see most of it courtesy of the little fact that the entire place was made out of glass; or at least something equally transparent. He figured it had to be some sort of plastic, for he was fairly certain that glass was not exactly the best building material when it came to everything.


    The facility¡¯s trademark white ambient lighting filled the air around them as they rolled onto the translucent floor, and as Soketsu looked down he could feel a small part of his brain screaming about falling and imminent bone-crushing doom, but the rest of his mind was too preoccupied with absorbing the sight to really care.


    The facility appeared to be at least ten floors deep and constructed of a completely transparent material with a matte sheen to it. As he looked around Soketsu could see several colored stripes leading to different parts of the facility on the walls and floors, creating an illusion of a long, suspended mesh of ribbons filling the space between a plethora of haphazardly placed furniture and equipment seemingly levitating in thin air. However, there was one thing that baffled him even more¡­


    Soketsu: "It¡¯s so empty."


    Gabe: "Well, duh," The man rolled his eyes like Soketsu just stated that the sky is blue. "It¡¯s weekend."


    Soketsu: "It¡¯s what?"


    The mad scientist gave him another almost pitiful look, like he just asked something really stupid, but Soketsu was still too enchanted by the sight at hand to get angry at the man.


    Gabe: "What do you mean by ¡®what¡¯? This is a research facility. We have free weekends, holidays and every fourth Wednesday is ¡®Bring your daughter to work¡¯ day¡­"


    Soketsu: "Wait for a second!" The man in the wheelchair cut in with an even more incredulous look on his face. "You mean there are other people working here?"


    Gabe: "Yeah. Why?"


    Soketsu: "Since when do you let people get near your work?"


    Gabe once again gave him one of those looks that practically said ¡®How can you ask something so dumb?¡¯ and let out a sigh.


    Gabe: "Oh, I think you are in a little misunderstanding here. These are not my labs per se; these are the main labs. I have my own facility a few dozen kilometers east from here. You know, for safety."


    Soketsu: "So, what is this place if not your lab?"


    Gabe: "Glad you asked! Here, let me show you through this map."


    Saying so, Gabe put a small parchment into Soketsu¡¯s hands with a huge grin on his face. At first it was hard to make out just what the hastily scribbled shapes were about, but considering the man¡¯s previous words it was obviously supposed to be some kind of map.


    Gabe: "You see; the labs are divided into two wings. The East Wing does the theoretical research while the West Wing is responsible to putting those theories into practice. Here, this is the main hall where we are standing right now, and these are the supporting facilities, this is the generator room and this is¡­"


    Ahazkun: "Don¡¯t bore him with the details," The oracle butted in with a face as unimpressed as ever.


    Gabe: "Oh, yeah. Sorry." The mad scientist seemed surprisingly understanding of the interjection and flashed a smile at Soketsu. "You can keep the map, it¡¯s on the house. So, any questions?"


    It took the Soketsu a few long seconds to get his thoughts in order, but when he did that a veritable flood of questions rushed into the forefront of his mind, forcing him to stay silent for another few seconds while he combed through them. Thankfully his companions were understanding enough not to rush him.


    Soketsu: "All right, let¡¯s start with the obvious one," He finally spoke in a slightly more collected voice. "What exactly are you doing here?"


    Before answering Gabe straightened himself as if he was to give some great declaration. It took just about enough time for Soketsu to brace himself for the inevitable absurdity that was coming, at least to some extent.


    Gabe: "This, my friend, is the home of scientific miracles and wonders, where we are trying to find brand new and even more creative ways to bully the laws of physics into giving us their lunch money."


    Soketsu went slack jawed for a few seconds before letting out an audible groan and began massaging his temples.


    Soketsu: "I was the stupid one for asking¡­"


    Ahazkun: "Agreed."


    Gabe: "Oh come on! That¡¯s really what we are doing! Only figuratively, of course, but even if I told you the dirty details you probably wouldn¡¯t understand a word."


    Hearing that was just what Soketsu needed to tickle his defiant streak and he frowned back at Gabe.


    Soketsu: "Try me. For example, what does that particular machine do?"This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    The mad scientist glanced at the large cylindrical machine one floor above them. He was in deep thought for about a second before he abruptly straightened himself once again and started tapping on the bridge if his nose while doing his best Pabloc impression.


    Gabe: "Oh, I¡¯m glad you asked. That is a three-layered anti-gravitronic phase oscillator used in experiments regarding the determination of the spin of subatomic particles within specialized time-space pockets in the nexus of proto-molecular reactions."


    Soketsu ever so slowly narrowed his eyes in a deadpan reaction and poked his finger towards the man¡¯s nonexistent glasses with a disappointed face.


    Soketsu: "¡­ You just pulled that out of your ass."


    Gabe: "Gah!" The mad scientist almost fell over like he was jabbed in the solar plexus. He quickly regained his footing and began scratching the base of his neck with a slightly embarrassed look. "W-Was it that obvious?"


    Soketsu: "Well, yeah¡­"


    Gabe let out an uncharacteristically huge sigh and shook his head in defeat.


    Gabe: "Okay, if you really want to know, it¡¯s a scalar field generator. It¡¯s used to remotely hack the energy state of every molecule in an area. In layman terms, it is a machine that gives a titty-twister to the law of energy-conservation."


    Soketsu: "¡­" Soketsu appeared to be genuinely lost for words and was ineffectually opening and closing his mouth for a few times while he waited for his brain to make sense of the mad scientist¡¯s words. It didn¡¯t happen, and for some reason he felt relieved about it. "That was¡ª"


    Ahazkun: "Don¡¯t ask him to elaborate, please."


    Soketsu sent a small glare at Ahazkun¡¯s direction before snapping.


    Soketsu: "But I don¡¯t have an earthly idea what the hell he is talking about!"


    Ahazkun: "Exactly. Trust me; you are better off that way."


    Gabe shook his head and clicked his tongue.


    Gabe: "Don¡¯t listen to the grumpy guy in the corner. He just doesn¡¯t understand that searching for answers is the romance of science! Ask away!"


    Soketsu: "Yeah, sure¡­" The man with the eye patch quickly scanned the premises for the next target of inquiry and quickly settled on a large machine that appeared to be made of interlocking semi-circles suspended from the ceiling in a viscous liquid. "What about that particular machine then?"


    Gabe: "Oh, that one is a particle-unradomizer. We use it to push the face of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle into a toilet."


    The answer came so fast and sounded so obvious that Soketsu didn¡¯t even have time to be outraged.


    Soketsu: "And¡­ the one next to it?"


    Gabe: "The one that flushes the toilet, obviously. A marvelous scientific wonder, I tell you."


    The look Soketsu gave to the man¡¯s response was a worthy nominee for the ¡®blankest stare in the history of humanity¡¯ award, though Soketsu was fairly sure there wasn¡¯t such a thing. Right after this thought he also made a mental note not to mention this to Gabe otherwise there might actually be one by tomorrow¡­


    Soketsu: "You know what?" He finally said after sighing in defeat. "You won. The romance of science it might be, but she¡¯s apparently not my type."


    Gabe leaned closer and lightly patted his comrade on the shoulder, accompanied with a huge grin.


    Gabe: "Nah, you just need to get to know her better!"


    The surprisingly cozy scene was promptly broken by the oracle at the back clearing his throat.


    Ahazkun: "I hope you are aware that you just personified the concept of science. As a woman."


    Soketsu once again blinked in awkward confusion. In retrospect he had to realize he had been feeling like that all the time as of late. For a moment he wondered what might have caused this, but then he glanced at Gabe and felt kind of embarrassed about the stupid question.


    Soketsu: "S-Sorry, I think he¡¯s rubbing off on me¡­"


    The mad scientist let out a heartily laugh in response, but he was cut short before he could really get into it by Soketsu hitting his own temple with his palm.


    Soketsu: "Wait, I feel stupid that I only ask this now, but¡­ Why is this place transparent on the first place?"


    Gabe: "Isn¡¯t that obvious?" The man flashed yet another toothy grin that somehow managed to display even his molars and threw his arms apart like he wanted to hug the entire place. "Because it¡¯s awesome!"


    Another blink later Soketsu considered just staying quiet and sparing his brain-cells from the further assault of the mad-scientist¡¯s thought process, but his mouth seemed unexpectedly wayward in this regard at the moment.


    Soketsu: "¡­ Seriously?"


    Gabe: "Okay, that, and because the researchers can find each other faster this way," The man answered in a surprisingly low-key manner.


    Soketsu: "That still sounds like a weak excuse¡­"


    Gabe: "Shut up, it¡¯s working."


    The scientist gave him a small glare and turned around with his hands folded in front of his chest, positively pouting. It was a¡­ unique sight, to say the least, and one that quickly prompted the wheelchair-bound man to change the subject.


    Soketsu: "On another note, there¡¯s one more thing that¡¯s been bothering me ever since we came here¡­"


    Ahazkun: "Which is?"


    It seemed like the oracle finally ended his self-imposed separation and returned to the conversation, and Soketsu could only be so happy about it.


    Soketsu: "How the hell do you move between floors? I can literally see through the whole place here, but I can¡¯t find a single lift or stairs or whatever."


    Gabe: "Oh, that¡¯s because there are none."


    The mad scientist abruptly spun around, completely shedding his previous expression, and gave a huge, childish smile to Soketsu. He actually looked like a big kid being really proud of his toys, he thought. In other words, typical Gabe.


    Soketsu: "Then¡­ How?"


    Instead of answering Gabe simply pointed at the middle of the main hall. At first Soketsu had no idea what he was trying to say, then he noticed something.


    Soketsu: "Is that¡­ a hole?"


    Gabe: "Yup."


    As he took a closer look he could see the series of circular holes running through the whole facility like a tunnel, barely recognizable in the transparent structure. Each of the holes were about one and a half meters in diameter and their edges were marked with dashed lines. Still, no matter how one looked at it, it still didn¡¯t look like the answer to Soketsu¡¯s question.


    Soketsu: "So¡­ a hole? And?"


    Gabe: "What do you mean? It¡¯s what we use."


    Soketsu: "But how!?"


    Gabe: "Well, it¡¯s¡ª"


    Lily: "Gabe-samaaaaaa~!!! Soketsu-saaaaan~!!!"


    The sudden appearance of the second group cut their discussion short as Lily entered the facility with her usual wide smile. She was also wearing a nursing cap for some reason, but that was beside the point.


    Tiari: "Stop shouting you idiot."


    The blonde girl was followed by a deadpan catgirl at a cautious distance. Tiari had already changed and was wearing a comfortable looking, if slightly oversized jumper and pants combo, her hair still wet and giving off the fresh scent of shampoo.


    She casually strode up to Ahazkun¡¯s side and practically snuggled up to him while Lily was apparently more occupied with shuffling around the wheelchair.


    Ahazkun: "Did you take a shower?"


    Tiari: "Yeah. I couldn¡¯t take a proper one when we came back so I took my chance now," She gave a playful wink to her master and added, "A girl has to take care of herself after all."


    Ahazkun: "True enough."


    In the meantime Lily reached Gabe and began tugging on the sleeve of his black lab-coat with a bright smile.


    Lily: "Pabloc-san and Kay-chan are waiting for you outside, Gabe-sama."


    Gabe: "Why don¡¯t they¡ª?" The scientist cut himself off as the realization came to him. "Oh, yeah. The decon chamber¡­"


    Noticing the wheelchair-bound man¡¯s inquiring expression, Gabe quickly turned to him with a reassuring smile.


    Gabe: "You see, the decontamination system would not let them through because of Kay¡¯s infusion, so they are waiting for us outside."


    Soketsu: "I see." While Soketsu was still curious about the whole ¡°hole in the floor¡± deal, he was even more curious about the purported city he have been hearing about, and he didn¡¯t want to make Kay wait either, so he just filed it to the steadily growing ¡°ask later¡± corner of his mind and faced the mad scientist. "So, are we going?"


    Gabe: "Yup, I still haven¡¯t show you the machines that we use to count the parallel dimensions that have no hot dogs in them, but I suppose that can wait for another time. Let¡¯s just get going and¡ª"


    Ahazkun: "Just a moment."


    Gabe frowned at the oracle as he cut him off mid-sentence and rolled his eyes in impatience.


    Gabe: "Yes?"


    Ahazkun: "Sorry, but could you get me the test reports on the MFC system?"


    The mad scientist frowned again, this time from simple irritation, and groan with a silent voice.


    Gabe: "Oh come on! They are right over there! You could have gathered them while we were speaking!"


    Ahazkun: "No I couldn¡¯t. They are probably mixed in with a heap of other papers and I have no way to tell them apart."


    Gabe: "Uh¡­ well, that¡¯s true." Gabe sighed again and pointed at Ahazkun with his index finger. "Don¡¯t go anywhere; I¡¯ll be back in a moment!"


    Saying so he hastily left the others behind and entered into one of the offices in the West Wing. In the meantime Soketsu couldn¡¯t help but shake his head in disapproval as he turned to the tall man standing beside his wheelchair.


    Soketsu: "Okay, what was that for?"


    Ahazkun: "What do you mean?"


    Soketsu: "Please don¡¯t play dumb, my head hurts enough as is. You sent him away quite conspicuously so I bet you had a reason for it. I know your ways."


    The oracle fell silent for a second or two and finally nodded with a solemn expression mixed with traces of approval.


    Ahazkun: "You are right; I wanted to speak with you in private."


    Soketsu: "Then what about the¡ª " Soketsu wanted to covertly point at their companions, but to his surprise he couldn¡¯t find Lily or Tiari anywhere. "¡­girls?"


    Ahazkun: "I sent them back to Pabloc."


    Ahazkun spoke like it was the most obvious thing in the world, prompting Soketsu to narrow his eyes into a wary squint in return.


    Soketsu: "Okay, this is getting really suspicious. What¡¯s with the secrecy?"


    Ahazkun took a quick glance towards Gabe, who was still messing with some papers behind a transparent wall about a hundred meters to their left and turned back to Soketsu.


    Ahazkun: "I prefer the term ¡®privacy¡¯ in these kinds of situations. Anyways, I just recalled that we didn¡¯t have the chance to discuss a specific issue. Do you remember Jill?"


    Hearing the name filled Soketsu¡¯s mind with images of a perpetually deadpan fairy perched on the mad scientist¡¯s shoulder. The long silver ponytail, the iridescent wings and the impossibly frilly clothes in jarring contrast with her cynical attitude¡­ The image was so vivid that it almost dazed him for a moment. In the end he gave a weak nod.


    Soketsu: "Yes, I do."


    Ahazkun: "Good. I would like to ask you to never mention her in front of Gabe unless he brings her up."


    Soketsu: "What? Why?"


    The oracle glanced over to the scientist and once he confirmed that he was still looking for the papers in question he leaned closer to Soketsu.


    Ahazkun: "We don¡¯t have the time to discuss the finer details, but it is part of an understanding we built in the past few years. We have enough problems as is without Gabe getting moody, if you know what I mean."


    As Soketsu thought about this, he suddenly recalled the moment he accidentally mentioned her name when he regained his memories and the subsequent change in the mad scientist¡¯s behavior. He would have been lying if he said he wasn¡¯t curious about the details, but even he had to agree that this was hardly the time or place for such inquiries.


    In the end he firmly nodded at the oracle.


    Soketsu "¡­ All right, I got it."


    Ahazkun: "Very well."


    Gabe: "What¡¯s with the long faces?"


    The scientist¡¯s voice rung out abruptly and right next to them, naturally startling both men like they were kids caught in the middle of mischief. Slowly turning around, Ahazkun gave the man a smile that was about as hollow as it gets.


    Ahazkun: "Nothing."


    Gabe: "Are you sure¡­?" Gabe studied the face of the man for a few moments; apparently amused by the way he was straining to keep the unnatural smile on his face. In the end he shrugged his shoulders with a theatrical sigh. "Well, whatever. Here are your reports."


    He handed over a thick dossier to Ahazkun with hastily thrown together pages sticking out of its sides. The tall man graciously accepted the folder and gave him a small nod.


    Ahazkun: "Thanks."


    Gabe: "Don¡¯t mention it, although I have no idea why you don¡¯t just use that fancy precognition of yours to learn the results¡­"


    Ahazkun: "You know it doesn¡¯t work that way."


    Gabe: "Yeah, yeah, I know, but I wish it would. It would spare us soooo much time." As he was saying so, the man stepped behind Soketsu¡¯s wheelchair and grabbed the handles. "Let¡¯s go, the others must be getting fidgety by now."


    Soketsu and Ahazkun only nodded in response. They quickly skimmed through the entrance and the decontamination chamber. It appeared that the scanner, or whatever the cyan light was supposed to be, didn¡¯t check them when leaving. For a moment Soketsu thought he would ask, but then he recalled the mad scientist¡¯s previous ¡®explanations¡¯ and decided otherwise. In the meanwhile the door on the far side of the corridor slid open and the two groups finally met up.


    Pabloc: "Took your sweet time¡­"


    Pabloc, fidgeting with his glasses as usual, sent a slightly annoyed glance in the group¡¯s direction.


    Ahazkun: "I held things up a bit. Sorry."


    The scientist rolled his eyes and waved his hand in defeat.


    Pabloc: "Whatever, I don¡¯t even want to know. Are we ready to go yet?"


    Gabe: "Yup, we can go."


    Soketsu: "Just a second," The man in the wheelchair raised his hand in protest and once he confirmed that everyone fell silent he gently beckoned to the girl by Pabloc¡¯s side. "Are you okay?"


    Kay weakly nodded in response, though it was easy to see she was straining herself just to stand straight.


    Kay: "I-I¡¯m fine¡­"


    Soketsu: "Are you sure? You look dead pale."


    The girl¡¯s cheeks flushed in embarrassment and averted her eyes.


    Kay: "I¡¯m¡­ just not really good with needles."


    The black-coated man rolled his eyes in front of the lukewarm exchange between the two and decided to push things along a little. Partially to move things along but mostly just for fun. As usual.


    Gabe: "If you are feeling dizzy, hop into Soketsu¡¯s lap. I will push you too."


    Soketsu: "Objection!" Soketsu¡¯s voice sounded like he was panicking as he glared at the mad scientist. "I¡¯m not letting her into this wheelchair if you are the one pushing it!"


    Gabe: "What? Do you have a problem with me?"


    Soketsu: "Yes, you are a menace as a driver of anything with wheels! I was praying for my life all the way here!"


    Gabe: "Hey, I¡¯m not that reckless!"


    Soketsu: "You wanted to take a shortcut on the stairs by jumping off the side!"


    Gabe: "Well¡ª"


    Soketsu: "And later, you tried to take sharper turns by using handbrakes¡­ on a wheelchair!"


    Gabe: "Okay, maybe that was a uncalled for, but¡ª"


    Soketsu: "And do I need to mention when you¡ª"


    Gabe: "Okay, okay! I get it! Geez!"


    Gabe theatrically jerked his hands away from the wheelchair¡¯s handles and groaned in irritation as he stepped back while gestured to Ahazkun.


    Gabe: "Here, take the driver seat."


    The oracle raised his hand in protest with a blank look on his face.


    Ahazkun: "Why me?"


    Gabe: "Just shut up and deal with it. And you¡­"


    Gabe swiftly circled around the wheelchair and stood right in beside Kay, appearing right in the girl¡¯s blind spot. Before she could utter a single word the man slid his hands under her arms and raised her up without any visible effort. By the time she realized what was happening her legs were already ineffectually dangling in the air.


    Kay: "U-Uaaaa! I¡¯ve changed my mind, I¡¯m fine, I walk!"


    Gabe: "Objection overruled!"


    The mad scientist raised her over his head in one circular motion and softly dropped the flabbergasted girl into the lap of her equally stunned partner.


    Kay: "Ummm¡­"


    Kay glanced over at Soketsu, then back at Gabe, then the rest of the group one by one, but she only met with weary shrugs and a few sympathetic glances. In the meanwhile the mad scientist put his arms akimbo like he just finished some arduous task and he looked over the group as well.


    Gabe: "There you go. Now, can we go already!?"


    After a few moments of awkward silence everyone just shrugged in unison. Pabloc on the other hand took it upon himself to act as the team¡¯s voice and gave a firm nod to the mad scientist.


    Pabloc: "Yeah, let¡¯s just get going."


    As such the group finally started moving with Pabloc and Lily leading the group. Gabe was mostly beside them, when not teasing the people at the back, while the column was closed by Soketsu and Kay in his lap pushed by Ahazkun and Tiari following in tow. Like this the small band slowly disappeared in the labyrinth of corridors while barely managing to stay silent for more than a few moments at a time¡­

 Ch 17: Island under the sands

    Lily: "Are we there yet?"


    Gabe: "Not yet."


    The group in the small monorail car collectively sighed at the exchange.


    Lily: "Are we there yet?"


    Gabe: "Nearly."


    Everyone sighed again, this time even more audibly.


    Lily: "Are we there yet?"


    Gabe: "Yes."


    Lily: "Really?"


    Gabe: "No, but almost."


    Around this time people were positively groaning, and this was the moment when Soketsu couldn¡¯t take the situation anymore and decided to look for some kind of outlet. As luck would have it, he just happened to be parked in the space between Pabloc and Gabe, the people he considered the most and least rational person in the group, respectively.


    Lily was sitting opposite of the mad scientist while Ahazkun and Tiari were sitting a few seats to the left of them, apparently looking for Tiari¡¯s pass. After a small sigh Soketsu had to conclude that there are some things that never change.


    After a moment of hesitation he made up his mind and slowly leaned closer to Pabloc, careful not to disturb the sleeping on his lap with her head propped against his chest. Kay was apparently completely exhausted by spending the last few days at his bedside and, on the advice of Gabe of all people, she decided to take a short nap while they were riding the underground train.


    As such Soketsu did all he could not to wake her up and spoke to the scientist with a whisper toned down to almost completely inaudibility.


    Soketsu: "(Psst¡­ Pabloc¡­ Psssssssst¡­)"


    For a moment Pabloc appeared to be in a sleepy daze, then he finally noticed the other man¡¯s clumsy attempts at getting his attention and he leaned in as well.


    Pabloc: "(Yes?)"


    After a moment of pause, during which the man with the eye-patch was clearly contemplating on the right words to use, he spoke up with a slightly more audible voice.


    Soketsu: "(Are they always like¡­ that?)"


    Pabloc glanced over to the duo of Lily and Gabe, currently busy with playing some kind of clapping game, and just shrugged without changing his expression.


    Pabloc: "(Pretty much.)"


    Soketsu: "¡­ (I see.)"


    After the tired sigh, Soketsu took another look around the small train car they were in. It bore the same aesthetics as the rest of the facility with its simple curves and bright white lighting.


    It was the second car in the underground monorail they boarded and he honestly couldn¡¯t wrap his head around how this thing could operate without anyone noticing on the outside. As for how it worked, he politely refused to even speculate courtesy of the fact that he was simply too tired. Not to mention, the girl weighting on his legs didn¡¯t really help matters either.


    Lily: "Are we there yet?"


    Gabe: "In a moment."


    Soketsu: "¡­"


    The injured man rolled his eyes again, in a covert fashion so that no one would take offense, but then a sudden question emerged in his mind, and he decided that this was as good a time to ask it as any.


    Soketsu: "(Psst. Pabloc?)"


    The scientist only straightened himself a second or so ago, so he was a little bit peeved when the man prompted him to lean closer again.


    Pabloc: "(Yes?)"


    Soketsu: "(Say, I have been wondering about this for a while, but what¡¯s up with the girl?"


    The scientist¡¯s eyebrows slowly knit themselves into a small frown as if in slow-motion.


    Pabloc: "(The ¡®girl¡¯?)"


    Soketsu: "(I mean Lily, of course.)"


    Pabloc¡¯s expression slightly softened up and he gave Soketsu an understanding nod.


    Pabloc: "(I get it. She is the only one you haven¡¯t met before, so I guess it¡¯s only natural you are curious.)"


    Soketsu: "(Yeah, I knew you would understand.)"


    Pabloc: "(Still, I think you should ask her directly. She is a sweet little thing, she won¡¯t bite you.)"


    Soketsu: "(I¡¯m sure about that, but¡­)"


    He glanced over at the two one his other side¡­


    Lily: "Are we there yet?"


    Gabe: "In the nick of time!"


    Lily: "Yay!"


    ¡­ then returned his gaze to the scientist with an embarrassed smile.


    Soketsu: "(She is already engaged.)"


    Pabloc dropped his shoulders and nodded reluctantly.


    Pabloc: "(Fine, what would you like to know?)"


    Soketsu: "(There are actually quite a few things, but first¡­ Is she really a su¡¯bloli?)"


    The scientist blinked at the man like he just asked something incredibly stupid, an expression Soketsu was getting more familiar with lately than he ever wanted to.


    Pabloc: "(What do you even mean? Of course she is.)"


    Soketsu: "(Then where are the¡­ you know¡­)"


    When he noticed the scientist¡¯s confusion, Soketsu leaned closer and toned down his voice even further.


    Soketsu: "(You know! The tentacles and stuff!)"


    Pabloc: "(Oh, those¡­!)" The scientist smiled at him like he just got the punchline of a good joke, then his jolly smile immediately turned into a casually sadistic one. "(Secret.)"


    Soketsu: "(¡­ Excuse me?)"


    Pabloc: "(It¡¯s a secret.)"


    Soketsu: "(Oh come on! We have known each other for, what, three hundred and sixteen years and you just brush me off like that?)"


    Pabloc: "(Technically it¡¯s only nine actual years, and no, I still can¡¯t tell you.)"


    Soketsu: "(But why?)"


    Pabloc: "(That¡¯s also a secret.)"


    Soketsu groaned so loudly that for a moment he thought he might have awoken Kay with it, but thankfully the girl seemed to be sleeping tight.


    Still, there went the ¡®most rational person in the group¡¯ thing out the window in the span of about ten seconds, which was pretty impressive for the rehaul of one¡¯s entire impression of another. Not that Soketsu had the time to dwell on it, as the scientist was apparently still waiting for his next question.


    Soketsu: "(So it¡¯s personal?)"


    Pabloc paused for a second and then sharply nodded.


    Pabloc: "(¡­ You could say that, yes.)"


    After quickly repressing the urges to imagine things along the lines of Pabloc plus personal matters plus tentacles and silently cursing being born in the internet-perverted age of the late twenty-first century, the injured man decided it was time to change the subject¡­


    Soketsu: "(You know what? Let¡¯s change the subject.)"


    ¡­with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Not that the scientist seemed to mind. In fact he looked downright amused.


    Pabloc: "(Yes?)"


    Soketsu: "(So¡­ Errr¡­)" Roughly this was the moment the man realized that ¡®changing the subject¡¯ might have sounded all nice and dandy in his head, but in his hurry he kind of forgot that he needed a topic to change to for it to work. A common mistake; not that it made it any less embarrassing. "(Umm¡­ So¡­ When did she come here¡­?)"


    Pabloc: "(You mean to this world?)"


    Soketsu: "(Of course.)"


    Pabloc: "(It was¡­ let me see¡­ Five years ago.)"


    Soketsu: "(I see¡­)" In retrospect Soketsu had to note that blurting out the first question that popped into his mind was not exactly the best way to carry out a conversation. Thankfully by this time he actually came up with a proper question that had been bothering him for a while. "(So, is she really an ambassador?)"


    Pabloc: "(Secret.)"


    Soketsu: "Oh come on!"


    Finally snapping, Soketsu¡¯s voice rose out of the ¡®whisper¡¯ range and flopped right over to ¡®very muffled shout¡¯. Still, it was quite loud enough to reach the ears of the girl on his lap.


    Kay sheepishly opened her eyes and proceeded to engage in a cute little yawn, apparently completely oblivious to her surroundings. For a few short seconds she kept uncomprehendingly blinking at the unfamiliar interior of the train car. Finally recalling where she was she quickly glanced up at her partner and her face immediately flushed red.


    Kay: "Ummm¡­"


    Soketsu: "Errr¡­ Morning?"


    Kay blinked at him and returned the greeting with a small nod of her head while still trying to wipe out the lingering drowsiness from her eyes.


    Kay: "Mohr¡­ ningh."


    With that the communication between to the two hit a roadblock the size of an iceberg, which wasn¡¯t unexpected, taken how conscious they both were of the other¡¯s presence.


    In the meantime the mad scientist flashed a mischievous smile towards the duo and a moment later his elbow casually buried itself into Soketsu¡¯s side.


    Gabe: "Real smooth, man. Real smooth."


    Soketsu: "Oh, shut up."


    Soketsu tried his best to return the poke but his injuries gave the black-coated man the definitive edge when it came to dodging. In the end he just let out a small groan under his breath and decided not to fall into the mad scientist¡¯s pace.


    On the other hand, the girl squirming on his lap reminded him of another issue that had been bothering him for a while at this point.


    Soketsu: "Guys, just for the record, how long have we been sitting here again?"


    Without missing a beat, the mad scientist reached into the pocket of his black labcoat and procured a small pocket watch.


    Gabe: "Twenty four and a half minutes, give or take one."


    Soketsu heard the answer, but at the moment he was more interested in the object in the man¡¯s hand. It was a curious little machine, its components apparently scavenged together from several different sources and with the second hand missing. All in all it seemed quite anachronistic in Gabe¡¯s hands, so much so that it prompted a question even against Soketsu¡¯s better judgment.


    Soketsu: "Weird watch you have there."


    Pabloc: "Now that you mention it, I don¡¯t think I have seen that either."


    Gabe: "This?" The man raised the pocket watch and began to speak with obviously fake modesty. "Ah, it¡¯s just a silly little thing I made a few days ago, not even worth a mention."


    Pabloc: "Were you sleep-working again?"


    Soketsu: "Sleep-working?"


    Gabe: "Kinda. I pulled an all-nighter before Soketsu¡¯s arrival and I wanted to have a little nap before he showed up. So, I just gathered a bunch of scrap metal and before I knew it it was the next morning and I had this thing."


    Soketsu: "Wait, I think I¡¯m missing a step here¡­ You wanted to take a nap so you made a watch?"


    Gabe: "What? This?" The scientist looked at the thing in his hand and then back at Soketsu. "This is no watch, this is an alarm clock."


    And thus, as per accordance of the laws of inappropriate comedic timing, the ¡®pocket-watch¡¯ suddenly roared up with a volume generally reserved for bombing alarm sirens.


    Needless to say but Kay, still half-sleep after the short nap, didn¡¯t take the sudden impulse well.


    Gabe: "Silly me¡­ It seems like I forgot to turn off the alarm. Sorry." The man turned off the siren with the most blatantly fake apologetic smile in the history of ever and slipped the ¡®watch¡¯ back into his pocket and theatrically stretched himself. "Oh well, where were we?"


    The mad scientist looked at his left and the previous mischievous smile immediately returned to his face.


    Gabe: "Ah, I remember now!" He once again casually dug his elbow into the Soketsu¡¯s defenseless side with an almost childish glee. "Smooth man, real smooth."This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    The wheelchair-bound Rover tried to turn his face towards the man, though it was admittedly a futile effort with Kay hugging his head in post-startled embarrassment. In the end all he could muster was a mumbling ¡®shut up¡¯, but even that was drowned out by the mad scientist¡¯s mirthful laughter at his side¡­


    ~~~


    The hallway was silent. Everyone has been dead silent the moment since the group got out of the monorail and while they all seemed to be conscious of it, no one even tried to bring up a conversation piece.


    They have already passed by three security checkpoints at this point. Each one of those took about five minutes to scan them from head to toe and Tiari also had to scan her pass, which took another minute and had to be done separately. In this tedium Soketsu lost even that little enthusiasm he had before about the whole secret town thing, though he had to admit he kind of admired the tightness of the security.


    On the other hand, there was one particular problem that has been bothering him, and him alone, namely that he couldn¡¯t feel his legs anymore.


    Kay: "¡­"


    Kay, still sitting on his lap in dead silence, was as stiff as a plank of wood and hasn¡¯t even twitched or spoke a single word ever since he managed to peel her off himself after she finally woke up for real. That wasn¡¯t the main issue though. It was, cruel as it might have sounded, her weight.


    Not that he could ever tell it to her face, but it was the truth nevertheless. Of course there were a few circumstantial factors, like her density being affected by being an alternate and such. On the other hand these didn¡¯t actually change the fact that she hasn¡¯t moved an inch in about an hour and Soketsu¡¯s legs were quite adamantly protesting against her blocking their precious blood supply.


    Thanks to said urgings the man was just about to discretely ask her to shift a little, but then a strange light grabbed his attention just as he was about to get around to speaking up. He carefully narrowed his eyes to shield them from the glare and at last he could make out the source of the light at the end of the arduously long white hallway.


    It was a metal gate. More precisely, a giant metal gate akin to the one he entered the facility the first place. Big, shiny and utterly sophomoric; it stood in a small hall at the end of a narrow corridor that was about a fourth as wide and tall. In short it was exactly the kind of construction he associated with Gabe.


    In the end though it was not its sheer size that managed to captivate his eyes; it was the light emanating from it surface, or rather from the thing covering its surface. It was a bright, swirling something that looked like a pure white layer of semi-transparent glowing paint, but the moment he tried to focus his eyes upon the field itself it immediately unfolded into a chaotic mass of countless colors blending together with strange shapes dancing and fading in and out of focus as its distortions warped the very air.


    It was a breath-taking spectacle he couldn¡¯t even liken to anything he had ever seen before and after a while he actually had to avert his eyes from it because the swirling colors started to make him feel nauseous. For lack of better options he turned to the mad scientist grinning at his side.


    Soketsu: "What is that?"


    Gabe: "This is the main gate of the city. Neat, huh?"


    Being ¡®neat¡¯ or not wasn¡¯t really a question, so Soketsu simply nodded and asked again, this time a little more directly.


    Soketsu: "Sure, but I was mainly referring to that¡­ whatever is over the gate."


    Gabe: "Ah, that? That¡¯s just the barrier of the pocket-space that contains the city."


    Soketsu quickly rummaged through the drawers of his memory, looking for the dusty old recollections related to the familiar-sounding term, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn¡¯t connect the ¡®barriers¡¯ in his memory to the huge spectacle right in front of him.


    Soketsu: "You want to tell me you built a pocket-space big enough to encompass a whole city?"


    Gabe: "Yup."


    Soketsu: "Then that¡¯s not a pocket-space, is it?"


    The mad scientist¡¯s smile faltered for a second while he tried to suppress the urge to hit the eye-patched man on his pedantic head, but then just gave a shrug.


    Gabe: "I suppose, but what else are you going to call it? Largerthanapocket-space?"


    Soketsu: "Whatever." Sensing an incoming argument, Soketsu ditched the topic and his gaze quickly returned to the barrier in front of him. "Seriously though, since when did we have such technology?"


    Gabe: "Hehe¡­ If you are impressed by this, wait until you are inside."


    Soketsu: "Inside? Don¡¯t you mean ¡®outside¡¯?"


    Gabe: "Do I?"


    Before the man could ponder the meaning of the mad scientist¡¯s riposte, Ahazkun¡¯s voice interrupted their discussion.


    Ahazkun: "Let¡¯s get in, shall we?"


    Gabe: "Yeah."


    The mad scientist skipped ahead and walked up to a faintly shimmering console built into the wall next to the huge gate. He quickly typed in a few commands and then gave a thumb up to the group as the bottom of the screen turned green.


    At first nothing happened. Then, just as Soketsu was about to speak up, the ground shook under them as the swirling light on the gate began rapidly fading, revealing the beautiful ornamentation underneath. Soketsu had to realize that the strange shapes he initially thought were only the barrier¡¯s light playing tricks on his eyes were actually intricate reliefs etched into the gate¡¯s surface.


    They were simple patterns, leaf and flower motifs woven into elaborate pillars stretching vertically from the bottom and fanning out into the shape of a gigantic tree. Amongst the branches he could see the figures of winged humanoids carved into the metal. They all looked in the same direction, to the crown of the three where a man¡¯s form could be seen.


    The figure in question stood at the top of the gate with his arms wide open in a welcoming gesture and even a quick glance was enough to recognize the familiar face he wore.


    Soketsu: "(Seriously?)"


    He could only gawk in bafflement. He knew all too well how the mad scientist had quite a taste for overblown imagery, but putting himself as the centerpiece of a relief was a bit tacky even or him. In fact he even thought about calling him out on it when he noticed how he was staring at him with a smile so broad it barely fit onto his face.


    Gabe: "A friendly advice; hold onto your jaw."


    Soketsu had no idea what he meant by that until the wings of the gate started to move. As the gap in front of him became even wider something warm hit his face. He almost recoiled from the odd yet strangely familiar sensation.


    For a moment, his head was in a blank daze but his eyes immediately poped wide open as soon as his nostrils took a deep breath. He finally recognized it, the smell in the air. He had never felt in his ¡®new life¡¯ but it was all too familiar for his old self. It was a pleasant kind of warmth that gradually washed over his entire body and mind and he finally recalled the word: Spring.


    The lukewarm wind carrying the fragrance of myriad flowers and the promise of sunshine was the same as in his old memories except that it was all too real¡­ but just as he was about to immerse himself in the sensation, something began tugging at his attention in the back of his mind. It was that oftentimes underused part of the human mind most often referred to as ¡®logic¡¯ and it was screaming at him as loud as an anthropomorphized avatar of a concept could.


    As for what it was complaining about, it was one of those things that felt quite obvious in retrospect but was so silly at the time that one simply skimmed over it. In this case the detail in question was the simple fact that the group at no point have moved in a vertical direction whatsoever. In other words¡­


    Soketsu: "Aren¡¯t we¡­ still underground?"


    The mad scientist gave him a knowing smile as he stepped through the threshold of the gate and beckoned the wheelchair-bound man.


    Gabe: "Come and see it for yourself."


    Even without those words, Soketsu¡¯s wheelchair was already moving towards the warm light that emanated from the other side, and what other side it was! If he didn¡¯t know any better Soketsu would have thought he crossed over into another world, and in fact saying so was probably a lot closer to that actual facts than one would guess.


    Soketsu: "Are you¡­ serious¡­?"


    The sight in front of him was something he would never have believed if not for the fact that he saw it with his own two eyes. In fact he had a hard time believing it even then, not a small achievement by any standards. As for exactly what baffled him¡­ it was probably easier to count the things that didn¡¯t.


    For starters, there was the issue of the deep azure sky reaching into the horizon. Its beautiful blue was occasionally spotted by herds of fluffy white clouds herded by the gentle afternoon wind. The sun was sheepishly peeking out from behind said clouds, as bright as ever yet without the scorching rays Soketsu was so accustomed to. It was exactly the kind of weather that awakened one¡¯s irrational urges to get outdoors and just throw themselves upon the emerald grass of a rolling hillside.


    Speaking of rolling green hills, the scenery had quite a few those as well. For example, they were standing right on the top of one with a great view on the thousands of buildings stretching as far as the eye could see. It all looked like one of those postcardesque panoramas that one would see in the fake world of advertisements, with rows upon rows of tidy little homes with finely cultivated flower gardens covering the suburban landscape.


    Parks, lanes, modest skyscrapers, shopping malls and elaborate water fountains in the middle of busy squares¡­ the sight in front of Soketsu was the definition of a sprawling metropolis. Its sheer size alone was daunting enough, but then his overwhelmed brain slowly began to register the sounds tickling his ears as well.


    There were a myriad noises floating on the wind, the sounds of a bustling city filled to the brim with vigor. What it lacked, however, was the constant honking of horns and roaring of engines. In fact, the roads seemed to be too narrow for cars to begin with. Their alternative, on the other hand, was holding dominion over the sky above the entire city. Monorails.


    Not that it was easy to tell at first glance. The sparkling white threads in the distance looked like the fata morgana of a giant spider¡¯s web forming a loose dome over the skyscape, but a second look have quickly ascertained the improbable: all those thin white threads were actually rails seemingly suspended in mid-air and the sparkles were nothing less than the shiny windows of a thousand small bullet train cars sliding towards their destinations with the quiet hissing of parting air.


    There was no question about it, this was a metropolis, one several magnitudes greater than even the biggest city the Order had ever rebuilt. In fact it wasn¡¯t really fair to compare them in the same way it wasn¡¯t fair to compare a brand new luxury car to an old pickup truck with a fresh coat of paint. Not that it stopped Soketsu from trying, and every single time he did, he could feel his breath being caught in his throat. No words could convey his shock and absolute disbelief.


    Every time he blinked he was prepared to the revelation that it was all an illusion, a part of one of Gabe¡¯s twisted jokes, but no matter how many times he closed his eyes the sight in front of him never seemed to waver.


    Gabe: "I told you to hold onto your jaw, didn¡¯t I?"


    As the injured man finally managed to tear his gaze away from the scenery he finally noticed Gabe¡¯s figure in front of him. He looked into Soketsu¡¯s eyes then opened his arms with an honest smile.


    Gabe: "Welcome to my city. Welcome to Avalon."


    Soketsu: "A¡­ valon?"


    The black-cloaked scientist nodded in response and let his hands fall to his side


    Gabe: "Yes." He turned around and looked over Avalon like he was basking in its presence and spoke with a soft voice. "The safe haven, untouchable by the sword, where the once and future king rests until the times call for him again." Suddenly the scientist faced Soketsu again and his lips curved into a subdued, proud smile. "Fitting name, don¡¯t you agree?"


    Soketsu was still far too thunderstruck to answer. He raised his eyes upon the sky again, trying to collect his thoughts, but then the little voice at the back of his head suddenly reared its ugly head again. Something was wrong with this picture. Something had to be wrong with this picture, and he was just getting an idea what it was.


    He focused his attention on the blue sky, seemingly staring into empty space, but then his eye finally picked up something. There was a thin, almost ethereal crack on the sky. It only flickered into existence for a moment but it was enough to tell its shape. Most of it was a straight line except its end that suddenly tilted away in a very distinct angle.


    The more Soketsu looked at the sky, the more of these cracks he could notice. They were like barely visible threads plastered over the skydome and as he started the flickering lines slowly piled on each other in his mind and added up to a fascinating picture.


    Apparently the ¡®sky¡¯ was covered in countless hexagons of at least three different sizes, though by the looks of it even the smallest ones would have been at least several dozen meters in diameter.


    Soketsu: "We are¡­ still underground, aren¡¯t we?"


    Gabe nodded without any of the teasing the man would have expected after such an obvious-sounding question.


    Gabe: "Yes. Avalon is a self-sustaining city built an average of one and a half kilometers under the Black Desert."


    Soketsu: "So the sky¡­ It¡¯s not real after all."


    Gabe: "No, it¡¯s part of the artificial environment system that mimics a mediterranean-continental climate complete with a synchronized day-night cycle as well as dynamically changing weather and seasons."


    After absorbing all this, Soketsu¡¯s brain was just about ready to throw in the towel for the day.


    Soketsu: "But¡­ How?"


    Gabe: "With meticulously planning, careful execution and the best technology we could muster."


    Soketsu stared at the mad scientist for several long seconds in silence. At last his lips slowly curved upwards and a moment later he broke out into small chuckle.


    Soketsu: "Oh god, this is so typical of you!"


    Gabe cocked his head to the side in confusion.


    Gabe: "Is it?"


    Soketsu: "Yeah. Totally!" He paused as he carefully wiped his eyes while trying to suppress his laughter. "If anyone else told me they built a metropolis under a bloody desert of all things, I would have called them insane. For you I bet it was just a Friday."


    Gabe: "Well, no. It took a little longer than that. And I had help."


    Soketsu: "Hehe¡­" Still chuckling to himself, Soketsu let out a surprisingly relieved sigh. "Now I finally feel like I¡¯m back."


    Ahazkun: "Really?"


    The oracle, suspiciously silent all this time, finally raised his voice and Soketsu promptly answered.


    Soketsu: "Yeah. It¡¯s just like back then. You show me something crazy, then you show me something even crazier and then you just when I think I cannot be shocked anymore you finish things up by casually blowing my damn mind." Soketsu let out another sigh and beamed a satisfied smile at Ahazkun. "I swear I missed this."


    Ahazkun: "You didn¡¯t even remember it until today."


    Pabloc: "Don¡¯t spoil the moment." Finally joining the conversation, Pabloc also caught up with the rest and gestured to Gabe. "Let¡¯s move, we should show him around the shopping district while the shops are still open."


    Soketsu: "Wait, there¡¯s even a shopping district¡­?"


    Gabe: "This way."


    Their group began their descent on the paved promenade leading down the hill and into the outskirts of the city.


    On the way Soketsu took his time to admire the carefully tended flower-beds and the forested area beyond them. It looked absolutely idyllic and he didn¡¯t even try to guess how much time and effort it must have taken to maintain the area in pristine condition.


    Soketsu: "Say, Gabe?"


    Gabe: "Yes?"


    Soketsu knew that he had a question to ask, something about the trees or whatnot, but once the mad scientist looked back at him his attention was grabbed by another detail. The man somehow seemed, for the lack of better words, serene. Almost dignified to a degree. Compared to the underground wonderland it might have seemed like an insignificant issue yet he still made a note of it, probably just because of how anachronistic it felt.


    Still, even he knew this was not the right opportunity to bring something like this up so he quickly filed it away in his head and returned to the topic at hand by quickly recalling his previous question.


    Soketsu: "Just for the record, how much did it cost to create this haven of yours?"


    Gabe: "Cost? As in money?" Gabe¡¯s brows arched in a way that indicated he didn¡¯t fully understand the question. "Nothing. I did the planning and the girls did most of the heavy lifting. They made the building materials, did the construction and now they are all living here."


    Soketsu: "Wait, just have many people are we talking about?"


    Gabe: "Wait, let me count." To Soketsu¡¯s surprise the man simply closed his eyes for a few seconds, his brows furrowed in concentration. "The current population is two million, three hundred and twenty-four thousand six hundred and sixty-nine¡­"


    Soketsu: "¡­" The man¡¯s eyes opened wide like he just saw a ghost. "Pardon?"


    Gabe: "Two million, three hundred and twenty-four thousand six hundred and seventy-one." The man repeated, and then quickly added. "We had two births in the meantime. Twins."


    Soketsu: "How can you feed that many people!?"


    Gabe: "Well, to put it frankly, I don¡¯t have to."


    Soketsu was about to raise his voice but the answer to his questions suddenly flew by him with a sharp whirring sound usually associated with large insects.


    ???????: "He is back already! The Fairfather is back!"


    In the span of a few seconds the air around them exploded with the buzzing and cheerful voices of dozens of small, humanoid creatures. They flew in from all directions and strangely enough they all seemed to hover at an average adult¡¯s eye-level. Familiar as he might have been with them, it still took several long seconds for Soketsu to finally register the sight.


    Fairies. They were small, about thirty centimeters tall on average and they gracefully soared through the air with their pearlescent dragonfly wings sparkling in the sunlight. On a quick glance Soketsu could count about thirty of them with varying ages and most of them were bustling around Gabe as he greeted them one by one.


    Gabe: "Aw, Mia! I told you not to call me that in front of the others! It¡¯s embarrassing!" The first fairy only giggled, but by then the black-clad scientist already moved on. "Hi Talli. Oh April, I haven¡¯t seen you in a while, how have you been?"


    He addressed each of them as if they were old friends and Soketsu couldn¡¯t help but be amazed at the sight. The Gabe that stood in front of him could not even be compared to the idiot he knew. This man was gracefully swinging between the many fairies, dividing his attention equally between them all, and he did all that without the unbelievably warm, fatherly smile ever leaving his face.


    The more he looked, the louder the question became: Was this even the same person he just spent his afternoon with? Was this the same man who hit him on the top of his head in the infirmary? The one talking about the ¡®romance of science¡¯ and playing silly clapping games with the blonde girl on the train?


    He couldn¡¯t get far in the line of inquiries though as, at long last, the fairies finally noticed the rest of the group and they immediately focused their attention on him. To his surprise the girl in his lap greeted them first with a cheerful voice.


    Kay: "Hi girls!"


    Fairy1: "Look, it¡¯s, Kay! You are back already?"


    Kay: "Yeah, we are showing the town to Soketsu."


    The small group of fairies, apparently acquaintances of Kay, looked over the man with curious eyes.


    Fairy2: "He¡¯s Soketsu? I thought he would be taller¡­"


    Fairy3: "Oh, you said it again! You said it again!"


    Fairy4: "Stop that, you are being a nuisance!"


    Fairy2: "We are just having fun!"


    Fairy3: "Yeah!"


    As the tiny women kept arguing over his head, Soketsu couldn¡¯t help but wonder. They seemed completely different from the fairies of his memories. They were noticeably taller and they wore an assortment of casual clothes including dresses, shirts, various types of tops and even pants, something he had never actually seen on the fairies of old who generally only wore stereotypical frilly dresses.


    Actually, once he got over the discrepancy, Soketsu had to conclude that they looked more like tiny humans with wings than the classic fairies that used to accompany the mad scientist. He had no time to contemplate on the issue though, as Gabe turned to him with two fairies sitting on his shoulders and cocked his head towards the city.


    Gabe: "Let¡¯s go, we are making them wait."


    Soketsu: "Who?"


    Gabe: "My girls just told me that they threw together a welcoming party for you. It¡¯s a bit of a tradition, you see."


    ¡®Your girls?¡¯, Soketsu murmured under his breath, but he had no chance to call Gabe out on his words as the man had already started walking, leading the way as they headed into the heart of Avalon.


    Gabe: "Let¡¯s get going! It would be rude to be late from your own party!"


    And just like that, before Soketsu could even say a thing, they were engulfed by a swarm of fairies as they picked up the pace upon the paved streets of the city¡­

 Ch 18: A slow morning

    The ringing of the alarm clock sharply echoed in the dark bedroom only to be finally silenced by a small, unsteady hand reaching out from the pile of blankets spread haphazardly on the bed. As the last traces of the beeping faded away from the morning air, the drowsy head of the hand¡¯s owner slowly rose from the depths of the pile, sitting up like an especially sleepy vampire in her grave.


    Kay: "Haaaaa¡­"


    After a huge yawn the girl lightly shook her head and looked around in the dark room through her half-opened eyelids. Behind the curtains she could already see the faint morning light seeping through, dressing the room in dim yellow. Finally her glance fell beside herself, but all she could find were a few more wrinkled blankets. For a few seconds she quietly stared at the empty space at her side, right until her hand finally moved and reached for the sheets.


    Kay: "(It¡¯s still warm¡­)"


    Soketsu had probably only left a few minutes ago, she surmised. His lingering warmth was an embarrassing reminder of their new life form. Ever since they decided to stay they have been sleeping together. Or to be a little more precise, they just kept doing it after the first day without ever questioning why. That night, after returning from the impromptu carnival the fairies threw for Soketsu¡¯s arrival, the two of them were dead tired and simply collapsed into the same bed.


    The next morning they realized the room had another bed, and agreed that they should sleep separately¡­ yet somehow when it came to turning in for the night they always found themselves beside each other for the past two weeks. By this point raising the topic would have been more awkward than simply continuing as before.


    As the warmth slowly faded, a peculiar, conflicting emotion rose in Kay¡¯s chest. On one side she was a little relieved to avoid the embarrassment of waking up by Soketsu¡¯s side yet again, but another part of her was a little disappointed for the same reason. It felt a little lonely.


    Her wandering thoughts were quickly pulled back into reality as the last trace of her partner¡¯s presence has faded. She blinked at her still outstretched hand and she couldn¡¯t help but shake her head at her own actions. According to the clock she had spent almost five minutes staring at the place where he slept without doing anything.


    Kay: "(What¡¯s wrong with me?)"


    She shook her head one more time and ever so slowly wriggled out of the bed. As her bare feet touched the floor, she involuntarily jolted.


    Kay: "(Ah¡­ It¡¯s cold!)"


    She quickly looked around and almost immediately found what she was looking for. She reached down to the side of the bed and grasped the pair of furry, cat-shaped slippers. As she carefully slipped her feet into them she couldn¡¯t help but smile. They were gifts from Lily, and looking at them always reminded her of the day she received them. Just thinking about how the blonde girl¡¯s eyes were sparkling at the time with expectation was enough to give her day a good start.


    As such, she finally stood up and moved to the window. The bright, warm light instantly vanquished the last traces of drowsiness from her eyes as she opened the curtains to the beautiful garden outside. She quietly stretched her back and turned around, only to find herself face to face with her own reflection.


    She froze in mid-motion, just like she did almost every single morning. It only lasted for a second though, after which she shook herself and scowled at her own image. She hated that mirror, hated it from the depths of her heart. As for the form of the girl in front of her, she had a hard time grasping the exact emotion she felt about it. It a peculiar mixture of was sadness, anger and even a hint of despair¡­


    Her form might have seemed perfectly normal for anyone, except for the dark-green hair of course, but what she saw was something different. It just wasn¡¯t her; it just wasn¡¯t how she was supposed to be. Normally she tried not to be too concerned about her appearance, but the unforgiving truth of the mirror always served as a stark reminder of her condition.


    Kay: "¡­"


    For the next couple of seconds she kept scowling at her reflection without even blinking. Truth to be told, she wasn¡¯t ugly. Far from it. Soketsu often told her that she was pretty whenever he tried to cheer her up, but even an impartial observer would have said the same. A cute face, a pair of clear eyes, even her exotic green hair only added to her beauty. However she was still just a beautiful child. Even though she was only wearing a thin night-gown and her underpants, she was not the least bit alluring.


    She finally snorted and averted her glance. She wordlessly steeled her resolve and turned her back on the mirror with forced nonchalance. She walked over to the dresser with her head still kept down and reached inside. After putting together a small heap of clothes she moved to the bed and slipped out of her gown. She quickly changed into a sky-blue summer dress, which she received from Ahazkun and Tiari. She pointedly didn¡¯t check her appearance in the mirror and instead she began fixing the bed.


    Normally she would have taken a shower before changing, but she already took one before she went to bed the previous night and she didn¡¯t feel sweaty, so she only washed her hands and face at the sink and then immediately left the bathroom.


    Kay: "(Huh? What is this doing here?)"


    On her way out another detail grabbed her interest, thankfully diverting her mind from the previous issues. In the corner of the room sat a thick tome with crimson cover and black, cursive letters on the front, like a dark Bible of some sorts. In truth it was nothing so ominous. As she took the heavy book into her hands the name of the author made it obvious it was anything but dark magic.


    Kay: "(Oh, it¡¯s still here? I should give it back to Mr. Gabe¡­)"


    The letters on the front read Ancestral And Familiar Soul Core Potential Inheritance Vol. II, and in fact it was an even more difficult than what the title might have suggested. It took her nearly two days to finish it the first time and another two to make notes and finally understand it as well. With other words it was one hell of a hard read, but for Kay it was a challenge she would not shy away from. After reading this, she finally managed to complete the whole series a certain mad scientist wrote on the Core-theory and was finally able to understand most of the seemingly unintelligible gibberish exchanged between the two scientists of the group as well.


    After a few moments of thinking she reached for her backpack beside the bed and then promptly stuffed the book into it before throwing it onto her back. She wanted to talk to Gabe anyway; the book was a good excuse to look for him. After the final touches she finally reached for the doorknob and, after putting on a slightly tired smile, left the room.


    ~~~


    Kay: "¡­"


    The view was supposed to be familiar already, yet it never failed to enthrall her while she was walking down the paved road on the small woody hill. The fact itself that someone would bother with creating a hill in an underground dome was already amazing, but the streets of Avalon were even more enchanting. They were picturesque to begin with, but the morning light made the sight even more idyllic than usual. But it wasn¡¯t just the town itself. As she looked up she had a hard time believing that it wasn¡¯t the real sky spreading above her head. With the warm rays of the artificial sun caressing her skin and the azure mackerel-sky stretching to the horizon, the sight seemed strangely more real than the actual world above it all. However, the feeling wasn¡¯t exclusive to the blue infinity...


    As she finally reached the outskirts of the city and entered the town itself, the sensation of life washed over her like a great wave of invisible, warm seawater.


    Avalon was a city beyond compare, but not only in beauty but in oddity as well. Everything was human-sized even though the city¡¯s inhabitants were not. When she asked them about it, they just gave her a confused look and said it was only natural that everything was that size around them. The only conclusion she could reach was that it was more comfortable for them, since this way they had a lot of space to fly around, although the wasteful nature of such design still left her baffled sometimes.


    Avalon¡¯s structure was also peculiar in a way that it had no highways, or cars for that matter. Every single street was a promenade and the only vehicles one could see were the monorails in the sky running from the extremities on great arched rails to provide quick travel for distances too great for the fairies¡¯ frail wings.


    ????: "Oh look, it¡¯s Kay."


    ?????: "Kaaaay!!!"


    Kay: "Hi girls!"


    As she turned in a corner, she found some familiar faces. It was a pair of fairies sitting on a fence in front of a popular sweets shop called Archon Mort. Unlike most of the buildings in the neighborhood, Archon Mort had a strange, red-shingled roof and a large crimson gate with two lintels, the upper of which was slightly curved upwards. According to what Kay had heard the building and the gate were both based on some kind of old religious building, though it didn¡¯t look anything like a temple of the Order to her.  Nevertheless it was still Kay¡¯s favorite hangout ever since Tiari introduced her, and the waitresses quickly took a liking to her as well. The two, namely Shouwa and June, immediately jumped up and flew to her.


    Shouwa: "Did you come to see us? You are so nice!"


    Shouwa was a short girl even by fairy standards with an ample chest that pushed hard against her clothes and wavy pink hair cascading down her shoulders. She was clad in a white robe of some kind, with loose detached sleeves and a short skirt. According to Tiari it was based on the appearance of something called a ¡®miko¡¯, and it was apparently fitting for the theme of the building.


    June: "Don¡¯t jump to conclusions, idiot!"


    Her partner on the other hand was a serious looking girl with short black hair and a pair of tiny glasses perched on her nose. She wore the same kind of outfit, though hers seemed to be a little more form-fitting and she had a longer skirt. All the fairies working at the sweets shop had their own individualized uniforms like that, some more modest than others.


    Shouwa: "You have to try out the chef¡¯s new Choux Parfait! It¡¯s awesome!"


    June: "¡­ Are you ignoring me again?"


    Shouwa: "I¡¯ve heard the ingredients are really hard to come by, but they are really, really good!" The pink-haired fairy struck a funny pose while giving an energetic thumb up. June only shook her head in turn.


    June: "Geez, she never listens¡­"


    Shouwa: "Oh, and don¡¯t believe the lies of the other shops! It¡¯s totally, 198.4 percent surely not made of cicadas!"


    The short-haired fairy furrowed her brows and crossed her arms in front of her chest with a difficult expression.


    June: "Wait, where did you hear that rumor on the first place?"


    Shouwa: "From Takano¡­"


    June: "Oh come on! You know that girl is a compulsive liar!"


    Though she felt a little left out of the conversation, Kay kept observing the pair with an absentminded smile. The first time she found it strange, but since then she got used to the two getting lost in their own little arguments. In fact she actually found them a little amusing. Each of the fairies was different not only in looks but in personality as well, yet somehow all of them had one common trait: whenever they talked, their conversations always went into unexpected, funny and sometimes downright obscure directions¡­


    June: "No, I told you we are not going to sacrifice anyone on the festival! We don¡¯t even have a festival to begin with!"


    ¡­ like right now. After a quick glance at her pocket-watch, courtesy of Gabe, Kay finally decided to excuse herself.


    Kay: "Sorry, but I can¡¯t stay now. I have a book to return to Mr. Gabe. Maybe another time?"


    The two fairies looked a little down for a second, but their mood swung back in a moment.


    June: "Too bad."


    Souwa: "Yeah¡­ But promise you will come visit us soon! You really should taste our completely cockroach-free sweets!"


    June: "Wasn¡¯t it cicadas just a few moments ago¡­?"


    Kay: "Okay, I promise, but I have to go now! Goodbye!"


    June: "Bye-bye!"


    Shouwa: "See you soon, and look out for the mind-controlling worms!"


    June: "There are no such things!"


    As the voices of the bickering duo slowly faded behind Kay a little chuckle left her lips. Even though the fairies were always a little silly, she loved spending time with them, and she was already planning her next visit to the shop while her legs steadily carried her through the sunny promenades of the city.


    ~~~


    Her tired sigh uncomfortably echoed in the corridor as Kay¡¯s weary legs took one step after another. Even though he took the monorail, the Main Laboratories were still far from the station, and the walking wore her small body down considerably, especially with the heavy book in her backpack. She might have been an Alternate, but her body was still that of a young girl¡¯s after all.


    After passing the decontamination corridor the inner door finally opened in front of her. There was no security or anything beyond that point, so she could leisurely walk in. As she entered, she immediately came across a face that stuck out of the crowd with her size; although it¡¯s no big feat considering the crowd consisted solely of fairies.


    Lily: "Kay-chan!!!"


    The golden haired girl immediately ran to her, although her usual running speed was something others would have probably only considered strolling. Nevertheless, the always bright smile on her face never failed to make people skim over such tiny details when dealing with her.


    Kay: "Hi Lily. Have you seen Mr. Gabe or Soketsu?"


    Lily: "Hmmm¡­ Gabe-sama is doing sciency things in his lab again, and Soketsu-san is with Pabloc-san at the gym."


    Kay: "Gym? You mean the training grounds?"


    Lily: "Nyu?"


    The confused look on Lily¡¯s face was further emphasized by tilting her head to the side, a cute expression Kay had seen many times in the past few days.


    Kay: "The place with the dummies."This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Lily¡¯s eyes sparkled with comprehension and she gave a huge nod, her gravity-defying hair following after the movement with a bit of a lag.


    Lily: "Hai~! They are there!"


    Kay: "I see¡­ I¡¯m going to see them then."


    Lily: "Can I tag along? Pretty please?"


    The blonde girl looked at her with the most adorable puppy-eyes she had ever seen on her. Those eyes were both incredibly cute, but even more importantly¡­


    Kay: "Y-Yeah, sure."


    Lily: "Yay!"


    ¡­ it was impossible to say no to them.


    Lily: "Let¡¯s go, I will lead the way!"


    After quickly saying goodbye to the researchers in the research complex the two left the way Kay came from. From afar they were actually quite a strange pair; a blonde child frolicking around another little girl with her long hair and white dress fluttering behind her. Kay on the other hand was walking with heavier steps, politely smiling at the energetic girl prancing around her like an elder-sister watching over her junior.


    ~~~


    There was a muffled sound filling the corridor reminiscent of an industrial angle grinder heard from across a wall, followed by some equally muffled words of encouragement.


    Pabloc: "Good, one more time."


    The loud groaning of twisting metal reverberated in Kay¡¯s bones a hundred times harden the moment the automatic doors soundlessly opened before her. She inadvertently shuddered at the wall of sound striking her, but a moment later it was already over, leaving only a slightly ringing in her ears. Lily on the other hand didn¡¯t seem to mind as she followed after her without stumbling for a moment.


    Soketsu: "Okay, then how about this?"


    Soketsu¡¯s voice came from the back of the spacious room and was almost immediately followed by another metallic noise that echoed in the room for several seconds. Or was it only doing that in Kay¡¯s ears? It was hard to tell.


    The training hall was fairly large. Both the walls and its floor were covered in a thin layer of protective padding and there were all sorts of exercise machines and other equipment lined on their left.


    Pabloc: "Not bad. Try to mix it with the speed sigil and let¡¯s see how much better it can get."


    Soketsu: "Roger."


    Soketsu nodded firmly and began tracing a symbol onto the back of his hand with his finger under the supervision of the bespectacled scientist.


    The two were standing at the other end of the hall in front of a dozen or so crash-dummies in the shape of hairless adult males with strange yellow marks on their rubbery skin. Beside them laid about another dozen more broken ones piled up haphazardly in the corner. Some had fist-sized holes punctured into their torsos, others had their head or limbs missing, yet others were twisted and shattered beyond recognition.


    A moment later Soketsu¡¯s hand was enveloped with an eerie blue light. He flexed his fingers before curling them into a fist. In the meantime Pabloc poked at one of his usual floating screens with his fingers. Once he finished he gave a small nod to Soketsu and the ex-Rover took up a martial stance in front of the next target dummy in line.


    Lily: "Pabloc-saaaan! Soketsu-saaan!!!"


    The two of them raised their eyes in unison upon hearing the cheerful voice, and just moment later Lily literally crashed into Pabloc¡¯s waist and kept hugging him like a huge pillow.


    Pabloc: "Uh¡­ Hello girls."


    Soketsu glanced up from his preparation and his lips immediately parted into a smile when his eyes met with Kay¡¯s. Eyes, as in plural. Ever since he regained his ability to control his own Viridia, he became able to shut down his magical eye and so he didn¡¯t need the eyepatch anymore. There was a jovial glint in those eyes as he spoke.


    Soketsu: "Good morning sleepyhead."


    Kay puffed her cheeks with a pout and pointedly faced the scientist instead.


    Kay: "Good morning, Mr. Pabloc."


    Pabloc chuckled at her words and waved a hand, after which the screens around him flew to the side and formed a neat stack.


    Pabloc: "I told you there is no need to be so formal."


    Kay: "Um¡­ But calling you just ¡®Pabloc¡¯ would feel ungrateful after all your help."


    Pabloc smiled warmly and her and glanced at Soketsu.


    Pabloc: "I still can¡¯t wrap my head around how you could raise such a nice girl."


    Soketsu: "I didn¡¯t raise her."


    Pabloc: "Oh, that explains it then."


    Soketsu: "Oh, shut up," Soketsu grumbled half-seriously. "You only think she is nice because you don¡¯t know her well enough."


    Kay: "Just what is that supposed to mean?" The green-haired girl exclaimed while stepping on her partner¡¯s feet.


    Soketsu: "Ouch. You see, she is incredibly violent."


    Pabloc: "It is a good thing you are tough enough to withstand her violent tendencies then."


    Kay: "Aw! Stop teasing me!"


    The two men chuckled in unison at the girl¡¯s outburst.


    Soketsu: "Sorry, but it¡¯s just too much fun." Saying so, Soketsu shook his hand in the air until the light around it dissipated and then placed it onto Kay¡¯s head. "Would you mind forgiving me?"


    Kay puffed her cheeks again with an ¡®hmph.¡¯


    Kay: "Fine, just this once."


    Lily: "Pabloc-san, look! Soketsu-san and Kay-chan are lovey-dovey!"


    The two in question twitched and Soketsu withdrawn his hand in an instant.


    Soketsu: "We have no idea what you are talking about, right Kay?"


    Kay: "Right."


    The two of them nodded in perfect unison. Pabloc couldn¡¯t help but smile at them in turn.


    There was a moment of silence before Soketsu sat down onto one of the wrecked test dummies and let out a sigh.


    Kay: "Are you all right?"


    Glancing back up Soketsu¡¯s eyes met with Kay¡¯s worried gaze and he immediately shook his head.


    Soketsu: "I¡¯m fine, just a little out of breath." He paused and his eyes narrowed like he just noticed something. "By the way, why did you come here?"


    Kay: "I was just curious about what you were doing. You left without waking me up and you didn¡¯t even leave a note."


    Soketsu lightly shrugged his shoulders and nodded towards the dummies.


    Soketsu: "I talked with Pabloc yesterday and we decided to see how well my body recovered. I was curious if I was ready for combat yet."


    Kay: "I see¡­" Kay mumbled awkwardly, but then she reaffirmed her voice and continued, "But why didn¡¯t you wake me up?"


    Soketsu awkwardly raised his right hand so that Kay could see the back of it. There was still a complex symbol of some sorts gently glowing on it.


    Soketsu: "I was working my Sigils, you see."


    Kay scowled at the symbol and set her mouth in a thin line.


    Kay: "Isn¡¯t that all the more reason to take me along? I need to learn about them too."


    Soketsu: "But¡­ you don¡¯t."


    Kay: "I do! I should at least know how if I could or should put viridia into them during battle, and¡­"


    Soketsu: "(Hey, help me out!)"


    When his pleading glances finally reached Pabloc, the scientist¡¯s expression clouded. His face said ¡®I don¡¯t think I should get involved in this¡¯.


    Pabloc: "Actually, I have to go and crunch all the data we gathered this morning. I will call you in the afternoon once I finished."


    By the time he finished jabbering he was already at the door with Lily in tow, and before Soketsu could say anything they have already left the training room.


    Soketsu: "(Traitor!)"


    There was a very distinctive, very awkward silence in the room after Pabloc left. It lasted for several tense seconds, right until Kay finally raised her voice.


    Kay: "So, why didn¡¯t you wake me up if you were training?"


    Soketsu averted his eyes.


    Soketsu: "I just¡­"


    Her eyes were sharp and the frown on her face left no doubt about how angry she was. Soketsu had no chance against that expression, and she knew it as well.


    Soketsu: "Fine, I give up." He blurted out as he raised his eyes upon her again. "I didn¡¯t wake you up on purpose."


    Kay: "Why?"


    Soketsu: "Because¡­"


    He stood up, awkwardly ruffling the hair on the back of his head as he took a few steps. At last he stopped in front of the still intact dummies and faced his partner with resolute eyes.


    Soketsu: "Because I didn¡¯t want to train with you."


    This much was quite obvious to the girl already, so she immediately pressed on.


    Kay: "But why? I thought we agreed to-"


    Soketsu: "We did not. I told you it¡¯s too dangerous."


    Kay: "But we have been doing this for years! Why is it only dangerous now?!"


    Soketsu: "It was as dangerous back then as now, except that now we don¡¯t have to do it. There is no need to-"


    Kay: "But I want to help you!"


    Soketsu: "And I don¡¯t need help!" Soketsu groaned aloud. "Dammit Kay, why can¡¯t you understand? I don¡¯t want you to fight anymore!"


    Kay: "But¡­!"


    Soketsu: "My answer is no and it¡¯s final!"


    For the first time, the anger literally exploded in Soketsu¡¯s voice and Kay involuntarily shuddered before him. As he looked into her surprised eyes, a tiny needle of guilt pierced Soketsu¡¯s heart.


    Soketsu: "¡­ Sorry, I did not mean to shout, but¡­ You have to understand. It¡¯s for your sake. I want you to have a normal life."


    Kay: "I... don¡¯t mind fighting."


    Soketsu: "That¡¯s a lie."


    Kay: "I¡¯m not lying¡­"


    Suddenly, Kay seemed even smaller than before.


    Soketsu: "Listen, I know you want to help me no matter what, but I refuse to hurt you." Kay still looked defiant, so Soketsu decided to reach for his last resort. "I know about your body."


    His words seemed harmless, yet Kay¡¯s eyes opened wide as the blood drained from her face. Soketsu couldn¡¯t look her in the eye, so


    Soketsu: "I noticed how dejected you were the last time you came back from Pabloc¡¯s place. I was worried so I coerced him a little and he told me. I know everything. Every time you change to your weapon form and back, your body resets into your current form and you will never grow up. If you fight with me, you will get stuck like this forever."


    Kay: "But¡­ I don¡¯t mind if¡­"


    Soketsu: "Of course you mind! Stop lying to yourself!"


    As he looked over the small, trembling girl in front of him, a thick veil of regret blew into Soketsu¡¯s mind. He slowly lowered himself to one knee and reached for his beloved partner¡¯s shoulders. At first she tried to pull away, but after his hands clasped behind her back she had nowhere else to go but his chest. As he pulled her close he quietly rested his left hand on her head.


    Soketsu: "Sorry, I stop shouting, but you have to understand my feelings too. I don¡¯t want to see you suffer anymore."


    Kay: "But what about my feelings? I want to help you¡­!"


    Soketsu: "You are. You are helping me all the time, not just in battle."


    Kay: "But I-!"


    Soketsu: "No buts. Just believe me. I don¡¯t want you to fight anymore. I want you to have a peaceful life; I want you to live and grow up like a normal girl without sacrificing yourself for my sake."


    Kay: "But if I won¡¯t fight, I can¡¯t be your partner anymore¡­"


    Her weak words on the verge of crying kept echoing in Soketsu¡¯s mind for several seconds in the room filled with complete silence. There was a moment of hesitation. Should he take that step? Is this the right moment? He didn¡¯t know, but his hands moved on their own. He slowly took hold of Kay¡¯s small shoulders and pulled her small face to his own, close enough so that he could feel her breath on his skin, and looked her deep in the eye. After a moment of silence he finally spoke, with a tender, soothing voice.


    Soketsu: "Listen Kay, because I¡¯m only going to say this once: You are not just my partner. You are a lot more than that. You are the most important person in my life and I¡­"


    Gabe: "Hey Soketsu, can I¡­? Oh¡­"


    The affectionate moment was suddenly broken as an all too familiar scientist entered the room. For his credit though, at least he was shocked enough to shut up as the two awkwardly parted.


    Gabe: "Heh. Sorry, did I interrupt anything?"


    Soketsu: "N-Nothing in particular¡­"


    Even though the mad scientist couldn¡¯t hear anything from their previous conversation, the nervous fidgeting of the two was enough of a clue to get an idea of what was going on. At last he grinned and wiggled his index finger at the two.


    Gabe: "You know, if you want some private time, there are many better places than the training room¡­"


    Soketsu and Kay didn¡¯t meet his eyes, nor did they stop fidgeting even for a moment. Gabe rolled his eyes and clapped.


    Gabe: "Whatever. Sorry for interrupting but I need your help again¡­"


    After the insincere apology the scientist briefly exited the room. Upon returning he carried a pair of large metal boxes under his arms and he placed them in front of the still embarrassed pair.


    Gabe: "Could you be so kind and put a few of your replenishable thingies on these tools? It would help me out a lot."


    Kay cautiously peeked into the boxes. They were filled to the brim with various tools and components she couldn¡¯t recognize, each of them labeled with a sticker of instructions on what kind of improvement it needed.


    At last Soketsu also awoken from his daze and he quickly knelt down by the containers with a serious expression on his face.


    Soketsu: "That¡¯s a lot."


    Gabe: "This is the last bunch, I promise! I¡¯m almost finished with my big project and I just need these done and¡­" Gabe¡¯s excitement suddenly came to a halt as he looked over at Kay and paused for a moment. "Wait, were you crying?"


    Seeing the girl¡¯s reddened eyes he immediately sent a questioning glance towards the other man in the room.


    Gabe: "Jokes aside, what exactly were you two doing here if I may ask?"


    Soketsu: "Nothing that concerns you¡­" While saying so, Soketsu reached into the box and took out a few pieces and read the notes attached to them. "You are asking for some pretty tricky Sigils."


    Gabe: "Just try your best, okay?"


    As Soketsu grudgingly started working on the items, Gabe carefully sidled up to Kay¡¯s side with a somewhat mischievous smile on his face and started whispering.


    Gabe: "So, what happened?"


    Kay: "N-Nothing¡­"


    Gabe: "It¡¯s hard to believe after looking at you¡­ Were you two fighting?"


    After wiping the last trace of tears from her eyes Kay finally gave an insecure nod.


    Gabe: "I see¡­ Whatever it was about, don¡¯t be too mad at him. You know he wants the best for you, it¡¯s just that he sucks at communicating."


    Kay: "I know, but¡­"


    Soketsu: "I¡¯m standing right here, you know."


    Soketsu grumbled, even though his hands didn¡¯t stop working. Gabe raised an annoyed eyebrow at his protest and turned towards him


    Gabe: "Yes, I know. Now keep drawing." Soketsu only answered with a low grunt, but it seemed to be enough for the scientist.


    Gabe turned back to Kay with a smile and was about to say something, but instead he found himself face-to-face with a huge red book. After the first surprise his eyes opened wide with recognition, followed by an amazed grin.


    Gabe: "Don¡¯t tell me¡­ You finished it already?"


    Kay nodded proudly, though the image was slightly hindered by her still red eyes.


    Kay: "Yes¡­"


    Gabe: "That¡¯s amazing! I thought it would take at least two weeks!"


    Gabe leaned closer with a toothy smile and roughly rubbed her head.


    Kay: "Auaua¡­ Mr. Gabe, please stop! You are messing up my hair!"


    Gabe: "Hahaha! Don¡¯t be shy! You are really talented! You even managed to change the awkward topic!"


    Soketsu: "You are not supposed to point that out¡­"


    Gabe: "Whatever. More importantly how did you like it?"


    Kay: "Like it?" Kay had a difficult expression on her face. "I don¡¯t know. I think I understood the text, but the equations¡­ not so much."


    Gabe: "Don¡¯t worry, you can learn those with time. But still, wow! I never would have thought you would work your way through all my books so fast. You are seriously wasted on Soketsu."


    Soketsu: "I told you I¡¯m standing right next to you¡­"


    Gabe: "Yeah, yeah. Less talking, more monkey-thinging!"


    Soketsu: "Stop calling it monkey-thing!!!"


    Kay: "¡­"


    Kay couldn¡¯t help but smile at the two bickering men. From the outside Gabe might have seemed rude and insensitive, but by now she truly understood his intentions. Crude as his methods may be, he was working on easing the atmosphere in the room ever since he set foot in its premise. It was his way of dealing with things, and somehow she felt really thankful for it.


    Gabe: "Are you carrying this book with you to return it, by any chance?"


    Kay: "Yes, I wanted to give it back."


    Gabe: "Well, that¡¯s a problem¡­ I don¡¯t think I can carry that book and my boxes at the same time¡­"


    The scientist ended his words with a suggestive wink towards the girl, something that only confused her even more. After a moment he theatrically dropped his fist onto his palm with a mock revelation on his face.


    Gabe: "Oh, I got a great idea! Would you be so kind to accompany me back to my workshop with the book?"


    The moment Gabe uttered the word ¡®workshop¡¯ Soketsu spun around so hard he almost dropped the metal cylinder he just finished inscribing.


    Soketsu: "Hold on for just a second! Did you just say you wanted her to go with you?"


    Gabe: "Yes."


    Soketsu: "To your place?"


    Gabe: "Yup."


    Soketsu: "¡­ What are you planning?"


    Gabe: "Eh?"


    The scientist cocked his head to the side with a strange expression, but Soketsu continued scowling at him.


    Soketsu: "Don¡¯t ¡®eh?¡¯ me. I know you must be up to something. You don¡¯t let anyone near your workshop. Ever."


    Gabe: "But Kay is different. She is my #1 apprentice."


    Soketsu: "What? Since when?"


    Gabe: "Since now. Any objections?" Soketsu and Kay looked at each other uncertainly, both expecting the other to speak up, but by the time either of them could utter a word the scientist loudly clapped his hand and declared, "Then it¡¯s decided!"


    The ex-Rover narrowed his eyes, but at last he only sighed and returned to his work. For the next few minutes no one said a word while Soketsu seemed to draw his Sigils even faster than before.


    Soketsu: "Here, it¡¯s done."


    By the time he put the last piece of equipment back into the box it came from, all of them were giving off a bright glow as the numerous intricate patterns were shining on their surfaces. Gabe quickly looked over them then gave a satisfied nod.


    Gabe: "Awesome! With these, I can finish my project in no time."


    Soketsu: "Yeah, sure¡­"


    After he quickly scoped everything up, the mad scientist turned to Kay with an enthusiastic nod.


    Gabe: "Come on, let¡¯s go!"


    Kay: "You mean¡­ You were serious¡­?"


    Gabe: "Of course, I¡¯m always serious!"


    The girl, not knowing what to do, directed her pleading glance at Soketsu, who answered with a warm, though slightly awkward smile.


    Soketsu: "Just go. You probably won¡¯t get a chance like this ever again. I¡¯ll go have a shower and we¡¯ll meet at dinner, okay?"


    The previous tension between the two was mostly gone, but Kay still only bid a wordless goodbye and followed after the scientist with the glowing boxes under his arms. As the door closed behind them, she moved beside him and took up the pace. After a few silent moments she was just about to raise her voice when she was cut short.


    Gabe: "Sorry for interrupting before."


    At first she didn¡¯t understand what he meant, but as the realization suddenly hit her she could feel the blood rushing into her cheeks.


    Kay: "I-It was nothing. Actually, I should thank you¡­"


    Gabe: "Thank me? Why?"


    Kay: "For trying to ease us after... You know¡­"


    Gabe: "¡­ You give me too much credit."


    Kay: "?"


    Gabe: "I¡¯m just a fool who sometimes happens to say the right things at the right time while being at the right place in the right situation or something. Thinking I¡¯m anything more will only disappoint you."


    Kay didn¡¯t say anything, but the meaningful silence between the two of them was enough of a communication.


    Kay: "Understood. Then I won¡¯t expect anything."


    Gabe: "Atta girl! That¡¯s my apprentice; already figured me out!"


    Saying so, Gabe gave her a little wink and urged her forward into the labyrinth of corridors.

 Ch 19: Relationship experience

    Tiari: "Ah, finally¡­!"


    As he opened the shower-room¡¯s door, Soketsu¡¯s eyes immediately met with the familiar catgirl standing by one of the exercise machines near the entrance. This time she was wearing a dark blue overall and her long, black hair was clamped into a neat ponytail, making her cat-ears even more prominent on the top of her head. Was she there to exercise; he wondered? She wasn¡¯t working out in the training hall before, obviously, but maybe she was jogging in the area? After a brief moment of hesitation he stepped out of under the doorframe and nodded towards the locker room on the other side.


    Soketsu: "Sorry, were you waiting for the shower to open up?"


    She was apparently surprised by the question, which already told Soketsu he guessed wrong, but she said it anyways.


    Tiari: "No, I was waiting for you."


    Soketsu: "Really?"


    Tiari: "Yeah, Ahaz told me to get you."


    Soketsu involuntarily twitched. As a matter of fact, he hasn¡¯t seen Ahazkun even once ever since his welcoming party, and that was two weeks ago. Suddenly being called after being neglected like that could only mean one thing: the man meant to discuss business with him. For a moment he silently grumbled about how the esteemed ¡®Silver Oracle¡¯ managed to find the worst time to advance his plans, but he didn¡¯t voice his thoughts and instead only uttered a cautious "Why?"


    Tiari in turn only rolled her eyes and threw her hands into the air.


    Tiari: "How should I know?"


    Soketsu stifled an surprised chuckle while he walked over to the catgirl¡¯s side.


    Soketsu: "Right. He can be quite¡­ cryptic."


    Tiari: "No need to tell me. I live with him, you know?"


    Tiari let out a loud groan and began vigorously articulating.


    Tiari: "He¡¯s always like ¡®Tiari, put this here so that we some guy who wasn¡¯t even born yet could find it¡¯ or ¡®Tiari, turn that thing 45¡ã east so that it can be used when we need it in fourteen years¡¯ and so on! The guy is a slave driver."


    This time Soketsu didn¡¯t stifle his laugh as leaned on the machine at his side. It was a strange combination of a treadmill and a punching bag on a metal stand.


    Soketsu: "Well, he can¡¯t really help it. Predicting the future is hard."


    Tiari: "Hey, I know! But it¡¯s just so annoying when he knows what you want to say and keeps finishing your sentences and everything¡­"


    Soketsu: "Keeps finishing your sentences? What are you, newlyweds?"


    The catgirl gave him a flat look and waved her hand dismissively.


    Tiari: "Nah, we are a little past that period."


    Soketsu: "Oh, so you are already married? Congratulations."


    This time her still flat expression darkened with a hint of annoyance.


    Tiari: "No, we are not, idiot." She scoffed before crossing her arms in front of her chest. "We are master and familiar. It¡¯s a bond stronger than any vow."


    Soketsu: "Ah. So you don¡¯t need to get married. I got it."


    Tiari: "Well¡­" Tiari scratched her cat-ear with a sheepish smile. "I wouldn¡¯t say I never thought about it, but I wanted to wait until the entire group is back together."


    At this point the man awkwardly cleared his throat. He wanted to tease Tiari a little, but he forgot that she was older than she looked and so he instead stumbled into a serious topic. At last he regained his composure and said:


    Soketsu: "So what¡¯s stopping you now?"


    Tiari: "Nothing, I suppose¡­" Tiari muttered with a distant look in her eyes. "But then again, maybe I should wait until the next phase of the Plan is over and things calm down a bit before I bring it up. I can wait."


    Soketsu: "Well, you two are practically glued together already, so it¡¯s not like getting married would really change things."


    Tiari: "Yeah, I guess you are right¡­" She began to shrug, but then she stopped as a mischievous smile spread on her face. "The same could be said about you and Kay too, don¡¯t you think? Speaking of which¡­"


    Soketsu: "No comment." Soketsu spoke hastily.


    Tiari: "I didn¡¯t even ask anything yet!"


    Soketsu: "You wanted to ask something about our relationship, right? I can¡¯t say anything regarding that; I still have a lot of things to think about."


    His words didn¡¯t seem to dissuade the catgirl, as she sidled up to him with an impish smile.


    Tiari: "You two had a fight, huh?"


    Soketsu frowned in surprise, then frowned even harder as he realized his reaction already gave away the answer.


    Soketsu: "Where did you hear that?"


    Tiari: "Pabloc."


    Soketsu¡¯s shoulders drooped as if someone let the air out of them and he groaned softly.


    Soketsu: "Figures."


    Tiari: "Say, do you need any help?"


    Soketsu: "From you?"


    The catgirl promptly puffed her chest with a confident smile.


    Tiari: "Hey, I might look young and cute, but I¡¯ve been by Ahaz¡¯s side for a little more than, let me see¡­ A net of 12 years by now. With that, I would say I have 12 years more relationship experience than you do."


    Soketsu: "Net?"


    Tiari: "You know, with all this time-jumping business and whatnot."


    Soketsu: "Oh, I see¡­"


    Soketsu nodded sagely, if only to buy some time, but the catgirl had none of it as she set her knuckles against her hips and grinned.


    Tiari: "Anyways, you can¡ª No, you should talk to me. Come on!"


    After saying so she turned in place and then marched over to the bench at the far side of the room. She tossed a couple of broken dummies aside to make space before she sat down and patted the empty place beside her.


    Tiari: "Take a seat."


    Soketsu gave her a skeptical look at first. Truth be told, the two of them have never been close. Even in the past, before the Devastation, they barely spoke with each other, and even then it was only about business. He used to consider her only as an extension of Ahazkun, and while he had seen more of her recently (she often came over to hang out with Kay in their new dwelling in Avalon), they barely interacted. It felt weird for her to offer advice like this, and considering her master, he subconsciously suspected some kind of scheme.


    On the other hand though, it was a sad fact that Tiari was about the only relatively normal person he could talk to about such things, and he was afraid that if he neglected the opportunity he might regret it later. However, there was one last issue to sort out before all that.


    Soketsu: "What about Ahazkun? Wasn¡¯t he looking for me?"


    The catgirl looked like she just remembered why she came over on the first place, but then she quickly shrugged her shoulders.


    Tiari: "Ahaz¡­? Meh, he can wait."


    Soketsu: "Are you sure?"


    Tiari: "Yeah. He is driving me crazy with his assignments lately anyway. We have the whole day ahead of us; he can wait a little. "


    After thinking for a few seconds Soketsu finally gave in and sat down by her side while trying to ignore the catgirl¡¯s satisfied smirk.


    Tiari: "Good. Now, what was that thing you two were fighting about?"


    Soketsu: "Are we jumping right into the middle?"


    Tiari: "Hey, this is not counseling. I¡¯m not going to build up everything by asking stupid questions about your mother."


    Soketsu: "I don¡¯t think real counselors do that either."


    Tiari: "Whatever, just spit it out. We don¡¯t have all day."


    Soketsu wanted to retort something about having all the time in the world just a few seconds ago when it was about Ahazkun waiting, but he refrained from doing so.


    Soketsu: "Fine. We weren¡¯t exactly fighting. We just had a little disagreement."


    Tiari: "Don¡¯t try to sugarcoat it, just give me the facts."


    Soketsu: "Okay then¡­ Do you know about Kay¡¯s condition?"


    Tiari: "Which one?"


    At first Soketsu wanted to mutter ¡®There¡¯s more than one?¡¯, but at last he only said;


    Soketsu: "Her appearance."


    Tiari: "Oh, you mean that she doesn¡¯t age? Yeah, she told me a while back. I don¡¯t know the circumstances, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s such a big deal. I don¡¯t age either."


    Soketsu: "Yes but you are a Familiar. You were¡­" He abruptly paused for a moment. "What is the right word? Made? Born?"


    Tiari: "I prefer the word ¡®created¡¯."


    Soketsu: "Then, you were created the way you are now. But she¡­ She is just stuck in that body and can¡¯t help it."


    Tiari: "I still don¡¯t really see the problem."


    Soketsu heaved a sigh. He was starting to regret getting involved in this conversation, but there was nothing he could do about it now without being rude.


    Soketsu: "So, Tiari? Have you never wanted to grow older? I mean, more mature."


    The cat-eared girl raised her finger to her lips like she was thinking about a really profound question, but in the end she shook her head.


    Tiari: "Nah, not really. I like my body the way it is, and so does Ahaz. So yeah, I¡¯m cool. But what does this have to do with your fight?"


    Soketsu furrowed his brows and answered:


    Soketsu: "Unlike you, Kay actually grows. According to Pabloc she seems to age normally."


    Tiari: "She does? Then what¡¯s the problem?"


    Soketsu: "She ages, but when she transforms into her weapon form and back, her age resets to the time she first transformed."


    A knowing smile blossomed on Tiari¡¯s face.


    Tiari: "Oh! I see, I think she mentioned something like that before. I believe I can see where this is going¡­"


    Soketsu: "Our argument was about that. She wants to fight with me, but to do that she has to transform. If she transforms, her age resets. The only way she can grow older is if she stays put and as far from fighting as possible."


    Tiari: "Hmmm¡­" Tiari theatrically rested her chin on her knuckle and let out a soft grunt. "I have to admit, you¡¯ve got some fine mess here¡­" After a moment of thinking she looked Soketsu in the eye again. "Just for the record, what do you think of her appearance right now?"


    Soketsu: "She is lovely," The gruff-looking man uttered without a moment of hesitation. He was so direct Tiari could only blink for a moment before she regained her wits and cleared her throat to hide her shock.


    Tiari: "S-So¡­ khm¡­ So you don¡¯t have a problem with how she looks right now?"


    This time Soketsu hesitated for a moment.


    Soketsu: "That is a difficult question."


    Tiari: "Okay, let me rephrase that: Are you uncomfortable about a relationship with her because she looks like a child?"


    Soketsu: "¡­ There you go being blunt again."


    Tiari let out a snort and shook her head.


    Tiari: "Don¡¯t change the subject."


    Soketsu sighed and crossed his arms in front of his chest.


    Soketsu: "She is just¡­ I don¡¯t know. I want to say I don¡¯t mind, but it would be a lie. In fact I am even a little bothered by how unconcerned you are about it."


    The catgirl scoffed once again with a thin smile.


    Tiari: "Listen, we are a group of time-travelers, semi-immortals, shape-shifters and eldritch abominations. Excuse me for not being particularly floored by your girl looking younger than she is. You should really get over it."


    Soketsu: "Easier said than done," Soketsu muttered with a sigh. "But even if I decided to imitate your attitude, she would still be unhappy about it."


    Tiari¡¯s ears twitched at the words.


    Tiari: "About you having a relationship with her as a child?"


    Soketsu: "I don¡¯t know about that¡­ but I am sure she doesn¡¯t want to stay a child."


    Tiari: "Are you sure."


    Soketsu: "Positive."


    Tiari: "Hmm¡­" Tiari fell silent for several seconds while staring into thin air, but her eyes were too serious for Soketsu to interrupt her. At last she turned back to the man at her side with a single raised index-finger. "So let me see if I got this: You are uncomfortable with her staying a child, so you want her to grow up. She wants to grow up too, but she also wants to fight with you. If she fights and transforms she cannot grow up, but if she doesn¡¯t fight, she is afraid you would leave her."


    Soketsu: "I wouldn¡¯t." The man interjected flatly, but Tiari only shrugged her shoulders.


    Tiari: "She probably knows that on a rational level, but emotionally? You haven¡¯t directly told you how you feel about her, have you?" Soketsu swiftly averted his eyes, which was answer enough as far as Tiari cared. "You see, that is the crux of the problem. Since your relationship is not certain, she tries to cling to you using her transformation to make sure you wouldn¡¯t abandon her, but doing so makes it so that she cannot grow up and thus your relationship can never advance. She must be thinking; ¡®Soketsu doesn¡¯t like my body, but so long as I am his weapon, we can stay together! That¡¯s good enough for me!¡¯ When you look at it like that, the solution is actually really simple: Go and tell her you love her, and that you will not abandon her, and she will no longer have to depend on her transformation for reassurance. Then wait a couple of years until you are comfortable with her looks and go for it. Easy."


    Tiari flashed a toothy smile at Soketsu, but it quickly disappeared as she found him deep in thought.


    Tiari: "What¡¯s the matter?" Her eyes slowly narrowed into suspicious squints. "Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t actually love her¡­"Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Soketsu: "What?! No!" Soketsu jumped to his feet like he was doused in cold water, but then his own words registered and he hastily added. "I mean, that¡¯s not what I mean! Of course I love her!"


    Tiari: "Then tell her."


    Soketsu: "But... I¡¯m not sure."


    Seeing the large man nervously fidget made the catgirl roll her eyes.


    Tiari: "How can you not be sure? Do you love her or not?"


    Soketsu: "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t love her, it¡¯s that I¡¯m not sure of the kind of love I feel¡­"


    Tiari¡¯s face abruptly darkened, but Soketsu too distracted to notice.


    Soketsu: "I mean, we have been together for so long I¡¯m not even sure that what I feel is romantic. I mean, for a long time I treated her as a younger sibling, and so I c¡ª"


    Suddenly there was a loud smack echoing in the hall as Tiari jumped to her feet and jabbed Soketsu in the pit of his stomach. He immediately paled and hunched over from the unexpected strike.


    Soketsu: "Ouch! Hey!"


    Tiari: "Read my lips:" Tiari exclaimed as she retracted her elbow from his abdomen. "You. Are. Overthinking. This."


    Soketsu: "But I can¡¯t help it! I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s the romantic kind of love¡­"


    She looked at him in disapproval bordering contempt before she swept her entire face with her palm. Once she finished her expression became deadpan.


    Tiari: "I gave you my advice. Your problem is not Kay¡¯s condition. It¡¯s you and your half-assed attitude. Think about that for a while."


    Even though the ex-Rover was almost two heads taller than the catgirl, at this moment Soketsu completely sunk back in front of her intimidating stare.


    Soketsu: "Harsh," He muttered. Seeing that Tiari¡¯s gaze wasn¡¯t softening he also tentatively added; "I will reflect on what you said."


    For a few seconds Tiari observed him closely, as if testing his words, and at last she let out a long breath, her face finally easing up.


    Tiari: "You do that," Tiari shrugged and pointed at the door with her thumb over her shoulder. "Let¡¯s get going. I believe we are done dissecting your love life and Ahaz is probably getting impatient by now."


    Soketsu: "All right, all right."


    Soketsu¡¯s shoulders drooped in resignation as he followed after Tiari at a respectable distance, and he couldn¡¯t help wondering if he was going to regret this discussion for the rest of his life¡­


    ~~~


    Ahazkun: "About time¡­"


    Tiari: "Sorry, we had something to take care of."


    Soketsu: "Hello."


    Soketsu gave a half-hearted wave to Ahazkun, but his attention was obviously elsewhere. Unlike his new home, the oracle¡¯s a personal quarters were in the outer facilities surrounding the city. It wasn¡¯t just him though, as Gabe and Pabloc also lived outside, only Soketsu and Kay got a small mansion inside Avalon. He didn¡¯t understand the reason behind it, but he didn¡¯t want to look the gift horse in the mouth and just graciously accepted it, even though this way they had to go through the whole security scan every single morning and evening. But then again, living in the underground complex had its downsides as well.


    Ahazkun seemed even paler under the artificial lights. Unlike the infirmary and a few selected facilities with artificial sunlight, this room was lit by a set of lamps in the corners. According to what Soketsu overheard from Tiari, they were usually on the move and only stayed at this suite for a couple of days at most, so the artificial sunlight might have been wasted on this room.


    Even now, after two weeks of habitation, the only parts of the place showing any sight of usage were the beds and the long writing desk at the far end of room. The latter in particular was covered in a huge heap of hastily scribed memos, calculations, letters and other assorted notes. Ahazkun was sitting in front of this very heap in a display that Soketsu considered mildly nostalgic. He wrote a few lines onto the piece of paper in his hand and after observing it with his familiar, glazed stare he deliberately inserted it into the middle of one of the precariously balanced a document-towers. Only after he did so did his eyes clear up.


    Ahazkun: "Listen Soketsu, we need to talk." He spoke with a dry voice as he turned towards his guest. He didn¡¯t bother with courtesies or even stood up, but Soketsu didn¡¯t mind. He was already used to the man¡¯s peculiar mannerism.


    Soketsu: "Well, that¡¯s why I came here, didn¡¯t I?"


    Ahazkun: "Right." Ahazkun nodded at the rhetorical question like it really needed an answer, then he gestured at the girl in the room. "Tiari?"


    Tiari: "Hm? Yes?"


    Ahazkun: "Would you be so kind to bring us some tea?"


    The catgirl paused for a second, but a moment later one of her brows rose with realization and she promptly rolled her eyes.


    Tiari: "Sheesh¡­ You know, you can just tell me if you want to talk in private¡­"


    Ahazkun: "Some black tea, preferably Earl Grey with little sugar if possible."


    Tiari threw her hands into the air in surrender.


    Tiari: "I get it, I get it! Geez, you are the worst."


    As the catgirl loudly left the room, Ahazkun pointed at the sofa with a coffee-table in front of it. Soketsu figured it was placed there recently just to he could sit there.


    Ahazkun: "Take a seat; we have a lot of ground to cover."


    Soketsu: "Don¡¯t we always?" Saying so Soketsu took the seat offered and looked at the oracle with a solemn expression. The atmosphere in the room was slightly tense ever since he entered, and he felt that whatever the oracle wanted to discuss had to be serious. "So? Why the secrecy?"


    There was a small twitch on Ahazkun¡¯s face that could have been anything from a grimace to a small smile.


    Ahazkun: "I wouldn¡¯t call it secrecy, it¡¯s just something that is better discussed between just the two of us." He answered dryly. "I wanted to talk to you about it before, but I never had the time. I was quite busy, you see."


    The ex-Rover conspicuously glanced at the pile of papers on the desk behind the man and tilted his head questioningly.


    Soketsu: "You still seem busy to me."


    Ahazkun: "Yes, I am."


    Soketsu: "So? Why now?"


    Ahazkun¡¯s face darkened. He exhaled softly and intertwined his fingers before placing them on his lap.


    Ahazkun: "There is something that I can overlook no longer, and I need your help."


    Soketsu immediately nodded.


    Soketsu: "I¡¯m listening."


    Truth be told, this was the closest Soketsu have ever seen the man to being fidgety, so he decided to pay extra attention. In the meantime Ahazkun silently exhaled, after which his complexion became a little better.


    Ahazkun: "I think¡­" He began, but then paused with uncharacteristic uncertainty. "I think Gabe is up to something. Something dangerous."


    Normally this was the point where there was supposed to be a moment of tense silence, but it was immediately dispelled by a stifled snort from Soketsu.


    Soketsu: "What? That¡¯s all? Isn¡¯t he always doing something dangerous, weird or dangerously weird?"


    The oracle shook his head.


    Ahazkun: "No, what I¡¯m talking about isn¡¯t one of his usual escapades. It¡¯s a lot more serious."


    Soketsu: "As in¡­?"


    Ahazkun: "I don¡¯t know, and that¡¯s the problem."


    Hearing these words, Soketsu immediately raised a brow.


    Soketsu: "Wait, you want to say you cannot predict him?"


    Ahazkun: "Exactly."


    Soketsu: "Sorry if I sound ignorant, but so what?"


    The oracle narrowed his eyes in admonishment but continued with the same businesslike voice as before.


    Ahazkun: "You know how my predictions work. When I say I cannot predict him, it doesn¡¯t mean that there is a margin of error, but that I am absolutely unable to do so. He is doing something that causes a ripple of probabilities that throws all my predictions off."


    Once again, Soketsu¡¯s brows furrowed.


    Soketsu: "Did you say ¡®ripple¡¯ just now¡­?"


    Ahazkun nodded sharply. While it might have sounded innocent, that word had a bad history for their group. The last time he used it in regard of his power was three hundred years ago. It referred to a very specific moment that made all predictions after that point unreliable. They called it Ground Zero. For the rest of the world, it was the descent of Nov¡¯Elsfaan.


    Ahazkun: "Have I ever told you how my Innate Ability works?"


    Soketsu involuntarily raised a brow at the sudden question.


    Soketsu: "Yes, though I didn¡¯t understand a word back then."


    Ahazkun: "Let us give it a try again."


    The ex-Rover shrugged his shoulders.


    Soketsu: "If you think it¡¯s necessary¡­"


    Ahazkun: "It is necessary for you to understand the magnitude of the problem." Saying so Ahazkun opened a drawer and took out a wooden box from his desk and placed it on the coffee-table between the two of them. It didn¡¯t have a top and inside Soketsu could see a number of glass marbles. Just when he was about to question the spectacle, Ahazkun told him; "I know you are bad with mathematics, so I prepared this illustration in advance."


    Soketsu: "How considerate of you." The large man grumbled under his breath.


    Ahazkun ignored his words and lightly shook the box in his hand so that the marbles spread around on the bottom.


    Ahazkun: "What I am going to tell you now is an enormous simplification, but it shall do. Please look at these marbles."


    Soketsu: "Yes?"


    Ahazkun placed a finger on a single marble and began toying with it while talking.


    Ahazkun: "I presume you are familiar with the game of billiards? It is a game where you apply force to a single ball in order to get the other balls where you want them to be using the rules of physics. To do that, you have to be able to see the location of all the balls in relation to each other as well as the edges of the table, the ability to predict where the balls will go once you move them, and perfect control over the way you move the first ball. If you have all three of those things¡­" With a sudden movement of his finger Ahazkun flicked the marble he was toying with. There were a series of knocks as the marble hit another, then another, then the wall and so on. After a few seconds the noise abated as the seven balls came to a stop, forming a perfect triangle in the middle. "¡­You can have perfect control."


    Soketsu nodded attentively.


    Ahazkun: "My Innate Ability allows me to see the ¡®balls¡¯, I use mathematics and simulations to predict their movements and I use plans and personal intervention to reach the desired outcome. However¡­" With a move of his hand, Ahazkun scattered the marbles again. This time, for some reason, they kept rolling and bouncing around in the box. "Doing the same thing while the balls are already moving is much harder. You have to know where the balls are at the moment, at what direction they are moving and at what speed, and on top of that you also need to be aware that they might collide with the other balls, throwing them off their course. However, while it is hard to get the result you want¡­" Suddenly Ahazkun poked a finger into the box, subtly changing the direction of a single marble. All of a suddenly the chaotic knocking subsided and a few seconds later the marbles came to a stop in the middle in the exact same triangle as before. "¡­ but it is far from impossible."


    Soketsu honestly wanted to clap at the display, but he held back the urge and instead let out a profound "Hm."


    After a second of pause Ahazkun shook the box again. This time the marbles weren¡¯t rolling around chaotically, instead they were rolling in tidy geometric paths and hitting the walls and each other with an almost hypnotic beat.


    Ahazkun: "Basically this is how my power works. In a simple example like this I can perfectly tell the future state of the system just by observing it long enough. It is harder to do it in the real world, as the number of variables are several orders of magnitude greater, but by controlling certain variables and using probability calculations I can achieve roughly the same result. However¡­" This time Ahazkun raised his left hand. Between his index and middle fingers there was a marble. After a moment of meaningful pause he dropped the marble into the box. Suddenly the previously ordered marbles went out of control, turning the previous beat into a chaotic rattle. "¡­ this is what happens if you introduce a new element into the system. Suddenly all previous predictions and plans set in motion get thrown out of order, and until the new element is accounted for, further predictions become impossible."


    Soketsu: "Oh, I see now¡­" Soketsu spoke with a faint smile. "So the reason why your predictions didn¡¯t work after Ground Zero was because Nov¡¯Elsfaan was a new element." Suddenly his smile disappeared and gave way to a thoughtful expression. "But wait, if it is a new element coming from the ¡®outside¡¯, how can you know it is coming from the first place?"


    Ahazkun¡¯s eyes showed approval of the question as he put away the marble box and returned to the discussion.


    Ahazkun: "While I cannot predict what the new variable would do once it enters the system, I can see the circumstances during which it would appear. New variables do not just come into existence on their own, they have to be brought in. The closer we are to that point in time, the less precise my predictions would become. The same goes for the predictions closer to the new variable¡¯s point of origin. This is the method by which I could tell that our efforts during the Nov¡¯Elsfaan project would bear fruit and how I can tell now that Gabe is involved in something similar."


    Soketsu: "I think I understand, but there is one thing I still don¡¯t get: why now? You were able to tell us about Ground Zero years before it happened, so I thought you would be aware of it for a while."


    Ahazkun: "There was always a margin of error, yes, but the accuracy of my predictions regarding Gabe have plummeted since you came back."


    Soketsu: "So that¡¯s why you called me?"


    Ahazkun: "Not exactly. I have talked with Pabloc as well, but we couldn¡¯t reach consensus. However, it is quite certain that you are only the catalyst, not the real problem."


    Soketsu: "I feel like we are purposefully ignoring the real question, so let me get it out of the way: Why don¡¯t you just ask Gabe about what he¡¯s doing?"


    Ahazkun: "I don¡¯t think he would answer me."


    Soketsu: "Oh come on! If he is doing something that is messing with your abilities, just tell him to stop it. He is weird and annoying at times, but I am pretty sure he is not doing it on purpose."


    Ahazkun: "¡­ We cannot be certain of that." The oracle spoke with a sullen voice that made Soketsu twitch with apprehension.


    Soketsu: "Wait, did I just hear that right? Are you serious?"


    After a long moment of silence Ahazkun looked Soketsu in eye with a difficult expression.


    Ahazkun: "You have not been back for long, so it is understandable you haven¡¯t heard about it, but it is quite possible that he still holds a grudge against me."


    Soketsu: "Grudge? What grudge?" Soketsu waited for the answer for several seconds, but in the end he quickly lost his patience and let out an irritated groan. "Seriously? Ahaz, you can¡¯t just drop a bombshell like that and not elaborate! Now again: what grudge?"


    The oracle met Soketsu¡¯s eyes, but only for a second. After averting his gaze the man took a shallow breath and finally answered.


    Ahazkun: "It is complicated. It stems from something that happened after you died."


    Soketsu: "Oh yeah, so that¡¯s where this is heading. 300 years ago. Again¡­"


    Disregarding Soketsu¡¯s mutters, Ahazkun continued with the same dispassionate voice.


    Ahazkun: "Do you remember what we talked about in the laboratory the day you first entered Avalon?"


    Soketsu crossed his arms and nodded affirmatively.


    Soketsu: "Yeah. It was about Jill and that I shouldn¡¯t mention her in front of Gabe? Does this grudge between you two have something to do with her?"


    Ahazkun: "Indeed. Specifically, it concerns the circumstances of her death."


    Soketsu: "W-Wait a moment!" Soketsu abruptly raised his voice and hand in unison. "She¡¯s dead?!"


    Ahazkun: "Yes. Why do you act so surprised?"


    Soketsu: "I¡­" Now that he was asked at point-blank range, Soketsu¡¯s head quickly cooled down and he awkwardly crossed his arms again. "Honestly, I¡¯m a little shocked. Since everyone else is alive, I kind of expected that she¡¯s around too and I just never met her for some reason."


    Ahazkun: "Sadly no. She is definitely dead. She died not long after your death in order to neutralize the Corruption."


    Soketsu: "Neutralize the¡­? ¡­ Okay, how?"


    Ahazkun: "Do you remember our final assault against the Bahden Glis?"


    Soketsu: "Of course I do. It¡¯s something like my very last memory from my previous life."


    Ahazkun: "Then you also remember what happened right before the battle?"


    Soketsu: "Now that you mention it¡­" Soketsu¡¯s eyes opened wide with revelation and his face slackened as he began to put the pieces together. "She was missing, wasn¡¯t she? Gabe was running around looking for her until the last moment. He wanted to have her around in the final battle, but we couldn¡¯t find her and we ran out of time."


    Ahazkun: "True. And that was because of me."


    Soketsu: "Which part? Was she missing because of you, or we couldn¡¯t find her because of you?"


    Ahazkun: "Yes." Ahazkun stated with a nod, but before Soketsu could even roll his eyes he continued; "Jill was the Carrier from the previous fairy generation. She had an enormous Soul Core of her own because of that."


    Soketsu: "Whoa, wait! We are suddenly talking about Cores? You know I am bad with that."


    Ahazkun looked reproachful for a moment, yet his voice stayed the same.


    Ahazkun: "I shall use layman¡¯s terms then: I asked her to serve as a beacon to attract the Corruption."


    Soketsu: "That¡¯s¡­!" For a moment Soketsu almost jumped onto his feet, but in the last moment he reigned back his emotions and instead just glared at the Oracle.


    Ahazkun: "It was a death sentence, yes. She knew it well, but this was the only way to thin out the Corruption enough so that our present could come to be. She was well aware of this, and she volunteered to be the sacrifice out of her own free will."


    Soketsu took a deep breath and calmed his nerves. So she sacrificed herself, he considered? In a way she was like him, dying in the final battle to accomplish the impossible. But then again, unlike him, she had the resolution to undertake her task knowing it would certainly kill her. He couldn¡¯t help but admire that resolution. At last he exhaled and nodded towards the other man in the room.


    Soketsu: "I see. What happened after that."


    Ahazkun: "Gabe naturally found out about it all, but by then she was more than dead; she was gone. She completely disappeared from this world, taking all the Corruption she collected with her. I expected him to be furious at me. He was not. In fact, he was almost too calm. You died, Jill died, the world was in ruins and he never blamed me even though we both knew all of it was my fault. He just went on with his work as if nothing happened. At most he became a little more taciturn, but even that didn¡¯t last long."


    Soketsu slowly shook his head.


    Soketsu: "So you want to tell me that you think he held onto a grudge against you because he didn¡¯t immediately blame you? Doesn¡¯t that sound a little paranoid to you?"


    The oracle promptly shook his head.


    Ahazkun: "No."


    The large man sighed and rubbed his temple.


    Soketsu: "All right, then why don¡¯t we just ask him? That should clear things up."


    Ahazkun: "I do not think so. In fact, I do not want him to know I suspect him. If he knew and he really did harbor ill will towards me, he might hide it even deeper only to strike at the worst moment possible. I cannot afford that, but I cannot afford alienating him either. He is vital to the Plan. And that is where you come into the picture."


    Soketsu: "Let me guess; you want me to probe him and report to you."


    Ahazkun: "I am glad we are on the same page."


    Soketsu: "¡­ You know, I¡¯m not entirely comfortable with spying on my friends."


    Ahazkun: "I would not necessarily go as far as calling it spying. I only wish for you to talk to him and see if you can ascertain whether he has any ill will towards me that might compromise the Plan."


    Soketsu: "If it is really so simple, why didn¡¯t you ask Pabloc or Tiari to do it for you?"


    Ahazkun: "Because he would be suspicious of them. Since you just came back and you are considered a simpleton, he might let his guard down in front of you and let something slip."


    Soketsu: "Simpleton, you say¡­" Soketsu grumbled, but in the end he let it go and instead asked the thing that has been bothering him for a while. "You know, you seem awfully concerned with this. Is there a reason why we have to get to the bottom of this right now?"


    Ahazkun once again averted his gaze for a moment. After a moment of deliberation he finally looked up and let out a rare sigh.


    Ahazkun: "You know why we are all here in the present time, right?"


    Soketsu: "Well, I¡¯m here because you guys dragged me back from the grave, but as far as I can tell, you guys want to fix the world by redoing the experiment." The moment he said that, Soketsu¡¯s eyes once again opened wide in realization.


    Ahazkun: "It is exactly as you just figured. A new Ground Zero is approaching and I¡­ we cannot allow any distractions. Can I expect your cooperation?"


    Under normal circumstances Soketsu would have deflected the question, but considering how desperate the Oracle appeared, he decided to help him out a little. He was also a little curious about what plans Gabe might have had, but that was beside the point. At last he nodded, and he was just about to say so verbally as well when the door opened without any prior warning.


    Tiari: "I hope you are finished, ¡®casue your tea is ready."


    Saying so, Tiari entered the room while rolling a small serving cart in front of her carrying an antique-looking tea set.


    Ahazkun: "Thank you. Your timing is impeccable as always."


    Ahazkun switched back to being calm and collected so fast it was almost disturbing. He took the cup offered without the slightest of reservations.


    Ahazkun: "It¡¯s delicious. Thank you."


    Tiari: "You are welcome. How about yours?"


    As if woken from his absent-minded daze, Soketsu finally raised his hand and took a sip from his cup.


    Soketsu: "¡­ It¡¯s good. A little too sweet, but good."


    Tiari: "Phew. I¡¯m glad, I had no idea how you liked yours, so I just put a lot of sugar in and hoped for the best."


    Ahazkun: "So¡­"


    After finishing his portion, Ahazkun gently put his cup back onto the ornate plate it arrived on and turned to Soketsu.


    Ahazkun: "I am sorry for holding you up for this long and thanks for listening."


    Soketsu: "Sure. I will inform you if there are any news."


    Ahazkun: "Good."


    Soketsu, still looking a little uncertain, stood up and moved to the door.


    Soketsu: "See you."


    Ahazkun: "Goodbye."


    Tiari: "Bye! And you can come by on your own too, you know?"


    Soketsu: "I¡¯ll keep that in mind."


    He could hear the two talking after the door closed behind him, and the moment it did so he dropped his shoulders in exhaustion. Apparently the leisure of the past two weeks were about to come to end, he figured. Then all of a sudden he snorted derisively.


    Conspiracies, paranoia and the coming Ground Zero¡­ he could deal with those later. For the time being there was only one thing he felt he absolutely had to do before everything else, lest he would never get the chance later. Thinking so he straightened his posture and headed towards the closest monorail station with steps that were just a little bit anxious.

 Ch 20: Laying the foundations

    The monorail slowly decelerated and finally came to a soft halt that still managed to startle Kay awake. Here eyelids fluttered for a moment while she looked around, after which she opened her mouth wide in preparation for a huge yawn before remembering her company and quickly stifling it. The scientist sitting on the seat opposite to hers smirked affectionately at the display, which only made her more bashful.


    They have been travelling for about forty minutes, which was apparently long enough for the monotonous whirring of the monorail to lull her. She forcefully rubbed her eyes to expel the sleepiness from them, and when she opened them again Gabe was already standing. Kay hastily followed after him and they stood by the automatic door side by side. She was actually a little expectant. Yet, when the doors opened, the scenery in front of Kay was the same as always: long, concrete corridors with even white lighting.


    Gabe: "And here we are! Welcome to my corner of the woods!"


    The scientist¡¯s tone was upbeat as usual as he took the lead and left the car while the machinery in the boxes in his hands rattled with every step. The girl glanced around awkwardly and followed a half-step behind him. After leaving the terminal they rounded a corner and for a moment Kay froze in surprise. The corridor in front of her was the same as all the others, except it was incredibly, incredibly long. In fact, no matter how hard she strained her eyes, she couldn¡¯t see the end of it, only two parallel walls with evenly spaced lights on them stretching on towards infinity.


    Kay: "Is it far from here?" She asked tentatively while still trying to gauge just how long this corridor could be. The scientist promptly shook his head and pointed his chin forwards.


    Gabe: "Nah, it¡¯s right over there. Follow me.¡±


    Kay wanted to point out that ¡®right over there¡¯ didn¡¯t say much, but since Gabe didn¡¯t seem to be worried about the distance, she decided to stay quiet and just follow after him. As such they continued down the corridor without a word for a couple of minutes. Since there was nothing else to do, Kay involuntarily began to scrutinize her environment, and she soon realized something: the long hallway was uncannily well-maintained, as if it was brand new. The air, on the contrary, was stale and heavy, as if they were in a cave. Which, in retrospect, was natural. She had heard that the facilities around Avalon used the same air-conditioning system as the city. She figured this place was too far away to do the same . She was just about the ask Gabe about it when the man unexpectedly stopped, and since Kay couldn¡¯t react in time, she bumped into his back with a soft thump.


    Gabe: "Careful." He chided her.


    Kay: "Sorry, I spaced out¡­" Kay apologized while rubbing her forehead. She quickly looked around and then faced the man with a questioning gaze. "Why did you stop?"


    Gabe: "Because we arrived, obviously."


    Kay: "We did?"


    Gabe: "Yup. Would you mind holding onto this for a moment?"


    The scientist didn¡¯t even wait for her answer before thrusting one of the boxes into her hands. For a moment Kay could feel her knees buckle under the sudden weight, but in the end she managed to straighten herself with a strained cry.


    Gabe: "Thanks, it will be just a few seconds."


    Kay: "You¡­ are wel¡­ come¡­" She answered with a strained smile that was quickly replaced with a curious expression as she saw Gabe take a step towards the nearby wall.


    He wiggled his fingers for a moment before he began poking at the wall at seemingly random. For normal people it might have been just that, but since Kay was an Alternate and thus able to perceive the movement of viridia, she could clearly feel that the man was doing something. She had no idea what it was, but the faint sparks of green light told her it was more than just prodding a wall.


    At last Gabe let out a short breath and touched the wall one last time at chest level. All of a sudden there was a ripple running across this section of the hallway as if the walls were made of water, revealing a thin layer of strange, swirling light in the process. Kay immediately recognized this; it was just like the pearlescent sheen covering the main gate of Avalon.


    Kay: "Is that a pocket-space boundary?"


    Gabe: "Indeed." Gabe looked over his shoulder with an approving smile. "It¡¯s the prototype of the one around the city. Just wait a second¡­"


    After saying so he once again extended his hand and gently touched the swirling layer of light. As his fingertips came in touch with it Kay could once again see ripples spreading out from the point of contact. For a moment there was a high-pitched noise reminiscent of the reverberation after the clinking of wine-glasses before a hole opened in the curtain of light, quickly widening until the entire boundary disappeared from the wall. In a second the ground trembled under their feet and as the ¡®wall¡¯ let out a series of clicking noises and slowly slid out of the way.


    Kay strained to take of good look inside, but when she did so she couldn¡¯t hide her disappointment.


    The room in front of her was fairly large, about forty square meters, but it looked much smaller due to the amount of things cramped inside. The walls were barely visible behind the shelves filled with various things ranging from haphazardly piled up books to a giant lava lamp. While there were signs showing that this was a workplace, such as the workbench in the corner and the tools scattered around, it also had a narrow bed with a nightstand in the other corner and also a short counter with an oven and a fridge behind it serving as a kitchen.


    Kay: "Why is it so plain?" Kay muttered to herself, but the scientist obviously overheard her.


    Gabe: "Did I disappoint you?"


    The girl got flushed in a second and shook her head vehemently.


    Kay: "N-Not at all! It¡¯s just that¡­ after the main labs and Avalon I just expected something¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ bigger?"


    Her flustered expression made Gabe chuckle softly as he took the metal box from her strained hands.


    Gabe: "Kuku¡­Well, this is my workshop all right, but I spent the last couple of years holed up in here, so it¡¯s also my home. Kinda. I could certainly stuff it full with machinery, but then where would I sleep?"


    Kay: "I see¡­" Kay answered tentatively while looking around.


    In the meantime Gabe put the metal boxes onto the floor and began rummaging in them.


    Gabe: "Take a seat anywhere you like. If you need to use the toilet, it¡¯s behind that door over there, and¡­" While still talking Gabe began to unpack the boxes. He took the still shimmering components and started organizing them one by one while muttering half-hearted instructions to the girl. Then, after a couple of seconds of tinkering, he suddenly stopped and raised his head in a hurry.


    Gabe: "Oh damn!" He hurriedly stood up and flashed an apologetic smile at the nervous girl still standing in front of the entrance. "Sorry, I¡¯m a terrible host¡­."


    The scientist awkwardly scratched his chin and casually pointed at a heap of books not far from the entrance of the room.


    Gabe: "Please put that book down somewhere over there. I¡¯ll be done with this in a moment and go get us something to drink, just one minute..."


    Kay: "Okay¡­"


    Kay nodded and turned towards the indicated corner of the room, finding herself face to face with a huge pile of books, most of them bearing the same crimson cover as the one in her hands. Amongst them she could see copies of books she already had borrowed, but most of them were unknown to her. Since Gabe wasn¡¯t coming yet, she decided to put the heavy tome onto one of the more stable-looking piles and then take a good look at the other titles. While a couple of them were properly bound, she found that most of them were just collections of research notes and data-sheets hastily stitched together with only dates and serial numbers on their sides. The same could be said about the majority of the books on the surrounding shelves as well, and there were easily hundreds of them.


    What really surprised her however was not just the immense number of these books, but the dates. According to the few she could see, there were 50, 100, and even 300 years old records in that pile. Some of them were even older, undoubtedly from before the Devastation¡­ But just as her curiosity was about to get a hold of her and she was about to reach for one of the older tomes, she was interrupted by a cheerful voice from her blind-spot.


    Gabe: "Here you go." She stiffened in surprise for a moment before turned around and almost bumped into the scientist holding a tray with two cups of tea. "Whoa! Careful! Again!"


    Kay: "S-Sorry!" Kay reflexively apologized, but then she got a waft of the scent coming from teacups and her mood immediately perked up. "That smells like strawberries¡­" She muttered with a surprised voice.


    Gabe: "Yup," Gabe confirmed with a grin. "I realized I had some old filters in the cupboard. It¡¯s not ¡®tea¡¯ in the strictest sense, but I figured you would probably like it. Have a seat."


    Kay: "Ummm¡­ Where?"


    For a moment, they both looked confused. There were no chairs or table in the room, the only places where one could sit were either on the bed in the back of the room or on the floor. The awkward silence didn¡¯t last long though, as the scientist¡¯s eyes suddenly flared up with inspiration.


    Gabe: "Hmmm¡­ Hold onto this for a second."


    He handed the tray over the dumbfounded girl and quickly started piling the books beside them. In just a few seconds there stood two, stool-sized piles with a bigger pile in-between. The scientist then promptly sat onto one of the impromptu chars and nodded to the girl.


    Gabe: "Here you go. Take a seat."


    Kay: "But¡­ Aren¡¯t those books important?"


    The man shrugged his shoulders with a grimace.


    Gabe: "Nah, I pretty much got them memorized. Just sit down and relax."


    Even though it felt really weird, she finally gave up and sat down while placing the tray onto the middle pile. In the meanwhile Gabe took a seat as well any awkwardly scratched the nape of his neck.


    Gabe: "I know I¡¯m one hell of a terrible host, but you have to excuse me. It¡¯s been quite some time since I had a guest."


    Kay: "It¡¯s fine," Kay answered timidly while eyeing the cup in front of her. "May I?"


    Gabe grinned at her and nodded.


    Gabe: "Sure, it¡¯s yours."


    The moment she got the green light the girl took the closer teacup into her hands and inhaled its warm fragrance. It only took her a single sniff to tell that this was an exquisite blend, though she only became able to recognize these things in the past couple of days. After the Devastation decimated humanity, intercontinental trade more or less disappeared. Commodities like tea, coffee and cocoa once again became the luxury goods they used to be before industrialization. In fact, it was in Avalon that Kay tasted filtered tea and real sweets for the first time in her life, but she was determined to make up for the lost time, and thus she extensively researched the subject in Archon Mort.


    Gabe: "Is it good? I had no idea how you liked yours, so I just put a lot of sugar in and hoped for the best."


    Kay: "It¡¯s great. I love sweet things." Kay answered cheerfully and she could practically feel the tension flowing out of her shoulders with each sip.


    Gabe: "I¡¯m glad to hear it."


    Kay grinned and took another sip from her cup. The taste was unusual, something she had a hard time describing, but it was sweet and filled her with warmth from the inside. After savoring the taste for a moment her brows abruptly knitted and she lowered her cup with an unsure expression.


    Kay: "Excuse me, can I ask you something?"


    The scientist was about to take another sip, but instead he put the cup back on the tray and leaned forward attentively.


    Gabe: "Of course, go ahead."


    Kay: "This has been bothering me for a while, but¡­ where does our food come from?"


    Gabe: "You mean the tea?"


    Kay: "Yes, and also the cakes and everything else."


    The scientist put on his know-it-all grin and gestured with his hand.


    Gabe: "Good question. To put it simply: from nowhere."


    Kay: "Nowhere? You mean, you grow it yourself? Underground?"


    Gabe: "Oh, no no no." Gabe waved with both of his hands. "When I said that, I meant it literally. We are making the food out of viridia."


    Kay: "Really?"


    Gabe: "Yup."


    Kay fells silent for a moment with a difficult expression on her face before she spoke again.


    Kay: "Can I have another question?"


    Gabe: "¡­ You know, you asking whether you can ask anything every time is a little redundant, so you know what? I hereby give you a blanked permission to ask me anything you want."


    Kay: "Um¡­ Thank you?"


    Gabe: "You are welcome. So, what is it you are curious about?"


    Kay: "I¡­ I think this might sound strange, but¡­ what is viridia?"


    Gabe: "What is¡­" Gabe repeated after her incredulously as his brows slowly united in a frown. "Didn¡¯t you read all my books?"Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Kay: "I did."


    Gabe: "And you understood them."


    Kay: "Yes."


    Gabe: "But you don¡¯t know something as simple as viridia?"


    Kay: "It was never explained. I understand its applications, but none of the books actually told me what it is."


    Gabe let out a surprised ¡®huh¡¯ after hearing those words.


    Gabe: "I see¡­ I guess I was taking it for granted that people would know about it already. So, do you want  me to start from the beginning?"


    Kay: "Beginning? Is there a lot of it?"


    Gabe: "A bit. You might want to take notes." Seeing that the girl began looking around for pen and paper, Gabe smiled amicably and cleared his throat. "I didn¡¯t mean it literally."


    Kay: "Oh."


    Gabe: "Anyways, what do you know about Ether?"


    Kay thought about it for several seconds before she gave her answer.


    Kay: "I remember Pabloc mentioning it once or twice, but the only time I read about it, it was called black ether."


    Gabe: "That¡¯s something for later. Still, that¡¯s weird. You are an Alternate. You should be able to feel it in the air around you."


    Kay: "It¡¯s in the air?"


    Gabe: "Among other places. I should have said it is in the space around you. Oh, also time. And time-space. It¡¯s everywhere, all the time, except sometimes it¡¯s not. It has a lot of uncertainty-principles attached to it."


    Kay: "So it¡¯s all around me¡­ Isn¡¯t that viridia?"


    Gabe: "Hm?" The black-clad scientist raised a furtive brown, and then his face slackened into an expression of realization as he raised his right fist and dropped it into his left palm. "I get it now! We have a fundamental misunderstanding on our hands!" Kay kept looking at him expectantly, so he continued with; "Listen, viridia and ether are not the same. Viridia is refined from ether, while ether is naturally created whenever a probability becomes reality."


    Kay: "What does that mean?"


    Gabe: "How should I explain this¡­ Imagine that something has a 50-50% chance of occurring. When one or the other outcome happens, the potential of the other possibility collapses and becomes ether."


    Kay: "What do you mean by chance? Like a coin toss?"


    Gabe: "Oh, no-no-no. Coins are macro-objects, so they don¡¯t really have probabilities. So long as you understand all the forces involved in the coin toss, you can perfectly predict how it will fall, there is no uncertainty or probabilities there. Just ask Ahaz. As for real probabilities¡­" Suddenly Gabe began rubbing his chin with a difficult expression. "How much do you know about quantum physics?"


    Kay: "¡­?"


    Gabe sighed and sat straight with an uncharacteristically tired expression.


    Gabe: "I should have figured. Anyways, here¡¯s the thing in layman¡¯s terms: Everything in the universe is made out of atoms. Those atoms made out of subatomic particles. Those subatomic particles are weird, as they can do crazy stuff, like being at multiple places at the same time, or interacting with each other based on pure chance. Do you follow me this far?"


    Kay: "I think."


    Gabe: "Good. Keep doing that. Anyways, let me give you an example: there are these things called neutrinos. They are like light that is produced by the sun or other stars, except they cannot be seen or interacted with. If they hit you, they pass right through you with you being none the wiser. However, they also have three flavors, and they randomly oscillate between the three while moving, so there is an astronomically low chance that, by total accident, they do interact with one of your atoms and do some weird stuff, as subatomic particles tend to do. When that happens, the probabilities of not interacting with anything collapse and ether is released into the spacetime. You could say that ether are fragments of parallel universes that never were. Of course ether isn¡¯t just created from cosmic waves. Radioactive decay makes a lot too, as well as life. Complex molecules and their interactions tend to make a whoooole lot of ether all things considered, the more complex the organism, the more ether it extrudes. I suppose that¡¯s why in the past people thought it was ¡®life energy¡¯ or something silly like that."


    Kay: "I understand¡­" In reality she wasn¡¯t exactly sure she did, but she didn¡¯t want to disappoint the man in front of her, so Kay did her best to grasp what he was saying. "And this ether is then refined to viridia?"


    Gabe: "Precisely. That¡¯s what you do all the time just by breathing. Your body takes in ether from the space-time around you, compresses it down, and then stores it within you Image Core. Speaking of which, are you clear on the Core Theory?"


    Kay: "Yes!" She nodded twice, and seeing the expectant expression on the scientist¡¯s face, she began to speak like she was reciting from a book. "Everything in the universe is described by the Universal Core. That Universal Core contains information on everything that exists or ever existed. The segments of the Universal Core that correspond to objects in the physical world are called Existence Cores, while people and objects that can interact with it using viridia have Soul Cores."


    Gabe: "Good. And what about Image Cores?"


    Kay: "Image Cores are¡­" She paused for a moment while looking for the right answer. "Images Cores are created by using viridia to affect the Universal Core."


    Gabe: "Can you tell me how that works?"


    Kay: "Um¡­" She slowly lowered her eyes and muttered. "¡­ it was too technical, I can¡¯t remember how it went."


    Gabe: "You do it all the time though." Seeing how uncomfortable she acted, Gabe let out a reassuring chuckle and waved for her to calm down. "Okay, here¡¯s how it works in layman¡¯s terms: You take a bunch of viridia and throw it into the face of the universe. The universe gets distracted by the shiny things, and while that is going on, you are creating an Image Core that you overlay on a portion of the Universal Core. Say, you create an Image Core of a halberd that you overlay on your own appearance. Then the universe looks over and realizes, ¡®Wait a moment! According to this, that cute little girl over there is supposed to be a slightly-less-cute polearm! That¡¯s not right, I better fix this!¡¯, and presto, suddenly you are a halberd."


    Kay: "That doesn¡¯t sound very scientific."


    Gabe: "I said layman¡¯s terms, didn¡¯t I?" The scientist winked. "Using viridia and Image Cores to do stuff is usually instantaneous, but if you have a constant source of viridia, like being an Alternate or a¡­" At this point he paused and made a couple of air-quotes, "¡±¡±¡±wizard¡±¡±¡± or something, you can sustain long-term effects, like your transformations. It¡¯s really neat."


    Kay: "It is." Kay began to nod, but then she stopped and frowned. "But wait. If you need a constant supply of viridia to keep up an Image Core, how can you make food using it?"


    Gabe: "Ah, great observation! Here¡¯s a biscuit!"


    Kay: "Ummm¡­ Why?"


    Gabe: "Positive feedback. And it¡¯s also a little experiment. Just eat it."


    After a few moments of hesitation, she reached for the tea-cake in the scientist¡¯s hand and popped it into her mouth.


    Gabe: "So, how¡¯s it?"


    Kay: "The cake?" The scientist only nodded. "It¡¯s delicious."


    Gabe: "It is, isn¡¯t it? I bought them in Avalon a while back. But back to the point: as you can probably tell, it is real food. The dough was made of flour and water and sugar and whatever else and it was cooked in an oven like it was written in the big book of recipes, and the final product became a perfectly real tea biscuit. Yet, all of the ingredients were created from viridia. Do you want to guess how? I give you a hint: it was in one of the books you definitely read."


    The girl pondered for several seconds before a sudden realization lit her face.


    Kay: "Is it using black ether?"


    Gabe: "Right on spot! You really are clever! Here¡¯s another biscuit."


    Although it kind of felt like she was Pavlov¡¯s dog in some weird experiment, she accepted the cookie. In the meantime, Gabe raised another biscuit and put it between his thumb and index fingers.


    Gabe: "This might look like a tea-biscuit, smell like a tea-biscuit and even taste like a tea-biscuit, but it¡¯s actually¡­ well, it is a tea-biscuit! However, all the ingredients were created by ¡®hacking¡¯ the Universal Core. First we created an Image Core like usual, and while the universe is looking away, we make an artificial Existence Core out of the Image Core, so that when the universe looks back it just goes, ¡®Oh, that was there all along? I didn¡¯t even notice before. Oh well. Ah, look, shiny!¡¯, and just like that we have permanent stuff."


    Kay: "Still not very scientific."


    Gabe: "Layman¡¯s terms, layman¡¯s terms." The scientist insisted with a smile.


    Kay: "And what is black ether?"


    Gabe: "Ah, that¡¯s a secret."


    Kay: "Secret?"


    Gabe: "Yup. Super-secret, even!"


    Kay: "I understand that, but I am still not entirely clear on how Image Cores and viridia work. Are that any books on that?"


    Gabe: "Hmm¡­" Gabe stroke his chin thoughtfully for a moment, an image ruined by the fact that he was still playing with the cookie between his fingers with his other hand, and at last he shook his head. "My books were never intended for a layaudience, so I never bothered with the absolute basics. I guess you have to learn them during practice."


    Saying so, the scientist stood up and threw the biscuit into his mouth. He looked around the room and let out a small sigh.


    Gabe: "Now that I think about it though, there¡¯s hardly anything you can help me with. I¡¯m only working on a single project at the moment, and it¡¯s pretty confidential so¡­"


    For a couple of seconds the scientist walked up and down in the room while Kay followed him with her eyes. At last he shrugged his shoulders and flashed a toothy smile at the girl.


    Gabe: "¡­¡­¡­¡­ Aaaah, what the hell! It¡¯s not like it¡¯s going to be a secret for much longer! Come, I¡¯ll show it to you!"


    Kay hastily stood up as Gabe darted through the room and picked up a dozen or so tools from the racket Soketsu recently inscribed.


    Kay: "Are you sure? If it¡¯s important, maybe I shouldn¡¯t¡­"


    The scientist absentmindedly looked up at her from the components and shrugged his shoulders.


    Gabe: "Nah, it¡¯s only a matter of days¡­ Hell, even hours! It¡¯s not like they can stop me or anything¡­"


    Kay: "Stop you¡­? They would want to stop your experiment? Is it¡­ dangerous?"


    Gabe: "Well, Ahaz will probably want to kill me once I¡¯m finished, but I don¡¯t really care. It¡¯s not like he will have a chance. Hehehe¡­"


    While talking, Gabe walked over to the far side of the room and took out a small remote from his pocket. After pressing a short button combination on it, a portion of the wall quietly slid aside with a barely audible hissing sound


    Once it was out of the way, Kay could take a good look at the room on the other side, and she couldn¡¯t help but stealthily roll her eyes. She had to conclude she was stupid to believe this single room was Gabe¡¯s entire workshop. Once her eyes adjusted, she gazed into a huge, round hall enveloped in a strange bluish light that was much sharper than the lighting of the rest of the facilities.


    Gabe: "Come on in."


    As she took a step inside and glanced to her right, she found herself face to face with a familiar sight.


    Kay: "Is that...?"


    Her voice suddenly became weak as she gazed upon the human-shaped figure in front of her. However, it was not a person, just a set of crimson armor she remembered all too well.


    Gabe: "Oh yeah, that¡¯s the armor I wore when I fought you guys. No hard feelings, I hope¡­?"


    She averted her eyes from the metal suit and looked around the rest of the hall instead. This part looked more like an actual workshop, but only slightly so. The first thing that she found strange was that the room itself was round. It didn¡¯t occur to her right away, as there were four huge, tube-like apparatuses in the -corners-. They actually looked like they were giant metallic pillars, but judging from the safety signs they seemed like some sort of generators. As her eyes wandered clockwise, she suddenly came to a halt as she reached her right again. There were several stands, holding a series of half-finished or damaged suits of armor, of which the one she was familiar with was only the last one. Seeing how Kay taken an interest for them, the scientist swiftly moved over to their side.


    Gabe: "These are my old suits. Most of them are just prototypes though; I never used them in combat."


    Kay: "Then¡­ Why do they seem so worn out?"


    Gabe: "Oh, well¡­ Even if they weren¡¯t in combat, I used them for various other tasks along the years. That one, for example, was the one I used in the early construction work of Avalon. And that one, oh yes, it¡¯s a funny story. That was the first one with accelerators, and I kinda broke it when I crashed it into a wall near Mach 3¡­ I always had this bad habit of going all out before even bothering with the calibrations."


    The scientist casually showed her around, introducing all the broken pieces of armament to her, each one accompanied by a little story. Soon, they reached the last one.


    Gabe: "Ah, and this is the last prototype. It¡¯s virtually the same as the one I used when I fought you guys, just a little less sophisticated. Actually, the current model only has one new subsystem compared to this one."


    And truly, the suit of armor was almost identical to the one next to the entrance, save for a few little details¡­ And the giant hole in the chest.


    Kay: "What happened with this one?"


    Gabe: "You mean the hole? Fufu¡­ I had a little accident during one of the test runs on the surface."


    Kay: "Accident?"


    She had a hard time believing this story. The hole on the chest had its edges bent inwards and there was a noticeable outward dent on the back as well. Whatever happened to this suit, its wearer was surely skewered...


    Gabe: "Huh? What is it?"


    Yet he was right there in front of him. She didn¡¯t even notice but she was involuntarily staring at the scientist¡¯s chest.


    Gabe: "Oh, you are wondering how I survived, right?" Kay nodded. "Well, to put it simply, I just couldn¡¯t afford the luxury of dying."


    Kay: "What does that mean?"


    For a few seconds the scientist looked at her with a stone face, but then his eyes began to twitch and he soon began to snicker at her expense.


    Gabe: "Yeah, sorry for being cryptic, but that¡¯s pretty much what happened. I just couldn¡¯t let something minor like some chest-wound take me down."


    For a moment, Kay wanted to protest, as it was clearly more than just some chest wound, but before she could say anything, Gabe dodged the whole issue by darting over to the other end of the room.


    Gabe: "That much for sightseeing! Now let me show you the actual project!"


    Even though she was somewhat reluctant, she still followed him without a moment¡¯s notice, passing by the armor stand once again. As she finally caught up with him, she was surprised once again. They stood in front of a strange elevated platform, lighted from below like an examination table. On the table laid something familiar, yet very strange.


    Kay: "Another set of armor?"


    The scientist was silent for a moment, then answered with his typical mischievous smile.


    Gabe: "Yes¡­ and no."


    Kay couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the sight before her. It was an armor suit, or at least looked like one, but it was really thick and unwieldy. It looked way bulkier and heavier than the other sleek sets, and at first Kay would have sworn its joints were impossible to move. It looked more like some medieval torture device than an actual defensive armament. It was clearly missing several components, but as she looked over the already assembled pieces, the realization suddenly raised its head in her mind.


    Kay: "The parts Soketsu inscribed¡­ They are all part of this suit?"


    Gabe: "Exactly. I asked him to put his monkey-thing on them part by part so that he wouldn¡¯t know what the final product would look like. Not that I want to keep it a secret from him in particular, but there are certain other," he pointedly paused and cleared his throat, "elements who might find this suspicious."


    Kay: "I see, but¡­ Why is it such a secret? Isn¡¯t this just another set of armor? And it looks a lot more unrefined than the others¡­"


    Gabe: "Well, of course it does. It is the first model after all. My very first full-body armor¡­"


    As if it wasn¡¯t foreboding enough, the scientist ended his sentence in a small wink.


    Kay: "You mean¡­?"


    Gabe: "Yup it¡¯s the same as what I wore in the Reckoning War. It¡¯s been heavily modified since then, but the basic frame is the same. It was perfect for this task, and hey, I think it¡¯s a lot more constructive to give it one last moment of glory rather than to hang it up in the wardrobe like some old, outgrown coat."


    Kay didn¡¯t know what to make of this. Gabe said he¡¯s doing something dangerous, but the suit in front of her looked just like any other piece of armor she saw. In fact, it looked way more primitive, for lack of better words, than the others. Which meant¡­


    Kay: "It requires Soketsu¡¯s Sigils, right? Does that mean it has some special purpose?"


    Gabe: "Glad you asked! In fact, it does. Or at least it will once it¡¯s finished."


    Kay: "And¡­ what is it?"


    Instead of answering, Gabe took a step towards the platform and gently placed his hand upon the helmet. The expression on his face was as carefree as usual, but his gestures reminded Kay to a proud father.


    Gabe: "You know, there are a lot of things I do not believe in, and there are various reasons I do not believe it things. Gods, ghosts, aliens¡­ I do not believe in them because I already know they exist, though they are not nearly as mystical as people think. Then there are other kinds of gods, teapots circling around Jupiter or beavers that pee ice cream. I do not believe in those things because they are silly. And then there are the ideas I refuse to believe in, such as ¡®impossible¡¯ or ¡®inevitable¡¯, or, above all else¡­"


    As the scientist slowly turned around and looked into her eyes, she couldn¡¯t help but twitch. There was something in them, akin to determination, yet something more chaotic. Was it his madness which he spoke of so many times before? She didn¡¯t know, but it still filled her heart both with fear and awe. Seeing that, his lips slightly curved.


    Gabe: "I do not believe in ¡®providence¡¯. I do not believe in fate, or destiny or any of that crap. I do not believe that there are rules out there that can tell me what I can or cannot ever do." At last Gabe placed his hand on the armor again.  "This armor, this experimental tool right here¡­ in some ways you could say it¡¯s my life¡¯s work. It¡¯s a passion-project that, if it bears fruit, will create a brand new future not even Ahaz could have predicted."


    Kay: "A new future¡­"


    She couldn¡¯t really grasp what the scientist was saying, but the meaning behind his words was clear: he is going to do something that will change the future. Something so drastic and dangerous that he had to keep it a secret from his comrades¡­


    Kay: "Why are you telling me this?"


    The question was relevant, but hearing it somehow still appeared to surprise the black-clad man.


    Gabe: "What do you mean? I tell you because you are my apprentice."


    Kay: "Ummm¡­ You were serious about that?"


    Gabe: "Of course! I¡¯m always serious! Anyways¡­"


    The scientist lightly shook his head as if to clear it and reached into his pocket.


    Gabe: "We should get to work. Come closer and I will teach you how to assemble these things."


    Although she still felt a little awkward, the girl walked up to the other side of the armor as Gabe scooped up a few components.


    Gabe: "So, this is an ether-conductor inscribed to¡­"


    The change of his behavior was abrupt, and now he was talking just like before, in a nonchalant and affable tone¡­ and yet, somehow the atmosphere in the room around them refused to lighten for quite a while.

 Ch 21: Calm before the storm

    The small study was awfully quiet. The only sound in the chamber came in the form of the ticking of the large antique clock in the corner. However, from time to time, a different noise joined it in the form of the almost inaudible rasping of the cardinal¡¯s pen on the smooth surface of the large sheet of paper in front of him. After a few minutes of silence the man looked up from his work and checked the time.


    Saberger: "(It¡¯s almost nine¡­)"


    After a few moments of consideration Saberger stood up and stretched his stiff joints. The sudden surge of blood in his limbs felt positively blissful, which was not surprising, considering that he had been sitting there since noon, unmoving like a statue for the whole time. He looked over the sheet in front of him, the blueprints of the very cathedral he was standing in.


    They were for the plans of the recent renovation works. He didn¡¯t know that much about architecture, but as the cardinal of this region he was inclined to at least take a look at them before he gave the green light to the construction workers. The cathedral, obviously enough, was built upon the existing framework of a Christian church. Back then, at the time of the devastation, a lot of people turned away from religion, losing their already weakened faith in the turmoil of those times. This cathedral once used to be the center of the Christian religious practice around this small segment of the world, but as the last of its caretakers left or died three hundred years ago, it fell into disrepair.


    The Order always had a propensity to use the remnants of the old world as a foundation to build upon, and religion was no different. As there were no Christians around this part of the world anymore, they took over the role of the church and they shamelessly used the image of the dwindling religion¡¯s old glory for their own. The cathedral itself carried over its significance symbolizing hope and security in the eyes of the masses and steadfastness in the eyes of the Order¡¯s soldiers at the same time, both of which were used as tools of propaganda.


    But in the end the cathedral was just a building, and buildings deteriorate with time. As such the time has come for renovations, but there were several different voices in the crowd expecting different things. Some, namely the more religious segment within the Order, wanted it to be restored to its former glory to show the world the greatness of Nov¡¯Elsfaan. Another group wanted it to become a fortress, even more so that it was at the moment, and they were relentlessly lobbying for turning the whole area into yet another military base, religious in name only.


    As for Saberger, he couldn¡¯t care less. According to Cassandra¡¯s predictions it wouldn¡¯t matter anyway, but meddling with the plans was a great way to waste some time nevertheless. He wasn¡¯t used to make his own decisions anyway, so playing around with different ideas was refreshing, futile as they might have been. He actually went so far as to try his hand with the plans himself, even though he had no experience with such things. The cathedral, the religion¡­ Even the Order wouldn¡¯t matter at all in just a few short months, so why not? He decided to just wait and play the role fate bestowed upon him. Yet still¡­


    Still, there was something¡­ Something akin to a bad premonition, an indescribable gut-feeling that made him nervous. As he wordlessly walked over the study and washed his face in the small bowl of water, normally used for ritual purposes, he couldn¡¯t help but smile ironically at the reflection staring back at him from the other side of water¡¯s mirror.


    The bags under his eyes, testaments of his hard work, were even darker than usual, yet his expression seemed no more tired than before. Although, truth be told, he couldn¡¯t remember the last time he truly felt alive. There was no need to rush anywhere after all. His life, everyone¡¯s life was predetermined, or more accurately, was guided by invisible hands towards the same destination. There was no use rushing, he will get there when he has to and will do what he was supposed to do. His role was not that of the hero, he was only one of the countless crew-members of this grand play whose job is to arrange the backdrops into their perfect position so that the real heroes can shine even brighter as the end of the play arrives.


    The end of the play¡­ It was so close, yet he still couldn¡¯t make up his mind if he was waiting for the final curtain to fall. Why? Because he didn¡¯t know what was behind that curtain, and this unknown filled him with a feeling bordering dread.


    He washed his face once again and looked over to the clock. It was a little after nine, and the sky outside his sole window has already darkened. Still, he decided to go out for a moment. There was something he had to make sure of, something he had to ask one last time¡­


    ~~~


    Kiseki: "Brrr¡­ I never thought the desert could be this cold."


    Viktor: "Yes, you already said that today. And yesterday. And the day before that¡­"


    Kiseki: "Yes, because it was cold back then too¡­"


    Viktor: "¡­ Why am I even trying¡­?"


    The knight gave up and sat down in the sand and started unpacking his bedroll. As he looked up at the absentminded woman beside him, he let out a small curse under his breath. Once he believed in karma, but the events of the last few days proved him otherwise.


    After he showed them into the abbot¡¯s office he never thought he would meet those two again. Or rather, he hoped not to. Then he went to the training ground to let off some steam, and who else would come by than those two? As it turned out, they requested him as their guide because they found the faces he made when being annoyed funny. And yes, there were quite a few reasons for him to be annoyed with just those two around, but to add some icing to the cake, he was also entrusted with six Type-Os.


    Add the two annoying mercenaries and the six gurgling monsters together, and you end up with something that would make any lesser man scream like a little girl. Not him though, he endured the torment with silent dignity¡­


    Kiseki: "Vikki!"


    Viktor: "VIKTOR! My name is VIK-TOR for Nov¡¯Elsfaan¡¯s sake!!!"


    ¡­ Most of the time.


    Kiseki: "Can you make a fire?"


    The woman looked at him with pleading puppy-dog eyes, his complaints flying high over her head as usual.


    Viktor: "No I can¡¯t! There¡¯s no wood around here!"


    Kiseki: "But you could make a fireplace yesterday!"


    Viktor: "Yes, because there WERE trees back THERE, but there¡¯s NO wood HERE!"


    Kiseki: "¡­ Then let¡¯s go back and bring some here!"


    Viktor: "Wha¡­!?"


    For a long second the knight froze on his tracks and only stared at the woman in the white dress that was somehow still completely immaculate even after three weeks of travel through countryside. At first he wondered if she was serious, but even after all their interactions, he still couldn¡¯t believe she would say something so monumentally dumb.


    Kiseki: "Come on! Let¡¯s go back, and cut down all the trees we can find. Then those Type-O guys can carry them back here!"


    Well, apparently she was. Viktor raised his hand to rub his temple until it hurt before he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. It didn¡¯t work.


    Viktor: "We can¡¯t! It would take us back one more day! We have already been travelling for two damn weeks! Even on foot, we were supposed to reach the mark on the map in just five days!"


    Kiseki: "Really? Wow Vikki, you suck at this guide job¡­"


    There was a popping sound in his ears, like a string breaking from tension, and his fingers involuntarily curled into fists.


    Viktor: "You little¡­!"


    Adhi: "Kiseki! Vikki! I¡¯m back!"


    Before the knight could say what he wanted, the other weirdo literally crashed between the two of them. For a moment Viktor could only spit and rub his eyes until the dust cloud settled down after the impact. He would have wondered just how fast the short man in the suit had to run for him to kick up so much dirt upon stopping, but then his vision was suddenly filled by a small burlap sack.


    Adhi: "I found food!"


    Viktor: "Food? Here?"


    Saying so Viktor opened his arms while gesturing towards the desert around them. They have already left the grasslands around the desert and there was nothing but endless dunes of sand around them with no signs of life whatsoever, not even a single tree or shrub in the distance. It was about as deserted as a desert could get, so whatever was in that bag, he was sure it couldn¡¯t be anything edible, much less good.


    Adhi: "Look, I found these not too far from here under a rock."


    As he opened the mouth of the bag, Viktor and Kiseki both screamed, although in entirely different tones.


    Viktor: "SCORPIONS!?"


    Kiseki: "Yay! Scorpions!"


    Viktor: "What are you so happy about idiot?! They are poisonous!"


    Kiseki: "No, silly! They are venomous, not poisonous!"


    Adhi: "Righ, but don¡¯t worry; I chewed their stingers off."


    For a moment, the knight¡¯s expression was totally deadpan.


    Viktor: "¡­ What are you, a freakin¡¯ mongoose!?"


    Kiseki: "One for me, one for Adhi. One for me, one for Vikki. One for me, one for¡­"


    Viktor: "Stop dividing them on your own accord!"


    Adhi: "I have to agree with him on this one. I found them, so I want the big ones!"


    Kiseki: "Awww! You are mean!"


    Viktor: "¡­ You know what? You can halve those scorpions between you two, I¡¯ll go to sleep."


    Kiseki:"Huh? Halving them?"


    The annoying mercenary duo looked at each other and then the man raised a fist only to immediately drop it into his palm with a quiet ¡®poof¡¯.


    Adhi: "An absolutely marvelous idea! If we are cutting each one into two equal parts, we both get an equal share!"


    Kiseki: "Kihihi! Thanks for the idea Vikki! You totally saved us from starving!"


    The knight could only stare skeptically at the giggling woman and her mate before he let his shoulders droop in defeat.


    Viktor: "You do realize that we still have two weeks¡¯ worth of food rations, do you?"


    Adhi: "Mmm¡­ It¡¯s good, just a little raw¡­"


    After another flat glance Viktor promptly threw his hands into the air, turned around and headed for the group of Type-Os huddled together nearby.


    Viktor: "¡­ You know what, forget I said anything. If you need me, I¡¯ll be over there, crying myself to sleep."


    Adhi: "G¡¯night."


    Kiseki: "Have some sweet dreams."


    And so, the knight slipped into his bedroll while the other two kept on chewing the raw arthropods¡­


    ~~~


    There were three, measured knocks that echoed dully on the wooden door leading to the inner sanctum of the cathedral. After a moment of silence a nonchalant voice answered from the other side.


    Cassandra: "Yeah? It¡¯s open, come in."


    Saberger: "Excuse me."


    As the cardinal slowly opened the wooden door and peeked through the crack he couldn¡¯t help but raise his eyebrows.


    Saberger: "Cassandra¡­ What are you doing?"


    Cassandra: "Oh, it¡¯s you? Great. Help me, would you?"


    The inner sanctum was one of the very few places where they afforded the usage of artificial light, but Saberger couldn¡¯t help but find that it was completely wasted on this girl. The place was a mess, with strands of cloth and tools lying all around in utter chaos, completely unbefitting for this place.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Saberger: "You still didn¡¯t answer. What are you doing?"


    The girl puffed up her cheeks as she looked back at the cardinal from the corner, all the while she was still battling with a huge pile of various colored cloths.


    Cassandra: "Isn¡¯t it obvious? I¡¯m sewing."


    Saberger: "You are¡­ sewing?" Saberger repeated after her with a skeptical voice.


    Cassandra: "Yeah, gothic outfits don¡¯t grow on trees, idiot!" The prelate didn¡¯t react, so the girl promptly rolled her eyes and gestured towards him. "Don¡¯t just stand there with that stupid look on your face, help me with this!"


    After a few moments of hesitation, the cardinal finally sighed and closed the door behind himself.


    Saberger: "Fine, what do you want me to do?"


    Cassandra: "The room."


    Saberger: "¡­ I told you I¡¯m not your maid."


    Cassandra: "Come on, you said you would help!"


    They looked each other in the eye for a long seconds, but at last the cardinal sighed and slightly shook his head in disapproval, thought it was hard to tell the target of his gesture.


    Saberger: "Whatever."


    Finally given up, he reached for the pile of cloths the girl was keeping from toppling over, and started folding them with mechanical precision. After just a few minutes of this menial work the pile has all but disappeared, only to be replaced by small wall of outfits. As he kept folding absentmindedly, the original purpose of his visit suddenly came to mind.


    Saberger: "Say Cas-¡­"


    Cassandra: "Wait, I just remembered something! I¡¯ll be back in a moment!"


    Saying so, the girl suddenly stormed out of the hall before he could even finish what he wanted to say. Her quarters were hidden behind the inner sanctum, which in retrospect made the notion of her sewing here instead of in her own room even more baffling. As he was just about to finish up the last piece of cloth and reached for the scattered tools, the door opened once again as Cassandra moved in.


    Cassandra: "Ta-dah! What do you think?"


    At first, the cardinal couldn¡¯t find the words. The girl in front of him was dressed in an overly elaborate black dress. The fabric was thin but not to the point of being transparent and it stuck to the contours of her upper body very tightly. It also had a vertically striped corset and a wide skirt covered in frills and ribbons as well as a small black-and-white bonnet with a fake red rose on in. It was an outfit that strangely fit her.


    Saberger: "What exactly is this?"


    The girl¡¯s grin immediately withered and got replaced by a pout.


    Cassandra: "Are you telling me you can¡¯t even remember?" After Saberger shook his head she let out an irritated groan and pointed at herself. "Come on! Gothic Lolita! You were the one who recommended it!"


    Saberger: "Was I?"


    Cassandra: "Yes! How is it?"


    Saberger: "¡­ It¡¯s good, I suppose."


    Cassandra: "Awww, come on! Answer seriously!"


    For a long second the cardinal wondered just what she wanted to hear. At last she took another look at the clothes.


    Saberger: "I don¡¯t know how it is supposed to look like, but I think it fits you, and it¡¯s obviously well-made. I¡¯m actually surprised that you could make something like this on your own."


    The girl puffed her cheeks once again.


    Cassandra: "Hey, I¡¯m locked up in this place all the time; I had to find a hobby! I can¡¯t spend all my time reading books and holding audiences with boring scholars."


    Saberger had to give her this one. As the voice of Nov¡¯Elsfaan and the Golden Oracle, holder of titles that are handed down only to the most fitting candidates generation after generation, she was one of the pivotal figures of the order. It gave her privileges that no other girl of her age could dream of, but with them came equally huge responsibilities as well. She had all of the Order¡¯s resources at her disposal, but she could never ever leave the premises of the inner sanctum. She was, without even speaking figuratively, a prisoner of her own authority. He would be lying to himself if he said he never felt at least a little pity for her, but he also knew that her role was the most important in this grand play. As such, he only slightly nodded to her latest complaint, without showing any emotion.


    Saberger: "True. Now about the thing I wanted to ask¡­"


    Cassandra: "No asking yet! First help me with these clothes!"


    Saberger: "What now?"


    Cassandra: "I¡¯m not done with them, you know? This is just the prototype! Do you think I should add more frills here? And how about the hem of the skirt? Should I add some golden threading to it, or would it be too flashy?"


    Saberger: "¡­ I think it¡¯s good the way it is."


    Cassandra: "What are you talking about? It¡¯s far from done!"


    Saberger: "Isn¡¯t it good enough?"


    Cassandra: "Good enough? Where¡¯s the ambition in that?!"


    Saberger: "Ambition¡­?"


    This was one word that hadn¡¯t mattered for the cardinal since he first heard the truth behind the Reckoning War and the grand Plan. Ambition had no place in the play; it was clear since the very beginning.


    Cassandra: "¡­ Hey, what¡¯s the matter?" His train of thought was interrupted by a rare sign of concern in the girl¡¯s voice. "You have been all gloomy ever since you came by. Did something happen?"


    He felt pathetic at this moment. Just how depressed must he have looked if even his self-absorbed charge would take note of it?


    Saberger: "Nothing in particular."


    Cassandra: "Then why did you come here?" While asking so, the girl peeled herself out of her dress. She was only wearing a simple underwear under it, but neither of them seemed to mind. "You wanted to ask something, right? Did something come up concerning the predictions?"


    Saberger: "No, I told you nothing happened. It¡¯s just that I wanted to ask you again about the coming Event."


    Cassandra took another dress from the pile and pulled it over her head, only stopping for a moment when she heard the word ¡®Event¡¯.


    Cassandra: "Oh, I see. You are worried about what¡¯s going to happen, right?" Saying so she pulled the dress over herself and walked over to her throne. "Don¡¯t worry, everything was planned out perfectly, nothing will go wrong."


    Saberger: "If I recall, the same was said three hundred years ago."


    Cassandra: "Yes, but this time we were told things would be different, right?"


    The girl¡¯s mischievous smile, coupled with those words, immediately reminded him of the message from the Third they received not so long ago. And yet, it didn¡¯t fill him with confidence at all.


    Saberger: "You say that, but I still feel uneasy about this."


    The girl looked over him with a difficult expression. Normally he would never even try to talk about serious matters with her, beyond the obvious need of her predictions. This time it was different. His uneasiness was caused by something that only the two of them knew about within the walls of this building¡­ No, actually, they were quite possibly the only ones on this whole continent who knew this particular secret. As he was still trying to find his words, the girl ungracefully sat on the pedestal in the middle of the hall.


    Cassandra: "Come, let¡¯s talk about it."


    Her voice seemed just a little bit more mature than usual, but it hardly eased the cardinal¡¯s mind. Still, this was the main reason he came here on the first place, to talk with the only person he could talk to about the issue, so he took his place next to the girl. The strange pair sat beside each other in silence for a few moments, until a simple question left the cardinal¡¯s mouth.


    Saberger: "Say, Cassandra¡­ Are we doing the right thing?"


    Hearing these words, the girl raised an eyebrow.


    Cassandra: "You are having doubts now of all times?"


    Saberger: "Doubts? Maybe¡­"


    Cassandra: "You are not serious, are you?"


    The cardinal took a deep breath before answering, collecting his thoughts.


    Saberger: "Do you remember the time I was installed as the cardinal of this region?"


    Cassandra: "Errr¡­ Can¡¯t really, it was a long time ago."


    The priest smiled slightly at her thoughtful expression before he continued.


    Saberger: "It was more of a rhetorical question, actually. You see, back then I was different. I wanted to change the world; I had such great hopes and ambitions. Back then, when I was commissioned here, I was determined to do my best for the glory of Nov¡¯Elsfaan ¡­ as well as my own. I remember how excited I was about the prospect of leading my own division and how I would turn this branch of the order into something great¡­"


    The girl was really surprised by the nostalgia seeping through the words of the usually stern cardinal. She couldn¡¯t remember the last time he was so earnest in front of her and she was completely entranced by his words.


    Saberger: "¡­ I remember when I arrived here, I gave a huge speech to the men stationed here about how it was our duty to rebuild this world, and that bringing advancement to this backwater region is no less important than the restoration of the cities around the ocean shores or the recovery of the great cities of Europe and America. I had such a great applause back then, even though nothing came of it¡­"


    For the first time, something bitter mixed into the nostalgic tone of the man¡¯s voice.


    Saberger: "¡­ And then, I¡¯ve heard the secret. That I cannot do what I want, that I have to act upon the script of the play in every instance, that my hands are tied behind my back and my choices are actually not my own¡­ And yet, I believed in it. I trusted the play, I trusted the Oracles¡¯ predictions, I trusted that everything was for the greater good. But¡­"


    At this point, his voice became completely bitter and almost painful to listen to.


    Saberger: "But now, I don¡¯t know. I have been a puppet of the play for all this time, I was nothing more than a stage-hand whose every action is guided by the destiny someone else decided upon. Now, that the final act is so close, I can¡¯t help but wonder; was it worth it? Couldn¡¯t I have done more if I followed my own decisions? Was it all right to give up my freedom of choice for a safe outcome? And what will happen with me after the end, when my role will be unnecessary?"


    These questions have been tormenting him from the inside since the very first day he entered the doors of this inner sanctum so many years ago, so it was only fitting that he gave them voice within these same walls. As he finished, his mind was still as uneasy as before, but her heart felt a little lighter.


    The girl kept quiet for a few moments before she spoke up, as if she was waiting for the last echoes of his questions to fade into the silence of the night.


    Cassandra: "You are wrong."


    Her words were simple, yet harsh beyond belief.


    Saberger: "Are you saying that it¡¯s wrong to question such things?"


    Cassandra: "No, I¡¯m saying that you are wrong in assuming that you gave up your freedom of choice." The girl quietly stood up and moved in front of him. "You are misunderstanding something. You are not a puppet, not even a stage hand in some play. You had your choices all along. You were the one who decided to follow my advices, to follow the plan. Your destiny, it¡¯s not guided by anyone but you. In fact, you are the one who is guiding the destiny of others. Your subordinates, the people of this region, even people on the other end of the world. You are not a puppet; you became one of the puppeteers a long time ago."


    Saberger: "But was it right?"


    Cassandra: "We are on the right."


    They weren¡¯t big words, yet the determination behind them filled the cardinal with awe. She didn¡¯t waver, but simply stated something that seemed obvious: -We are right.-


    Cassandra: "Look around for a second. Look how far the world has come since the Devastation. It was all thanks to us, the ones who are guiding this world, and everyone else who did their best. I know, I¡¯ve read all the notes of the previous Oracles, and they never had any doubt about their role. Don¡¯t question yourself at this point. If I tell you we are on the right, you have to believe me, as I¡¯m speaking the will of my predecessors as well."


    For a few moments, they silently stared at each other.


    Saberger: "You know¡­" Finally, as he broke the silence, the cardinal¡¯s lips slightly curved. "¡­ you are not half that bad at giving inspirational speeches."


    The girl enthusiastically grinned back at him.


    Cassandra: "Hey, it¡¯s part of my job! Hehehe¡­"


    The cardinal let out a small sigh and looked up at the ceiling.


    Saberger: "But one questions still remains: what is going to happen to us, to the Order, once the Plan reaches fruition?"


    Cassandra: "I have no idea. We are following the script to the letter this far, and the final act could come at any moment by now. I say we trust -them- to do things properly this time around."


    Saberger¡¯s gaze slowly returned to the girl¡¯s figure in front of him, and for the first time in years, he smiled at her.


    Saberger: "I guess I have no choice but to believe."


    The girl earnestly nodded at him and whirled around.


    Cassandra: "Now that we are done with the serious stuff, help me with the clothes!"


    He was taken aback for a moment, but then he let out a stifled, boyish chuckle that suddenly made him look a decade younger.


    Saberger: "Sure, why not?"


    As he too stood up and looked over the spoiled oracle energetically jumping all around him, he felt something he never experienced in years. A moment of peace.


    ~~~


    Adhi: "Psst! Vikki!"


    Viktor: "Uh¡­? Wha¡­?"


    Adhi: "Wake up, we need your help."


    Viktor: "What? Are we under attack?!"


    After shaking out the last remnants of slumber from his eyes, the knight jumped onto his feet and readied the control rod of the Type-Os, but instead of an enemy ambush, all he found was a small, beeping machine pushed into his face.


    Kiseki: "What is the problem of this thing? We can¡¯t turn it off!"


    Viktor: "¡­ You seriously woke me up¡­ because of¡­ this?!?!"


    Adhi: "Yeah, please turn it off. We can¡¯t sleep while it¡¯s beeping like that."


    Viktor: "Argh¡­"


    The knight snatched the small machine from Adhi¡¯s outstretched hand and was just about to smash it to the ground when his arm froze in mid-motion.


    Viktor: "Is this¡­? The radiation detector is reading something?"


    Kiseki: "Radiation? You mean, like, nuclear radiation?"


    Viktor: "This device is linked to a satellite which records the¡­"


    Adhi: "Nuclear radiation? Like the one that gives people superpowers?"


    Viktor: "¡­ radiation levels of this area and¡­"


    Kiseki: "Superpowers? Like when you get bitten by a radioactive spider?"


    Viktor: "¡­ sends signals to this device if¡­ ¡­"


    Adhi: "Yeah! Wouldn¡¯t it be awesome if we were bitten by something like that?"


    Viktor: "¡­"


    Kiseki: "Dibs on the scorpions!"


    Viktor: "¡­ ¡­"


    Adhi: "Awww! But there is nothing else around here! Just scorpions and camels!"


    Viktor: "¡­ ¡­ ¡­"


    Kiseki: "Kihihi! Camel-Man!"


    Viktor: "¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­"


    Adhi: "I don¡¯t know, what superpowers would a camel give? I don¡¯t want to be a superhero whose only power is not drinking in the desert!"


    Viktor: "¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­"


    Kiseki: "Kihihihi! But it would be cute! And you could carry me on your back and¡­"


    Viktor: "I¡¯M TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING IMPORTANT HERE!!!"


    The mercenary couple theatrically reeled back and gasped in unison.


    Adhi: "Oh, we almost forgot about you. Sorry¡­"


    Viktor: "Well, as long as¡­"


    Kiseki: "But there is no other radioactive animal around here¡­ Wait, you could become Sandman!"


    Viktor: "That¡¯s already taken and¡­ No! This is not what we have to talk about! (Dammit, don¡¯t let them drag you into their own pace!)" Seeing that the two had paused for a moment, Viktor cleared his throat and pointed at their left. "Long story short, this device here says our target should be somewhere in that direction. We have to get there ASAP."


    Kiseki: "But it¡¯s midnight¡­"


    The knight took a deep breath, grit his teeth and spoke up in a threatening hiss.


    Viktor: "Listen, you are mercenaries, right? Your job is wrecking things. I am a guide. My job is getting you the right place to wreck things. We finally know the exact place to go, and I want to get it done. I¡¯m sick of this desert, I¡¯m sick of this job and I¡¯m really, really sick of you two, so we are going NOW, understood?"


    The two of them glanced at each other and then reluctantly nodded.


    Viktor: "Fine. Now let¡¯s get going!"


    With a swing of the control rod, the Type-Os all rose and started moving. Without further ado Viktor climbed onto the shoulders of the closest pitch-black giant and gestured for the grumbling mercenaries to follow. After they all braced themselves on the backs of their monstrous rides the knight let out a sharp whistle and the Type-Os lowered themselves in unison, then a moment later they all dashed forward with a strange but effective gait, quickly accelerating to the speed of a courier-horse on even ground.


    They were about to fade into the desert night when Viktor noticed that Kiseki was missing from the back of her Type-O. He was just about to curse and halt their advance when he noticed a fluttering white dress at his side. He blinked once, twice, thrice, but she was still there, and still casually keeping up with the charging monstrosities. At last she closed the distance and yelled up to him.


    Kiseki: "Vikki! We forgot to tell you something important!"


    Viktor: "Wha¡­ What?!" He yelled back, still confused  by the scene in front of his eyes.


    Kiseki: "We decided that we would become the Scorpion-couple. Do you want to be Camelman or Sandman?"


    Viktor: "¡­"


    Viktor stared at the woman for a good five second with a blank expression, then his mouth opened to a scream reminiscent of millions of brain cells suddenly crying out in terror and then suddenly silenced.

 Ch 22: To make omelet…

    Ahazkun: "(Forty-four percent¡­ No, too low¡­ I need to¡­ Seventy-four percent¡­ Still not enough¡­)"


    His echoing voice might have given the impression of the mumbling of a madman in the dark room, but Ahazkun didn¡¯t really care. There was no one else around, and saying these things out loud always helped him concentrate a little better, and a little meant a lot in tasks like this. No one, not even his comrades could truly fathom the way he perceived time, and to be honest, he himself would have been in for a hard time if he wanted to explain it to them. What he saw when he perceived what to come were not pictures of upcoming events, nor some endless stream of numbers and percentages as his notes would suggest. Those were just his interpretations of what he felt. When he gazed into the future, he didn¡¯t exactly see anything material. Sometimes, when he consciously surveyed it, it seemed nothing but a chaotic sea of shapes, colors, sounds and flavors. What he saw, was not something that could be described by words, it was something that had to be felt to be understood. No, it was even more difficult than that. One had to immerse oneself into the whirling storm of sensations, had to become one with them, and take the needed information back to the present without losing the concept of self in the tempest of odds.


    It was a task a thousand times harder than anyone could ever imagine, but for him it was nothing more than a simple routine. He skillfully dived into the waters of probabilities countless times, returning with a small segment of a possible future each and every time. They were small fragments, pieces of a huge puzzle he didn¡¯t even know the shape of. With every new part he added, they created a system like a snowdrop; complex and orderly, yet seemingly simple, more beautiful than anything human hands could create and, in the end, ever so fragile.


    However, this time, something was different. The sensations felt odd, almost numbing; as if the possibilities he grasped were nothing more than shades in the distance, a mirage he couldn¡¯t reach no matter how hard he tried. It left him greatly confounded, but he didn¡¯t have the luxury to stop yet.


    After a few seconds of silence his hand abruptly reached out and he hastily scribed up a few more numbers on a page he found lying around. He only glanced at it for a second before he put it into the ever-growing pile of notes on his desk with the kind of precision that indicated he knew exactly where it belonged in the chaotic mess of papers. At last he leaned back in his chair and let out a pent up breath that turned into a whisper half way through.


    Ahazkun: "(¡­ what the hell are you doing¡­?)"


    The question was aimed at the mad scientist, naturally. Thinking about him, Ahazkun¡¯s already sour mood turned for the worse. He stood up and reached for the glass of water on the night-stand, sat down on the bed and drank its contents in one go. It was just water, but somehow it still felt terribly bitter.


    His earlier conversation with Soketsu came to mind. He didn¡¯t really want to doubt Gabe; he owed him a lot over the years, but even if he didn¡¯t have any solid evidence, he still had to take precautions. It was a well-known fact that Gabe always disliked his ability to predict the future, though he never explained why. At least not in reasonable terms. His recent behavior was also too peculiar to disregard, which would have made him suspicious in Ahazkun¡¯s eyes anyway, foggy predictions or not.


    Foggy¡­ That was the right word. He could tell that the scientist was the focal point of the coming Event, just like last time, but for some reason he couldn¡¯t grasp his exact role. It was unnerving, to say the least. Before Nov¡¯Elsfaan¡¯s descent, he could tell every single detail that was to come up to that point, but this time¡­ This time, he had a hard time even with the simplest of predictions. The fact that Gabe became an unstable element in his calculations was undeniable, but there was one thing he still couldn¡¯t understand: Why?


    Why would he do something, anything, which would endanger their work? They spent two lives and countless sacrifices to create the future they decided upon the day the four of them forged their alliance¡­ Why would he cast all of it away? Or rather, would he?


    The oracle forcefully shook his head and began rubbing his own temple. Maybe it was just him after all? He knew all too well that his devotion to rogue elements has become something bordering paranoia in recent years, but the numbers spoke loud enough to silence such doubts about his own judgment this time. Something was wrong, and he could only hope he would be able to bring the whole issue to light before everything collapsed. Again.


    He wanted to wash his troubling thoughts away by returning to his work but a sudden wave of exhaustion engulfed his mind as he was trying to stand up. It wasn¡¯t surprising though, he didn¡¯t even remember the last time he rested. Was it yesterday? Or the day before that? It didn¡¯t really matter, the effect was the same. He was so engrossed in his work that he completely ignored his weary body up until this very moment and it came back to him with too great of a force to resist. He soon surrendered to the calling of the bed and laid his stinging head on the pillows without even bothering to change out of his clothes.


    At long last, he silently closed his eyes. His work was done for the time being, all that remained is to rest and get ready for the next day, awaiting the challenges it will undoubtedly have in store for him¡­


    ~~~


    Kay let out an exhausted breath as she waved her hand in front of the security checkpoint by the gates of Avalon. In the end she could only help the mad scientist by handling the tools and components he asked for, but she still learned quite a few things. She always believed building such a thing would require great precision, resources and many, many professionals working together, but Gabe somehow made the whole process look ridiculously easy. It was as if he was playing, as if he was just routinely piecing together a puzzle he solved a million times before. She felt she gained a small bit of respect for him, and yet¡­


    Kay: "(Uuuu¡­ It was so awkward¡­)"


    Even though she generally trusted the man, the thing he was working on could have actually been a doomsday device for all she knew, with his speech about changing the world and everything¡­


    She sighed again as she started climbing the familiar hill leading up to their quarters. She still couldn¡¯t decide if keeping Gabe¡¯s project a secret was a good thing or not, but for the moment, she decided not to think about it. However, there was one thing that she was quite sure of: this tiresome day was finally over. Or at least so she hoped.


    Kay: "Ummm¡­"


    She froze with a blank expression once she opened the bedroom door. It was quite late, so she fully expected that Soketsu would be in bed already. She couldn¡¯t have been more wrong.


    Soketsu: "You¡¯re late."


    The man¡¯s voice held no resentfulness, yet, coupled with the scene in front of her, it felt like a shell-shock to her. Soketsu was sitting in the corner of the room, surrounded by a myriad of flames. Candles. At least a hundred of them, or even more. Those were the only sources of lighting in the room, its air filled with the fragrance of scented wax and a hint of smoke. It was eerie and a little mystical at the same time, and the girl was completely taken aback by the unexpected spectacle. It took her a few moments to snap out of her surprise and close the door behind herself. The familiar sound of the door¡¯s hinges turning, something she normally wouldn¡¯t have even noticed, felt like the screaming of a jet-engine to her ears. As she looked back at Soketsu, she suddenly felt a small drop of guilt. After all, she really was late.


    Kay: "Sorry, I lost track of time and-"


    Soketsu: "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s fine."


    The voice that cut her words short was calm, almost soothing, which somehow made her feel even more awkward.


    Kay: "B-But¡­ The candles¡­ It must have taken a long time to¡­"


    Soketsu glanced around and shrugged his shoulders in embarrassment.


    Soketsu: "These? Erm¡­ Well, it¡¯s a funny story." He slowly stood up while scratching his chin and took a step towards the confused girl. "You see, I wanted to create the right mood, so I decided to light a few candles, but you didn¡¯t come, so I¡­ I guess got a little carried away."


    Kay: "S-Sorry."


    The man hastily raised his hands.


    Soketsu: "It¡¯s okay, really! I mean, yeah, it¡¯s late, but at least I had time to think about¡­ well, stuff."


    He might have seemed calm on the outside, but to Kay¡¯s eyes his small gestures spoke otherwise. The way he held his hand, the movement of his eyes, the curve of his lips¡­ She instinctively realized he was really flustered, maybe even more so than herself. It was a perception that made her even more nervous, as if she wasn¡¯t that already, but it also made her curious beyond measure.


    Before continuing, the man took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, as if to expel the piling tension from the air.


    Soketsu: "Phew. Okay, I¡¯m not going to beat around the bush anymore. The thing is; we have to talk."


    Kay: "You mean¡­ about this afternoon?"


    Soketsu: "Well, about those things too. What we talked about and what we didn¡¯t and¡­" He paused for a second and let out another, disappointed sigh. "Okay, I said I¡¯m not going to beat around the bush so¡­" The large man¡¯s words quieted into a whisper that then gave way to silence for several seconds before he shook his head and tried to casually gesture towards the bed. "You know what? Let¡¯s sit down first. It will be a little easier to talk that way."


    By this point the air in the room was so tense it wouldn¡¯t have been strange if it snapped like a piano wire. Both of them were visibly fidgeting as they sat on the end of the sizeable bed with their heads hung and obviously avoiding each other¡¯s gaze. They were right next to each other, yet the small space between them felt strangely gaping. The silence was deafening until Soketsu finally raised his head with clear determination in his eyes and faced the diminutive girl at his side.


    Soketsu: "Okay, there¡¯s really no point dancing around the issue anymore, so I¡¯m going to say it straight and simple. Kay¡­"


    Kay: "I-If it¡¯s about the training, then I¡­"


    Soketsu: "I love you."


    Kay: "¡­don¡¯t mind a¡­"


    Her nervous blather came to an abrupt halt as the words finally reached her mind. With her mouth still half-open, her eyes widened so much that it was almost comical. Soketsu, on the other hand, looked like as if a great weight was finally lifted from his shoulders. Finally, after several seconds of silent shock, the girl¡¯s voice rose a full octave as she blinked in panic.


    Kay: "Wha-Wha-What did you sa-say? For a moment I could have sworn you¡­"


    Soketsu: "I love you."


    On the second time the words came out so naturally that it surprised even Soketsu. Were these three words really so heavy in the past? Kay, on the other hand, suddenly got about as red as a lobster.


    Kay: "A-Are you¡­ serious?"


    Soketsu: "Yes."


    Once again the room descended into silence as Soketsu waited for her to collect herself.


    Kay: "Why now?"


    Soketsu: "What do you mean? Isn¡¯t this as good as a time as any?"


    Kay: "But we just had that fight today¡­"


    Soketsu: "¡­ I can¡¯t really see the problem with that. Actually, it was more of a reason I wanted to make things clear once and for all."


    Kay: "¡­ Are you sure?"


    Soketsu: "Of what? That I love you?" Hearing these words, the girl turned even redder, impossible as it might have seemed at the moment, and could only nod. " I thought a lot about it, but yeah. I wouldn¡¯t have said it otherwise. I love you."


    Kay: "How can you say something like that so casually?"


    Hearing the slightly sulky question, Soketsu couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    Soketsu: "Believe it or not, it¡¯s quite easy to say after the first time. Do you want to give it a try?"


    The girl immediately averted her shy gaze without saying a thing. Somehow it seemed unbelievably adorable in Soketsu¡¯s eyes, and her expression looked like it was just begging him to tease her¡­


    Soketsu: "No?"


    Kay: "I-It¡¯s not that! It¡¯s just too sudden!"


    Soketsu: "Okay, I can wait. The night is still young after all¡­"


    Kay: "You are so unfair."


    Soketsu: "No I¡¯m not."


    The room fell silent once again, this time for several long seconds, before Kay spoke up again in a thin whisper.


    Kay: "Are you really sure you are okay with me¡­?" Her partner didn¡¯t answer, so she continued; "I mean, the way I look and everything, and t¡­ wah¡­?"


    Before she could finish her last sentence, Soketsu suddenly reached out to her face and grabbed her cheeks between his fingers.


    Kay: "Auwwww! Wad awe yuu dowin?!"


    Soketsu: "Smile! Have you forgotten how to do it?" For a moment, Kay¡¯s expression rapidly cycled between baffled, embarrassed, angry and confused, but since she didn¡¯t say a word, Soketsu let out a disappointed sigh and continued; "Seriously now, when was the last time you smiled? Where is the lighthearted Kay that would have jumped into my lap while grinning like an idiot hearing these words? Stop asking pointless questions like that and start acting like yourself!" By this point the girl¡¯s expression finally solidified into a frown. "Don¡¯t look at me like that, I¡¯m serious!"


    Kay: "It huwts¡­"


    Soketsu: "It hu¡­? ! Ah, sorry!"


    He immediately let go of the girl¡¯s face as if he was touching burning iron. A moment later Kay¡¯s hands were already rubbing her cheeks, red for an entirely different reason this time.


    Kay: "You are mean!"


    Soketsu: "Sorry, sorry. I really didn¡¯t want to pull that hard, I just got a little carried away¡­ Stop looking at me like that! I told you I didn¡¯t pinch you on purpose!"


    The girl¡¯s eyes still seemed a little peevish but bashful at the same time. Their earnest gazes kept crossing each other until Kay promptly stood up and stepped in front of him. Before Soketsu could even react he could feel the weight of the small body thumping against his lap.


    Soketsu: "Whoa!"


    Kay: "Here¡­"


    Soketsu: "¡­ That was¡­ surprising."


    Kay: "You said you wanted me to jump in your lap, didn¡¯t you?"


    As the girl turned his face towards him, Soketsu couldn¡¯t help but smile awkwardly.


    Soketsu: "Well, it wasn¡¯t the main point, but¡­ it¡¯s a step in the right direction, yes."


    The girl didn¡¯t say anything, not right away. Her gaze seemed like she was deep in thought.


    Kay: "I think I understand what you meant."


    Soketsu: "You do?"


    Kay: "Looking back, I really haven¡¯t been my usual self lately, have I?"


    Soketsu: "That was the point I was trying to make, yes."


    Kay: "¡­ One last thing."


    This time, Kay completely turned around on his lap. They were face to face, so close that their noses were almost touching. Her eyes were nothing like a few moments ago; her pupils were gazing sharply into Soketsu¡¯s own.


    Kay: "Are you completely, one hundred percent sure of this?"


    Soketsu: "¡­ How many times you want me to say it. Yes, I love you, and I¡¯m sure of it."


    Kay: "¡­ You know I¡¯m going to take you on these words, right? I¡¯m not going to let you slip away from the responsibility and¡­"


    Soketsu: "Yes, I know. Lighten up a little already!"


    The girl kept glazing into his eyes, and finally nodded.


    Kay: "I¡¯ll try. I¡­ Have a lot on my mind right now, so I think it will take a while, but if it would make you happy, I promise I will try to return to the way I used to be. But in exchange, you have to promise me that you¡­"


    Her last words were muffled as Soketsu gently hugged her and pulled her to his chest.


    Soketsu: "Shhh¡­ There is no need for any exchange. I love you, and that¡¯s a fact. There is no need for you to barter for guarantees."


    Kay once again flushed red, but after a couple of second a series of awkward giggles escaped her mouth and she began to earnestly rest her head against her partner.


    Kay: "How can you say these things with a straight face?"


    Soketsu: "I told you, it¡¯s actually not embarrassing at all after the first time¡­ Plus I don¡¯t have to worry about your answer, so it makes things a lot easier."


    Kay: "But I still don¡¯t get it¡­ Why now?"


    Soketsu: "¡­ Let¡¯s just say I got a little push to say something that I should have said a long time ago."


    Kay: "¡­ I agree."


    Soketsu: "Hehe¡­ Well, later is still better than never, and I think it was pretty obvious anyway."


    Instead of answering, Kay raised her arms and hugged him back. It was a completely different feeling from when he embraced her alone, like as if something just clicked into place inside him. For a few blissful moments, they kept cuddling without a word.


    Soketsu: "By the way¡­"


    Hearing his voice, Kay lifted her face from his chest and looked upon him.


    Kay: "Yes, what is it?"


    Soketsu: "If we are talking about things I needed to say for a long time, there are two more things I should mention while we have the chance." Kay didn¡¯t seem to try to interrupt him, so he said; "First of all, no matter what you think, you are beautiful the way you are."


    Kay: "Do you really mean that?"


    Soketsu: "Yes, I¡¯m completely serious. Also¡­"


    Kay: "Yes?"


    Kay looked at him expectantly, but instead Soketsu averted his gaze and simply muttered;


    Soketsu: "My legs are getting numb."


    ~~~


    Kiseki: "Vikkiiiii! Are we there yet?"


    Viktor: "For the hundredth time, I don¡¯t know!"


    Adhi: "Can¡¯t we do it tomorrow, I¡¯m tired!"


    Viktor: "What are you, kids?!"


    The knight was at his wit¡¯s end, but surprisingly, this time the Calamity Couple was not to blame. Or to be more precise, there was something even more annoying in his hands. A constantly beeping broken machine¡­Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Viktor: "Come on you piece of junk!"


    Adhi: "Maybe it¡¯s the battery! Did you try changing it?"


    Kiseki: "Or maybe submerging it in liquid nitrogen?"


    Viktor: "Shut up and let me concentrate!"


    After snapping at the two, Viktor returned to the device with a small curse under his breath. He couldn¡¯t even remember how many times he swore in the past few minutes, but considering the situation, his manner was the last thing he was concerned about.


    The detector, or PEEDS, as it was officially called, was unreliable at best. When it was originally designed, it was used to collect emission data that was fed into a central database that could then pinpoint the location of the source of said emissions using GPS coordinates. Unfortunately neither the central database or the GPS satellites existed anymore, so at the moment it was barely more than a complicated, super-sensitive (and subsequently super-finicky) Geiger-counter¡­ except it didn¡¯t measure radioactivity but something else entirely that the knight wasn¡¯t told about. Even the whole ¡®database¡¯ and ¡®GPS¡¯ business was outside of his field.


    As such the only way he could use the device was to reset the machine after every dozen or so steps and check if the new readings indicated they were closing on the center of emission or not. This was a task that would have been hard and tedious even if the conditions were perfect, but doing it at night, in the middle of the desert, with the temperature way below the freezing point and followed around by half a dozen brutish monsters and two hyperactive mercenaries¡­ It was something that would have made even greater men cry out in rage.


    Viktor: "AAARGH!!!"


    As such he felt it justified in doing so.


    Kiseki: "Vikki! Are you all right!?"


    Adhi: "Did you get bitten by a scorpion?"


    Kiseki: "Was it radioactive?"


    For a moment his determination almost wavered, but he quickly shook the feeling away.


    Viktor: "(Fuck it, I was the one who got riled up on the first place! We either find that blasted place tonight, or die trying!)"


    Adhi: "Vikki? Are you sure you are all right? Was it really radioactive?"


    The knight sent one last sharp glance at the two,and pushed the reset button once again with renewed determination.


    Viktor: "Hm?"


    Finally, the readings showed a sharp increase! They were on the right trail!


    Viktor: "Finally! This way!"


    Adhi: "Whoa¡­!"


    Kiseki: "It must be his scorpion-sense tingling!"


    And with that, the two leisurely followed in the footsteps of their guide, who was more than happy that they finally decided to lag behind a little. With that they once again sank into the darkness of the desert night.


    ~~~


    Pabloc: "Lily?"


    The scientist quickly looked around in yet another of the many rooms of the facility, but couldn¡¯t find the girl. He let out a sigh as he readjusted his glasses on the bridge of her nose before he sighed in exhaustion.


    Pabloc: "(Where did she disappear this time¡­?)"


    He quietly shook his head as the door closed behind him. He just couldn¡¯t imagine where she would go at a time like this. After all, it was her who wanted to spend the evening together the first place, yet she not only didn¡¯t come home but also disappeared into thin air. It was just so uncahar¡­


    Pabloc: "Huh."


    After a moment of thinking Pabloc miserably shrugged his shoulders. Actually, it was completely in character for her to do something like this. With that in mind he moved to the next room with a weary expression, and just as he expected, there was yet another empty room waiting for him.


    Pabloc: "(This is getting ridiculous¡­ Where is that girl?)"


    He left the empty place and returned to the corridor. As he looked down the hallway, he couldn¡¯t help it but sigh again. There were several dozen more rooms, and it was only one of the many corridors on the eastern wing of the facility. At the very least he knew she was somewhere around here, but it was still a needle-in-the-haystack situation.


    As he stood there, an old question surfaced in his mind: How the hell did Gabe¡¯s fairies manage to build this place? Avalon itself was an unbelievable feat, some of its technology was so advanced that even he had a hard time understanding their principles, not to mention actually building them. They bore the sign of Gabe¡¯s genius touch on them, but that just made it all the more confounding. Why did he make plans for such technology and not implement them back then? Or were they made specifically for the fairies even before they needed them? What was his plan?


    Plan. The word once again reminded him of something he rather wanted to forget. Ahazkun¡¯s accusations in the past weeks were baseless in his eyes, but they were unsettling all the same. He trusted Gabe more than anyone, but his recent behavior, Ahazkun¡¯s worries and the whole Avalon-issue couldn¡¯t be swept under the rug just because he wanted to believe it was just the part of some plan for the greater good that Ahazkun couldn¡¯t perceive. He was just about to sigh again when he stopped on his track.


    Pabloc: "(I¡¯m already at the end of the hallway?)"


    He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn¡¯t even realize he already looked over all the rooms in his path. Not that it made a real difference, there was another just beyond the corner, and another beyond that.


    Avalon was huge, but the supporting facilities around the city were nothing to scoff at either. There were hundreds upon hundreds of intertwining tunnels woven under the desert with thousands of facilities. Storage rooms, low-emission power plants, processing plants, factories, barracks, laboratories, test-grounds, and the list goes on. With its outlying facilities, Avalon was more of a city-state than a simple town. It was glorious, but right now, it was a great annoyance.


    Pabloc: "(For the love of¡­ Where is she?)"


    He went down another hallway, and finally, after searching for so long, something hit his ears. It was a low, muffled sound coming from one of the janitors¡¯ storage rooms. Of course he couldn¡¯t be completely certain it was Lily, but after knowing her for years, he just instinctively knew it had to be her. The scientist reached for the door without hesitation and it opened with a quiet hiss, and as he took a glance into the small room he couldn¡¯t help but bury his head his hand.


    There were two girls in the room. One of them was Lily, sleeping like an angel, sometimes quietly mumbling to herself. The other one was Tiari. Struggling. With her head in some sort of a wrestling hold. And her ear was being chewed¡­


    Pabloc: "(Why do I have a feeling Ahazkun is going to kill me tomorrow¡­?)"


    The awkward moment was quickly broken by the trashing catgirl¡¯s protesting shouts.


    Tiari: "Aaaargh!!! Help me! Get this crazy monster off me!"


    After letting out an exasperated sigh Pabloc finally moved in. Even though she was sleeping, Lily held the catgirl in her iron embrace like a bird of prey holding onto a small bunny with its cruel claws.


    Pabloc: "It seems like she¡¯s fast asleep."


    Tiari: "No shit Sherlock! I didn¡¯t ask for your expert opinion, I told you to get this fiend away from me!!!"


    Pabloc: "Sheesh¡­ Okay, okay, just a moment¡­"


    At first the man tried the obvious solution, for no avail. He couldn¡¯t even budge Lily¡¯s arm, it was locked around the catgirl¡¯s neck like it was smelted from solid iron. After running through a few options, like the usage of power-tools or just simply levitating them back to his place, he decided on a less flashy solution.


    Pabloc: "Fine, I have no other choice¡­"


    Tiari: "Nyah¡­? Wait, why are you taking off your gloves?"


    Pabloc: "Nothing you have to worry about¡­"


    The scientist¡¯s wry smile didn¡¯t fill her with assurance, to say the least.


    Pabloc: "Try not to move much, okay?"


    Tiari: "Seriously, what are you trying to¡­"


    Pabloc defiantly raised his hand and promptly readjusted his glasses as a bold smile rose on his face.


    Pabloc: "It¡¯s time for¡­" He purposefully paused as he wriggled his fingers. "¡­ tickling!"


    The catgirl only blinked t him for a second or two before her face twisted in a grimace of disappointment.


    Tiari: "It¡¯s official. You have spent too much time around that idiot. You are infected with the Gabe-itis."


    Pabloc: "Oh, shush. Just be quiet and watch."


    The scientist quietly hunched over with a serious expression. He readjusted his glasses one last time and then suddenly flexed his fingers. The next moment, his hands lashed out like a pair of whips, aimed at the small girl¡¯s vital areas. And as his fingertips touched her ¡­


    Pabloc: "Lily-chin~~"


    ¡­they began their elaborate dance upon her soft skin.


    Lily: "Zzzzz¡­ Gihi¡­ Hihihi ¡­zzzzz¡­"


    His fingers delicately ran around her soft cheeks, drew a small circle under her chin then gently moved over to the nape of her neck with one continuous motion like a stream of warm water running around her delicate features.


    Lily: "Zzz¡­ Hihihi¡­"


    As the blond girl started fidgeting, Pabloc¡¯s other hand moved in to up the ante. His other palm slowly slid down her side and his fingers began their tapdance on her back, slowly moving towards her tummy. At the same time he tenderly brushed her long golden hair aside and began stroking the base of her ear.


    Lily: "Haaa~! Hihi! Nowd theewe~! Id twigles~! Hyaah~"


    The girl slowly began squirming more and more. Finally the scientist decided it was time for the coup de grace. He leaned even closer to her and, without a word, pressed his lips against her forehead. In that very same moment, Lily¡¯s entire body surged up like she was hit by an electric current. She opened her arms wide open, finally letting the exhausted catgirl go¡­


    Lily: "Pabloc-saaaan~"


    Pabloc: "Ack!"


    ¡­only to clasp those same arms around Pabloc¡¯s neck without a moment¡¯s notice.


    Lily: "Just five more minutes~¡­"


    Her small frame snuggled up to the scientist like a tiny animal. Pabloc slowly exhaled, with a smile on his face, then reached under the small body and lifted her into his arms.


    Pabloc: "Well, here we go. Are you all right?"


    He turned to Tiari who looked at the two like they were some sort of weird creatures in a zoo exhibition. After a brief moment of daze the catgirl hastily stood up and began straightening her clothes.


    Tiari: "Yeah, I guess I¡¯m fine just¡­ Ouch!" She reached up to her head and gingerly patted her chewed-up ear. "My ears are in a bad shape, but I guess I¡¯ll survive¡­"


    Pabloc: "You are welcome."


    Tiari: "¡­ What about you? Are you all right?"


    The scientist¡¯s brows slightly rose at the question.


    Pabloc: "What do you mean?"


    Tiari: "Your head is¡­ kinda¡­ blue."


    Pabloc: "¡­ Oh, that¡­"


    Lily: "Zzzz¡­"


    The man slowly turned his head to the side, and after pushing against the small girl¡¯s seemingly delicate arms for a moment, his neck suddenly twisted back into its natural position with a barely audible snap.


    Lily: "Unya~ ¡­zzz¡­"


    Pabloc: "There. Thanks for noticing, I sometimes tend to forget about my circulation."


    For a few moments the catgirl wordlessly kept eyeing him with an exhausted expression.


    Tiari: "I was joking before, but you should seriously use a hazmat suit when around Gabe. You really are getting infected with his stupidity."


    Pabloc: "Hey, that¡¯s not a very nice thing to say¡­"


    Tiari: "Whatever. By the way, what¡¯s the time?"


    Pabloc: "I don¡¯t know. Around ten, I think."


    Tiari: "Wha¡­!? Oh crap! I was supposed to get back home by eight, and I didn¡¯t even make dinner! Ahaz is going to kill me!"


    Pabloc: "Don¡¯t be so dramatic. I¡¯m sure he is too busy with his predictions to¡­"


    Tiari: "Aaaaah! That¡¯s even worse! He was at it since yesterday morning! He always forgets about the outside world when doing his clairvoyance-thing¡­ Damn, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he was already unconscious from dehydration without me around to remind him to drink!"


    Pabloc: "Now that¡¯s just¡­"


    Tiari: "Aaaarhg! I have to run, but if something happened to Ahaz because of your stupid fiend held me up, I¡¯m going to kick her sorry ass back to R¡¯lyeh or wherever the hell she came from!"


    Pabloc: "Hey, you don¡¯t need to be so¡­"


    The catgirl took off with lightning-fast steps and disappeared in the labyrinth of corridors without even listening to his last words.


    Pabloc: "¡­ rude." Pabloc gazed after her for a few seconds and at last he let out a soft groan. "What are you, his mother?"


    Lily: "Tia-okaasan!"


    As the scientist glanced down at the source of the comment, he found Lily smiling like and angel.


    Pabloc: "Oh, you are awake?"


    Lily: "Hai~! Ohayou!"


    Pabloc: "Morning? I guess it¡¯s a little late for that. Speaking of which, what were you doing with Tiari in this place anyway?"


    Lily nonchalantly stretched her bare feet and opened her mouth in a huge yawn before she answered with an unusually smug smile.


    Lily: "Tia-chan was trying to ambush Kay-chan at the gates when she came home, so I decided to play with her instead!"


    Pabloc: "I see. But why here?"


    Lily: "Nyu¡­? Why? Where are we?"


    The small girl in his hands looked around with a confused look on her face, as if she just noticed that they were in a janitor¡¯s storage.


    Lily: "I don¡¯t know¡­ I was a little sleepy¡­"


    The scientist rolled his eyes with an amicable smile and hefted the girl in his hands.


    Pabloc: "No matter. Let me put you down and¡­"


    Before he could finish his line, the small girl¡¯s arms clasped even tighter around his neck.


    Pabloc: "What is it?"


    Lily: "Carry me!"


    Pabloc: "Seriously?"


    Lily: "Hai~!"


    For a few moments they kept looking each other in the eye, but it soon became crystal-clear that Pabloc had absolutely no defense against the girl¡¯s smile.


    Pabloc: "Fine, fine. Here you go, princess."


    Lily: "Yay~! I¡¯m the princess-sama!"


    The scientist¡¯s lips involuntarily curved at the sight of the exited girl squirming in his arms.


    Pabloc: "(She is so easy to please¡­)"


    Lily: "Onward!"


    Pabloc: "Yes, yes. Onward we go."


    With that, the strange pair turned around and slowly vanished in the maze of the facility¡¯s countless corridors, leaving behind nothing more than the occasional echoes of chirping laughter in the air.


    ~~~


    Gabe: "(There you go. It¡¯s done.)


    After stretching his back the scientist wiped the sweat from his forehead with the hem of his dark lab coat and casually fell into the small armchair beside the workbench inside his inner-workshop. It was a crude patchwork of a seat he hastily pieced together for Kay a few hours ago. It wasn¡¯t exactly comfortable, but it was still better than the old swivel-chair he usually used. He wiped the sweat from his face one more time, and then straightened himself while a deep sigh left his mouth.


    Gabe: "(Well, no point sitting around! It¡¯s time for the finishing touches!)"


    The man sharply shook his head and swept back his mid-long brown hair. It was a little bothersome, but there was no point in cutting it, so he learned to cope with it. After one last, small stretch he finally stood up and moved back to the workbench. Upon the table lied his masterpiece, finally complete. From its outer appearance, no one would have thought it was anything more than a suit of full-body armor, but as always, appearances were deceiving. Even if one took a closer look and noticed the faint lines of pulsating energy running all over its surface like shining blood-vessels, it would still not have inspired the awe it deserved. It was not some mundane machine created for personal protection anymore; it was a finely tuned tool of rebellion, a mad scientist greatest and most beloved invention.


    Yes, it was something of a lovechild of his, made even more obvious by the small, content smile on his face as he faced it. He had long ceased to count the hours he spent on its creation, and it was not a huge stretch to say that it was the most advanced piece of technology on the planet at the moment. As he thought about it, the only person who could understand its inner workings was him, even Pabloc wouldn¡¯t be able to break its secrets no matter how much he were to try. Well, at least not in a single lifetime. The reason was quite simple: it worked on principles that didn¡¯t even exist. Not yet, anyway. It was a tool created for the absurd goal of challenging the rules governing the universe, so yes; it would have been strange if it wasn¡¯t outlandish itself.


    After forcefully exhaling every bit of air from his lungs, the scientist extended his hand and ran his fingers over the chest-piece of the armor. The lines of surging energy flared up at his touch, shining with a bright green light. It was a strangely mesmerizing sight. As they bathed the room and the scientist¡¯s figure with their warm light, his fingers began tracing the circuits themselves. His hands danced around the surface of the dark-red metal plate like a pianist¡¯s, sometimes gently tapping at the intersections, other times roughly scratching multiple lines at the same time. For the uninitiated eye it almost seemed like he was really playing with some weird toy. If only they could see what he could¡­


    For several minutes, the only thing that could be heard in the eerie silence was the soft scrubbing of fingertips on the smooth metallic surface. As he kept working on the chest-area, the lines slowly expanded towards the extremities of the armor, and as they reached the fingertips a blinding flash of light filled the air of the workshop. For a few moments there was only an infinite whiteness. As the light slowly subsided, the scientist¡¯s black cloak was the first thing that could be seen, standing above his masterpiece with a gleeful expression.


    Gabe: "(Good. It has even less recurrent backflow-errors than I could have hoped for. Soketsu¡¯s monkey-things really are something else¡­)"


    After a few moments the light almost completely faded, but did not disappear. In fact its source was shining even more brilliantly than before. The armor itself went through a peculiar transformation. Its dark-crimson surface was now white as snow, like the garment of an angel, while the veins of viridia on its surface became a darker, thicker shade of green. As he looked at it, it seemed almost ethereal, an unearthly beauty that should not exist in this world. If someone would have entered at this moment, they would probably have been struck speechless by the sheer sight of the thing lying on the workbench. Even the man responsible for its creation had to stop for a moment just to absorb its full beauty. For several seconds, he intently stared at it as if he wanted to carve the moment into his memory. Maybe he did just that. Either way, after a few moments of almost reverent silence he turned his back on his creation, if only for a few seconds.


    He moved to one of the huge, armor-plated tubes at the back of the workshop. As he looked all over it, he couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Gabe: "Oh¡­ these are still here? How silly¡­"


    With that he extended his hand and tore down the warning signs on the surface of the tube. They were on them ever since they were first installed here, but he they never really bothered him before. In fact, he found them quite fitting. A workshop should have warning signs, right? It was part of the image. But they were not needed anymore. After all, if everything goes well, he won¡¯t need these tanks anymore. Or the workshop itself for that matter.


    After discarding the torn signs he drew one last breath and swept his hair back again. For a second he hesitated. Was it too soon? While Kay probably didn¡¯t realize it, her presence actually helped Gabe¡¯s work tremendously. As an Alternate, just being around she absorbed excess Ether in the room, making the precision work he had to do much simpler. In retrospect he felt a little silly for not thinking of this sooner, but in the end her being there saved him several days of work. Because of that, he felt a little unprepared to take that final step.


    The hesitation didn¡¯t last long though, as at last a daring smile crept onto his face and he stepped forwards with renewed determination.


    Gabe: "(Here we go. No turning back now.)"


    After a brief moment Gabe promptly rolled up his sleeves and then theatrically raised his right hand. For a moment he was looking at it with utmost concentration, then his palm flared up with a strange light. It was impossible to tell its color, or if it had a color at all. It was just¡­ there. A strange light that humanity had no words for, something that was beyond the scope of natural perception, yet the scientist¡¯s expression was terribly calm. Of course it was, it is not the first time he did this. He didn¡¯t like to use something like this, something that even he didn¡¯t fully comprehend, but a tool is a tool. Just because you didn¡¯t know how each and every component of a car worked it wouldn¡¯t keep you from driving it, right? Well, this was a little more complicated than that, but it got the job done, so there was no point complaining.


    That said, he slowly extended his now glowing hand towards the tube in front of him. For a moment, he hesitated. It was not about this experiment. It would work. Of this, he was one hundred percent certain. He ran countless simulations and eradicated every possible chance of an error, so it wasn¡¯t the source of his anxiety. It wasn¡¯t about if it would succeed, but about what he would do after it succeeded. In truth he didn¡¯t put much thought into it, or rather he never really wanted to think about it, so he avoided the issue. What was he going to do after this?


    He quietly shook his head and steeled his resolve. There was no place for such thoughts in his head anymore. What will he do? The same as always: something. He had a whole city to run, so he can probably find a lot of things to deal with, not to mention the outcome of this very experiment. He would be busy no matter what, probably more so than ever before.


    Gabe: "(Here we go!)"


    He slowly drew his hand back like he was taking up a fighting chance, then¡­


    Gabe: "Ha!"


    ¡­he lunged forward without a trace of the previous hesitation in his eyes.


    ~~~


    Lily: "Yaaay! Transform~!"


    Pabloc: "Easy there, easy. You are going to break the sofa."


    Lily: "Shhh! Now¡¯s the best part!"


    The scientist, while still in the kitchen, couldn¡¯t help but smile at the blonde girl excitedly jumping up and down in front of the big floating screen. He got out of his usual labcoat, instead he was wearing a bright pink apron over his casual clothes. Even he knew it was kind of bizarre, but it was a birthday-gift from Lily, so he had little choice but to wear it, and by now it kind of grew on him. Thinking so he put the two mugs of chocolate-milk he was making onto a small tray and returned to the living room.


    The layout of the place was the same as Ahazkun¡¯s quarters¡¯, but it gave off a radically different impression. The room was littered with plush toys, the walls covered with posters and drawings and, generally speaking, the place had a lot less formal feel to it. It wasn¡¯t just a place for sleeping; it was a home in the truest sense.


    The man wordlessly moved beside the hyper girl and carefully placed the tray on the short coffee-table in front of them.


    Lily: "Yay~! Cocoa! Arigatou~!"


    Pabloc: "You are welcome."


    He took of the apron and, after folding it, laid it onto the back of the sofa. By the time he turned back, the girl had already snatched her mug from the table.


    Lily: "Unya~! It¡¯s hot!"


    Pabloc: "Be careful not to burn your tongue."


    Lily: "Hai~"


    Pabloc: "By the way, what did I miss?"


    Lily: "Oh! They transformed again and beat the big bad man with magic!"


    Pabloc: "I see¡­ so it was the usual?"


    Lily nodded repeated as she raised the mug to her mouth, only to let out a pained hiss a moment later.


    Lily: "Owie! Pabwog-san! Ive buwnd mai twonge!"


    Pabloc: "Even after I warned you not to drink it like that¡­"


    Lily: "Owie-owie¡­"


    Pabloc: "Here, let¡¯s switch, mine is not that hot."


    Lily: "Awigado¡­"


    After switching cups the scientist finally laid back on the soft cushions. As he looked up, he could see the opening of the show playing.


    Lily: "Next episode! Next episode!"


    Pabloc: "(I wonder where he finds these things nowadays¡­)"


    It was a silly mahou shoujo anime, made a few years before the Devastation set in. It was nothing special. In fact, its mere existence was more interesting than its contents. He borrowed it from one of the fairies working at the main labs, who in turn got it from Gabe. Apparently, he found it while rummaging through some archives on the other side of the world before they reunited. Thinking about it, Pabloc could never understood how he could be so nonchalant to take home such seemingly useless things, but Lily was really into these kinds of shows, so this time he was kind of grateful for Gabe¡¯s eccentric priorities. He tried to lay back and just relax, but¡­


    Lily: "Pabloc-san, are you all right?"


    Pabloc: "Huh? Yes, why?"


    Lily: "You seemed like¡­ uuuu¡­ this!"


    The girl suddenly broke out into a weird grimace.


    Pabloc: "¡­ No I wasn¡¯t."


    Lily: "You were! You were! Just like this!"


    The scientist chuckled softly and gently poked her forehead with his index finger.


    Pabloc: "Okay, okay, I get. Stop making weird faces like that."


    Lily: "Then Pabloc-san should stop making them too!"


    Pabloc: "I¡¯m not making weird faces, I¡¯m just a little troubled."


    Lily: "Why?"


    Pabloc: "I¡­ don¡¯t really know. I just have this weird feeling¡­"


    The girl tilted her head questioningly before she muttered;


    Lily: "I don¡¯t understand¡­"


    No matter how he looked at it, she was just adorable. For a moment he fought with the urge, but he suddenly raised his hand and began patting her.


    Pabloc: "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s nothing. I think I¡¯m just tired. Come on, let¡¯s watch the show."


    Lily: "Okay~~"


    With that, they turned their attention to the screen, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not get that weird, nagging feeling out of his head¡­


    ~~~


    There was no sound of collision. No bones breaking, nor metal bending. Nothing. And yet, his hand was inside the tube. In fact his entire arm was merged into the tube about elbow-deep, but there were no signs of damage on its surface. He didn¡¯t as much break through it but reached through it.


    There was only silence. He didn¡¯t even breathe as he slowly retracted his hand. As he pulled it back, there was no hole left behind. The tube was the same as before. His hand however¡­


    Gabe: "Here goes two hundred years¡¯ worth of Black Ether¡­"


    It was black. No, it was even darker than that. There was no reflection on its surface, to the contrary, it felt like it was devouring all the light that fell upon it, like as if someone cut the contours of his hand out of space itself and created a hole on the canvas of reality. The air seemed to be boiling, rippling around his hand even though there was no heat. The dark thing, like a fine glove, seemingly covered it entirely. In truth it much less covered as saturated his hand. As he waved it, it left a short trail of distortion that stole the color of the world seen through it¡­ and yet, terrifying as it was, the scientist couldn¡¯t help but find it the most beautiful thing in this universe. Why wouldn¡¯t he? Dreadful as it might have seemed, it was no weapon, not even magic. It was the fruit of wisdom right from the three of the Garden of Eden, the fuel of creation, primal and wild yet holding infinite possibilities, and nothing less than the crown-jewel of his masterpiece.


    For a few moments he intently gazed into the infinite darkness within his palm, then abruptly turned around and faced the solemnly glowing white armor on the table. Even though he knew there was no will within, he felt it was calling for him.


    He quietly walked up to the workbench and placed his hand onto it. In a few moments the blackness visibly drained from it without leaving a stain on the chest-piece. As a matter of fact, it left no trace whatsoever. Once all the Black Ether was gone, Gabe let out a pent up breath and walked over to the opposite end of the workbench. There, amidst the leftover tools was a single, red button the size of a fist on a rectangular base pained with diagonal black and yellow stripes. He gingerly lifted it up from the bench and raised it to eye level before nodding.


    It was only natural that there would be a big red button. These kinds of important experiments needed a simple and easily distinguishable punctuation to start them. Not to mention, it was a classic. Everyone loved the big red button, right?


    He grabbed the underside of it with one hand, his fingers securely wrapping around the sides, and he raised his balled up fist high¡­ and then he stopped and let it back down. Something was missing. After a moment of consideration, his face bloomed into a childish smile followed by a series of chuckles.


    Gabe: "It¡¯s now or never," He muttered before he opened the flood-gates, threw his arms apart and let out a deep, manic belly-laugh that seemed to last way longer than his lungs should have permitted and echoed dully in the workshop even after he finally ran out of air. At last he straightened himself, took a huge breath and muttered; "I always wanted to do that," before he unceremoniously raised his hands again and placed his thumb upon the red button.

 Ch 23: ... first you have to break some oracles.

    Ahazkun: "UAAAAGH!!!"


    It happened all too suddenly. Just a mere moment ago the oracle was sleeping in well-deserved tranquility. Now, he was clutching his head with an expression just too awful for words. It was strange mix of shock, agony and utter, absolute disbelief. Something happened. He had no idea what it was, but something happened.


    Ahazkun: "(Why is it so¡­ quiet¡­?)"


    It took him several seconds to grasp the reason: his parallel thought-processes collapsed. The processes of his brain that he used to monitor certain variables of his predictions, active even in his sleep, were completely silent. The numerous subliminal channels of data that were constantly feeding information into his conscious mind were silenced, all at once. One who never experienced such phenomenon could never understand how that felt. It was as if the constant guiding hands of the parents suddenly left their child alone in the deepest, darkest forest of the world.


    Ahazkun: "A¡­Argh¡­!"


    There was no physical pain, yet the lack of these processes felt like a gaping wound in his mind, an unnatural feeling of confinement like as if someone stole all his senses at the same time.


    Ahazkun: "Wait¡­ there is no way¡­!"


    No. Actually, there was one time when he felt this way. It happened a long time ago. So long ago, in fact, that he already forgot this lack of sensation, this painless agony. No, even that¡¯s incorrect. He made himself forget that trauma, the time when he first experienced such an overwhelming feeling of helplessness and vulnerability.


    The man finally stood up and took a small step away from his bed. He wordlessly extended his hand towards the pile of notes on his desk and with a glare began to work once again.


    ~~~


    Viktor: "Okay, what about now¡­?"


    The knight readjusted the machine yet again, and as the dim glow of the screen reawakened it illuminated a triumphant smile on his face.


    Viktor: "We are almost there¡­ This way!"


    He turned back as he called out to the Calamity Couple. Who else though? The Type-Os didn¡¯t need this to be told. In fact, even if he wanted to, he couldn¡¯t have made them stop following him¡­


    As they moved on, the knight absentmindedly reached to the back of his belt and raised the control rod. For a moment, he looked all over the ornate metal object in his hand, after which he let out a heavy sigh as he glanced back at the Type-Os again. Powerful as they were, he didn¡¯t trust them the slightest. Sad as it might have sounded, he put more faith into the two weird mercenaries than the six hulking monstrosities, and that said something. Although, he had to ask himself; why would he have trusted them on the first place?


    They were not following him, they were following the rod. He only had limited authority over them; he could order them to stop or to move, a few simple commands but nothing else, and he couldn¡¯t leave them behind for they would follow him automatically no matter what he said. This was one of the very reasons of his stress, the tension he had to endure all this time. If they were to meet any hostiles in the desert and get ambushed, without direct control over the beasts there would have been no battle, only a tactical nightmare where they might have even posed a greater threat to him than any possible enemies they could encounter. They were ordered to protect him, but once they went berserk, such orders don¡¯t even enter what¡¯s left of their minds. He knew that much from experience¡­


    Kiseki: "Vikki?"


    The knight let out an exasperated breath and faced the woman in white.


    Viktor: "What is it?"


    Kiseki: "I think you should slow down. You look all wobbly."


    Viktor: "¡­ Don¡¯t care about that. We are really close, so I¡¯m not going to stop until we are there."


    Kiseki: "Are you sure?"


    Viktor: "Cut the sentimentality, we have no time for that."


    The woman kept eyeing with him for a few moments, then theatrically turned on her heel and went back to his mate, leaving the knight behind as he started tinkering with his machine yet again.


    Adhi: "What is it?"


    Kiseki: "Vikki is so stingy¡­ Pout-pout."


    The man chuckled and poked her cheeks with his index finger.


    Adhi: "You are cute when you are pouting."


    Kiseki: "Anyway¡­"


    As she looked back at the knight, the tone of her voice suddenly changed.


    Kiseki: "Did you feel that?"


    Noticing the change in the atmosphere, the man¡¯s expression became serious as well.


    Adhi: "That surge? Of course I did."


    Kiseki turned back to him with a grave expression that could never be seen on her face before.


    Kiseki: "It was close by. It must have come from the same place that he¡¯s tracking."


    Adhi: "Probably. Do you think we should get ready?"


    Kiseki: "Yeah. I¡¯ll be going first so I¡¯m going to warm up my viridia-reserves."


    As she said that her eyes quickly swept over the desert behind the man.


    Kiseki: "Those guys are clever. This desert is almost empty; if we had been running around without our reserves sealed we would be completely drained by now."


    Adhi: "True. I¡¯m glad that they warned us beforehand."


    For a few moments, both of them seemed uncharacteristically tense.


    Kiseki: "Do you think that he  is the Fairy Man? For real?"


    Adhi continued gazing at the dark horizon as he shrugged his shoulder.


    Adhi: "Could be. He fits the description."


    Kiseki: "I still think we should have reported back to the Emperor."


    Adhi: "And lose this opportunity?" The man glanced at her with doubtful eyes. "If we went back home now, we might never get another chance."


    Kiseki: "I know, but¡­" She fidgeted for a moment before she reached out and took the man¡¯s hand. "We have to be careful. I had a really bad feeling about this job from the very start and it¡¯s getting worse by the minute."


    Adhi: "I agree. This is going to be a lot more dangerous than I¡¯d like, but again¡­"


    Kiseki: "Our only chance," The woman finished his sentence and squeezed his fingers at the same time.


    A heavy silence settled upon the two. Finally, after several seconds spent wordlessly staring at each other, Adhi leaned closer until their foreheads met.


    Adhi: "I understand that you are nervous, but I¡¯m not planning on biting the dust just yet. Nor am I going to let you. If things are getting ugly, we are running, okay?"


    After a brief moment of silence she smiled weakly and squeezed his hand again.


    Kiseki: "Yeah, let¡¯s play it safe this time. Survival first, payment second."


    Adhi: "Right." Saying so the two fell silent once again that only lasted for a second. "Not good! We are getting all gloomy here!"


    Kiseki¡¯s eyes opened wide for a moment, but then she giggled as she snuggled closer to her partner.


    Kiseki: "Then let¡¯s fix it!"


    For a brief moment they looked into each other¡¯s eyes, then they suddenly embraced each other in a long, passionate kiss. Finally, after their lips finally parted, they were startled by a loud voice.


    Viktor: "I said move it! We don¡¯t have all night!"


    As if the spell was broken, the two immediately let go of each other and turned to the knight.


    Kiseki & Adhi: "Yes, Vikki~!"


    Viktor involuntarily raised a brow at the weirdly energetic answer.


    Viktor: "¡­ You guys are creepy."


    He turned his back on them yet again, and soon they all disappeared behind the shadow of one of the desert¡¯s countless sand-dunes.


    ~~~


    The quiet tranquility of the facility¡¯s empty corridors was harshly broken by the sound of a pair of feet frantically making their way through them.


    Kay: "Slow down!"


    Soketsu: "No chance! We wasted too much time at the checkpoint already!"


    The young man with the green-haired girl on his back would have been a humorous sight at first glance, if one could get such a glance on the first place. Soketsu was running through the maze of tunnels with astonishing speed while Kay was desperately holding onto his back in a piggyback ride.


    As they made their way through the complex, the girl raised her voice once again.


    Kay: "Are you even sure we are going the right way?"


    Soketsu: "Yeah, it was coming from this¡­ whoa!"


    Reaching an intersection they came to a screeching halt. There was another weird pair running in the other corridor and they almost bumped into each other.


    Pabloc: "You guys?"


    Lily: "Soketsu-san! Kay-chan!"


    Soketsu quickly glanced over the two and came to the obvious conclusion.


    Soketsu: "You felt it too, right?"


    The scientist forcefully nodded.


    Pabloc: "Yeah. Even I did, and I¡¯m really bad at detecting these turbulences."


    Soketsu: "It must be something big... Where are the others?"


    Pabloc absentmindedly readjusted his glasses as he glanced backwards.


    Pabloc: "I tried calling Ahazkun but he didn¡¯t answer. As for Gabe¡­"


    At the mention of the name the men fell into a sullen silence.


    Kay: "What¡¯s with him? Why did you go quiet?"


    The two of them looked eye-to-eye for a moment and then Soketsu answered after lightly shrugging his shoulders.


    Soketsu: "Listen, you don¡¯t know about this, but Ahazkun warned both of us about Gabe. He is probably doing something really dangerous as we speak."


    Kay: "Dangerous as in¡­ an experiment?"


    Pabloc: "I don¡¯t know. Possibly."


    Soketsu: "Wait, now that I think about it¡­ Kay, you were inside his workshop."


    Kay: "¡­ Yes."


    Soketsu: "So? Did you see anything? What was he working on?"


    Kay: "I¡­ I don¡¯t really know. It looked like a suit of armor but it was obviously more than that."


    Pabloc: "¡­ No good. Just by that information it could be anything."


    Soketsu: "Then we have to ask him personally, don¡¯t we?"


    Pabloc: "No way around it I guess."


    Soketsu: "Then we do just that. Are the monorails running at this hour?"


    Pabloc: "Yes, but I know a faster way."


    Soketsu: "Huh¡­? What the¡­?"


    When the man lowered his gaze he suddenly realized his feet weren¡¯t touching the ground anymore. As he looked up with a confused expression he could see the scientist fiddling with his glasses with a smug smile on his face.


    Pabloc: "We don¡¯t have the time to wait for the next train, so we are going to fly. I¡¯ll try to divert most of the excess G-forces, but we will be going quite fast, so hold onto your dinner."


    Soketsu: "Wait, are you serious?!"


    Pabloc: "Yes, we should get there in less than fifteen minutes like this."


    Lily: "Yay~! We are flying again!"


    Kay: "Wha-wha-whaaaa!"


    The blonde girl skillfully floated over to Kay and peeled her off from Soketsu¡¯s back with one forceful tug.


    Lily: "Gihihi! This is fun~!"


    Kay: "Iiiik! I¡¯m going to fall! I¡¯m going to faaaaaall!"


    Lily: "Thee-hee! Kay-chan, this way, this way~!"


    For a brief moment the two men absentmindedly stared at the girls as Lily started playing with Kay without the slightest hint of tension by tugging her around in the air. Soketsu, surprising even himself, was able to straighten up and stay in one place with almost no effort. It was just like a zero-g environment, save for that he could change orientation and move by shifting his center of gravity alone. However, he was soon shaken out of his daze by the scientist¡¯s voice.


    Pabloc: "Listen everyone, these are the rules: Don¡¯t stick your hands out while in mid-flight, don¡¯t use viridia unless you want me to lose control over your direction and want to have a rather unfriendly meeting with a wall, and most important of all, if you feel sick, say so immediately. I don¡¯t want to have vomit-trails all over the hallways when I go to the lab tomorrow morning¡­"


    Kay: "Got it. I think I can¡­"


    Lily: "Yay~! Look, I¡¯m upside down! I¡¯m upside down!"


    Kay: "Aaaah! Stop that, your dress is going to fall off! I can already see your panties, idiot!"


    Lily: "Gihihi!"


    After raising a brow the scientist slowly turned to the Soketsu and pulled him aside.


    Pabloc: "I don¡¯t really know how to ask this, but¡­ what did you do to Kay?"


    To his surprise the large man actually averted his gaze in the most awkward fashion.


    Soketsu: "Wha-What do you mean¡­?"


    Pabloc: "She somehow seems a little more¡­ lively, than usual."


    Soketsu: "Well, how should I say this¡­? We set a few things straight tonight, that¡¯s all."


    Pabloc: "Is your swollen face the result of that as well?"


    Soketsu: "¡­ I don¡¯t really want to talk about it."


    Pabloc: "On closer look, is that a palm-print?"


    Soketsu: "I said I don¡¯t want to talk about it!"


    The two locked gazes for a moment before Pabloc nonchalantly shrugged his shoulder with an expression saying ¡®Fine, no need to be so defensive¡¯ as he faced the others.


    Pabloc: "Whatever, let¡¯s get moving. Girls!"


    Lily: "Hai~?"


    Kay: "Just a second¡­"


    Kay was still in the middle of fixing Lily¡¯s dress which had ridden up to her neck and got tangled due to all the frills.


    Pabloc: "We are moving out. Don¡¯t forget what I said."


    Lily: "Hai!"


    Kay: "Annnd¡­ Here. Done."


    With undoing one last ribbon Kay finally managed to straighten the girl¡¯s clothes.


    Lily: "Kya~! Arigatou Kay-chan~!"


    Kay: "You are welcome. How do you even put this dress on anyways? There are like a billion ribbons on it!"


    Lily: "Pabloc-san does it for me."


    Kay: "Really? Wow, I never thought he would be the type to¡­"


    At this moment the bespectacled scientist loudly cleared his throat with a frown.


    Pabloc: "I said we are moving out. Get ready."


    Kay slightly nodded and clumsily floated back to Soketsu¡¯s side. For a few moments she kept silently gazing at his face, and the man knew that expression all too well.


    Soketsu: "Do you want me to hold your hand?"


    The girl somewhat timidly reached for her partner¡¯s hand as they realigned themselves. She was clearly nervous.


    Soketsu: "I told you, you should have stayed back at the mansion."


    The girl defiantly shook her head hearing these words.


    Kay: "No, I¡¯m fine. And anyways¡­" Soketsu looked down at her only to find a barely visible, mischievous smile that he hasn¡¯t seen on her face in ages. "¡­ I swore that I won¡¯t be letting you out of my sight. Ever."


    Soketsu: "Call me crazy but I felt there was a hidden threat in those words."


    Kay: "Juuuuust your imagination."


    Before answering, the girl snuggled up to him with the same mischievous expression, her earlier tameness has all but disappeared. Maybe she was consciously trying to act less reserved? Did she really take his request that seriously?


    Either way, it made him both a little worried and a little happy. The man silently rolled his eyes, and just as he was about to come up with some witty comeback¡­


    Pabloc: "¡­ You know what? Enough with the warnings. We are going. Now."


    Soketsu: "Wait, wha?¡­ WHAAAAAAAaaaaaa¡­.!!!"


    Just like that, their bodies were suddenly blasted along the corridor with insane speed, cutting through the air like bullets as they immediately disappeared from sight into the net of tunnels.


    ~~~


    It was quiet in the workshop. Or was it noisy beyond belief? It was hard to tell. After all, breaking the very fabric of reality has weird side-effects like destroying the concept of sound, amongst other things. The workshop itself was scarcely recognizable as well. The whole place was hardly more than a chaotic cavalcade of distorted shapes and colors, swirling around like someone threw the whole canvas of reality into a tank full of paint thinner. But it wasn¡¯t just chaos. Amongst the tempest of improbability stood a lone man, his black coat motionlessly hanging from his shoulders, his finger still pushing a red button in his other hand.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    As Gabe solemnly gazed at the suit of armor in front of him, his lips involuntarily curved into a small smile. A smile filled with satisfaction, delight, and a drop of pity. His creation was breathtakingly gorgeous to the naked eye, but that was for the naked eye only. Simple perceptions like that could never capture its real beauty. Why? Because it was just a shell. The real wonder was something only he and he alone could see. He felt pity for nothing less than the entire world that could never see what he has already laid his eyes upon.


    As such the scientist dropped the button, which subsequently evaporated into the warping space around him, and he made a slight gesture towards the white shape in front of him. He didn¡¯t touch it, didn¡¯t even really reach out to it. He didn¡¯t need to. Within the confined space of the workshop, he was already in control of everything. It was an expected side-effect of the process, so he simply willed his greatest creation to fulfill its job.


    ~~~


    The oracle¡¯s face contorted for a moment, but it almost immediately returned to his previous expression of concentration and cold determination. The new wave that hit his senses a moment ago was several magnitudes greater than the one that previously knocked all of his parallel thought-processes off, but this time he was ready for such developments and took precautions. The predictions he was working one might have been jumbled by it, but he immediately jump-started them again and kept working on incorporating even more processes into the equations. He was continually diving into the waters of time only looking for the pieces of one specific puzzle; the cause of his recent experiences and its effects on his already established predictions.


    Ahazkun: "(Damn!)"


    The answers he found this far were extremely grim. Literally all of his previous plans and all the evens he had foreseen were affected by one way or another, and even more importantly, he was unable to correct them. Whatever was happening, it was clearly interfering with his ability on the most basic level, it was messing with its very source.


    He didn¡¯t really want to believe it, but all the evidence pointed at the same. It was happening again, sooner than he ever anticipated. Too soon. It was not the time. The other pieces haven¡¯t been assembled yet, not to mention the bigger problem, the pawns that were not even supposed to be on the board at this time¡­


    ~~~


    Kiseki: "Achoo!"


    Adhi: "Gesundheit."


    Kiseki: "Thanks. Someone must be talking about me right now¡­"


    Viktor: "Cut the chatter. We are finally here."


    It might have seemed like complete nonsense at first, but the PEEDS didn¡¯t lie. They were at the doorstep of the heart of the emission, even if it seemed like nothing more than a sand-dune just like the hundreds they had seen before.


    Viktor: "Just as the Abbot said, it must be underground¡­"


    Adhi: "We have to dig?"


    The knight sharply shook his head.


    Viktor: "No. The Abbot already made precautions in case of a scenario like this¡­" Saying so, he briskly raised the control-rod of the Type-Os. "That¡¯s why we brought them with us. I have limited control over them, but they got special instructions for digging."


    Adhi: "Wow, the guy is crafty!"


    Kiseki: "So they are going to dig for us? Phew, I was worried I had to do it myself. It would have ruined my clothes¡­"


    Viktor: "Just shut up and get ready. If the Type-Os find anything, you move in and do your job."


    Adhi: "Sir, yes sir!"


    The man tried saluting in a comical fashion, but the knight didn¡¯t even bother reacting to it. He was already used to this kind of behavior and saw no point in reprimanding them. After all, once they are done with this mission he probably won¡¯t see them ever again. Even if they succeed¡­


    Viktor: "Command!"


    He raised the rod into the air, to which all the Type-Os raised their sluggish eyes upon him.


    Viktor: "Pre-established command number three: Excavation! Find any underground facilities under our current position and attempt infiltration. Go!"


    The beasts kept gazing upon him in eerie silence for a moment, then as if a spell was broken, all six of them roared in unison, their eyes flaring with a terrifying orange light. They raised their clawed arms and began burrowing their way into the sand beneath with astonishing speed, throwing huge chunks of dirt and rocks left and right while being overseen by the restless knight and the uncharacteristically quiet mercenary couple.


    ~~~


    Pabloc: "Are you all right?"


    Kay: "¡­ You¡­ have the nerve to ask?"


    Soketsu: "We are not doing this¡­ ever¡­ again."


    Kay: "Uhhh¡­  My head¡­Now I understand how the ball feels in the pinball machine, and let me tell you, I never wanted to know¡­"


    Soketsu: "I second that. The only reason I¡¯m not throwing up right now is because my dinner is too dizzy to find its way out of my stomach¡­"


    Pabloc: "Oh come on you two, don¡¯t be so childish. There were almost no g-forces at all!"


    Soketsu: "Except for the last part."


    Pabloc: "¡­ Maybe, but that¡¯s beside the point. Can you stand?"


    Kay: "Yes, my stomach finally calmed down a little."


    Pabloc: "¡­ Glad to hear that. Let¡¯s move, we are almost at the workshop."


    Lily: "Thank you for flying with Pabloc-airlines~!"


    The scientist stood up while quietly resting his hand on the head of Lily, who was snuggling up to him all this time. Soketsu on the other hand was taking care of Kay. The girl was sitting limply by the wall near the monorail-station near Gabe¡¯s workshop. They were almost there when the second surge hit them and disturbed Pabloc¡¯s telekinetic control. Thankfully he managed to stop them before the situation could have turned grave, but he couldn¡¯t dissipate the g-forces during that time so the sudden deceleration was really rough, especially for Kay.


    Pabloc: "(That second wave¡­ Just what the hell was that?)"


    Soketsu: "Do you want me to give you a ride on my back again?"


    As the scientist looked back, Soketsu was in the middle of helping Kay onto her feet.


    Kay: "No. I think it would only make me motion-sick right now."


    Soketsu: "Are you sure?"


    The girl stood up but it took her few seconds to steady her legs.


    Kay: "Yeah, I will be all right. I think."


    Soketsu: "Okay, but don¡¯t push yours-"


    All of a sudden there was a scraping, crashing noise in the distance followed by a soft vibration transferred through the ground. The small group all looked at each other questioningly until Soketsu decided to ask the question that was on all their minds.


    Soketsu: "Did you hear that¡­?"


    Pabloc nodded sharply as he pushed the glassed up the bridge of his nose with a deep frown.


    Pabloc: "¡­ I have a bad feeling about this¡­"


    ~~~


    The sharp sound of sirens broke the silence of the study and tore Ahazkun away from his work yet again.


    Ahazkun: "(What the¡­? You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡­!)"


    He didn¡¯t hear such sirens before, but he clearly remembered Gabe¡¯s briefing when he first gave him a tour around Avalon¡¯s facilities. It was the alarm reserved for serious emergencies, which could only mean one thing.


    He jumped onto his feet and reached for the pile of papers on his desk. It didn¡¯t take long to find what he was looking for. His eyes ran over the numbers on the memo, and after comparing them to the ones within his mind¡­


    Ahazkun: "(¡­ This is insane!)"


    No one should have been able to find this facility. Not now, not ever. Especially not them. They did not include into any of his predictions, they should have been nothing more than a passing nuisance¡­!


    Ahazkun: "(Such a huge deviance and so soon¡­)"


    He couldn¡¯t do anything about it. He returned to the bed and sat down once again. All he could hope for is that he would be able to find at least one answer for the countless questions before it was too late¡­ and hope for the safety of his comrades.


    ~~~


    Adhi: "Whoa¡­"


    With one last push the hulking monsters managed to break through the concrete walls beneath the sand. The knight didn¡¯t know which was more amazing, the fact that someone managed to build a structure more than a twenty meters under the desert, or that the Type-Os could work their way down to it in the span of only half an hour. As they finally broke in, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Finally, they were at the finish line. There was only one last issue to take care of.


    Viktor: "Listen, you are going in first. Me and the Type-Os will stay her and secure the-"


    Adhi: "Yeah, yeah. You don¡¯t need to make this up, we already know."


    Viktor: "You know¡­ what?"


    The knight couldn¡¯t hide his surprise when the man spoke up with a cool tone in his voice. He turned towards the two just to meet another baffling sight: the couple was looking at him with a deadly serious expression, one he has never seen on them before.


    Adhi: "Once we are inside, you are going to take the beasts and run back to the base via the shortest route possible, right?"


    The knight couldn¡¯t even gulp in surprise, completely frozen by the severe eyes locked on him. At last he took a sharp breath and nodded, albeit weakyl


    Viktor: "Yes. That¡¯s the plan." He didn¡¯t really want to disclose this, but the cat was out of the bag already, so he found no reason to deny it. "It is part of my mission. I was ordered to return to the base immediately after we found their base of operation and report on their position."


    The couple put their heads together for a second then turned right back to him.


    Adhi: "Yeah, we guessed that much. So you are the messenger and we are the distraction."


    Viktor: "Yes. Your job is to try and apprehend the targets, or if you can¡¯t, provide a distraction so I can safely return to command with the intel."


    Adhi: "I see¡­ Well, it¡¯s fine."


    Viktor: "¡­ It is?"


    To his surprise, the mercenaries dropped their serious expression and directed a pair of warm smiles at him.


    Kiseki: "Yeah, thanks for being honest Vikki."


    Adhi: "Yeah, no hard feelings. We kind of figured that we were here only as disposable pawns, but it doesn¡¯t really matter."


    Kiseki: "Yup. It¡¯s part of being a mercenary."


    Adhi: "Plausible deniability, et cetera."


    Viktor: "¡­ You guys¡­"


    The knight was completely baffled by the sudden change in the mannerism of the two, not to mention how casually they took the news. In fact, even he didn¡¯t know what he expected their reaction would be, nor did he know why he told them the truth so readily.


    Kiseki: "Good luck on your way back, Vikki!"


    Adhi: "Yeah, have a safe trip. We¡¯ll meet you at the abbey once we are done here."


    He slowly came to the realization; he kind of grew attached to the two during these days they spend together. He would even go so far as to call them his comrades. Annoying, annoying comrades. So yes, it left a bitter aftertaste, but he turned his back on them without a word and started walking away from them, surrounded by the Type-Os like bodyguards. He decided this was for the best. After all, what was more important than his mission?


    Adhi: "¡­ I guess he is not good with goodbyes."


    Kiseki: "He is so shy¡­ Let¡¯s bring him some souvenirs once we¡¯re finished."


    Adhi: "Sounds good to me."


    The two took another good look at the knight walking away from them before moving to the hole.


    Adhi: "Okay, let¡¯s break stuff!"


    Kiseki: "Just another day at work."


    As such, without further ado, the two jumped into the shambling hole at the bottom of the twenty meters deep funnel in the ground like it was nothing.


    ~~~


    The mad scientist let out a content chuckle. It happened. Finally. He achieved his goal. Within the blazing white light of the armor, a new existence was formed. A brand new soul-core. It was something that should have been impossible. The binding rule of the cores was even more unbreakable than the rules of energy-conservation. Creating one, even with the help of Black Ether, was like creating a perpetuum mobile from sticks and glue.


    Yes, sticks and glue indeed. He accomplished the impossible for the second time, but this time it was on his own. Now, a new existence was born before him, a seed waiting for him to nurture it. He did not make it wait.


    His extended hand slowly sunk into the chest-piece of the armor, just like it once entered through the solid metal of the tube in his workshop, and he reached for the forming embryo of infinite potentials within. He gazed into the brilliant whiteness and seen beyond the shell of the armor. He could see the raging inferno of the forge violently dancing around his palm. It seemed the furious blaze was about to consume his hand but it did not hurt him. It felt more like a gentle caress, like warm water running over his skin. It was a strange feeling, yet not unpleasant at all. And behind the walls of the heatless flames, it was there, in arm¡¯s reach.


    It was shapeless, yet it had infinite shapes. It had no color because it was color itself. It was not hot nor cold, it was something that had no concept of ¡®temperature¡¯. It was gigantic yet it could fit on the palm of his hand. It was, before all else, pure potential, ready to turn into anything.


    For a moment he hesitated. It just seemed so fragile, so weak. One stray though and it could be blown away, banished back into the chaos it was born from. But he had no choice. As much of a wonder it was, it was but an origin. Without a goal, without a shape or purpose, it was nothing. It was potential, and as such, it was yearning to be utilized.


    His hand, still glowing with the colorless light, slowly reached for the undefined, unsoiled core, and began forming it. He poured all that he remembered, all that he uncovered, all that he ever felt into the new being. With that, he has finally reached the domain of a God¡­ yet he couldn¡¯t care less about it. His mind had no place for such stray thoughts. His entire being, his entire existence was suppressed, and there was only place for the act of recreation in his mind; the mind of the Originator.


    It took only a second. Or was it a century? It surely felt like so. Still, it was done. There was no great explosion, no hymn from an immaculate chorus of angels, no world-shattering surge of power¡­ Only a quiet, welcoming warmth.


    Gabe: "Finally¡­"


    He succeeded. It was hard to believe, but he did. The tempest of chaos that was dominating the workshop all this time finally began to fade, shapes returning to what they were, colors fading, flowing back into their rightful place. Then the sounds came back, first the quiet humming of the machinery then the distant sound of sirens, and finally the oily, slightly stale smell of the room hit the scientist¡¯s nostrils.


    Amidst of that lied the armor, still on the workbench, unmoving, engulfed in the purest white. His hand reached for it once again, and as he gently placed his fingertips on the forehead of the helmet¡­


    The ethereal garment suddenly burst into billions of small, sparkling fragments, like water-droplets in the summer sun¡¯s light. Finally he could lay his eyes on his creation underneath the now dissolved armor. And then he smiled, a pure, warm smile that seemed strange yet natural on his face and he whispered;


    Gabe: "Welcome back."


    ~~~


    Kiseki: "Whoa! It¡¯s so dirty here!"


    The man promptly landed only a second after his partner.


    Adhi: "Yes, and dark too."


    Kiseki: "I expected a more tidy evil lair."


    Adhi: "I fear we have to accept the sad truth; evil geniuses just don¡¯t care about appearances anymore."


    Kiseki: "So sad."


    Adhi: "Yes, so sad."


    All of a sudden a new voice joined the fray in the form of a forceful cough. The two mercenaries abruptly turned around as a bespectacled man in a white coat walked out of the shady corner of the station. His stance was surprisingly relaxed.


    Kiseki: "Oh, hi! Are you the welcoming committee?"


    Pabloc: "It depends. Who might you be?"


    Adhi&Kiseki: "We are the Calamity Couple!"


    Pabloc: "Oh, I see¡­" There was a moment of expectant silence while Pabloc fiddle with his glasses. "Never heard of you."


    Kiseki: "Awww! You are mean!"


    Adhi: "Yeah! We though there was finally someone who heard about us!"


    Kiseki: "What a bummer¡­"


    Adhi: "Yeah, totally demoralizing."


    The two were once again interrupted by another forceful clearing of the throat.


    Pabloc: "Are you finished?"


    Kiseki: "Actually¡­ Yeah."


    The scientist took a few steps towards the two as he finally stopped messing with his glasses.


    Pabloc: "Good. Now, may I ask what your business may be? We rarely get any visitors."


    Adhi: "Oh, we are here to find a missing agent and capture these prophet-guys."


    Pabloc: "Really? Just the two of you?"


    Kiseki: "Uuuu¡­ Yes, why?"


    All of a sudden the scientist broke into a toothy, amicable smile.


    Pabloc: "If it¡¯s only the two of you, you should have asked for an appointment."


    The mercenary couple was momentarily taken aback, but then they looked at each other with over-exaggerated expressions.


    Adhi: "Wait, we could do that? No one told me we could do that!"


    Kiseki: "You want to tell me we could have avoided wandering through the desert?! Why didn¡¯t anyone tell us about this before! Pout-pout!"


    Pabloc: "If you wish I can book you an appointment. How does next Friday sound to you?"


    Adhi: "Oh, we can¡¯t do that. We are already running late and we have to find a souvenir-shop too."


    Kiseki: "Yes, our guide totally got us lost in the desert so we have to make up for his mistake."


    Adhi: "Yeah, we have to do this quickly."


    Kiseki: "Yes, yes. So¡­"


    The two of them finally took a stance as they turned towards the scientist.


    Kiseki: "Could we ask you to come with us quietly, Mr. Fourth Prophet?"


    Hearing these words, an almost condescending smile rose on the scientist¡¯s face.


    Pabloc: "Are you sure you want to act so rashly. You are in enemy territory without support. You are clearly at a disadvantage and-"


    Adhi: "No we aren¡¯t, we outnumber you three to one!"


    Pabloc: "Three¡­?"


    Suddenly the woman in white pointed behind Pabloc and exclaimed;


    Kiseki: "Quickly! Clobber him over the head while he isn¡¯t looking!"


    After a long second of deafening silence the man at the back awkwardly raised his hand and pointed at himself.


    Soketsu: "Are you¡­ talking to me by any chance?"


    ~~~


    Kay: "This way!"


    The two girls were running through the corridors towards the workshop. The sound of their small feet dully echoed, barely audible under the loud screaming of the alarm. It happened all too fast. Soketsu took them under his arms and carried them to the tunnel leading to Gabe¡¯s place and then immediately dashed back to Pabloc. It was so unexpected that the girl actually forgot to even argue with him and ask him to take her into battle. This was a special case after all; it was entirely justified for her to be by his side!


    At the moment she was holding onto the blond girl¡¯s hand who was excitedly giggling behind her. She couldn¡¯t decide if she was brave or just plain ignorant, but it didn¡¯t matter. They had to get to the workshop and ask for Gabe¡¯s help. There were intruders in the facility and Soketsu and Pabloc might have been already engaged in battle with them.


    Kay: "Ugh¡­"


    Thinking about that, she started running even faster. Normally she didn¡¯t like doing this, but she even channeled some viridia into her wobbly legs to make them steadier. She was afraid that Lily might not be able to keep up with the pace, but she was proven surprisingly agile.


    Kay: "Almost there!"


    It only took them a few more seconds to reach the last hallway. She was there only a few hours ago, so she already knew the way. She had no idea how they were going to make their presence known through the pocket-space barrier, but she hoped that Gabe had at least some sort of notification system. Except¡­


    Kay: "Huh?"


    There was no barrier. She lightly touched the surface of the wall and there was no light covering it. After a few seconds of consideration she started banging on the ¡®door¡¯.


    Lily: "Oh, let me help! Gabe-samaaaa~!!!"


    The blonde girl started hitting the wall as well, and surprising as it have seemed, it didn¡¯t take long to hear the muffled voice of the scientist from the other side.


    Gabe: "Just a sec, this damn piece of junk got jammed¡­!" For a few seconds they could hear tinkering from the other side of the fake wall until it finally started to move with a loud, mechanical groan. As it opened half-way, the scientist suddenly stuck his head out. "Oh, hi girls. What are you doing here this late?"


    Kay: "What do you mean!? What are YOU doing!? There was some huge surge of Ether, then another one, then the alarm went off, then someone broke in and¡­"


    Gabe: "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down a little¡­"


    ????: "Who are you talking to?"


    The girls looked at each other with a confused expression. There was an unfamiliar voice coming from the scientist¡¯s place that didn¡¯t seem to belong to anyone they knew. The man glanced over his shoulder, than back at the duo at his doorstep, and finally he just sighed in surrended.


    Gabe: "You know what? Just come on in and tell me what¡¯s going on. It¡¯s a good chance to introduce you too."


    They finally entered the workshop as the scientist moved aside, only to find themselves face to face with an unknown young lady with short silver hair sitting on his bed, covered only in the bed-sheets. Before they could even say a word the scientist gently urged them forward.


    Gabe: "Don¡¯t be shy, introduce yourself."


    Kay was mildly confused at the strange turn of events while Lily, as usual, took it with a stride.


    Lily: "Konbanwa~! My name is Lily~!"


    The mysterious woman didn¡¯t answer, only smiled with a bit awkward yet still warm expression.


    Kay: "Pleased to meet you. My name it Kay."


    The woman still didn¡¯t answer. Her eyes kept jumping between the two of them for a few seconds then finally settled on the scientist.


    Gabe: "W-What?"


    ????: "Are they¡­ your kids?"


    Lily: "Nyu?" Lily let out a weird sound, which prompted the mad scientist to wave his hands in denial in front of the two.


    Gabe: "Nonononononono! No! I mean, no. Big no! Not at all."


    She let out a small, slightly relieved sigh.


    ????: "Thank god. I was seriously afraid there actually was a woman mad enough to bear your children."


    Gabe: "Hey!"


    ????: "Speaking of which, you didn¡¯t clone them either, right?"


    Gabe: "Come on!"


    ????: "Okay, okay. I got it, you are not related."


    Kay: "E-Excuse me?"


    ????: "Hm?"


    Kay: "You still haven¡¯t introduced yourself¡­"


    ????: "Oh, you are right, sorry."


    The woman smiled at her yet again. It was a warm, motherly smile, yet somehow it felt a little bit lonely and insecure at the same time. She brushed her short, almost sparkling silver locks back and finally answered.


    Jill: "Pleased to meet you girls. My name is Jill."


    ~~~


    Adhi: "No! Don¡¯t talk! He will notice you have escaped!"


    Kiseki: "Quickly, hit his weak point for massive damage! You might even get a backstab-multiplier!"


    It took the scientist a few second to shake off the confusion and turn away from the weird intruders.


    Pabloc: "Are the girls okay?"


    Soketsu: "Huh? Y-Yeah, I left them on the doorstep of the workshop. Anyway, good job holding them up while I was away."


    Pabloc: "Thank you for the compliment, but with these two, it was hardly a feat."


    Kiseki: "A-ha!"


    By the time they returned their attention to the intruders, the woman was pointing a finger at the once again with a triumphant expression.


    Soketsu: "What?"


    Kiseki: "I figured it out! You have brainwashed the Soketsu to do your bidding!"


    Adhi: "What? How despicable!"


    After another moment of awkwardness it was Pabloc¡¯s turn to point at the other side.


    Pabloc: "Do you know these guys by any chance?"


    Soketsu: "Do you seriously think I would affiliate with idiots like that?"


    Pabloc: "Well, you are affiliated with Gabe¡­"


    Soketsu: "So are you!"


    Pabloc: "Point taken. So neither of us have any idea these people are."


    Adhi: "Hey! We are right over here, don¡¯t ignore us!"


    Kiseki: "Yeah, that¡¯s mean!"


    By this point even the scientist couldn¡¯t hide the irritation slowly welling up inside him as he faced the couple.


    Pabloc: "Okay, so what do you want?"


    Adhi: "We told you, we are here to capture the prophets."


    Kiseki: "And Soketsu."


    Adhi: "Yes, him too."


    Kiseki: "And his Alternate."


    Adhi: "Yeah, her too."


    Kiseki: "Because she is so cute!" As she said so, the she made a heart-shape with her palms. Ignoring that, Pabloc once again turned to Soketsu.


    Pabloc: "Do you think they are dangerous?"


    Soketsu: "¡­ I am tempted to say ¡®only if stupidity is contagious¡¯, but they seem to have huge viridia-reserves, and by that stance I would say they are trained as well."


    Pabloc: "Great." He muttered with unconcealed sarcasm dripping from his voice. "In that case, take this."


    The scientist reached into his breast-pocket and took out a small, round object.


    Soketsu: "What¡¯s that?"


    Instead of answering, the scientist flicked his finger and the machine flew out of his hand like a bullet. It flew around them and, after suddenly changing its trajectory, lodged itself into Soketsu¡¯s ear.


    Soketsu: "Ouch! Hey, what the hell...?!"


    Pabloc: "[A telepathic communicator.]"


    Soketsu: "[Huh?]"


    He was looking at the scientist and even though he could see that his lips were still he still heard his words, inside his head, which took him a few seconds to finally register.


    Soketsu: "[Wait, it was a TC? Weren¡¯t those things the size of a backpack?]"


    Pabloc: "[They used to be, but I retrofitted them for battlefield usage.]"


    Soketsu: "[¡­ Great, but... It¡¯s still creepy to hear your words in my head.]"


    Pabloc: "[Deal with it.]"


    Kiseki: "¡­ Oh no! I finally got it!" Saying so she pointed at the two for the third time with a triumphant smile. "Look how he is eyeing him without saying a word! The creepy prophet guy must have the Mystic Eyes of Yaoi!"


    Pabloc: "C-Creepy?!"


    Soketsu: "Mystic Eyes of what?!"


    Without paying any attention to them, Kiseki continued without a moment of hesitation.


    Kiseki: "Soketsu got enslaved by the creepy prophet¡¯s magical hypnosis! We have to save him!"


    Adhi: "Argh! That is monstrous! Misusing the power of the Double Rainbow Eyes like that!"


    Pabloc: "There is no double rainbow in the Noble Colors system! At least get your obscure jokes straight!"


    Soketsu: "[¡­ Are you sure THIS is the detail you want to have an issue with?]"


    Without answering, the scientist took off his glasses and neatly tucked them away into his breast-pocket.


    Pabloc: "So then, are you going to attack us or what?"


    Soketsu: "[Wait! Don¡¯t taunt them!]"


    Kiseki: "Ah, yes. You are right, we are in a hurry!"


    Suddenly, the body of the woman flared up with a blinding green light. In the meantime the man loosened his tie, then his right arm lashed out like a whip, right into the middle of the burning light. The brilliance immediately subsided and solidified.


    Adhi: "Time to get a little serious."


    In Adhi¡¯s hand lied a grand, ornate scythe, one that would even the Grim Reaper himself would be proud of. Its beautifully curved handle was jet-black, adorned with silver filigree while its thin blade was faintly shining with a greenish light in the darkness of the ruined corridor.


    Pabloc: "[A battle-couple with a female Alternate? How original...]"


    Soketsu: "[Shut up.]"


    With that, Soketsu¡¯s fists flared up with a pale blue light while Pabloc¡¯s feet slowly rose from the ground together with several chunks of the surrounding debris and sand. As such, the three men faced off against each other, only waiting for the cue to cut through the tense air and begin their deadly dance in the darkness.


    Pabloc: "[You ready?]"


    Soketsu: "[Like I have a choice¡­]"


    And with that wordless exchange, the silent bang of the starting pistol finally rang out in the corridor, signifying the beginning of a battle of life and death.


    ~~~


    The catgirl was gasping for air by the time she finally reached Ahazkun¡¯s study. She felt like a complete idiot at this point, and even if it hurt to admit, for good reason. After she parted with Pabloc and Lily she immediately got lost as she had no idea which part of the facility she was in. Then, after finding a monorail station, she accidentally rode it to the wrong way, which cost her even more precious minutes of walking back, then finally, when she almost made her way to the right sector, the sirens went off and she got so panicked that she took a wrong turn and got lost again.


    Tiari: "(I was supposed to be half-cat! How come I am still so bad with directions!?)"


    She finally waved her hand in front of the automatic door with an exhausted look on her face.


    Tiari: "(Whatever, at least this day can¡¯t get any worse¡­)"


    The moment she could look inside, she froze mid-step with an alarmed expression The of the study was a mess. There were pieces of torn paper covering everything, the desk in the corner was broken in hald and the oracle was wordlessly laying on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. The girl took a hesitant step inside, then suddenly jumped to the side of the bed with one huge leap.


    Tiari: "Ahaz! What happened, what¡¯s going on!?"


    The man slowly turned his head towards her voice, but his eyes were vacuous, as if he wasn¡¯t even looking at her. Then without saying a word, he turned back and kept staring at the ceiling yet again.


    Tiari: "Ahaz!"


    For a moment, it seemed like her voice didn¡¯t even reach him, then, suddenly¡­


    Ahazkun: "I¡­ know¡­."


    Tiari: "What?"


    Ahazkun: "I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­. what¡¯s going on¡­ anymore¡­"


    For a few moments the oracle¡¯s words, seemingly empty yet still burning with unspeakable sadness and rage, kept echoing in the room, then faded leaving only the faint sound of the alarms reverberating between the walls¡­

 Ch 24: Teamwork

    Jill: "Thank you."


    Lily: "Douitashimashite~"


    Jill clumsily accepted the cup of hot ginger-tea and took a small sip while the blonde girl sat beside her on the bed, holding her own mug. She was no longer covered in the bed-sheets, instead she was wearing trousers and a shirt that was at least two sizes bigger than her, apparently belonging to the scientist. After taking yet another sip, she raised her eyes upon the man standing near the workbench while arguing with the green-haired girl.


    Gabe: "Yes, that¡¯s it."


    Kay: "So, she is your old advisor, who was originally a fairy, and whom you resurrected from the dead by dragging her Soul Core information out of the Universal Core while matching it with the imprints you collected and reorganized and¡­ and¡­ Whoa¡­" The black-clad scientist patiently waited for her to digest the news. "So that armor was¡­"


    Gabe: "A sort of Soul Core incubation chamber."


    Kay: "I¡­ have nothing to say. This is¡­"


    Gabe: "Amazing?"


    Kay: "Impossible!" Kay exclaimed with a red face. "How did you even create enough Black Ether to make a copy of¡­"


    Gabe: "Hey! I told you, she is not a copy. She¡¯s the real thing."


    Kay: "But that¡¯s just impossible! It goes head against the primal principles of the whole Core-system! It goes against everything you wrote in your books!"


    Gabe: "Hey, I was the one who discovered the whole Core-business, so I can break it any time I want to."


    Kay: "What!? That¡¯s not an argument! By this logic Newton should have been able to break the laws of thermodynamics just because he was the one who first wrote them down!"


    Gabe: "Well, maybe he could!"


    Kay: "¡­ What?"


    Gabe: "Prove me he couldn¡¯t! Come on, I¡¯m waiting."


    Kay: "What are you talking about?! It¡¯s you who have to prove it to me, not the other way around!"


    Gabe: "Well, isn¡¯t someone cheeky tonight! In that case¡­"


    Jill quietly watched the two for a while then turned to the blonde girl quietly sitting by her side.


    Jill: "Say, Lily?"


    Lily: "Hai~?"


    Jill: "¡­ Are you sure those two are not related?"


    After a brief moment of confusion she shook her head.


    In contrast to the still lively girl, Jill slightly shrugged her shoulders. She was still utterly confused about what exactly happened to her. What little she could figure out of Gabe¡¯s and Kay¡¯s conversation said she was ¡®resurrected¡¯, though what that exactly meant was yet to be elaborated on. Apparently a long time, possibly a couple of years has passed since she last closed her eyes. She was also at a place she has never seen before in a body that she felt was her own yet was completely different from how she remembered herself, and she was quite sure she had never seen the two girls before.


    She took another good look at the two, at which Lily slightly tilted her head with an amused expression.


    Jill: "(Just what are these two doing here?)"


    According to him they were not related to Gabe, so¡­ Maybe the others? For example, if Kay was Pabloc¡¯s daughter, it would at least explain how she could go toe to toe with the man on the science-front¡­ but Lily? She seemed way too innocent to be related to either member of the group. And there was a bigger question: exactly how long was she out cold? These girls seem somewhere around ten years old, but Gabe only looked about a year or two older than the last time she saw him¡­


    Jill: "This just makes no sense¡­"


    Lily: "Nyu?"


    Jill: "Oh, sorry, I didn¡¯t want to startle you¡­"


    Instead of answering the girl kept intently staring at her face.


    Jill: "What is it?"


    Without warning an almost blindingly sweet smile bloomed on the blond girl¡¯s face, taking her completely aback.


    Lily: "Jill-san, you are pretty~!" Before she could even process what she just heard, Lily abruptly frowned. "Oh, I almost forgot! Jill-san, can I call you Jill-san?"


    Jill: "Excuse me?"


    Lily: "No¡­ wait, you are with Gabe-sama, so you should be called Jill-sama, right?"


    Jill: "Are you sure you want to call me that?"


    Lily: "Oh, you are right! I should actually call you Ouhi-sama!"


    Jill blinked a couple of times and then tried to smile, thought the actual expression ended up more as an awkward grimace.


    Jill: "Let¡¯s¡­ Let¡¯s just stick with the first version."


    Lily: "Hai, Jill-san!"


    Jill: "(I was so wrong; she is weird enough to be the kid of any of those guys¡­)"


    Lily: "Nyu?"


    Jill: "Nothing, I was just¡­"


    She tried to carefully turn away and took another sip from her cup, but instead she almost knocked herself in the nose with it.


    Jill: "Ouch¡­"


    Lily: "Are you all right, Jill-san?"


    Jill: "Yes, I¡¯m just a little clumsy right now¡­ I¡¯m just too big." Seeing the girl¡¯s confused expression, she hastily clarified; "Oh, you see, I used t-"


    Then said clarification was promptly interrupted by an indignant voice.


    Kay: "STRAIGHT CURVES!? That doesn¡¯t even begin to make sense!"


    Gabe: "You better stop shouting little lady, or you will get spanked!"


    Kay: "Don¡¯t try to change the subj¡­ Wait¡­" All of a suddenly Kay¡¯s expression hardened as she glared at the scientist. "Why am I even arguing with you about the Core-theory!? Soketsu might be in mortal danger right now!"


    Gabe: "Wait¡­ I said spanking and your mind immediately associated it with Soketsu¡­? Did something kinky happen while I wasn¡¯t looking?"


    Kay: "I said don¡¯t change the subject!"


    Gabe: "But you just did!"


    Kay: "Yes, but this is serious! We have to help them!"


    Gabe: "Oh come, on. They are big boys; they can take care of a few intruders."


    Kay: "But¡­"


    The scientist got down to one knee and looked the girl in the eye.


    Gabe: "Listen Kay. It¡¯s Pabloc and Soketsu that we are talking about. One is an engineering genius and field tactician with a high-grade telekinetic power and the other is a probably the strongest melee fighter on the planet at the moment. In this room we have three girls and a scientist who can¡¯t do anything without his armor."


    Kay: "But your armor is right there!"


    Gabe: "¡­ That¡¯s beside the point."


    Kay: "How is that beside the point¡­!? That is the point!!!"


    The scientist calmly stood up, passed by the outraged girl and reached out for the third cup of tea on the night-stand beside his bed.


    Gabe: "Listen, my point is this: There are less than ten people in the entire world right now that could pose any real threat to those two. If the guys they are fighting are not one of those, then there is no problem, and if they are, then we would only get in their way." Seeing that Kay didn¡¯t refute his claims the man nodded to himself with a thin smile. "I¡¯m glad you understand. So¡­"


    For a moment, Jill looked at the scientist expectantly, hoping that he would finally tell her what¡¯s going on, but instead of that he just gulped his drink down in one go and grabbed a few tools from the pile on the workbench.


    Gabe: "Phew¡­ time to fix that damned door!"


    With that, he suddenly left the others behind and started tinkering with the half-open door mechanism while Jill kept staring at him with a disappointed look. As she had no idea of the situation she didn¡¯t know what to ask, so she decided to wait for the scientist to speak to her on his own, even if he seemingly avoided her. In the meantime she quietly took another sip from her mug. It was sweet¡­ yet somehow bitter at the same time.


    ~~~


    Soketsu: "[On your right!]"


    Pabloc: "Hha!"


    The scientist¡¯s figure shot through the air, twisting out of the way of the blade swung towards him, then immediately turned around and blasted the area with a hail of the fist-sized debris swirling around him.


    Right before the rain of projectiles could hit him the mercenary¡¯s figure suddenly disappeared. He kicked the ground under himself with such force that it broke the concrete floor. In mid-air he swung his scythe towards the closest wall and its blade sunk into it as if it was cutting wrapping paper. Using this leverage he pushed himself to the ceiling and kicked himself off once again. He was heading straight for the scientist when¡­


    Soketsu: "[Dive to the left!]"


    Soketsu: "Haaaa!"


    ¡­ a blinding flash of blue light filled his vision. Soketsu literally exploded out of the scientist¡¯s shadow with several sigils shimmering across his body, the brightest being the one on his right fist. It was burning with viridia and was just about to burrow itself into Adhi¡¯s abdomen¡­


    Adhi: "Hya!"


    ¡­ when the man abruptly contorted his body and managed to knock the fist aside with the shaft of his weapon. The strength of the punch has sent the mercenary flying back, yet Soketsu¡¯s deflected fist still had enough power behind it to dig its way into the concrete tunnel wall with the kinetic force of a gauss-slug.


    While still in mid-air the man raised his scythe, getting ready to strike at the momentarily defenseless Soketsu when he heard the now-familiar whistling sound of rocks and concrete cutting through the air.


    Adhi: "Ugh!"


    He immediately pulled his weapon back and rolled out of the way of the incoming projectiles, then he jumped onto his feet and disappeared behind a corner with speed that was almost too fast for human eyes to follow.


    Pabloc: "[Are you all right?]"


    The man forcefully tore his fist out of the wall, leaving a hole that was about two times the size of his hand behind.


    Soketsu: "[Yeah, but that was my best shot. He is too fast, I cannot get close enough to hit him.]"


    Pabloc: "[He is roughly as fast as you were when you were fighting Gabe though¡­]"


    Soketsu: "[The circumstances are different.]" He transmitted before he spat to the side to clean out the dust in his mouth. This battle was troublesome. This was their fourth clash yet neither side managed to even scrape the other. "[Just who the hell is this guy?]"


    He was less of a man and more of a monster. This was the first time either of them has ever seen someone move so rapidly for so long and his precision with his weapon was downright unearthly. The scientist quickly ran through the data he assembled during these encounters. Out of the three of them he had the greatest range but without his balanced blades he could only rely on the debris lying around their feet both for offensive and defensive purposes, severely limiting his potential. Soketsu on the other hand was using the same hand-to-hand technique he was famous for before the Devastation. His sigil-enhanced speed and strength, combined with the special sigils on his fists made him into a one-hit killer at close range.


    As for their enemy¡­ he was devilishly fast and agile. He moved around with insane speeds and, to make things worse, had a weapon with a relatively long range. His scythe might have seemed like an awkward weapon, especially in such a tight quarters, but it had a fearsome ability: apparently it was able to cut through matter without the slightest of effort, making Soketsu almost useless in straight-up battle, as getting too close to him was almost suicidal. Thankfully their opponent only took potshots at him when the opportunity arose, focusing mainly on Pabloc. They tried to use this strange preference to create an opening before, but this plan just failed the third time in a row.


    Soketsu: "[They are moving down west on the corridor behind the one next to the station entrance.]"


    Pabloc: "[Wait a second¡­ Are you using it?]"


    The man turned to him while flexing his fists, revealing his left eye burning with a green light.


    Soketsu: "[My Mystic Eye of Depth Perception? Yes.]"


    Pabloc: "[¡­ I told you it¡¯s not depth- but extra-sensory perception. Or you can just call it clairvoyance or...]"


    Soketsu: "[It¡¯s the same; the important thing is that it tells me where things are in 360 degrees in all three axes.]"Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Pabloc: "[No it¡¯s¡­ Right, it doesn¡¯t matter. How long can you use it?]"


    Soketsu: "[I made a sigil that lets me turn it on and off consciously, but it¡¯s still eating my viridia like crazy¡­]"


    Pabloc: "[I understand. We should put this tactical advantage to good use before you run low. Let¡¯s move, and keep me updated on where he is.]"


    Soketsu: "[Got it.]"


    With that, they both started moving down the corridor while their ¡®conversation¡¯ didn¡¯t even suffer a jolt.


    Soketsu: "[Why is he running around like that?]"


    Pabloc: "[Like what?]"


    Soketsu: "[It¡¯s like he runs through every hallway without getting too far from us.]"


    Pabloc: "[¡­ He must be scouting the facility. Damn, he¡¯s trying to even the playing field by mapping out the area.]"


    Soketsu: "[So what? Even if they know the layout, they cannot catch us off-guard as long as my eyes work.]"


    Pabloc: "[Maybe, but right now we are forced to play the defensive side. This is our home ground, meaning the knowledge of the area is one of our advantages.]"


    Soketsu: "[Then let¡¯s interrupt them before we lose it, shall we?]"


    Pabloc: "[Without a plan?]"


    Soketsu: "[Oh, I got one all right. Just try to create a small opening for me. With my eyes on, I think I can pull off something.]"


    Pabloc: "[Pull what off?! At least tell me what-]"


    Soketsu: "[!!! No time! He is coming! Get ready!]"


    Pabloc: "[For wha¡­!? Argh! Okay, I¡¯ve got your back.]"


    Just as he sent that last message, Adhi suddenly appeared from the third intersection on the right of them and started running towards the two, although his movement could only be called running for the lack of better word. It was not just the floor that he was moving on. At one moment he was running on the ground, and at the next moment, he was on the wall, then jumping off the ceiling, then back on the other wall, doing all of that with such speed and fluency that all the scientist could see was a blurry dance of shadows. Still, he instinctively extended his hand, and with it hundreds upon hundreds of pebble-sized chippings flew out at the incoming opponent.


    The mercenary once again swirled his weapon around with speed that, by the scientist¡¯s estimates, could very well had been breaking the sound-barrier, and deflected all the shots that were aimed at his body while he let the rest flew by him. His precision was downright frightening, but the hail also forced him to slow down for a moment. Seeing that, the scientist immediately pressed his attack. By this point, he ran out of sizable debris that he could immediately send at him, so¡­


    The man was suddenly flung back by a strike reminiscent of a punch to the face, except that it hit his whole upper-body and face at the same time. He quickly regained his balance and immediately started running towards the scientist once again, like nothing happened.


    The scientist immediately flung himself towards the man, baffling him for a second. Using this momentary opening he franticly avoided the blade swung towards him, slicing the air just inches away from his head. As they passed each other, Pabloc immediately whirled around and pointed his hand at his opponent. The effect was quite spectacular. Adhi suddenly flew into the air like a ragdoll, as if he was uppercutted by a huge, invisible hand. The scientist then raised his other hand, but¡­


    Pabloc: "Ow---!"


    His opponent suddenly broke free and gracefully landed on his feet. As he did, a fistful of sand fell to the ground with him, spreading all around the floor like a cloud.


    Pabloc: "Damn!"


    Pabloc let out a small curse under his breath. His opponent not only realized his last trick but they now knew that his power can be disrupted with only a small disturbance in the surrounding Ether. Things weren¡¯t looking good for him, made worse by Adhi suddenly kicking off the ground and lunging at him. The scientist¡¯s brain-cells suddenly kicked into high-gear as he saw the scythe mercilessly approaching his neck, creating the illusion of the flow time slowing down around him. He had already called back the pebbles he previously used, but they would not reach him in time to be of use. The sand was still charged, he couldn¡¯t manipulate it just yet. If only they were under the open sky, he would at least have the opportunity to utilize his ability to fly properly!


    His mind hysterically scanned the premise for anything that he could grab and hurl at his opponent all while his body desperately tried avoiding the incoming strike. The situation seemed hopeless, and just as he was about to give up his eyes opened with revelation as hand flailed out yet again, his power carrying a small object from his chest-area.


    Adhi: "Uah!?"


    The item flew straight and hit Adhi right under his left eye. The impact was small, but it was just enough to startle him long enough to let the scientist slip under the incoming blade. He tried to put as much distance between himself and the scythe as possible immediately after they passed by each other, but¡­


    Pabloc: "Tch!"


    ¡­ his opponent swung his weapon blindly behind himself, although it couldn¡¯t have been more accurate even if he was looking.


    Pabloc: "For the love of¡­!"


    He had nothing left at this point. If he had more space to maneuver then maybe, just maybe, he could have been able to outmatch him, but in the narrow hallway he was a sitting duck, flying or not. As such¡­


    Pabloc: "Aaaargh!"


    ¡­ he rushed his opponent yet again. The mercenary was right in the middle of turning around when the scientist flew right into his scythe¡¯s way. It seemed like he had no way avoiding the attack, but Fortuna was on Pabloc¡¯s side this time. It was more of a reflex than anything, but as he lashed out into the direction of the weapon he managed to kick the shaft away while only being grazed by the blade, which was a preferable alternative compared to getting sliced in half. Using the same momentum he delivered another kick with his other leg, this time at the abdomen of his opponent. It caused little to no damage, but it still had just enough strength behind it to finally push him out of the immediate range of the mercenary. It wasn¡¯t much of a relief though, as his opponent furiously raised his weapon yet again. And just then¡­


    Soketsu: "[Give me a back!]"


    He reflexively obeyed the voiceless request of his comrade. He pulled his neck back, stabilized his spatial position and only a moment later he could feel a weight violently pressing against his shoulder.


    Soketsu: "Haah!"


    The man who excused himself from the battle until now suddenly jumped over him and kicked himself off the scientist¡¯s body.


    The mercenary was visibly shocked by their reckless tactics, not small part thanks to the fact that Soketsu was jumping right into the trajectory of his swing. On the other hand, baffled as the man had seemed, the blade of the scythe made no bones about the issue. In fact, the fervor of the strike might have even increased in response of the sudden counterattack. It was not a huge stretch of imagination to already see Soketsu sliced in half. Except¡­


    The air in hallway suddenly rang out with a deafening bang. Soketsu¡¯s left fist met with blade of the scythe head on and, insane as it might have seemed at the moment, it came out on top. The ornate weapon and her wielder were pushed back by the small blast created on contact. Soketsu on the other hand¡­


    Soketsu: "Eat this!"


    He extended his right hand, and delivered a tremendously powerful lariat at Adhi¡¯s neck and upper-chest area. It was sadly nowhere as powerful as his previous punch, but thanks to Soketsu¡¯s strength-amplifying sigils it still had enough raw force behind it to send his opponent flying as if he was hit by a speeding truck.


    The mercenary flew back in the air with a low groan, conscious and thinking of his next move even after such a powerful strike, but before he had the chance to counter, Soketsu was already rushing after him. The moment Adhi hit the ground he immediately rolled onto his feet and once again swung blindly at his opponent. Soketsu barely managed to get out of the way, but by the time he was about to land a proper hit, the scythe was upon him yet again.


    Soketsu: "Shit¡­!"


    He desperately threw his left hand into the way of the blade once again, and just as before, the two had blown each other apart with a small explosion followed by a loud boom. This time it was Soketsu who was not ready to take the blast and was thrown back by the force of the explosion. He quickly regained his balance and took up a defensive stance with his left hand extended.


    For his surprise, his opponent did not continue his assault. It seemed like the mercenary was inspecting something behind him, then after a few moments of contemplation he suddenly turned tail and disappeared with a flash before Soketsu could even raise his voice.


    Pabloc: "[Are you all right?]"


    Soketsu raised his left hand again. There were two shallow cuts on it, one on back and one on his palm, but neither of them seemed serious.


    Soketsu: "[I¡¯m fine. My hand got a little worn down but at least my counter worked.]"


    The scientist quietly floated beside him with a curious expression.


    Pabloc: "[By the way, I¡¯m not trying to be ungrateful, but couldn¡¯t you enter the fight a little sooner? I know we decided you only attack when I create an opening, but I was in the thick of it back there.]"


    Soketsu: "[Sorry, I was working on this.]"


    The man lightly flexed his wounded hand and a small, purplish sigil shone up on its back.


    Pabloc: "[Yes, I was just about to ask what that was about¡­]"


    Soketsu: "[It¡¯s a¡­ well¡­ Even I don¡¯t really know how it works. ¡­ Don¡¯t look at me like that. I just realized that scythe used portal-cuts, so I created a fake-portal tuned to it around my hand hoping that it would disrupt it.]"


    Pabloc: "[Portal-cuts?]"


    Actually, that made sense to the scientist. If there was a very thin, string-shaped oscillating portal in front of the edge, it would explain how it could cut through everything, although ¡®cutting¡¯ was a gross simplification in this case. The portal displaced the matter right in front of the edge and so all the blade had to do was to force the already separated halves apart. Quite ingenious. Too bad it was something they had to face.


    Pabloc: "[I see. Where are they now?]"


    Soketsu: "[Wait, let me see¡­ They are still nearby, but it seems like they are standing still.]"


    Pabloc: "[I see¡­ They must be waiting.]"


    Soketsu: "[Waiting? Waiting for what?]"


    Pabloc: "[Don¡¯t bother yourself with that, it was just a hunch.]"


    Pabloc promptly floated back to the point where he was downed a few seconds ago. For a few moments he intently stared at the surroundings until he found what he was looking for.


    Pabloc: "(There you are¡­)"


    As he extended his slightly shaking hand, a small, black wire-frame flew into it.


    Pabloc: "(Geez¡­ To think that this is the thing I landed the first clean hit with¡­ Lily is going to kill me for breaking one of her gifts again...)"


    It was the twisted and broken frame of his glasses, the lenses shattered and laying in pieces on the ground at his feet.


    Pabloc: "[Okay, I only wanted to get these. Let¡¯s go.]"


    Soketsu: "[Let¡¯s go? Where?]"


    Pabloc: "[What do you think? We are going on the offensive this time around. We don¡¯t have all night and these short skirmishes are getting old by now. Lead the way.]"


    The man hesitated for a moment, but finally started moving.


    Soketsu: "[Okay, what¡¯s the plan this time?]"


    Pabloc: "[Same as before. I create an opening and you will use it to strike them down. The only difference is that we are going all out now.]"


    Soketsu: "[All out?]"


    Pabloc: "[Yeah. I¡¯m going to create the mother of all openings for you, and you will use it to end this battle in one stroke.]"


    Soketsu: "[Wait, are you serious?! That¡¯s your whole plan?]"


    Pabloc: "[Yeah. As I said, we are low on¡­]"


    Before he could finish his last sentence, a shadow flashed by them and both of them instinctively jumped out of the way.


    The place where they were running before was carved up like a freshly plowed field, except that it was not soil but solid concrete. There were at least a hundred cuts on the ground and the walls, and the mere prospect that the mercenary did this with one lunge was terrifying.


    Pabloc: "[Weren¡¯t you supposed to track them?!]"


    Soketsu: "[What the¡­? He wasn¡¯t there a split-second ago!]"


    The mercenary raised his scythe yet again, with clear distaste on his face.


    Adhi: "Seriously now, why can¡¯t you just stay put and bleed out like normal people?!"


    Soketsu: "[Bleed] out¡­?"


    Pabloc: "[Don¡¯t mind that, it¡¯s just a small cut I got in the previous¡­]"


    Soketsu: "What the hell?! Why didn¡¯t you say something about this you lunatic!?"


    The floor under the floating scientist was covered with a viscous red liquid. Blood; and lots of it.


    Pabloc: "[Don¡¯t worry about that now.]"


    Soketsu: "What the hell are you talking about? At this rate you are going to bleed out within minutes!"


    As he took a closer look, the source of the blood was mortifying. There was a huge, gaping wound on the scientist¡¯s left shin, and it was alarmingly deep. Just a few more inches and he would have been one limb shorter right now; and yet he acted like it was just a small prick.


    Soketsu: "Dammit, we have to stop the bleeding or¡­"


    The scientist let out a heavy sigh and gently pushed his worried comrade aside. At the same time, the telepathic communicator flared up with the amount of relayed information.


    Pabloc: "[Listen, we have no time for this. I¡¯m holding the bleeding back with my power and the pain is manageable, so I¡¯m going to be okay for a few more minutes. We have to do something while that lasts. Those two are dangerous. They were able to pretty much overwhelm us in close-combat. If I¡¯m out of the picture, they are going to take you down in seconds.]"


    The ex-Rover bit his lower lip in frustration but couldn¡¯t argue with that.


    Pabloc: "[They are faster than us, so there is no point in running. They have pretty much cornered us here, and our only valid option is to go on the offensive and take them down before I become incapacitated.]"


    Soketsu: "But¡­"


    The scientist¡¯s glance became extremely sharp which immediately silenced Soketsu. For a few moments the air was extremely tense between the two, then¡­


    Pabloc: "[I¡¯m going to create that opening for you.]"


    His voice was weak and slightly shaking, nothing like the sharp and direct thoughts he transmitted up till now.


    Pabloc: "[You hear me? I. am. going. to. create. that. opening. I want you to use it to its fullest. End this whole idiocy in one go. Use that old ninety-percent specialty of yours if you must.]"


    Soketsu: " [I¡¯ll... I''ll need some space for that.]"


    Pabloc: "[I¡¯ll take care of that too. Are you ready?]"


    The man finally nodded, even though he had a really bad feeling about the scientist¡¯s words.


    Adhi: "Are you done eyeing him? It''s really creepy."


    Pabloc pulled a long face then readied himself as the puddle of blood at his feet started growing at a steady pace. He concentrated with all his might, getting rid of the unnecessary actions, like the suppression of the bleeding, and putting all his power into the only task he had to accomplish.


    His face contorted as he suddenly propelled himself at his opponent with absolutely inhuman speed. He didn¡¯t care about the G-forces of the acceleration, nor the impact when he collided with the mercenary. Actually, he probably had no time to do that anyway.


    The mercenary was completely flabbergasted by the sudden assault, so much so that he only just managed to hitch the scythe in front of himself, but for no real avail. The scientist¡¯s body hit him with enough force to take him off his feet. Pabloc pushed on like a battering ram with rockets strapped on its back, taking the mercenary with him to a flight right until the man managed to get a hold of himself and kick off the scientist.


    Pabloc landed on his back with a huge thud. Since he poured everything he had into this single rush, he had no strength left to soften his fall. The impact, coupled with his already severe blood-loss has almost knocked him out, but he was somehow able to retain his consciousness. He also managed to get on his feet and stand upright even though his knees were shaking, his wound was throbbing like crazy and his body was getting colder with every heartbeat. Still, he was relieved; he survived the first phase, now the second phase will be child¡¯s play.


    Pabloc: "[Get ready for my signal.]"


    There was no answer, but he could feel Soketsu¡¯s smoldering will on the other side. He was angry at the scientist¡¯s reckless behavior, and he couldn¡¯t blame him. There was no time to explain things to him after all. Nevertheless, he managed to create a good distance for him, now he only needed to force out the perfect opening


    As he raised his head, he could see the mercenary scrambling onto his feet as well. As he analyzed the situation, the scientist¡¯s lips curved into an amusing smile. Apparently his landing was still softer than his opponent''s, testified by the shallow imprint of the mercenary¡¯s body on the wall and floor.


    Adhi: "Tch!"


    After scooping up his weapon, Adhi turned to the scientist.


    Adhi: "How reckless."


    Pabloc: "Well, excuse me for¡­" He reached for his nose then suddenly realized that there were no glasses to adjust. He paused for a moment and then let out a hearty chuckle, much to the mercenary¡¯s surprise. "Oh, sorry. I didn¡¯t want to ruin the tension of the moment, I was just reminded to a bad habit that I can¡¯t get rid of."


    Adhi: "¡­ Bad habits die hard."


    Pabloc: "True enough."


    Adhi: "How about you?"


    The scientist couldn¡¯t help but smile at the taunting question.


    Pabloc: "Do you care to find out?"


    Right at this moment, a sly smile rose on the mercenary¡¯s face. Then the face itself disappeared. It happened in an instant. The man moved quicker than ever before, his scythe slicing through the air faster than sound.


    There was only a small splatter of blood. At least smaller than one would expect.


    Adhi: "What the¡­?!"


    Pabloc: "Hehehe¡­Krgh¡­! He. Gotcha."


    Soketsu: "PABLOC!"


    Pabloc: "[NOW!]"


    The voice in the man¡¯s head was not just some signal, it was an absolute order. It was all that Soketsu needed.


    Soketsu: "UAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!"


    He lunged towards the two with a primal howl, his right hand flaring with a brilliant blue light and a scorching heat that could give even the seven flames of Hell a run for their money. He rushed through the space between them in the blink of an eye, appearing in front of the mercenary as if he burst out of thin air, his extended hand burning with equal amounts of raw Ether, Viridia and rage¡­


    ~~~


    Gabe: "Kay, could you hand me the big wrench?"


    Kay: "¡®Big¡¯ wrench?"


    Gabe: "The biggest one, I just need to hit something with it."


    Kay: "¡­ Here¡¯s a hammer."


    Gabe: "Oh, thanks. Where was I? Oh, yes¡­"


    In the workshop, nothing has changed. Gabe was still repairing the entrance. Kay was giving him a hand every now and then while arguing about Core-mechanics. Lily was still¡­ well, Lily.


    As for Jill, she was still confused, lost and, by now, really irritated. The man barely talked to her and avoided even eye-contact, even though she was just like a fish out of water. The only reason she didn¡¯t stand up and grabbed him by the collar yet was because she felt really weak and wasn¡¯t even sure she could stand with this body.


    Speaking of body, she looked all over herself once again. It seemed like her face was the same, as far as she could tell, but everything else¡­ She was apparently a human, just to name the most important change, not to mention the silver hair and the other, cosmetic differences in... measurements. It felt like her own body, but still, she wanted to know why she was like that already.


    Suddenly, the girl at his side jumped up as if she was shocked with electricity. For a short moment she just stood there with eyes wide open, then¡­


    Lily: "¡­ GABE!!!"


    The two other females in the room involuntarily shuddered hearing Lily¡¯s tempestuous yell. At the same time, the scientist threw the hammer aside with only a slightly dazed expression. For a moment the two of them were solemnly looking at each other, right until the man broke the silence.


    Gabe: "Are you trying to say what I think you are trying to say without saying a word?"


    Lily: "Yes. He is down." The little girls answered with a harsh voice, prompting the scientist to let out a tired sigh.


    Gabe: "Great. Just after I told you guys that there is nothing to worry about¡­"


    Kay: "W-what? What happened?"


    The man¡¯s expression suddenly became somewhat grave, but just as he was about to answer, Lily¡¯s uncharacteristically harsh voice cut him off.


    Lily: "Pabloc. He is dead¡­"

 Ch 25: You don’t want to make her angry

    There was a heavy silence in the workshop, the kind that only showed up in the aftermath of horrible news. It lasted less than two seconds though.


    Gabe: "Okay, mourning silence is over, back to work!"


    To the complete bafflement of the girls the scientist absentmindedly grabbed a wrench and continued working on the door mechanism even after hearing the mortifying news.


    Kay: "Wait, what do you mean?!"


    Gabe: "Eh?" The man looked up at the girl as if she asked something really weird. "What do you mean what do I mean? He¡¯s dead. End of story."


    Kay: "But I don¡¯t understand¡­!"


    With one last hit of the hammer Gabe successfully removed the last safety clamp from the fake wall which then slowly slid aside so that the entrance was completely open.


    Gabe: "Well, that was a hassle¡­"


    Lily: "So?"


    The blonde girl slowly walked up to him with a serious expression, which still wasn¡¯t able to faze the scientist.


    Gabe: "So what? He¡¯s with you, why aren¡¯t you doing something about it?"


    Lily: "Cut your crap already, I¡¯m getting really angry here."


    The girl¡¯s clearly threatening tone was yet another in the long chain of shocks Kay had to endure this day, and apparently it finally reached the scientist as well.


    Gabe: "Seriously, just what do you want me to do? I¡¯m about as empty as an Irish whiskey-store the day after Saint Patrick¡¯s-!"


    Finally, Kay couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    Kay: "Wait! Would someone tell us what the hell is going on!? How do you even know Pabloc is dead? And what¡¯s going on with Lily?! And¡­"


    Gabe: "Whoa, slow down. I¡¯ll put you up to date once we discussed this intruder-problem with Lily, be patient."


    Kay: "Be patient?! You just told me that Pabloc died and you want me to be patient?!"


    Gabe: "Listen, like it or not, we can¡¯t do anything about it until I recover enough viridia so that I won¡¯t flicker out of existence just by sneezing too hard. I know it sounds cruel but right now I don¡¯t really care about Pabloc¡¯s wellbeing. If he got himself killed, it¡¯s his problem and he has to deal with it himself."


    Kay: "You are not  making any sense!"


    Lily: "Unseal me."


    Gabe was about to continue arguing with Kay, but the sudden declaration of the uncharacteristically severe blonde girl stopped him on his track.


    Gabe: "Huh? Hey, hey, hey! Are you even listening to yourself? That would be a serious overkill, don¡¯t you think?"


    Lily: "I don¡¯t care. They killed him; I¡¯m going to make them pay!"


    The malevolent intent was literally radiating from her eyes, taking Kay completely aback with its nauseating aura.


    Gabe: "Okay, okay! Geez, cut the scary look, it doesn¡¯t suit you."


    The girl finally relaxed as the scientist moved over to her. He flexed his fingers and reached for Lily¡¯s forehead.


    Gabe: "I think I have just enough juice left to undo the seals. You will have about an hour before you will vanish."


    Lily: "I¡¯ll be back by then."


    Gabe: "Good. Oh, and take Kay with you."


    Kay: "Huh? What?"


    While Kay was still confused and lagging behind the conversation, Lily only nodded sagely.


    Lily: "I see¡­ You are right; I will need someone to distract them while I¡¯ll get geared up."


    Kay: "W-Wait, I can¡¯t do that! I cannot fight on my own!"


    Gabe: "She meant that you will join Soketsu. Anyways, let¡¯s get this done. I still have stuff to do."


    As he said that, his fingertips flared up with the colorless light and quickly tapped Lily¡¯s forehead like he was punching a code into a security terminal. As he finished with that, he quickly drew a circle around the area he was tapping on with his thumb.


    With a barely audible sound akin to a gust of wind blowing through a narrow alley, her eyes flared up with an eerie red light. Kay could feel a sudden surge of viridia in the air, except that it was strange, almost alien. So much so that it even made her a little nauseous. If viridia was normally a slightly sweet fragrance, the feeling assaulting her senses at this moment was more like the stinging stench of sulfur.


    The scientist¡¯s thumb suddenly separated from the girl¡¯s forehead as she abruptly turned around and grabbed Kay¡¯s hand.


    Lily: "We are going!"


    Kay: "W-Wait! I need to transform first and¡­"


    Lily: "You can do that on the way there."


    Kay: "B-But¡­"


    There was no point in arguing against her, she dragged Kay behind her with almost no effort. In fact, the girl felt like she was being pulled by a tow truck. The two of them barged out of the room without any further notice, and just as they disappeared, there was another sound in the room, a modest cough coming from the direction of the bed.


    For the first time the scientist shuddered. He slowly turned his head towards the young woman glaring at him with a scorning expression. For a moment they wordlessly stared at each other, then just as Jill was about to open her mouth¡­


    Gabe: "Oh, you finished your tea? Would you like another cup?"


    Jill: "I¡ª"


    Before she could say anything the man abruptly walked up to her, took the empty cup from her hand and returned to the kettle.


    Gabe: "By the way, sorry for not having anything else, but I wasn¡¯t really expecting company. ¡­ No, wait, I was actually expecting you, but¡­ ¡­ Well, the thing is, I put so much thought into the ¡®How to bring her back?¡¯ thing that I kinda forgot to think about what to do once you are back, so¡ª"


    Jill: "Gabriel."


    Once again, the scientist involuntarily twitched hearing her voice.


    Gabe: "Y-Yes¡­?"


    The glare meeting the man¡¯s eyes was nothing short of chilling. Not in the malicious way, but similarly how a snow rabbit might perceive an avalanche coming their way.


    Gabe: "Uhh¡­ This¡­ is getting really awkward¡­"


    Finally, after silently watching the scientist for a few seconds, Jill raised her voice with a furious visage.


    Jill: "Would you finally tell me just what in the nine layers of hell happened here?!"


    The man¡¯s eyes opened wide for an instant, then he began to scratch the back of his neck with a complicated expression.


    Gabe: "You mean, since we last met, or in the last ten minutes?"


    Jill: "Since we last met, of course."


    Gabe: "I¡­ I think you should settle with the latter for now."


    Jill: "Why?"


    Gabe: "The truth is, I don¡¯t think you are in a condition where you can sit through my explanation of the past three hundred years, so I think it would be better if we¡ª"


    Jill: "Wait¡­ I mean¡­ WHAT?!"


    ~~~


    Time seemed to be frozen as Soketsu kept staring at his fist with dumbfounded disbelief. He was there. His enemy was there just a split-second ago, and yet¡­


    Soketsu: "(How¡­?)"


    It was nothing more than an infinitely quick flash of light. The split-second before his fist would have buried itself into the chest of his immobilized opponent he¡­ blew into countless particles of green light¡­


    Kiseki: "Wow, that was close¡­!"


    The man wasn¡¯t there anymore. Instead there stood the other half of the duo, brandishing an enormous, triple-barreled Gatling-gun, bigger than herself, yet holding it with only one arm. It was an outrageous weapon something that would have been an overkill even on a battleship, and seeing it in the hands of the young woman dressed in white silk seemed even more incomprehensible.


    Soketsu: "They are both¡­?"


    His daze was abruptly cut short as his mind suddenly recalled something horrifying. At this moment, time seemed to slow down even more. The gun, improbable as it might have looked like, was still a weapon and it was aimed right at his chest. Not to mention, there was him.


    Soketsu was standing in a pool of fresh blood, and it wasn¡¯t his own. He already knew that, but he was still horrified at the sight at his feet.


    The scientist¡¯s lifeless body was spread out on the floor like a marionette with its strings cut. The cause of death was obvious; the huge slash on the scientist¡¯s side was a lethal wound if he had ever seen one. The blade of the scythe entered into the body from the left, just under the ribs, making its way diagonally upwards right through them, slicing thought the left lung and maybe even the heart, judging by how the cut ended right at the middle of the sternum. And why did it stop? The answer lied in the scientist¡¯s still clenched fists.


    Soketsu: "[You idiot¡­ You fucking lunatic!]"


    Pabloc, grabbed the shaft of the scythe and held onto it with his very last breath. He said he would create and opening, and he did just that¡­ But¡­


    Soketsu: "[Why!? What the fuck did you try to accomplish with this!? There must have been a better way! Why?! WHY?!]"


    There was no answer. The other side of the transmitter was completely silent. No, it was worse; it was void. Not even stray thoughts or unfiltered emotions, the white noise of the telepathic communicator. There was only emptiness on the receiving end. But on Soketsu¡¯s end, there were emotions enough for both sides¡­


    Soketsu: "Bastards¡­"


    His whisper was barely audible even in the silence of the passage. However, his eyes spoke louder than any words could.


    Kiseki: "Wha¡­? Wait! The evil scientist is down, we don¡¯t need to¡­"


    He heard her voice, but it was nothing. He didn¡¯t care. He was just angry. Angry at the mercenaries for killing Pabloc, angry for Pabloc for sacrificing himself in such a stupid way, and even more than that, he was angry at himself for letting this pass.


    His entire body was engulfed with a faint layer of ethereal green light. His fists were flaring with power, his left eye seemed like it was glowing with pure, undiluted rage. He was what he had been three hundred years ago; a raging tempest, the greatest and most powerful warrior of his time. And as such, reason retreated from his mind, leaving only one absolute resolve to dominate it entirely.


    Soketsu: "I¡¯m. going. to. kill. you."


    Kiseki: "W-Wait¡­!"


    He lunged at her with clear killing intent in his eyes. She had nowhere to run, no time to evade, and he could almost feel his fist crushing her skull¡­ but his punch did not connect. The green flash of light has once again blinded him and he fell through the whirling cloud like he was punching at thin air. He could feel the particles skim around his skin, and an instant later he could already hear the familiar sound of the scythe cutting through the air behind his back.


    Soketsu: "(Not so fast!)"


    He immediately planted his feet and shot his left hand out. With his mystic eye it was not big feat to know exactly where the blade was coming from, and just like that, another small explosion shook the walls of the hallway.


    Adhi: "Gh!"


    The mercenary was surprised by the man¡¯s speed, which was magnitudes greater than before. He was still in the middle of regaining his balance when it was his turn to be momentarily blinded by a green flash of light. It was Soketsu¡¯s right hand that lashed out at him with blinding speed. The mercenary desperately twisted his body, but with little success. The man¡¯s hand firmly hit him on the left shoulder and sent him flying with its explosive force. But just as Soketsu was about to press on, it was his turn to desperately bend his body.


    The scythe whose blade was blown aside its previous meeting with his enhanced fist, was right behind his head at a perfect blind-spot. He managed to get out of its way in time, no small part thanks to his left eye, but the tip of the blade still grazed his neck.


    The man involuntarily twitched. It was a pain like nothing he ever felt before, and the blade only grazed the upper layer of his skin¡­ For a second it made him wonder just how the scientist was able to shrug his wounds off, but he quickly expelled the distracting thought from his mind once his instincts screamed at him.


    He unconsciously jumped to the side only to see that the place where he had been standing on was simply obliterated.  As he landed a blazing heat assaulted his skin, originating from the holes blown into the ground. He glanced up only to find himself staring down the barrels of the impossibly huge machinegun held by the frail-looking woman.


    With a small frown she readjusted her aim and pulled the trigger once again. The three barrels of the gun revved up with an earsplitting sound and a moment later, hundreds upon hundreds of white-hot glowing matter flew towards Soketsu like pellets of hellfire.


    He quickly regained his senses and began running. The ¡®bullets¡¯ were surprisingly slow, but it was no relief from their real dread. The projectiles of that weapon weren¡¯t lead but small pockets of something that Soketsu¡¯s couldn¡¯t even fathom, burning their way through the concrete walls and floor like they were made of butter. They didn¡¯t even really need to hit him, testified by that even the first salvo¡¯s projectiles that missed him by several centimeters were able to almost burn the clothes off his back. If they hit him, he would have been a goner no matter how much viridia he pumped into his body.


    Kiseki: "Stand still!"


    But they didn¡¯t. His speed astonished even Kiseki as he kept running towards her, using not only the floor but the walls and the ceiling as well, just like Adhi did not so long ago. He skillfully dodged the hail of projectiles and kept closing on her with astonishing speed. Finally he steadied his feet and, with one huge leap, suddenly covered the remaining distance.


    Yet again, the green light of transformation filled the passage, and by the time he reached his opponents he once again met with the familiar whistling of the scythe. Blade and fist met yet again, but this time it was different. Instead of downright stopping the blade, Soketsu opted for deflecting it. The scythe harmlessly flew by his side, but by the time he was ready to deliver a counterattack, it was coming back from another direction.


    Block. Dodge. Evade. Block again. Roll under. Jump over. Block yet again. Rinse and repeat. The two of them appeared as if they were dancing around each other with insane speed and even more outlandish precision. After a while the constant bangs created by their clashes sounded like they were shooting at each other with automatic weapons.


    From an outside viewpoint, the battle would have seemed like a perfect standoff. Soketsu was able to dodge or repel the all-cutting blade of the scythe with mechanical precision but at the same time wasn¡¯t able to land a single clear hit on his opponent, much less one with real power behind it. This was bad, but there was an even greater problem.


    Soketsu: "Ugh!"


    Once again, the blade grazed his skin. It was just like any of the other dozens of strikes he had successfully avoided, but the problem didn¡¯t lie there. He was getting slower. For the naked eye it would have been impossible to tell, no small part due to the fact that a normal person could barely even see anything more than a blur of movements and small explosions from the battle of the two men, but in this kind of superhuman combat, split-seconds were enough to decide between life and death. Worse still, Soketsu¡¯s left hand was close to being turned into mince-meat. His sigil might have been able to stop the flickering portal from touching him, but there was a very real and sharp scythe blade behind that and it could still hurt him no matter how much viridia he was circulating  in his hand. Because of that at this point his left hand was entirely covered in shallow cuts. His body was also at its limits. He used his sigils to recklessly strengthen his still-recovering body, and the effect finally kicked back. His viridia-reserves were running low, his body was getting worn out and his sigils alone weren¡¯t able to hold it together¡­


    Soketsu: "(Fuck!)"


    He launched yet another quick attack, but his range was just too short. No, it was only part of the problem. His enemy was too fast.


    Soketsu: "(I can beat these bastards! I¡¯m better than them! I¡¯m better than¡­ this¡­)"


    He blocked yet another strike, but his determination still wavered. Can he really beat them? Is this his limit? Back then, even when he was injured and depleted, no one could stand in his way! He was the pinnacle of human potential, the perfect fusion of technique and extraordinary power. He had beaten his way to the top of the world once, and he did it¡­


    Soketsu: "(¡­all alone¡­?)"


    His guard lapsed for a split second. It was only a flash, the scythe slashing through the air, and then silence.


    Soketsu: "¡­ What? Aren¡¯t you going to cut me?"


    The mercenary¡¯s sweat-drenched face turned into an irritated grimace.


    Adhi: "¡­ Our job is to recover you, not to kill you."


    Soketsu: "Really now?"


    Adhi: "Yeah, and you better snap out of it already."


    Soketsu¡¯s hand was able to stop it, but still, the blade was only about half an inch away from his neck. If the mercenary had only put a little more power into his swing Soketsu would certainly have become a head shorter, yet he looked at the man with a calm, almost tranquil expression.


    Soketsu: "Sorry¡­"


    Adhi: "Huh?"


    Soketsu: "I bet you expected something more from me, didn¡¯t you?" The irritation on Adhi¡¯s face rapidly turned into alert. He was still a single stroke away from ending the fight, yet his opponent¡¯s suddenly change in behavior put him on edge. "I¡¯m sorry to say this, but it seems like you guys really are better than me. I guess the Rampant Fist has to retire after all¡­"


    Adhi: "Rampant Fish?"


    Soketsu: "No, not fish. Fist."


    With every moment, the mercenary got even more nervous. Soketsu¡¯s manner was completely different from before. Almost all hostility disappeared from his voice. In fact he sounded downright amicable, and yet Adhi shuddered before the pressure of his eyes.


    Soketsu: "You see; I was once called that. The Rampant Fist. I was something of a ¡®No. 1.¡¯ of this whole world, you know. The ¡®best of the best¡¯."


    Adhi: "What are you tal-"


    To Adhi¡¯s greatest shock, the ex-Rover slowly reached for his scythe and gently pushed it away from his neck like he was politely refusing a hair-trimming, all the while talking with a calm, even tone.


    Soketsu: "You see, three hundred years ago, I was a warrior. I spent my entire life refining my technique and power, developing my Sigils, finding new ways to use them and to test my abilities against the best fighters this world could offer."


    Adhi: "Listen, I don¡¯t know what you are talking about, but-"


    Once again the confused mercenary¡¯s sentence was cut short as Soketsu slowly started walking to his left while talking like it was the most natural thing to do in this situation.


    Soketsu: "You see, once I was the best. I was the most powerful fighter of this world, and I could even take on eldritch abominations¡­ But now¡­ I guess I just can¡¯t do it anymore. You have bested me. In terms of raw abilities, you are certainly better."Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Adhi: "Listen, I hate to-"


    Soketsu: "So, I guess as a veteran, I have to at least give some advice to you upstart rookies, as you most certainly lack some important fine points."


    Adhi: "Rookies?!"


    The man ever so slowly took a few more steps away from his flabbergasted opponent while not breaking his monologue¡¯s pace even for a moment.


    Soketsu: "My first advice is that you should be more direct in your approach, you dance too much around your opponent."


    Adhi: "Wait¡­"


    Soketsu: "You also need to be a little more mindful of that scythe¡¯s capabilities; you are using her cutting power way too wastefully."


    Adhi: "¡­ what is that sound¡­?"


    Soketsu: "And finally, my most important advice."


    As if he just reached the point he was aiming for, Soketsu promptly turned around and faced the mercenary with an almost gloating smile.


    Soketsu: "¡­ Never let your opponent monologue. They always do that to buy time to turn the table."


    The echoing of small feet rushing through the hallway. A faint glimmer of silver in the darkness. The whistling sound of metal cutting through the air. And finally, a powerful yell¡­


    Lily: "CATCH!!!"


    Adhi: "Wha¡­?!"


    Maybe it was the sound or just his finely honed reflexes, but Adhi immediately ducked to the side, just in time to avoid the polearm flying by his left ear with sharp sound, followed by a small body on the other side. He reflexively swung his weapon at the incoming enemy, but¡­


    Lily: "Tch."


    All he could see was a flicker of a golden flash coming his way, landing on his swinging scythe like a small butterfly, then kicking off from it and landing almost next to Soketsu. He frantically swirled his blade around and assumed a defensive position for the first time since this ordeal began.


    In Soketsu¡¯s hands laid a majestic halberd, pulsing with raw destructive power yet delicate like a piece of art. Just by glancing at it the mercenary could tell that it was a weapon of terrifying power, and it was even something of an understatement. The amount of power that his weapon was channeling into Soketsu¡¯s body made his previous appearance seem downright pathetic in comparison.


    [Kay]: "Soketsu! Are you all right?!"


    The man¡¯s lips involuntarily curved hearing his dear partner¡¯s concerned words. For a moment a strange feeling of nostalgia washed over him. He missed this feeling. Not the power, her. Her thoughts in his head, the warm, soothing feeling of her viridia flowing though his veins, the unparalleled connection between their minds. It was a feeling he had been longing for without even noticing it¡­ But¡­


    [Soketsu]: "Idiot. I told you you mustn¡¯t transform anymore."


    [Kay]: "What?! I just came to save you and that¡¯s your reaction!?"


    [Soketsu]: "¡­ Actually, no, but if I¡¯m not consistent with this you will never stick to it."


    [Kay]: "Ooooowww!!! I¡¯m so going to slap you to oblivion for that once we are done with this!"


    The man couldn¡¯t help but smile at the girl¡¯s words.


    [Soketsu]: "By the wa-!"


    Soketsu: "Uaah!"


    His mind was suddenly filled with a whirling vortex of information that Kay dumped into it all at once. It was a crude and somewhat painful method, but it was an effective way to share important information really fast.


    [Kay]: "Here, I put you up to date."


    [Soketsu]: "You did that on purpose!"


    [Kay]: "No comment."


    [Soketsu]: "Grrr¡­ Once we are back I¡¯m so¡­ wait¡­ Wait a second, are you serious?!"


    [Kay]: "Yes, that¡¯s what Lily said."


    His mind just processed the memories she shared with him and it made him almost literally drop his jaw.


    [Soketsu]: "Okay¡­ that was¡­ unexpected."


    Before he could continue his high-speed conversation with his partner he noticed that Lily rose to her feet. The communication between wielder and alternate was different from the TCs. Since they were deeply connected, almost sharing a collective mind, the exchange between them was nearly instantaneous. As such only a seconds has passed in the outside world while they were ¡®talking¡¯ inside the boundary of their crossed minds.


    Lily: "Where¡¯s Pabloc¡¯s body?"


    Soketsu briskly raised his left hand and pointed behind himself with his thumb.


    Soketsu: "Down that corridor, just beyond the section that looks like it was blasted with the devil¡¯s burning shotgun. You can¡¯t miss it."


    The girl wordlessly nodded and disappeared into the hallways with speed that made it seem like a golden flash of lightning was blazing through the place.


    [Soketsu]: "So, we have to hold them off¡­. how long exactly?"


    [Kay]: "Until Lily gets ready."


    [Soketsu]: "Okay, and how much juice do we have?"


    [Kay]: "With your remaining reserves, I would say we have about twelve minutes."


    [Soketsu]: "Just twelve minutes?"


    [Kay]: "If we go all out, of course."


    [Soketsu]: "Full throttle, huh? Okay, I think that¡¯s good enough."


    [Kay]: "Now it¡¯s your turn. Who is that guy?"


    [Soketsu]: "There are two of them. The scythe is actually a woman."


    [Kay]: "Wait, a guy with an Alternate partner who turns into a pole arm? Ripoff!"


    [Soketsu]: "Actually, they are both alternates."


    [Kay]: "Wait, what? That¡¯s impossible! One Alternate cannot synchronize with another one! It would cause a severe aggregation and backlash that would¡­"


    [Soketsu]: "Okay, you can stop right there. I don¡¯t really understand the issue and don¡¯t really care either. I have seen them switch places, so you better believe they can."


    [Kay]: "¡­ Okay, what else can you tell about them?"


    [Soketsu]: "The man is fast, the scythe can cut through any bits and pieces, and when they change the guy turns into a hot-stuff spewing minigun while the woman is¡­ I guess she is just strong or something."


    [Kay]: "Are you serious? That is your tactical assessment?"


    [Soketsu]: "Hey, I only want to beat them to a bloody pulp, not to write an essay on how their tricks work."


    [Kay]: "U-huh¡­ By the way, ¡®hot-stuff spewing minigun¡¯?"


    [Soketsu]: "I have no earthly idea what he fires, all I know is that he does it fast as hell and its bullets are even hotter."


    [Kay]: "Hmmm¡­ He cannot fire actual bullets; that would be like you flinging your kidneys at someone, so it must be something like-"


    [Soketsu]: "Hey, don¡¯t think about the ¡®how he does it¡¯, think about the ¡®how we should dodge it¡¯ part."


    [Kay]: "What are you saying? You have the legs. Dodging is your job, not mine."


    [Soketsu]: "¡­ Yeah, right... Any more questions?"


    [Kay]: "No, I¡¯m okay. They are coming at us anyway."


    [Soketsu]: "Yeah, kind of noticed that."


    The sudden shift in the power-balance took Adhi completely unprepared. The two weapons clashed with immense force, not only halting the mercenary¡¯s assault but also sending him flying back while on Soketsu¡¯s part it seemed like he was just sweeping a fly away.


    Adhi: "Ugh!"


    The mercenary forcefully planted his feet as he landed and took up a defensive stance once again, yet Soketsu seemed even more surprised than him.


    [Soketsu]: "That was¡­ kind of unexpected¡­ Kay?"


    [Kay]: "Yes?"


    [Soketsu]: "By any chance, did you tap into my sigils?"


    [Kay]: "I¡­ yes. They seemed important so pumped some surplus viridia into them¡­ Did I do something wrong?"


    [Soketsu]: "¡­ Actually, no. Say, did I mention I love you?"


    [Kay]: "I-Idiot! This is not the right time!"


    The man let out a small laugh. The tables truly have turned. The viridia coursing through his veins filled him with absolute confidence; the sigils on his body were operating at maximum capacity and holding his partner in his hand made him feel unstoppable.


    Soketsu: "Say¡­ Remember what I just told you?"


    While asking so, Soketsu¡¯s fingertips quickly ran over the pole and blade of his weapon.


    Adhi: "¡­ Which part?"


    Soketsu: "About the Rampant Fist thing. You know, how I was the greatest, and how you have beaten me, stuff like that?"


    The mercenary nodded uncertainly.


    Soketsu: "No, you actually didn¡¯t listen. If you did¡­"  As Soketsu his fingers reached the tip of the halberd¡¯s blade, an intricate pattern of shining lines flared up on its surface and a moment later he was already holding his weapon in the ready. "¡­ you wouldn¡¯t have let me talk!"


    It was just a flash. Soketsu rushed at his opponent with a mighty thrust. His blade was countered at the very last moment, but it was far from the end of it. In fact, it was just the beginning of the real battle.


    The two polearm-wielding men were seemingly dancing around each other. The mercenary¡¯s strikes were swift and accurate as ever, never stopping for even a moment, each attack beautifully flowing into the next¡­ yet he was still being cornered.


    Soketsu was utilizing his weapon in an improbable way, only using one hand to wield it, yet his attacks were both extremely accurate and tremendously powerful, not to mention he had no openings whatsoever. Both fighters relied on speed and precision, yet their technique was fundamentally different. Adhi was jumping around his opponent, constantly dodging and looking for blind spots to deliver that one fatal strike, apparently no longer caring about the recovery option.


    Soketsu in comparison seemed to be barely moving. His movements were subdued, like he wasn¡¯t even really interested in the battle anymore, yet at the same time he was able to hold a defense that deflected every single strike his opponent threw at him with little to no effort. He scarcely counterattacked as they kept moving through one corridor after the next, and even though it seemed like Adhi was cornering Soketsu with his barrage of attacks, it was actually him who was being overpowered.


    One with trained eyes could easily see that Soketsu was dominating the battle. He deflected every strike with a calm, somewhat condescending expression while he never let his enemies get away either. With Kay in his hands he actually had a somewhat longer range than the mercenary. This fact, combined with that they were equally fast gave him an advantage that he mercilessly exercised upon his opponent, keeping him right where he wanted him to be; not too close, not too far.


    The weird stalemate continued for a few more seconds, until something unexpected happened. Adhi tried to get out of his range yet again, so Soketsu delivered a quick thrust at him.


    [Kay]: "Ah! Wait, we shouldn¡¯t¡­!" It seemed like the mercenary had no way of getting out of the way, but then there was a green flash. "Wait, what?!"


    [Soketsu]: "Oh, I forgot to mention that they can switch on the fly."


    [Kay]: "Whaaaaat? Why didn¡¯t you tell me that before?"


    [Soketsu]: "Well, it¡¯s no big deal, is it?"


    [Kay]: "But¡­"


    [Soketsu]: "Let¡¯s just concentrate on this, okay?"


    Not a moment later as they finished their inner conversation they were already staring down the barrel of the outlandish gun. Soketsu immediately dodged to the left, just a split-second before a hail of burning pellets filled the air where he stood just a moment ago. Still, this revealed a crucial weakness of the gun: it needed at least a second to rev up before being able to shoot, and thus providing more than enough time to dodge its barrage even at point blank range. Still, Soketsu decided it was best not to tackle this firepower head-on, so he disappeared behind one of the corners¡­ only to reappear behind her a few seconds later.


    She was completely dumbfounded by the man¡¯s sudden appearance, which felt strangely satisfying for Soketsu. After all, they used this very same circling tactic against him and Pabloc not too long ago, it was only fair to make them taste their own medicine.


    Once again, his blade was cutting through only air as the whirlwind of glittering particles danced around it and assembled themselves into the scythe-wielding mercenary yet again.


    [Kay]: "Argh! Cheaters! This is not fair!"


    [Soketsu]: "Tell me about it¡­"


    [Kay]: "But we will never beat them like this!"


    [Soketsu]: "Weren¡¯t we supposed to only hold them back?"


    [Kay]: "Yeah¡­ But still, I wanted to cut them at least once!"


    [Soketsu]: "Okay, I find a way for that once Lily is ready to¡­ Wait, how do we even know when she is ready?"


    [Kay]: "I don¡¯t really know¡­ She just said she will find a way to signal us."


    In the meantime, Soketsu parried Adhi¡¯s scythe four times, delivered three counter-attacks to keep him from getting too close and blocked his two retreating attempts by positioning himself between him and the possible escape route. He actually almost felt bad for his opponents, as ever since Kay joined him, he was pretty much bullying them into a corner. Well, ¡®almost¡¯ was the keyword here.


    Soketsu: "Huh!"


    [Kay]: "Hm? What is it?"


    [Soketsu]: "Pssst!"


    For a moment he thought his senses were playing a trick with him, but all his doubts dispersed in just a few moments¡­


    Soketsu: "¡­ You gotta be kidding me¡­"


    [Kay]: "What is it?"


    [Soketsu]: "Oh yeah, you cannot hear this¡­" For a moment the man¡¯s lips curved in a defiant smile. "I¡¯ve got the signal! Time to chase the pests out the way they came from!"


    His partner didn¡¯t answer, but he could immediately feel the viridia in his veins becoming even denser, courtesy of her putting every last ounce of her output into him. The dim green light in his left eye became a brilliantly burning flame; his body was bathed in an emerald light while the raw amount of power around his weapon created a mirage-like distortion in the air.


    [Kay]: "Oh, look at his expression!"


    [Soketsu]: "I think it says ¡®Oh crap¡¯."


    This was his full power, the power he could never grasp alone, and he was ready to put it to good use.


    His feet not as much kicked off the ground but exploded the area underneath as he lunged at his enemy.


    Soketsu: "Ever 1: Straight Pulse!"


    The strike was devastating, just as it was expected from one of the Seventeen Holy Imprints, the most devastating viridia-fueled techniques the Order developed. It not just sent the mercenary flying, it created a shockwave that wrecked the already shambling tunnel as if someone blew up a cluster of grenades in the vicinity, collapsing its ceiling with an earsplitting rumble.


    Adhi barely had the time to land when a humanoid form blew into his field of vision from the left. Soketsu was even faster than before, surprising even himself. His speed was even greater than when he fought Gabe a few weeks ago, and it was only natural. His body had the same strengthening effect by the impossible amount of viridia coursing through it and that was before the sigils took effect.


    As Soketsu was just about to strike the man yet again, the flash of familiar green light filled his vision once again, and he instantly found-himself face-to-face with the huge machinegun. The weapon that seemed so insanely overblown and dangerous at first now only managed to bring a small smirk to his face. The rotating barrels started revving with a loud scream, but by the time they were ready to fire¡­


    Kiseki: "Kyaaaah!!!"


    ¡­ the halberd¡¯s slate collided with the underside of the weapon, almost knocking it out of the woman¡¯s unprepared hands. While she was still struggling with the out of control gun Soketsu quietly slipped under her guard and forcefully grabbed her by the chest.


    [Kay]: "Hey!"


    With his dress in his hand Soketsu rammed his body into the completely baffled Kiseki, and with one huge push he managed to throw her over, right next to the intersection on the left. In her perception, the entire world around her turned upside down without a moment¡¯s notice. In the end, just as she was about to hit the concrete floor head-first, she got engulfed in the usual green sparkles and, instead of the rumble of an uncontrolled impact, it was a solid tap that rang through the hallway as Adhi¡¯s feet hit the ground.


    [Kay]: "Oh come on! This is getting ridiculous!"


    The man stood up after a momentary stagger, briefly glanced at Soketsu, then suddenly turned tail and started running like the devil himself was at his heel.


    [Soketsu]: "Phew! Finally¡­"


    [Kay]: "Finally what? They are getting away!"


    [Soketsu]: "Exactly."


    [Kay]: "Awww¡­ Tell me what¡¯s going on already!"


    [Soketsu]: "I¡¯d rather not. ¡­ Come on, don¡¯t pout! It will be a surprise!"


    With that they started running, although in a completely different hallway.


    ~~~


    Adhi: "Shit!"


    The mercenary was running with all his might. It might have been somewhat unsightly, but at this point survival was more important than appearances. It became painfully obvious that he couldn¡¯t beat the Soketsu in close-quarters combat while his alternate was with him and ranged combat was put out of the question as well. The series of tunnels formed a chessboard-like layout, so the man was able to circle around them, making it impossible to set up a position where they could just lay down suppressive fire.


    Adhi: "Damn!"


    They were beaten; there were no two ways about it. If only they didn¡¯t play around at the beginning, this would have been like taking candy from a child, but once Soketsu and his halberd was reunited he became a monster that was nothing like he had ever seen before.


    [Adhi]: "Just what the hell is that guy!?"


    [Kiseki]: "It must be his Alternate. What was her name again?"


    [Adhi]: "Doesn¡¯t matter! We have to get out of here!"


    [Kiseki]: "But what about Vikki? We were supposed to be a diversion¡­"


    [Adhi]: "I say we did quite enough by keeping this monster from going after him."


    [Kiseki]: "... I think you ar- ouch!"


    [Adhi]: "Kiseki? Are you all right?!"


    [Kiseki]: "Yeah, I just got scraped when he threw me, I¡¯m fine."


    The man didn¡¯t answer, just pushed his already exhausted body even further over its limit.


    [Adhi]: "Damn, damn, DAMN! If only I killed him when I had the chance!"


    [Kiseki]: "There¡¯s no point crying over spilt mil-"


    Soketsu: "Ever 4¡­"


    Adhi: "Oh fuuu¡­!"


    Soketsu: "¡­ First Blood!"


    The lighting-quick slash sent Adhi flying into a wall while simultaneously struck and collapsed the hallway they were running in. It seemed impossible. They had a head-start and he was running with all his might. The passages were literally passing by him with a blur and yet Soketsu still managed to catch up with them. No, even worse, he was attacking them from the side, so that meant that he managed to not only follow them but circle them while they were still running at top speed. And to make things even worse¡­


    Adhi: "Kiseki!"


    Kiseki: "¡­Ugh¡­"


    The impact of the attack apparently knocked her out, meaning she immediately reverted to her human form. This was a disaster on several levels. Not only was she injured, but without her pumping viridia into him there was no way he could run like before.


    The man felt helpless for the first time in a long while, yet he pushed on and rose to his feet. Even though hitting the wall seriously bruised him, none of his bones were broken. He gently scooped up the half-conscious woman, at least as gently as he could in this situation, and started running yet again.


    His legs were somewhat unsteady, but he still pressed on. Sometimes he saw a shadow jumping in the corner of his eye, sometimes it was just the sound of a few stray footsteps. It was certain, his enemy was still around and very much ready to strike¡­ yet he didn¡¯t.


    Adhi: "(Are you¡­ playing with me¡­?)"


    There was no other explanation. Just like he was dancing around his opponents with the knowledge of his own superior abilities, the Soketsu was doing the same to him right now. Like a cat playing with the mouse in a maze of corridors. The situation might have seemed hopeless, but he expelled all such thoughts from his mind. It was not over yet. If only they could find their way out of these damned tunnels, they would have a chance. Not for fighting back, but for survival¡­


    Suddenly a small gust of cold wind hit his face, prompting him to stop.


    Adhi: "Could it be¡­?"


    Just as he was about to give into despair, he found himself at a familiar place. It was a ruined tunnel with a huge hole on the ceiling. It was almost completely filled with sand, but the remaining hole was still enough to get through. To think that he would accidentally find this place¡­ no, it was too perfect of a coincidence. Could it be that¡­?


    Kiseki: "What¡­ happened¡­?"


    Adhi: "Shhh."


    He quietly raised his index finger to his mouth as Kiseki suddenly began squirming in his arms. For a moment he looked at her with a surprisingly gentle expression and then steeled his determination. It was obviously a trap, but this was their best chance of survival. It was still better to walk into a trap expecting it than running around aimlessly only to be inevitably struck down.


    He cursed the day they accepted the job one last time in his head and readied himself. He collected all his remaining viridia for one last, huge burst. With it, he was confident he could cover the distance in a split-second and jump out this hell-hole. Once they are in the desert, it should be easy to hide their presence until they come up with some sort of plan for the rest. Now survival was the first priority¡­


    As such he took one last breath, collected even the last remaining trace of viridia from the other parts of his body and focused on his legs. When he kicked off the ground, it seemed like he was propelled by an explosion. His speed was astonishing even compared to his previous running tempo.


    Adhi: "Aaaaaarrrrhhhh!!"


    He could feel his body creaking under the insane g-forces. His legs were superhuman, but since he removed all the viridia from the rest of his body it was a wonder they didn¡¯t tore themselves off his torso with such acceleration. Still he was moving with speed extraordinaire, and his goal was just in arm¡¯s reach. And then¡­ the worst possible eventuality.


    From the opposite direction came a small glimmer of silver carried by legs that were as fast as his own. Not that they needed to be. If they just stood there holding the halberd in his way he would have still been done for. There was no way he could stop, not even slow down. They had only one chance. He had to make it.


    He steeled his nerves and concentrated on the incoming Soketsu. Only one strike. There was no time for any more than that, so it was only one strike that he had to survive somehow. It was a doomed endeavor, especially with the limp woman in his hands... but he had no choice. He had to try it; he had to believe he can do it.


    And then the strike finally came. It seemed surprisingly slow thanks to his heightened senses and the buckets of adrenaline coursing in his bloodstream, but it was still obvious that he had no way of dodging it¡­ except its trajectory seemed awfully strange.


    It was¡­ surprising. The man made a mistake. He could have struck him down, but somehow the blade only grazed him. Well, ¡®grazed him¡¯ was a bit of an understatement. The tip of the halberd ran across his face, drawing a deep furrow into his skin and flesh from his right eyebrow to his left cheek, but that was entirely acceptable. After all, he was alive, and the exit was right in front of him. He didn¡¯t even slow down as he sidestepped the man, seemingly frozen in place, and threw himself towards the hole on the ceiling. The moment it was within reach, he immediately jumped with all his might. His feet once again left the ground with the illusion of being propelled by a small explosion, but this time he was heading vertically instead of horizontally. They shot out of the tunnel like an artillery-shell, tracing a beautiful arc.


    They lost their momentum exactly at the height of the fringe of the sand-cone, so the impact of their landing was downright negligible, further softened by the sand itself.


    They made it. The impact shook Kiseki out of his arms, but after all he¡¯s been through, it was not surprising that it was his partner who rose to her feet first.


    Kiseki: "Are we¡­ safe?"


    The man managed to sit up and sharply shook his head.


    Adhi: "We are out of the frying pan, but we need to find a place to hide."


    Kiseki: "In the desert¡­? Where?"


    Adhi: "I don¡¯t know, but we need to find a hiding place quickly. He was¡­" He finally managed to scramble to his feet. "¡­ smiling?"


    His words died in his throat as he tried to take a step forwards, but he couldn¡¯t. He was stuck. The golden sand was sticking to his legs like a snake coiling around its prey, preventing him from moving.


    Kiseki: "No¡­ way¡­"


    He was still in a mild daze after all that happened, so it took him a second to realize what Kiseki was looking at. There was something in the sky illuminated by a faint golden light. A human figure with clothes fluttering in the air, floating high above them. It took him another second to realize who it was, then another one to actually believe it¡­


    Pabloc: "So we meet again."


    It was the dead scientist. Or at least he was supposed to be dead. His blood-drenched clothes were still in tatters but his body underneath seemed completely unharmed.


    Adhi: "Oh fuck¡­"


    He was looking down on them from above with a smile, filled with equal amounts of amusement, anger, condescension and pity.


    Pabloc: "[Nice delivery.]"


    Soketsu: "[You are welcome.]"


    The man¡¯s voice on the other side of the TC seemed almost ecstatic. The scientist shook his head and reached for his nose, only to find that his glasses were still missing.


    Pabloc: "Yeah, I guess it¡¯s a tie. Bad habits and I die equally hard."


    The mercenaries were still struck silent with confusion and dread. One of their targets suddenly became ridiculously powerful and the other just came back from the dead.


    Adhi: "(Just who¡­ or rather¡­ what the hell are these guys?)"


    There was an oppressive silence, right until the woman started laughing.


    Kiseki: "Well, I think we are beaten."


    Her words suddenly blew away all the anxiety and terror in the man¡¯s heart. The gaping hole of despair in his chest was now filled with quiet, calm resignation.


    Adhi: "Yeah, I guess."


    Kiseki: "But wait¡­ hey, mister evil-prophet-scientist-guy!"


    Pabloc: "...Yes?"


    He looked down upon the strangely acting pair with unconcealed surprise.


    Kiseki: "I was kinda thinking¡­ You are not dead, right?" Pabloc didn¡¯t answer but that didn¡¯t stop her from continuing. "So, you see, I thought that since ¡®technically¡¯ we didn¡¯t actually kill you¡­ Could we just sweep this whole issue under the rug?"


    Adhi enthusiastically nodded.


    Adhi: "Yes, forgive and forget."


    Kiseki: "Yeah, so¡­ what do you say?"


    The scientist¡¯s expression became even more amused as he looked upon the two.


    Pabloc: "Well¡­ If it¡¯s forgiveness you seek, then there¡¯s no problem here. I can forgive you."


    Adhi: "Huh? Really?"


    Pabloc: "Yes, but¡­ The real problem is that she won¡¯t."


    Kiseki: "¡¯She?¡¯"


    Instead of answering the scientist just extended his hand and pointed at the ground. For a few moments they didn¡¯t know what he was pointing at, but then the man¡¯s eyes suddenly widened like never before.


    Adhi: "The sand!"


    He felt utterly stupid. How come he didn¡¯t realize sooner?! It was night, yet they could see not only the ground all around but the scientist¡¯s small outline in the air high above them. The sand¡­ it was shining.


    No, it was wrong. It was not the sand itself that was shining. There was something under the sand, something huge¡­ and just as they realized this, it began to move.


    Adhi: "Kiseki!"


    As they were looking at each other in utter confusion, the horizon abruptly disappeared. It was a maddening sight: countless gargantuan tentacles rose from the ground in a circle around them, each one thicker than a full-blown oak tree. They towered above them like giants, yet in the end they were but like teeth of a giant maw, ready to swallow them with the entire dune.


    Adhi: "Run!"


    She couldn¡¯t. The maw was closing upon them. It was like an impossibly massive antlion with a polyp¡¯s arms on its face. It was gargantuan, it was throwing tons of sand around like a kid playing in a sandbox, and worst of all, it was alien. It was burning with a dark golden flame that gave off no heat but rather drained it, making the chilling desert air even colder around them. Its gigantic tentacles seemed solid as granite yet when they crossed each other¡¯s path they passed through the other like they were quicksilver. Finally, the air around them was filled to the brim with a scent that was nothing like they have ever felt before. It was a sweet fragrance yet at the same time stinging and making their eyes water, pleasant yet nauseating at the same time, completely filling their nostrils with its impossible, pervasive odor. And then came the worst of all.


    Eyes. Everywhere. Upon its massive body countless eyes opened in unison, eyes of all creatures of the present Earth, eyes of creatures long gone in the maelstrom of time, eyes of creatures that will only exist once humans are long gone from the face of this wanderer of space. They were not just staring at them, they were boring their way into them. Both of them froze from the overwhelming power of these stares that were bombarding their body and mind from every possible direction.


    The pressure was insane, yet the man grit his teeth. He endured. And finally, he moved. He tore out his legs from the sand encasing them and took a step. And another. It felt like he was walking with the whole world on his back, yet he moved. And finally, he reached her, still frozen in place by the overwhelming power of those stares. He extended his hand as he took one more step. By then, there was no more sand under his feet. The thing underneath has completely consumed it, now he was standing on a sea of squirming, worm-like tentacles. But he did not stop. Only one last step.


    His hand reached her and pulled her to him. He embraced her with all his might amidst of the whirling tempest of despair clawing at their minds. She didn¡¯t say a word. There was no need to. They embraced each other one last time as the maw closed over them¡­ After that, there was nothing. It wasn¡¯t cold, nor was it hot. No light, no sound, no smell and no pain. The world disappeared, and the only thing that remained was¡­ silence.

 Ch 26: Aftermath

    Pabloc: "Talk about overkill¡­"


    The man couldn¡¯t help but curtly shake his head after seeing the wide-spread destruction below. His two attackers completely disappeared alongside of tens, maybe even hundreds of tons of the earth under their feet. Now the place where they were standing was nothing more than the middle of a huge crater. The sand, the rocks, even the very air that surrounded the two were consumed in a blink of an eye, as if the very concept of matter was destroyed by the jaws of the being that devoured them.


    Speaking of the creature in question, the man¡¯s eyes were quickly drawn to the black spot in the middle of the crater. It was a swirling, indescribable mass of something that this world had no concept for; even the strange, suffocating viridia it emanated was enough to further erode the ground around it. Finally, as the man slowly descended into the site of annihilation, the shapeless other compacted into a humanoid form, then after a bright flash of crimson¡­


    Lily: "There."


    The blonde girl gracefully landed as she returned to her familiar form in mid-air and faced the scientist with a weary expression.


    Pabloc: "Nice work, but¡­ Ouch! Hey!"


    The girl covered the distance between them as quick as thought and delivered a surprisingly powerful punch to the abdomen of the baffled scientist.


    Lily: "That¡¯s for making me worry, jerk."


    Pabloc: "Ugh. Sorry."


    Lily: "I¡¯m serious! Just because I can remake your body it doesn¡¯t mean you can go kamikaze by the drop of a hat!"


    Pabloc: "Yes, yes, I¡¯m really so- Gah!"


    Soketsu: "That¡¯s for playing dead on me, you goddamn bastard!" Soketsu, who just closed up on the scientist from behind, angrily shook his fist after hitting him on the back of his head. "For the love of all that¡¯s holy, what the hell were you thinking!? I really thought you were dead back there!"


    Pabloc: "Uuuugh¡­ Yes, I¡¯m also glad you are all right, thank you for asking."


    While the scientist was still holding his head, Soketsu finally directed his attention to the small girl standing beside the two of them. He had seen it happen only a few moments ago, yet he still had a hard time believing it. Lily, the most innocent individual he had ever seen and the gigantic thing whose devastating power he just witnessed¡­ Were they really one and the same? There was only one way for him to find out.


    Soketsu: "Say, would one of you mind explaining what happened here?"


    The scientist gave him a weary glance before he straightened himself and began dusting off his coat.


    Pabloc: "Okay, I will-"


    Lily: "Wait. First things first." Saying so, the blonde girl took two stark steps towards the scientist and raised her hands towards him. "What are you looking at like that? Carry me."


    The girl waved her outstretched hands with a pouting look. Pabloc shook his head in resignation and reached for her waist, scooping her into his arms while Lily¡¯s hands firmly clasped behind his neck.


    Lily: "I was a little mad so I used up too much of my viridia-reserve. I¡¯m going to sleep now."


    Pabloc: "Sleep? As in¡­"


    Lily: "Zzzz¡­"


    Pabloc: "Yes, hibernation, of course."


    As the scientist¡¯s surprised eyes glanced up they found themselves face to face with a really impatient Soketsu.


    Soketsu: "Now, about those explanations¡­"


    Pabloc: "Okay, okay, let¡¯s just keep moving. I¡¯ll tell you everything on our way back."


    With those words the scientist¡¯s feet slowly left the ground and floated beside Soketsu as he started walking out of the crater.


    Soketsu: "¡­ Why are you floating?"


    Pabloc: "Well¡­ To be honest, she is kind of heavy, so I¡¯m just easing my load."


    Soketsu: "Ah, I know what you mean."


    [Kay]: "Hey!"


    [Soketsu]: "What? I didn¡¯t imply that you were heavy this time."


    [Kay]: "Argh! You just said it again!"


    [Soketsu]: "Ugh¡­ Sorry, it wasn¡¯t on purpose."


    While silently bickering they finally left the crater behind. As the two stepped over the brink of the site, the scientist abruptly stopped and turned around.


    Pabloc: "Wait, we shouldn¡¯t leave things like this. I have no intention of announcing our presence with this hole; this one attack was quite enough for a while. It¡¯ll only take a moment."


    Soketsu: "Huh?"


    Soketsu¡¯s eyes instantly widened in shock as he turned back to Pabloc. The scientist almost absentmindedly raised his hand and the motion was immediately followed by the echoing sound of an impossibly deep roar, rushing towards them from all directions.


    Soketsu: "Whoa¡­!"


    It was not the sound a living being but the noise of billions upon billions of grains of sand closing upon them like an avalanche from all directions. All the nearby dunes seemed to be gone as their sand was poured into the tear on the ground like as if a huge, invisible hand was shoving them around. It was a strangely majestic sight as the black mass flew around them in graceful arcs, covering the night sky and filling up the hole in a matter of seconds. Just the prospect of moving such a huge amount of matter in such a short time was mind-boggling, but after this day¡¯s events it was only mildly baffling for Soketsu. Finally, as the crater disappeared and the scientist turned around¡­


    Pabloc: "What?"


    Soketsu¡¯s eyes were much less surprised than seriously irate right at this moment.


    Soketsu: "Mind if I ask just why didn¡¯t you do something like this when we were fighting?"


    Pabloc: "Oh¡­ Well, that¡¯s because of her." He gently shook the girl in his hands, who in response snuggled even tighter to his chest. "It is actually all interconnected, so I don¡¯t even know where to begin explaining these things to you."


    Soketsu: "How about at the beginning?"


    Pabloc: "Yes, obviously, but the beginning is complicated too."


    [Kay]: "Hey, can we move already? It¡¯s cold out here; I¡¯d rather listen to his explanation inside!"


    Soketsu: "Fine. Let¡¯s move inside first."


    The ex-Rover briskly turned around and jumped right into the huge hole leading to the facility, lying only a few dozen meters away from them. By the time he landed Pabloc was already behind him, simultaneously covering the hole with his power. Just as he finished he once again reached for his nonexistent glasses, then let out a small sigh.


    Pabloc: "I really need to get rid of this habit. As for explanations¡­" While saying so the scientist started moving and Soketsu immediately followed him through the ruined corridor. "You see, this is all related to an accident that happened five years ago."


    Soketsu: "Five years ago? I think you said that was when Lily came to this world."


    Pabloc: "Well, yes. To be more precise, she was brought here by Gabe to help me."


    Soketsu: "Help you? With an experiment?"


    Pabloc: "No. I needed help to survive. You see, I had an accident in the main labs five years ago. I nearly died back there while I was testing a plasma-based weapon system."


    Soketsu: "Plasma weapon? Was it some kind of gun?"


    Pabloc: "Not exactly. It wasn¡¯t even a real weapon to speak of; it was an upgrade for Gabe¡¯s armor. Still, it was quite dangerous. We underestimated its output and one of the containing fields started collapsing during the test. While I was trying to get the staff out of the workshop I got blasted by it when the containment gave in."


    Soketsu: "Blasted by plasma? That doesn¡¯t sound pretty."


    Pabloc: "Trust me, it wasn¡¯t. I lost both my hands, my left leg, both my eyes and around eighty percent of my skin evaporated on the spot."


    Soketsu: "Wait, what?"


    The man¡¯s eyes widened in bewilderment as the scientist kept talking in a calm, almost detached tone, accompanied by a slightly vexed smile on his face.


    Pabloc: "It was quite awful indeed. Thankfully I don¡¯t remember any of it since I immediately fell unconscious. It was a miracle I even survived, and afterwards I fell into a coma."


    Soketsu: "But¡­ how did you¡­? Was it the regenerative treatment?"


    Pabloc: "Well, partially. It helped but even that couldn¡¯t do miracles."


    Soketsu: "You say no miracles, but the fact that you are still here with all your limbs speaks otherwise."


    Pabloc: "Well, because it was not thanks to the regenerative treatment but her."


    The scientist affectionately stroked the little girl¡¯s chin, who started smiling in her sleep in response.


    Lily: "Zzzz¡­ Gihihi¡­ Zzzz¡­"


    Pabloc: "To be honest, even to this day I have no idea how he did it in just a few days, but after stabilizing my state Gabe somehow managed not only to get into the realm of the su¡¯blolis, but he also returned with Lily."


    Soketsu: "So that thing that I saw really was her¡­"


    Pabloc: "Though I don¡¯t really like how you just called her a thing, but I let it slide this time."


    Soketsu: "Uh¡­ Sorry, I guess."


    Pabloc: "As I said, Gabe did something outrageous back then. Just to put it into perspective, he not only managed to open a gateway to the realm of the su¡¯blolis, something that took me six years to accomplish before, he also entered there and came back with Lily. That was the first time an actual su¡¯bloli entered our world, and even though officially she came here as an ambassador she was more or less dragged over here by him in order to help me."


    Soketsu: "So she was the one who healed you?"


    Pabloc: "Technically? Yes, though the world healing is a little misleading here. We sort of entered into a master-familiar relationship in order to save my life."


    Soketsu: "I see. So she is your familiar? That explains a lot."


    The scientist¡¯s eyes suddenly widened hearing these words and an awkward laugh left his lips.


    Pabloc: "Hehe¡­ Well, almost. You got the order wrong."


    Soketsu: "Wait, are you trying to tell me¡­?"


    Pabloc: "It¡¯s not entirely accurate to say that I became her familiar, but it¡¯s relatively close. Ours is a mutually beneficial relationship, I would even go so far to say that we are acting as the life-support for the other. You see, su¡¯blolis have the ability to destroy an object while leaving its Core intact. It is something like the reverse of using Image Cores to create phenomena. I¡¯m grossly simplifying things here, but the main point is that she used this power to completely erase my physical body and then she bonded my Soul Core to herself and created a new body for me. The truth is, this body you are seeing right now has no Soul Core, I am actually inside Lily and only using this body as a proxy."


    Soketsu: "Whoa¡­ That¡¯s¡­ A lot to take in at once."


    Pabloc: "Obviously. I admit it¡¯s an out of the ordinary state of affairs, but I had little to no choice in the matter."


    Soketsu: "But wait, you said you are like a providing life support for each other. What are you giving?"


    Pabloc: "Oh, you see I-"


    Soketsu: "Wait!"


    As the scientist turned a corner he was immediately pushed back by the intense heat filling the shambling tunnel. The melting, bullet-hole filled floor and cut walls were a familiar sight for both of them. Of course it was, they only been here a few minutes ago, fighting for their lives. As Soketsu looked over the ruined hallway he couldn¡¯t help but shrug his shoulders. Thinking back on it, this was probably the most hectic day of his life. He got into a fight with Kay in the morning, got a counseling from Tiari, then he was warned by Ahaz, in the night he managed to confess to his partner and then he was thrust into a difficult battle by Gabe¡¯s workshop. Just thinking about all this made his head spin.


    Pabloc: "What happened here?"


    He absentmindedly glanced up that the scientist who was earnestly inspecting the burning holes on the floor.


    Soketsu: "Oh, that? You were out when it happened, but it turned out both of those guys were Alternates. The man turned himself into a minigun and shot up this place."


    Pabloc: "Minigun, you say? Fufu¡­ Interesting."


    Soketsu could have sworn that he saw a scary light in the scientist¡¯s eyes but it was gone by the time he turned around. However, they had a new problem on their hands.


    Soketsu: "We obviously cannot go through here, this tunnel is not only hot but I think it¡¯s about to collapse too."


    Pabloc: "Yes, you are right. Let¡¯s go that way."


    They only took a few more steps when Soketsu noticed something on the floor.


    Soketsu: "What the¡­?"


    Pabloc: "Oh, look at that. My blood."


    Soketsu: "You are awfully nonchalant about the place you died."


    The scientist absent-mindedly shook his head and smiled at him in response to the remark.


    Pabloc: "Well, technically I didn¡¯t die, did I?"


    Soketsu: "Speaking of which, you know I am still mad about your stupid stunt, right?"


    Pabloc: "You are?"


    Soketsu pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead and let out a pitiful groan.


    Soketsu: "Yes! Of course I am still mad! We had the TCs in our ears the entire time! Would it have killed you to tell me you cannot be killed?"


    Pabloc: "But then it would have spoiled the surprise."


    This time the man with the halberd buried his face in his palm and could barely hold back the urge to punch the scientist one more time.


    Soketsu: "Are you Gabe in disguise? Because that is the only way I can rationalize you saying something so monumentally dumb."


    Pabloc: "There¡¯s no need to be rude about it," Pabloc huffed as he rotated mid-air and started floating down the corridor again. As Soketsu followed after him in a hurry, he told him; "Not to mention, I am not really immortal per se. Even if my body was dead, my Soul Core is inside Lily, so a couple of physical wounds might hurt like hell, but I wouldn¡¯t ¡®die¡¯ from them. If my entire body disintegrated though, that is another story entirely."Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Soketsu: "Disintegration?"


    Pabloc: "Yeah. It¡¯s really tiring to recreate a complete body, and in her current state Lily wouldn¡¯t be able to do it without using up all her reserves, so unless she got some external source of viridia, she would die as well, and then I would follow after her for good. Thankfully a couple of limbs surviving is enough to offset that, so if I were to die in the future, I would appreciate if you returned my remains to her. Speaking of Lily, where was I before we got derailed?"


    Soketsu: "I was asking about why Lily needs you. You just mentioned something about her needing an external source of viridia."


    The two of them entered into another corridor as Pabloc took a deep breath.


    Pabloc: "Oh, that. You see, the realm where she came from has an entirely different kind of Ether from ours. Because of that she cannot process ours and turn it into viridia for herself, so I¡¯m constantly feeding her something that is like ¡®proto-viridia¡¯. It¡¯s halfway between proper viridia and unprocessed ether, filtered by my Soul Core beforehand, and she can use it to create the specific kind of volatile viridia she needs."


    Soketsu: "I couldn¡¯t really get about half of that, but let¡¯s move on¡­ Does she really need viridia that much?"


    Pabloc: "Yes she does. She comes from a world that¡¯s bordering the Tangible Universe. Their realm is more or less complete chaos and the su¡¯blolis are like formless gods who are sailing through this primordial space by bending the world around them. Lily is a su¡¯bloli, so obviously she needs a huge amount of viridia just to keep her form stable in our world."


    Soketsu: "So you are sharing a lifeline?"


    Pabloc: "Ah, yes, that¡¯s a good way to say it. Still, what I can provide her isn¡¯t quite enough so she has to sleep just about all the time to spare her reserves as much as possible."


    Soketsu: "I don¡¯t know¡­ she didn¡¯t seem to be sleeping that much¡­"


    Pabloc: "Well, because you probably didn¡¯t even notice when she was sleeping. In fact, you probably never even seen her awake until today." Seeing the confusion in Soketsu¡¯s eyes, Pabloc hastily continued. "Su¡¯blolis ¡®sleep¡¯ differently than us. When they sleep they just turn off some parts of their mind."


    Soketsu: "Wait, are you telling me that the Lily we have been talking to all this time was actually sleeping?"


    Pabloc: "Yes, though I¡¯m only calling that state sleeping for lack of better words. In truth we humans have no condition like that."


    Hearing this explanation was steep, but at the same time it made so much sense that the man couldn¡¯t help but accept that the Lily he knew was one serious sleepwalker. Still there was one last, obvious question left hanging in the air.


    Soketsu: "But if she was sleeping back then, then what is she doing right now? Sleeping in her sleep?"


    The scientist¡¯s lips curved hearing the query as she glanced down that the little girl¡¯s face.


    Pabloc: "Oh, this is called hibernation. She only enters into this state either when she is really low on viridia or when she is digesting."


    Soketsu: "Digesting¡­ as in, those two?"


    Pabloc: "Indeed."


    Lily: "Zzzz¡­ delicious~¡­ Zzz¡­"


    [Kay]: "Uah! Creepy!"


    [Soketsu]: "Yeah, a little¡­ But don¡¯t tell that to him or he will kill us."


    [Kay]: "Obviously."


    Soketsu: "So, let me try to put this together¡­"


    Pabloc: "Yes?"


    Soketsu: "If I got everything right, you are something like a familiar to Lily who is something like a monster-goddess who is usually doing something like sleeping because she came from a place that is something like an extremely lawless universe and you have to channel her something like a special kind of ether to keep her in our world or both of you will die or something¡­"


    The scientist froze in place as an annoyed grin spread on his face.


    Pabloc: "Ugh, why are you saying it like that?"


    Soketsu: "Well, excuse me. It¡¯s your fault of not explaining anything properly."


    [Kay]: "He actually did, I understood everything."


    [Soketsu]: "Hey, that¡¯s you. You are clever; I¡¯m just a plain old Soketsu."


    Pabloc: "No, it¡¯s your fault for being ignorant. You have been with us long enough; I can¡¯t believe you didn¡¯t pick up enough to figure out these things on your own by now."


    Soketsu: "Hey, you are mixing the roles here. My job is about breaking things, not about understanding them."


    Pabloc: "¡­ Sorry, you cannot pull off the ignorant brute image at this point. You have to accept that you are just thick."


    Soketsu: "Hey!"


    Seeing Soketsu¡¯s confounded expression Pabloc couldn¡¯t help but shake his head.


    Pabloc: "Seriously now, I can try to explain things in more detail if you¡¯d like me to."


    Soketsu: "No need. I got a general picture¡­ though there is one last thing."


    Pabloc: "Yes?"


    Soketsu: "That thing you did a few moments ago, moving mountains and everything. Is the jump in your ability related to her suddenly turning into¡­ you know, that big whatever?"


    Pabloc: "Well, technically it is, though it¡¯s not that complicated as you might think. Since I and Lily share the same soul-core at the moment, the seal that was put on her in order to keep her from accidentally blowing up half of Avalon in her sleep affects me as well. That¡¯s why I have a limited range and force to my power, and that¡¯s also why it is so easily unbalanced by small disturbances."


    Soketsu: "Then, just for the record, how long would this fight have lasted if you had all that power you showed off a few minutes ago?"


    Pabloc: "If I had my full power at my disposal? That¡¯s simple: There would have been no battle to speak of."


    Soketsu was much less surprised of the scientist¡¯s words as he was baffled by how naturally he said them, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Still this was only the beginning.


    Pabloc: "Without the seal my power is nearly unaffected by the ether-disturbances or the viridia-density of the target, so I could have smashed the guy into the concrete before he could have even started to move, then restrained him with his own arms while keeping the scythe-woman separated from him in order to minimize the danger they posed, then if that didn¡¯t work out well I could have still got rid of them by collapsing the whole tunnel-system onto the top of their heads, and in the worst-case scenario I could have still just reversed the flow of blood in their veins and blow up their hearts... Actually, you could say they were lucky that it was Lily who got them."


    It sounded almost unbelievable, but after seeing what he could actually do Soketsu couldn¡¯t help but believe the scientist¡¯s slightly boastful words. For a split-second he tried to imagine how he would fare against Pabloc if they both went all out, but he quickly brushed off the pointless thoughts, not small part thanks to the fact that they finally arrived to their destination.


    Pabloc: "Finally. We took a big detour."


    Soketsu: "Yeah, right."


    Sure enough, they were at the corridor leading up to Gabe¡¯s place. Even if the white light coming from the other side of the missing wall-panel had left questions about where they were heading, the familiar voice coming from the other side made it obvious whose home they were about to enter.


    Gabe: "¡­ woke up in the infirmary and we managed to bring his memories back, so¡­"


    The mad scientist¡¯s voice was somewhat flustered, but otherwise nothing seemed out of the ordinary¡­ until¡­


    Jill: "I understand, but you still didn¡¯t answer my first question¡­"


    The two men involuntarily glanced at each other, as if to ascertain they weren¡¯t hearing things, but the baffled expression on the other¡¯s face made the answer clear as day. Suddenly both of them left their strolling speed behind and dashed towards the entrance.


    Soketsu stormed into the room with loudly echoing steps, followed by the scientist¡¯s flying form. They both looked around, they both raised their eyebrows and they both lost their words at the same time as their stares met with the woman sitting on the bed not too far from the entrance. Even though they were the ones who blew into the room like they were about to storm a bunker, in the end it was them who looked more bewildered that the ones inside.


    Soketsu: "Jill¡­?"


    There was no doubt about it. At first he had to question his eyes, but the more he looked at her, the more obvious it became. Her form was different. Her hair, her body, even her voice was different, yet he instinctively recognized her, and once he did so, he couldn¡¯t see her as anyone else.


    Jill: "Yes. Hello Soketsu, Pabloc."


    For a few moments both of them were at loss for words. At last, the scientist awakened from his daze, and just as he was about to reflexively reach for his glasses¡­


    Gabe: "Finally! I¡¯m glad you guys found your way here at last! Especially you, Pabloc!"


    Pabloc: "Wait, what is Jill-?"


    Gabe: "Oh, wait a second! Please don¡¯t forget what you wanted to say, I need to get something!"


    Followed by the two men¡¯s baffled and the woman¡¯s disapproving stares, the mad scientist rushed to the back of his workshop and started rummaging through the pile of books there. After a mere few seconds he triumphantly raised a weather-beaten piece of paper.


    Gabe: "Here you are!"


    Pabloc: "Wait, I don¡¯t know what that paper is, but¡­"


    Gabe simply let the comment go by his ears as he took an old fountain-pen and overdramatically drew a huge X onto the parchment, then promptly shoved it into Pabloc¡¯s face.


    Gabe: "You can bow down and worship me now. Bwahahaha!"


    Pabloc: "What the hell are you talking a¡­ bout?"


    Only then did he finally realize what it actually was, an ever so familiar page with a list of things, each followed by a filled checkbox, the last one freshly marked. For a few moments he silently gawped like a fish out of water until his eyes turned to Gabe with a sharp light in them.


    Pabloc: "Are you serious?"


    Gabe: "I¡¯m always serious."


    Pabloc: "So she is¡­?"


    Gabe: "Yep. The real deal."


    Pabloc: "So you really have proven it?"


    Gabe: "Proven it?! I USED it!"


    Pabloc: "¡­You magnificent bastard! I don¡¯t know if I should punch you in the face or kiss you!"


    Gabe: "Uhhh¡­ If those are the only two options, I go with the punch, thank you very much."


    This was the point when the third man in the room couldn¡¯t take it anymore and raised his voice.


    Soketsu: "¡­ Excuse me guys, but would someone tell me what the bleeding fuck is going on here?!"


    The two scientists looked over him with eyebrows raised, and¡­


    Gabe&Pabloc: "You wouldn¡¯t understand."


    Soketsu: "Gah! For the love of¡­!"


    Jill: "Excuse me?" An abrupt silence filled the workshop as the men stopped on their tracks when the woman in the background raised her voice. "I¡¯m glad you are happy to see each other, but Gabe was in the middle of explaining me that I am actually not dead, and his reasoning was shaky enough without you jumping in. Could you stand aside, please?"


    The three of them promptly looked at each other then let out a small, awkward laugh.


    Pabloc: "Hehe¡­ Yes, sorry."


    Soketsu: "Yeah."


    Gabe: "Of course."


    For a moment it seemed like things have finally calmed down, but then¡­


    Pabloc: "Say, could I just use your bed to lay Lily down?"


    Gabe: "Sure. It¡¯s not Ry¡¯leh, but I guess she has to do with it for now."


    Pabloc: "Very funny¡­" He walked over to the bed and gently laid the little girl onto it. He even managed to force her locked arms around his neck apart, which was a clear testament of just how weak she became. "If we are talking of Lily, can you re-seal her?"


    Gabe: "Yeah, in a moment."


    Soketsu: "In the meantime, is there a place where Kay can change back?"


    Gabe: "Yeah, the bathroom is over there. There are some clean bathrobes inside that she can use until you find her clothes."


    Soketsu: "Okay, thanks."


    Jill couldn¡¯t help but become even more irritated as the three men started minding their own businesses around her, with Gabe once again tinkering with the blonde girl¡¯s forehead and Soketsu disappearing behind a door at the back of the workshop.


    Gabe: "Okay, she should be fine like this. She used up about two-thirds of her viridia-reserves, but it should fill back up in just a few weeks. How about you, are you all right?"


    Pabloc: "A little late for asking, as usual, but yes I¡¯m fine. The reconstruction was successful."


    Jill: "Reconstruction?"


    Hearing the question Gabe awkwardly spoke up.


    Gabe: "Oh, yes, that. You see, Pabloc died a few minutes ago but Lily here ate his body and then reconstructed it."


    Jill: "Ate him?"


    Gabe: "Yeah, happens all the time."


    Jill: "¡­ And where is the other girl?"


    Pabloc: "Kay? She is with Soketsu."


    Jill: "I didn¡¯t see her."


    Gabe: "She is the halberd."


    Jill: "The¡­ halberd?"


    Gabe: "Oh, yes, she is an Alternate and she can turn into a halberd. Didn¡¯t I tell you that?"


    Jill: "No, you just said she was Soketsu¡¯s partner."


    Gabe: "Really? Well, sorry, my bad."


    Jill: "¡­ Are you sure I¡¯m not in limbo?"


    Gabe: "Yes, I told you. I brought you back from the dead clean and proper."


    Pabloc: "Speaking of resurrection¡­" As the scientist turned towards the two, his eyes were once again sparkling with their previous excitement. "Were you serious?"


    Gabe: "Of course! How else would I have been able to bring her back?"


    Pabloc: "So the list is complete¡­ I¡¯m seriously impressed."


    Jill: "List? That piece of paper in your hand?"


    Pabloc raised his hand and showed the torn piece of parchment to the young woman.


    Pabloc: "This was my challenge to Gabe I made way back before this whole Reckoning War and Devastation business."


    Jill: "Just how way back are we talking about?"


    Gabe: "In college."


    Pabloc: "Heh. Long story short, we were something like best enemies back in those days, and I challenged Gabe to prove me his Core-theory by making up some outrageous conditions for him. As you can see, he just finished the last of them."


    Gabe: "Yup! Now I¡¯m the unconditional King of Science! Bwahahaha!"


    Pabloc: "Yeah, sure."


    Pabloc slowly shook his head at the mad scientist pumping his arm in victory. In the meantime the strangely silent Jill finally found the question she wanted to ask for a while.


    Jill: "I think it might sound conceited, but¡­ why is this more important than the fact that I¡¯m apparently undead?"


    Gabe: "Huh? No, you are not undead! You are ex-dead."


    Jill:  "I¡¯m still not completely convinced."


    Gabe: "What? Why is it so hard to believe that I have resurrected you from thin air three hundred years after you died by bending the very fabric of the universe using an unproven and pretty much unexplainable method of Soul Core reconstruction?"


    Pabloc: "Gabe¡­ Please stop digging your own grave. It¡¯s pitiful."


    Contrary to the lighthearted atmosphere the two scientists tried to create, Jill¡¯s sullen scowl didn¡¯t ease up the slightest.


    Jill: "I don¡¯t want to sound ungrateful, but aren¡¯t you a little unceremonious about me coming back to life? I mean, no outrage, no demand for proof, nothing¡­?"


    Gabe: "There¡¯s no need. You may look different but essentially you are Jill."


    Seeing that she was still confused, Pabloc let out a short sigh and gestured for her to get her attention.


    Pabloc: "What he is trying to say is that we could immediately acknowledge your existence because of your Soul Core is the same. It¡¯s the exact same situation as it was with us after Project Rebirth."


    Jill: "Project¡­ Rebirth?"


    Gabe: "Oh, yes. You see, I told you that we are three hundred years into the future because-"


    Jill: "Wait! Does the explanation have anything to do with your Core-theory?"


    Gabe: "Yes, but-"


    Jill: "I don¡¯t want to hear it."


    Gabe: "Why? It¡¯s-"


    Jill: "I said I don¡¯t want to hear it."


    Gabe: "But-"


    Soketsu: "Guys, we need some help!"


    Their discussion was abruptly disturbed as Soketsu called out to them from the direction of the bathroom. Although the mad scientist seemed annoyed at first glance, Pabloc couldn¡¯t help but feel that he was actually relieved to be called away from them.


    Gabe: "The bathrobes are on the second shelf to the left, above the-"


    Soketsu: "I¡¯m serious! Come here right now!"


    Hearing the weight of his voice Pabloc immediately rose to his feet, but¡­"


    Gabe: "What¡¯s going on?"


    By the time he could say anything the other scientist was already at Soketsu¡¯s side with a surprisingly serious expression.


    Soketsu: "There is something wrong with Kay; she says she cannot turn back to her human form!"


    Pabloc: "Calm down, we should bring her back to the infirmary and-"


    Gabe: "Let me see her!"


    Without even wasting a breath Gabe grabbed the halberd out of the shocked Soketsu¡¯s hands and raised her to his eyes.


    [Gabe]: "Kay, can you hear me?"


    [Kay]: "Wha-What? How did you¡­?"


    The girl¡¯s voice was underlined with panic and confusion, but her consciousness was strong. The scientist let out a quick sigh then once again called out to her.


    [Gabe]: "Listen, this might feel a little unpleasant, but bear with it, okay?"


    Before the girl was even able to answer the scientist¡¯s hand flared up, though it was so quick that for the onlookers it seemed like nothing but a small sparkle. Similarly, the unpleasant feeling of someone else¡¯s viridia roughly rushing through her body faded even before she could properly register it in her mind. Less than a moment later the scientist¡¯s eyes narrowed and¡­


    Gabe: "For the love of watermelons, you almost scared me out of my hide back there!"


    After letting out a relieved sigh the scientist calmly walked over to one of the shelves on his right, not even bothered by the piercing gazes of the others. He reached for the bottom shelf and grabbed a metal cylinder as the other scientist loudly cleared his throat.


    Pabloc: "So¡­?"


    Gabe: "So what?" Gabe calmly took off the top of the cylinder while answering. "Oh, you mean with her? Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s nothing serious. It¡¯s just that she cannot change back to her child-form because she is burned out. I¡¯ll fix her condition in a jiffy."


    Soketsu: "How the hell do you know that?"


    Pabloc: "I have to second Soketsu here. How can you make a diagnosis like that without proper examination and-"


    Gabe: "Here you go¡­"


    The others suddenly turned silent like they got the words frozen into them. The mad scientist¡¯s hand was covered with an eerie glow as he dipped it into the contents of the container.


    Soketsu: "What is that¡­?"


    Gabe: "Oh, this? Just some stabilizer I had in arm¡¯s reach in case Jill would need it. You know, just in case her new form was unstable or something, but she is fine so I might as well use it on Kay."


    Soketsu: "But that glow¡­ Isn¡¯t that magic?"


    Gabe: "Magic?! Bwaha-khm. No, please don¡¯t try to make me laugh while I¡¯m in the middle of a delicate procedure. It¡¯s dangerous."


    Soketsu: "Delicate procedure?! You are just smearing some kind of shining thing on her!"


    Gabe: "Yes, but with great precision."


    Pabloc: "But why are you stabilizing her current form?"


    Gabe: "Huh? No, I¡¯m not stabilizing her current form; don¡¯t be silly! I¡¯m just using this to reset her transformation so that she can turn back to her real shape."


    With the others finally falling in silence, Gabe kept on working without outside distractions. As for the inside¡­


    [Kay]: "Excuse me, but¡­"


    [Gabe]: "Shhh¡­ We¡¯ll talk later; I need to concentrate here¡­"


    [Kay]: "Okay."


    [Gabe]: "¡­ Actually, just between you and me, don¡¯t really need to concentrate that much since this is nothing compared to what I did a few minutes ago, but hey, it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. You don¡¯t want to turn back and have an additional pair of limbs, do you?"


    [Kay]: "N-Not really."


    [Gabe]: "Good, now then all I need to do is to¡­ Ooops!"


    [Kay]: "What!? What happened!?"


    [Gabe]: "Uh-oh¡­"


    [Kay]: "What happened!?!?"


    Gabe stayed silent for a couple of seconds, but then he couldn¡¯t hold his snickers any longer.


    [Gabe]: "Haha. Just pulling your leg. I¡¯m done, you should be able to transform now. How do you feel?"


    [Kay]: "I¡­ Actually I feel surprisingly good."


    Gabe: "Great!"


    Soketsu: "Huh?"


    The mad scientist suddenly became hyper again as he whirled the polearm over his head and then handed her over to her anxious partner.


    Gabe: "Here, she is good as new."


    Soketsu: "Really? Are you sure?"


    Gabe: "Yeah, it will be forty-nine ninety-nine plus tax. ¡­ Hey, I¡¯m just trying to ease the mood, don¡¯t look at me like that! Anyways, go and have her change back!"


    Soketsu: "Okay, okay. You don¡¯t need to say twice."


    As Soketsu stepped back into the small bathroom Pabloc quietly stood next to Gabe.


    Pabloc: "About your method¡­"


    Gabe: "Pssst! It¡¯s a secret!"


    Pabloc: "Seriously now, what was that?"


    Gabe: "Hey, I told you, it was my special brand secret ingredient, and it¡¯s a secret."


    Pabloc: "Why do you have to be so-"


    Their conversation suddenly came to a halt as they got a glimpse of the green flash shining under the bathroom¡¯s door.


    Soketsu: "Kay, are you all right?"


    Kay: "¡­ Yes¡­ I think. My body feels a little heavy, but¡­ Wha¡­? EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"


    The men¡¯s relaxed expression turned grave at once as they heard the girl¡¯s muffled scream from the other side. Soketsu immediately moved and grabbed the doorknob, yet decided to ask one last time before barging in.


    Soketsu: "Kay, what¡¯s going on!?"


    Kay: "I¡­ I have¡­ there are¡­ What¡¯s going on!?!?"


    The girl¡¯s weak voice gave him the last push he needed and he instantly threw the entrance open, only to find something that he could never have anticipated¡­


    Soketsu: "¡­ Kay?"


    On the bathroom¡¯s floor sat an utterly stunned, roughly sixteen years old girl, her skin hastily covered with a towel and nervously looking up at the even more astonished man from behind her extraordinarily long locks of green hair. Even though she seemed to be the most shocked of the group, the momentarily awkward silence was broken by her voice in the end.


    Kay: "I¡­ have breasts¡­"


    And thus the once broken awkward silence returned victorious and stronger than ever.

 Ch 27: Calm after the storm

    Kay: "Why did this happen? This is weird!"


    Gabe: "Nah, it¡¯s not weird at all."


    Kay: "But it is!"


    Gabe: "Hey, I am the leading authority of the field of ¡®weird¡¯ here, and I tell you it isn¡¯t."


    Soketsu: "Would someone finally explain me what just happened to Kay?!"


    After overlooking the three in the bathroom Pabloc¡¯s shoulders drooped in exhaustion. Kay was redder than beet, sandwiched between the two men with completely different expressions.


    The mad scientist kept poking the girl with a curious smile, like a kid who just found a really fascinating toy to play with, while her partner awkwardly tried to make sense of what just happened and to keep Gabe away from the confused girl.


    Gabe: "Look! I found the end of your hair! It¡¯s looooooooong!"


    Soketsu: "Stop that already!"


    Gabe: "What? Stop getting in the way of scientific advance!"


    Soketsu: "Scientific advance my ass, you are just bullying her!"


    Gabe: "No, I¡¯m not! I¡¯m making measurements!"


    Soketsu: "What? Why?!"


    Gabe: "Listen, she has spent several years in a faux-body and now she is back to her original one! Just think of the implications of how much important information can be gained by investigating her changes!"


    Soketsu: "What kind of information can you get by poking her shoulder with your finger!?"


    Gabe: "¡­ Scientific ones."


    Soketsu: "Arhg!"


    Kay: "Excuse me, but¡­ can I get dressed?!"


    The two men looked at each other, albeit once again with different expressions. Soketsu was seriously embarrassed while Gabe only seemed mildly annoyed.


    Gabe: "Sure, whatever. Come on Soketsu, you can look at her all you want once you are back home."


    Soketsu: "What the fu-? It was you who kept poking her all this time! And you still haven¡¯t explained what¡¯s going on either!"


    Gabe: "Yeah, yeah, sure, whatever."


    Soketsu: "Listen when I¡¯m talking to you!"


    Seeing the two men leave the bathroom while still arguing brought a small smile on Pabloc¡¯s face, though even he had a hard time deciding if it was an amused or an ironic one.


    Pabloc: "(First the attack, then Jill and now Kay¡­ What a day.)"


    As if he just got reminded to her, the scientist absentmindedly turned around and laid his eyes upon the person in question. She was still sitting at the same spot as before with a sulking expression on her face. On anyone else that might just have seemed like a small gesture of distaste, but knowing her the scientist was sure that she was boiling on the inside. After hesitating for a moment he decided to walk over.


    Pabloc: "May I?"


    He politely pointed at the bed beside her, and after a moment of thinking Jill nodded in agreement and he sat down.


    Jill: "Well, at least there is someone who wants to talk to me."


    Pabloc: "What do you mean?"


    Jill: "Don¡¯t tell me you cannot see it."


    The scientist would have been lying if he said he didn¡¯t. Gabe was avoiding Jill in such a blunt manner that even a five years old could have seen it.


    Pabloc: "¡­ I know I might sound cold, but don¡¯t let it bother you."


    Jill: "Easy for you to say."


    Pabloc: "Yes, I guess it is, but¡­"


    The man once again raised his eyes upon the mad scientist arguing with Soketsu.


    Gabe: "-and that¡¯s why I said it¡¯s weird that her hair grew but not her nails."


    Soketsu: "I don¡¯t care about her nails! You still haven¡¯t even tried to explain me why she grew up!"


    Gabe: "¡­ You wouldn¡¯t understand."


    Soketsu: "Gah! Not that excuse again!"


    After looking at the two in silence for a few moments the scientist¡¯s lips slightly curved.


    Pabloc: "Believe it or not, he is actually extremely happy you are back."


    Jill: "Well, if he is then he hides it well."


    The scientist couldn¡¯t help but chuckle on the inside at Jill¡¯s pouting words.


    Pabloc: "Trust me, he is. I think he is just too conscious of you right now, give him some time."


    Jill: "He seems less conscious and more like the usual idiot."


    Pabloc: "That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m talking about."


    For the first time since he sat down she looked away from the arguing scientist and raised her eyes on the man at his side.


    Jill: "That didn¡¯t make even a lick of sense."


    Pabloc: "Only because you haven¡¯t seen him until now."


    This time she narrowed her eyes in a skeptical look that made Pabloc feel really nostalgic for a moment.


    Jill: "If you are going to tell me he was depressed until now, I¡¯m going to laugh at you. Loud."


    Pabloc: "No, no, nothing so drastic. He was just¡­ how should I say this¡­? Somewhat stiff."


    Jill: "You are making less sense by the minute."


    Pabloc: "Sorry, but I can¡¯t really explain any better. It¡¯s been a long time since I have seen him as relaxed as he is right now. Still, I expected that you were the cause of his strained behavior, but for him to even go as far as to bring you back from the dead¡­ That¡¯s some serious dedication."


    Jill didn¡¯t answer just laid her eyes back on Gabe who was still in the middle of explaining things to Soketsu.


    Gabe: "¡­ so when I reset her form she turned back to her real form, not to her child form."


    Soketsu: "Are you saying that she was in some sort of temporary-form?"


    Gabe: "No! I told you already, her child form is a legitimate Alternate form like her weapon form, it¡¯s just that when she transformed, she¡ª!"


    After staring at him for a few moments, Jill shrugged her shoulders in dejection.


    Jill: "Dedication or not, he is not breaking his back to welcome me back."


    Pabloc: "I think he¡¯s just shy." Once again Jill tore her gaze away from the mad scientist and faced Pabloc. "¡­ What¡¯s with the ¡®Are you out of your mind?¡¯ look¡­?"


    Jill: "Exactly that. You just used the word shy to describe that man. I can¡¯t help but feel concerned about your mental health."


    Pabloc: "Yes, I would have to agree under normal circumstances, but these are not. Don¡¯t you think he deserves the benefit of the doubt?"


    Jill: "If you say so."


    The scientist¡¯s lips curved into a reassuring smile, and after taking another glance at the others still arguing by the bathroom, he excused himself and walked over to try and contain the situation. As she looked over them, Jill let out yet another exhausted sigh. This kind of ruckus was all too familiar. If there was one thing she had to admit, it was that they didn¡¯t change one bit since she had last seen them. It all seemed like yesterday¡­ which was a little eerie, considering that for her, it was literally yesterday.


    Soketsu was still the straight man, Pabloc was still acting as the team¡¯s dad and Gabe was¡­ well, Gabe. The atmosphere was familiar, and yet everything seemed strangely unsettling. She just couldn¡¯t put her finger on what it was just yet. In the meantime, as she was still lost in thought watching the quarrelling group, something moved beside her.


    Lily: "Unyaaaaah~" The blonde girl laying behind her slowly stretched her arms and sat up while rubbing her eyes. "My tummy is so full~ Oh, Jill-san! Konbanwa~!"


    Jill: "Um.. Yes, the same to you, I think."


    The blonde girl opened her mouth for another yawn and for a moment it seemed like she would fall over and back into sleep, but she managed to steady herself the last second.


    Lily: "Where is Pabloc-san?"


    Jill raised his finger and pointed at the group at the back of the workshop, but she didn¡¯t take his eyes off the girl for even a second.


    Jill: "Over there with the others."


    Lily: "Ah, arigatou~" Lily swung her legs and jumped off the bed, only to come to a halt a moment later. Her eyes instantly widened as she laid her eyes upon the green-haired girl nervously fidgeting in the crossfire of the three men. After recognizing her, Lily¡¯s trademark smile took over her face and she immediately rushed forwards."Kay-chan~~!!"


    Kay: "Wha-?"


    Before she could even raise her hands the blonde girl tackled her with a bear hug.


    Lily: "Yay~ Kay-chan, you finally grew up! You are so pretty! And you are taller than me too! And¡­" The girl¡¯s eyes suddenly sparkled up while looking at the two small mounds at her eye-level. "Whoaaa~! You have boobies!?"


    Kay: "Y-Yes¡­"


    Lily: "They are soft!"


    Kay: "H-Hey! What are you doing!"


    Pabloc: "Lily!"


    Lily: "Hai?"


    Pabloc: "Don¡¯t harass Kay."


    Lily: "Nyuuu¡­ Hai, Pabloc-san."


    The blonde girl grudgingly let go of the thoroughly embarrassed Kay and returned to Pabloc¡¯s side.


    Gabe: "Awww¡­ You guys are such spoilsports."


    Soketsu: "Are you sure you should be saying things like that?"


    Gabe: "Yeah, why not?"


    While everyone internally debated whether they should smack the mad scientist over the head, Pabloc noticed that Lily was visibly pouting at his side.


    Pabloc: "What¡¯s the matter?"


    The blonde girl raised her eyes upon the scientist with a pleading look.


    Lily: "Pabloc-saaaaan~?"


    Pabloc: "Y-Yes¡­?"


    Lily: "I want boobies too!"


    Pabloc: "Excuse me?"


    Lily: "I want boobies! I want boobies!"


    Pabloc: "Now, now. Don¡¯t be hasty Lily-chan¡­"


    Gabe: "He is right. You don¡¯t need boobies. Use Kay¡¯s."


    Kay: "H-hey!"


    Jill: "Excuse me¡­?" Just like once before, the voices of the room instantly ceased the moment the woman opened her mouth, all eyes focused on her. "I wanted to ask already, but where are the others?"


    The mad scientist turned towards her with a questioning expression.


    Gabe: "You mean Ahaz and co.? They should be at their quarters."


    Jill: "Them too, but I was more worried about your fairies."A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Gabe: "Oh, the girls? They are in Avalon."


    She involuntarily raised her brows.


    Jill: "Avalon¡­?"


    Gabe: "Ah, that¡¯s a long story¡­"


    Lily: "Gabe-sama! Gabe-sama! Let¡¯s take her to Avalon!"


    Gabe: "Yes, but¡­"


    Pabloc: "I actually agree. I¡¯m sure she will love it."


    Soketsu: "Yeah, I second that."


    After a moment of dramatic chin-rubbing Gabe gave in.


    Gabe: "Fine. I wanted to keep it for later, but we should check if something happened in the city anyway. Just let me get a few things done before we move out."


    The man moved to the back of the workshop followed by the curious gazes of the others.


    Pabloc: "What are you doing?"


    Gabe: "Just restarting the pocket-space generators. The door got jammed when I opened it with the emergency switch, so I have to lock the place up properly. By the way, could you help me out with this?"


    Pabloc: "Of course."


    The two scientists nonchalantly moved to the control-panel in the back with Lily following close behind Pabloc. In the meantime the freshly changed girl and her partner were both clumsily fidgeting without being able to hold eye-contact. In the end it was Kay who broke the momentary silence between the two.


    Kay: "Say¡­"


    Soketsu: "Yes?"


    The two of them finally looked at each other then immediately averted their eyes once again.


    Kay: "I¡­ I just¡­ I was wondering what you think¡­"


    Soketsu: "About¡­?"


    Kay: "Um¡­ You know¡­"


    Soketsu: "Ah¡­ The change? Honestly, I¡¯m just relieved."


    Kay: "Relieved?"


    Soketsu: "Yes. When you screamed I was afraid something bad happened, but I¡¯m just glad that you are all right."


    Kay: "I¡­ see."


    Soketsu: "But still, I am happy that you got your natural form back."


    Kay: "Really?"


    The man, finally mustering his resolve, turned to the girl. She was only covered by a bathrobe a few sizes bigger than necessary and her eyes were still downcast in embarrassment. As he observed her figure, the man couldn¡¯t help but smile. She was certainly older, but it was the Kay he knew, right down to the small gestures he was so used to by now. In his eyes she was just as adorable as before if not even more so. After looking all over the embarrassed girl he gently extended his hand and reached for her long bangs.


    Kay: "Huh? W-What are you doing?"


    Soketsu: "Nothing in particular. It¡¯s just so weird to see you with long hair."


    Kay: "Awww¡­! My hair is my smallest problem right now!"


    Soketsu: "Huh? What do you mean?"


    Kay: "I¡­ you know¡­!" She puffed her cheeks and pointedly averted her face. "Don¡¯t make me say it!"


    Soketsu: "Ah, you mean those?"


    The man let the tuft of hair in his hand go and pointed at the girl¡¯s chest, and she immediately responded with an angry scowl.


    Kay: " Don¡¯t point at them!"


    Soketsu: "Uhh¡­ Sorry, I guess."


    Kay: "Argh! I can¡¯t believe this! Just when I started to get on terms with my body, this had to happen!"


    Soketsu: "Wait, what did you just say?"


    The girl looked upon him with a hint of annoyance as she answered.


    Kay: "Because you said that I was fine the way I looked, so¡­ you know? I decided I was fine the way I was." Kay hung her head with a tired groan. "How did this even happen?"


    Soketsu: "I still have no idea. Gabe kept dodging the question and kept talking about ¡®stabilizers¡¯ and ¡®cores¡¯ and ¡®flying Canadian laser bears with monkeys¡¯."


    Kay: "Flying what?"


    Soketsu: "Exactly. Nothing useful or reasonable."


    Gabe: "I said what?"


    Soketsu and Kay twitched in unison, like kids being caught by their peers while doing something naughty as the mad scientist stuck his head between them.


    Soketsu: "Nothing. We were just chatting."


    The black-clad scientist instantly lost interest and turned around.


    Gabe: "Whatever, we should move out. The generators are back online, even if I can¡¯t lock the door itself I can at least cut the workshop off from the rest of this dimension."


    Soketsu: "Why do you even need a door when you can do that?"


    Kay: "Not to mention, why is it disguised as a wall?"


    Gabe: "What do you mean? Because secret entrances are awesome!"


    After a moment of silence Pabloc decided to step forth and grab hold of the conversation before it would devolve once again.


    Pabloc: "Let¡¯s move out, shall we? On the way we should stop by the infirmary to check up on everyone and get some proper clothes for Kay."


    Kay: "I would appreciate that."


    Soketsu: "All right, we should get things over with quickly, it¡¯s getting really late."


    The whole group was ready to move, but they all stopped on their tracks as Jill¡¯s melancholic voice rang through the air.


    Jill: "¡­ I hate to spoil your enthusiasm, but I need some help."


    Gabe: "Huh? What¡¯s the problem?"


    The scientist seemed both concerned and a little annoyed at the same time as he walked up to her, which made her voice sound even more bitter as she answered.


    Jill: "I can¡¯t walk."


    ~~~


    The air was filled with a weird sense of awkwardness as the small group was walking through one corridor after the other. They just got out of the monorail, and since Jill couldn¡¯t coordinate her new body properly yet, he was carried by Gabe, who seemed downright agonized by the act.


    The tension between those two was growing with each passing second and the others just couldn¡¯t find a good excuse to turn the mood around. Even Pabloc was surprised by the man¡¯s baffling behavior, even though he was the one who tried to advise Jill about it a couple of minutes ago. No matter how he looked at it, Gabe¡¯s was acting extremely out of character around her.


    Pabloc: "Hey, Soke- ¡­ Wait, what are you doing?"


    As he turned back to consult the two he had to roll his eyes. Kay was in Soketsu¡¯s arms with the bathrobe firmly wrapped around her body and her legs tightly closed.


    Kay: "I asked Soketsu to carry me. I have no shoes and the floor is cold."


    Soketsu: "Yeah. Weird as it might sound she actually seems lighter than when she was small."


    Kay: "Hey! I told you I¡¯m not heavy!"


    Soketsu: "That¡¯s what I just said!"


    Then, as if on cue¡­


    Lily: "Pabloc-saaan~! Me too, me too~!"


    Pabloc: "Hm?"


    The blonde girl vigorously tugged on his sleeve and opened her arms towards him.


    Lily: "Carry me!"


    Pabloc: "But I already carried you today!"


    Lily: "But the others are doing it!"


    Pabloc: "But we are almost there anyway¡­"


    Lily: "Carry meee~!"


    Pabloc: "But I just died! I¡¯m¡­ Agh¡­ Stop it, I will carry you!"


    Lily: "Yay~!"


    The scientist, albeit with a slight grumbling, took the girl into his hands.


    Still, even though his back was killing him, he was somewhat thankful for Lily¡¯s request, as either by not noticing or by simply not caring, she still managed to change the atmosphere, even if only for a little while.


    As such they once again fell silent as the group was picking up the pace anew. It only took them a few more minutes to reach their destination and it was Gabe who entered first, immediately setting Jill down onto the closest bed he could find in the infirmary.


    Gabe: "Finally."


    It was clear from Jill¡¯s expression that she was more than displeased with the man¡¯s recent behavior, but she didn¡¯t voice her opinion for some reason. Following suit the others have entered the infirmary as well. As they both let their respective partners down, Soketsu suddenly spoke up.


    Soketsu: "It¡¯s been a long time since I was here for the last time¡­"


    Realizing the opportunity for some small talk to clear the bad air around them, Pabloc answered without missing a beat.


    Pabloc: "Thankfully, if I may add. I still remember the times when I had to patch you up every other day, so I actually prefer things this way."


    Soketsu: "Come on, I didn¡¯t get injured that often!"


    The scientist moved to the back and started rummaging through his tools while talking.


    Pabloc: "You say that, but it was because of you that I had to double as the doctor of the team."


    Soketsu: "Huh? Really?"


    Pabloc: "Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t even notice¡­"


    Soketsu: "But you always treated my injuries."


    Pabloc: "Yes, because no one else would. I was originally an engineer and only got into medicine because each time you returned to us you had at least a few broken ribs and bruises all over you."


    Kay: "So you were that reckless even back then?"


    Soketsu: "Hey, I¡¯m not reckless, just¡­ Okay, maybe I¡¯m a little too passionate, but-"


    Gabe: "See you guys, I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes."


    Just as they were about the shake down the mad scientist¡¯s gloominess the man suddenly darted at the entrance, seemingly completely oblivious to their efforts.


    Pabloc: "Hey, just where are you-?"


    Gabe: "I¡¯ll go check up on Ahaz, I¡¯ll be back in a jiffy. Don¡¯t go anywhere."


    Saying so he opened the door and left without any further ado, leaving the others in a state of utter confusion.


    Kay: "Just what¡¯s with him?"


    Pabloc: "At first glance I would say he is manic depressive, but considering he only started acting like that after he had to take Jill onto his back¡­"


    Jill: "So now even you agree that something is wrong with him."


    The woman¡¯s sharp eyes pierced the scientist without mercy, leaving him no choice but to nod.


    Pabloc: "Yes, but I don¡¯t know why. He still seems a lot calmer and more cheerful, just not when he is dealing with you."


    Jill: "I kind of noticed."


    Soketsu: "Okay, I¡¯ll ask the obvious question: Why is he acting so weird around Jill of all people?"


    Pabloc: "I have no idea. He is as hard to figure out as ever. Anyways¡­"


    The scientist finally turned around with a tray filled to the brim with dozens of different, strange medical tools and medicine-boxes and walked over to the others.


    Pabloc: "Now, let¡¯s see how you guys are holding up¡­"


    Lily: "Pabloc-san! Can I be the nurse again?"


    Pabloc: "Of course, please bring me some antiseptic spray."


    Lily: "Hai~!"


    The blonde girl absent-mindedly pattered over to the cupboard at the back while Pabloc readied his equipment.


    Maybe it was just because they were tired, maybe even more so because of the mental exhaustion the last few hours brought, but even after the mad scientist left, they just couldn¡¯t shake off the gloomy atmosphere that permeated the room.


    ~~~


    Gabe: "(Goddammit¡­)"


    The man¡¯s forceful steps sounded like the beating of hammers echoing in the hallway. Even though he wasn¡¯t running his pace was quite fast and his feet touched the ground like he was stomping on something with each and every step. It was easy to see that he was frustrated, though even if one were to ask, it would have been hard for him to explain why.


    His expression became even more severe once he laid his eyes upon his destination. The scientist took one last breath after abruptly stopping before the door and raised his hand to knock. For a few seconds there was no answer, and then the automatic door slowly slid open with a silent hissing sound. On the other side stood the familiar catgirl with a weary expression.


    Gabe: "Hi Tiari, can I speak with Ahaz?"


    The girl looked him in the eye with clear contempt as she answered.


    Tiari: "Are you sure you want to talk with him right now?"


    Gabe: "Yeah, it¡¯s urgent."


    For a few fleeting seconds they kept looking eye to eye until Tiari stepped aside.


    Tiari: "Fine, but don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you."


    The moment the scientist took a step inside, his chest was hit by the sheer amount of animosity directed towards him, and its origin was quite obvious even at first glance. Ahazkun was standing in the middle of the room with a handful of notes in his hand, looking at the scientist with icy eyes. If looks could kill, Gabe would have been dead about six times over at this point.


    Ahazkun: "What do you want?"


    Just as his eyes, his voice was anything but welcoming, but the scientist still walked up to him without a moment of hesitation.


    Gabe: "Listen we need to tal-"


    Without any warning the oracle¡¯s fingers balled into a fist and he punched Gabe right in the jaw, staggering him for a couple of second.


    Tiari: "Ahaz!"


    Gabe: "Ugh¡­ Don¡¯t worry, I pretty much deserved that one."


    Ahazkun: "Oh, you wish that was all you deserved¡­!"


    The scientist raised his right hand while holding his aching jaw with the other.


    Gabe: "Yeah, you are right, but we still need to talk first, and we can¡¯t do that while you are punching me¡­"


    Ahazkun: "Talk?" The oracle let down his raised fist and threw his notes onto the bed, scattering them all over the place, then directed his frosty gaze at the scientist once again. "Do you even know what you did?"


    Gabe: "Well, I kind of trampled on divine providence and-" Ahazkun¡¯s fist lashed out once again, but this time it only grazed its target. "Ouch! Hey!"


    Ahazkun: "Three hundred years of work! Three hundred years¡¯ worth of planning, predictions, management, manipulation! All of that time, all of that effort is gone! For naught! You destroyed all I have ever built in the span of a single night, and now you come here to TALK!?"


    Gabe: "Oh come on; don¡¯t be so overdram- Whoa!" The scientist barely managed to dodge the oracle¡¯s fist in the very last moment and immediately put small distance between the two of them. "Listen, I can apologize if you want me to (even though it would be pointless), but first you should calm the fuck down and listen to me!"


    Ahazkun: "Listen to you?! LISTEN TO YOU?! Are you fucking serious?! Do you really expect me to just accept that you destroyed my life¡¯s work and sit down to chit-chat with you?!"


    Gabe: "No, I just want you to calm down for a second and listen to what I say!"


    Ahazkun: "Like that would fu-!"


    Tiari: "STOP IT!" The scream of the catgirl stopped both men on their tracks as they directed their surprised eyes towards her. "Both of you, stop fighting!"


    Ahazkun: "But¡­!"


    Tiari: "Stop¡­!"


    The catgirl tried to sound strong but in the end she couldn¡¯t keep her voice from shaking. Her expression was hard to read. She was both glaring at them and shaking her fist, but at the same time they could see the tears in her eyes, a fact that the scientist immediately used for his own advantage.


    Gabe: "Ah, look at that! You made her cry!"


    Ahazkun: "Wha-?! I made her cry?! Are you-!"


    Gabe: "Here-here¡­"


    Tiari: "Don¡¯t¡­ touch me¡­"


    Her voice suddenly became really weak as the scientist stepped beside her and started scratching the base of her ears.


    Gabe: "Wait! I just got an idea!"


    Tiari: "I told you to stop¡­ doing that¡­! I¡¯m going to bite you!"


    Gabe: "Hey, hey! Don¡¯t be such a stray cat! I¡¯ve got a surprise for you."


    Tiari: "Huh?"


    The catgirl¡¯s eyes were understandably doubtful as she looked up at the grinning man patting her head.


    Gabe: "Please go to the infirmary."


    Tiari: "But why?"


    Gabe: "I told you, there¡¯s a surprise for you."


    The catgirl¡¯s suspicious eyes kept digging into Gabe¡¯s expression. After a few seconds, she finally glanced over to Ahazkun, who forcefully nodded at her. Seeing that, she let out a small sigh and shook the scientist¡¯s hand off.


    Tiari: "I see; you guys don¡¯t want me to be around¡­ I¡¯m going."


    The catgirl grudgingly turned around and left the room, followed by the scientist¡¯s almost affectionate gaze. As the door closed, he suddenly let out a small laugh.


    Gabe: "She is still such a kid. Acting all though while the tip of her tail is twitching with anticipation¡­" Ahazkun didn¡¯t say anything, nor did he move, so Gabe began absent-mindedly wandering in the room while talking. "Still, I can understand her. She always hated when we were fighting, it must be emotionally taxing on her no matter how old she gets." While the scientist tried to improve the atmosphere in the room the oracle didn¡¯t even flinch in his cold fury. "Come on; stop glaring at me like that!"


    Ahazkun: "My glare is the last thing you should be worried about."


    Gabe: "Oh come on, we can work this out."


    Ahazkun: "HOW?! You broke EVERYTHING!"


    Little by little the scientist¡¯s presence became firmer and he took a step towards Ahazkun.


    Gabe: "Yes I did, but I had my reasons."


    Ahazkun: "Reasons?! What kind of reasons can justify throwing away all my plans, all of OUR work!"


    Gabe: "I was owing her this much. No, I was owing them this much."


    Ahazkun: "Them¡­?"


    Gabe: "You want to know? Then let me explain everything."


    Ahazkun: "And again, why do you think I would listen to you?"


    Gabe: "Because we were wrong." Suddenly the man¡¯s mouth twisted in an ominous facsimile of a smile. "Of course you didn¡¯t notice. You are always looking at the big picture, results before reason."


    Ahazkun: "Are you seriously trying to lecture me? Here and now of all times?"


    Gabe: "Oh, heaven forbid, I don¡¯t. I¡¯m just pointing out something you haven¡¯t realized yet; that there was a very basic flaw in those plans I ¡°destroyed¡±."


    Ahazkun: "Which is¡­?"


    The ominous smile slowly widened into a toothy grin.


    Gabe: "So I managed to get your attention after all, huh? Okay then, please sit down. Trust me, we can work this out."


    The oracle didn¡¯t say anything, nor did he take his disdainful eyes off the scientist even for a moment. Still after a few moments of silent standoff he slowly nodded and sat down.


    Ahazkun: "I really hope that we can. For your sake."


    Gabe: "All right! First off, allow me to take down the Veil so that I can explain everything."


    Ahazkun: "Veil? What is that?¡±


    Gabe: "That¡¯s another long story I have no time to explain. You will understand it soon enough anyway. It will only take a few moments, please try to stay calm in the meantime."


    The oracle was just about to voice his revulsion when a familiar feeling hit his temple.


    Ahazkun: "What the¡­?"


    He only managed to re-establish his ability a few minutes ago, so he was extremely distressed as the familiar feeling of his predictions getting washed away hit his temple, but as the sensation slowly faded away his eyes instantly opened wide. For a few seconds he was obviously running through his new predictions in his mind and¡­


    Ahazkun: "¡­ You¡¯re kidding me."


    He raised his face with clear doubt in his eyes but the scientist¡¯s calm expression made it obvious that what he uncovered was not some kind of cruel joke.


    Gabe: "As I said, we have a lot of things to discuss."


    At last, after a few seconds of silence the oracle raised his head with a sharp light in his eyes.


    Ahazkun: "Talk."


    Gabe: "As you wish."


    And as such, they began the most important conversation they ever had, a discussion where the past appeared to be much more uncertain than the future.

 Ch 28: Nothing happens…

    The infirmary¡¯s air, crowded for the first time since Soketsu¡¯s arrival, was filled with nervous expectation. Soketsu and Jill were sitting side by side on one of the beds across the entrance while Pabloc was just about to finish checking up on the green haired girl in complete silence.


    Pabloc: "Hmmm¡­" The scientist finally put the stethoscope-like tool away and addressed the silently fidgeting girl. "It appears like you are completely healthy. I would even go as far as to say you are better off than before."


    Kay: "Really?"


    The girl let out a relieved sigh after hearing the scientist¡¯s words. The mood in the infirmary has considerably eased up since Gabe left, but this was the first time they could see some relief on her face.


    Pabloc: "Yes. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because this is your primal form or because the stabilizer that Gabe used, but your viridia-reserves are filling themselves about twice as fast as before and your body itself seems to be all right as well, if a little on the thin side." After a moment of pause he turned to Jill. "As for you¡­"


    Jill: "Yes?"


    Before answering he scooped up one of his familiar floating screens from the examination-table and began tinkering with it. After a few taps on the screen he finally looked at her with a puzzled expression.


    Pabloc: "¡­ I¡¯ve got nothing."


    Jill: "Nothing bad or nothing out of the ordinary?"


    Pabloc: "Yes." After waiting for her to roll her eyes, he continued; "You are perfectly healthy. Your blood-samples are clean, your brain-waves are fine, your Soul-core is completely stable and your viridia-reserves are full. I am beginning to think the only reason you cannot walk properly is because you are not used to your size."


    Jill: "¡­ Then what should I do?"


    The scientist carefully laid the screen back onto the table and walked over to her.


    Pabloc: "Well, first off, let¡¯s get you standing. Soketsu?"


    Soketsu: "Yes?"


    Pabloc: "Please give me a hand."


    Soketsu: "Sure." The two men put their arms around Jill¡¯s shoulders and helped her onto her feet. While doing so Soketsu suddenly voiced a question. "Wait, why didn¡¯t you just levitate her?"


    Pabloc: "I told you back in the workshop, didn¡¯t I? With Lily sealed, I¡¯m completely empty right now; it will take at least a few days before I can use my ability again."


    Soketsu: "Yeah, now that you mention it¡­"


    Jill: "Whoa!"


    After a moment of surprise the two of them successfully managed to catch her as she stumbled forward and helped her onto her feet once again.


    Pabloc: "Say, I didn¡¯t even ask, but are you even comfortable with this body?"


    Jill: "Comfortable?" She looked over herself with perplexed eyes before facing the scientist again, then promptly shook her head. "I don¡¯t really know. I recognize it as my own, but it still feels strange somehow."


    Pabloc: "Strange? In what way exactly?"


    Jill took a small, stumbling step while answering.


    Jill: "I don¡¯t really know. I think I have problems with the perspective. I¡¯m still measuring everything the way when I was a fairy." She took another small step and stopped while pointing at the wooden door leading to the storage room of the infirmary. "For example, you see that doorknob? I look at it, and when I want to grab it I immediately try to fly to it instead of just reaching out with my hand."


    Pabloc: "I think I understand¡­ In that case there¡¯s nothing to worry about, you just have to get used to your new circumstances."


    Jill: "Maybe, but I still feel like a klutz."


    Soketsu: "It seems like you can move if we are supporting you, but can you stand on your own?"


    Jill: "Yes, I think I can manage that much¡­"


    The men nodded at each other and slowly let go of her. At first it seemed like her legs might buckle but she finally managed to stand upright.


    Pabloc: "Ah. You are doing great."


    Jill: "Thanks."


    Soketsu: "I guess it¡¯s like cycling. Once you take the first step the rest should come naturally."


    Jill nodded and slowly raised her foot. For a moment it seemed like she would topple, but in the end she managed to keep her balance and take a small step on her own.


    Pabloc: "Great! I was afraid you would need therapy but it seems like you will be fine on your own."


    Even though it was hard to tell from her expression, she felt really relieved. She slowly raised her leg again and took another step, then carefully tried shifting her weight and turning around.


    She almost made it, but she still lost her balance at the very last moment and she had to hold onto the edge of the food board of a nearby bed.


    Jill: "¡­ I need to practice."


    Pabloc was just about to reassure her when the opening of the entrance drew his attention away.


    Tiari: "Hello¡­ guys¡­?" All eyes focused on the unexpected guest. The catgirl was quite a comical sight, as the moment she stepped through the door her eyes immediately went wide open like she was about to faint from shock. "¡­ Jill?" After silently gasping for a few moments she suddenly dashed at the surprised Jill and tackled her with her arms wide open. "Jill!!!"


    Jill: "Ah!"


    She was easily swept off her unsteady legs and both of them fell onto the bed she was leaning on with a loud thud, Tiari landing right on Jill¡¯s lap while hugging her like there was no tomorrow.


    Tiari: "Jill! Are you for real!? How!? When!?"


    Soketsu: "Here we go again¡­"


    The catgirl was snuggling up to Jill with all her might, all the while purring like a well-fed kitten in the hands of her beloved owner. Finally the girl let her go, raised her head, looking her right in the eye with an uncharacteristically bright smile, an expression that was immediately answered with an affectionate, almost motherly gaze.


    Jill: "Hi Tiari¡­"


    Tiari: "I can¡¯t believe it! I missed you so much!" The girl once again hugged her with all her strength while tears of joy started running down her cheeks. "You have no idea how I missed you! It was so hard dealing with them without you around¡­!"


    Jill: "I understand."


    Tiari: "It was so hard being the only sensible one¡­" Jill raised her hand and gently started caressing her face. After a few peaceful moments the catgirl¡¯s eyes suddenly popped wide again and she sharply raised her head. "Wait, you are a human!?"


    Jill: "¡­ You just noticed?"


    Tiari: "I¡­ I was so happy you came back that I¡­ Wait, how did you come back!?"


    Jill: "Gabe said he somehow resurrected me. He didn¡¯t really explain anything to me."


    Tiari: "So he resurrected you and made you into a human? ¡­ That dirty bastard! Please be careful! I¡¯m sure he has some ulterior motives for bringing you back like this!"


    Jill: "Ulterior motives?"


    Tiari: "Yes, perverted ulterior motives!" The catgirl declared with the outmost conviction. "Why else would he turn you into a human? You know him too; he only does things like that when he has some evil plan!"


    Kay: "Um¡­ What¡¯s going on?"


    The only person who was seemingly left out of the loop finally raised her voice and all the attention in the room got directed to her.


    Tiari: "Erm¡­" Tiari glanced over at her as well and she awkwardly asked; "Who is she?"


    The catgirl¡¯s confused expression was enough to tell that she really had no idea who she was talking to.


    Kay: "Um¡­ It¡¯s me, Kay."


    The catgirl first wagged her head to the right, then to the left, and then finished the routine off by theatrically scratching her head.


    Tiari: "¡­ Are you serious?"


    Kay: "Yes."


    Tiari: "¡­ Okay, just what did I miss?"


    Pabloc: "To put it short, we had a battle, she got stuck as a halberd and Gabe helped her return to her real form afterwards."


    The catgirl was seemingly thinking for a moment, after which she first looked over Jill, then Kay again. Finally, she dropped her shoulders with a tired sigh.


    Tiari: "I tell you, that guy is planning something¡­"


    After a moment of pondering the catgirl once again shrugged her shoulders and immediately afterwards her cheeks were buried into the chest of the woman in front of her.


    Jill: "Tiari¡­?"


    Tiari: "Just let me indulge myself, okay? It¡¯s been ages¡­ Literal ages!"


    A slight smile rose onto Jill¡¯s face as she carried on stroking Tiari¡¯s head.


    Jill: "Well, in the end I think I should be glad there is at least one person who is happy I¡¯m back from the grave."


    Soketsu: "Hey, don¡¯t act like we are not happy you are back!"


    Jill: "Really? It¡¯s not showing."


    Soketsu: "Because¡­" He glanced over at Pabloc, and after a moment of hesitation he continued with a regretful voice. "Yeah, you are right. Sorry about that. The truth is, when I first saw you I couldn¡¯t even believe my eyes. I was really glad you came back, but so many things happened today that I just couldn¡¯t really comprehend it on the spot."


    Pabloc: "I¡¯m the same." Pabloc agree while fiddling with his nonexistent glasses. "With everything that happened today I was just too preoccupied with the hows and whens. Sorry for being late, but¡­ Welcome back, Jill."


    Soketsu: "Yeah, welcome back. We were really missing you from the team."


    Jill: "I see. Thank you."


    Even though these words filled her with reassurance, somehow they still weren¡¯t able to chase her gloomy mood away. In the end Soketsu spoke up again with a jokey voice.


    Soketsu: "Why the long face? Here we are pouring our hearts out for you and that¡¯s how you react?"


    Jill: "Sorry, I¡¯m just¡­"


    Pabloc: "Stop thinking about him." She glanced over at Pabloc upon his unexpected declaration and they locked gazes. "You are thinking about him, right? Don¡¯t. It¡¯s a waste of time."


    Jill: "I know, but¡­ This whole affair just doesn¡¯t make any sense. He doesn¡¯t make any sense."


    Soketsu: "That¡¯s nothing new."


    Jill: "I know that too, but this time it¡¯s even less than usual."


    Soketsu: "Don¡¯t worry about it. He¡¯s an idiot and you will have more than enough time to force some answers out of him."


    Gabe: "Force some what out of who?" The whole group turned their head in unison in reaction of the voice coming from the entrance. "I¡¯m back, what¡¯s the situation?"


    Seeing the confused looks in their eyes the scientist tilted his head in confusion.


    Gabe: "What?"


    Soketsu: "¡­ What happened to your face?"


    Gabe: "Oh, that¡¯s why you are looking at me like that? No biggie, I was just running around and accidentally bumped my head into Ahaz¡¯s fist a few dozen times. It happens even in the best families."


    Seemingly not caring about the confounded atmosphere in the room he casually walked over to Pabloc¡¯s side.


    Gabe: "So, how are the girls?"


    Pabloc: "Fine. Both of them."


    Gabe: "Good to hear! Now then, we should be off to Avalon ASAP. I promised Ahaz that I will get back to him once I¡¯m done with showing Jill around."


    Soketsu: "Why? What is he doing?"


    Gabe: "Is that really a question? Oracling." There was a moment of silence. "You know, clairvoyancioning." And then there was another. "Argh, you know, that thing when he goes all waaaaaa with his eyes closed and tells you the lottery numbers for the next five years."


    Pabloc: "Why didn¡¯t you just say he was predicting?"


    Gabe: "Oh come on, that word sounds so overused!"


    After a the whole group showed their disapproval by various gestures, including sighs, shoulder-shrugs, head-shakes and complete and utter disregard of the mad scientist¡¯s existence¡­


    Pabloc: "Let¡¯s just go and forget this conversation ever happened."


    Soketsu: "Agreed."


    Gabe seemingly didn¡¯t care about his companions¡¯ grumbling at all. He quite vigorously moved to Jill¡¯s side but almost immediately came to a screeching halt.


    Gabe: "¡­ Tiari, what are you doing? Bad kitten, bad! Stop sitting on her like that, we need to move!"


    The man grabbed the flabbergasted catgirl by her shoulders and put her beside the bed like he was moving a potted plant.


    Tiari: "Hey!"


    Gabe: "Here, now get on."


    He forcefully grabbed Jill¡¯s wrist and pulled her over while offering his back for the ride. The others, feeling somewhat awkward, and for a few moments it seemed like Jill was hesitating, but in the end she reached out and grabbed the man¡¯s shoulders.


    Gabe: "Heave-ho!"


    The mad scientist swiftly took Jill onto his back in a piggy-back ride and lightly shook his shoulders with an impish smile.


    Gabe: "Phew¡­ Did you eat something while I was away? You seem heavier than before."


    She didn¡¯t answer, but her silence was suggestive enough to tell that she wasn¡¯t exactly pleased with the man¡¯s words¡­ Or it should have, except that he obviously didn¡¯t mind. After making sure she was holding onto him properly he immediately moved to the door.


    Gabe: "Move it, move it."


    Pabloc: "Wait. Lily¡¯s not back yet."


    The mad scientist immediately stopped on his track and turned to Pabloc from the entrance.


    Gabe: "Huh? Why, where is she?"


    Pabloc: "She went to make some clothes for Kay."


    Soketsu: "Huh? Make?"


    The man suddenly interjected into the conversation with a surprised tone.


    Pabloc: "Yes, she said so when she left, didn¡¯t she?"


    Soketsu: "Yes, but I thought it was like a slip of the tongue¡­"


    Pabloc: "No, she likes doing handiwork; actually she is the one who makes all my clothes. We have a huge supply of fabrics at home."


    Soketsu: "¡­ Are you serious? She makes your clothes?"


    Pabloc: "Yes, along with hers and yours and everyone else¡¯s in this group."


    Soketsu: "No way¡­"


    In the meantime Gabe let out a tired breath and began tapping his foot.


    Gabe: "So I have to wait for her to come back? Give me a break¡­"


    Jill: "Why don¡¯t you put me down until then?"The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Gabe: "¡­ Nah, it would be a hassle to pick you up again." Jill glared at the back of Gabe¡¯s head, and then she promptly whacked the same place with her knuckle. "Ouch! Hey, what was that for?!"


    Jill: "Hmpf!"


    Gabe: "Hey, don¡¯t go all passive-aggressive on me!"


    Jill: "Says you."


    Gabe: "Seriously, I¡¯m-!"


    Lily: "Ah, Gabe-sama and Jill-san are playing horsie again!"


    Gabe: "Whoa! You¡¯re already back? We couldn¡¯t even start properly filling out the downtime!"


    The mad scientist immediately moved out of the way as the easygoing girl strolled into the room with a small heap of clothes in her hands.


    Lily: "Kay-chan! I brought you kawaii clothes!"


    Kay: "Kawaii?"


    Pabloc: "It means cute."


    Kay: "Ah¡­"


    Seemingly not even caring about the discussion between the two, the girl joyfully spread out the clothes she brought onto the examination table.


    Lily: "Here Kay-chan! Wear this!"


    Seeing the clothes immediately made Kay lose her words. The dress in Lily¡¯s hands seemed anything but casual-wear, in fact its frilly design made even the blonde girl¡¯s usual attire pale in comparison.


    Lily: "Nyu? What¡¯s the matter?"


    Kay: "What¡­ is that?"


    Lily: "It¡¯s a magical girl costume~! I made it for Tia-chan but she never wears them..."


    Tiari: "No comment."


    Lily: "I veered it a little at the chest and tucked it around the shoulders, so it should be perfect for you! Here, try it on~!"


    Kay: "¡­ I¡­ Thank you, I think?"


    At this point the no longer bespectacled scientist gently tapped on the shoulder of the blonde girl.


    Pabloc: "Lily-chan¡­?"


    Lily: "Hai? Oh, Pabloc-san! I brought you a change of clothes too!"


    Pabloc: "Thanks, but on the actual topic¡­" He paused to clear his throat and then pointed at the dress in her hands. "You cannot expect Kay to wear that right now."


    Lily: "But why? It¡¯s kawaii! It¡¯s really kawaii!"


    Pabloc: "Yes Lily-chin, it really is, but you cannot force people to wear something like that on the spot."


    Lily: "Nyu¡­ I see."


    Pabloc: "Good. Did you bring another change of clothes?" She promptly shook her head, leading Pabloc to sigh in resignation. "I see."


    The man gently patted the girl on the top of her head and then reached for his clothes on the table, after which he scooped them into his hands and carefully handed them over to Kay.


    Pabloc: "Wear these."


    Kay: "But¡­ these are yours¡­"


    Pabloc: "Don¡¯t worry about that. I can survive for a few more hours with some torn clothes but we can¡¯t have you walking around in a bathrobe."


    Kay: "I see¡­ Thanks."


    Pabloc: "Don¡¯t mention it. By the way, Soketsu?"


    Soketsu: "Yes?"


    Pabloc:  I forgot to mention before but there are some spare slippers in that case back there."


    Soketsu: "I¡¯m on it."


    As the man moved to the wardrobe at the back, Kay tugged on the scientist¡¯s hem.


    Kay: "Where can I change?"


    Pabloc: "Oh, yes. Behind the folding-screen over there should be fine."


    In the meantime Soketsu returned with a pair of slippers and Kay immediately jumped into them.


    Kay: "Thanks."


    They both moved to the back and Kay disappeared behind the paravan. At the same time, in the entrance of the infirmary the black-coated man with the silver haired woman on his back let out yet another weary sigh.


    Jill: "I already told you to stop sighing."


    Gabe: "Hey, I¡¯m sighing for a different reason than before, so it doesn¡¯t count!"


    Tiari: "Idiot! Stop annoying Jill!"


    Gabe: "Ah, the cat hath spoken, huh? Protective as ever, aren¡¯t you?"


    Tiari: "Ah! And stop groping her you pervert!"


    Gabe: "I¡¯m not groping her, I¡¯m just holding her! This is how piggyback-rides work!"


    Tiari: "Pervert! I know you have some dark agenda, and I will expose it! I won¡¯t let you soil Jill, you animal!"


    Gabe: "¡­ Wut?"


    Tiari: "Don¡¯t act dumb!"


    Gabe: "¡­ Hey, Pabloc! What¡¯s her problem?"


    Pabloc: "How should I know, she¡¯s with you."


    Gabe: "Nah, I already disowned her."


    Tiari: "Don¡¯t change the subject!"


    Gabe: "I¡¯m not changing the subj-"


    Jill: "Gabriel."


    Everyone raised a brow after hearing the word, but the man in particular jumped like he was struck by lightning.


    Gabe: "Yes?"


    Jill: "Stop arguing."


    Gabe: "¡­  Fine."


    Tiari: "Yeah! And stop groping her too!"


    Jill: "You too, Tiari."


    Tiari: "O-Okay."


    The three became dead silent for a few moments, then Jill¡¯s lips finally curved for real, maybe the first time since her rebirth.


    Jill: "You guys¡­ Seriously, you two never change."


    It seemed like the mad scientist had something to say, but in the end he swallowed his words as Kay emerged from behind the folding screen with Pabloc¡¯s clothes hanging on her.


    Kay: "Um¡­ I feel silly¡­"


    Pabloc: "Don¡¯t. They are a little too big for you but they should do for now."


    Soketsu: "Yeah, it¡¯s actually not that bad."


    Gabe: "Great!"


    Seeing that everyone was ready the mad scientist enthusiastically readjusted Jill on his back and stepped through the entrance.


    Gabe: "Move it, time is precious!"


    Pabloc: "Wait, I have to stow my tools away first!"


    Gabe: "You can do that tomorrow! We have no time to waste!"


    Pabloc: "For the love of¡­"


    Knowing him, the scientist had no choice but to give up the argument on the spot with a slightly irritated grumbling. Gabe had no intention to acknowledge this as he excitedly left the premises.


    Soketsu: "Geez, why is he in such a hurry anyway."


    Pabloc: "Who knows? Come on Lily-chan, let¡¯s move."


    Lily: "Hai~!"


    With this the whole group left the infirmary with varying levels of enthusiasm.


    ~~~


    Lily: "(Psst. Pabloc-san!)"


    Pabloc: "(Yes?)"


    Lily: "(What is Gabe-sama and Jill-san doing?)"


    Pabloc: "(It¡¯s¡­ Actually, I have no idea.)"


    Once again the group felt awkward in the presence of the two, except this time it was a different kind of awkward than before. Gabe and Jill were sitting facing each other in the speeding monorail car, and the two were so blatantly avoiding eye-contact that it was downright comical. In fact, it was almost like they were teasing each other in some sort of strange game, where they always fixated their gazes in the exact opposite direction as the other. Finally, after playing in silence for a few minutes, the scientist spoke up in a somewhat tactful manner.


    Gabe: "¡­ Guys, why are you looking at us like that?"


    Pabloc: "No reason at all."


    Kay: "No. Absolutely none."


    Soketsu: "We are not even looking."


    Tiari: "Yeah, who would want to look at you anyway!?"


    Lily: "Nyu? Gabe-sama, you are being weird again~!"


    Gabe: "Ah, I see. For a moment I was afraid I had a stray nose-hair or something. So, where were we?" Before anyone could figure out what he was referring to, there was a chime coming from the speaker above the car¡¯s exit. "Oh, we are almost there."


    The mad scientist quickly stood up and offered her back to the young woman sitting in front of him.


    Gabe: "Hop on." Jill grabbed onto the man¡¯s shoulders without hesitation and obediently let herself to be lifted. "Wow, you actually did what I said right away? What gives?"


    Jill: "I¡¯m just really curious about this Avalon of yours."


    Gabe: "I can¡¯t blame you, though you probably won¡¯t be able to see it properly right away¡­"


    Jill: "Why?"


    She readjusted herself as she was clinging onto the man¡¯s back. In the meantime, the monorail slowly began its deceleration.


    Gabe: "Because it¡¯s the middle of the night. ¡­ Why are you looking at me like that?"


    Jill: "I¡¯m not looking you in any particular way."


    Gabe: "Agh¡­ Stop putting the pressure on me!"


    Jill: "I¡¯m not putting anything on anyone."


    Gabe: "All right, all right! You know what? Fine, I will take the time to turn on the sun once we are there so you can take a good look. Are you happy now?"


    Jill: "Turn on the¡­ sun?"


    Tiari: "Don¡¯t ask him to explain or we will be here till morning."


    Gabe: "Hey! Good idea, that would take care of¡­ oh, wait. No, I can¡¯t. I have to get back to Ahaz later, so I have no time for that."


    Tiari: "¡­ Is that seriously the only reason you stopped?"


    Gabe: "Yeah, why?"


    Tiari: "¡­ You are impossible."


    Gabe: "Why, thanks." In the meantime the car came to a slow stop with one last soft clunk and the automatic doors soon opened without a sound. "Final destination!"


    Gabe almost literally jumped out of the monorail car and started walking towards Avalon¡¯s main entrance in a hurry. The rest of the group naturally followed suit, even if they were somewhat less eager about the whole ordeal. It only took them a few minutes to reach the first checkpoint, at which point Gabe stopped on his track like he hit a metal wall.


    Gabe: "Oh, dammit! I totally forgot about this!"


    Jill: "About what?"


    Gabe: "Argh! What a hassle!"


    Jill: "But what?"


    As the others caught up with them, the mad scientist nonchalantly pointed at the catgirl amongst them.


    Gabe: "It¡¯s her."


    Tiari: "Huh? What¡¯s your problem?"


    Gabe: "Your pass. It takes too much friggin time to let you in."


    Tiari: "You are not thinking about leaving me behind, are you?"


    After a couple of long and strenuous seconds of silence Gabe shook his head.


    Gabe: "No, of course not."


    Tiari: "Why did you even need time to think about that!?"


    The mad scientist shook his head dismissively and turned around.


    Gabe: "Whatever. We are taking a shortcut."


    Pabloc: "Shortcut?"


    Pabloc raised his hand inquiringly and was just about to reach for his nonexistent glasses again before he shook his head and simply walked up to the man.


    Gabe: "Yeah, I really don¡¯t have the time for going through the whole process, and we are all tired anyway, so let¡¯s cut this short."


    Pabloc: "What do you mean by that?"


    The mad scientist continued on without answering, not caring about Pabloc¡¯s complains at all. As they neared the checkpoint Gabe wordlessly raised his hand.


    Jill: "Uh¡­ Gabriel?"


    Tiari: "Aaaah! Stop groping her!"


    Gabe: "I¡¯m not groping her, I just need to compensate for holding her with one hand so I¡¯m only grabbing onto her more firmly."


    Tiari: "Yes, and that¡¯s called groping!"


    Gabe: "No it isn¡¯t as I¡¯m not doing it to find out the feel and/or texture of her butt, nor am I stroking it for some sort of gratification while handwaving the issue."


    Tiari: "But you do! You totally, do!"


    Gabe: "Whatever."


    Without saying anything more the mad scientist lightly waved at the nearby security console and immediately after that¡­ nothing happened.


    Gabe: "Okay, let¡¯s move on."


    By the time the others would be able to find the time to ask anything the man was already on the other side of the first checkpoint, save for the only man who apparently tried to keep up with him¡­


    Soketsu: "Wait! Didn¡¯t this take about fifteen minutes the last time?"


    Gabe, visibly annoyed, glanced over his shoulder while not even slowing his pace.


    Gabe: "Normally? Yes, but I have maximum clearance, so I just turned off the whole security system altogether."


    Soketsu: "Wait, what!? Isn¡¯t that kind of defeating the whole purpose of a security system?!"


    Gabe: "Maybe, but you see, there were times when I just had to get into Avalon for a snack in the middle of the night and it was a hassle to go through the whole procedure."


    Soketsu: "Are you serious? You compromised the integrity of your security system for midnight snacks!?"


    Gabe: "Not really. It is a shortcut only for me." In the meantime Jill pointedly cleared her throat, and when that didn¡¯t seem to work, poked Gabe on the top of his head. "Yes? What¡¯s up?"


    Jill: "What¡¯s with that gate over there?"


    Gabe: "Oh right. This is the first time for you. That¡¯s the main gate of Avalon."


    Jill: "¡­ Why is it so huge?"


    Gabe: "What do you mean? Because it¡¯s-"


    Tiari: "Compensating for something."


    Gabe: "Hey!"


    The mad scientist and the catgirl was once again at each other¡¯s throats, but even so, Jill was completely lost in thought. Mesmerized by the sight in front of her, she didn¡¯t pay any attention to the newest quarrel between the two. She kept intently gazing at the structure, then as if a sudden spark snapped her out of her fascination, she lightly tapped on Gabe¡¯s head again.


    Gabe: "Huh? What?"


    Jill: "What did you say, what is this Avalon of yours again?"


    Gabe: "I told you, it¡¯s where the girls live."


    Jill: "You mean it¡¯s some kind of housing district? And why is it sealed off? And why-"


    Gabe: "Whoa, slow down! Avalon is a city."


    Jill: "A city? Underground?"


    Soketsu: "Yeah." Soketsu chimed in with a self-derisive chuckle. "I had a hard time believing it when I entered the first time as well."


    Jill: "Seriously?"


    Gabe: "Let me just open the gate and you will understand without explanations."


    Saying so the scientist casually walked over to security console by the gate, or at least as casually as he could while carrying Jill on his back, and began operating it. In a few seconds the light covering the gate began fading and before long it completely disappeared.


    Gabe: "Okay, I have roughly two hours to spare before Ahazkun would get slightly more upset because of my absence, something that no one wants to see happening. I¡¯m only going to give you a barebones tour; you will have more than enough time to explore the city on your own anyway."


    Before Jill could find the words to answer, or rather, before she could voice any more of the countless questions in her head, the giant doors began moving with a low, rumbling noise. As the wings of the gate parted, the first thing that surprised her was the bright sunlight coming from the other side, accompanied by a gush of fresh air.


    Gabe: "What the¡­?"


    For her surprise, Gabe seemed even more baffled than her when he took a glimpse at the sunbeams coming from the other side.


    Jill: "Whoa!"


    Without a moment¡¯s notice, the mad scientist took off with surprisingly agile steps and rushed through the gate in the blink of an eye. As Jill could finally lay her eyes upon the sight before her, it instantly took away her breath. A blue sky above her head with the warm light of the sun caressing her skin, and most importantly, the tranquil city sprawling in front of her as far as the eye could see.


    Jill: "¡­ Where are the people?"


    The question was only natural. After all, no matter how idyllic the city in front of her seemed like, it was as empty as a ghost-town. The man however didn¡¯t answer; instead he turned back to the others with a serious expression.


    Gabe: "Something is wrong. It¡¯s half past two in the middle of the night, it should be dark at this hour."


    Pabloc: "¡­ So?"


    Gabe was seemingly thinking for a moment, then turned around and started walking with brisk steps.


    Jill: "Whoa!"


    Jill actually had to grab onto Gabe¡¯s shoulders to keep herself from falling as the man suddenly surged forward, leaving the others a few paces behind him before they would began moving as well.


    Gabe: "I don¡¯t know what happened, but first we should get to the mansion and you will wait there, the tour can wait until I find out what happened."


    For a few moments, Jill was seriously contemplating about what she should ask him, if anything, but considering the scientist¡¯s serious tone, in the end she decided to keep quiet for now. It only took them a few short minutes to arrive at the outskirts of the actual town, but when they reached the ¡®mansion¡¯ Gabe mentioned, they didn¡¯t really find what they were looking for.


    Gabe: "¡­ What the hell?"


    The air was filled with the smell of burnt wood around the place where the building was supposed to stand, currently occupied by a huge pile of scorched metal and wood. As they laid their eyes upon it, all of them fell silent in front of the sight of destruction. However, one of them was different.


    Jill saw something that shocked her even more than the burnt remains, or the sight of the town for that matter. Actually, Avalon did not surprise her that much, as it was not something she would have put beyond the man¡¯s eccentric tendencies. Crazy as it might have seemed for someone else, creating an underground city for whatever purpose did not seem impossible to her, not even weird, simply because she knew the mad scientist. It was still a grand sight, but it wasn¡¯t surprising. On the other hand, for the very same reason, she couldn¡¯t believe her eyes when they were laid on a small, flying shape aiming towards them.


    ?????: "Fairfather!"


    Jill¡¯s feelings were always hard to read. That¡¯s something everyone realized after meeting her at least once. She almost always wore a neutral poker-face and her expressions were toned down all the time; her smiles were barely noticeable and her furious scowls usually seemed nothing more than small frowns. Not this time.


    Clear and utter bewilderment. Or at least that¡¯s what it would have been on someone else, but on her face, such an expression was the sign of a shock beyond compare. She felt like her head was about to explode with questions and no matter how many times she looked at the small being in front of her, her mind just couldn¡¯t compute the information. No, actually, she comprehended what she saw, she just couldn¡¯t believe it. It was akin to when an angel would descend upon an atheist. It was something that couldn¡¯t be denied, but accepting it was even harder than believing that her eyes were deceiving her.


    Gabe: "Claire? What happened here?!"


    The fairy Claire was wearing a dark-blue jumpsuit with yellow markings and a helmet under which her long, brown hair was flowing down on her back. She flew to them and stopped right in front of the scientist, floating right there while talking.


    Claire: "There was a fire in the guests¡¯ mansion."


    Gabe: "I can see that, but why is the sun up?!"


    Claire: "Ah, that¡¯s because we needed the light for the evacuation, so we set the time forward by twelve hours on the environmental system."


    Gabe: "Evacuation?! Is everyone all right?!"


    Claire: "Mostly. We have a few light injuries amongst the firefighters but nothing serious. Luckily we were able to put it out before the fire spread."


    Hearing these words the scientist¡¯s tense shoulders finally eased up as he let out a huge sigh.


    Gabe: "Phew! I was really afraid something serious happened here¡­"


    Claire: "Something serious?"


    Gabe: "Ah, you see, we had intruders in the facilities. I was afraid there was another attack or a sabotage or something when I first saw that the sun was up."


    Claire: "Intruders? What happened?"


    Gabe: "Nothing serious, Lily got them."


    Claire: "Lily?" The fairy visibly swallowed and whispered. "Poor bastards."


    Gabe: "Yeah, but-"


    Jill: "Excuse me?"


    The two¡¯s small-talk was abruptly interrupted by Jill, who was staring at the fairy all this time like she was seeing a ghost. Claire, on the other hand, only seemed to notice her at the moment she first spoke up.


    Claire: "Yes?"


    Jill: "Are you¡­ really a fairy?"


    Claire: "Huh?"


    Gabe: "Oh, yes. That. You see, I had no time to tell you, but a few things have changed since you died¡­"


    Claire: "Died?"


    Gabe: "Oh, that too. You see, she is¡­"


    Soketsu: "Hey, Gabe?"


    Gabe: "Huh?"


    Interrupted, the mad scientist grudgingly turned towards the source of the voice, only to meet the disapproving gazes of the whole group.


    Pabloc: "Honestly now. You are getting ahead of yourself again. We would first like to know more about that fire."


    Soketsu: "Especially me and Kay. We were actually living here¡­"


    Kay: "Yes, all our things were inside¡­"


    Gabe: "Okay then¡­ Claire, please give us a quick rundown."


    Claire: "Yes. The fire department got notified of the fire roughly two hours ago, so we sounded the alarm and brought in the fire extinguishers immediately."


    Kay: "Alarm¡­ So what we heard was not an intruder alarm?"


    Gabe: "Intruder alarm? Why would we have something like that? Sure, if someone reported a breach in the facility then there would have been an announcement or something, but you were the ones who met the intruders first, right?"


    Undeterred by the interruption, the fire-fighter fairy continued her speech.


    Claire: "The fire apparently started at one of the guest rooms then it spread through the whole building."


    Pabloc: "Was it an accident?"


    Claire: "We don¡¯t know yet, but we cannot single out the possibility of arson."


    Gabe: "An arsonist amongst the fairies? Im-frickin-possible."


    Claire: "I would like to say the same, but we can surely say that the fire wasn¡¯t caused by a short circuit."


    Gabe: "Are you sure?"


    Claire: "Yes. We suspect the fire was caused by an open flame."


    Gabe was about to object again, but then he paused and glanced over to a pair of suspiciously fidgeting people standing behind him. After some thinking he turned back to the fairy.


    Gabe: "You said the fire spread from one of the guest rooms?"


    Claire: "Yes. We have witnesses."


    Gabe: "I see¡­" This time he fully turned around and faced Soketsu and Kay again. "Is it just me, or you two have been awfully fidgety over there?"


    With the mad scientist¡¯s sharp eyes focused on him, Soketsu immediately hung his head.


    Soketsu: "I-It¡¯s nothing, just¡­"


    Gabe: "Just?"


    Soketsu: "Well¡­ errr¡­ We might have left a few hundred burning candles in our room when we left."


    Gabe: "A few hundred burning candles?! What the hell, people?!"


    The two immediately shuddered before the man¡¯s genuinely angry voice.


    Soketsu: "It¡¯s¡­ a long story. We left in a hurry and just forgot to blow them out¡­"


    Kay: "Sorry¡­"


    For a few moments the mad scientist seemed like he was about to lash out at the two, but in the end he only shrugged his shoulder in his usual, overly dramatic manner.


    Gabe: "Whatever. I let you get off the hook this time since there were no serious injuries, but tomorrow I¡¯m going to give you two a looooong lecture about fire-awareness." After saying so the man turned back to the fairy by his side. "Say, how many injured are there?"


    Claire: "A few light burns and Emmi got her wings hurt when she was hit by some falling debris."


    Gabe: "Emmi? Geez, that girl is such a klutz¡­"


    Claire: "Not really, she is just too enthusiastic."


    Jill was once again surprised by the relaxed, familiar tone of the conversation between the two. The number of questions she had only kept increasing without an end in sight, but just as she was about to turn the conversation her way the scientist abruptly moved over to Soketsu¡¯s side.


    Gabe: "Here."


    Soketsu: "Huh?"


    The man reflexively moved before he even understood what was going on, and a moment later Jill was already in his hands, for both of their greatest surprise.


    Jill: "Hey! Don¡¯t just ditch me like that!"


    Gabe seemed somewhat amused by her comment, yet he didn¡¯t say a word and instead he turned around and started walking.


    Gabe: "Take her to sight-seeing or something, I¡¯ll take care of the injured and the official matters and will join you later."


    Without further ado, the mad scientist walked away from the rest in a hurried manner, accompanied by a few more fairies coming from around the building, leaving the group behind and confused yet again.


    Pabloc: "And just when I finally thought he started to act somewhat more casually around Jill¡­"


    The subject of his sentence didn¡¯t answer, seemingly deep in thought. After a few second she gently tapped the shoulder of the man holding her.


    Jill: "Please put me down."


    Soketsu: "Huh? Are you sure?"


    Jill: "Yes. Apparently I have to take things into my own hands if I want to learn anything. I best start with learning how to walk again."


    The man slowly let her down onto her unsteady feet, and the moment she stood upright she immediately turned to Pabloc.


    Jill: "Now then, about that tour¡­" The scientist noticed it immediately; there was something different in the her demeanor. Her voice was firm and her eyes were burning with a quiet yet fierce determination. "Tell me everything about Avalon and the fairies."


    By this point Pabloc had seemingly given up the battle with his bad habit and was rubbing the bridge of his nose while answering.


    Pabloc: "Well, I can tell you what I know, but why the sudden interest?"


    Hearing the question, the light of determination in Jill¡¯s eyes began burning even brighter as her lips curved into a defiant smile.


    Jill: "Isn¡¯t it obvious? I need to know so that I can confront him."


    Pabloc raised a single brow at the declaration and then promptly shrugged.


    Pabloc: "As good a reason as any."

 Ch 29: Everyone sleeps… or do they?

    Viktor: "(I wonder what the time is¡­)"


    It was dark inside the makeshift underground shelter the knight was hiding in, yet he couldn¡¯t sleep. Just how much time has passed since he left them behind? Five hours? Maybe even six. Anyways, it was a long time ago and there were no signs of anyone following him. Nevertheless, he did not have the luxury to let his guard down, even though someone finding him at this point was highly improbable, not small part thanks to the fact that he was buried under about half a meter of sand.


    It was part of the plan. In fact, this was the main reason he was here. He was powerless, and in this case it was a good thing. Unlike the couple he lacked the ability use viridia, which in turn made him virtually untraceable in the void of the desert. The arid winds got rid of his trail by this point, so as far as he buried himself, there was no way anyone would find him in the vast emptiness of this sea of sand. The plan was simple: he would be spending the day underground, sleeping in a cavity formed by the inactive bodies of the Type-O¡¯s, and would only move under the cover of the night. This way they wouldn¡¯t be able to find him unless they kept the whole desert under constant surveillance, although this far it didn¡¯t seem like anyone was even looking for him on the first place.


    Viktor: "(I wonder¡­)"


    Maybe those two had succeeded? The thought itself somehow made his chest feel a bit lighter. Sure, he didn¡¯t particularly like the two, but leaving them behind like that still left a bad aftertaste in his mouth. After all, he spent a month with them, day and night. Even if they were only annoying at best during those times, they were still acquaintances, not to mention powerful potential allies.


    Viktor: "(Now that I think about it¡­)"


    There was one thing he couldn¡¯t understand from the very beginning: why did the abbot decide on this course of action on the first place? Sure, he understood the basic idea behind the plan: the mercenaries cause a commotion while the undetectable scout slips away to report on the location of the enemy base. However, and this was a serious problem with the plan in his opinion, wouldn¡¯t simply retreating after finding the target would have been more efficient? Those two, even if they seemed completely oblivious and, to say it bluntly, stupid, were formidable fighters. Not to mention the knight had a slight suspicion about them only playing into the dim-witted image on purpose. He only got a vague outline about the nature of their targets, but as far as he could see the abbot practically sacrificed the two, and for what reason? To test the defenses of his enemies? Or just to wreak havoc? Or maybe it was part of some sort of hidden diversion he didn¡¯t know about?


    He had no idea what his superior was thinking, but he knew one thing: the slight feeling of guilt that was slowly growing inside of his chest clearly told him that what he just did was wrong¡­


    Viktor: "(There¡¯s no point thinking about such things for now. At this rate the sun will rise before I get a wink of sleep.)"


    As he looked up one last time, he could see the face of one of the sleeping Type-O¡¯s covering him. It was on standby mode, meaning it was closer to being in suspended animation that actually sleeping, an already unnatural function made even more unnerving by the fact that none of them was breathing. As he thought about that, he reached for the small machine connected to a tank by his side and checked its display. It was an air-filtration device that would automatically turn on when the oxygen levels would drop or the amount of carbon-dioxide would go over to dangerous levels. Once again, he had to marvel just how meticulously prepared his superior was when he was planning this operation. He checked the machine¡¯s state one last time and, once he found everything all right, he finally closed his eyes.


    Viktor: "(Time to sleep¡­)"


    One last sigh left the knight¡¯s tired lips, them he finally gave himself over to his exhaustion, falling asleep almost instantly.


    ~~~


    Lily: "Huaaah~!"


    Pabloc: "I told you to put your hand in front of your mouth when yawning."


    Lily: "Gomen~"


    The scientist could only shake his head at the girl¡¯s completely nonchalant reply as he sat beside her on the bed. They just took a shower, so both of them were still damp with only their bathrobes covering their tired bodies.


    Pabloc: "What a wearisome day¡­"


    Lily: "Nyu?"


    The girl tilted her head to the side while looking at the scientist with curious eyes, who in turn only slightly shrugged his shoulders.


    Pabloc: "What is it? Is there something on my face?"


    Lily: "Pabloc-san, you are making that weird face again!"


    Pabloc: "No I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just tired."


    Lily: "Really? Are you sure you are not hurt?"


    Pabloc: "Yes, why would I not be all right?"


    The girl started uncharacteristically fidgeting as she answered.


    Lily: "I had to remake you in a hurry, so I was afraid I left a few things out¡­"


    Pabloc: "¡­ You know, I don¡¯t think you did, but just the prospect is scary."


    Lily: "Right?"


    Instead of answering the scientist reached out and gently patted the head of the blonde girl as she once again wagged her head in surprise.


    Lily: "Pabloc-saaaan~?"


    Pabloc: "Yes?"


    Lily: "Are you patting me because I didn¡¯t leave anything out?"


    Pabloc: "Well¡­ That too, but mostly because you saved me. Again."


    Lily: "Kihihi. Arigatou!"


    Pabloc: "Wait, it¡¯s me who should be thanking you¡­"


    Lily: "Nyu?"


    Pabloc: "Whatever. I just wanted to thank you again."


    Lily: "You are welcome, but I would have saved you anyway~."


    Pabloc: "Yes, I know. I am your anchor here after all."


    Lily: "Hai."


    Pabloc: "And because you need me to give you viridia."


    Lily: "Hai-hai!"


    Pabloc: "And because you love my hot cocoa."


    Lily: "Ah, yes, I love that~!"


    Pabloc: "And because you love me too."


    Lily: "Hai, I love Pabloc-san too¡­"


    There was a moment of silence, then Lily abruptly punched the scientist I the abdomen with a surprisingly irate expression.


    Lily: "Argh! What are you making me say when I¡¯m still asleep!? You are the worst!"


    The girl¡¯s voice was peevish yet temperamental as she crossed her arms in front her chest with a huff. In the meantime Pabloc patted his stomach with a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes.


    Pabloc: "I didn¡¯t expect that you would wake up so easily. Are you all right?"


    Lily: "Hey, don¡¯t change the subject! I¡¯m still mad at you!"


    Pabloc: "Yes, yes. Sorry."


    Lily: "Hmph." The girl was serious, yet at the same time she seemed just as lively as before even as she was pouting with all her might. "I might have let it slide while I was asleep, but I¡¯m still really angry at you!"


    Pabloc: "You didn¡¯t let it slide, you completely forgot it." Seeing that she didn¡¯t have a snappy response drew another smile on Pabloc¡¯d face. "Face it; you are a scatterbrain when you are asleep."


    Lily: "Oh, shut up! That doesn¡¯t change the fact that you still ran to your death back there! Do you have any idea how worried I was!?"


    Pabloc: "Yes, I know. Once again, thank you for taking care of me."


    Lily: "Of course I take care of you, idiot."


    Pabloc: "Because I am your anchor in this world, right?"


    The girl sent a somewhat annoyed glance at the man and let out a small sigh.


    Lily: "What are you talking about? I do it because I love you. Idiot."


    The man absentmindedly reached for the new pair of glasses on his nose and promptly started tinkering away with it.


    Pabloc: "That was unusually direct."


    Lily: "Shut up. I can say that on my own whenever I want, but tricking me into saying it while I¡¯m asleep is low!"


    Pabloc: "Yes, I know. Sorry."


    The girl kept looking him in the eye for a few moments, then let out yet another exhausted sigh as she fell back and stretched herself out on the bed.


    Lily: "Seriously, you know I hate it when you trick me while I¡¯m sleeping." The scientist kicked off his slippers and lied beside the girl without saying a word. They stared at the ceiling for more than a minute before Lily spoke up again. "Today was really tiresome¡­"


    The blonde girl suddenly turned her head towards the scientist and sharply looked him in the eye, then a moment later she lashed out and grabbed his arm.


    Pabloc: "Hey!"


    Lily: "I¡¯m using your arm as a pillow tonight. Any objections to this are automatically overruled."


    Pabloc: "¡­ You could have asked for it, you know?"


    Lily: "Yes, but I¡¯m way too angry at you to do that today."


    The two of them laid motionlessly for a few more minutes in the dimly lit room before Pabloc finally spoke up.


    Pabloc: "Shouldn¡¯t we change into our nightwear first?"


    At first the girl didn¡¯t answer, seemingly deep in thought, then she suddenly let go of the scientist¡¯s hand and sat up¡­


    Pabloc: "Guh?"


    ¡­ only to suddenly jump onto his stomach.


    Pabloc: "Ouch. Hey!"


    The man¡¯s annoyed glance was immediately repelled by the mischievous smile on the girl¡¯s face as she reached for the belt of her bathrobe.


    Lily: "I did some calculations, and with the surplus viridia I got out of those two, I can stay awake for about¡­ say¡­ six more hours without problem."


    Seeing the playful light in her eyes, Pabloc immediately realized what she was trying to say.


    Pabloc: "¡­ Are you thinking what I¡¯m thinking you are thinking?"


    Instead of answering, the girl threw off her robe with one swift motion, revealing her naked figure underneath.


    Pabloc: "Whoa! Hey, didn¡¯t you say you were tired?"


    Lily swiftly placed her hands onto the shoulders of the man lying under her, not even trying to cover up her stark naked body. In fact, it almost seemed like she was positioning herself to give the best possible look for the scientist while answering.


    Lily: "What? It¡¯s been almost two weeks since I had enough in my reserves to stay awake for some fun like this. It¡¯s only natural I take this opportunity, right? You cannot touch me when I¡¯m asleep, so this is your chance to make up for the lost time."


    Pabloc: "¡­ Why do I have a feeling I won¡¯t be sleeping tonight¡­?"


    Lily: "It¡¯s not a feeling, it¡¯s a fact. So, what shall I be tonight?" A moment after the question left her mouth her shape gradually shifted as her body filled out. In a few seconds she grew about a head taller and her proportions gained a more voluptuous, womanly shape. "How does this look? Or how about this?" With a shake of her head her hair changed color, from bright gold to fiery red. Another shake later it was jet black, then a rich brown, then it finally settled on blonde again as her chest and hips swelled another three sizes. "So, what do you say?"


    For a moment the scientist seemed like he was thinking, but in the end he reached out and pulled the girl into his embrace.


    Lily: "Whoa!"


    Pabloc: "Let¡¯s stick to the basics."


    Lily let out a tinkling laugh as her form returned to that of the usual little girl with the cascading golden hair.


    Lily: "You perv."


    The scientist reached out and gently held the girl¡¯s face in his hand as he drew her even closer.


    Pabloc: "Wrong. It is not your shape I love, it¡¯s you."


    Lily: "Aw! You always know the right words to say to a girl!"


    This time it was Pabloc¡¯s turn to let out a soft laugh.


    Pabloc: "Please be gentle."


    The small devil in his lap adorably giggled hearing his semi-serious words as she too reached out for his face.


    Lily: "Idiot. I told you I love you. I would never break you."


    Pabloc: "I know."


    And with that their lips finally met once again, signaling the beginning of a long night to end a long day.


    ~~~


    A young man and a young girl, standing face to face in front of the only bed in the unfamiliar room, with seventeen different flavors of awkwardness mixing in the air around them¡­


    Soketsu: "Errr¡­"


    Kay: "Umm¡­"


    The two of them spoke up at the same time, adding a not yet introduced new flavor to the smelting pot of embarrassment the facility¡¯s guest room became in the last few minutes. Yet, they pushed on and tried to chase the awkward mood away¡­


    Soketsu: "Sorry, please continue."


    Kay: "No, just say what you wanted first."


    ¡­ with little to no success. Both of them gave the other the right to talk first, and thus, both of them fell dead silent yet again. It became clear as sky the moment they entered their new quarters that they were in for a rough time. Both of them were extremely conscious of the other, the reason being Soketsu¡¯s earlier confession and the matter of Kay¡¯s new appearance respectively. In the end neither of them could calm down enough to form a coherent thought, and thus they have kept standing in front of the small bed for more than ten minutes, waiting for the other to make a move, with no avail whatsoever.


    The problem was not really a ¡®problem¡¯ to speak of, but that their relationship was dancing on a very thin line, and even though they both wanted to push it in the same direction, neither of them had any idea where they could start a conversation to do so. It was a stage-fright neither of them could explain, but it was all too real and annoying beyond belief.


    The silence was already grating on their nerves for nearly fifteen minutes when Soketsu finally decided to give his best shot and try to change the situation no matter what. However, just as he was about to raise his voice and try to bring up some small-talk.


    Kay: "Soketsu¡­?"


    Soketsu: "Y-Yes?"


    Kay: "Let¡¯s¡­um¡­ Let¡¯s lie down."


    Soketsu: "¡­ Okay."


    The two of them awkwardly climbed into the bed, but it was hardly a step up from their previous state, the only change being that now they felt awkward while lying beside each other instead of while standing beside each other.


    For a few moments it seemed like they were irrevocably stuck in this limbo of awkward silence. Soketsu was still determined to at least try to force some small-talk out of the girl, but whenever he tried to say something it always had to do with the girl¡¯s new appearance, something that he just felt completely inappropriate to mention at the moment. Finally, the answer to his distress once again came from a surprising source.


    Kay: "You know¡­"


    Soketsu almost gasped in surprise when she spoke up, but he managed to hold himself back as he slowly turned his head towards the girl lying by his side.


    Soketsu: "Yes?"


    Kay: "¡­ What you said this evening¡­"


    Soketsu: "You mean that I love you?"


    The girl ever so slightly shuddered hearing these words and nodded while still avoiding eye-contact.


    Kay: "Yes¡­ I¡­ Just wanted to make sure. I wanted to hear you say it one last time¡­"


    Soketsu: "Then here I am saying it: I love you."


    The girl was seemingly deep in thought for a second, then she abruptly faced the man with a quiet, slightly wavering determination in her eyes.


    Kay: "I think¡­ No, I not just think, I¡­ I love you too." It seemed like a huge load was lifted from Kay¡¯s shoulders as she forcefully exhaled while finally looking the man in the eyes. "Finally! I said it!"


    Instead of answering Soketsu¡¯s face abruptly closed in on her before she could even react.


    Kay: "Mmmm?!?!"


    The girl¡¯s eyes opened wide as saucers as the man¡¯s lips suddenly came in contact with her own. She was so shocked in fact that she even forgot to panic for a few moments. Frozen in place, Soketsu¡¯s lips finally parted from hers with a small sound and they once again faced each other in a small moment of silence. Then¡­


    Kay: "Iiiiiiik!!!"


    The girl let out a muffled shriek and almost fell out of bed in surprise, as if the sensation took long seconds to reach her mind and she only reacted to it now.


    Kay: "Wha-what did you do!?"


    Soketsu: "What do you mean? I kissed you. I thought it was the appropriate moment."


    Kay: "But it was so sudden! I couldn¡¯t even get ready! That was my first kiss!"


    Soketsu: "Really? Congratulations."


    Kay: "Argh! Don¡¯t act all composed like that, it only makes me even more nervous! What the hell got into you anyway!?"


    The man stared deeply into her eyes, and then opened his mouth with a completely casual tone.


    Soketsu: "Honestly? I was wrecking my brain all this time about how to talk about your appearance, so that when you confessed like that just now I just though; ¡®What the hell, I love this girl no matter what!¡¯, and just put those other useless thoughts into the garbage bin and decided to go all out with my feelings."


    Kay: "All¡­ out¡­?"


    It took the man a second to grasp just how wrong his choice of words was, but even then, he didn¡¯t really care. After all, his cute partner just confessed her love to him, finally, so his brain was pretty much swimming in the hormones of carefree happiness. The girl on the other hand was getting redder by the moment in embarrassment while nervously fidgeting and glancing at him.


    Kay: "I¡­"


    Soketsu: "Hmm?"


    Kay: "I¡­ wouldn¡¯t mind¡­"


    The man frowned and then absentmindedly shook his head and looked away from the girl, staring at the ceiling instead.


    Soketsu: "Nope. Not now."


    Kay: "H-hey!"


    There was equal amount of relief and disappointment in the girl¡¯s weak reply as she rose on the bed to look into the eye of the man, but instead of that she suddenly found herself on his chest in a tight embrace.


    Kay: "¡­H-hey!"


    Soketsu: "It¡¯s late."


    Kay: "Don¡¯t change the subject!"


    Soketsu: "What? Why are you pouting about something like that? Having sex when you haven¡¯t even gotten familiar with your new body? That would be just plain weird." The man put even more strength into his embrace while gently whispering to the girl. "Listen, I¡¯m really, really happy with the fact that you finally shared your feelings with me. In fact I¡¯m so happy I could die, and I really don¡¯t want to spoil this moment by doing something rash."


    Kay: "I¡­ understand¡­"


    Soketsu: "Good. Then for now¡­"


    Kay: "Whoa!?"


    The man suddenly hugged the girl even more vigorously than before, yet his touch was so gentle it was almost soothing.


    Soketsu: "I never thought this day would come so soon¡­"


    Kay: "Umm¡­"


    Soketsu: "Seriously, I was completely ready for waiting weeks for your confession, and I got it right here, right now. Christmas came early this year!"


    Kay: "Christmas?"


    Soketsu: "Oh, that¡¯s an old holiday. It¡¯s practically the same as Vivid Night. The Order pretty much took the whole thing and just changed the name."


    Kay: "I see¡­"


    Soketsu: "Anyways¡­"


    The man ever so softly rolled the girl off his chest beside himself and pulled her up to eye level.


    Kay: "W-what is it this time?"


    For a few moments the man solemnly stared into her eyes, then a mischievous smile bloomed on his face as he raised his voice.


    Soketsu: "Say¡­ Are you ready now?"


    At first the girl didn¡¯t understand what he meant by that, but then as she replayed their earlier conversation in her head, she became even redder right up to her ears. In the end, she could only nod at the man¡¯s eager eyes.


    Soketsu didn¡¯t say a thing, but his reassuring smile was enough for the girl. She closed her eyes with a mixed feeling of embarrassment and expectation, and sure as it was, she could soon feel a pair of lips pressing against her own. Their first kiss was more of a short, one-sided peck, but this one finally felt like a proper pledge of love between two lovers.


    [Soketsu]: "Heh. I could get used to this¡­"


    [Kay]: "¡­? Wait, what did you say¡­?"


    The two of them suddenly separated while looking at the other like they were seeing a ghost.


    Soketsu: "Was that what I think it was¡­?"


    Kay: "¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t really know."


    Soketsu: "¡­ Let¡¯s test it again!"


    Kay: "Okay."


    The girl immediately agreed and they once again joined together.


    [Soketsu]: "Can you hear me?"


    [Kay]: "Yes, loud and clear."


    [Soketsu]: "Hmm¡­ This is weird."


    [Kay]: "Tell me about it¡­"


    [Soketsu]: "But hey, look at the bright side. You can talk a lot more naturally like this."


    [Kay]: "I suppose."Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    [Soketsu]: "Okay, let¡¯s try saying this after me: I love you~!"


    [Kay]: "Waaaaah! That was so creepy!"


    [Soketsu]: "Haha. Yeah. Now that you mention it, I would have died of embarrassment if I said it out loud like that."


    [Kay]: "¡­ By the way¡­ I can¡¯t breathe¡­"


    Soketsu: "Huh?"


    The two of the parted yet again as Kay drew a huge breath. Soketsu on the other hand seemed utterly enthralled with their unexpected discovery.


    Soketsu: "Wow, I though mind-crossing like that was only possible when you were in your weapon-form¡­ Could it be that it¡¯s because you are back in your real form?"


    Kay: "I don¡¯t know, we never tried kissing before¡­"


    Soketsu: "Hmmm¡­ Sure. But this is really intriguing. I could even taste some of your viridia leaking out when I stuck my tongue into your mouth."


    Kay: "You did what?! Uuuuu! I was so focused on what you were saying that I didn¡¯t even notice¡­!"


    Soketsu: "There is no other choice then¡­ We have to test this newfound ability to its fullest!"


    Kay: "Wait, what do you mea-mnmnm!!!"


    [Kay]: "¡­ You are terrible."


    [Soketsu]: "Hehe. Sorry, but I love you too much to let a chance like this slip by."


    [Kay]: "¡­ Yeah, so do I."


    With that, the two slowly disappeared into their own little world, leaving only an orchestra of suggestively slurping noises behind.


    ~~~


    Ahazkun: "¡­ Ninety-two percent¡­ Ninety-seven¡­ That should do it¡­" Ahazkun paused for a moment and put away a note. "If¡­ No, ninety-eight is more than enough¡­ Sixty-seven¡­ that¡¯s too low. Maybe if I¡­"


    Tiari: "Khm."


    Ahazkun: "Eighty-two per-"


    Tiari: "I said khm!"


    Ahazkun: "Huh?"


    The oracle finally tore his gaze from the parchment in his hand and faced the annoyed girl glaring at him from under the warm blankets of her bed.


    Tiari: "Do you know what time it is?"


    Ahazkun: "Yes, but¡­"


    Tiari: "No buts! Go to sleep already!"


    The man looked somewhat troubled as he let go of the note in his hand and faced the irate catgirl once again. It was easy to understand both of their troubles. Tiari was simply tired after the long day, and since the mad scientist just left their quarters after having a long-winded discussion with the oracle, she was more than eager to finally lay her head down. The man on the other hand seemed almost obsessed with his work and hardly even talked to her since the incident a few hours ago, even though they were in the same room the whole time. For him doing his job held the outmost importance at this moment, but he would have been lying, if he said he wasn¡¯t exhausted already. After all, he just had to throw all his previous work into the garbage bin, so he felt more than obliged to salvage as much as possible, even if he had to do an all-nighter again.


    Ahazkun: "Ugh¡­"


    As if his body just heard his thoughts, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over him. It was only natural though, he already pushed his body to the limit before and now he wanted to go even further. In the end, control of viridia or not, he was just a human, and his sleep deprivation was not something he could easily overcome at this point, if at all.


    The girl¡¯s glare was drilling holes into his forehead as he laid his eyes upon her. In the end it took him a few moments to acknowledge it, but his body has already resigned to the alluring call of the bed. His mind, on the other hand.


    Ahazkun: "Sorry, just a few more and I will hit the bed."


    Tiari: "Oh, come on!"


    The catgirl angry rose on the bed, kicking of her blankets in the process and revealing her surprisingly scantly nightwear. Ahazkun was apparently left cold both by the reaction and the outfit, though it wasn¡¯t that surprising, taken his mental state at the moment.


    Tiari: "Stop being such a workaholic! You are spoiling my day!"


    Ahazkun: "Spoiling your day¡­?" As he was looking for the meaning behind the girl¡¯s words, only a single name came to his mind. "Is it because of Jill?"


    Tiari: "Yes, but why was that a question?"


    Being reminded of her, the man fell silent yet again. Jill. The one whose mere existence messed up all his predictions and threw all his plans to jeopardy. Sure, he would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t glad that one of his old comrades was back, and having another sensible person on the team was a welcome change, but the price for her return might have been too grate in the end.


    Not that he could ever tell this to the girl in front of him. In fact, she wasn¡¯t even fully aware of Ahazkun¡¯s involvement in her original ¡®death¡¯. For as long as the Oracle could remember, Jill was something of a surrogate mother to Tiari and she was especially attached to her in return. After her ¡®death¡¯ she refused to eat for days, and if she knew that it was the oracle who told her to sacrifice herself for the greater good¡­ The thought made his back shiver for a moment, but he suppressed it. He had a feeling Tiari already had her suspicions about it, so in some ways it was inevitable, but maybe hearing it from the mouth of the ¡®victim¡¯ would dampen the shock somewhat. Either way, this was one thing he didn¡¯t want to predict.


    He was about to reach for another piece of paper without a word when his hand was forcefully grabbed by Tiari.


    Tiari: "I told you to stop clairvoyancioning!"


    Her sharp tug yanked him right out of his chair and he staggered to his feet.


    Ahazkun: "That is not a real word."


    Tiari: "I don¡¯t care! Just get into the bed already."


    She pulled on Ahazkun¡¯s arm with all her might, and to her surprise she found little resistance as they both tumbled back and onto the bed, Ahazkun landing right on top of her.


    Ahazkun: "¡­ At least let me change my clothes first." He complained with a dull voice, but Tiari only held onto him all the firmer in response.


    Tiari: "No! You are going to sleep right here, right now, right as you are!"


    They locked gazes for a while, but it was the oracle¡¯s loss as he was subsequently dragged under the blankets by his overly concerned feline lover, and to his own surprise, he found himself drifting into sleep in moments, only vaguely being aware of the tender arms hugging him as he closed his eyes.


    ~~~


    Gabe: "Geez, what a day¡­"


    The automatic door of the dusty room slowly closed behind the scientist with a barely audible sound and he looked around with exhaustion clearly reflecting in his eyes. The air felt somewhat stale, and for good reason.


    He hasn¡¯t used this place since he started working on the physical body of the Soul Core incubator, which was quite a few years ago. Dust has long since formed a thin layer on all the surfaces within the premise, though he apparently didn¡¯t really mind. For him his workshop was his actual home for such a long time he could only consider this place as a secondary lodging.


    In fact, now that he thought about it, he barely used this room even before he began that particular project. Though this residence housed most of his more personal belongings, the place still felt quite alien. After looking over the room one last time he let out a small sigh and promptly threw himself onto the old sofa of the living room.


    Gabe: "Geez¡­ That was torture."


    Jill: "What was torture?"


    Gabe¡¯s eyes opened wide with shock the moment her voice hit his ears. Under normal circumstances he would have already figured out that someone had already entered his home, if from nothing else than from the fact that the lights were already turned on, but he was just so exhausted after his three hours long discussion with Ahazkun that even this obvious detail had completely eluded his attention.


    Still, the fact that Jill standing in front of him hasn¡¯t changed one bit no matter how many times he blinked at her in silence.


    Gabe: "Sooo¡­ What are you doing here?"


    Even though he was trying his best not to sound too strained, his words still came off somewhat cold at the end, immediately reflecting on her dejected face. Still, Jill kept her cool and answered with a collected voice.


    Jill: "I asked Pabloc where your quarters were and decided to come here. Are you telling me I shouldn¡¯t have?"


    Gabe: "No¡­ I just¡­ I thought you were still with Pabloc, doing your¡­ stuff."


    Jill: "We finished with that about two hours ago."


    Gabe: "Really? Great¡­" The scientist ran his eyes over her one last time and they suddenly opened wide with the next missed detail finally registering with his mind. "Hey, you are standing!"


    Both of them looked startled, albeit for different reasons, as the man suddenly raised his voice.


    Jill: "Yes, I have practiced a little and now I can walk properly. I just needed some time to adjust and figure out the balancing."


    Gabe: "Wow. Great."


    Jill looked a little disappointed with the man¡¯s soulless reaction, though it was more than possible that the scientist was the only person on the planet who could immediately recognize the emotion behind her barely changing expression.


    Gabe: "Anyway¡­" Gabe finally stood up, as if he only just noticed that he was the only one sitting all this time, and moved to the kitchen. "I¡¯m being a bad host again. Sit down and I will¡ª"


    Jill: "You don¡¯t need to treat me as a guest, I¡¯m not one."


    He abruptly stopped on his track upon hearing those straightforward words. They almost sounded like a challenge.


    Gabe: "Excuse me, but what?"


    Jill: "It¡¯s what I should be asking."


    Gabe: "You... are kinda losing me here¡­"


    Jill quietly walked over to the mad scientist with clear determination in her eyes and stood in front of him with a firm expression.


    Jill: "Ever since I came back, you have barely explained anything to me. I¡¯m not going to leave this place, nor am I going to let you leave until you tell me everything."


    Gabe: "Everything?"


    Jill: "Yes. About what happened to me and about what happened to the rest of the world while I was away. I also want to know what happened to the fairies, and, most importantly¡­" Jill took a small step towards the scientist with her brows arched into an irritated frown altogether unfamiliar to her face. "Most importantly, I want to know why you are avoiding me!"


    Gabe could feel the cold sweat trickling down his back but tried his best to appear unfazed. After a moment of hesitation he decided to try and deflect the issue with a smile and some reassuring words¡­


    Gabe: "Hey, I¡¯m not avoiding you¡­ in particular."


    ¡­ However, both the smile and the words gave out quite fast under the glare of the woman in front of him, not helping matters the slightest.


    Jill: "Yes, you are! Even now, you are avoiding me! Look!"


    She took another forceful step towards the man, and just as she expected, he stepped back in the very same moment. In fact, the back-step was so abrupt that one could have mistaken it for an involuntarily reaction, and it actually wasn¡¯t that far from the truth.


    For the next few seconds the two of them just stood there, staring at each other in utter silence, until the man finally gave in and pitifully hung his head.


    Gabe: "Sorry."


    Gabe was waiting in silence, but after he didn¡¯t get an answer he finally glanced up, only to find himself face to face with a sight he never expected.


    Tears. In the corners of Jill¡¯s eyes tears of frustration started flowing down her cheeks while her normally unreadable expression slowly turned into one of anger and loneliness. For a few moments he didn¡¯t know what to do, but in the end Jill solved his dilemma for him.


    Without warning she suddenly threw herself at him, though it felt more like she just stumbled forwards. This time he didn¡¯t retreat. He might have had his reasons for avoiding her before, but he knew that he would never be able to live with himself after rejecting her at this moment.


    Jill¡¯s surprisingly light body fell against his chest with a quiet thud and she clung to his clothes like a small animal.


    Jill: "You idiot! I don¡¯t want you to say sorry, I want you to explain what¡¯s going on!" Her voice was coarse and colored by anxiety so deep even hearing it could consume someone. "Do you have any idea how confused I feel!? Do you have any idea how distressing this is!?"


    Gabe: "Sorry."


    Jill: "Stop saying that!"


    This time Gabe didn¡¯t say a word, instead his arms softly embraced her. It was enough. For the first time since she woke up in the workshop, this was the first time his touch didn¡¯t hold any restraint.


    It was a touch that was familiar but subtly different. It was, for the lack of better words, warm.


    Gabe: "I¡¯m sorry." Gabe repeated his apology yet again, but this time his voice also felt different from before. It was, calmer. More mature. More sincere. "I know I was unfair, but I couldn¡¯t help it. It¡¯s just¡­ difficult for me."


    Jill: "Difficult for you!?" Jill raised her head and glared him, but her teary eyes had a hard time conveying her objection. In fact, she looked more like she was pouting than anything. "How do you think it feels for me then?"


    Gabe: "Yes. I know. I¡¯m sorry."


    The silver-haired woman gazed into his eyes, then slowly lowered her head and buried it back into his chest.


    Jill: "¡­ Stop apologizing¡­"


    For a few minutes the two wordlessly stood under the doorframe of the kitchen. In the end it was Jill who moved first, slipping out of Gabe¡¯s embrace. At this point, both of them had regained their composure and were looking at each other with somber eyes.


    Gabe: "Please sit down. I¡¯m going to make a tea or something and we will talk."


    Jill firmly nodded in response and slowly walked back to the sofa in the living room. The atmosphere still wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was a huge step up from their awkward stiffness from before. After a few short minutes of silence the mad scientist finally returned with two glasses of water.


    Jill: "Water¡­?"


    Gabe: "Ah, yeah. I haven¡¯t used this place in a while so I forgot that there was nothing to make tea with. Sorry."


    Jill reached for the glass of water without even a hint of dissatisfaction and took a small sip while the man sat beside her. The room was lacking a proper table, a trait that was seemingly common in all of the man¡¯s accommodations, so it was quite impossible for them to sit face to face. After yet another moment of silence Gabe discretely cleared his throat.


    Gabe: "So, now that we are both calm and collected, I believe this is a good opportunity for us to re-evaluate the¡ª"


    Jill: "Please stop stalling."


    Jill¡¯s voice was direct yet strangely nostalgic at the same time and it made him smile without him even noticing.


    Gabe: "Yeah, yeah." He finally turned his entire body towards her, and took a deep breath. "First off, I would like to say sorry again."


    Jill: "You are apologizing an awful lot today."


    Hearing her somewhat pouting voice further tucked the corners of the man¡¯s lips into an awkward smile.


    Gabe: "Yeah, I know, but¡­ after seeing you like this I just feel kind of bad." Getting no answer, Gabe began scrambling for words while visibly squirming under Jill¡¯s level gaze. "I¡­ didn¡¯t really want to ignore you, I just¡­ I had no idea what to do with you. In fact, I still don¡¯t have the faintest idea what I should do now."


    Jill: "Why? Because of this new body?"


    Gabe: "No. I mean, yes, that too, but¡­ It¡¯s really, really complicated."


    Jill took another sip from her glass and gave a small nod.


    Jill: "¡­ I see. I would actually like to press you, but you obviously don¡¯t want to talk about the issue."


    Gabe gulped. Here we go again, he thought. She knew all too well how to hit him where it hurts, and acting reserved like that was pretty much the most effective way to make him feel even guiltier at the moment.


    Gabe: "It¡¯s actually not as much that I don¡¯t want to¡­ There are actually so many things I would like to tell you, it¡¯s just that¡­ I¡­" He finally dropped his shoulders in defeat and let out a huge sigh accompanied with a truly pitiful expression. "I just can¡¯t."


    Seeing the perplexed expression on the scientist¡¯s face, Jill had no choice but to give up the pursuit of this particular thread of inquiry. It wasn¡¯t too hard of a choice though; she had too many other questions to count after all.


    She took one more sip from her glass as if to collect her thoughts, and just as she did so, the usual light of sharpness instantly returned to her eyes.


    Jill: "All right, let¡¯s forget about your unfair treatment of me for now."


    Gabe: "For now?"


    Jill: "Yes. I will get to the bottom of it, but we already resolved the main problem, so let¡¯s move to the next most pressing question."


    Gabe: "Which is¡­?"


    She glared at the man with all the sternness she could muster in her current state and spoke in a dry voice quite unbefitting of her delicate appearance.


    Jill: "¡­ I want to know why you brought me back."


    Gabe blinked in surprise and lightly cleared his throat with a bemused expression.


    Gabe: "Well, it actually was quite a hard thing to do. I had to work on the theory behind it for¡ª"


    Jill: "No, I didn¡¯t ask about how you resurrected me, I asked you why you resurrected me."


    Gabe: "That¡¯s¡­" Gabe struggled for words and seemed to be deep in thought, but then finally decided to just speak and deal with the consequences later. "Well, if you remember, bringing you back actually helped me prove the last bit of my theory. Not to mention, it was sort of a grand-scale experiment trampling on the rules of the universe. You know how I just love doing that."


    Jill: "All right, now that we are done with the excuses, would you care to tell me the real reason?"


    Gabe: "Erm¡­ Well, in the end I guess I just kinda¡­" The man awkwardly averted his eyes like an embarrassed middle-schooler and almost whispered the last words. "You know¡­ missed you?"


    Apparently still unsatisfied with the answer, Jill glared at the man without giving him even a second to cathch his breath.


    Jill: "You are not telling me something."


    Gabe: "What gave you that idea?"


    Jill: "I know you. You are technically not lying to me, but you are telling me a half-truth. There must be something more."


    Gabe seemed to be taken aback by her harsh attitude and he slowly shook his head while holding onto his temple with his left hand.


    Gabe: "Is it really that hard to believe that I would resurrect you just for that reason?"


    Jill: "Frankly? Yes."


    He sighed while he continued massaging his temple.


    Gabe: "Why so distrusting? I thought bringing you back to life was worth at least a few good points¡­"


    Jill: "Then could you at least tell me why I¡¯m human?"


    Finally noticing an opening, the man¡¯s eyes suddenly lighted up and he flashed and obviously hollow smile.


    Gabe: "That¡¯s kind of technical question. I could most certainly explain it to you now, but it has a lot to do with the Core theory and everything¡­"


    Jill: "¡­ I see you are hell-bent on dodging this issue."


    Gabe: "Hey, I¡¯m not dodging anything; it¡¯s just really hard to explain it. All I can say is that it wasn¡¯t a personal decision." It was obvious that Jill still wasn¡¯t satisfied by his answers, not by a long-shot, but she didn¡¯t seem to press the issue any more either. In other words it was the perfect opportunity to change the subject. "Anyways, what was your next question? It¡¯s getting late so I want to get things wrapped up soon."


    She sighed when faced with the ham-fisted effort at stringing the conversation along, but she abstained from objecting.


    Jill: "Very well, though you should know the next question already." She took a deep breath before continuing and closed her eyes for a moment, steeling herself for whatever the next topic may contain. "Tell me about the fairies."


    The moment she said those words the mad scientist¡¯s expression immediately lightened with a small yet surprisingly warm smile.


    Gabe: "Ah, yes. I was actually wondering what you thought about them."


    Before answering, Jill gulped down the last drop of water in her glass and awkwardly looked around, trying to find a place to put it down. Seeing her distress, the scientist reached out to her and took it from her hand.


    Jill: "Ah."


    Gabe: "I¡¯ll put that away¡­ Unless you want another glass, off course."


    Jill: "No, I had enough. Thank you."


    Gabe: "You are welcome."


    The man nonchalantly strolled out of the living room and put the glasses away in the kitchen. Once he returned he immediately turned his attention to Jill again.


    Gabe: "So, where were we? You were asking about the girls, right?"


    Jill forcefully nodded as the man sat beside her and they continued on with their conversation like nothing happened.


    Jill: "I asked Pabloc and the others about the details, but I want to hear it from your mouth. Why did you change them?"


    For a moment, the man looked like he was completely taken aback by this seemingly simple question. Of course, the question only seemed simple for one who didn¡¯t know what the fairies were like in Jill¡¯s time¡­


    Gabe: "Exactly which changes are we talking about now?"


    Jill: "Don¡¯t act dumb, I know you know what I meant."


    The scientist let out a small sigh and slightly shook his head before answering.


    Gabe: "Well, if you are talking about their appearance, it¡¯s purely cosmetic."


    Jill: "I told you not to act dumb. You cannot write something like that off as cosmetic."


    For the uninitiated observer Jill¡¯s reaction might have seemed overly dramatic, but from her perspective it was actually just the opposite. She had a hard time understanding how the others weren¡¯t completely outraged by the changes even if they didn¡¯t know how fairies worked like she did.


    Gabe on the other hand just patiently smiled at her.


    Gabe: "Well, they did say that looking so childish was weird, so I changed them. They are technically my familiars, so why wouldn¡¯t I?"


    Jill: "Wait¡­ they were the ones who asked for it?"


    Yet again, the small piece of information managed to knock her right off her tracks, so much so that her outraged bafflement clearly showed on her face. Gabe couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at her reaction, though he apparently tried his best not to.


    Gabe: "Yeah, they did. You shouldn¡¯t get so worked up on something minor like that."


    Of course for anyone else that small remark about Gabe doing something the fairies asked for would have seemed nothing. Not for her though. She knew both the man and the fairies way too well to let something like this slide.


    When she had last seen them, they were about half as tall with childish features and frilly, impractical clothes. They had been like that since they were first envisioned and stayed that way throughout the ages without a hint of change. Seeing them now as adults in casual clothes was not only strange but completely unnatural, something that left a thousand times greater impact on her than the whole resurrection deal.


    As such she couldn¡¯t help but to push on with the question, her voice filled with a rare mixture of anticipation and anxiety.


    Jill: "Did you change something else beside their appearance?"


    Gabe: "Well, as a matter of fact¡­"


    The complacent smile on the man¡¯s face was enough to automatically put her on guard. In the meantime Gabe drew a huge breath and started talking with a slightly boastful tone.


    Gabe: "Well, I actually changed a lot of things. I¡¯m going to get the most shocking one out of the way first, so that you won¡¯t interrupt me later. So¡­ please guess how long their life expectancy is now."


    Jill couldn¡¯t help but raise her eyebrows hearing the challenge, and frankly, she was at a loss for words. In the end, she could only give an almost timid reply.


    Jill: "Is it more than before?"


    The scientist seemed almost disheartened hearing those words and sharply shook his head.


    Gabe: "Are you kidding me? Do you think I would ask if I didn¡¯t improve it?"


    The word ¡®improve¡¯ kept ringing in Jill¡¯s head even a few seconds after she heard it with a clear hint of disbelief in her eyes.


    Jill: "Just how much of an improvement are we talking about here?"


    Gabe: "You are really bad at this. Okay, I¡¯ll give you a clue: forty."


    Jill: "WHAT?!"


    Gabe: "Whoa! Hey, easy there!"


    She almost jumped at him hearing those words with disbelief bordering denial in her voice.


    Jill: "You raised their life-expectancy to forty years?!"


    Gabe raised his hand and wagged his index finger in front of her with a smug smile.


    Gabe: "No no no. I raised it by forty years."


    For a couple of seconds Jill kept gawping like a fist out of water until she managed to speak up with a barely audible voice.


    Jill: "Forty-seven years? Are you serious?"


    Gabe firmly nodded with a prideful expression and continued without missing a beat.


    Gabe: "Not only that, I also gave them a few nifty things. For example, now they can have children."


    Impossible as it might have seemed at the moment, the silver-haired woman¡¯s eyes opened even wider.


    Jill: "How does that even work¡­? Wait, do I even want to know?"


    Gabe: "Honestly, it was a little tricky but I managed to do it. At first it was quite an ordeal to work out the clanks of introducing the concept of family and child-care to them but they did pretty well. Actually, now there are more than two point three million of them thanks to this."


    Jill actually seemed like she was just about to pass out from the shock hearing the man¡¯s explanation, but in the end, she could still squeeze out a single question.


    Jill: "Why?"


    The man immediately raised an eyebrow, like it was the most obvious question in the world.


    Gabe: "Yes, good question, though the answer is really obvious. They are my fairies; of course I do this much for them."


    Jill¡¯s silence was saying more than any words could have. After all, it reflected just how little she could believe of what she heard.


    Fairies. Small, winged humanoid creatures. They were weak, childish and generally speaking, barely more than a nuisance. They were familiars created in the ages of myths and legends and are the only known familiar species; but unlike most familiars, they weren¡¯t created for warfare. From the very beginning, fairies were tools. They were given existence to speed up the gathering of experiences and thus build up their master¡¯s Core in the process. They were supposed to be disposable eyes and ears whose only role was passively improving their master, only living for a mere seven years before dying and returning the collected experiences to them, without their existence leaving even a single memory in the world.


    It was the truth of fairy-kind since the very beginning, unwritten rules and facts that were not supposed to change, or rather, were supposed to be absolutely unquestionable. And right now, all of them were shattered in front of Jill¡¯s very eyes. Fairies living for nearly fifty years, having children, families, lives on their own¡­ It was a concept that was too good to be true. In fact her mind was already preparing to hear the man¡¯s sneering laughter after tricking her into believing such a fairy-tale.


    But no. He was looking at her with surprisingly sympathetic eyes and a smile filled with a completely uncharacteristic sense of warm, fatherly pride.


    Gabe: "You don¡¯t believe me?"


    Jill: "¡­ Would you fault me if I didn¡¯t?"


    Gabe: "Actually, no. I wouldn¡¯t. Even I agree that these are drastic changes, but it¡¯s the truth. It wasn¡¯t simple, nor easy, but it was one of those pleasant challenges I always loved."


    Jill: "But why?"


    Gabe: "Huh? I already answered that one. Because they are my fairies."


    Jill: "And you want me to believe that? I know you; you don¡¯t do things like that without a reason."


    Gabe: "Yes, and I just told you that reason. Because. They. Are. My. Fairies."


    Jill: "Fine, then what was the purpose behind these changes?"


    Her borderline hostile denial have taken him aback, but he still answered with a calm voice and undiminished patience.


    Gabe: "The purpose? I guess it¡¯s so they can have better lives? I guess."


    Jill: "You guess?"


    Gabe: "Yeah. I actually never really thought about it that much. I mean, do I really need a reason to help them?"


    Jill suddenly fell into a deep silence, but her sharp gaze kept digging into the scientist¡¯s eyes, looking for any trace of mischief or deceit¡­ but in the end, she could find neither of those.


    Jill: "So¡­ you did that just out of the kindness of your heart, huh?"


    Gabe: "Hehe¡­ It¡¯s a little embarrassing when you put it that way, but I can¡¯t say you are wrong."


    Jill has once again shrouded herself in silence while fallen deep in thought. She knew her feelings were unreasonable, but Gabe¡¯s statements filled her with a crushing sense of anxiety even though she would normally have been overjoyed just by the prospect of those changes. To put it bluntly, she felt lost. As for why, it was something simple yet all too confusing.


    Jill: "I know this is going to sound stupid, but¡­ Are you sure you are Gabe?"


    It took a few moments for the question to sink in, but then the man¡¯s lips slowly curved into a slightly awkward smile.


    Gabe: "Well, I don¡¯t want to hurt your feelings, but yeah, that was a really silly question."


    Jill: "Yes, but¡­ I still cannot believe you would talk about something like that, much less do it. It¡¯s just¡­"


    Before she could continue Gabe slowly shook his head and crossed his arms in front of his chest.


    Gabe: "Yes, I know this all must be really confusing for you. A lot of time has passed since you were gone and a lot of things happened."


    Jill couldn¡¯t help but be baffled by the solemn atmosphere surrounding the man, something that she had never actually seen before. She remembered the mad scientist, the face everyone knew him by, and she also remembered the cold, calculating planner behind that mask that only she knew¡­ But this somber man in front of him, this calm yet slightly pained face was something completely new. All this time she talked to him like she knew all the man¡¯s sides, but in this very moment she had to realize she was wrong.


    Jill: "¡­ You are different."


    Gabe: "Huh?" Gabe slightly tilted his head like he just heard something really amusing and answered with a small chuckle. "¡­ Yes, I suppose. People do change with time after all."


    She once again looked over the man in front of her and let the realization slowly sink in: she only knew who this man was, not who he is. The Gabe in front of her was different. His true face, the face that only she could see, was different.


    She let out a terrible sigh and laid back on the sofa with her mind in chaos. The absurd loneliness she felt all this time has suddenly gained a form, and he was looking at her with concerned eyes.


    Gabe: "Are you all right?"


    Jill: "Yes. I¡¯m just¡­ tired, I guess. It was a lot to take in, and to be completely honest, I feel a little lost right now."


    Gabe: "It¡¯s only natural. It¡¯s not every day one gets to come back from the grave."


    Jill: "I suppose."


    For a few moments she stared at the ceiling with a difficult expression. She felt out of place and lonely, that was for sure, however¡­ There was something else on her mind.


    The scientist beside her was looking at her with calm, gentle eyes. Even though she was not even looking his way, she could almost feel those eyes on her skin. That gaze, the gaze of the man she thought she and only she knew¡­ It filled her with a strange sense of warmth. There was something in them that she noticed since the moment she first opened her eyes into her new life, a sense of kindness she was completely unfamiliar with. Yet, at the same time, there was a small glint of guilt in them that made her both confused and intrigued. It was a complex and mystifying feeling, but it made one thing absolutely clear for her: she wanted to know the reason. She wanted to understand the man in front of her, learn the secret behind his change and find out the true cause behind her resurrection. In the end she finally turned to the scientist with a gleam of her previous determination returning to her eyes.


    Jill: "Say, would you mind if I stayed over tonight?"


    Gabe: "Erm? Well, I don¡¯t really mind, but¡­"


    Jill: "Thank you. I need to sleep on this and get my thoughts in order."


    After getting the his approval, Jill quietly stood up and aimed for the bedroom.


    Gabe: "Oh well¡­ I guess I¡¯ll crash on the sofa then¡­"


    Hearing Gabe¡¯s silent complaint made her stop just as she was under the doorframe and she turned back with a puzzled look in her eyes.


    Jill: "On the sofa? Why?"


    In the meantime he also stood up and was walking towards the bedroom as well.


    Gabe: "Because you are going to be using my bed, obviously. I¡¯ll just go and get my bedding and¡ª"


    Just as he was about to pass by her, Gabe was suddenly pulled back by a hand grabbing hold of his shoulder.


    Jill: "That¡¯s not what I meant when I said I wanted to stay over."


    Gabe: "Errr¡­ My bed is kinda small for two people¡­"


    Jill: "What do you mean? We were sleeping in the same bed all the time."


    Gabe: "True, I suppose, but back then you were, what, about this small? You were actually sleeping on my pillow. There is no way we can do that now."


    Jill: "That just means that we need to share the same blanket."


    Gabe: "But¡­"


    Jill¡¯s visage suddenly turned sore as she pulled even harder on the man.


    Jill: "Get a clue already. I¡¯m in a crazy situation right. I need you to be around me."


    For a few moments they kept intently staring at each other, but in the end there was no question about which one of them would give in first.


    Gabe: "Fine. It will be a little crowded, but I understand your situation. I¡¯m going to give you company for the night, but we are going to divide the bed equally."


    Jill: "Agreed."


    ~~~


    Gabe: "(¡­ Just how exactly did I get into this situation again¡­?)"


    The scientist couldn¡¯t help but sigh in face of the state of affairs. He was lying on his back in his bed with the sleeping Jill clutching his arm like she was afraid he would disappear at any moment. It was about the only development of events he didn¡¯t anticipate for the night.


    He slowly laid his eyes upon the sleeping silhouette of the silver-haired woman at his side, barely visible in the dark. He could still feel her warmth though, even her breath on his skin. It was a strangely fulfilling, yet at the same time a bit painful. She was there.


    All those years he was longing for her in his memories, and yet when she was right in front of him, all he could feel was the cold whisper of his guilty conscience, and no matter how hard he was trying to shake it away it was simply impossible to get rid of. After letting out a pained groan he raised his eyes and kept on staring at the ceiling once again. He could only marvel at her ability to sleep under such circumstances, though she must have been in even greater distress than he was.


    He had gotten into the bed expecting a long discussion in the dark, but instead she just grabbed his arm and fell asleep like a kitten by the warm stove while holding onto him with all her might. Just as he was thinking so, she snuggled even closer to him in her sleep, even interlocking her legs with his, prompting him to look at her again.


    Gabe: "Fufu¡­"


    Seeing her childishly innocent expression, the man had a hard time holding back his chuckles. The Jill in front of him seemed so different from when she was awake. The expression on her face right now was that of an innocent child¡¯s, with no cares in the world whatsoever. It was a really precious sight, and just looking at her like this made his heart feel a little lighter. Sadly it was only a small relief.


    At this point, even he had a hard time understanding his own feelings. He didn¡¯t want to let her this close. In fact, he wanted to put as much distance between the two of them as possible. It was the most logical thing to do, the most painless way, and yet¡­ he just couldn¡¯t do it. He was only supposed to bring her back and let her go on the spot, but he just couldn¡¯t, not to mention how he already let her so close to himself on the very first day.


    Gabe: "(Pfff¡­ How pitiful.)"


    It was not supposed to be like this. This way everything would only hurt even more in the long run, and it would wound both of them¡­ but then why did he feel happy to have her on his side? Was he always such a shallow man, who would sacrifice his future plans for just a little bit of warmth in the present? Thinking so, Jill¡¯s earlier question suddenly came back to him.


    Was he the ¡®Gabe¡¯ she knew? No, of course not, and she has already found that out. The only thing that she didn¡¯t know yet is just how different he was. It was not a question of if, but of when. She was a sharp one, so it was only a matter of time before she realized everything.


    He was not supposed to let that happen. No, he was afraid to let it happen, and yet¡­ and yet here he was, by her side, under the very same blanket. After this point, he couldn¡¯t push her away anymore. Not only she wouldn¡¯t let go but he would not have the willpower to do it either. It was a battle he already lost.


    Gabe: "(¡­ but how come I¡¯m kind of glad I did?)"


    With that he laid his eyes on Jill¡¯s sleeping face and a small smile bloomed on his lips. He silently reached out and gently brushed her short bangs. For a moment it looked like she might wake up, but in the end she just lightly shook her head and nestled even closer to him. Gabe kept staring at her for long minutes, seemingly enchanted by her mere existence, and then a small apology left his mouth.


    Gabe: "Sorry."


    That one word had so many emotions behind it that it might as well have been a confession, and just like that, his face finally eased up. He gave up. It was a doomed endeavor from the very beginning, so he decided to stop fighting. If things turned out this way then he will work things out this way. Even if it won¡¯t work out in the long run, even if it will only end up hurting both of them, he decided not to look back.


    He brought her back. She was his responsibility now, and he was determined to see things through until the end.


    As such, he finally laid his head back to his pillow and closed his eyes. He could already see what no one else could, the storm clouds towering behind the horizon. but However for this night, for this sweet yet fleeting moment, he decided to ignore them and let the lullaby of his beloved advisor¡¯s breathing nestle him into sleep.