ã€ŠChangelingã€‹


 1.1

    ¡°Perps turned east, seven streets down. They¡¯re slowing down.¡±

    ¡°Copy,¡± Camus said.

    Nestra had no idea how he could keep talking. All she could do was gulp cold night air and pump her tired legs on the warm asphalt, one foot after the other and again, hoping she would last. MaxSec armor had never been designed for running. Not like keeping up with mana users on foot was reasonable to begin with.

    The squad had lost them some time ago when the two shapes disappeared behind a concrete corner of the tired hab block. Only the drones would keep up until they ran out of batteries or the users managed to find a hiding hole. Nestra looked up past the drab gray walls and the tired concrete, towards the shining arc of the outer highway and then the imposing black band of Threshold City¡¯s massive kaiju wall, like a collar of darkness. The sight allowed her to center herself. Distract her from the exhaustion.

    ¡°They¡¯ve stopped near a closed portal gate. E6-105. Small one,¡± Stib¡¯s voice whispered in her ears.

    ¡°Gate status,¡± Camus asked.

    The tall fucker didn¡¯t even sound winded. It was all Nestra could do not to collapse. Meanwhile, drone operator Stibbons must have been pulling files because she sounded distracted.

    ¡°Hmmm. Permanent portal gate, closed for now. Monster generation on a nine day cycle, three days of purge time before they escape. Not many resources listed, mostly mana crystals. It was pacified over a week ago by North Star Security, the owner. Oh. They¡¯re trying to wake it up.¡±

    ¡°Can they survive in there?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Portal nature and monsters class is classified information. By North Star. I don¡¯t have clearance.¡±

    Camus swore into his beard. Nestra thought it was stupid. It didn¡¯t matter if the two thief users could use it or not. They clearly thought they could or they wouldn¡¯t be feeding it mana to wake up early.

    ¡°Least,¡± Bard croaked, ¡°least they¡¯ll be tired.¡±

    Nobody stated the obvious. So would they. And mana users didn¡¯t leave baseline humans the opportunity to recover from a mistake. Nestra¡¯s grip tightened on her standard issue pacifier. If the users were low D-class, the squad could probably manage. If they were in the higher ranges then¡­

    Had to die sometime. Might as well be tonight.

    ¡°Where are our fucking reinforcements?¡± Bard panted.

    Camus signaled and everyone came to a halt. Nestra put her fist on her knees and breathed all she could and fuck the decorum. They already looked like a militia anyway with patched up gear and surplus shit. And it wasn¡¯t like the users would take them seriously anyway.

    ¡°Alright. Stib, they¡¯re really opening that gate?¡±

    ¡°Trying. Might take a while. Not sure why though.¡±

    Camus grunted in answer. Nestra sighed. It was obvious.

    ¡°They¡¯ll go through and find a place to hunker down since us baselines can¡¯t follow them in,¡± she explained. ¡°We¡¯ll have no choice but to wait around or have our own mana users go after them. They¡¯re hoping to leave in a day or so, after we¡¯re gone.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just stupid,¡± Bard replied. ¡°Why not take us out now? Then they can disappear in the district before the augs show up.¡±

    His voice always felt so grating, always with the laid back surfer persona. Always whining about everything.

    ¡°TPD is overstretched. They know that. They don¡¯t know there¡¯s only the four of us on their trail right now though. Besides, it doesn''t matter. They¡¯re charging the gate. Either we try stopping them, or we don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Someone changed our orders while my back was turned?¡±

    Camus¡¯ black gaze was fixed on Nestra. She shrugged. Only the faintest dark skin could be seen around the giant¡¯s bloodshot eyes. The rest was covered in nylon, kevlar, and ceramics. Probably older than he was. Nestra sustained the gaze. He was being a pissant.

    ¡°Any chance for borgs?¡± Park interrupted.

    The last and most quiet member of the team deflated the tension as he often did.

    ¡°Call them augmented humans, or augs at least for Riel¡¯s sake. And not now. We¡¯re it. As I said earlier. Now, Stib, show us the map around that portal.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing boss.¡±

    The squad used a diverse assortment of ancient helmet visors to read the 3D map.

    It was a standard abandoned hab bloc near the wall, population swallowed by one of the arcologies at least a decade before. The portal opened on a small courtyard surrounded by shuttered small businesses. Nestra was starting to agree with Bard. Those users were morons. Place was far too open. Any augs around would have spotted them from the sky while only baselines would miss the mana vomited by the open portal. Much better to run and hope for the best.

    ¡°I got an ID on one of them. The one who removed his mask. Jason Wong, D-class, a record as long as my arm but only small stuff. Oh, and the item they stole is inert. Confirmed by the vics.¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°Lenses used in surgery robots. Not enchanted.¡±

    ¡°Right, here is what we¡¯ll do. Bard and Nes take the front and wait for my signal. Park and I move to the side, then on my mark, you start apprehending. We move in while they look at you. Weapons free. Don¡¯t hesitate.¡±

    Nestra caressed the hilt of her stun ¡®baton¡¯. The tool was custom-made, one of the gifts from her aunt Claire. The habit soothed her nerves. It wasn¡¯t dying that worried her. It was the pain.

    She watched Park and Camus run to a side alley. Bard turned to her. She could see his amusement in the way his shoulder moved, as if he was containing a laugh.

    ¡°So, Palladian. Wanna be the negotiator? Every time I talk it seems to piss off the perps.¡±

    ¡°For the last fucking time, use my call sign when we¡¯re on the field. And you piss off everybody, not just the perps. Because you¡¯re a cunt.¡±

    ¡°How smooth, darling. You talk to them then.¡±

    ¡°Stib here, goons,¡± Nestra¡¯s earpiece said. ¡°With the footage of our perps. Sending the feed now.¡±

    A window opened on Nestra¡¯s visor. It was placed on the upper right corner so as not to impede her vision. It showed a deserted hab square littered with junk. Boarded up businesses lined it on every side, dead neon signs hanging limply from rusting supports. Stairs led up to the living quarters in a uniform gray color of unpainted concrete. Typical of quick jobs from just after the gates opened and survival became the highest priority.

    The only colors came from fading graffitis promoting long-dead gangs: two men standing before an empty arch, one facing it with arms extended while the other fiddled with a control panel linked to the arch by a pair of heavy duty cables. Nestra noted that the controls were ancient. Resilient stuff made at the beginning of the incursion. Rich guilds used holographic interfaces nowadays.

    It was clear the one at the panel had no idea what he was doing. He had also discarded his face covering, a basic bandana, to reveal the handsome face of an Asian man with slick black hair and a frantic expression. His eyes shone with the inner light typical of low gleams. Jason Wong. By contrast, the other perp wore a plastic or ceramic white mask with fox features. His outfit was close-fitting, his boots made to run. As she watched, a blue light flickered in the center of the arch.

    ¡°Looks like the portal¡¯s activating,¡± she said.

    ¡°Almost in position,¡± Camus said. ¡°Ok, in position. Start the approach.¡±

    ¡°Ladies first,¡± Bard said with a smile.

    Nestra took the lead. Her heart did its best to escape her ribs with every step that brought her closer to the pair of users. She felt excitement as well, for a good fight. Envy. Mostly, she felt envy. It bit at her chest with the cold acid of what ifs.

    Soon, she was in one of the narrow corridors leading to the portal space.

    Wong faced them while Fox Mask ignored their presence.

    ¡°This is TPD. You are surrounded. Our users are on the way. Surrender now and do everyone a favor.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Wong said. ¡°You say gleam pigs are on the way. I say you¡¯re lying.¡±

    He sounded defiant and angry. A dangerous combination. Also meant he would be easier to distract. Fox Mask was an enigma though. He was still focused on the gate.

    ¡°Look, Wong, we¡¯ve IDed you. It¡¯s over one way or the other. Right now you¡¯re just in for theft and fleeing and eluding. Nothing too serious. Just surrender, Jason, before it gets out of hand. Come on. You¡¯re a gleam. You¡¯ll get a slap on the wrist,¡± she replied, pointing at the heavy case leaning against the console Wong had been fiddling with.

    That was the stolen property, still intact apparently.

    ¡°Slap on the wrist? Easy for you to say. You won¡¯t be sent to a dangerous gate risking life and limb every day! And for what? To feed the corporations! We¡¯re just cogs in the machine, man. It¡¯s all about the opium of the masses and the profits of the few. But not me! And I¡¯m not bowing to sheltered dogs of the government.¡±

    Nestra gripped her baton so hard it hurt. One of those. She hated his type with a burning passion. Had to keep it together though.

    ¡°Not feeling like a sheltered dog right now, Jason. I¡¯m actually tired and in pain. Look, you are a gleam, ok? You can enter a portal and make five times as much as I do carrying minerals through mining gates three days a week. We¡¯re all cogs of society, you dolt. You wanna do something about it? Run raids for charities! Do politics, whatever. But here you are instead, committing theft, and not like, of food or anything vital.¡±

    Of course, Nestra¡¯s words set the gleam off. A part of her knew it would. She just didn¡¯t care anymore.

    ¡°Bullshit, you¡¯re so naive. It¡¯s all rigged at the top, don¡¯t you see? Corpos and the mayor working together to keep us all down, man, manufacturing content and everything! Just so we serve the masses instead of a worthy cause.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you think you serve the masses? Really? You see those arcologies behind me? Owned by high gleams. Top scientists? Gleams! Traders? That¡¯s right, fuckface, no instant trading unless you got a mana signature. You are the least fucked out of all of us, and instead of doing something, you rant against the government while stealing fucking glasses like some bargain bin terrorist. Holy shit, I¡¯ve never met a worse loser than you.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, Palladian. Calm down?¡± Bard said.

    The hypocrite was having fun and they both knew it. Nestra didn¡¯t give a shit. It felt good to let out the bottled anger, feel the poisoned relief course through her veins, knowing she might pay for it later. She pulled her lips back into a rictus only she could feel. Jason Wong¡¯s face was a fury-wracked scowl. It felt good to reach him like that.

    ¡°YOU BITCH!¡±

    ¡°Stop that,¡± Fox Mask said, and to Nestra¡¯s surprise, that was a female voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to stand there while these dregs¡ª¡±

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    ¡°They¡¯re nobodies. TPD baselines without a single combat augment between themselves. They¡¯re baiting you. Come and help me,¡± Fox Mask said, and there was a strain in her voice.

    ¡°You know what? You don¡¯t give me orders! I¡¯m not anyone¡¯s tool.¡±

    Electricity crackled down Wong¡¯s hand, gathering in his fist.

    ¡°Wong¡¯s a buzzer,¡± Nestra said.

    Her anger fell down the drain while the cold grasp of fear settled in her stomach.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t in the file,¡± Stib grumbled.

    Wong extended a finger towards Nestra, who brandished her baton. A bolt surged from there, much slower than true electricity. Moreover, it missed Nestra completely.

    Bard received the bolt on a heavy gauntlet as it spiked towards him. Energy traveled along an inner circuit of his armor, then to the ground. There was a fizzle near his knee and he winced when the electric mana bit through tattered insulation. Piece of shit gear.

    Wong charged.

    Nestra received another bolt on her blade which she had planted on the ground, dissipating the mana. Bard opened fire on the thug but he moved quickly, escaping most shots. The remaining bullets barely slowed him down though he grunted in pain. Nestra received a very obvious haymaker on her blade.

    Strong.

    She was pushed back and rolled to absorb the shock. Still felt it in her bones through the absorbing foam, the pain making her teeth click together. It was like being hit by a slow truck. She was back on her feet in an instant anyway.

    Bard managed to land a hook on Wong while his back was turned, hitting the gut. Wong barely flinched. His riposte sent the much taller Bard smashing against the wall. Nestra was up. A turn of a button and her baton extended, becoming as long as a claymore. She caught Wong in the forehead with a perfect thrust. A hundred thousand volts made him scream and fall but he was up in the same second. Electrokinetic. Natural resistance. Nestra cursed her luck.

    A flurry of strikes kept Wong at bay until she made the mistake of actually hitting him. His look of triumph when he realized she had no energy left sent a shiver down her spine. He caught her blade with ease and sent it tumbling but a barrage of bullets forced him back. Bard had recovered. Behind, Park and Camus were shooting at an unmoving Fox Mask. The bullets pinged on a shield.

    Bard fell back, shooting short bursts. The bullets left black bruises on an increasingly annoyed Wong. Nestra wished they¡¯d pack lethal stuff. Their foe charged and grabbed Nestra¡¯s baton once again.

    It had finished cycling.

    Wong screamed when the second thunderous discharge coursed his body from hand to toe. He fell to his knees. Nestra¡¯s perfect swing caught him right in the temple.

    Wong fell ponderously. Bard was on him a moment later, putting manacles on.

    ¡°Riel almighty that was hard,¡± Bard swore.

    ¡°Gotta help the others.¡±

    They looked up in time to see¡­ no one.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Park¡¯s body crashed against a nearby dumpster. His leg was at a bad angle. A very bad one.

    ¡°Officer down!¡± Stib yelled.

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s alive but Camus needs help. Left. Go, now!¡±

    The pair raced forward. Stib¡¯s feed appeared on Nestra¡¯s visor, showing Camus calmly moving back while shooting the approaching form of Fox Mask. The user didn¡¯t seem worried. She was taking her time.

    ¡°Rubber bullets against users? Budget cuts are worse than I thought,¡± she drily noted.

    Nestra gritted her teeth. They wouldn¡¯t be on time. Fox Mask charged and disarmed Camus after a short exchange despite the tall man using a knife. Fox Mask had her own blade but she didn¡¯t use it, content to gut punch him with the hilt. Even through the MaxSec armor, the impact left the colossus prostrated. She really knew how to fight.

    Definitely not a low D-class gleam.

    A crawling dread cimbled up Nestra¡¯s spine when she finally realized that they didn¡¯t really have anything to take Fox Mask down.

    They couldn¡¯t defeat her.

    That was it, really.

    It could only go one way from now on.

    Bard was next to fall. Fox Mask ran him down and grabbed his gun, emptying the entire magazine against his armor then kicking him down the nearby steps. Nestra was left with her baton held in front of her. The portal flickered behind her. She felt more than heard it.

    ¡°Oh? A fellow practitioner? Well, of course then. Please.¡±

    Fox Mask saluted. Nestra retracted the blade and held her baton like a foil. Speed would matter.

    They fought.

    Fox Mask used her short blade like a saber. It was clear she was used to a longer blade. It was also clear that she was slowing herself down a lot. It didn¡¯t help.

    ¡°Reinforcements will be here soon, Nes! Hold on!¡± Stib said as if it would make a difference.

    Holding on was all Nestra could do in the first place. Finally, her weapon finished cycling. She pressed the button as Fox Mask parried. The saber¡¯s surface crackled, electricity sliding over mana.

    ¡°I coated my blade, of course,¡± Fox Mask said conversationally.

    A jab caught Nestra in the ribs, stealing her breath through the armor. She couldn¡¯t scream. She could only gasp and gulp air in her abused lungs as fast as she could. Fox Mask still stood there, short blade resting on her shoulder. This hadn¡¯t even been a serious hit. There was no blood. Fox Mask had specifically used a coating to dull her weapon. She was doing her best not to hurt Nestra too much.

    That stung more than the blow to her chest.

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s time,¡± Fox Mask whispered.

    Something changed. Perfect cerulean light suddenly bathed the trash alley, then a low hum like a distant choir, the smell of the sea and fresh air fought off the drab reality, pushing off the stale gloom of the abandoned block. That wasn¡¯t the best part though.

    The best part was the mana.

    Nestra¡¯s pain faded. The constant aching in her bones dulled to a whisper. Energy washed away her exhaustion, flooding her limbs with renewed energy and a desire to move. To use that strength. More importantly, she felt complete.

    At peace.

    Whole.

    The portal was open.

    ¡°I will be going now,¡± Fox Mask said.

    She deflected the casual blow meant to push her off, countered. Her blade danced and sang with speed. Fox Mask blocked and backpedaled.

    ¡°Wha¡ª¡±

    Nestra caught her off guard. Nestra pressed the advantage in a flurry of thrusts her foe deflected with some effort. Unfortunately, that was just stolen mana. Fox Mask¡­ was the real deal. She parried and attacked in turn, ever faster. It was Nestra¡¯s turn to fall back.

    A hand against her shoulder. She was airborne. She was on the ground. Her shoulder hit a brick.

    ¡°Oof.¡±

    Fox Mask stood just as calm as she had always been. Still taking it easy. Sirens blared in the distance. Fox Mask looked up, revealing a triangle of tan skin and a hint of black curls. She returned her gaze to Nestra. Dark iris like pits in the middle of that white ceramic fixed on the prone officer.

    ¡°Guess you can have it then. As a gesture of my appreciation.¡±

    Fox Mask walked through the portal¡¯s aperture without her stolen prize, disappearing as smoothly as through the surface of a lake. A ripple agitated the calm blue surface.

    Nestra sat back up, winced, then decided to wait.

    ***

    Flashing lights and cheap coffee. Groups of vigils milling around in groups of three, doing fuckall. Nestra took a sip of tea. Too strong. Tepid.

    What little mana she¡¯d absorbed was gone now, dissipated into the air. She felt cranky. Her forearm and ribs hurt like a bitch. The medic by her side finished waving an old piece of tech around her body. It beeped. She didn¡¯t know the guy. Not interested in small talk.

    ¡°Bruising, mostly. You¡¯ll be fine. Regen capsule and a pain killer.¡±

    ¡°I got some at home.¡±

    ¡°Good, then¡­¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s Park?¡±

    The medic sighed and leaned back with his hands on his waist. Something cracked. He sighed, more relief than contentment.

    ¡°Fractured tibia and humerus. Bad. He¡¯s out for at least a month with healer care. Camus has a broken rib. You guys got it easy.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Anxiety chased away the gloom.

    ¡°Beta squad got in a scrap with gangers. Hmm. Regis is dead. Sorry.¡±

    Fuck.

    ¡°And district fifteen is rioting. All our users are there right now. The unrest is bleeding through.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±

    Nestra was fed up hearing about district fifteen, especially because a couple of high gleams could have solved the problem in ten minutes two months ago and now it was like a festering wound of crime and trafficking. She didn¡¯t know Regis very well but he¡¯d always been tolerable. Polite, supportive. A great teammate. Why couldn¡¯t they have killed Gorge instead? There was no justice in this world.

    Fuck.

    The medic felt the mood and left, looking for someone else to help. Nestra just stayed there, not sure what to do. They¡¯d given her a cover made of weird metal but she was still getting cold.

    ¡°Drive you home?¡±

    Nestra looked up. Stib was offering a hand which she gratefully took. Stib was smiling but it was only skin deep. Brittle. Her eyes were red. She¡¯d been crying.

    The tiny woman hoisted Nestra to her feet. The darkness made her boyish with her sharp face and tiny frame, hair cut short under a cap. Despite that, her grip was firm.

    ¡°Thanks. You heard?¡± Nestra asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡­ Yeah.¡±

    The two made it to the squad vehicle. It was meant to carry eight people, a blocky, armored transport designed to carry a squad in and out safely. It had been top of the line thirty years ago. Now, any mana-powered guilder left it in the dust, a C-class gleam could punch a hole through it, and a B-class could fold it like a fucking paper crane. Budget cuts meant they no longer had a dedicated driver, or a medic, or a dedicated mechanic for that matter. The squad had been cut from six to five and Lance was still in the hospital. Nestra slammed the passenger door shut. The hinges creaked ominously. Inside, it smelled of synth leather and old sweat. There were old blood stains on the upholstery that predated Nestra¡¯s entire career.

    Stib pulled out. The engine roared like a chimera but the truck moved like a slime. The streets were empty save for transients roasting surprise meat over barrel fires, watching them pass by with the hollow eyes of tracked beasts. The ramp up the wall ring pushed their old rustbolt to its limits. Stib immediately stuck to the slow lane while corpo cars and convoys raced by.

    ¡°So, Nestra.¡±

    ¡°Siobhan. Are we having the talk again?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I guess we are. I mean, after tonight¡­¡±

    There was an awkward silence. Nestra didn¡¯t know how to handle it anymore. Siobhan Stibbons entered that rare category she considered as friend. It meant that when Siobhan talked, she listened. Even though they¡¯d had the same conversation plenty of times. Except¡­ this time it was different. The two remaining squads were mangled. Nestra knew they¡¯d crossed a point of no return.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she finally whispered.

    ¡°You¡¯ll consider quitting then?¡±

    ¡°I mean. Not right away but¡­ I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have a choice. Short term. Tomorrow we¡¯ll get gleams and city admins on our asses and they¡¯ll ask questions and there¡¯ll be no good answers. It doesn¡¯t even make me mad anymore. It is what it is.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve talked to my parents. They want me out too.¡±

    Nestra laughed at that.

    ¡°What? Old man Stibbons, the career copper?¡±

    ¡°Ha ha. Yeah. I guess mom has been working him to the bone. They want me to transfer to Blue River as a drone operator, earthside.¡±

    ¡°A guild? Must be freezing in hell.¡±

    ¡°Blue River is made of ex-cops. Their gleams exclusively raid while us ¡®crunchies¡¯ handle the day-to-day stuff. I¡¯d be carrying crates of material from portals to warehouses and the like. Cozy job, few risks. They said I could even pilot a hovercraft.¡±

    ¡°Must be nice.¡±

    ¡°Look, once I¡¯m there, maybe I can get a word in. You¡¯re not really family but you¡¯re close enough by now.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°I mean it.¡±

    ¡°I know but you know what they¡¯ll ask. I can¡¯t borg up.¡±

    Siobhan mechanically touched the silvery plate on her neck where the mind jack was installed. It was non-invasive as far as cybernetic augmentations went but it was still more than Nestra could handle. She felt like an asshole, never explaining to the shorter girl what the deal was. She was being a shit friend.

    ¡°Look I¡¯ve not told you the exact deal before because it¡¯s, well, painful. Annoying.¡±

    ¡°Guess you had to explain many times before, right?¡±

    ¡°Understatement of the decade.¡±

    ¡°I get it. If you feel like sharing now¡­ Otherwise¡­¡±

    Nestra realized she didn¡¯t mind. The scar had fully formed now. She¡¯d grieved enough for this life.

    ¡°Thank you. For being understanding. And it¡¯s fine. Look, thing is, I got almost all the pieces to make a proper user. I got a mana structure. I have high mana capacity though that doesn¡¯t even make sense. Riel, I probably even got affinities.¡±

    ¡°Affinities plural?¡±

    ¡°Lightning for sure, ice maybe. From the advanced testing. That¡¯s the thing. People with mana structures become crazy if you borg them. That¡¯s a fact of life. Maybe quirkies can get away with it if they don¡¯t cut the body part that hosts the mana structure, but even D-class get bonkers, and I got the D-class package. It¡¯s just not working.¡±

    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll still ask. Maybe there is a way. Unless you got a project lined up?¡±

    ¡°My contract is due in seven months. If they don¡¯t shut us down before, I¡¯ll move then. The idea was, well, I can probably be an assistant. I¡¯m not going to like it but at least they pay well. And I can get away with external systems instead of a mind jack like you have. My aunt Claire offered it.¡±

    ¡°The one who gave you the apartment?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m forcing her to accept rent, or at least mortgage but¡­¡±

    They stopped for a while to watch a long, train-like convoy race past them. It was entirely black and sported the TDF logo. Probably wall supplies and ammo.

    ¡°She¡¯s probably saving it all in a rainy day fund?¡± Siobhan continued.

    ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°My grandma did the same. Anyway, she got you a job?¡±

    ¡°She offered. If she did, it means she¡¯ll find one. I won¡¯t enjoy being reminded of what I¡¯m not and they won¡¯t like remembering that I can happen to their kids but¡­it¡¯s probably doable. And much better than becoming a barista. I wouldn¡¯t do well in the service industry. I don¡¯t have transferable skills.¡±

    ¡°And you have a shit attitude.¡±

    Nestra chuckled. It was true.

    ¡°That too. And, you know, they don¡¯t ever get near portals.¡±

    At that, Siobhan fell silent. Nestra knew why. Some of her family had a history with alcoholism and Nestra¡¯s issue was too close for comfort.

    ¡°Yeah. About that. Is it like¡­ an addiction?¡±

    Nestra chuckled once again. Little Siobhan was daring tonight.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just know that if I haven¡¯t been near a portal in a while I feel like shit and as long as I get close, it¡¯s like¡­ feeling alive again. Fully functional. If it¡¯s an addiction then I¡¯ve had it since I was a young adult.¡±

    ¡°What did Mazingwe say?¡±

    ¡°Same as before. My case is so rare that nobody cares about it. It¡¯s not profitable to fix it.¡±

    ¡°You parents¡­¡±

    ¡°Got me to the best healers. Even Shinran.¡±

    ¡°Wait. You met Threshold¡¯s Guardian? Our Shinran?¡±

    ¡°Yep. They all said the same thing. There is nothing wrong with me. I¡¯m exactly what I was born to be.¡±

    ¡°Well, shit.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Nothing to fix. I made a request to have weekly access to active portals. The answer must come soon. If the city government doesn¡¯t say yes then maybe a guild will. That¡¯s why a raider¡¯s personal assistant would be perfect. I mean, getting close to portals would be part of the job.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I hope it works.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t reply. It wouldn¡¯t work. It had gotten worse over the years. She needed more mana to fill the pit of hunger deep within her every time and every time, it lasted less time. Just like Siobhan said, just like an addiction, one that no one knew how to fix. Maybe some portal item¡­ Maybe.

    Had to keep hoping.

    ***

    It was the same dream. Nestra watched from above the innocent, young version of herself. That one had white gold hair curled in great loops as was the fashion at that time, not the listless dark blonde mop. That one had lustrous skin, not a gaunt mask marked by tiny scars. That one had bright eyes, gray edging on silver as if on the cusp of awakening, the only thing the current Nestra had kept. That one wore a uniform from the prestigious Threshold Preparatory School at over twelve thousand credits a set. The current Nestra earned a fourth of that every month, hazard pay included. That one walked blithely to the analysis chair like the little shit full of hope she was. Positively vibrating. A kind-looking woman with a teal gleam in her eyes welcomed her with matronly attention.

    ¡°Miss Palladian, welcome. Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Ready and eager, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Haha, feel free to call me Miss Daendra. Hop in!¡±

    That Nestra climbed and closed her eyes. The room had no windows. It was all white tiles suffused with a warm glow. An observation deck overhead hid the complex machinery and control panel required to make it work. That Nestra studiously ignored it. She knew her mom was there. And a few teachers. She had to look cool about it.

    Mana flooded her body. A pressure on her mind invited her deeper in. She followed it. It was like being submerged in water. Weightless, relaxed. That Nestra dove until she found herself in a luxurious, well-lit reception room. There were doors to the side but she knew without trying that those were locked tight.

    ¡°Right, we are about to send a mana burst to help you find your core representation. You might also see the affinity you have based on the color so keep your metaphorical eyes open!¡±

    ¡°I hope it¡¯s ice!¡±

    ¡°Hoho, well we have a betting pool about that. Sending the burst now. Follow it to your core.¡±

    Light filled the reception room. Great arcs of power traced through the air like aurorae. It was beautiful for as long as it lasted.

    ¡°Miss Palladian, are you in the room?¡± Dean Daendra asked in a more subdued voice.

    ¡°Ye¡­ yes.¡±

    ¡°Could you please make contact with your core? We cannot seem to get a lock on it.¡±

    ¡°I am in the room but I do not see the core. Mana just disperses in the air.¡±

    ¡°No retention?¡± a voice said in a way that hinted she was not supposed to hear. ¡°None at all? That can¡¯t be right. Children of users are always users. Look, no, the likelihood is less than one in a million and the few recorded cases lack her structure. That can¡¯t be it. Sorry, sweetie, we¡¯re just having some trouble. Hold on there, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    That Nestra held on through the hours of testing, through the general consternation, the hasty meetings, right to the point when the car bringing her home left the school¡¯s garden through the small door. After that she cried a lot. The school reimbursed her tuition and the uniform with their apologies. It didn¡¯t help.

    No core.

    A freak anomaly.

 1.2

    Nestra woke up in her bed. Her back hurt. Her shoulder hurt. Her forearm hurt a lot more. Her mind felt groggy, starving in a way that food couldn¡¯t sate. Her stomach growled though she barely had an appetite. She used her visor to check her messages. This one was a light model that covered just one eye, rather cumbersome. Com contacts were better but Nestra couldn¡¯t stand them.

    Summoned at 10AM by Mazingwe for a checkup, then the admin at 11. One day of respite was too much to ask. The bureaucracy demon demanded that ink be shed and pacts signed in triplicate. Well, electronic ink but whatever.

    Nestra followed her usual morning routine. Stretch, shower, brush teeth, dress, gobble down two essence bars¡ª 100% of your daily intake of everything in convenient packages! ¡ª drink coffee. Ignore the ghost of her mother¡¯s voice that told her she should brush her teeth after coffee. Climb on her old electric car and drive to work.

    Her apartment was in a nicer district, not a wall one. That meant a forty minute drive through the remnants of the morning rush. That also meant a reduced risk of gang wars spilling over her favorite coffee shop. The weather was nice, clear, still cold from winter¡¯s weakening¡¯s grasp. A news feed blared info until something caught her attention. She turned the autopilot on and listened.

    ¡°A Threshold police officer lost his life in a clash with an unknown gang in district fifteen yesterday evening. Officer Regis was a baseline with over fifteen years of experience but he fell to a gang user. Opposition Councillor Schofield reacted to the news with a dire warning.¡±

    ¡°Gang violence has increased by 21% over the last year in the outer district in general. In district fifteen, crime is so high that authorities have deserted it entirely! This is the direct and predictable result of the politics of abandonment Mayor Kim Soon-Jae has promoted over the last decade. Our population swarms in arcologies, leaving our outer shell disused and abandoned to marginalized groups ripe for induction by unscrupulous actors. If nothing is done, we will lose the entire outer ring to crime lords!¡±

    ¡°The mayor¡¯s office announced a plan to address the issue by giving police duties to guilds, compensating them with tax rebates. Opposition denounced the measure as unconscionable because it would leave state duties to private entities and force portal raiders to play a role they are not trained for. However, the mayor office¡¯s representative remarked that public safety must take into account new realities such as the rise in the number of criminal users. They noted that the proportion of users in the 16 to 18 age bracket has recently reached the historical amount of 20%. The process only seems to be accelerating, demanding a change in the way law enforcement functions. In other news, pop star singer Mizuha officially signed with ¡ª¡±

    Nestra tuned it off. She changed channels to pre-incursion music and sat back as comfortably as her bruised back allowed. That was it, really. Always fun to learn about one¡¯s contract termination in the morning news.

    The autopilot informed her she had arrived shortly after. She let the police compound take over her parking and exited the nice, modern local branch of the TPD to the shithole that was the MaxSec annex. The underground parking was mostly empty. She passed the biometric scan to find Ines serenaded by Mazingwe himself, two streaming cups of coffee waiting between them. The towering doctor turned and pretended to only notice Nestra now. The golden gleam of his iris contrasted nicely with a skin so dark it was almost blue. Mazingwe shaved entirely and the white scrubs he wore did nothing to conceal his lean muscles. Nestra still had no idea what the old gleam was doing here. She was pretty sure he was moonlighting or something.

    ¡°Miss Palladian! Just in time for your ten o¡¯clock. Good morning to you!¡±

    Mazingwe went for a handshake. He was old school like that. Nestra obliged.

    ¡°I bet you were Lion Nierere. He was a user from Tanzania, during the incursion.¡±

    ¡°Once again I regret to say that even if you were right, I would not tell you,¡± he replied with a smile.

    ¡°Miss Palladian, please,¡± Ines said with terrible embarrassment. ¡°Show some propriety! Mr. Mazingwe is¡ª¡±

    ¡°A servant of our dear mother Threshold just like the rest of us,¡± Nestra interrupted with a fake smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure he does not insist on honorifics.¡±

    ¡°I know how to pick my battles, Nestra. Thank you Ines dear. I will see you later. Enjoy the coffee. Duty calls!¡±

    Nestra followed the tall man but not before shrugging at Ines¡¯ judgemental look. The old lady was pale and rotund and fretful, always worried about appearances and Nestra¡¯s continued single status. She meant well. So Nestra didn¡¯t give her too hard a time. Mazingwe was fair game though, the old doctor¡¯s unflappable demeanor a challenge to her. She followed him to the medical room and waited while he fiddled around with a scanner. That one was quite nicer.

    ¡°While we proceed, I need to ascertain your identity. Are you ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Must we?¡± Nestra moaned.

    ¡°It is the protocol and as a doctor¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah fine. I am Clytemnestra Palladian, named by an idiot father with an ancient Greece fixation backed with no real knowledge and who didn¡¯t consider that sending a girl to school with a name that starts with ¡®clyt¡¯ was a shit idea. There you are. That¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°Clytemnestra was a powerful figure, the queen of Mycenae.¡±

    ¡°Assassinated her husband in a fit of jealousy.¡±

    ¡°I withdraw my remark and concede your point. Minor bruising but otherwise you are in remarkably good shape. Did you take a regen capsule?¡±

    ¡°Yesterday before bed. With a mild painkiller.¡±

    ¡°Get another one tonight and you will be fine. Painkiller if you need it. No training until I have performed another exam tomorrow. And no mission. You¡¯re on the bench.¡±

    ¡°Me and the others,¡± Nestra grumbled.

    And Regis. That poor fucker.

    ¡°I am sorry about what happened to your friend Regis. He was a good man. His loss leaves us all poorer and the world duller.¡±

    Nestra shrugged. She didn¡¯t do well with emotional stuff like that.

    ¡°There will be a service on Saturday, if you can attend. Regis was a Christian. We are going to church.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Sure. Whatever.¡±

    Mazingwe sighed.

    ¡°Look, you are still young and you can recover from trauma overnight but that will not last. Your dedication and skill with the sword are remarkable, to have landed a position in the alpha squad as their CQC expert, especially as a woman.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s sexist.¡±

    ¡°Nestra, please. For baselines, reach and muscle mass matter a lot when it comes to close quarter combat. Technique will only carry you so far. My point was that you are burning the candle from both ends. You need to consider¡­ another activity.¡±

    ¡°Not you too.¡±

    ¡°Danger is rising. Your numbers are dwindling.¡±

    ¡°But that didn¡¯t stop you,¡± Nestra replied with conviction.

    Mazingwe flinched. That was the first time it happened.

    ¡°That was different.¡±

    ¡°Hah! I knew it. You¡¯re a first-gen gleam.¡±

    Mazingwe tsked and his gaze hardened. Nestra felt immediately chastened. It was weird how quick he¡¯d turned from cool doctor to, well, high gleam. What he really was. Oh, he had his mana under complete control but Nestra was no fool. Only old monsters could control themselves to that extent.

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°I cannot fathom what you see in pushing me to the limits of my patience. That drive is almost¡­ but I digress and your psychological profile is not my prerogative. I suppose it is time to tell you about your inquiry.¡±

    ¡°You got an answer?¡± Nestra replied, only for her hopes to die stillborn. Mazingwe wore the commiserating face that meant he was the bringer of bad news.

    ¡°It¡¯s a no, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I am sorry. I swore on my honor as a practitioner that my observations were true. I gave them charts. Pictures. Cortisol levels. Everything. The final argument is that your case being unique, the city is unwilling to create an exception for you. They suggest, and I quote, that you pursue inquiries with private entities.¡±

    He raised his hands to forestall any protests.

    ¡°I am sorry and I agree that they are failing their obligation to provide medical care. There is just no guideline to handle your cases since all the other children of users who are not users themselves come from comparatively weak parents. However, I suspect something may be at play. Possibly a stubborn individual.¡±

    ¡°Damn,¡± Nestra whispered.

    ¡°Ah, I expected a lot of swearing.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡±

    She shrugged.

    ¡°Everything.¡±

    ¡°I get it. I am making enquiries with my contacts. And no, you may not know who it is or my super secret identity.¡±

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    He wiggled his eyebrows in a way that felt comedic on such a serious face. Nestra chuckled. He was a good guy.

    ¡°Yeah. Guess that¡¯s one more closed door.¡±

    ¡°Do not lose heart. You were next to an open portal yesterday, yes?¡±

    ¡°The power surge faded as soon as I left the area and the long-lasting relief was gone this morning.¡±

    ¡°So¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s getting worse.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you are merely accumulating a deficit. Let¡¯s not get carried away with the doomsaying, yes? I am on your side and I will try to help more. In the meanwhile, I believe I have taken enough of your time.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Mazingwe.¡±

    ¡°Is your gratitude enough to finally get a ¡®doctor¡¯ before my name?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know. Are you sure¡ª¡±

    ¡°No you may not know my super secret identity. Off you go now, mtundu. You are trying this old man¡¯s heart.¡±

    ¡°Ok ok!¡±

    Nestra fled, trying to recall what he called her but realizing she didn¡¯t know how to spell the strange word. And that was cheating. Or was it not? In any case, he had successfully distracted her from her pain. She needed mana, and the city would not provide. What to do? Unfortunately, that lasted long enough for her to reach her cubicle. It was a safe haven with an actual lock on it. An ancient holographic display hummed alive. Someone knocked on the door behind her.

    ¡°Palladian.¡±

    ¡°Chief.¡±

    Chief Ruben was a tired old woman in an equally tired suit. There were deep pockets under her eyes and a weight in them that told Nestra she¡¯d given up, yet the flawless haircut and rigorously ironed outfit said she hadn¡¯t. Ruben¡¯s position was a punishment. For what, Nestra didn¡¯t know. Chief Ruben acquitted herself of her duties with grim determination. She¡¯d also handled Gorge¡¯s second to internal affairs for being an absolute piece of shit. Nestra and her had a truce going. It was nice.

    ¡°We have a member of special affairs and a user from internal affairs here to see alpha squad, starting with you. Miss Kim and Ilar. No given last name. They¡¯re waiting for you in room 2.¡±

    There was a lot to unpack there, starting with the fact chief Ruben was not invited to the show. That was a slap to the face and not a small one. Nestra decided to dig a little more. The chief had not moved yet. That meant she wanted to talk. Or say something.

    ¡°I thought my appointment was at 11?¡±

    ¡°It is. Mr. Wilson was supposed to come at 10. He has not arrived yet.¡±

    ¡°Bard left a gleam and the rat squad hanging?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he did. And they outrank us all. I am placing you in a difficult situation but, please, for once, use honorifics?¡±

    It was a tired request made in a hopeless voice, yet Ruben¡¯s face betrayed only bored calm. Nestra found the dichotomy jarring. Shouldn¡¯t the chief look angry? A face should match a voice should match a poise, in her opinion.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be good, chief.¡±

    ¡°You are very accommodating today, Palladian.¡±

    ¡°Oh just realized that Regis is dead, both squads are down, and we¡¯re about to be shuttered so, compared to that, politeness is a very small thing.¡±

    ¡°No defeatist speech here please. And as for the squads, we are merging alpha and beta. You and Mr. Wilson will be under Gorge unless I fire the little fucker. Off you go now.¡±

    ¡°Riel fucking dammit.¡±

    Nestra huffed through the corridor, clad in her annoyance. Gorge was an asshole. A grumpy, sexist, abrasive twat who was unfortunately also highly competent ¡ª the combination remained common in Threshold. She¡¯d have to hope he stuck to professionalism during their hopefully short collaboration. Her feet carried her through the tired corridors of the MaxSec building. It smelled of disuse and antiseptic. Some of the paint had peeled off on the ceiling, leaving the concrete bones exposed behind. Many of the rooms had been converted to storage space by other departments with Ruben unable to justify the space since their numbers had dwindled. Nestra knocked on room 2¡¯s door three times, loudly enough to be assertive but not loud enough to be aggressive. It took the people inside ten seconds to let out a reluctant come in. Short enough to assuage their impatience yet long enough to inform her they didn¡¯t give a shit about respect. This was entirely expected. Nestra walked in with perfect poise then stopped near the rickety chair at parade rest. She did her best to stare ahead while the pair inspected her like market cattle.

    She would have been mad if she expected anything else.

    The woman finally gave her permission to sit. The general impression she¡¯d got crystallized as she took both of them in turn. Kim was a middle aged woman, most likely of Korean origin from the name. Her face made her look in her mid twenties but that was the result of an anti-aging treatment, as hinted by the old-school tailleur, navy blue with dull gold outlines. Nestra just knew how to spot the signs: always a little too smooth, too perfect. Kim¡¯s nails were tastefully manicured. There was not a hair out of place on her head. Minimalistic makeup enhanced a conventionally attractive face that screamed of plastic surgery, the really high level one. Not a cheap nose fix. She was either from money or higher on the totem pole than she let on, possibly both. Her poise mirrored Nestra¡¯s own, rigid in her seat despite the dilapidated surroundings. Sometimes, internal affairs took out pens or similar old tech to have something in their hands but Kim had opted for immobility. Nestra knew with certainty that this woman could decide to throw her out of the force and that would be it.

    By contrast, Ilar sat in a relaxed fashion, back resting against his chair. He wore casual streetwear that fit him too well to be mass produced. Understated wealth was always a sign of power but, well, he was a gleam. His iris pulsed softly with a green hue, turning from dull to distractingly bright on a two seconds cycle. He had black hair, combed back and slightly slanted eyes. Mixed blood, maybe. Just like Kim, Ilar was also picture perfect but he pulled it out effortlessly and that screamed high gleam to her. Definitely an active user from the muscle structure.

    ¡°Good morning, Miss Palladian. I am officer Kim from the internal affairs and this is user Ilar from the special affairs.¡±

    ¡°Kim nim. Mr Ilar,¡± Nestra greeted.

    She finally got a fix on their perfumes. Amber for him, floral for her. Again, understated stuff but pleasant. More pleasant than dust and old coffee at least.

    ¡°We have some questions for you concerning the theft of medical grade mana lenses, but first, let me congratulate you on the arrest of Jonas Wong and the successful recovery of the stolen item. Those are some impressive results.¡±

    Nestra nodded. In her experience, if a suit gave you a compliment, that meant they were pulling back for a haymaker.

    ¡°We have reviewed the footage from your helmet¡¯s camera. In your own opinion, what more could have been done to apprehend the other culprit?¡±

    Ah so that was a good opening. Either Nestra admitted to her own fault or Kim got an admission that crunchies simply couldn¡¯t stop users and were therefore condemned to obsolescence.

    Thing was, it wasn¡¯t a real hearing. Nestra knew the city had already decided to defund them. It was in the damn news. She still disliked Kim¡¯s maneuvering, not because it was disingenuous ¡ª that was part of the course for an interrogator ¡ª but because Kim underestimated her a little bit too blatantly.

    ¡°Class three ammunition would have been a big help. We landed solid hits on both users but the impact those made was negligible, depriving us of our stopping power. I believe two more officers would have made a significant difference, especially if at least one of them was augmented.¡±

    Nestra smiled at the barest hint of soreness in Kim¡¯s poker face. Translation: you took all our money so don¡¯t be surprised if we perform less well. It was an old argument. Class three bullets were expensive. Augmented baselines were also expensive. Despite decades of innovation, most people were still extremely iffy about amputating themselves for a lifetime of maintenance bills. Good job or not. Mind jacks were ok. Maybe eye implants since those were made to be durable. But entire arms?

    ¡°Do you personally believe that would have been enough to disable the second user?¡± Kim continued.

    ¡°Fox Mask?¡±

    ¡°That descriptor is satisfactory.¡±

    ¡°I do not have information to formulate an educated response to this question.¡±

    Nestra saw Kim¡¯s vest shift when she tightened her shoulders. It was unwise to piss off a rat queen, especially for no gains.

    ¡°So alpha squad cannot properly handle users at the current level of funding?¡±

    Nestra was willing to let her have that one.

    ¡°I agree with the statement.¡±

    Kim would just turn it around and say it would cost too much to properly equip MaxSec to deal with users and that would be it.

    ¡°I have no more questions for you, officer Palladian. Your cam recording shows why you have a spotless record. You have performed extremely well in trying circumstances, even holding Fox Mask off for as long as you have. You are a credit to this unit and the Threshold Police Department. My only suggestion, and that is a suggestion, would be to make use of the department¡¯s therapists to manage your outburst of emotion. However, it did not affect your performance so this is in no way a demerit. I would also like to notify you that Officer Wilson will be disciplined for his repeated use of your family name during an operation. His pay will be docked. Should he break the rule again, his contract will be immediately terminated and all benefits canceled. This is my decision.¡±

    Nestra nodded. That was a way of saying that Nestra wasn¡¯t a snitch. The compliments were nice as well. Now for the haymaker.

    ¡°Now Mr Ilar has some questions for you as well.¡±

    It was Kim¡¯s turn to lean back while Ilar zeroed his spooky eyes on her while his smile retained neutrally pleasant.

    ¡°Miss Palladian, allow me to introduce myself more thoroughly. I work for the enclave management section of Threshold¡¯s special affairs. My team handles grand theft and terrorism.¡±

    Ilar waited for Nestra to process the information. She blinked, caught off guard.

    ¡°You think they wanted to offload the lenses outside the wall? To a user enclave?¡±

    ¡°Not Jonas Wong. He was merely a stooge. We believe his presence might have been imposed on Fox Mask for one reason or another. What I am about to tell you is confidential so keep that in mind,¡± he finished with a smile.

    Kim¡¯s jaw clenched. Obviously, she disapproved. That made Nestra even more curious.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Ahem,¡± Kim interrupted.

    ¡°Okay, Mr Ilar.¡±

    ¡°First, Fox Mask escaped the portal after completing the level. It happened very early this morning while we were negotiating with the North Star guild for access.¡±

    ¡°Wow. Not bad.¡±

    ¡°It was merely a low D-class portal, however I agree that the completion speed and the fact Fox Mask soloed it speak highly of their skill. Fox Mask might or might not be an agent who has stolen a few advanced systems in the past six months. We believe it is the same person due to the similarities in the stolen components, mostly advanced medical tools. However, the culprit ¡ª if they are the same person at all ¡ª always changes disguises. The only constant seems their efficacy, the use of bladed weapons, and¡­ can you guess?¡±

    ¡°Telekinesis?¡±

    ¡°Manakinesis,¡± Ilar corrected.

    Nestra nodded. It took a lot of control to use pure mana as a shield. Fox Mask was no pushover.

    ¡°Explains how she bypasses safety measures if she can just mangle alarm systems.¡±

    ¡°Correct. What I want now is your own take on that person. We have already seen the footage from your helmet¡¯s cam. I want impressions.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ something in the way she walked was weird. But I don¡¯t know what exactly.¡±

    ¡°We have our own theories about this. An astute observation. Do go on?¡±

    ¡°She was used to a longer blade. And the way she used thrusts made me think a saber was not her weapon of choice. Oh, and she could have just killed us all if she wanted but made great efforts not to do so. I know she could have broken my ribs at any time.¡±

    ¡°Hmm yes. To be fair, she did break Officer Camus¡¯ ribs, as well as Officer Park¡¯s leg. Can you guess why she took it easy on you?¡±

    Nestra searched Ilar¡¯s expression for a hint of accusation. There were none. It felt more like a test than anything else.

    ¡°I think she respected my attempt to beat her with a sword. Well, a baton. Same difference.¡±

    ¡°We agree. We believe she followed ¡®blade etiquette¡¯. It is a much more common code in some enclaves. Are you familiar with it?¡±

    Nestra shook her head. The outside of the wall was hostile to baselines such as herself. She¡¯d never be sent out.

    ¡°Our Pacifica subcontinent rose from the sea floor during the incursion. The enclaves outside of this city harbor users from Japan, Korea, and northern China to the north. They have developed a code of chivalry that pervades their cultures. Which is why she beat you but not as hard as she could. Because you faced her with a blade in single combat.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡±

    ¡°Please note that she would have been well within her right to grant you a clean death. In case you face a similar situation.¡±

    ¡°I do not go out of my way to challenge users, I assure you.¡±

    Ilar smirked though Kim gave her a dark look. Not a smidgen of humor on that one.

    ¡°Very well. Anything else?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Nestra hesitated, but she wasn¡¯t sure the camera had caught it. ¡°She has dark skin and curly hair.

    Ilar froze and Nestra suddenly got the impression she was a tiny mouse facing a snake. The user¡¯s malachite iris pulsed in hypnotic patterns. There was the combat gleam under the gloss of civility.

    ¡°Elaborate.¡±

    ¡°I, huh, I saw it? When she turned to look at the crate, just before she went into the portal.¡±

    Ilar gestured for Nestra to use her eye piece. He waved and information was sent to her as a priority message, a zoomed in picture showing a corner of a face with the ear and a chin and not much else. The skin tone and curls matched perfectly.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°Your camera didn¡¯t pick it up. Not enough details due to mana saturation. Interesting. And yet you saw it?¡±

    Nestra had been caught in the excitement so that seemingly innocuous question caught her like a wet slap. She glared at Ilar. He¡¯d broken the truce. That pissed her off something fierce.

    ¡°You read my file before this interview so you know very well how I saw it.¡±

    ¡°Miss Palladian!¡± Kim chided.

    ¡°That is alright,¡± Ilar said.

    Kim swallowed her pride. She had been chastised by a gleam in front of a subordinate. That had to sting a bit, Nestra judged. She hadn¡¯t made a friend today.

    ¡°I should not have tested what was obviously a sore spot in the middle of a friendly talk, especially after you brought that detail to my attention. I blame it on, let us say, professional bias.¡±

    Nestra noted that he had not apologized.

    ¡°Moving on, was there anything else you can recall?¡±

    She considered the question seriously. No need to let her annoyance get in the way of her professionalism.

    ¡°Not that I can think of.¡±

    ¡°Very well. Was there anything else, Kim Hubae?¡±

    ¡°No, sir.¡±

    ¡°Well, thank you for your time again, Miss Palladian. If you recall something else, please contact me. I¡¯m sending you my contact details.¡±

    That was a nice dismissal so Nestra stood and went straight to the cafeteria for nice coffee. Bard was there. His messy blond hair and light blue eyes looked lost, well, more lost than usual. From afar, people could have taken the two of them for siblings. Bard was much taller and wider ¡ª he was a swimmer as well ¡ª but they shared the same lean muscles, dark blonde hair, and light eyes. Sometimes, Nestra thought they could have been olympians if Olympic games were still a thing.

    ¡°My pay got docked,¡± he whined.

    ¡°Riel. Wonder how that happened,¡± she deadpanned, glaring at him to let the dull fucker know she was well aware.

    ¡°That¡¯s not funny, Nes.¡±

    ¡°See that¡¯s the thing. You¡¯re going to whine like it¡¯s my fault but you just used my call sign and you know what that means? It means you could always remember to use it. You just never gave a shit.¡±

    ¡°Everybody knows you¡¯re protected anyway.¡±

    ¡°Who told you that?¡± Nestra exploded. ¡°I live alone, retard. Do you really think the mighty Palladians would keep their horrifying fuckup around? Fat good their terrible vengeance will do me when I¡¯m pasted across my carpet.¡±

    ¡°Riel, calm down.¡±

    Nestra took a few deep breaths. He was beyond salvation. Kept around because they had no replacements.

    ¡°I think the internal affairs want a word, by the way,¡± she said sweetly. ¡°Were you not supposed to meet them earlier?¡±

    Bard hastily blinked, a sign he was using his contact lenses.

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    ¡°Room 2. I¡¯d hurry.¡±

    ¡°Shit shit shit sh¡ª¡±

 1.3

    Nestra tuned him out and returned to her office. She managed to finish all the paperwork in record time thanks to the fact no one was accusing her of anything. Bard showed up half an hour later looking frazzled.

    ¡°Chief says we should talk to Gorge then we get the rest of the day off.¡±

    Nestra checked the time. It was barely past eleven. Half a day off in exchange for talking to Gorge was a fair deal. She gestured to Bard to open the way and he did.

    Beta squad¡¯s offices were across the aisle, separated from alpha by a tiny corridor and the staircase, yet it might just have been a canyon. Camus and Gorge hated each other. Nestra braced for the inevitable shitstorm as they found beta sitting around an open space with coffee that suspiciously smelled like cheap vodka. Gorge made an exaggerated turn at their coming as if he¡¯d not heard the door open. He was a heavyset man with small, deep black eyes. He was entirely shaved and his face was covered in scars, the nose broken to an amorphous plum.

    ¡°And look who I got instead, the clown and the ice bitch. Fantastic.¡±

    ¡°Nice to see you too,¡± Nestra replied.

    Gorge¡¯s teeth clenched so hard she could see every muscle tense under his skin.

    ¡°Look, we¡¯re sorry about¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut the fuck up. You say his name, I¡¯ll kick your teeth in.¡±

    ¡±Guess that¡¯s it. We¡¯re leaving then.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it, you fucking psycho. If you were a dyke, if you got pissed, if you screamed, I¡¯d get it. I would. But you¡¯re just this cold dead frigid fish with nothing inside like you¡¯re an iceling wearing people''s skin¡­ What are you doing?¡±

    Nestra finished putting on her eye piece.

    ¡°That¡¯s me giving you a nice warning that I¡¯m recording each and every last one of our little talks. And I got HR on speed dial.¡±

    ¡°See, this is exactly what I mean. You¡¯re worse than the fucking rat squad. At least they were scummy from the start.¡±

    ¡°Nice to see the good old boy spirit alive and kicking. I¡¯ll be candid with you, as a thanks. I don¡¯t give a shit about fitting in or your squad or you or my career here because not only are you a rotten bastard, we¡¯re all on the fast track to unemployment. So we¡¯re going to be polite while we¡¯re working together or I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re out on your ass with no severance package before you can say ¡®ethics committee¡¯. We clear?¡±

    Gorge bit back what he was trying to say. His dark glare bore into Nestra¡¯s. She¡¯d had worse.

    ¡°See that¡¯s why no one likes you, clit hernia. You think you¡¯re trying to be us but you¡¯ll always look down on us because in the end, you¡¯re not a cop. You were never a cop. You¡¯re just a failed gleam cosplaying law enforcement. Keep toting that sword of yours because that¡¯s the closest you¡¯ll get to being a raider.¡±

    ¡°Riel, Gorge, I am undone. Been taking profiler classes?¡±

    Gorge sighed, deflating. That was weird. The man was like a bulldog. He never let go once he had his teeth in something.

    ¡°Why am I getting mad at you? You¡¯re a lost cause. Guess that¡¯s how it ends. Six cunts on a bench giving each other shit.¡±

    Nestra frowned. Besides Gorge, there was Nuts who was the close quarter specialist, Pudding, their gunner, and Preach, the last remaining medic. Nuts was insane thanks to his augments, Pudding out of shape though he was a quirkie, and Preach was too old. She suspected Preach had a death wish. They all lounged, listless. Beaten.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Philipps?¡± Nestra asked.

    ¡°He quit this morning. Stib will be doing drone work for us now. Regis¡­ his loss was too much.¡±

    One squad left. There were four of them when Nestra had started four years before. Things had gone downhill fast.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it. We shouldn¡¯t be doing this but we got no choice. We have to run a couple of drills,¡± Gorge muttered.

    ¡°No can do, I¡¯m on the bench. Doctor¡¯s orders.¡±

    ¡°You gotta be kidding me.¡±

    ¡°Nope! And with this, I¡¯m off.¡±

    ¡°Training ground at 8AM sharp. I don¡¯t want to die because you two drag us down.¡±

    Nestra nodded. That was fine with her.

    She and Bard left the place behind.

    ¡°Riel, Nes, you know how to make a friend.¡±

    ¡°Gorge only respects those who obey and those who don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck does that even mean?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Tomorrow. Don¡¯t be late because Kim chewed you out but Gorge will break a finger and claim it was an ¡®accident¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah.¡±

    Nestra took the stairs down. She was too annoyed for the lift and the small trip allowed her to cool down. Normally, she¡¯d be going for lunch and then it would be training time, first the range, then today was muscle training. She knew better than to ignore Mazingwe though.

    Stib was in the lower hangar, piecing together a light drone of unknown design.

    ¡°Hey Stib. New stuff?¡±

    ¡°Scout drone for out-of-wall operations. They got better thermals. It¡¯s a gift from Sector twelve.¡±

    ¡°Nice.¡±

    ¡°You, uh, about to head back? I won¡¯t have lunch. Don¡¯t feel like it.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re coming to the service?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Right, you¡¯re in the zone. I won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡±

    ¡°Haha, thanks Nestra. See ya!¡±

    There was only one last thing to do, something important. Nestra sneaked into Camus¡¯ office to take his box of favorite tea. It wasn¡¯t hard. The offices were deserted. She drove to the hospital and dropped it with him.

    ¡°Thanks, Nes. The swill they have here. Did you take my cup as well?¡±

    Nestra winced.

    Camus picked up a paper cup and sighed. It looked like a toy in his long fingers.

    ¡°Park got an offer for severance. He took it. Can¡¯t say I blame him.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know. I was going to see him next.¡±

    ¡°Double fracture of the tibia. The bone was shattered. Insurance will cover it but¡­ he¡¯ll be out a very long time. It took two hours for the robot to pick every shard.¡±

    Nestra knew what was coming so she chose to forestall it.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to tell me to get out.¡±

    ¡°This is serious, Nestra.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡±

    Camus leaned back in his bed, crossing his arms over the medical corset healing his ribs.

    ¡°Not renewing my contract. Still coming back later to lead the unified squad though so hang in there.¡±

    After that, Nestra went to say hello to Park then she drove home. The only way to let the regen capsules work fast was to relax and stretch. She was in the middle of some very slow yoga when her eye piece beeped.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Miss Palladian, this is chief Ruben. I am bypassing Doctor¡¯s Mazingwe¡¯s orders to summon you here. There¡¯s an infestation on the way at the edge of district 15. You are requested to join in with the extermination detail. Sending you the brief now.¡±

    So much for resting.

    ***

    Nestra was forced to dress and leave in record time. It pissed her off. She was not supposed to be on call. Hell, she was not supposed to be working at all but unfortunately, Ruben had the authority to get her there. She set her car on autopilot and pulled the brief up on her visor. A grainy picture of a creature in a warehouse appeared on her feed, pulling behind it a sack of grains of some sort. It had four legs set around a lozenge body from which hung a bulbous sack of flesh. Nestra knew a lamprey mouth would open underneath to latch on whatever the creature could jump on. She knew it well. Manarenae Salticidae Purgamentum.

    Trash spiders.

    Dokkaebi class. That meant the lowest monsters in the list, below D-class. Bullets would be enough to take them down. There were problems, of course.

    One, trash spiders reproduced extremely fast with enough biomass and this one was inside a fucking food warehouse.

    Two, as a corollary of one, there was never one trash spider. They were a swarm species.

    Three, she would be facing them under a man she¡¯d never worked with before.

    Nestra leaned into her seat and sighed. Their armor would stop a bite. Maybe two. The problem was, it was very hard to aim with a flailing, ten-kilogram creature trying to eat your face off. She just hoped that if she were to die, they would rip her throat out so at least it would be quick.

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Nestra caught the tail of rush hour but she was at the office in record time. She put on her armor in the empty changing room, then picked up her gun from the armory.

    ¡°Cleaned it. Oiled it. Here is your ammo. Class one explosive rounds but I got you a magazine of class two,¡± the chief told her with a pitying look. ¡°Just in case.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Come back safe.¡±

    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll try.¡±

    Beta squad was waiting for her by their van. Bard was already there, to her surprise. Gorge greeted her with a ghastly smile under his visor.

    ¡°And the princess arrives. If you had stayed to train we wouldn¡¯t be going in like fucking virgins.¡±

    ¡°And I would have been wounded and tired. You¡¯re welcome.¡±¡¯

    He breathed in, breathed out like he was ready to explode.

    ¡°I hope that keeps you happy while a spider gnaws your leg off,¡± he growled.

    ¡°Feel free to complain to Mazingwe. If you got the balls.¡±

    Nestra watched her ¡®leader¡¯ bite back a comment about her hiding behind the gleams. He knew she didn¡¯t give a shit.

    ¡°You got a spine, Palladian. Hope you can aim as well.¡±

    They climbed in. Stib was driving again. She gave Nestra a nod in passing then they were off immediately. Gorge went into serious mode, which Nestra could tell because he was no longer sneering all the damn time. She checked her weapon, just in case. It was an old spitter, the same model that had been mass produced after the incursion for massive civilian distribution. Stubby, compact, easy to maintain, easy to print, it fired twenty 12.7 mm rounds before reload. It had never been improved since base firearms were mostly obsolete. No point in them when army augs and gleams carried most of the fight. A pair of D-class with enough training to coat their weapons could complete their mission right now, and they¡¯d be cheaper too.

    ¡°Alright lads,¡± Gorge said, then his eyes found Nestra and narrowed ever so slightly.

    ¡°Alright, folks. Fuck me that will take some getting used to. Have you read the briefing, Nes?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°Well we got new info. Here is the sitch. Two warehouses connected by a passage. Sealed exits. No runners so far though we got people on coms checking cameras, just in case.¡±

    ¡°Why would they leave?¡± Pudding said grimly. ¡°They got everything they want.¡±

    Nestra frowned.

    ¡°Those are food warehouses, from enclave farms. High mana. The good stuff.¡±

    ¡°Both of them?¡± Nestra asked with disbelief.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Fuck. Then¡­ that one they caught on cams was an expansion scout. That means¡­¡±

    ¡°They have a queen,¡± Gorge said, his eyes keen. ¡°My thoughts exactly. Which leads me to¡­¡±

    Gorge turned in his seat to open a crate by his feet. Nestra watched him assemble a weapon with morbid curiosity. It had a tank and a mana crystal. Once it was completed, it looked like a top of the art flamer, the kind of stuff reserved for augs, maybe even combat walkers. Definitely not the kind of shit civilians should have access to. Gorge waited once he was done.

    ¡°Got it from me cousin.¡±

    ¡°Right. Flames in a food warehouse?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a complete moron, Nes. This is a cryospitter. Surplus. That¡¯s not the fucking question. The fucking question is, what are you gonna do about it?¡±

    Nestra blinked. The fuck was that ab¡ª oooooh.

    ¡°You know we¡¯ll all be recorded, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah. And when Stib sends her report to the boss, she¡¯ll say everything was copacetic. And when the boss sends her report to the brass, after watching our little performance, she¡¯ll also say everything was copacetic. But if there is a, shall we say, discordant voice¡­¡±

    ¡°Stib?¡± Nestra asked with some curiosity.

    The drone operator was a stickler for protocol. She always double checked everything, dammit.

    ¡°I just want you all alive,¡± she replied.

    Stib was in the driver¡¯s seat but Nestra still felt the edge in the woman¡¯s voice.

    ¡°I got no problem with personal guns,¡± Nestra finally replied. ¡°Just don¡¯t spray that shit on me and we¡¯re good.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry girl, I¡¯m not wasting valuable fuel on your ass. Here is what we¡¯re gonna do. Breach the first warehouse, then move in all careful like. Standard CQC dokkaebi formation. I take point with my little friend. Pudding and Nuts will support me on the side. Preach takes the center. You two alpha grafts watch the side and back. Stib will provide oversight. Between her and Pudding, we should be able to see the bastards coming at us.¡±

    Gorge waited to see if Nestra would whine. She was a CQC specialist. She also didn¡¯t want to put her sword between a trash spider and a mana-cooled spray. She also understood wanting to have familiar people on one¡¯s side.

    ¡°Ok,¡± Gorge continued. ¡°Soon as we get aggroed, walk back immediately. Spread out if we reach the wall. Rinse and repeat till we get them all.¡±

    ¡°Any cameras inside?¡± Nestra asked.

    ¡°See for yourself.¡±

    She got four feeds on her visor. Two showed locked doors. One showed gutted containers, the steel peeled back like wrappers. The last showed a fat lot of nothing.

    ¡°Gunked.¡±

    ¡°At least we know where the nest is,¡± Nestra said.

    The next ten minutes were spent discussing options but the mission was straightforward. Trash spiders were dumb. All dokkaebi class threats were. They just had to make sure they wouldn¡¯t be overwhelmed.

    ¡°How the fuck did those trash spiders get in anyway?¡± Nuts complained.

    ¡°Probably a hatchling got mixed in a crate or something,¡± Nestra explained. ¡°Industrial mana scanners wouldn''t pick it up among all that rich grain. They should have all been checked one by one but¡­¡±

    She shrugged.

    ¡°Enclave people think they have better things to do, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s more important than basic public safety?¡±

    ¡°Nuts you fucking donkey,¡± Gorge replied.

    He didn¡¯t even spare a glance at his subordinate. All his attention was devoted to the cryospitter, making sure everything was in place.

    ¡°All those enclave folks are uneducated gleams. The perfect combination of overinflated ego and dumbfuckery. You think they want to waste their mana sight on making sure us poor schmucks don¡¯t get our faces eaten off?¡±

    ¡°Why trade with us anyway? I thought them outwall gleams were all tough and stuff. The next evolution of mankind?¡±

    ¡°Because,¡± Nestra enunciated, ¡°they think they¡¯re the next Riel and spend months waddling through monster guts. Or they think Threshold taking 20% of portal stuff is state-sponsored robbery. Then they come back to their huts and eat unseasoned meat off fucking turtle shells while the mosquitoes turn their asses into braille books. They realize there are no baselines to clean their toilets, cook for them, roast their arabica, do their accounting, shoot their dramas and maybe suck them off. Then, being Riel¡¯s not so glamorous anymore. So they trade for all of that and pretend they¡¯re better than city softies.¡±

    Gorge whistled, seemingly impressed.

    ¡°Holy shit Nes, you¡¯re like a documentarian or something. You blew my fucking mind. You should work for the news or something.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the career advice.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Stib said, voice tense. ¡°Got a crowd too,¡±

    ¡°Of fucking course,¡± Gorge grumbled. ¡°Right. Last gear check. Helmets on, visors on, and you all shut the fuck up.¡±

    Nestra climbed out of the van in full gear. The armor and helmet felt comforting, like a second skin that made her safe. She was no longer Nestra under that. Or rather, no one knew she was Nestra, with her mana cravings and the weight of envy on her shoulders. Stib was right. There was a crowd. Beat cops in the blue uniform of Threshold police held back a group of civilians behind holo barriers. A small-time freelancer was already talking excitedly in front of a small drone. Maybe hoping to sell the footage to a news channel.  Cries to disperse went unheard. Behind that, a sniveling twat in a designer suit waited next to a tall, powerfully built thug in a cheap suit that screamed muscle. Eye augs were visible behind a pair of sunglasses, showing an ominous red glow.

    Most people made way to let Gorge in. An idiot stayed, his complaints turning to a yelp when the old fucker bodied him out of the way. The suit made for Gorge the moment the squad split the cretin sea.

    ¡°Good evening. My name is Artemya¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit. What do you want?¡±

    ¡°My employer, User Tornas, would like you to keep warehouse damage to a minimum.¡±

    ¡°Too late, mate.¡±

    ¡°Listen. You don¡¯t seem to understand who you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut the fuck up,¡± Gorge interrupted.

    The muscle took a step forward. Gorge flexed his gauntlet and an ominous whistle filled the air.

    ¡°Try me chrome boy.¡±

    The squad arranged themselves around Gorge like pissed off gargoyles without prompt. The muscle fell back.

    ¡°I thought so. We¡¯re going to clear the spiders then the city will send you the bill and you¡¯ll say yes, sir thank you sir, and file your insurance claim. We¡¯re here because you fucked up and you¡¯re here yapping like a chihuahua because your gleam boss ain¡¯t here, and he ain¡¯t here because he¡¯d have to stay to the side while baselines enter a monster den. And that don¡¯t look too good now, does it? So shut up, fuck off, and don¡¯t get in my way cause I could punch you balls in and the worst thing I¡¯ll get is three days unpaid leave. We clear?¡±

    ¡°I will remember this.¡±

    ¡°You do that, fuckface. You do that.¡±

    Gorge tapped the man¡¯s shoulder in a way that might have looked friendly to an outsider but left him wincing in severe pain. A minute later, they were at the door. It was sealed.

    Stib¡¯s drone came to a rest over their head.

    ¡°Right. Breach.¡±

    The squad formed a line. Preach slowly slid the warehouse gate open, revealing a dimly lit interior. Containers waited on the left and right in tight ranks, piled to the ceiling in places. Many of them had been savaged and the contents spilled on the ground along with weird, white excretion. Trash spider gunk. An open path led to an open space on the right, and a covered passage to the second warehouse farther forward. Nestra could see more white gunk from where she was.

    Stib¡¯s drone flew up and they got a feed. Nothing moved. Stib cycled to heat signature and revealed the unmoving forms of a few spiders hiding in wait near the ceiling. Nestra switched to night vision. The path became clear.

    ¡°Right,¡± Gorge said. ¡°Move in. Nestra. Lock it behind us.¡±

    ¡°Copy that.¡±

    She did as ordered. The gate slid shut with a ging like a death knell. Gorge raised his fist and they formed up behind him. Nestra was left on the left of the formation.

    The squad advanced in tight formation, weapons aimed out. No movement, still. Nestra checked Stib¡¯s feed and saw the red spots above them, hidden from them by layers of steel and half-eaten grain. Gorge must have signaled to stop because Nuts touched her elbow. The squad came to a halt.

    Gorge shot his sidearm. A shriek of pain answered and a spider fell on the ground, half-pulverized. The three remaining legs contracted one last time. The light reflected strangely on the serrated ends of the limb.

    Still no movement. The spiders might be stupid but they were still cunning. That meant ambush.

    The squad went deeper. They were halfway down the building when Stib¡¯s voice finally broke the silence.

    ¡°Movement. Lots of it.¡±

    ¡°Back up,¡± Gorge said.

    Pudding was the first to shoot. His quirk was eye-based, Nestra remembered. He could see mana through walls. His rifle easily penetrated the thick steel and the first shrieks joined detonations in the familiar song of battle.

    The spiders threw themselves at the humans. Screeches, gunshots. The smell of monster blood, musky and thick filled the air in an overload of senses. Nuts¡¯ heavy gun spat death by her side. Nestra¡¯s world narrowed to a slice of warehouse and part of the roof. Line the sights. Pull the trigger. It barked and jumped in her hands. A spider fell with a geyser of yellow ichor. Another. She shot a third as it was making ready to jump on Priest. The corpse fell on someone who faltered but there was a blue woosh and more of the things died. Outside it was hell but inside of Nestra¡¯s head, the world reached a perfection of clarity. Her earplugs blocked most of the sound to protect her eardrums. She licked the air, tasting victory and death fencing on the edge of violence. The deaths of monsters vomited mana into the world. It tried to latch to her and failed but for a single, beautiful instant, she was so very alive.

    ¡°Back up, spread out,¡± Gorge said.

    Nestra turned with the rest. They were now a wing retreating calmly towards the door. She covered the sides and forward as well, so her eyes could feast on the destruction. Nuts had mowed down anything that came before them and the path forward was so littered with corpses, one could walk on dead flesh from one end to the other without ever touching the ground. Swaths of frozen ice covered swarms of smaller spiders, newly hatched, pale limbs still soft and tender. Weak. The warehouse was a scene of devastation while more spiders poured in from the passage to their nest, dying in droves. There were dozens of them.

    Most of the spiders in the first warehouse had died so all Nestra had to do was to pick off what Nuts missed. Sometimes, Pudding aimed at a container and killed another hidden predator. Things were going well.

    Nuts¡¯ gun fell silent.

    ¡°Reloading!¡±

    Nestra shot her last four rounds in quick succession, then it was her turn to reload. Something long and sticky hit Nuts¡¯ gun. It jumped from his hands, clattering on the ground. A creature screeched loudly.

    ¡°Fuck. Queen. Queen!¡±

    Gorge aimed his cryospitter, only to have the spray redirected by a highly pressurized string of goo. Nestra shot as fast as possible as the last of the swarm burst out of the passage as a single wave, led by a monster the size of a bear.

    Nestra saw eight flexible legs over a bulbous body. Dark eyes on dark chitin. Spikes.

    Everything happened at once.

    Nestra switched to full auto. Nuts grabbed a sidearm. The humans shot everything they had at the incoming tide. A last blue wave froze part of the swarm rather than the queen, then they were overwhelmed.

    Nestra dropped her empty gun and unsheathed her sword in the same movement. The baton¡¯s edge turned sharp at a press of a button, slicing a spider in half. She turned and put her hips into a swing that cut another. Priest was fighting off one biting into his arm guard. A thrust killed it.

    The queen slammed into Nuts. Two legs found an auged arm, failing to pierce. Another found his flank. It pulled back to strike harder.

    Nestra cut and the queen blocked with a limb. The blade bit into muscle like steel ropes.

    Nestra pressed a button.

    A hundred and fifty thousand volts coursed through the creature¡¯s flesh. It spasmed. Nestra cut a deep furrow on its body and got an eye. Another screech. The queen hurled itself back. Around Nestra, what was left of the swarm died on bullets, knives, and knuckles, their teeth stopped for long enough by steel plates to avoid death. The queen screeched and jumped up. Pudding missed her. Priest did not. A leg flew off. Dark yellow ichor followed the elusive shape in great globules.

    The queen half-fell, half threw herself at Nestra. She lifted the blade above her and waited.

    The queen could move with blinding speed, just not midair. The two struck at the same time. A limb hit Nestra¡¯s shoulder but her blade fell true, up to down, a perfect strike. Nestra¡¯s motion finished with the tip hitting concrete.

    The queen wailed and contracted. Its limbs danced a pathetic jig while organs spilled from the grievous wound like quivering worms. Eyes moved around frantically. They zeroed on Nestra pulling the sword back. She struck down. The blade pierced through the creature¡¯s cephalothorax with a satisfying crunch, pulping the brain stem.

    A wave of mana surged through Nestra¡¯s body, a wave of bliss, of relief. Triumph had never tasted so sweet.

    And then it failed to find a host, to latch on a core.

    Nestra¡¯s mood deflated almost as fast.

    Silence returned to the warehouse. The battle was over. Nestra looked around as she picked her gun back up.

    In death, the queen was a pathetic sight. The actual body was barely as large as a car tire. The flexible limbs now lie in discarded coils around the ground. It had felt larger than life and now it was just a corpse, not even a big one.

    ¡°Nes,¡± Gorge said.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not done.¡±

    Nestra reloaded her gun, wiped gunk off the barrel then aimed. Sloppy. There could be more spiders. With enough time and food, any of them could eventually become a queen.

    ¡°Form up.¡±

    The warehouse was a scene of utter devastation. There were holes on the ceiling, in the walls, corpses everywhere. Spent casings littered the ground. Spider blood and goop layered every available surface. Limbs and guts hung off savaged containers vomiting their entrails of grain and greens, crates smashed and stained beyond salvation. It was nasty, stinky, and completely demolished. Nestra couldn¡¯t have fucked it up more if she had tried.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± Priest said while spraying synth skin on Nuts¡¯ flank. The man winced a little. No one else seemed to be hurt.

    ¡°You good Nuts?¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡±

    ¡°Stib, anything still kicking?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Then move out.¡±

    The squad moved around the warehouse. Pudding found two stragglers playing dead, both wounded. After that, they had to clear some of the corpses to go through the passage.

    The second warehouse was now a nest. A white substance covered shelves and crates in a massive cradle protecting blocks of eggs held together by sticky goo. A pile of refuse occupied the far end. No corpses in there, at least. Stib and Pudding did one last round but found nothing.

    ¡°Well, looks like we hit the jackpot,¡± Gorge said. ¡°I¡¯ll cryo this one. The others should fetch a nice bounty.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯ll buy that?¡± Bard asked.

    ¡°Schools for training, mostly,¡± Nestra said.

    ¡°Some labs as well,¡± Gorge added. ¡°They don¡¯t research trash spiders anymore but they research beasts that eat them. Good money.¡±

    Nestra nodded. It was a decent haul. Tonight, they¡¯d make almost as much as a raider and no one had died for it. All in all, good stuff.

    ¡°I notified the recovery division. They¡¯re bitching that their holidays are over.¡±

    ¡°Our gleams are busy with gangs. Can¡¯t sell human parts. At least, not yet,¡± Gorge chuckled. ¡°Alright you fuckers, let¡¯s pack up.¡±

    The squad left the ravaged warehouse behind. They snickered when the manager walked past them, stopping with a dumbfounded look at the scene of pure mayhem they¡¯d left behind. Gorge pointedly pushed the reporters aside on their way to the van. They climbed up and drove away.

    ¡°Nice job, Palladian. You¡¯re solid,¡± Gorge admitted.

    ¡°Riel. Thanks.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still a cunt though.¡±

 1.4

    Nestra had a day off. She filed her report remotely, stretched, then she was a free woman. Aunt Claire was raiding and Siobhan Stibbons was going home so that left her with no one to go out with. She wasn¡¯t staying inside a minute more than necessary, though. That left her with one good option: visiting her favorite hole in the wall.

    District twenty-three was a dorm district for well-to-do baselines. It meant two-story houses with an actual fence. It meant wide, clean curbs with sparse trees and the occasional park for the kids. Nestra walked over a few streets to the CBD though it was barely more than a gathering of designer studios, gyms, stylists, and restaurants. All of those had found refuge in a large glass structure reflecting the hope and creativity that came at the end of the incursion, before megacorps had snatched all the best skills to hoard them in their arcologies. The businesses still outside were left to survive on smaller contracts, a diverse ecology curated to produce an occasional genius to snap up. It was rather empty on a weekday, so Nestra was confident there would be a spot for her.

    The Sunflour was a true bakery, not a chain that got their stuff drone-dropped every morning. Fabricators didn¡¯t work well with organics so they had small robots do the dough for them. It was all very artisanal, very fresh. It was also quiet and the regulars knew to leave her alone. She got in and frowned immediately.

    Inside, an old-style counter filled the right wall while the left of the room sprawled in a mess of tables and counters. Some old folks and the odd freelancers worked on slates, steaming cups of coffee by their side. The smell was right. The low hum of conversation was right. The minimalist dark wood background was the same as ever. There was only one anomaly: the man behind the counter.

    Not someone she knew.

    He was also¡­ weird. For one, he was impossibly tall ¡ª at about one Mazingwe though thinner. He was the tallest baseline she¡¯d ever seen in person. He also had frizzy hair and very deep, soft brown eyes that gave him a dreamer aspect, one reinforced by the most genuine smile she¡¯d seen on a retail worker¡¯s face.

    That immediately set off all kinds of alarms in Nestra¡¯s head. Who the fuck smiled like that? She shook her head. He was probably new and not yet used to the job¡¯s realities. She wouldn¡¯t be the one to pop his abuse cherry.

    ¡°Welcome!¡±

    ¡°Hello,¡± Nestra replied, approaching like a scared deer and feeling silly about the whole affair. ¡°Are you new?¡±

    ¡°Yes! I just bought the store.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, Miss Yeung mentioned selling. I¡¯m glad she found someone.¡±

    ¡°Yes! And glad to have you for this¡­ arvo tea?¡±

    Nestra frowned.

    ¡°Where are you from?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± the man replied with a cunning smile, ¡°here and there. Would you care for my new dessert? It¡¯s on the house. I think Miss Yeung mentioned you. Flat white, yes?¡±

    He pointed at tiny squares, brown with red marbling.

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    She leaned forward. It was a painful thing to do but she had to be sure. Better to have cold service than leaving any sort of ambiguity. She wasn¡¯t sure but he did feel a little too friendly. His eyes positively sparkled.

    ¡°Maybe Miss Yeung mentioned it¡­ If you¡¯re coming onto me, I¡¯m not interested in such things.¡±

    It was as if she¡¯d accused him of bathing in the blood of puppies. He was absolutely horrified.

    ¡°Oh no, no! Look!¡±

    Nestra turned and realized most people had either a small empty plate or a half-eaten cube. She felt stupid again.

    ¡°Sorry, shouldn¡¯t have assumed.¡±

    ¡°All is forgiven,¡± the man replied genially. ¡°I¡¯m Seth. Here is your dessert. Enjoy!¡±

    Nestra got her cup and walked to her usual table at the back. It was blissfully empty. She placed her slate on the table and got a beep signaling it was charging, which meant it was time to waste time. She scrolled through the news. Star gleams getting married and filming new shows. Bio augs in development. Gidung group gaining market cap on the coattails of Hong Wang¡¯s meteoric rise to power, the star gleam raiding at record speed with the help of an absolutely impressive fire affinity. The article led her down a familiar rabbit hole. There was always a moment of fear before she pressed enter.

    The Palladian group¡¯s page appeared in all its sober glory.

    No new obituaries.

    Nestra released a breath she didn¡¯t know she was holding. Her family was fine. Of course they were. Aunt Claire would have told her something, except she couldn¡¯t tell her anything while she was raiding herself. No news of her little sis. Her older brother Ulysses just made it to B-rank at a record age, passing the test with ease. They were all doing fine.

    They were also very far away. It was better like this. She knew it was better like this. It had been proven true time and time again.

    Nobody wanted to see a loved one fail. Nobody wanted to see success day after day, then face someone who was unable to share in. Nobody wanted to rejoice about a successful raid with the one who would never raid. Her father had recently celebrated his ninetieth birthday. He still looked like a man in his late thirties and would for a long time. That would never be the case for her.

    It was what it was.

    Nestra¡¯s mood was demolished. She took a bite of Seth¡¯s confection out of annoyance and realized it was pretty good - crispy almonds on top with almond paste mixed with raspberry jam in the middle. It was a little too sweet but it went surprisingly well with her coffee. Maybe Seth wasn¡¯t a complete wanker. Thus revitalized, she was in a good enough mood to open the urgent mail pinging at the side of her slate. It was, unsurprisingly, from Chief Ruben.

    ¡°Squad alpha and beta will be providing support for a larger operation tomorrow evening around district fifteen. Your tasks will be to hold a control point. Please prepare accordingly.¡±

    As usual, what mattered was what remained unsaid. Camus wasn¡¯t back so it would be the leftover together holding a choke point while someone else ¡®pacified¡¯ district fifteen. Possibly police gleams, maybe with reinforcement. Maybe the army. Hopefully, things would be easy. There were talks that district fifteen was the home of rogue gleams and she knew her side had been busy for the past few weeks. So tomorrow was the big push. Interesting.

    Nestra pulled whatever files she could both from public domain and the TPD archives. The archive window glibly apologized that she didn¡¯t have clearance. The news were more generous. District fifteen had descended into lawlessness, the long-abandoned hab blocs now used as dens by several gangs. Patrols no longer went there while suspicions of smuggling rings abounded. Short version, a fat load of nothing. No numbers, no names. Nothing concrete.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    A commotion distracted Nestra from her funk. Well, not exactly a commotion. The cozy hum of the cafe had grown unexpectedly silent. She saw them, then, standing by the door: a pair of gleams with their mana under control. She masked her surprise while she observed them much like the entire population of the cafe.

    They were fairly young. One was a man with a bashful air and the brown glint of an earth elementalist. The girl was different, more guarded. Mildly disapproving. Her eyes shone brightly with a strange pink shade Nestra could not recognize. She¡¯d opted for a more exotic designer clothes to the man¡¯s old school shirt and slacks. They were twenty if they were a day, and they didn¡¯t belong here at all.

    ¡°Sorry! I grew up around here. Don¡¯t mind me,¡± the boy said, affable.

    He went to the counter to order. Nestra wanted to leave but if she packed up now, they might take it as an insult and that could lead to unnecessarily unpleasantness. Even now, the woman scrutinized the room with silent disapproval while her companion made small talk. They settled far enough away, at least. The boy was probably a first gen returning to his roots with his love interest. She didn¡¯t seem to be enjoying herself though. Nestra shrugged. After enough time had passed, she left.

    ¡°Come back soon!¡± Seth cheered.

    What a strange man.

    ***

    ¡°This is it. Central has had enough of the district fifteen debacle. They¡¯re sending four shuttles of auged grunts as well as three districts worth of police users, including someone from district one. They¡¯ll raise the inner walls for the duration of the purge. Our role is to lock up the maintenance access to sixteen, sit on it, and make sure no one goes through. Alpha and beta will move and hold. For this operation, you will have access to lethal weapons.¡±

    Nestra frowned. That wasn¡¯t normal. They were supposed to take down perps in a non-lethal fashion.

    ¡°What¡¯s the deal, Ruben?¡± Gorge asked. ¡°What are you not telling us?¡±

    ¡°You know all you need to know,¡± Chief Ruben replied, pressing a key to show a holo rendition of fifteen.

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    The briefing room may have seen better days but the holo was as reliable as ever. Nestra called the image on her visor, moving it around but there was something about that huge 3D rendition that just worked better for her.

    Gorge switched the display off.

    Ruben¡¯s eyes grew sharp and dangerous but Gorge, to Nestra¡¯s surprise, raised his hands in surrender.

    ¡°Off the record? Please, chief.¡±

    Fearful silence filled the room. The chief was well within her rights to punish him for that, dearly so. Everyone waited to see what she would do. Gorge clearly wouldn¡¯t push the matter farther.

    Eventually and to Nestra¡¯s surprise, she relented. That meant things were bad.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had reports that the augmented companies expect fierce resistance including hostile users and heavy weapons. Corp weapons.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Nestra blurted out.

    ¡°Possibly augs.¡±

    Whispers of consternation shook the squads. No one liked the auged companies because they were brutes. If even they were worried¡­

    ¡°That is why, off the record, I am telling you this: be careful. You can use anything in the armory. You know why,¡± she finished with a pointed look.

    Translation: it would be destroyed and moved soon anyway.

    ¡°Guess we got to train a little more then.¡±

    ***

    The inner walls were designed to contain the hordes of beasts that came with a kaiju, if the outer wall of Threshold was ever breached. They wouldn¡¯t stop a monster the size of a kaiju but if one actually got through intact, the district was fucked anyway.

    There were maintenance accesses in a raised wall just to make sure all the proper parts that raised and lowered it could be reached. Those were structural weaknesses with access to the outside. Since the door was up the wall, and since beasts were not too smart, it didn¡¯t matter in case of a breach. It did, however, matter when stopping humans.

    Nestra watched the expanse of district 15 trailing in front of her to another wall several kilometers away, a field of old concrete flowered with fire blooms, flashpoints where the auged companies did what they did best. Hab blocs in various states of disrepair gave the entire hellscape a misshapen, bloated look that turned into the diseased skin of a titan far in the distance. A cacophony of gunshots and explosions animated the night air with a steady staccato. The augs¡¯ gunships hovered over the battlefields, plural. Sometimes, a hail of bullets turned the night bright and annihilated whatever poor fuckers had the misfortune of being targeted. The sound that came half a second later was like the largest raspberry blown and added a grotesque dimension to the massacre, because it was a massacre. The weirdest thing was that it was not already over.

    Somehow, the gangs were fighting back. And that was bad. Real bad. Because the only rational reaction when the augs dropped was to run for your fucking life. If the gangs stood and fought, it didn¡¯t just mean they were hard targets. It meant they were ready.

    They knew, or at least they expected someone to come.

    Nestra grabbed her rifle tighter, well-aware that any goon with an unfettered fab could copy hundreds of them every day. The platform she was on was about two stories over the nearest roof and only a couple stories below the access itself, so about midway. She was the last line of defense before whoever came up reached the entrance and Stib. Gorge was here as well, checking his visor for the many feeds from security cameras and drones alike.

    ¡°Aight. Is the goodie ready?¡±

    ¡°Checking now,¡± Stib replied.

    Nestra checked the feed of the room two floors below, their main defense node. The rest of the squad was here behind barricades centered around a small, rotating turret, courtesy of Gorge¡¯s ¡®cousin¡¯. They had enough weapons to start a small rebellion. Well, not really. Not compared to the fuckers outside. The small, improvised fort faced the only way up and down: wide stairs without railings.

    A loud explosion distracted her and she returned her attention to outside, seeing a new plume of incandescent death joining the rest.

    ¡°What is going on¡­¡± she whispered to herself.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± Gorge replied, voice heavy for the first time since Nestra¡¯d first met him.

    ¡°Nothing good. Lots of com chatter. The augs aren¡¯t happy.¡±

    ¡°What are they saying?¡±

    Gorge scoffed.

    ¡°Nes, you daft cunt. I can¡¯t tap into mil-grade com systems with my homemade shit. Oh, look who¡¯s here.¡±

    A pair of gleams in the white armored uniform of the user police floated down from the wall, alighting on the platform with unearthly grace. Two men. One with a square jaw, a broody countenance reinforced by dark hair and the orange eyes of a firespark. The other had dirty blond hair and viridian eyes that could be jade or life, she wasn¡¯t sure. They didn¡¯t look happy.

    ¡°Well well well,¡± the firespark said. ¡°It¡¯s the fossils.¡±

    ¡°Ha-ha,¡± Nestra mocked before her brain could catch up with her.

    The gleam¡¯s features twisted with fury. His companion placed a hand over his shoulder, gently.

    ¡°Let it go,¡± he said in a soothing voice.

    Nestra¡¯s irritation flared in return. She¡¯d been without mana for two days now and her temper was raw. A part of her wanted to tell the fucking gleam not to dish it out if he couldn¡¯t take it but a more rational part knew that the gleam could just punch her until she projectile vomited and she¡¯d get a warning for insubordination on top of that. That was just how things went.

    It also looked like the gleam wasn¡¯t going to let it go until something happened. Everyone turned when Gorge gasped.

    The hissing noise of a missile launch heralded a light trail aiming for one of the gunships. It moved aside, shooting flares while a laser pulsed. Nestra almost breathed in relief when the blinded projectile missed its target but it was a trap. The gunship flew over one of the largest, highest hab blocs, and the moment it did, the jaws of the trap closed in on it.

    Nestra counted at least five trails of white dumb fire rockets aimed with disturbing accuracy. Some sort of point defense took down three before they could hit but the other two hit with a loud boom that echoed against the wall.

    Her previous missions hadn¡¯t prepared Nestra for war. It was very bright and so damn loud. The gunship hiccuped and flailed, its surviving rotors struggling to compensate for massive damage. With a strong whooping sound, it crashed into the side of another building, leaving behind a black tail of smoke. Immediately, the other gunships gained altitude but the damage was done.

    Nestra blinked.

    They had missile launchers?

    ¡°We need to go,¡± the viridian gleam said, and the pair flew off at speed.

    Nestra was left staring at the carnage.

    ¡°Fuck, it¡¯s chaos down there,¡± Stib said a minute later.

    ¡°What?¡± Gorge replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on! Folks coming out from around. They¡¯re augs. Something¡¯s happening!¡±

    Nestra moved to the edge of the platform and watched the incoming tide in the distance. There were men and women and old and young, all wearing sturdy street wear, thick garments meant to keep the owner warm and protected. There were augs, an arm there, legs here. Helmets. Weapons. A lot of weapons. Armbands.

    ¡°Nuts. Open fire,¡± Gorge ordered.

    ¡°Sir?¡±

    That wasn¡¯t what their rules of engagement said.

    ¡°You heard me Riel dammit!¡±

    A hole the size of an orange opened in the chest of a man carrying an actual machine gun. He toppled, falling to his death floors below. A woman who stood still to shoot soon joined him. Gorge raced to the edge of the platform and Nestra followed. Both of them deployed their weapons, barrel twisting to the side to allow them to shoot from cover. It was always weird, watching distant targets through her visor with a target reticle on them. Nuts¡¯ rifle spat again and pushed an aug back. He kept running, intestines following like a morbid snake.

    Nestra¡¯s world narrowed. She was cold, hot, excited, scared, then focused. She took down a man hoisting an old RPG on his shoulder. The return fire from the approaching wave shredded the access way, blowing holes in concrete and showering her in dust and debris. She lined up an old man whose weapon had a scope and shot him, catching him in the neck. He fell like a puppet with its strings cut.

    A part of Nestra reminded her that she¡¯d killed a person for the first time since the beginning of her career. It was weird to do it like that. Casually. From afar. It was wrong. It was only fair. It was necessary. Nestra forced her mind to shut up. The gangers outside had found cover. Others moved to street level, making their way up that she could see from her feed. Gorge triggered one of the traps and a couple of young men fell, body pierced by a hundred ball bearings. They still clawed on the next step after that with their eyes clouded, teeth bared in a rictus.

    ¡°Be advised, the perps are stimmed,¡± Gorge said with a calm Nestra didn¡¯t feel.

    She shot someone else and missed the first two bullets. Almost all the gangers had either gone to ground or¡ª

    Movement. Close. Nestra rolled to the side and something stomped where her head had been.

    Man. Very close. Auged eyes. Auged chest. Auged legs visible under a tattered black waistcoat. She shot him point blank range and full auto but the bullets pinged against his chest.

    He grinned, foam at the corner of his mouth. Nestra¡¯s heart bounced against her ribs in that one defining moment. She stood and unsheathed her baton in the same upward movement. The blade caught the aug in the arm and stopped.

    The electricity didn¡¯t.

    Enough juice to stun a horse seared the man¡¯s augs through the slice Nestra had left there. He fell down with a ponderous clang, sliding off the platform a moment later. Nestra turned just as another aug landed there, leg actuators whining from the effort.

    A loud boom made Nestra jump through her ear protector, then another. Gorge had both hands firmly around some illegal hand cannon. Each shot pulled the barrel up with a monstrous kick. The auged guy had two gaping wounds spurting blood and still, he kept coming.

    The last shot took the head off.

    Nestra looked.

    There was brain tissue on the cement just to her side. Blood everywhere, the stench cloying. It was suddenly much silent. She was hyperventilating.

    ¡°Nes.¡±

    What was that? Oh, yeah, her call sign.

    ¡°Nes!¡±

    ¡°WHAT?¡±

    ¡°Nes, stay with me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Yeah. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°We gotta keep shooting.¡±

    Nestra could see why. More augs and gangers ran up the stairs while others were approaching from the rooftop, trying to split the lower squad¡¯s attention. Nestra grabbed her gun. Reloaded. Crawled to the edge of the platform to resume firing so she could force the gangers to hunker down. One of them made the mistake of hiding behind an empty panel and died for it. Too thin. Line the sights on her visor. Shoot. Line. Shoot. Keep an eye on the various feeds. A man with a rocket launcher aiming up at the squad¡¯s location from a floor below.

    ¡°Shit. Explosives.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Gorge said.

    The entire access stairs shook from the detonation. They lost the feed.

    ¡°Place is designed to hold against monsters. It will take more than that. Focus on keeping them away. Stib, reinforcements?¡±

    ¡°No dice, sir. They didn¡¯t even give me an ETA.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t swear because she was a pro like that. She reloaded again. There was a lull in the battle. Below, the access stairs were a mess of body parts and entrails where the gangers had tried to storm their way in.

    Stib threw up in her microphone. Nestra remembered that turrets needed to have a drone operator plugged in even on auto-fire for safety reasons. Yeah. Could not have been fun.

    ¡°They¡¯re pulling out?¡±

    The feed ¡ª whatever cameras were left ¡ª showed no more people. Explosions had taken out some of them.

    One more winked out as she watched.

    She heard the slow clang of something heavy making their way forward.

    ¡°I¡¯m losing the feeds. Jammer,¡± Stib said.

    ¡°The turret¡¯s shielded. Focus on that,¡± Gorge replied. ¡°Nuts, you good?¡±

    ¡°Got the AMR ready. Concrete¡¯s too thick to get a reading but I think it¡¯s a walker.¡±

    ¡°Got a visual!¡± Stib said.

    She¡¯d sent a flying drone at record speed. Pictures captured through the gaps in the stairs¡¯ structure showed the frame of some combat walker. Nestra didn¡¯t recognize it. It looked unmarked. Plain. Who the fuck could make homemade walkers? Those were military weapons for Riel¡¯s sake!

    Gorge stayed calm.

    ¡°Looks like a makeshift Dilong Mk 3. Without the plating. Ok I need you to do exactly as I say. Bard, Preach, Pudding, toss grenades as it climbs, then shoot the limbs. Arms first, then legs. Shoot it to shit to confuse the pilot. Nuts, get the top weapons. Don¡¯t bother with the habitacle. And don¡¯t leave cover. You leave cover, you die. Stibs?¡±

    ¡°Reconfigured for point defense and disablement.¡±

    ¡°What about us?¡± Nestra asked. ¡°Should we get down?¡±

    Gorge shook his head.

    ¡°We got nothing that can pierce this thing. Even if we did, the lads have steel barricades. We show our asses, we get pulped.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°I know! Shut up. I¡¯m thinking.¡±

    The clangs continued. Nestra was out of her depth. Her job was small monster extermination and taking down criminals, not waging a fucking war. She watched the feed of the main room. Her team huddled behind a thick pane of neosteel, weapons slid through ports. Not one inch of their body was exposed.

    ¡°Now,¡± Pudding said.

    The squad pulled pins and released the grenades almost immediately. The walker crested the edge of the stairs.

    The feed went white. The building rumbled. Nestra¡¯s ear protections tried to stop the cataclysmic exchange but she could feel it in her bones. Her teeth clicked. She fell to one knee, balance lost for an instant. There were a few more exchanges. There were holes in the barrier.

    The feed died and Stib screamed. Gorge and Nestra were running before she was gone.

    ¡°You get down and do what you can. I¡¯ll get her,¡± Gorge ordered.

    Nestra didn¡¯t want to listen. She wanted to protect Stib first. The others¡­ but no. She nodded.

    ¡°If you hear the walker, run away.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The stairs. The smell of spent powder and offal. A late gunshot.

    Nestra arrived.

    The barricade was savaged. One major hole, a series of smaller ones. Nuts was dead, cut in half, augs coated with blood. His ribs jutted out and the broken ivory caught her eye first. Preach was down but she couldn¡¯t see how bad it was. He was lying on his side. Very little was left of the walker except a steel sarcophagus shredded to ribbons, metal peeled like old paint, limbs bleeding oil and propellant.

    The last thing that caught her eye forced her to a stop. It was Bard. He was holding a strange device that looked far too much like a spent EMP grenade to be real. That wouldn¡¯t make sense. Walkers were heavily shielded.

    His other arm held his sidearm. He pointed it at Pudding and blew his head off.

 1.5

    Nestra¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    ¡°What the¡ª¡±

    She charged, blade out, brain switched off from the fury. Her own gun wouldn¡¯t go through Bard¡¯s body armor.

    ¡°Ah,¡± Bard said with a lazy drawl. ¡°You were not supposed to¡ª¡±

    Bard pivoted and shot. It went wide, mostly because Nestra¡¯s thrown blade was planted in his shoulder.

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    She made contact. Her feet caught the gun but Bard¡¯s grip held. His hook got her in the chest just as she grabbed the handle of her sword. Most of the damage was blocked by her armor and yet the punch still winded her. His sidearm could pierce armor. No choice. She thrust and he failed to catch it on his vambrace. The blade dug in the same shoulder a second time, not deep. Deep enough.

    Bard screamed in pain when electricity coursed through it but most of it was caught by the armor, dissipating harmlessly on the floor. She struck his side arm and it broke. He stared in disbelief. She made for the kill.

    She was sent flying across the room.

    Nestra¡¯s back hit a nearby pillar. Pain there. Pain in her shoulder. Pain in her chest. Shake her head. Get up. No, not get up. She stared dumbly at the piece of metal digging into her torso, just below the rib. It hurt. It hurt quite a bit. She opened her mouth and gulped some air. More air. Breathing was pain but it was life also.

    Agony filled her mind. There was nothing but the next breath and the ruby blood darkening her uniform. Only when a noise came did she remember she was one bullet away from death. Bard was still alive.

    MAJOR WOUND DETECTED

    PLEASE PROCEED TO A SAFE AREA

    She turned off the notifications to watch the man who¡¯d pushed her. He faced Bard but his gaze found her and his bitter smile turned into a sneer filled with hatred.

    ¡°Well. Never send dregs to do a gleam¡¯s job.¡±

    Only now did Nestra notice the unmarked armored vest made from mana-enhanced material, the silver armband. His eyes shone with the tell-tale yellow of an electric elementalist. A buzzer. Still D-class from the intensity, not that it would matter to her. Bard clearly feared the guy but not in the way one would see death. In the way one would see a pissed off boss.

    What the fuck was going on?

    ¡°I did what you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut up. You messed up the timing which cost us a walker. You shot your comrade with your personal weapon, which means the bullet could be traced. You know what? Fuck this, dreg. Your incompetence just baffles me. Kill the bitch with the gun of one of the dead borgs so at least ballistics doesn¡¯t get a clue. You can manage at least that much, right?¡±

    The gleam¡¯s presence warped and he appeared again near the stairs with a crackling sound, then he was gone.

    MEDIPEN REQUIRED.

    With feverish hands, she grabbed the medicine-filled tube from a chest pocket and slotted it into the armor near her throat. Cold relief filled her vein but it only brought into more contrast the foreign presence digging in her chest. Piece of rebar or something. She grabbed it then stopped. Had to keep it there or she¡¯d bleed out.

    Bard found a suitable gun. He turned. Nestra lifted her own gun and fired at him. The bullets pinged uselessly against reinforced ceramics but he still felt the impact. She stood. Something liquid dripped down her bodysuit below the armor, soaking it. Bard finally had enough. He ducked behind the remnants of the barricade. Stupid. He could finish her off easily but he was sloppy. Always looking for the easier way out.

    ¡°What the hell¡¯s wrong with you!¡± Nestra roared, half to delay and half because she still couldn¡¯t believe it. It hurt to scream.

    She made her way forward then to the side, to her salvation.

    Her gun clicked empty. She dropped it and kneeled, her hand behind her back, palm on her salvation.

    Bard stood up, still slow and almost bored.

    ¡°Sorry, Palladian. We¡¯re all on our way out. Just wanted a little retirement fund, see? I can¡¯t just be on the loser¡¯s side all the time.¡±

    ¡°Fuck you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah.¡±

    The message she was waiting for finally pinged her, trumping the medical diagnostic in the notification priority queue.

    USER RECOGNIZED.

    She dove to the side and pulled Nuts¡¯ sidearm with her. Bard¡¯s first shot went over her head. The second pinged against her greave.

    She shot through Bard¡¯s chest. For a brief instant, she saw concrete beyond before pressure filled the void with organs. Bard gasped behind the visor, surprised. Very surprised.

    He fell like a puppet.

    Something locked in place in Nestra¡¯s mind. Suddenly, it was as if a veil was lifted. Her confusion and fear evaporated to leave behind a center of tranquil focus from whence she could draw. Even her mana craving receded to become nothing more but a quiet whisper. Pain still called.

    SIGNIFICANT BLOOD LOSS DETECTED.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    PROCEED TO A SAFE AREA IMMEDIATELY.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Nestra said.

    Had to save Stib.

    Maybe.

    No choice. There were still gangers below, she remembered, and she was in no state to face them. She had to go up, find Gorge and Stib if they were still alive. Lock the wall access. A tall order considering a gleam was after them.

    There was only one thing that could improve her odds, even slightly.

    She made her way to Preach. Found he was still alive but unconscious. Slotted a medipen. Her com system was off. She didn¡¯t know what else to do. There was a fast-acting clotting spray she could use to seal his wound so she did that. Then she found what she wanted. Combat stim. She dropped the empty medipen and slotted the stim instead. The rush was immediate.

    ¡°Much better.¡±

    The gangers would come or they wouldn¡¯t. They would find Preach and kill him or not. She was in no position to stop them. What she needed to do was go up. Carefully, she climbed the stairs, well aware of the metal still digging under her ribs shifting with every step. She was leaving bloody footprints behind her. It was probably super bad. Two floors went as quickly as she dared, then she heard a loud gunshot. Two. Gorge¡¯s special sidearm. She reached the access floor.

    There were no platforms here, only an empty space surrounded by walls with openings overlooking the hab blocks below on every side. The maintenance access gate waited beyond, locked tight. Stib was supposed to be inside but she wasn¡¯t. She was on the ground, crying, holding a bleeding Gorge doing his best to hold his guts in. There was a lot of blood. His gun lay to the side, discarded. There were two impact holes on the otherwise pristine walls.

    The gleam was here, because of course he was. Blood dripped from his hand, evidence he¡¯d hit Gorge instead of simply frying him with a spell. He was playing with his food.

    The gleam knew she was here. He was merely watching with utter disbelief.

    ¡°How the fuck did that dreg¡­ Nevermind. All the better. That just gives me more material to work with. So, still going to be silent?¡±

    ¡°Nooo,¡± Stib wailed.

    Gorge coughed.

    The gleam pointed a finger at her.

    Nestra moved before he was done. Her mind was so clear. Everything made perfect sense. It wasn¡¯t the blood loss, or the stims. It was the absence of craving despite the lack of mana concentration in the air. She was not sated. She was just not hungry, the feeling turning into a cool wave settling in her bones.

    Her blade hit the ground as a bolt hit her gauntlet, electricity traveling down her blade. It was mana electricity so a part of it couldn''t be denied that easily and yet what coursed through her body fed her more than it harmed her. The rest dissipated harmlessly in the ground.

    ¡°Open the door,¡± the gleam calmly ordered.

    Then he saw Nestra still standing.

    ¡°What the hell?¡±

    She felt him move to her side and pivoted to cut him but a sharp pain aborted the motion. Fingers like steel vises gripped her left shoulder. Her pauldron creaked from the pressure.

    ¡°How did you get your dreg fingers on a mana blade?¡±

    Before she could respond, there was a gunshot.

    The gleam made to sigh with annoyance. Nestra knew why. He had a mana vest.

    However, his condescending gaze turned into a scowl of disbelief, then shock. He gasped painfully.

    A second shot forced him to take a step forward.

    ¡°What? You dreg¡ª¡±

    Gorge¡¯s gun clicked empty. He grinned, sweat covering his brow and pain clouding his eyes but his bastard smile still showed the triumph that came with a last ¡®fuck you¡¯. The gleam turned away from Nestra, rage distorting his features in a terrible rictus. Crackling energy coursed through his arm to deliver death. Nestra saw his back was hurt through the armor. He was distracted. Confused. He was still holding her, and she was still holding her blade. A detached part of her felt an intense feeling of satisfaction for having outsmarted such an arrogant hunter. The rest of her focused on the one thing she¡¯d practiced for endlessly, spending thousands of hours repeating the motions until they became perfectly ingrained: that one necessary, perfect strike.

    Nestra pushed back her pain. Feet planted, strike with the whole body. The sharp blade caught the gleam in the side of the head and bit deep. He spasmed. He fell to his knees. Nestra waited until he was done falling with her blade overhead, ready.

    He stopped moving.

    Up to down, two handed strike on the crown of his head. Her blade bit into bone with a pleasant crunch just as she was absolutely sure it would. He was dead before he hit the ground, sword still embedded. She knew he was dead. She felt him die.

    Her head swam. She collapsed against a nearby wall. There was a puddle of blood under her feet. That was a lot of blood. Shit, that was a lot of blood.

    ¡°Ooooh that¡¯s a lot of blood.¡±

    A lot of blood.

    ¡°Nestra!¡±

    ¡°Uh?¡±

    ¡°Stabilize her, Riel dammit,¡± a man said.

    Nestra could see it coating the piece of metal in her torso. Mazingwe always said, save the brain, the heart, and enough blood to keep them working and I can fix anything else. But that was too much blood. Hands pushed hers away, gently laying her on the ground. Clotting spray on the wound, she thought. Her head swam a lot.

    ¡°Hey Stib.¡±

    Stib did not reply. Rude. There was someone else. There were two people. They¡¯d just arrived. She didn¡¯t see them arrive.

    One of them was the viridian eyes boy from earlier. The cop gleam. He wasn''t doing too well but he was being held by another guy, this one in armor that looked like bone and long ivory dreads falling down his back. He had weird milky eyes. Her brain finally noticed the silver armband and the fact he was, in fact, holding the viridian guy like a beat up human shield.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Was probably pretty bad but that was no longer her problem because she was down here and down here was pretty comfortable and she was not moving, not with all this blood under her. Fuck, that was a lot of blood. Stib sobbed. That was bad. Stib was a friend. Nestra patted her shoulder. That was a gesture of comfort and affection, pretty sure. She didn¡¯t look comforted. Maybe Nestra just needed more practice.

    The new gleam¡¯s eyes found the body of his ally.

    Nestra was pretty sure she was about to die when, suddenly, something very bright exploded behind her.

    The next moment, the gleam was gone.

    Nestra looked outside the window to see the new gleam locked in a duel with a form clad in crimson armor. Or at least she assumed the ever-shifting form of flesh and bone was the milk-eyed gleam. They were far too fast for her to follow. She recognized the red shape from her newsfeed. That was Hong Wang, the red king. A proper guild star.

    Someone touched her shoulder. It was the viridian guy, quickly healing from what she could see. He grabbed the piece of metal.

    ¡°This is going to hurt.¡±

    Green mana expanded from his free hand. Nestra¡¯s body gulped it down greedily, which caused the gleam to scowl but not to stop. A refreshing sensation spread as slowly and without more loss of blood, he extracted the foreign object.

    Nestra was left staring at a pink piece of flesh where her wound used to be. It felt very tender.

    ¡°You didn''t feel that?¡± viridian dude asked.

    ¡°Am drugged to the fucking gills.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I should have guessed. And now if you will excuse me, I must attend to your friend.¡±

    Nestra wanted to tell viridian that Gorge wasn¡¯t her friend just as Stib was holding her hand very tightly. That was probably a bad thing.

    ¡°The others?¡± Stib sobbed.

    Right. Coms were still down. Maybe it was the walker. Maybe it was the dead buzzer.

    She didn¡¯t think it mattered.

    ¡°Uh, I think Preach was stable when I left him. You, uh...¡±

    The drone operator left in a rush.

    ¡°Might not want to see this,¡± Nestra finished telling a block of concrete.

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    She was going to see¡­ Ah fuck, this was going to be hard for her.

    Nestra felt a strange disconnect. She was both healed and weakened, really awake and also really out of her mind. Bard¡¯s inexplicable betrayal stabbed her heart like a prop knife. It was there. She knew it was there. It just didn¡¯t hurt, at least, not yet. Most of the squad was dead. It wasn¡¯t her squad. They should still count as her people but somehow, they didn¡¯t. It was as if a solid wall like an iceberg blocked the path between her sensations and herself, pushing away confusion and the craving that had been her constant companion for so long. It wasn¡¯t the combat stims. They weren¡¯t designed to do that. It was something insidious seeping under her skin and now it was doing something.

    Waking up.

    Waking up? That made no sense.

    ¡°Sorry, sir, I cannot heal that level of damage,¡± viridian told Gorge.

    ¡°A polite gleam,¡± Gorge replied with a bitterness that edged on insanity.

    Nestra watched outside. Night was falling fast and now plumes of dark smoke rose to the heavens like monstrous pillars, carrying with them the stench of ash. Shapes flew around at great speeds while corpo gunships flew in low altitudes, disgorging armored goons on the fleeing gangers below. Hong Wang remained the master of the sky. He wasn¡¯t fighting anymore. He was just there, talking and gesturing a few hundred meters away.

    Probably a promo shot.

    To show what Gidung could do.

    What a fucking disaster. At every possible level. The squad was dead, the gangers were dead, the traitor was dead, and the buzzer was dead. It was a fucking bloodbath and for what? For Gidung to swoop down and save the fucking day. Her mind replayed the elements of the evening and it became painfully, painfully obvious that it was very likely a set up. A set up to show the current police was not capable of handling the new threats of well-equipped gangers by creating that new threat to begin with. And Nestra¡¯s squad was just collateral damage, a delicate machine pushed to the edge then used for a role they were not meant to fill. The squad had still managed to hold against all odds. And it would mean fuck all. In the end, whoever wanted to make a point had made it.

    Maybe it was Nestra¡¯s paranoia speaking. She didn¡¯t think so.

    She stayed there until reinforcements came. It took a while.

    ***

 1.6

    ¡°Retirement fund, he said?¡± the left gleam from internal affairs asked.

    Nestra methodically removed her fingers from the cup of coffee the medic had given her. She was in her bodysuit with a rescue cover on. It was warm under her but still, she felt light-headed and a little feverish now that the stims had faded. She was also exhausted. On every level.

    The space inside of the command tent felt stifling. The two rats were dressed like spooks complete with sunglasses inside the fucking tent at night.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she repeated with some hesitation.

    The two checked notes, or maybe they were communicating, somehow. One of them tapped against the steel table they were sitting at.

    ¡°Are you certain this is what Mr Wilson said? You were wounded at that time, and suffering from heavy blood loss, right? The timing checks out.¡±

    What the?

    Ah.

    So, this was how it was going to be.

    ¡°Memory can be such a tricky thing,¡± the right rat said.

    Having the police compromised on paper would look bad for them, especially if they¡¯d not seen it coming. It was also possible they wanted to keep things under wrap for a separate case. It was also possible that they were completely corrupt.

    In the end, it didn¡¯t matter.

    Nestra was tired. Bone-weary. Not just physically but morally as well. There was no point insisting on being right, even though she wanted to, and even if keeping quiet represented everything she hated about society. One person had to stand up first to start anything.

    And that person would be the first to fall.

    Nestra was not that person. Not today. She was tired, and she was going home to lick her wounds. This battle was tomorrow¡¯s Nestra¡¯s.

    ¡°It would be best not to include in your reports the elements you are not completely sure about.¡±

    ¡°I may have misheard,¡± Nestra conceded with a heart filled with the cold acid of guilt and self-loathing.

    ¡°That might be so.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all I remember. Are we done?¡±

    Should not have said that. The gleams stiffened.

    ¡°Please?¡± she added, this time a bit more politely.

    ¡°You¡¯re probably exhausted. Do go home to rest. We will be waiting for your complete report.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing.¡±

    Nestra stepped out. Around her, the police camp was a hive of activity. The broken remnants of the assault teams occupied half of it, and the suited gleams whose job it was to distribute the blame took the rest. People glared and the mood was bleak. Nestra blessed her good luck that she was too insignificant to get axed as she made her way to the district exit.

    ¡°Hey,¡± a voice said nearby.

    It was the viridian cop gleam from earlier. He was sitting on a supply crate in a new, clean armored vest. None of the earlier wounds were still visible though he looked rugged and exhausted.

    Nestra felt cornered. Gleams didn¡¯t talk to baselines unless they wanted something, in her experience.

    Maybe it was recognition.

    ¡°Thanks for saving me earlier.¡±

    ¡°Least I could do. And your teammate, Preach, will make it as well,¡± he said.

    ¡°I know. I went to see them.¡±

    ¡°I apologize for failing to save the others.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±

    Not even Shinran could bring the dead back and he was Earth¡¯s most powerful healer.

    ¡°I assume you are heading back,¡± he continued like a man grasping at straw, pushing a dead conversation past the proper burial time. Nestra just wanted to go home.

    ¡°Sorry, sir. Really tired.¡±

    ¡°Of course. And I imagine you would not want to¡­ to return to the precinct after everything. Let me call you an executive cab. I¡¯ll use my card.¡±

    ¡°Eeeh.¡±

    She hoped he wasn¡¯t trying to go with her. Being alone with a gleam in a space they controlled was dangerous. She hoped he was just being nice but she couldn¡¯t take the chance.

    ¡°Please. Let me help. I just¡­¡±

    He extended his hands, light smile growing brittle.

    ¡°I just want to help.¡±

    ¡°Ok,¡± Nestra finally said, following her gut feeling.

    They walked through the checkpoint, the gleam staying at a respectable distance. His uniform and shiny eyes made the process easy since no one stopped her for her ID. Outside of the camp, there were journalists waiting for their pittance of public statements but the gleam discouraged them with a shake of his head. A hover car was waiting by the curb, long, sleek and black. Executive cab, the most high-end transportation network in Threshold. The gleam gestured and the door opened.

    Nestra turned as she was going in. The gleam was still waiting at a respectful distance. It would be weird to leave like that. Dangerously disrespectful as well. He might perceive her as ungrateful and that was extremely dangerous. She decided to share her name not just because it was a sign of trust but because he most likely knew it anyway.

    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m Nestra.¡±

    ¡°Valerian of House Nephrite. Sorry, I just¡­¡±

    He took a deep breath, seemingly coming to a decision.

    ¡°I know what it feels to be the odd one out. Anyway. Be safe.¡±

    Ah yes, it happened sometimes. Some people recognized her as that one weird anomaly. Huh. Nestra watched his receding back for a second before hopping in. A basic AI requested an address which she gave. The flight over the city gave her a wonderful view of district one, the tight clusters of gravity-defying skyscrapers still ruling over the encroaching arcologies. Their innumerable lights felt as majestic and distant as stars. They were also powered by mana crystals, the outrageous spending a testament to Threshold¡¯s affluence and power, the mightiest of fortress cities. It was all Nestra could do to watch those and remain conscious. She had to slap her cheeks a few times not to keel over even with strong coffee buzzing through her veins.

    The cab dropped her on her front door, forcing her to rush out in her survival cover and bodysuit in the weirdest rendition of a walk of shame. Anyone looking out right now would assume she¡¯d banged a high gleam and then been sent home in a nice ride. She rushed up the stairs to her bedroom and lasted long enough to remove her itchy body suit before she collapsed.

    Then, she dreamt.

    ***

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    It started like a familiar dream. She stood in her mind palace, the elegant room as devoid of a core as ever, yet something had changed. The light was different. Where before, a golden glow shone on the neoclassical design like a fairytale cliche, now it bore a strange hue that seemed to absorb colors. All was gray, black or white, and yet the variations were both rich and deeply pleasant. More importantly, some doors had unlocked.

    Nestra had always assumed that the doors were decorative in this highly symbolic place; it had never occurred to her that a door might lead to something else. Now three of them waited invitingly, half-open like whispered promises. She moved to the first and found herself in a cavern with soft, round stalactites covered in bioluminescent growths. Planetoids danced over a blue puddle, never touching. She extended a hand for the brightest one to come, and it did. It levitated over her open palm until she felt its nature. It tasted like a burst of wind, a perfect step, an uncanny dodge that left her opponent dumbfounded. The light colors on its surface shifted in airy patterns. It was barely awake though, so Nestra released it to rejoin the eternal waltz while she called the next one.

    That metallic planet tasted like one last rep and one more kilometer. It tasted like healing bruises and standing up again and again. Its surface was cratered by too many impacts to count and harder for it. It too, was barely waking up while the others remained dull. There was potential here but it would need more¡­ it would need more¡­

    More deaths.

    Many more deaths.

    The right deaths.

    It made perfect sense to dream Nestra.

    She was curious to see more. Leaving, she found that the next room was a castle corridor decorated by shields and suits of armor. Again, only two were active. One was an old middle-age plate suit, gray and battered. Serviceable, though it was nothing special and would certainly not stop a bullet. The other item was a kite shield hanging nearby. Its surface was a window into an ocean suffering the fury of a devastating storm. Bolts stabbed the mountainous waves every second with unceasing rage.

    The rest remained inert. Waiting.

    Nestra kept exploring. Even in the dream, a sense of excitement filled her. There was no core but there was something else and that something else, well, it was better than nothing. In fact, it looked like it could be much, much better than nothing. She knew it would take a lot of work to wake everything up, yet that failed to dampen her mood. She had been denied this opportunity for her whole life. She had begged for the chance to work at things. And now, it looked like she would finally get it, not in the way she hoped, and perhaps that was for the best.

    The last room was the simplest one and also the most awake. It held a tiny core crackling with energy. She recognized the mana manipulation ability of an electrokinetic yet the colors were wrong. Everything was gray.

    ¡°Weird,¡± Nestra said.

    And then she woke up.

    ***

    ¡°Huh, what a strange dream.¡±

    Nestra placed a hand over her face, the skin inexplicably smooth this morning. Maybe the stims were not completely out of her system yet? She also realized she¡¯d forgotten to switch off the light.

    Although, come to think of it, everything was in black and white.

    ¡°Hm. Lights off?¡±

    Nothing changed. Fear started to worm in her mind.

    ¡°Light on?¡±

    The lights switched on and colors returned. But¡­ how? And she was feeling great. Well rested. What was going on? Had she overslept?

    She approached a shutter. Outside, the world was a black and white vista besides the distant shape of the Wellington arcology, its blue and red lights displaying advertisements. The contrast was really strange. Nestra touched her eyes. They felt normal. Maybe she was not fully awake and a cold shower would do her some good. She frowned harder and made her way to the bathroom where a demon greeted her in her sink mirror.

    At least, the reflection was like a demon but it was also clearly Nestra. The face was the same, if a little sharper. The body shape was mostly the same though a little taller. Really, the only differences were the uniform gray skin, the white hair, the small nubs of horns forming at the top of her forehead, and the black eyes. They were as dark as the void. Pure pits of darkness. Nestra didn¡¯t panic because it was, quite obviously, her and this was, equally obviously, a dream.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    She settled to wait until something dream-like happened. Maybe her high school teacher would break through the wall to inform her she was late for her presentation. After all, Nestra was already naked and so dressed for the role, so to speak. When nothing like that happened, she decided to go for a coffee instead.

    She walked downstairs and made herself one on her expensive machine. It tasted nice. She almost cut her tongue on her teeth. They felt weird in her mouth.

    Climbing back to the bathroom, she checked them and realized they were now all a nacreous black, tapering off to a serrated end.

    She also realized she still had mana. And it was not fading away. Out of curiosity, she called it forth and for the first time, for the first damn time in her life after thousands of attempts¡­ it worked.

    An electric current coursed from one hand to the other with a sharp crack though she barely felt more than a small pinch.

    That, however, confirmed that she was fully awake.

    Only then did she scream.

    ***

    ¡°Oh no oh no oh nonononononono this must be a dream. That¡¯s it. I¡¯m tripping balls.¡±

    Nestra went over everything she¡¯d done trying to determine if combat stims could lead to vivid hallucinations. The problem was, she would be sweaty and nauseous. Right now, she was feeling fantastic. Wide awake. Sound of mind if not of body.

    ¡°Riel dammit. Why.¡±

    She walked over her house, touching random stuff to make sure it was still there. Displays showing family pictures. Her teddybear called Mr Slump which she would not confess she had even under torture. Bananas. She took a bite of the banana. It tasted sweet and a little too ripe.

    She only stopped when a tap sounded on her door.

    It was a single sound, not intrusive and she would have doubted it were it not for the fact it was three fucking AM and the entire district was as active as an accountant¡¯s cadaver. No mana seeped under the entrance that she could tell and the first floor¡¯s shutters were all closed. Nestra regretted that she¡¯d left her sword with the rest of her gear. The security display was near the kitchen so she went there and the camera activated, showing a piece of curb and a side of fences. The only anomaly was the package.

    There was a package on her porch.

    Not a standard delivery cardboard box either but a white, nice box with a little bow on top. It was deliciously, suspiciously antiquated. It was also suspicious as fuck. The timing was not bad, it was fated. So Nestra watched the damn box and¡­ nothing. No noise, no movements, nothing. She checked other cameras around the perimeter: not a thing to be seen.

    Her paranoia spiked.

    Because she knew she had to check it.

    Nestra had no idea what was going on or if she was even a human anymore. She most certainly felt like herself and in control, no weird parasite or possession. She also knew that she had the appearance of something else and, in Threshold, that bore an immediate and strict consequence.

    The fortress city had very strict rules when it came to suspicions of monster presence, and that rule was extermination. Oh, perhaps she could get away with being shipped to some lab for study but that was obviously a shit solution. So now she was pretty desperate and willing to open her door in the dead of night to check a suspicious package that might contain, for all she knew, a facehugger dipped in arcane batrachotoxin.

    Nestra unlocked the door, opening it a little bit. The night¡¯s cold air slapped her face. The dark night of the camera resolved into a bright, colorless landscape in her view. The package waited invitingly.

    She grabbed it and pulled it like a gremlin. She shut the door as fast as she could. It slammed with a loud bang that scared her. Far in the distance, a dog barked.

    Nestra rushed back to the security station. The cameras showed nothing at all. The package sat where she¡¯d left it, on the kitchen table.

    Just existing there.

    Menacingly.

    ¡°Right. Right. Here goes.¡±

    The cute little bow on top of the box came off easily, leaving behind a nondescript wooden box with a smiley drawn with some sort of pencil above the words ¡®not a trap¡¯. The bow itself was made of some cheap wrapping paper.

    Nestra felt silly. She opened the thing before losing herself in conjectures.

    It contained two items. The first was a message on an actual piece of paper. The second was a small ball rolled up in a wrinkled napkin. It smelled heavenly. She opened the paper first. Always read the manual before touching stuff.

    Words danced in her mind. That was the best way to describe it. Strange, angular runes resolving in curves spoke their meaning directly into her psyche. The message was as weird as the means of delivery.

    ¡°Congratulations on waking up, little Nezhra!

    Your first quest is to rebuild your Mask.

    Go to a mirror and pour your image back over your head, just like water!¡±

    There was more but Nestra didn¡¯t care just quite yet. She rushed to the bathroom and stopped, looking once again into the starless pit of her own gaze. The nubs of her horns still felt solid under her fingers. At least she didn¡¯t have claws. Yet.

    Feeling ridiculous, she raised her hands over her head as if to contain liquid, then she poured.

    Nothing happened.

    Her instincts told her something ought to. She was just¡­ doing it wrong. It didn¡¯t matter that it made no sense. What mattered was hiding. She was vulnerable right now. Exposed. She needed the Mask.

    Doing the same movement, she pretended to pour lies on the gray creature in the mirror. She needed the old Nestra. The one she¡¯d grown up to be.

    As if sprinkling ink over a white and black picture, colors bloomed on her. The white hair returned to its usual dark blonde, the black eyes became gray again, and her skin lost its doll-like luster to return to its pinkish and slightly scarred self, with the small hair and beauty spots and all the tiny imperfections that made Nestra, Nestra. It felt strange now, not exactly stifling but certainly not as natural as it used to be. The real Nestra was the gray thing and the human was a trick. A honey pot. A disguise. A lie worn every day to survive.

    Nestra left the bathroom and sat on her bed.

    All her adult life, she¡¯d felt like a fraud, a failure. A stranger. She could not fit among the gleams because she wasn¡¯t one. She wasn¡¯t even a quirky, with part of a mana circuit that could at least make them useful in a mundane gleam job. No, she¡¯d been a constant reminder of the possibility of downgrading, of having one¡¯s child hopelessly incapable of equaling the parent, of an evolutionary deadend because that¡¯s what baselines were, in a way. Dead ends unsuited to the new world. Nestra had left the family because she was a stranger in their mist. She had not fit among the baselines because she had a chip on her shoulder the size of a fucking boulder. There was a deep pain in her heart that had grown over the years, thorny tendrils reaching out to grab people to pull them in, anyone, any tribe that would say she belonged with them, any friend that would touch her shoulder and say hey, it¡¯s ok, you¡¯re good as you are with all your inadequacies. But that had never happened because Nestra was a ferocious bitch who¡¯d picked a lethally dangerous job to prove something to herself. She¡¯d bitten back and fought to prove to the world that it had been wrong to deny her her birthright. Because she was strong and hard-working. She¡¯d battled every day to make a point and, of course, predictably, the world had not given a flying fuck. Her sword techniques plateaued. Then the mana cravings drove her forward in a race that could only end with her planted in some walls, face first. A race with no cheering crowd. Just her and the incoming bricks. Nestra realized that at some point, she¡¯d given up. Oh, she¡¯d made plans of course. Because just lying down and waiting to die meant the world won, that she did not deserve the gift of mana. That was unacceptable. But she¡¯d given up on happiness. She¡¯d just waited to die. Or rather, she¡¯d just waited for something to kill her.

    And that would have been fine with her. Death.

    Really, the only problem was pain and not being eaten.

    But death was ok.

    And now she realized that all those years feeling like an impostor among her own, and her inability to fit in had, in fact, a very clear explanation.

    She wasn¡¯t who she thought she was.

    And that was¡­ an incredible relief.

    Tears welled in her eyes, the human ones. Nestra made a gesture to rip and the mask fell off, the color dripping off her like cheap paint. The void-eyed Nestra cried tears of bitter joy and disbelief that finally, finally, after twenty-four fucking years of agony, she knew what was wrong with her. And it was not being a shit person. It was being a not-a-person trying to fit in with people. That was why it had never worked.

    What a fantastic realization.

    Nestra returned to the box needled by curiosity though she was feeling sleepy again. The rest of the message was pretty short. As before, the glyphs danced in her mind like old companions even though she was positive she¡¯d never seen them before. The word for her name, Nezhra, was wrong. A phonetic rendition of Nestra. It felt strange yet welcoming.

    ¡°Quest reward: mask + Kero nut¡±

    The mask was necessary. The nut was probably a bonus. She removed the paper to reveal a strange spherical body shaped like a kidney bean. Just like the real her, it was gray and colorless, almost silvery under a certain angle. It also smelled delicious. She popped it in her mouth and bit down.

    An explosion of taste drowned her spirit, washing away all her worries in a tidal wave of flavor. The crunchy bits cracked under her teeth with a pleasant pop. This was an apotheosis of a gustative experience. It elevated her mood and her spirit.

    And then, it was gone.

    ¡°Aw. Just one?¡±

    The crumpled piece of paper didn¡¯t reply. She decided to finish the message, despondent.

    ¡°Your next quest will be at these coordinates tomorrow night. Bring your sword!¡±

    An extremely precise set of GPS coordinates followed. Nestra could input this in her car and get close enough, though that would leave traces. Instead, she used a map on a random website to get the right spot within the proper block. It was an automated warehouse near the wall, in district eighteen. Maybe twenty minutes away on the outer ring with no traffic. Interesting.

    Should she trust the mysterious messengers? Possibly. She remembered the rooms in her mind palace. They required more blood, more sacrifice. It was clear the messenger knew what she was so it was logical it knew what she needed.

    Nestra knew she couldn¡¯t run away anymore. It had to be done.

    Tomorrow.

    She returned to bed and crashed down hard.

 2.1

    Nestra woke up after sleeping fitfully. The light of dawn filtered through her windows, chasing away the fog of her mind. She felt tired but too nervous to go back to sleep. Too shaken. Pudding and Nut were dead. She¡¯d killed Bard. Fuck, she¡¯d toasted him for his birthday only a couple of months ago during a truce because it was important for the team. He¡¯d betrayed her first. He¡¯d betrayed all of them and she¡¯d killed him for it. Hollowed out his chest. She remembered gore pouring through the massive bullet wound. She¡¯d done that.

    She¡¯d killed the gleam. His skull had crumpled under her blade. It had been far too easy but he¡¯d really underestimated her.

    It had felt good to kill them. Not just because they¡¯d tried to kill her and failed, but also physically. It had given her something. She was feeling better now than any morning in the past seven years. No cravings. Even the pain and lack of sleep couldn¡¯t dull the relief and euphoria.

    Deaths. Vengeance. Pain. No cravings. End of her career, also, she assumed.

    And a new species.

    Had to be honest, that was the one thing she¡¯d been trying not to think about. Was it all a dream? She retreated to the bathroom, shut down the door, locked it. Darkness became almost complete. She couldn¡¯t see her fingers but she could see the tiny green dot of her charging toothbrush, hear her panicked breath.

    Had to be sure.

    She pinched a symbolic point above her head and pulled. The Mask disappeared into the recess of¡­ she didn¡¯t know. She couldn¡¯t be sure. Maybe it was not disappearing so much as¡­ going somewhere else? Immediately, her pain abated. The dark of the bathroom became a black and white canvas, clear as day. Her vision sharpened. Her nose picked up the scent of soap, humidity, her favorite shampoo which she¡¯d spilled last morning and not cleaned yet. She felt strong. She was also slightly taller, and naked.

    Had to find out more.

    Nestra left the bathroom and picked a cotton pajama, which was a little tight in her demon form. She closed all shutters, switched off all cameras and all lights since she didn¡¯t need them. Followed a brief inspection.

    Her teeth were sharp, incredibly so, to the point that she pierced her skin just by brushing them. Her blood was grey, then red as it spilled. The wound closed almost immediately.

    Sucking on her thumb, she checked the nubs of her horns next. They felt very sensitive and the mana was somehow thicker around them. Not sure what else.

    Her ears were a little longer and thinner but that was the last weird thing except for the color. Her hair felt normal. All her senses were better though.

    Next, she headed to the basement and the gym there. Her flexibility hadn¡¯t changed though it was already good. She casually bench pressed twice her normal maximum next.

    Ok, so stronger. Definitely stronger. Maybe a little faster as well, though she wasn¡¯t sure. There was also something else. She still felt¡­ a little hollow, like an empty hearth waiting for a roaring fire. This was just the beginning. Or at least, that was how it felt.

    Which led to the next question.

    Why, and how?

    Why was she not human, and how the fuck did that happen? Was she born like that? Had someone sacrificed her soul to the monochrome devil or something?

    Her alarm rang. The surprise made her pull her Mask on before she realized it was just that. One thing was for sure, she could choose to transport her clothes from one form to the other as she changed. So at least there was that. Really weird, anyway.

    Maybe the box sender would have more answers tonight. For now, she had to leave if she wanted to keep a normal life.

    ***

    The car hummed in acceleration then hooked behind a convoy of corpo limos. Honestly, Nestra knew she should let the autopilot work all the time. Most traffic was directed by AI which tended to pile cars in a neat line that actually made traffic smoother for everyone. It just annoyed her to have her own expensive vehicle and then never use it.

    All that thought of cars failed to distract her from the big question as she made her way to the station.

    Should she tell anyone?

    After all, figuring out you¡¯re actually a gray demon masquerading as a person was the sort of stuff she could use some advice on.

    Stib was a risky proposal because as much as the girl was loyal, she was also loyal to the city. Right now, Nestra looked like a fucking monster.

    Mazingwe was out for another reason. Anyone who¡¯d survived through the incursion hated the monsters with a burning hatred, no exception. She¡¯d seen footage of her father going through some bipedal lizards in a portal world, once. It was hard to reconcile her stoic yet friendly parent with the armored avenger ripping through ranks with methodical fury, crushing skulls with a brutality that went beyond mere efficacy. So no, Mazingwe was out. And so was her family, she realized.

    There was a chance someone in her family was also a monster. After all, one didn¡¯t just magically turn into something else out of nowhere, and yet, if one or both of her parents were just like her, surely they would have mentioned it? Or at least given a hint, something like ¡®oh if you feel weird and something massive changes about you, don¡¯t worry, call us¡¯? That would have been the very least. It had not happened.

    So no, she couldn¡¯t tell anyone. At least not anyone who wasn¡¯t the strange benefactor leaving her the package.

    Her mind naturally turned to their identity. Obviously, Nestra was under surveillance or she wouldn¡¯t have gotten the package when she had. It would also be wise to guess who kept an eye on her.

    Her mind went over the possibilities. It could be her Aunt Claire, who had substituted herself as a parent for most of Nestra¡¯s adult life. It could be Mazingwe since he¡¯d volunteered to be the squads¡¯ doctor for no discernible reason. Hell, it could even be that goofy Seth because he was just weird, though the timing was a little short for that. The problem was that she couldn¡¯t just sit down and ask them: hey, are you the one who left a package in front of my door teaching me how to blend in with the humans? Because that would be weird and a little intimate.

    Best keep things to herself, for now. Follow the trail of ¡®quests¡¯ if there were more. Maybe sweep her house for spy devices even though finding any implied a long scream and burning down the entire building to exorcize that horrible violation.

    The next serious question was¡­ did it change anything in how she saw the others?

    She¡­ didn¡¯t think so?

    Her friend was still her friend. Her family was still her family, good and bad. Things might change in the future, especially if they learned what she was. That was up to them.

    By the time the car turned into the precinct, Nestra was calm. She sent a message to Stib, possibly still in the hospital but received no immediate response.

    Her building was empty. Truly empty. The first sounds of life came when Nestra reached the office floor and heard banging things in the chief¡¯s office. A knock on her door interrupted the movements.

    ¡°Chief? It¡¯s Nestra.¡±

    ¡°One moment please,¡± a broken voice replied.

    It took a good fifteen seconds for Chief Ruben to compose herself. The door opened into a mess. The chief pretended she hadn¡¯t been crying and Nestra ignored the red, puffy eyes and the occasional sniffle.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to come today,¡± the chief chided. ¡°You should be resting.¡±

    ¡°Just didn¡¯t want to be home alone with everything¡­¡±

    Nestra shrugged.

    ¡°You know. In the air. So¡­¡±

    A heavy silence hung between them while Nestra looked at the piles of belongings on a cardboard box. Mostly rewards and certificates. A few ancient books made of actual papers. A couple of medals.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t expect that after yesterday, I¡¯d still be around, Palladian? Some heads have to roll.¡±

    ¡°This is bullshit.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Nice of you to say that,¡± the chief said without malice. ¡°But the squads were under my responsibility and¡­ you¡¯re the only one left standing.¡±

    ¡°Then the department¡­¡±

    ¡°Is closed as of now. I¡¯ll let HR know you¡¯ve swung around. They¡¯ll sort you out. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re too low on the pole to get axed so easily.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡±

    The chief looked at Nestra, the cold underneath returning into her features. The chief never liked it when people poked into her business but Nestra figured it didn¡¯t matter right now.

    ¡°There will be an inquiry. I¡¯ll be transferred to some cushier position if all goes as I expect it since the TPD can¡¯t afford to throw talent away right now. If the call for blood is too strong, my head will roll and I¡¯ll be fired, no matter whose fault it is. It depends.¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°There was something I wanted to tell you, actually,¡± Nestra said, her mind made.

    The chief waited, uncertain.

    ¡°Off the record.¡±

    ¡°Everything we say right now is off the record.¡±

    ¡°Ok. We were really betrayed. Bard turned on us.¡±

    The chief clenched her jaw. She grabbed the edge of her table then leaned on it, face reddening.

    ¡°That little wanker.¡±

    ¡°The rat squad mooks made it very clear I shouldn¡¯t put it in my report unless I was ¡®very sure¡¯. Look, I won¡¯t poke the fuckers but¡­¡±

    ¡°But I could look into it. Yes. You did well. They would have just declared you unfit to testify. Then you¡¯d have to pass a psych eval just to get a job back. Alright. Let me be honest in return.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°Internal affairs highly suspects that the gangers received weapons and augs from a corpo supplier. A unique corpo supplier. And by suspect, I mean they are absolutely sure. They just need proof. Not an easy thing to acquire.¡±

    ¡°Gidung? They¡¯re the ones who stood to earn the most.¡±

    ¡°And the timing of their rescue was¡­ just a little too perfect. Yes. Look, don¡¯t be stupid. You can¡¯t just go after them. Even your family will not protect you if you do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid,¡± Nestra replied a little sulkily.

    And she really was not that stupid. She was weak and isolated. For now. It might change though, the weak part, not the isolated one. Maybe. Then they would see.

    ¡°Good. Oh, HR is there. Go talk to them then pack your things. Will you attend the service? We are¡­ we are burying everyone at the same time. With Regis. The families agreed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there. Tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Nestra left in an awkward silence. She was just¡­ not very good with grief and expressing sympathy. Some of her attempts had not gone very well in the past. Aunt Claire had even recommended some online classes on how to express empathy but¡­ they felt hollow. She did feel sorry for the chief, who had lost the people in her charge. But what would be the best answers? A hand on the shoulder? A word that she¡¯d tried her best? Just supportive silence? Nestra knew she was supposed to be devastated as well. How would that translate?

    What a fucking mess.

    The HR team was settling down in the same meeting room the rat squad had used a few days and an eternity ago. Nestra exchanged hushed greetings. She recognized one of the girls from the main office, the same who usually confirmed her holidays were approved. She was an energetic, mousy tan girl. The man wasn¡¯t familiar. He was older, with an impeccable navy suit and the kind of exact hairstyle that required discipline and a frequent visit to the stylist.

    ¡°Hey, Fon,¡± Nestra greeted.

    ¡°Nestra! Thank Riel you¡¯re ok. You¡¯re ok, right? Of course not, what am I saying?¡±

    ¡°Ahem,¡± an older man said, though not unkindly.

    ¡°Sorry Mr. Ling.¡±

    ¡°Not to worry, I just wouldn¡¯t want to overwhelm our friend. Business first, if you would allow. I am commissioner Ling. I handle staffing for this district. I¡¯m sorry, there is no other way to say this. Your unit is dissolved as of now.¡±

    Nestra nodded. There was no unit left so¡­ she already knew that.

    ¡°In recognition of your services and the emotional trauma associated with your loss, we are providing you with the following compensation as well as three months of leave you may take at any time you wish within the rest of your employment. If you decide to leave the force, which we would understand, the precinct will issue a letter of recommendation at your convenience.¡±

    Ling gestured and Nestra put on and turned on her visor. A sort of contract arrived in her mailbox. It was exactly what Ling said in addition to the cozy sum of forty thousand credits, untaxed, which represented a year of income. There were no demands in return which meant it was a bribe. The large amount of money was here to make sure she wouldn¡¯t raise a stink out of fear of losing the benefits. That was fine by Nestra. She didn¡¯t think she would get her revenge going the normal way.

    She frowned. Did she really want revenge?

    Yes, she did.

    It was a distant sort of anger, more a principle than an emotional drive to get even. Someone had callously written her off as an acceptable loss in their grand plan and they would get their comeuppance. It was as simple as that.

    ¡°If you have any questions¡­¡± Ling said.

    Actually, might as well dig a little.

    ¡°Those are generous terms. Let me be honest. Is there a catch?¡±

    Ling started to answer but he reconsidered.

    ¡°Ms Sonchai, would you give us a moment, please?¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    Fon looked worried and Nestra felt herself tense, however the commissioner''s neutral expression lacked the affected sympathy that usually heralded bad news.

    ¡°Alright. There is no catch. You get that no matter what. There is something we would like you to do, however, or to be more precise, something Internal Affairs would like you to do. Again, this is not a binding agreement, Miss Palladian. We merely believe that you would have a vested interest in the proposal.¡±

    A free lunch AND a commissioner using honorifics on her? They really wanted her something bad.

    ¡°Officer Kim would like a word with you. You met her a couple of days ago. I¡¯m sending you her coordinates right now.¡±

    He gestured.

    ¡°Please call her before you make a decision. Now sign the paper and get your break. Remember. We look after our own.¡±

    Nestra glared at the utter bullshit of it. Once again, her obvious disbelief grated on her superior¡¯s nerves. Ling seethed but he took a deep breath before he could go off, which meant Nestra had gotten away without pissing off yet another member of her hierarchy.

    ¡°Let me rephrase. We look after our own within the limits imposed upon us by central.¡±

    ¡°Appreciate it.¡±

    Nestra signed. She said goodbye to Fon on her way out.

    ¡°If you need help picking a new job, let me know!¡± the shorter woman told her. ¡°I have compatibility tests, offers, the works. Just let me know and I¡¯ll clear a slot for you. Don¡¯t just disappear on us.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Fon.¡±

    Nestra walked back to her office. There was another message for her, from the chief.

    ¡°Palladian. Before you go, please go by the armory to retrieve your sword. Thank you.¡±

    Right. The sword was her personal property. She even had a license for that. She grabbed her personal effects and put them in a cardboard box. There wasn¡¯t much, merely a change of clothes and a couple of mementos. Nestra didn¡¯t consider her office as anything personal, more like a shelter than a personal spot here. Her house was her haven.

    In the main building, many officers whispered as she passed by. Some of them gave her nods of sympathy. Nobody seemed angry at her, or disappointed, which was nice. The quartermaster locked the door behind her when she came in. That instantly made her nervous.

    ¡°Officer Palladian. Here for your sword?¡±

    ¡°Yeeees?¡±

    ¡°I need a favor from you. You see, I was given this nice little piece belonging to Gorge.¡±

    He placed the revolver on the desk in front of him, shiny and clearly enchanted with mana stuff now that Nestra could look at it.

    ¡°The problem is that it¡¯s a mana tool, one that can only be owned by someone with a special license. Like you, Nes. So, I am going to assume that Gorge merely omitted to tell me he got that license after all and I will release it into your custody so you can return it to him and if I get inspected, everything¡¯s copacetic. You get me?¡±

    ¡°I get you.¡±

    ¡°In return, let me give you your own stuff since it¡¯s going to be destroyed anyway. You got a weapon safe at home, right?¡±

    ¡°Uhm.¡±

    ¡°Riiiiight?¡±

    ¡°Why yes, of course I do.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. I patched up your armor. You got your submachine gun and, let¡¯s say, two boxes of rounds you used in training. Three spare magazines you lost yesterday. And your sword, of course.¡±

    ¡°Right. Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Think nothing of it. Let me walk you to your car.¡±

    ***

    Nestra set the autopilot to the hospital where Gorge was. It was a different one from Camus¡¯, possibly because ravaged intestines were harder to fix than cracked ribs. She used the opportunity to call Officer Kim.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Hello Officer Kim, this is Nestra Palladian.¡±

    ¡°Ah, excellent. I was expecting your call. Do you have time for lunch tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Sure?¡±

    ¡°See you there,¡± Kim said after rattling off the name of a restaurant, then she cut the call abruptly.

    Maybe she was busy.

    Nestra wondered what the rat squad wanted with her. The mooks had been clear they wanted her to shut up about Bard¡¯s treachery but maybe that was not all there was to it. It was clear the TPD had been shafted badly in district 15, losing men, equipment, and face. She was sure they were itching for a comeback. Maybe there was a way to use official resources to go after the assholes who¡¯d bought Bard. Maybe she could use both official and unofficial tools.

    Nestra pulled into the hospital¡¯s parking lot. It was an older one, she noticed, poorer too. There wasn¡¯t a gleam in sight and her mana perception remained unequivocally inactive. She grabbed the revolver box and made her way to a cluttered reception room, joining a queue behind an old woman in a wheelchair and a panicked mother with a gaggle of stressed kids. Tense discussions filled the air along with the stench of sweat and cheap antiseptic. Somewhere to the side, someone was crying. Nestra hunched her shoulders. She didn''t like hospitals. Only Aunt Claire came to visit.

    ¡°Yes?¡± the exhausted nurse asked.

    ¡°I am here to see Gorge, sorry, I mean. Aaron MacMillan?¡±

    ¡°Hm. Oh, yes, let me check.¡±

    The nurse frowned. She had a pad rather than a visor. When she looked up, there was hesitation in her voice.

    ¡°Hm, Mr McMillan will only receive family at this time?¡±

    ¡°Could you let him know Nestra is here. I have something of his.¡±

    ¡°I, errr, I¡¯m not supposed to¡­¡±

    ¡°Look,¡± Nestra replied. ¡°we¡¯re part of the same squad. I assume he wants our hierarchy off his back. Please just ask him? If he says no, I¡¯ll leave. Promise.¡±

    ¡°Oh, alright.¡±

    The nurse pulled on a visor while Nestra waited patiently.

    ¡°Sir? There is a Nestra here to see you. Yes. Yes. No, I would not use that term as it is quite rude. Yes, I¡¯ll send her right away.¡±

    The nurse hung up.

    ¡°Room 576. Take the elevators on your right. And, uh, are you really friends?¡±

    ¡°Not really. Why?¡±

    ¡°He asked if you looked like a frigid bitch.¡±

    ¡°Then he''s in a good mood. Thanks for the help.¡±

    Nestra moved through the first floor. The hospital was clogged, with patient beds pushed against the wall. She decided to take the stairs when she realized how many people were waiting, some of them wearing patient gowns and dragging their own IV bags with them. The fifth floor was much calmer, which was a relief. She found 576 after a quick search. The hospital was big.

    ¡°Come on in!¡±

    Gorge lounged in a large bed, his muscular arms grabbing an ancient pad.

    ¡°Holy shit Palladian, the fuck are you doing here?¡±

    Nestra placed the case on a side table. Gorge¡¯s room was a single, tight yet cozy with a large screen and two wide windows. Personal effects lay scattered over the room as if Gorge had been there for a week.

    ¡°Brought you back your iron on account of its illegality.¡±

    ¡°Covering for me? How nice. However, let me ask you something.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°What happened to my men?¡±

    Gorge¡¯s face was raw. Raw and angry. She felt like walking through an alley only to find two groups of goons on either side and her in the middle. Gorge didn¡¯t know what happened. He couldn¡¯t. The coms were down when Nestra killed Bard.

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    ¡°I know only you and Preach made it. I know you saved him. Now tell me how the others died.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to like it.¡±

    ¡°Fuck no I¡¯m not going to like it, you cunt. Tell me anyway.¡±

    ¡°Off the record because the rats told me to shut up.¡±

    ¡°Start talking or I¡¯ll use the revolver on you.¡±

    So Nestra shared her tale, leaving nothing back. She thought Gorge might blow a fuse when the truth about Bard came out.

    ¡°That fucking disgusting son of cock-gobbling shitstain sow. Tell me you killed him.¡±

    ¡°Blew his chest off with Nuts¡¯ sidearm.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Good. Good.¡±

    He breathed hard, his bald face was now in the boiled lobster shade of red.

    ¡°And the mooks told you to keep the betrayal to yourself?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Those motherless skunk tampons. What are you gonna do about it?¡±

    ¡°I¡ª¡±

    Nestra hesitated. Gorge¡¯s intense gaze made her ill-at-ease.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, okay? The fuck you want me to do, drive a demo truck into the Gidung arcology? I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯ll try something?¡±

    Nestra sighed.

    She didn¡¯t even like Gorge.

    ¡°I will try something.¡±

    ¡°Ok. Then you keep the gun.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Shut the fuck up, okay? That¡¯s my gun. You can keep it for now. I got no more use for it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving the force?¡±

    Gorge sighed. Then he lifted his cover. Nestra gasped at the sight of a mess of bandage and the very obvious colostomy bag attached to it.

    ¡°I lost half of my damn guts. There isn¡¯t going to be any running around in full gear for me. And before you ask, no I won¡¯t get an aug. I can¡¯t afford it. Not even with the nice bonus I got in the mail this morning.¡±

    ¡°You can ask for a loan?¡±

    ¡°Listen you bitch. If I do take the loan, I¡¯ll be indebted for my whole fucking life unless I slave away for a chaebol and no way I¡¯ll ever go corpo. If I don¡¯t take the loan, I get insurance payment and my kids get to go to college loan-free.¡±

    ¡°Holy shit.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You have kids?¡±

    Gorge was so taken off guard, he actually calmed down.

    ¡°Divorced with two children. Why? Is that a problem?¡±

    ¡°Just can¡¯t believe the same woman would let you fuck her twice.¡±

    Gorge¡¯s large frame shook and for a moment, Nestra thought she¡¯d gone too far. Fortunately, the shaking turned into a seismic laugh.

    ¡°Fuck you Palladian, don¡¯t make me laugh like that. That''ll blow the stitches away. Take the gun and fuck off. And let me know what you find out. I can get you a lot of goodies you won¡¯t find anywhere else. Hell, I¡¯ll even give you a discount.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an angel.¡±

    Nestra left still carrying the revolver in her hand. She had her own personal arsenal now, which was kind of cool. Only when she sat in her car did she realize the problem.

    ¡°Fuck. I don¡¯t have bullets for the revolver.¡±

 2.2

    Midnight descended on the city. Nestra was wide awake after a deep nap in the late afternoon. A quick look outside her window confirmed that the city was mostly asleep. In her human shape, the night was clearer but not ¡®clear¡¯, not like in her true form.

    She called electric mana to her hand. A trickle made it through, barely enough to light a bulb. It appeared the mask smothered her ability, which didn¡¯t surprise her. If a baseline started to manifest stuff around, people would ask questions.

    And that led her to a real issue.

    Anonymity.

    Moving in secret around Threshold was not something baselines could manage, especially not affluent ones like Nestra. Her house recorded her ins and outs. Her car had an integrated GPS, every prompt relayed to, and recorded by, a central AI which sent her to her destinations via the least congested roads. She could not even visit the place mentioned in the quest without a data trail, and that was just the beginning of it. Even transients without IDs still showed up on security cameras, which Threshold was absolutely chock full of. That was a necessity when portals could open anywhere.

    If Nestra went close to that place, her house would show her leaving, her car would show where she went, and every camera around would record her face in precise details, including the demon one.

    Calling a taxi meant that a company would have her ID in storage, since she would have to pay with her account.

    Nestra checked the map again. That part of the district was empty.

    Maybe it would be fine.

    ¡°Well, nothing to it.¡±

    Nestra¡¯s car sat waiting for her in the underground garage. She¡¯d bought it second hand from a taxi company renewing their fleet. It was dark gray and unassuming which was all she needed, really. When she packed her gear in the back, she realized it was the first time she would go out to do anything truly wild. It was weird. She¡¯d stuck to the rules for so long, not least because she was under scrutiny as an odd case. Going out like that felt liberating in a way that gave her vertigo.

    ¡°I¡¯m not even doing anything illegal. I have the right to carry all of this with me. I need to calm down.¡±

    The pep talk didn¡¯t work very well.

    Nestra drove the car herself. A quick journey on the outer ring highway led her to a deserted offramp. Old traffic lights spread a bleary pale blue light on cracked tar. Some of the bulbs had died, not to be replaced. She drove past old warehouses and rent-a-space storages. The only light came from security booths and a single delivery pizzeria.

    The rental spaces gave Nestra an idea. She could always rent one to use as a¡­ transition spot. Ugh, this wasn¡¯t even technically illegal but she still felt terribly guilty. Here she was, joining the ranks of the illuminaughty.

    She stopped in an empty parking lot in front of a shuttered mattress company. No wonder since the mattress market was firmly cornered by BaiHua. No cameras there, at least. She grabbed her large bag containing everything and went for a walk.

    The bag was heavy as hell.

    Maxsec armor wasn¡¯t designed to be carried on the back. By the time she¡¯d crossed the lot, Nestra was already sweating under her hoodie. The coordinates led her past a deserted street into an empty factory. The gate stood open, the chain broken. There was an arrow on the ground drawn in fluorescent paint. She stopped.

    She was expected.

    Nestra walked into a deserted lot. She spotted the spherical shapes of cameras near the roof. All of them were busted. Her perception picked up when she approached a breach in a nearby wall. She felt it before she could see it.

    A portal.

    In the middle of an empty building, it waited for her. It was a tiny one, the blue of its surface dim, the flow of mana coming to her pathetically weak. It was the sort of portals guilds would be paid to clear instead of having to purchase them. And even then, they would send a pair of D-class raiders as a punishment detail.

    It was still the most beautiful thing Nestra had ever seen.

    She shed her mask without thinking. Immediately, the night cleared and the bag on her back was not so heavy anymore. She took a deep breath of dusty air. Being near the portal was just so deeply pleasant. And now she had this one just for herself. It felt great. With a sigh, she opened the bag and retrieved her armor, changing in record time but leaving the visor interface off. She strapped her sword to her back. The revolver had no bullets and taking the gun felt¡­ wrong. Her ammo was category one as well, just plain mundane. She left everything there.

    There was only one thing left to do.

    She hoped it would work.

    Nestra placed her hand against the surface of the portal and felt a resistance. It was the first time she touched one. Even as a child back at the estate, children were kept well away from portals for security reasons. Her mom had described the sensation in detail. It was like being sucked into a cold bath, apparently, a slightly unpleasant sensation Nestra braced against. Instead, there was the smallest amount of resistance and then she pushed in through the membrane.

    She was in.

    Excitement rose in her chest. She was in. She was in! Only users could enter portals! And she could! That meant¡­ well, not much since she clearly wasn¡¯t a vanilla human. But still! A childhood wish, finally fulfilled after so many years. A stronger mana concentration made her breathe deeper. The portal world! It was¡­ It was¡­

    Well, it was a little bit underwhelming.

    Nestra sighed. She was being silly again. This was a tiny portal, so obviously to a tiny world. A rocky tunnel extended in front of her before veering sharply to the left. There were no sources of light. The mana also didn¡¯t feel particularly good.

    The sense of wonder she¡¯d felt earlier evaporated. She¡¯d waited for this for so long that, in truth, she¡¯d given up on it. And now that she finally had it, it just didn''t feel the same. Like a trophy delivered a year after a competition. The pleasure was gone as surely as the expectation.

    She felt a little hollow but that didn¡¯t last long.

    ¡°Right. This is just the beginning.¡±

    And it was. Memories returned from all the classes she¡¯d taken before she was sixteen, all the training she¡¯d undergone back at the manor when she was heir apparent and dear brother Ulysses was still slacking off. This was the lowest class of portals in an underground biome, the most common. That meant either giant ants or mycoids. There were no spores, so, giant ants. Really a shit portal.

    Nestra shook her head. She was lucky. This was perfect for getting started, and giant ants could still be dangerous, hence why D-class always went in pairs. She unsheathed her blade and made a few experimental low cuts, a technique that allowed for effective downward thrusts. Her body remembered the movements despite not having practiced those specific cuts for a long time. The tunnel would be too narrow for anything else anyways.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    She should grab a knife as well. Better luck next time.

    Right, she was ready.

    Nestra moved forward, then turned with the tunnel. It smelled mustier now and she could hear grating sounds overhead as the tunnel snaked deeper in. She crept and turned until she came across a slightly larger cavern.

    Three giant ants dug despondently, their backs turned to her. Giant ants were thin and a bit human-like in their silhouette but their heads were what one would expect complete with a powerful mandible that could cleave rock, though those specific specimens were struggling. Their brown bodies easily melted into the background. Nestra recognized drones because they lacked any sort of plating. She felt giddy.

    That was it.

    She rushed forward and lunged low, catching the first worker at the base of the neck. It let out a sharp hiss as it died and the other two reacted immediately. One stood up and turned just in time for Nestra¡¯s side strike to cut it in two. She barely felt resistance from the thin chitin. She braced for the last one¡¯s charge, her downward attack crushing its back. It died against her combat boots.

    Nestra walked to the wounded beast, delivering the coup de grace as it moved away, trailing thin intestines.

    Silence returned to the grotto. The entire fight had lasted less than three seconds.

    She¡¯d won. Handily. And she felt better. She had hunted and she had triumphed, and although the prey was weak, it was also¡­ new. A pristine entry to her list of victims. She felt just a little bit better. Something changed as well. If she focused, she could hear more digging sounds from up ahead across the cave¡¯s only exit.

    She kept going.

    The giant ants were probably weakened by the lack of mana. Portal monsters were usually stronger than those found in the wild, the offspring of the first portal break escapees. This was clearly not the case here. They were too sluggish, as confirmed when she turned again and found more drones trying to dig a side tunnel. Two worked while one rested.

    Nestra charged forward just as the resting one became more alert. She lacked space to swing her sword properly. She killed the first as it moved and the second in another lunge as it moved. The third locked its jaw on her blade and pushed, but she knew what to do. Giant ants were tremendously strong but also quite light so she turned on herself and slammed the creature against the nearest wall. Before it could recover, her handle strike cracked its skull, causing it to fall. She delivered the last strike while it was temporarily stunned.

    Once again, the battle was over before it could begin and once again, she felt just a little bit more aware. There was something else though, something she wasn¡¯t sure about. She cleaned her blade of the ichor and turned around, eager to find more prey. Giant ants body parts held no value so she didn¡¯t consider harvesting anything.

    What they were digging for, however¡­

    Nestra carefully picked up her prize from where the creatures were excavating. It was cracked and transparent, the lowest possible quality, only good enough to be crushed and used as fuel¡­ and she didn¡¯t care.

    It was a mana stone.

    Her first treasure.

    ¡°Hell yes. Loot.¡±

    She picked it up and inspected it. The mana was there, at the tip of her finger, ready to be withdrawn. She had killed her first monsters and she¡¯d stolen her first resources.

    Amazing.

    Just had to keep going.

    Nestra moved on. This world was as basic as they came, pretty much a linear path to the end. In more complex worlds, raiders took supplies with them including food and automatic map-makers. Some biomes could get so large, it took powerful users like Aunt Claire a week to clear, if they survived. She would be more prepared for the next opportunity.

    Nestra cleared another group, this one of four drones at the center of a cavern. The last one managed to pinch her leg but the MaxSec armor resisted well enough. She was on her knee, inspecting the light damage when a noise alerted her.

    Nestra turned and blocked in the same motion, sword raised in front of her. Heavy mandibles clanged against the blade. She saw an armored head, more powerful limbs. Dark, insectile eyes. The creature was larger with a thicker shell. She immediately pressed the button.

    Powerful current shook the warrior¡¯s body. Something hissed and popped in its thorax and it fell back, meaning she got a full view of the second warrior charging her. No time to wind up an attack. It was time to use mana.

    She pulled a thread from her body and pushed it into the sword, the mana tool easily accepting it. Gray, alien energy coursed along the edge. crackling as it went. The warrior¡¯s mandible slammed against her weapon in its urge to clip her neck. The blade slid into the warrior¡¯s skull before she was even attacking.

    With a roar, Nestra struck down. The blade sliced through the warrior¡¯s entire body like a knife through butter. Heavy limbs convulsed, barbed tips raking her armor without penetrating. It fell, dead. She turned and struck the first warrior just in case but the beast was slain, cooked alive by electricity.

    Nestra breathed hard. Using mana took a lot of stamina.

    ¡°Now that¡¯s more like it.¡±

    Her voice rang hollow in the surrounding silence. She was talking aloud because she was¡­ scared and alone. That was fine but she still ought to stop.

    The warriors left her feeling marginally stronger but it was so weak, she might have been mistaken. She checked around for more mana crystals but found nothing. She did, however, find two recesses in the ceiling, sleeping spaces used by warriors to conserve energy. Normally, those would be in the central chamber but apparently not this time. Had to be more careful in the future.

    Nestra kept going, coming across a couple more groups of drones who fell as easily as the first. Some light ahead warned her that she was approaching the end of the portal world. She moved up as quietly as she could, leaning against the wall to take a look around the corner.

    There, in a large central chamber, a large creature waited. The insectile being was larger than Nestra and stood upright over a bulbous, fluorescent yellow sack. It faced the entrance with attention. Nestra recognized it as an acid ant.

    Technically, the acid ant was not a combat member of a hive. They used their acid to smooth surfaces. That would make no difference to her skin.

    Worse, it was actively expecting her.

    She did her best to remember. Acid ants used pressurized glands, she remembered. They didn¡¯t have great control over them and it took a long time for the glands to refill. Maybe she could bait out an attack.

    She strode out, staying near the entrance. The acid ant attacked the moment it spotted her. It reared back and opened its mandibles wide. Nestra stepped back into cover.

    A long, slimy string of transparent liquid splashed on the wall in front of her, as well as the ground, and pretty much everything in sight. The stench was atrocious.

    The spray weakened quickly. She jumped over a puddle and out of cover and charged ahead.

    Thankfully, the acid ant was alone. Her first strike was stopped by a limb, which was fine. She used her sword¡¯s battery again and the creature jumped back, twitching. She pursued, attacking with narrow, fast swings. It was taller than her. She blocked quick strikes from its upper limbs. The strength pushed her back despite her effort. Meanwhile, the creature¡¯s throat pumped noisily. She had a limited amount of time.

    It was too strong for her, and just fast enough to fend her off. Nestra pulled more mana and shoved it into the blade. With a desperate cry, she pulled back and struck with a powerful overhand strike.

    The sword cut through a limb and almost severed another. It finished lodged in the creature¡¯s shoulder, digging a deep furrow. It screamed. Acid spilled from the open mouth, splashing over the ant. A few droplets landed on Nestra¡¯s armor. The beast convulsed and dislodged Nestra¡¯s grip.

    The acid ant fell, crashing heavily. The two middle limbs managed to grab her boots. Nestra was disarmed. Out of options, she slapped her hand against the creature¡¯s face then pushed all the mana she could.

    Gray, crackling energy coursed through the ant¡¯s skull. An eye popped. The limbs retracted and she was free. She crawled away, exhausted.

    She felt the ant die. It still twitched a few times but she knew it was gone. A deep feeling of satisfaction filled her body like a warm embrace. Things were not quite right but they were certainly better. It felt fulfilling, like a cold void fading away. Nestra let out a deep sigh.

    Then she hurried to recover her sword and washed it. The ant was melting under the influence of its own acid and she didn¡¯t want her precious sword to suffer the same fate. Thankfully, the blade was intact. She wiped it just in case.

    Behind her, a portal opened.

    ¡°Right. Okay. Good.¡±

    Things were good.

    She¡¯d cleared a world.

    Nestra stood up, satisfied for now. The acid glands could probably be sold for something but she had no tools to harvest them and, if she had to be honest, no buyer. The sales of portal prizes was as heavily regulated as portal ownership. No drab like herself could just show up and offer monster parts without some serious questioning. Not unless she found a black market. Hmm. There was an idea.

    More importantly, she¡¯d cleared a portal world.

    Like users did.

    Ok so she wasn¡¯t a gleam, clearly. They were sucked in by portals while she pushed through. They got stronger by slowly absorbing mana, including the mana of creatures who died around them while, as far as she understood, she stole power from the entities she killed. And there was the whole demon thing. Nevertheless! Nevertheless, she was kind of like a user. No, users could manipulate mana. She was more than that. She was a raider like her parents and Aunt Claire and her brother Ulysses and some of the asshats who thought she was out of line for breathing in their general direction. That changed¡­ everything.

    All of those years, she¡¯d been a victim defending her dignity and her little strip of self-esteem with the knowledge that it was the best she could ever achieve. That was over. Provided she could progress like raiders did, the heights of power were no longer closed off to her. She could become strong, as strong as her family. Maybe as strong as Shinran, given time.

    Maybe as strong as Riel.

    All that it would take would be to follow the crumbs left by the one who sent her message. Do that, and she could progress. Nestra didn''t forget that power was only a means to an end, and fortunately, she had an easy end in sight.

    The fuckers who¡¯d almost killed her and gotten her allies killed so callously, the guys who thought themselves out of reach, having spent pawns to take other pawns so their plan could move forward, they were at the top of her shit list. Oh, she wouldn¡¯t fix Threshold and certainly not mankind in general, but those assholes? She would get them. They would pay for the rest. And who knows, with enough time, she could spread that lesson around.

    She smiled.

    Yes, that sounded like a good prospect. Get stronger for the sake of her growth and for the sake of justice.

    Ok, enough distractions. Nestra moved to the exit portal. The shaky nature of this exit portal proved that this was a temporary world that would break away soon after she removed the final treasure, here a simple mana crystal of the lowest grade waiting on the ground. She picked it up. The blue light of the portals gave it a strange tone and if she looked closely, ephemeral rainbows danced over its surface. For a moment, Nestra enjoyed the pleasurable sensation of basking in the portal¡¯s radiance, then it was time to leave.

    No one was really sure what happened when a portal world untethered, or what happened to the unfortunate people left behind. She wasn¡¯t eager to find out so she pressed her hand against the membrane and pushed. It offered little resistance.

    And she was back on earth.

 2.3

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    The portal winked out behind Nestra as she took her blade out. Someone had been there. She looked around the empty factory. No one in sight. No sounds. Only her panicked breaths.

    Near her bag, someone had placed a small chair with a rudimentary screen. A camera aimed at the portal entrance now only showed her. She approached the screen, curious.

    The screen was glitching hard. It only showed panicked lozenges and streams of light where she was supposed to be, as if her very existence could not be captured. For a moment. she watched the kaleidoscope of strange shapes before placing her mask back on. As expected, her human face showed normally.

    That could be useful.

    There was another envelope on the chair. She opened it.

    ¡°Well done! Quest reward: grew a little stronger.

    Next quest: grow even stronger!

    Bring your gun.¡±

    Another set of coordinates followed. Nestra could guess where this was going and she didn¡¯t mind, although she hoped she would get more answers. The little game was getting tiring. She wasn¡¯t six.

    ¡°Hey, any chance you could show up?¡±

    No response.

    ¡°Come on. I know you¡¯re out there somewhere. Can we just have a chat like responsible adults? I¡­ I want to know what I am. And you must know what I am. Please? I want to know if I¡¯m not alone.¡±

    Silence.

    ¡°No? Ugh. Nevermind then.¡±

    Nestra sighed and packed up. Her suit of armor was a little damaged and would need patching up where the acid had touched the outer layers. Otherwise, everything seemed fine. She had a look at the two mana stones. It was a good haul for a first assault. The worst ones went for six hundred credits and the other was D-class so probably around two grands depending on supply and demand. That was the lowest end for D-class portals. Most made ten to fifteen but she wouldn''t complain. Now, she only needed to find a way to sell them as she had no use for them herself, at least not now. Mana stones were a fantastically efficient source of clean energy, not to mention only they could charge up advanced mana tools. It would be of no use to her so long as she couldn¡¯t afford even the most basic of items.

    Nestra considered taking the screen with her but she reasoned that the person helping her probably wanted it back. With her mask in place, she just walked back to her car, fully aware that the bag felt just a little lighter on her shoulders.

    Nestra checked her phone before she drove away. There was a message from Mazingwe of all people.

    ¡°Nestra. It pains me that you would not come to see me before leaving. I acknowledge that the circumstances were difficult, however I believe we need not part on such a tragic note. In fact, we need not part at all if you need a GP. Come and see me sometimes. On another note, I received an unofficial answer as to why your request to be near portals was consistently refused. Although they do produce mana, portals also emit powerful radiation of an unknown nature called, for lack of a better word, zeta radiation. Prolonged exposure kills baselines more surely than gamma rays do. Even users are advised not to linger. I would recommend pursuing alternate ways of satisfying your mana cravings.

    Yours in friendship.

    Dr Mazingwe.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    ***

    Nestra was dreaming.

    The core chamber stood as empty as before but she knew there were two spots to check. Her steps first led her to the rotating planetoid room, the small spheres hovering over the deep blue puddle. Two others had activated though they remained fairly weak. The first tasted of strength, of domination. It was the push of a hand, the grab of a collar, breaking free, crushing. The second was taste, smell, a movement at the edge of one¡¯s vision. It spoke of attention and careful listening. It spoke of vigilance. She liked both but they were still budding. Weak.

    Her steps next led her to the armor corridor. A new shield had activated, this one made of glass covered in a translucent substance she recognized as acid. It had the right smell.

    She closed her eyes, satisfied with her progress.

    ***

    Electricity arced between Nestra¡¯s fingers. It was gray and ominous, seemingly absorbing the surrounding light. Then, she put on her mask and tried again. She could feel the mana react and pushed harder, getting a single arc that tickled her index. She waved her hand around out of habit.

    Needed to try something else.

    She wasn¡¯t stupid enough to test what she guessed was poison resistance. There was, however, the armor, and she knew what it implied.

    Nestra moved downstairs to a kitchen to grab the chef knife. It was a nice knife. It was also completely unneeded since she had a cooking robot like most people but she still did like to try new recipes on her own. It was sharp. Very sharp. She placed the tip against the skin of her arm and pushed gently. Pearling blood stopped her. It¡­ didn¡¯t feel different.

    She tore off her mask and tried again. Her gray skin resisted though there was a little pain. She pushed harder.

    The blade bent.

    She stopped immediately. Chef knives were expensive.

    ¡°Ok. Ok. That¡¯s good.¡±

    Her armor protected her for now but natural resilience was definitely what made raiders survive the incredible amounts of punishment monsters could dish out. Interestingly, there was no wound when she put the mask back on. Her scars were still there.

    Idly, Nestra wondered what would happen if she just stayed like that for ten years. Would her human self become increasingly older while the gray version stayed the same? Idle thoughts for now. Maybe her mysterious benefactor would have better answers.

    She was stalling.

    With a sigh, Nestra picked up her visor and found Gorge¡¯s contact information. No matter how she looked at it, he was her best bet.

    The fact he knew her presented a major security risk. Ideally, she would find a buyer anonymously then use a dead drop. The problem was that she didn¡¯t know of a way to find them safely. The net was filled with bait websites set up by TPD¡¯s AIs for suckers trying to dodge taxes thinking they were smart. If Nestra got caught trying to sell mana stones, a fine would be the least of her worries.

    Gorge was safer. He was a known entity. He was an absolute rabid asshole but he was an asshole with a code, of that she was sure. It would have to be enough.

    Sighing, she called him. It took maybe four rings for him to pick up.

    ¡°Are you butt dialing me now, Palladian?¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Hope I¡¯m not disturbing your beauty sleep. Look, I got two things to ask. First, can I get bullets for your revolver?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Four hundred a pop.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re fucking joking,¡± she blurted.

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°The fuck is it made with? Crushed mana stones?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Nestra swallowed her saliva.

    ¡°You¡¯re not joking.¡±

    ¡°Look, there is a reason I got through corpo-grade combat augs. Those bullets? They¡¯re hand crafted with enchanted material. You want some? You pay the price but I assure you, they¡¯ll pierce through anything.¡±

    ¡°Anything?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t try them on high gleams, you psycho bitch. You won¡¯t even get to pull the trigger. Tell you what, buy the full complement of four and I¡¯ll shave off a hundred. Fifteen hundred. A bargain.¡±

    ¡°Yeah thanks, that''s just half of my monthly salary.¡±

    ¡°Safety has its price.¡±

    ¡°And uh, another question. Do you¡­ also buy stuff? Like¡­ raw material?¡±

    Nestra could hear Gorge breathing on the other side as she bit her lip. Riel, that was so fucking awkward. She really wasn¡¯t cut for the mafia life.

    ¡°You coming to the service?¡± Gorge finally asked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°See you there, then.¡±

    Right. That was clear enough. Nestra sighed and went to dress herself. The weather was nice today, with early summer warmth. Meeting Kim meant she had to dress the part. A strategic choice had to be made between a long dark top over jeans which was pretty much the female cop uniform, or a more civilian choice. It was a mask over her mask, which was funny in a weird sort of way. She decided to pick the civilian one because she had a nice dress gifted by Aunt Claire, some low gleam designer stuff. That would set her on an equal social footing with Kim while the cop persona placed her in the same hierarchy, though much lower. No matter what, she needed makeup.

    Thus armed, and after taking her funeral suit with her, she was ready to go.

    ***

    Kim was already there when Nestra showed up. The place she¡¯d selected was a Sichuan food restaurant, a weird one a little off grid and that forwent advertisement. Dark limos dropped suits on and off as she went in, their eyes following her in her light blue dress. A waiter guided her to a decorated private room. Kim stood up when she arrived, an unexpected show of respect. Contrary to Nestra¡¯s expectations, Kim wore an embroidered gold dress and sunglasses, looking more like an affluent businesswoman on her day off than a rat squad mook. She even nodded at Nestra¡¯s garments.

    ¡°Good. Your mind is more flexible than I feared. This is a good pick.¡±

    ¡°Good day. So, shall I call you Kim sunbae?¡±

    ¡°And to you too. Just Kim will do when we¡¯re in private. Sunbae is fine in any other setting. I appreciate you making the effort, by the way. Your file let me believe that our current meeting might be more¡­ adversarial. Please, come and sit.¡±

    A robot dropped two bowls of rice and a variety of reddish dishes, including grilled bullfrog legs in pepper that emitted a small trace of mana.

    ¡°Monster meat?¡± Nestra asked.

    ¡°Surprised? This is a government restaurant. Sometimes, we get scraps off of the gleams¡¯ tables. It also gives us some privacy, which we will need. Eat while it¡¯s hot.¡±

    ¡°Right to business?¡±

    Kim didn¡¯t immediately reply. Instead, she picked a small dark square from a fancy handbag, placing it on her napkin. Nestra obliged and tried the monster dish. It tasted¡­ fine. Pretty good. Not exactly filling.

    Her thoughts wandered while Kim¡¯s eyes glazed over, a sign she was interfacing with something. Her true teeth were black and serrated which implied a carnivorous diet¡­ but she¡¯d never eaten something without her mask and didn¡¯t feel particularly hungry. Just, never truly sated. Perhaps she ought to figure out what her diet was.

    Please don¡¯t let it be anthropophagy.

    ¡°Right. We are set. This is a jammer, just as a precaution. I will not use small talk because, let me be frank, your psychological profile shows it would be a waste of time.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Nestra replied, somewhat miffed, ¡°I can appreciate it as a show of respect.¡±

    ¡°But you would be wary of me buttering you up.¡±

    Kim sustained Nestra¡¯s glare.

    ¡°What did the profile tell you besides that?¡±

    ¡°That you are an opinionated, persistent woman with strong principles and an instinctive distrust of those who have social power over you. That you have low interpersonal relationship skills due to emotional detachment leading to low cognitive empathy. You are, however, not cruel or mocking and you show respect to others provided they return it. Based off that, I am willing to be perfectly honest with you and I expect the same in return.¡±

    ¡°Most people who say they¡¯re ¡®perfectly frank¡¯ use that cover to justify being assholes.¡±

    ¡°I did not drag you here to be an asshole to you. That would be woefully unproductive.¡±

    ¡°Riel. Thanks. I¡¯m relieved.¡±

    ¡°I dragged you here because someone, or a group of someones, have fucked the TPD and the mayor¡¯s office so incredibly hard the council voted unanimously to go after them. As one of the aforementioned fucked people, you may have an interest in seeing that justice be done.¡±

    ¡°What? Ok, you¡¯re sending conflicting messages here. Someone from your office told me to shut the fuck up in my incident report.¡±

    ¡°The Internal Affairs¡¯ first response has been and will always be to cover their own asses, especially when it exhibits the purple bruise of someone else¡¯s boot. That doesn¡¯t mean that we are happy about the whole situation.¡±

    ¡°Not going to bow to the corpo overlords?¡±

    ¡°Hilarious, Miss Palladian. Contrary to what you seem to expect, we do our best to live in harmony with the various corporations and the guilds that form symbiotic relations with them, for the good of all mankind.¡±

    ¡°Uhu?¡±

    Kim smiled in the way a teacher would smile when dealing with a very slow child whose imbecility was slowing down the class. Not that Nestra was sore or anything.

    ¡°We need to give strong incentives to powerful raiders so they keep clearing portals instead of carving kingdoms like African warlords. That implies a certain amount of leeway, like the ability to carve a corporate kingdom so they can play kings without the city turning into a fucking warzone. Does that make sense, Miss Palladian?¡±

    ¡°Consider me schooled. Why are you telling me that?¡±

    ¡°I am telling you this because someone went and kicked the bullet ant hill. Now we have to retaliate or everyone else will get ¡®ideas¡¯ and we don¡¯t want to bother Shinran with disciplining duties.¡±

    Nestra frowned while Kim helped herself to some tea.

    ¡°I thought Shinran was a healer?¡±

    ¡°Shinran is A-class. It doesn¡¯t matter what he was originally. Any A-class raider can and will take on a guild single-handedly. And you don¡¯t want to bother him.¡±

    Nestra remembered Shinran the one time they¡¯d met. He was a bald Japanese man with strange, light blue eyes, and a pleasant smile. She didn¡¯t figure him to be a violent person at all. He¡¯d been very calm and empathetic when he¡¯d told Nestra she was just as intended without a core. He was so kind she¡¯d even felt a little better.

    ¡°You. Do. Not. Want. To. Bother. Shinran.¡±

    ¡°Alright. So. Retaliation?¡±

    ¡°You are wondering where you come in.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I implied, yes.¡±

    ¡°Have some tea. I was getting to it since it also answers one of your previous questions. The initiative to regain control of district fifteen will fall to Gidung and Hong Wang¡¯s guild but while they are suited to fighting gleams and gangers, they are unwilling or unable to police baselines, especially baseline on baseline crime. For this, TPD will send newly formed groups of criminal investigators who will work in pairs. I am formally inviting you in.¡±

    ¡°What? Me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you. I have a perfect partner in mind for you. Someone with a lot of experience but whose physical abilities have decreased over the years. Obviously, Gidung, sorry, I meant to say, whoever spent over fifty million credits in unmarked augs and weapons will want to control the land and the narrative. Your purpose will be to keep an ear to the ground and get me leads.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Did you say fifty MILLION?¡±

    Kim raised a hand. She took a bite of rice and bullfrog before continuing.

    ¡°Yes and no. Most of the corpo-grade equipment we found was low-end and defective or obsolete in many ways. Set for replacement, probably. It was still worth a fair bit. It must also have cost resources to erase all traces of origin, including in the softwares.¡±

    ¡°They were a little sluggish for augs,¡± Nestra agreed.

    ¡°And we are lucky it was the case. I didn¡¯t want to do small talk because I did not wish to build a rapport before giving you the opportunity to fling that offer back into my face.¡±

    ¡°Riel. Is the file that judgemental?¡±

    ¡°No but my professional background leads me to always expect the worst.¡±

    Nestra watched Kim, trying to gauge the woman as she took dainty bites of the dishes around them. Kim was not an enigma. Threshold was like one of the world cities of old, before the integration. It attracted the most talented scions of the fortress cities of the mainland like moths to the flame. Overachievers flocked to the banner, turning the mightiest raiders community in the world into a powerhouse of bureaucratic efficacy. There was a reason Nestra could live alone and safely, getting enough money for a balanced diet, fun, and a retirement plan. Threshold was a beacon of civilization in a torn world. The cradle of mankind¡¯s future. Top achievers like Kim were both a dime a dozen and the best possible candidates at the top of the civil hierarchy, at least when it came to the municipality and some corps. Guilds were another can of worms.

    So the conclusion was obvious. Kim was serious in her offer because she believed the cost of helping Nestra was worth the investment. She believed it enough to possibly put her future on the line because this was probably the hottest project of the year and if Kim fucked it up, she would finish her career managing school bus schedules.

    That¡¯s what Nestra got from the situation.

    ¡°What do you expect me to achieve on the ground? I¡¯m not trained as a detective. I¡¯ve never even set foot in district fifteen except for that operation.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Just by being present and reporting, you are creating an environment where Gidung doesn¡¯t have full control. You might pick up a thing or two as well while you¡¯re there. Wait, let me rephrase. I expect your partner to pick those details, and I expect you to watch his back while he does so, because let¡¯s face it, you do not have the negotiation skills required for the job.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯m what, a bodyguard?¡±

    ¡°A partner, please. Shinoda is, well, let¡¯s just say his life expectancy will be fairly short without assistance.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s stopping the hostiles from just putting a high caliber round between my eyes?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve already won, Palladian. They don¡¯t want to start another game just quite yet. They need to make money from security contracts, and that¡¯s hard to do if you kill your employers¡¯ agents. Of course, they¡¯ll probably try to intimidate you. You¡¯ll probably be attacked by low criminals as well. That¡¯s why you will be cleared for your whole gear, including your sword. Also, we will provide you with a, what was the term?¡±

    ¡°A ¡®oh shit¡¯ button?¡±

    ¡°Precisely. We will have users on standby to assist you. Go there, be visible. That¡¯s all we ask.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the place a death trap?¡±

    ¡°You were not in the hottest zone so it is difficult to express the bloodbath this operation turned into. The gangers were decimated. I am not exaggerating. We estimate that at least two in three died during the battle. The locals will see order return and they will be scared. I expect attempts on your lives but nothing systematic.¡±

    ¡°So it will be dangerous.¡±

    ¡°And that is why I requested you specifically. You have carte blanche on what sort of weapons you want to keep you safe. Just watch out for collateral damage.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    Nestra considered the question.

    It was a risky job but, to be honest, she needed a cover. If she kept going around at night without an obvious source of income, maybe that would place her on a list. If she was a detective, however¡­ They always kept weird hours.

    Not to mention, she could learn a lot about who got her teammates killed. Who bought off Bard.

    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m tempted. When would I start?¡±

    ¡°Next week for training, a bit longer before you actually go to fifteen. You keep the same salary. Consider this¡­ hazard pay.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough.¡±

    ¡°And Palladian, don¡¯t tell anyone about this meeting.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, of course.¡±

    It looked like there was another path for justice, one that used the city¡¯s resources. Nestra didn¡¯t mind at all since her demon self had no way to find out exactly who was responsible. Afterward, well, she would see.

 2.4

    ¡°Libera me domine, de morte aeterna¡­¡±

    There were seven coffins in total, set between the chairs and the pulpit in full view of the bereaved families. Seven officers dead during the attack and who would be mourned together. Bard¡¯s coffin was conspicuously absent, though if anyone else noticed, Nestra didn¡¯t know. She just let herself be carried by the nice music and the solemnity of it all. No one expected anything from her here beyond grim resolve. She was only supposed to be here for the others. It felt right to do so. They had been her comrades in arms. This was proper.

    Nestra had never been to a Christian burial service before so she stole a glance at the church¡¯s stained glass windows. They¡¯d gone for sober and pseudo-ancient, understandable considering this sub-continent did not even exist sixty years before. Monotheist faiths had survived the incursion, surfing on a tidal wave of apocalyptic claims. They¡¯d just never really taken root here.

    The song finished and the audience sat down. Camus sighed by her side, then winced. Both he and Gorge sat in wheelchairs, present against every possible doctor recommendation. Nestra expected no less from those hardasses.

    She went with the flow of the ceremony.

    ***

    ¡°Finally done, aye?¡±

    Gorge was waiting by her car in a gravel parking lot off the main road. He had a frowning young man with him. The family resemblance was striking though MacMillan junior still had his hair on.

    ¡°What can I say? It was probably important.¡±

    ¡°Probably important?¡± Gorge said, then he shook his head in disapproval.

    ¡°Rufus. Give us a minute, will you?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t take too long, Pa. You know what the doctors said.¡±

    ¡°I know. I know. Please?¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Junior left them for a nearby van. It was the shittiest vehicle she¡¯d laid her eyes on. It was so old and rugged, she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it ran on gas.

    ¡°Nestra, there¡¯s something wrong with you.¡±

    ¡°Look who¡¯s talking.¡±

    ¡°Not a barb. You¡¯re cold. You don¡¯t get loss, you don¡¯t really fit in. Hell, you don¡¯t even try.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to refer me to a therapist?¡±

    ¡°Fuck no. Just wanted to say, you¡¯re a freak but you got a code and you got a spine. So that¡¯s good enough for me to do biz with you. Just don¡¯t make me regret it, alright?¡±

    He seemed nervous, Nestra could tell. Shifty. She wondered¡­

    Nestra¡¯s eyes tracked the van. The van that looked like it could be used to transport things off the radar. The van where his son was.

    A family operation?

    ¡°Don¡¯t go there, Palladian. You stay off my biz and I do the same. That way, the first who gets caught can¡¯t say anything about the other except for the fact they do business. That¡¯s the difference between a hefty fine and a long stay in a corpo black site. Got it?¡±

    ¡°Got it. We don¡¯t know anything about each other.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s keep it this way. Now, what do you got for me?¡±

    Nestra had to walk back to her car where the mana crystals were hidden. Gorge didn¡¯t seem to mind the delay.

    ¡°At least you¡¯re a little cautious. Not that it would have helped. Gleams can smell those things like fucking blood hounds. Anyways.¡±

    He picked the two crystals, inspecting them solemnly. Nestra got the distinct impression this wasn¡¯t his first stint.

    ¡°Four hundred for the cracked one. One point five for the full one.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck? D-class crystals go for two grand at any auctioneer!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s before the tax so really they go for one point six. There¡¯s also our cut. So no, I¡¯m not shafting you. And I¡¯m giving you a great price on the cracked one.¡±

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    There went her dreams of an early retirement.

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    ¡°You want bullets?¡±

    ¡°Yes, four.¡±

    ¡°What else do you need?¡±

    ¡°I need a way to have my house not record my comings and goings. I also need a device that warns me of the presence of cameras, a vehicle without a GPS tracker, a harvesting kit, a price list for monster parts, portal world MREs, and possibly armor replacement parts.¡±

    Gorge¡¯s expression fell off the longer she talked.

    ¡°Holy shit, Palladian. I. Wow. You don¡¯t do things halfway, I¡¯ll just say that. Ok, look. For your house, just change your security console¡¯s privacy settings. Wellington will delete the footage within the hour and it can¡¯t be retrieved.¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°They were subpoenaed for records and gave a blank page so yeah, I¡¯m sure. For the MREs, don¡¯t bother. Normal bars do fine until B-class worlds. I don¡¯t suppose you or, hypothetically, any gleam you might be working with would be working at this level. Don¡¯t comment on that. I¡¯ll have the price list, harvesting kit, and the sniffer ready before tonight. The wheels will take longer. Oh, and that¡¯s seven grand for those. The list is free, obviously.¡±

    Nestra sighed. She had twenty-five in the bank for a rainy day so she could afford it, thanks to not having to pay a real rent. Still stung a little.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. We¡¯re all getting a nice bonus for being, ya know, left to die.¡±

    ¡°Easy to say when it¡¯s not your money. Fine. Transfer?¡±

    ¡°Fuck no, you leave the credits in a chit. Five point one if you leave the crystals with me. I¡¯ll collect the chit during delivery. For the armor, it¡¯s better if you just leave it with me and I¡¯ll return it patched up, charge you according to the damage.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re playing a dangerous game, Palladian.¡±

    ¡°So are you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, because I¡¯m helping you. Alright. Got to go. I¡¯ll get you a burner so we can continue our discussions, free of charge.¡±

    Nestra dropped the two crystals in Gorge¡¯s extended palm. He pocketed them with haste, then he was off to his weird van.

    Nestra really, really hoped she wasn¡¯t making a mistake. Maybe her mysterious benefactor had plans for her loot and she could just stockpile it but she had no way to know so¡­ might as well just get resources now before the portals increased in difficulty, as she was pretty sure they would.

    This was the path of a raider.

    Kill, get stronger, train, get better, pillage, get richer. The riches were reinvested in better equipment in a never-ending race to a summit that never got closer. Perhaps she wasn¡¯t a user but she was, most definitely, a raider.

    That was probably her best option.

    Nestra drove home and crashed down during nightfall, waking up again fresh and restored around midnight.

    ¡°I suppose this is my new sleeping schedule then.¡±

    It was a matter of minutes to find the specific setting that wouldn¡¯t save the recording of her home. She was warned several times that it would invalidate her insurance in case of burglary but she reasoned that, if anyone found the footage, the glitched image of her moving around would probably lead to more questions. After a few moments, she found a way to do the same with her car provided she didn¡¯t use the integrated map. A ring at the door distracted her just as she was getting ready to leave. It was a delivery drone. Gorge had come through.

    Nestra opened the delivery box inside of her home. The first find was a leather bag rolled on itself. Opened, it unfolded to show a nightmarish collection of silvery tools. There were cutting implements, breaking implements, skinning implements, plastic bags, vials¡­ It was the harvesting kit she¡¯d requested. It looked like the cheapest entry-level set and that was sufficient for her needs. She didn¡¯t expect to face anything more than dokaebi-class monsters with the occasional low D-class monster like the acid ant for now. No need for more.

    There were also four bullets in a neat casing.

    The next find was a data chit she slotted in her visor with some apprehension. Slotting data chits of unknown origin was the best way to find one¡¯s bank accounts suddenly drained. Fortunately, nothing happened. It contained a single file named ¡®Monster price list v5.3¡¯. She opened it.

    ¡°Property of the White Banner guild. Authorized personnel only. If you are not¡ª¡±

    This made Nestra giddy. Her first corpo crime! The first municipal crime had been entering a portal without declaring it. How exciting.

    The database was splendidly made. She could search by monster name, by part, by affinity¡­ There were even small tutorials on how to properly harvest the stuff. It was pretty good. On a hunch, she kept it in the visor¡¯s offline storage, then downloaded a database of monsters from the city¡¯s website. Those were free access to allow civilians to give accurate reports in case of portal break provided they survived long enough to make a coherent call.

    The next item was a small black box with an antenna and a LED. It looked like some retro tech from decades ago, cobbled together from post-incursion salvage.

    The last item in the box rang soon after. Nestra picked up the burner phone.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± a computer-modified voice said. ¡°Don¡¯t use names.¡±

    ¡°Is my voice modified as well?¡±

    ¡°Yes. One more precaution. Now listen. The device I gave you has two functions. The first will blink if it¡¯s aimed at a camera hooked to the local bluetooth. It won¡¯t work with a wired one.¡±

    ¡°People still use those?¡±

    ¡°Corpos do because they¡¯re harder to mess with. The second button will jam the camera. Very hard on the battery so use sparingly. Any questions?¡±

    ¡°Not at the moment.¡±

    ¡°Then cough up the dough. I¡¯ll call you back when I have a vehicle.¡±

    Nestra sighed and went for a chit containing five thousand one hundred credits, almost two months of salary for her. It was an investment, she had to tell herself. Then, it was time to visit the coordinates.

    Just like last time, she used a manual map but this time, she drove without GPS which was a confusing and slightly more complicated affair, if only because she¡¯d never done it before. She also set her visor to offline mode. She got lost twice on the way and had to read the street names like she was a twentieth century driver. Ridiculous. Finally, she arrived at a small parking lot in a deserted spot at the back of a warehouse, near a canal.

    Nestra frowned as she parked the car. She could feel it, very faintly. The mana of a portal. It came from the canal itself.

    She changed inside, tore her mask, then skulked out. A quick inspection with her new gizmo revealed cameras aimed at the back doors but nothing surveying the parking itself. Besides a few dumpsters and empty pallets, it was empty anyway. She shouldered her bag and then she was off.

    Canals were rare. Threshold¡¯s water system was fully isolated from the outside world for obvious reasons. It took only a small egg floating downstream and three months later, you had armies of pallid, bloated fishmen stealing poodles off the street. Threshold only employed canals when the underground couldn¡¯t be used for one reason or another, such was the case now. She found a large circular tunnel as expected. It was open, the barred door yawning invitingly.

    For a moment, Nestra took in her surroundings. A deep breath carried the scent of fresh water with a floral undertone. Long stalks decorated the shore in disheveled clumps. A few lilies floated where the solid formed recesses. It was, perhaps, one of the wildest places in a hyper-controlled environment, a throwback to the days when a lone stroll outside didn¡¯t mean certain death for an unarmed baseline. Nearby lights cast selfish cones in the darkness that appeared as splashes of color to her night sight. She looked up, hoping to see stars. The light pollution reminded her of where she was.

    Right.

    Nestra walked to the entrance and peered inside. The black box remained quiet, the explanation obvious. A mostly dry tunnel continued on for hundreds of meters before angling to the sides. Near the entrance, a maintenance door stood open under a smashed camera, and next to that camera was a portal.

    This one was large enough to occupy most of the space, though it still wasn¡¯t much. The unusual sight was that of a sanitation employee in a jumpsuit next to a disabled drone. He sat listless against the wall.

    Nestra hesitated.

    The law said she had to report the portal. That was fine, she didn¡¯t care anymore. The law and ethics said she should assist the guy since he was obviously in distress. That would come with its own list of troubles. She could call the emergency services with her burner; she just knew it was a terrible idea.

    The man blinked.

    Nestra sighed. It was probably ok. Just in case, she checked for a pulse and found a normal one.

    There was a chance he would wake up but¡­

    It felt sacrilegious to decamp now. There was the portal, there, in front of her, inviting her in with the sweet caress of mana, or zeta rays, she supposed. She licked her lips. Had to do it.

    Nestra took her rifle, holstered the revolver, then hid the rest near the entrance. Had to do it now. She placed her hand against the surface and pushed in. Just like last time, the portal bent to her will.

    She was in.

 2.5

    As before, mana was stronger inside. What didn¡¯t change was the humidity of the air. Nestra looked around.

    A mangrove biome.

    Under a heavy cobalt sky, the portal world extended in front of her in a dry snake path between mangrove trees. White lightning sometimes flashed silently in the distance. She looked up to rolling waves marked by pinpoint dots of light. The forest extended on a kilometers wide strip while to her left, a lake extended until it merged and faded with the horizon. A deep fog covered the land to her right, masking it from sight.

    She knew it was much smaller than it appeared on an intellectual level. Walking to the edges of the world, one would soon be stopped by a space anomaly that simply prevented people from advancing, no matter how fast they could fly, and yet the sensation of infinity grasped at Nestra¡¯s mind like a inebriating dream. This was a new world, another planet bound by different rules. It had long since finished drinking in the mana to trascend itself.

    She frowned. Where did that thought come from? There were theories but they were just those, theories. No one knew why or how the incursion happened.

    Right, mangroves.

    Unfortunately, she knew what it meant.

    Nestra made absolutely sure her armor set was airtight, double-checking indicators for a third time. She also pulled the monster compendium to cross reference ¡®mangrove¡¯ and ¡®D-class¡¯. Sometimes, new creatures made their appearance. It paid to be prepared. Not this time though, and with a last sigh, she set her rifle to burst fire and left.

    Nestra¡¯s boots sunk in the mud. A part of her wanted to remove the armor to feel the wet, warm soil between her toes. Not worth it. The land around her was mostly quiet except for a distant rush and the calls of unknown creatures. It would not last. Large insects with strange, circular bodies flew in flashes of ephemeral lights. The trees themselves were gnarled and bulbous, though not grotesquely so. Their trunk split into many limbs as they touched the water while heavy branches provided a thick cover. Growing fruits hung heavy, their white flesh turning green and red at the tip. It was spring here as well.

    Soon, the path narrowed as the water on the sides of the path grew more shallow. Green reeds jutted from there in small bouquets. She paid close attention to those though it proved to be redundant. She perceived the ambush long before it could close on her.

    The first hint was a change in the mana, a denser, different tone to the usual background. Reeds on either side of the path were yellow, the top shredded. Her night vision picked up unusual shapes clinging to the trees. She studied them as she slowed down.

    Thick hair covered the creature¡¯s squarish head, dropping down their naked back in thick rows plastered with mud and leaves. Short, thick humanoid limbs gripped the wood with great strength. She knew they had two fingers plus a thumb and a remarkable grip power that let them spend their days in trees, jumping from branch to branch without effort. It could also snap the spine of a baseline in an instant. They were manaprimates habilis arboricole, technically called mana monkeys. Another dokkaebi-class threat. Of course, there were several of them.

    Nestra whipped out her rifle and landed three bullets at the base of a nearby dead reed. The water splashed, carrying dark red ichor. The reed surfaced as it proved to be nothing but a rudimentary snorkel. She shot another burst before the other reeds erupted into more monkeys. Backpedalling, she lined the creatures as they charged her.

    Mana monkeys were ugly as sin. Bulging eyes and a flat nose accompanied a mouth so large it split their face in two, revealing misshapen rows of uneven teeth. They charged with shrill screams. They died with shrill screams. Nestra ducked in anticipation of darts but one still stuck her side, failing to penetrate. A fourth monkey died. The last one charged her from a farther point atop of a lizard creature with shimmering scales. A party leader. She lined her shot and missed when a dart hit her hand.

    Split second decision moment.

    Nestra swore and grabbed her blade. As the lizard jumped, she lunged, coating her blade with mana at the last moment. Her horizontal sweep went through the creature from side to side. Its rider jumped on her.

    ¡°Oof!¡±

    They used their momentum to swing on her back but she was ready. Her hand touched the leg on her shoulder just as two hands clamped on her neck. She called upon electric mana.

    The monkey spasmed and fell. Nestra turned on herself and, in one smooth motion, cut down with a cry. The powerful strike fell like thunder.

    She missed the head. Her sword cut an arm and part of a leg which was enough to debilitate the monkey. She finished it off a moment later then picked her gun off the ground. The blow dart monkeys had figured out her armor was too thick so they were swimming across the water to get at her.

    For a moment, she watched them cross. The water made the mud slide off their bluish skin. Their faces were turned into rictus of pure hatred, eyes bloodshot and fangs bared. Nestra lined the shot, then reconsidered. It didn¡¯t feel right. She unsheathed her sword again instead.

    Planting her feet on the ground, she received the first monkey with a windmill, a two-handed strike that formed a half-circle from behind her knee to the air in front of her. Each windmill caught the monkeys in the chest as they rose from the brackish waters, sending their tiny bodies flying with sprays of blood. As the last one died, she was left alone on the field.

    Another victory.

    First thing first, make sure she was safe. Fortunately, D-class worlds were fairly straightforward and the enemies, though cunning, would just fight until death. Next was checking for wounds and her gear. She swore when she saw that her rifle was covered in mud. It took her a minute but soon, the firearm was reloaded and the blade cleaned of blood.

    The next step would be looting but first, there were the strange gains she got from her victim. This time, the change was more subtle. It took tracking the insects moving around to confirm it.

    She could think faster.

    That was one of the things that stumped biologists the most. Mana could accelerate thought. The effect was mild but it was there, and it meant whatever rules defined her progress considered that this was a good battle. The mana monkeys were a new foe so that condition was fulfilled, the question was the use of guns.

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    She¡¯d used guns against gangers back in fifteen and it hadn¡¯t worked. She knew it hadn¡¯t worked, because it was killing the rogue user that had triggered her awakening. Was it because they were augs? Or because they were not users? Maybe¡­ but she didn¡¯t think so. Shooting them felt wrong at that time. Impersonal. It was not a battle she chose and the same was true for them because, even more than her, they¡¯d been victims of a power play. Shooting the mana monkeys here was a true contest. One she¡¯d picked. It was her battle, after all.

    Nestra dropped her backpack and reached for the skinning tool.

    Of course, those were all conjectures based on her feelings. What mattered was that she was now getting stronger.

    Mana monkeys held no valuable parts, or rather, they had been thoroughly researched over the years and now held little interest. The lizard skin was used in some midrange gleam clothes and bags though even Nestra thought it was tacky. She removed it, damaging the limbs a little despite the guide. She¡¯d need some practice. The skin went into a special pouch while she kept the tail meat in another since, apparently, it was considered a delicacy. It did smell tempting which was a little concerning on its own. A pleasant scent emanated from the raw, juicy piece of meat over the muddy background of the bog. She knew it would taste amazing once properly prepared.

    Once she was done, it was time to move.

    The next ambush happened ten minutes later. It was pathetic compared to the first with only five monkeys, two of which died before the rest realized she had spotted them underwater. She benefitted again from an improvement but, clearly, the benefits were diminishing. She needed fresh prey. A third ambush went very much like the other two.

    Slowly, the path became muddier and more difficult to traverse in her heavy suit of armor. Trails in the water hinted at the presence of some fauna, though they didn¡¯t engage. The path eventually led to a clearing surrounded on all sides by mangrove trees. A single altar rested in the middle, its flanks slimy with marshy growths. A pair of mana crystals rested there.

    Nestra made her way to the suspicious tree standing next to the altar, one that emitted a little mana. Her hand rested on the handle of Gorge¡¯s revolver, its weight clear even through her glove.

    No, that wouldn¡¯t be right.

    But this would be.

    Nestra lifted her rifle, flicked the indicator to full auto and emptied the entire magazine into the trunk in a thunderous display. The gun bucked in her hands, her improved strength the only reason she could keep control. She smiled as the creature moved towards her. Manacanthecae Enttus Minor. A mangrove ent, named after some old legend. A branch whipped and she unsheathed her blade, cutting as the limb whistled over her head.

    The power behind the strike was enormous. The blade was almost torn from her hand but she managed to regain control at the last moment. Cursing, she jumped over another strike. Slowly, the creature was making its way towards her. A multitude of leg-like roots crawled over the ground.

    Nestra wished she was a firespark. A firespark would have roasted the creature in two minutes. Instead, she cut with power as the next, predictable strike aimed at her midriff. It cut the branch neatly.

    The cut part still slammed into her chest, making her lose her balance. She jumped over another strike. The next one fell short now that one of the two branches was damaged. In answer, a bulbous extension rotated on the trunk with a sickly groan and a new branch appeared from the back, ready to strike. This one went up, then down.

    Nestra easily sidestepped, then she ran to the back of the tree. The water barely slowed her down. She felt too giddy. Another strike aimed at her midriff but it came from the shortened branch. She stopped behind the main trunk while all three branches were on the opposite side. The legs were still a concern so she lunged and planted the blade deep into the tree¡¯s bark.

    Nothing much happened beyond some more groaning.

    She pressed the button. There was some steam, some more groaning, and nothing else. Hard to say if she was actually doing something. Just then, the branches traveled over the surface of the trunk towards her.

    Sticking close, Nestra smirked as she ran around her slow opponent. The ent was strong and against a formation, they could be a problem but she was alone and quick on her feet. Even a sudden gap in the clearing¡¯s mud failed to make her fall. It was, she realized, where the tree had been planted.

    She circled the ent and hacked at each branch in turn until they were nothing but kindling. A gap in the trunk where the bullets had landed bled sap, so she stabbed there and waited.

    The heavy, glistening liquid fell in great goops until, finally, the ent collapsed.

    Nestra felt it die. Shortly after, she felt¡­ more solid somehow while a portal opened near the altar. She saluted the fallen and immediately felt silly about it. That wiped the smile off her face. Right. This was a low D-class monster and it was not sentient. She would save the theatrics for larger targets.

    She collected as much of the sap as she could in vials, then hacked for fifteen minutes to reveal the ent¡¯s heart wood. Heart wood was a single, pale, pear-shaped mass at the center of an ent. Intact, it could be used to make mana instruments. This one would be a low end tool but that meant there would be buyers. She managed to cut a piece of the trunk that definitely contained what she wanted and left it at that, unwilling to endanger her prize.

    A good haul.

    Nestra passed through the opening, walking over the supine form of the sanitation staff who was now sleeping on his side, head resting over a folded jumpsuit. He was snoring softly. A box waited by his side with ¡®For little Nezhra¡¯ written on it in that sharp, weird script. She opened it. The box contained a message and a book, and by book, she was being generous.

    ¡°Little Nezhra!

    I hope you are having fun. Congratulations on getting stronger! As a reward, I have remembered something that will be of use to you: the first movement of the Stalk of the Scornful Crescent! Enjoy. Next coordinates below, tomorrow. Make sure you keep your mana close and coated.

    Until next time!¡±

    So¡­ infuriating! Whoever wrote that treated her like she was a little girl, not an adult in her twenties. Well, it was fun and they were helping but still! She wanted more, like knowing what the fuck she was and possibly also finding out if she had people like her, someone who could relate? Anyone?

    ¡°I wish you¡¯d just come out and talk it out!¡±

    No reply.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re here somewhere!¡±

    Still no reply.

    ¡°I¡­ I just want someone to tell me what I am. I don¡¯t want to be alone anymore. It¡¯s so tiring,¡± she continued, voice lowering to a whisper.

    ¡°Just someone to show me where I belong. It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s just one person. Like you, whoever you are. That would be fine. Just one person explaining to me what the fuck is going on. It¡¯s not much, is it?¡±

    The sanitation employee started to snore. There would be no answer here, at least not tonight. And no kero nuts to dull the pain. Nestra grumbled and checked the book since it was supposed to be some prize.

    It was clearly not a real book. It was a notebook bought from vintage paper mill company, she even recognized the logo from a past fad when it had become fashionable to send letters again. It did look well handled, its back a little wrinkled. Come to think of it, all her prizes were wrinkled.

    She opened the first page.

    A demon woman, advancing under a storm over a basalt landscape pitted by impacts. Great stone shapes animated by blue energy reached for her but she cut them away with contempt. Her movements were slow compared to the haphazard assault of the stone beings. She cut them down with efficient, merciless strikes. Each of her cuts was perfection given form, just enough damage to take down the creature at just the right depth with just enough strength before she struck again, not a single instant wasted. Every attack was countered as it wound up. She was overwhelming them with a fraction of the movements they performed without really trying. Nestra knew the woman could go faster. She just elected not to.

    There was no need.

    The demon woman continued into the storm at a sedate pace until the torrential rains obscured her shape, leaving behind shattered remains. She¡ª

    Nestra slammed the book close.

    Holy Riel that was some strong stuff. Her memory searched the image of the blade master and found diagrams, examples, exercises. It was the beginning of a book. Interestingly, most techniques integrated what she already knew, what her father had taught her on the fencing piste back when she¡¯d still hoped¡­

    Nestra¡¯s mood plummeted. Whatever. She grabbed the book and made for her car with the heavy bag on her back reminding her that her little excursion ended with a success. The trip home was annoying but, eventually, she made it back safely.

    She decided to have the lizard right away because hunger gnawed at her. She prepared it herself with a guide she found on the net, all of the tail which was in theory enough to feed six. Despite that, she still felt like it wasn¡¯t¡­ the best food despite the pleasant taste and the rejuvenating feeling it left on her after she was done. Not what her teeth were meant to bite. She really hoped it wouldn¡¯t be people. Riel, she really did.

    She eyed her fork.

    She bit her fork.

    Note to self, forks do not taste good. At least it was another item off the list of the things her teeth were designed to eat.

    At around 5 AM, she crashed hard and went to sleep.

    ***

    A new sphere was active when Nestra entered the next grotto. This one spoke of games of wit, of fast memory. Cards and tricks. A stranger removing something from a holster. A door opening onto the maw of a gun. It returned to rotate among the others when she released it. She felt there was more to it but she was still weak, extremely weak. She would have to wait.

    The armor and shield room was clearly a resistance room. She was sure of it now. Next to the armor, a new form was now active. It looked a bit like a metal skeleton and represented her internal fortitude. Or at least she thought so. It was hard to tell without punching herself in the gut.

    So now she could, apparently, resist physical attacks, acid, and electricity better. For the electricity, her resistance to her own spells was proof of that. For the others, she couldn¡¯t be completely sure.

    She wondered what would happen next.

 2.6

    Nestra had the rest of the tail for breakfast ¡ª it was pretty good! The teeth experiment made her want to test exactly how much she could bite so, still in her pajamas, she searched her garage for an errant piece of metal. There was a shelf part she couldn¡¯t use so she grabbed it then bit it.

    Her teeth sank in the metal with ease. At least the first centimeter.

    ¡°Mffrngl!¡±

    She was stuck.

    ¡°Pfffuck.¡±

    It took a little bit of shaking but eventually, she was free. The shelf part still bore an imprint, each tooth leaving a neat furrow.

    ¡°Ok, note to self, sharp teeth does not equate jaw strength.¡±

    Thus chastened, she finished her routine, then she realized she had little left to do until Officer Kim contacted her to start her new job. There was always the book of the Scornful Crescent she wanted to try and, after stretching, she read more. There was some meditation involved as well as slow motions to start off, which was all good, but then training asked for footwork and she realized she just didn¡¯t have enough space. A quick shower later and she made a decision.

    It was time to build a lair. A sort of airlock between mundane everyday Nestra and the toothy one. Her own personal Nestracave where she could also train and receive suspicious packages without nosy neighbors wondering why those were unmarked. Biting the bullet, she spent an hour applying for and being approved for a storage space. She picked one in district thirteen which had the benefit of being between her dorm district, twenty-three, and fifteen where she would apparently be working. It was really cheap at six hundred a month for a respectable warehouse, unsurprisingly, since thirteen was kind of a dump. The only caveat was that she could not conduct a business out of it.

    That was fine by her.

    Nestra drove to her new possession, using a security chit delivered by drone to access an old automated facility. The only person she came across was a bored security vigil playing games on his visor. The warehouse was over a hundred and fifty square meters on the first floor and there was an elevator to carry heavy stuff. It suited her needs perfectly.

    Next, she called Gorge.

    ¡°What do you got for me?¡± the modified voice said.

    ¡°Two D-class crystals, a damaged iridescent monitor skin, and a grove ent heart wood.¡±

    ¡°Hmmmm.¡±

    Nestra waited while Gorge conversed with someone. She couldn¡¯t pick up what was said despite her slightly increased senses because the phone just didn¡¯t pick it up correctly. A shame. She was feeling curious.

    ¡°Send me a picture of the heart wood. And the skin.¡±

    Nestra did so quickly.

    ¡°Alright. Looks like you went the smart way. I¡¯ll give you four point five for the heart and three for the crystals. The skin I don¡¯t know. I can probably sell it as scraps to gleam art students. Care to leave it with me?¡±

    ¡°Guess I¡¯ll trust you. I also need my armor set repaired.¡±

    ¡°Show the damage.¡±

    Another set of pictures followed. Mostly, it was acid ant spit and a few slashes.

    ¡°Listen to me. Look. Okay, first things first, I got a question.¡±

    Something in Gorge¡¯s tone set alarm bells in Nestra¡¯s mind.

    ¡°It¡¯s you getting those materials. Thought you were working with a gleam but it¡¯s you. And an ent is serious business. Tell me it¡¯s recent. Tell me you couldn¡¯t save my men.¡±

    So that was what it was all about.

    ¡°I swear on Riel¡¯s name, I did the best I could. I didn¡¯t hold back.¡±

    ¡°Ok. Alright. I believe you, you cold bitch.¡±

    ¡°Stop that. Stop throwing it in my face every time you get mad.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Fine. My bad, didn¡¯t mean it that way. Fine. Looks like an easy patch up job. On the house. As an apology for¡­ ya know.¡±

    ¡°You being you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t push it.¡±

    ¡°Wait, there is something else. I need the goods delivered to a new address. Here it is.¡±

    ¡°Fine then. I¡¯ll do it. Oh, and I found you wheels that let you go to wherever you go with some room for loot. Real cheap too. Eight grand, second hand but cleaned up and all good.¡±

    ¡°Ug. Fine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have it delivered to you soon as well as the five hundred I owe you. For the monitor skin, payment when I find buyers. Now fuck off and get me more goodies.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah.¡±

    Nestra hung up. She ordered training equipment online, as well as a freezer just in case. On a hunch, she got a couch and a few other items to make her lair comfortable. The TPD settlement money had arrived. Gorge¡¯s delivery arrived shortly after in the form of his son dumping her stuff from the back of his small van. He took the armor set from her unresponsive hands as she watched in horror the ¡®wheels¡¯ Gorge had gotten her.

    It was a cruiser motorcycle with a large storage space at the back. Without an integrated GPS, it could not drive itself nor legally climb the ramp to the outer circle highway. Only a specific part of Threshold¡¯s population used those and the Filipino diaspora had lovingly coined them putasiklos.

    Whore bikes.

    It was both genius on Gorge¡¯s part and such a Gorge thing to do. The perfect cover for a fit woman to drive around at night without question. If she got pulled over by colleagues, they would immediately assume she was out to meet a ¡®customer¡¯ unless they checked her ID, then they would assume she was a vice plant, having recently be placed ¡®on leave¡¯. She fit the profile too.

    ¡°That malignant son of a gravid trash spider. I¡¯ll¡­. UGH.¡±

    She had to admit it was perfect.

    Escort business was tolerated in Threshold, the bordellos heavily regulated to prevent pimps from abusing mainlanders who wanted to move to the city. But the ¡®freelancers¡¯ were mostly left to their own devices. Sighing, Nestra moved everything in.

    ¡°We¡¯ll get you the armor sent back drone. Here?¡±

    ¡°Here, before tonight.¡±

    ¡°Can do.¡±

    Nestra checked her visor when a priority ping told her she¡¯d received a message she¡¯d been waiting for. It was just an address and an hour but she already knew she would be there without fail.

    ***

    The Secret Door was a peculiarity in Threshold¡¯s culinary scene. Owned by a gleam, it was one of the only places where a baseline could sit down and order without getting thrown out on their asses, in theory. In reality, the mall it hosted had security at the door and the auged bouncers would throw anyone who didn¡¯t fit out on their asses. Thankfully, Nestra wore her best designer gleam dress which placed her at the top of the drab hierarchy. They let her through without problems. She soon sat at Claire¡¯s favorite spot, on the side and next to a small aquarium.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    By her side, a small garden flourished under an enchanted skylight. A red-eyed gleam saw then dismissed her in the same glance. She was fashion-coded to fit in, after all. That didn¡¯t stop a younger gleam from observing her curiously from a few tables away.

    As the minutes went by, her tension mounted.

    Her instincts finally cried in alarm. She looked right, towards the garden. It was of course at the same moment that a hand gripped her left shoulder.

    ¡°Nyarg!¡±

    ¡°ACAB!¡± a voice roared, ¡°ACAAAAAAB. Hahahaha.¡±

    ¡°Riel dammit Aunt Claire. Really? Every time?¡±

    ¡°Well you could quit being a pig.¡±

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    Despite her words, Aunt Claire squeezed Nestra¡¯s hand in a way that conveyed love and care without words. Nestra¡¯s aunt looked the same age as her, a perk of being a powerful B-class raider, some of Threshold¡¯s best. Motes of light danced in her amber eyes while her light brown hair escaped messily from a large-brim hat. She wore a sleeveless sundress that revealed bandages running all over right arm as well as a significant amount of scars on every patch of bare skin. There were ways to remove those and Aunt Claire could definitely afford them. She just didn¡¯t give a shit.

    ¡°Damn, did you shake hands with a woodchipper?¡±

    ¡°Ha ha. Nah. Flame breath from some wyrm thing. Damn creature could cover their own neck, if you can believe it. Anyways! We did it. We cleared the portal.¡±

    ¡°Was Ulysses with you?¡±

    ¡°Nah, only the old guard, top tier Bs and the likes. Too risky otherwise. We worked with the Century guild. It was your father¡¯s decision.¡±

    Claire frowned. Nestra knew the two of them only tolerated each other because of Nestra¡¯s mother. Hector Palladian was a man who believed in a well-ordered world while Claire screamed all cops are bastards in nice restaurants and had a criminal record as long as her leg, mostly for beating the shit out of people. The two mixed like gasoline and an open flame.

    ¡°I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re alright. Wanna talk about it?¡±

    ¡°Nah it¡¯s all good. It worked surprisingly well, actually. Barring the minor burns. I got a better question. How are you doing? I heard about the, well, the District Fifteen fiasco. You seem to be holding up but¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    That was a good moment to rant.

    Over the next twenty minutes, Nestra recounted all that happened except for the demon part. Claire followed along with a focused, passionate expression. The table shook a little when Nestra relayed that some spooks had advised her to keep her mouth shut.

    ¡°Those fuckers.¡±

    ¡°Hold on. I¡¯m not done.¡±

    Nestra finished with Kim¡¯s proposal. So far, Aunt Claire had shown nothing but concern and sympathy. This all changed when Nestra admitted she would accept the offer.

    Silence grew between them, a loaded one filled with churning words. Nestra could tell her loving, ever-supporting aunt had major qualms and was currently in the process of articulating them in a way that wouldn¡¯t hurt her. Dread rose in Nestra¡¯s chest though it was tempered by the certainty that Claire loved her, and she was building up to a nice rebuttal because she cared not just about Nestra¡¯s decisions but her feelings as well. Claire was nice, like that.

    ¡°Look. You know I always scream ACAB as a joke when we meet and I¡¯ll be the first to admit that some pieces of shit need the hand of justice. How that hand works and when it works is where I¡¯ve got a problem. I¡¯ve never had issues with you being part of MaxSec. You guys aren¡¯t sent, well, weren¡¯t sent against protesters or pickpockets, you know? You were sent to take down dangerous folks and dokkaebis so¡­ that¡¯s fine by me. But now you¡¯re going to be sent as a, what, enhanced beat cop?¡±

    ¡°Not clear yet but yes, we¡¯re supposed to investigate crimes.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to strut around a region that¡¯s been outside of the protection of the law for weeks, months maybe. The city wasn¡¯t there when the civvies needed it. Fuck, sometimes I wish I could clone myself. Anyway, you¡¯re going to be moving around traumatized, betrayed people in a state of deep poverty. All while corpo cunts fly around the block as their new overlords. You¡¯re gonna need a skill you weren¡¯t trained to use and that skill is de-escalation.¡±

    ¡°I can do diplomacy.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what de-escalation is. I¡¯m talking about a specific set of techniques used to calm things down before a situation leads to violence. You. Are. Not. Trained. And you¡¯ll be deployed without being trained. I¡¯m sorry Nestra. You¡¯re a competent soldier who¡¯s faced life and death situations on many, many occasions. You¡¯re still alive because you were faster. Sadly, faster will get people killed. If you¡¯re with civvies, that¡¯s a bad thing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be paired up with an experienced officer.¡±

    ¡°Will you only ever shoot if he tells you to?¡± Claire challenged.

    Nestra only saw patient concern in the woman¡¯s expression. And sadness.

    ¡°Ok. How about¡­ I get non-lethal weapons?¡±

    ¡°Those are often less lethal weapons.¡±

    Nestra nodded.

    ¡°I think I can find a way. I¡¯ll apply for online training and let my new partner do the talking. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not here to purge the district, alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course. I know. Look, this won¡¯t be a powder keg. It will be a hundred powder kegs, several per day. You won¡¯t have the emotional stamina to handle them.¡±

    ¡°I told you, I¡¯ll let the other guy do the talking. His name is Shinoda. He¡¯s supposed to be an experienced guy at the end of his career.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright. Your mind is set, and I can tell you¡¯re taking this seriously. That¡¯s okay. Just¡­ I don¡¯t want you to get the wrong expectations. Fuck, wish I could keep an eye on you for a while but the guild won¡¯t allow it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. As you say, I need to prepare more seriously.¡±

    ¡°Good. That¡¯s all I can ask. Oh, and by the way, how are the mana cravings?¡±

    That was it.

    Nestra¡¯s tension spiked and Claire blinked because of course she would pick up on it. It said a lot about the older woman that she patiently waited for Nestra to talk instead of pressing her.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t wanna discuss¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. The cravings are, well, they¡¯re mostly gone.¡±

    Nestra scrutinized Aunt Claire with all the fibers of her human self. That was it, the moment of truth. The opening that could lead to revelations if Aunt Claire knew something.

    And there was nothing. Mostly, the woman frowned.

    ¡°Huh. Well then yes that¡¯s, uh, great news, I think? You don¡¯t seem too happy.¡±

    ¡°It strikes me as rather sudden.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I see what you mean. Did you talk to Mazingwe?¡±

    ¡°No, not yet.¡±

    ¡°You really really should. Just keep in mind, it could be just fine. Us gleams are not as perfect and monolithic as we appear, except me of course. Sorry, poor timing for a joke. What I mean is, some people are late bloomers. They need something to click. Happens all the time, especially around your age. Well-trained raiders linger at the bottom of D-class and then suddenly they unlock their affinities and skyrocket through the ranks. Just don¡¯t worry about it too much.¡±

    ¡°Still haven¡¯t got a core though.¡±

    ¡°Sorry dearie, I can¡¯t help with that.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°Hey at least you have a heart. And me. You have me.¡±

    ¡°I know. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Can you call me Clecle like when you were all small and cute?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Nestra finally focused on the food in front of her, served at some point during her retelling of the ambush. It was a nice salad with some enclave vegetables which she ravenously finished, hungering for more.

    ¡°Your appetite isn¡¯t gone at least.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Been feeling peckish lately.¡±

    Nestra waited to see if Aunt Claire would react, say something. Anything. Even though she knew Claire was a high B-class, one who defied the rules of reality. If there was something her aunt truly meant to hide from her, Nestra would never learn of it.

    That¡¯s just how it was.

    ¡°Well that¡¯s a really good sign. Maybe you¡¯ll get taller than me! Until I finish infusing my body, that is. Then I¡¯ll make sure I¡¯m slightly taller than your dad just because.¡±

    ¡°When will you stop pissing each other off?¡±

    ¡°When he removes the titanium bar stuck up his ass.¡±

    They kept going at it for a while. Aunt Claire had news about everyone, as usual. Nestra¡¯s mom was training to start raiding again though she and Nestra¡¯s dad disagreed on whether she should do it or not. Her brother Ulysses was doing amazingly well with a blossoming metal affinity while young Helena was being an absolute hellion, almost getting expelled from prep school due to disciplinary issues. Even Claire showed concern about her restraint which was saying a lot.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about her. I was angry against patriarchy when I was her age but she¡¯s just angry about everything, including herself. Just a little ball of nerves. And her affinity¡­¡±

    ¡°What about it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ well it¡¯s still being discovered but it appears to be extremely rare¡­ and rather destructive. Can you talk to her at some point? Please?¡±

    ¡°Claire, she was seven when I left. Now I¡¯m a self-exiled loser with no friends and no hobbies. Why the fuck would she want to talk to me?¡±

    ¡°She thinks we¡¯ve abandoned you.¡±

    Nestra waited to see if Claire would explain herself because she was lost.

    ¡°Ok, the family did when they let you go and cut ties, kind of. She also thinks you¡¯ve abandoned her. She¡­ really looked up to you, you know?¡±

    ¡°Yeah and then I went on and became the single biggest failure in the history of gleams by essentially failing to be one.¡±

    ¡°Nestra¡­¡±

    ¡°Look, I admit I¡¯m still sore about it but that¡¯s not the point here. The point is she¡¯s sixteen and when I was her age, let¡¯s just say who you hang out with and how cool you can get was¡­ rather important. I¡¯m not saying she¡¯s exactly the same. I¡¯m saying that trying to get the rebellious teen to get closer to the living reminder that gleams might not be better from birth after all might not be the best solution.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. She¡¯s not like that. Look, she needs help and we¡¯re all burnt in her eyes. She barely trusts me because I sided with her mom once. Debbie is¡­ well, you know your mother. She¡¯s trying. It would just be nice if you tried as well. We¡¯ll have a party at the manor to celebrate our recent victories as well as Ulysses¡¯ ascension to B-rank. Could you please attend?¡±

    For the first time in forever, Nestra look into Claire¡¯s congenial face and felt annoyed.

    ¡°You want to get me to come during a party? Are you insane?¡±

    ¡°It will be symbolic. Helena always says that we¡¯re hiding you, which pisses her off the most. I know your parents will want that. And Ulysses will have his friends. He won¡¯t care. Please?¡±

    ¡°This is a recipe for disaster.¡±

    ¡°I just want us to be a family,¡± Claire said in a clipped, slightly vulnerable tone. ¡°We gleams are spending more and more time in portal worlds for¡­ reasons. Maybe it¡¯s, well, maybe we won¡¯t have that many chances to spend time together as time goes on. Helena is growing fast, Nestra. And not in the right direction. Please? For me?¡±

    Nestra considered the question for a moment.

    The problem was that she couldn¡¯t refuse Aunt Claire. Not the way she looked, all hopeful and candid despite the fact she was much older than she looked and should know fucking better. Not after everything Claire had done for her. Nestra had to say yes. She wouldn¡¯t be able to face herself otherwise.

    ¡°Ok fine. It¡¯s your funeral if things go to shit.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, dear. By the way, you polished that salad well. Do you need something more?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d love what the people behind us is having.¡±

    ¡°The terrine? Of course.¡±

    Nestra demolished another plate and the dessert as well since Aunt Claire was picking the bill. The raider watched Nestra eat with a smirk before announcing that she had a later appointment with a certain gentleman at the Tree of Seasons.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to a hotel?¡±

    ¡°What can I say, I was invited to a nice setting.¡±

    ¡°You would rather engage in lewd activities than spend more time with your niece?¡± Nestra mock-complained.

    ¡°Without a single second of hesitation.¡±

    Nestra left soon afterward. On her way back, she couldn¡¯t help but think back on one of the things she¡¯d said. It came out naturally, but she had never really thought about it before.

    She had no friends and no hobbies.

    She looked outside of her car. Before her change, all her free time had been spent on training, sleeping, and distracting herself on popular shows. If she had to be honest, she¡¯d been waiting to die. Now though, things were different. Maybe she should try living again.

    First order of business, she sent a message to Stib from her seat as her car sped up behind some corpo convoy. Second, she ordered some stuff for delivery.

    If there was one hobby that was worth investing in right now, that was home cooking given how much food she was eating, Probably a perk of her weird constitution. She was salivating at the thought.

 2.7

    Later that night, she used her new system to drive to the announced location without a hitch. This time, the portal was hidden in a public park in district twenty-two, closed at night. Nestra had to infiltrate the place via the expedient means of climbing over a fence. The camera detector proved useful by identifying the only camera around which pointed at the entrance, a fortunate side effect of being at the periphery. A sensation of relief announced the presence of a portal, then she followed her instincts until she found the familiar blue radiance tucked inside what looked like an abandoned enclosure. It was closed to the public, possibly why it was still undetected.

    Or was it?

    Whoever directed her to these portals probably had a way to disable humans peacefully, like the janitor had been, but there were also no government employees around and those were the first to come once a portal had been declared. That meant that they were able to find portals that were hidden, matched the difficulty she could handle, and were dozens of kilometers apart from each other. That would require an ability to perceive portals that no humans could possess, at least to her knowledge. Between this and the book, it indicated what she¡¯d suspected.

    She wasn¡¯t alone. There were others like her. At least one.

    ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to show up?¡± she asked the empty concrete. ¡°I know you¡¯re watching me.¡±

    Silence was the only answer.

    ¡°Oh fine.¡±

    Nestra pushed her way through the portal.

    ***

    Another cavern. Scintillating blue light shone from crystals dotting the ceiling, giving enough light that she could see the soft silvery note of the sheer rock. This place was deep, wet, and pure with a pleasant smell that complimented the richer mana. The only sound was the chime of falling condensation. Nestra readjusted her armor which felt a little tight.

    ¡°Hmmm.¡±

    This biome was not immediately familiar. She pulled the database and found some references. Possibly stone creatures or mushrooms. Wasn¡¯t she still a little bit green for that? Obviously the portals were gaining in strength though they were still at the lower end of the D-class. Whatever. Her benefactor wouldn¡¯t send her here to die. Probably.

    She set out, quickly arriving in a large cavern. Rather well lit. Stalactites hung from a high ceiling, and an instant later she found out where all that light was coming from: jellyfishes. Child-sized jellyfishes floating in the air with four tendrils dancing under a bulbous head. The first one drifted in her direction. An azure streak of lightning danced between its tentacles as they seemed to taste the air. She unsheathed her blade and waited.

    This was a perfect opportunity to test the Stalk of the Scornful Crescent the book contained. There was something in the style that resonated with Nestra, not a series of movements but a philosophy of combat she thought might suit her. The issue was that it required experience and she didn¡¯t have much against monsters so¡­ this was a good opportunity to start.

    The jellyfish seemed to blur as it was only a dozen paces away. Nestra darted to the side as it was moving, dodging a grasping tendril. Her counter batted the limb away but failed to cut. Her target was simply too resilient and the limb, too light. She was not coating it in mana either as the effort was still too tiring. That was fine. Move in reaction. Never stand and wait. Always counter, always dominate and never give your opponent a moment of peace. That was the goal of the Scornful Crescent. For that, she needed to improve.

    The jellyfish struck forward with two tendrils. She dodged left, then right under a back swing. She could see the tentacles, the way they wound up, the way the suckers at the end contracted ever so slightly before each strike. The jellyfish pushed her back and she let it. She felt for the flow. It was a slow, uncomplicated dance and she was learning quickly. She started batting the tentacles aside as the fight progressed and she moved back towards the cave¡¯s entrance. More jellyfishes were approaching, however. She didn¡¯t want to be overwhelmed.

    The creature facing her blurred again. She collapsed on herself, seeing an actininic cloud pass overhead. Nestra stood and struck at the same time.

    Her blade caught the tender, vulnerable bulb and sliced it in half. Strange organs and transparent blood fell and the jellyfish slowly collapsed on itself, the lights fading in dying embers. The next two jellyfishes were in range so they performed their little charge. Nestra dodged the first then hid behind it to stop the second. She kept her footwork tight and efficient. Dodge, block, deflect attacks. Electricity shone on the blade but it absorbed everything and even if it didn¡¯t, the armor would.

    A feeling of exhilaration slowly filled Nestra. This was it, the Scornful path. She could feel the meaning behind it albeit faintly. The benefactor was right. It really suited her. As a new jellyfish joined the fray, she stepped out of range of the second and closed on the first. It turned on itself, sending its tentacle in a side whip attack just as she knew it would. She blocked the first and ducked under the second.

    Plant foot. Twist.

    ¡°Yaaar.¡±

    A powerful upward swing, perfectly timed. The blow splattered the jellyfish¡¯s innards over that of the newcomer and she felt its power fill her soul. A blur at her back and she dodged the first one. It stood in front of her, recovering. A thrust. Her blade easily found the tender flesh. A down strike. The jellyfish was gutted. Three opponents dead. Damn armor was stifling her though. Too tight. Blocked her sensation.

    ¡°Come on then.¡±

    She kind of wanted to bite them but¡­ maybe poisonous.

    With three opponents, the dance grew more frantic but now she had all the cavern for herself as those were the last foes. Dancing on the rock, she kept one always at a distance. The jellyfishes smelled strangely of brine. Their attacks were familiar to her now and she fell into a rhythm. Dodging and blocking became a patient exercise until she was sure she had them, understood them. Then, it was time to strike.

    With a vicious smile, she sidestepped a lunge and charged. Her blow devastated the first enemy then she batted the next tentacle into the head of the third jellyfish.

    Electricity coursed down the limb as it connected. She saw it as a blue fluorescence along the extended limb.

    The head exploded.

    It did so with a loud pop but the innards spraying her armor caught Nestra off guard and she jumped back in surprise. That was all it took.

    Three tentacles latched on her arm and twisted. She heard the nylon give, and the plate underneath was peeled off like a torn tin can. A stinging jolt made her swear.

    Urgency.

    Nestra brought her sword close and sliced, imbuing the edge with mana. She cut through all three tentacles. The pressure decreased while the head now shone with frantic lights. With a roar, she stepped forward and ravaged it with a furious downward strike. The beast was dead before it hit the ground.

    ¡°Shit shit shit.¡±

    Colorful creatures were always either venomous or poisonous or both. A brief study of her arm in the faded light showed dark dots over the gray skin of her biceps. Some blood had pooled. The last of the crimson color turned gray as it formed scabs. That was¡­ fast. Very fast. No D-class people matched this speed of regeneration. She waited anxiously for tingles, or signs or poison. Nothing so far, which was good because she had no appropriate antivenoms and general purpose antidotes were really, really expensive.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Calming down, she pulled her database. Jellyfishes, jellyfishes, jellyfishes, ah. Match. Rhopilemana Azuridae Aeris. Cave Jennies. The database said a contact with unprotected skin sent enough electricity to stun a D-class raider and they mangle a limb in a second. Those were real D-class monsters because of their dash, though on the lowest end. She was getting stronger! More importantly, they were edible. Wait no, bad Nestra. Money first.

    Their cephalic serum can be harvested and used in high-end anti-aging beauty products. They could be sold at seven hundred credits a vial! Nestra looked at the liquid hopelessly splattered across the ground. She should have found the entry before deciding to go full destroyer. Gah. Oh, but their tentacles could be cooked at low temperatures and eaten as a salad! That was great. She cut half a dozen of them ¡ª all her backpack could contain ¡ª then looked around.

    There were mushrooms on the wall.

    ¡°Jackpot.¡±

    And they were edible too. Low level mana mushrooms according to the database. Nestra happily harvested several handfuls with images of garlic and parsley in her head. Once done, she looked around to make sure there wasn¡¯t anything she¡¯d forgotten.

    There was also the question of her armor set.

    Mundane armor helped against monsters. There was no denying it. The actual question was, how much. The set strained against her skin and hampered her movements to a degree. Soon, it would be more trouble than it was worth. Perhaps even now. She had to replace it and soon but how? Material harvested in portals were considered ¡®exotic¡¯ because they broke the laws of physics. Raider gear used exotic material almost exclusively, which implied costly sourcing and handmade gleam craft. A new armor set would be stupidly expensive even before going to the black market. Getting high tech gear that could still hold its own meant getting jailbroken corpo stuff. That was one of the fastest way to get mysteriously ¡®disappeared¡¯.

    Fuck, maybe Gorge had a way to help but that would cost a load of credits, one she didn¡¯t have. Well, that was for later.

    After some hesitation, Nestra decided to keep the armor on. For now.

    A narrow alley continued, eventually leading to a smaller cavern containing three jellyfishes. This time, she cut their limbs at the base which made them slowly fall. That brought ten vials of brain juice she could sell. The third cavern posed as much of a challenge, but soon she approached the end of the portal world. This time, she had a good look around and found¡­ nothing.

    The cavern was large, larger even than the first. Small crystalline structures provided perfect visibility, even for human eyes. The blue radiance bounced on the walls to provide a diffuse background to a central boulder. A small altar at the back announced that this was the end of this portal world. Nestra could guess what this was about and it would not be easy. This time, she would be using her gun. One bullet should be enough.

    She stepped towards the boulder and stopped when it shifted. With a rumble, cracks appeared on the black surface. Rocky limbs randomly detached from a massive torso, its surface cracked and pitted. The creature finished deploying itself with a low, rumbling growl. This one had three legs, a chest and two arms leading to a cone that it would probably use as a hammer. After all, it was not technically alive.

    Animana Lapis Unus. A monocore stone golem. A real D-class threat.

    That was it, the true test of mettle. Golems like this one came in many shapes, hence why she had waited to engage rather than catching a surprise attack from a mystery limb.

    When she was young, her father had trained her to fight against those threats. Golems struck in wide, powerful swings that raiders could not easily block. Without a defense specialist, they could not block it at all. That was why golems made every fight harder. One could not stand their ground against this force of nature.

    The creature turned to Nestra then moved forward ponderously. It was slightly slower than a running human. Not that it mattered. In a cavern, there was nowhere to hide, and a golem never tired.

    Nestra faced the creature. It was as tall as her but much, much wider. As it approached, it raised one of its massive arms. There was no hand, only pure, solid stone.

    Nestra felt very alive.

    Walking into the attack, she struck at the exposed chest with a mana-infused blade. It was so thick. Like hitting a wall. She stepped to the side and slashed at a leg then dodged under a return swing, then she jumped over the next and sidestepped around another leg. The three legs made the golem rather quick but it had trouble rotating. Her next lunge bit into its powerful torso then she jumped back, avoiding a headbutt. As it passed by, she struck where the neck would be. She was already tiring from the constant drain of coating her blade, but that should be enough.

    The cuts on the legs and arms were slowly healing but the one on its front torso was already closed, a darker shade of stone the only hint the creature had been damaged. That meant the core was there. The closer to the core, the faster the regeneration. She didn¡¯t dare make some distance. It would be useless. Had to finish fast. Already, her heart drummed against her chest and her breath grew more labored. She needed a coated blade.

    Jumping over a low strike, Nestra thrusted into the center of the chest. The golem shuddered and took a step back.

    She could see it, a small bulge where the liver would be. Just at the right spot.

    Nestra drew her gun and shot.

    The thunderous blow almost deafened her. The revolver kicked like a mule on steroid, forcing her back even with her enhanced strength. Her forearm and elbow stung. A moment later, shards showered her.

    A cerulean radiance emerged from the shattered stone in the form of a dripping, thick liquid. The core.

    The golem shook from the damage. Weakness. An opening. A grin erupted on her lips. This was so great.

    A perfect lunge.

    The tip of the sword crashed into the core, breaking it with a ghastly crack. The golem stopped moving. It didn¡¯t fall or collapse. No longer a foe, for the enemy was now a statue.

    Victory once again.

    ¡°Hell yes. I¡¯m the best!¡±

    Nestra felt like whooping. She¡¯d done it! A serious foe defeated by herself! That was well done, if she dared say so herself. The Stalk of the Scorn Crescent really helped her guide her style. And it was versatile too!

    Nestra picked up golem crystal shards. The intact core could fetch a great price since they could be used to animate guardian constructs for wealthy houses. Sadly, the cores were excessively hard to harvest since, quite obviously, the golem objected. The shards would still fetch a decent price as a crafting material for heavy armor. Nestra hummed under her breath. Three mana crystals this time! She was rich. Well, not yet. But surely soon!

    The portal back was uneventful and there was another package with a letter waiting for her by the primate enclosure entrance.

    Nestra sighed and read.

    ¡°Little Nezhra!

    You have done very well but you need to eat more! I have found this for you. Here are the coordinates of your last playing ground before we start on the real fun!

    Quest: grow strong enough to use spells.

    Reward: skin!¡±

    ¡°What the fuck?¡±

    Her prize this time was a basket of fruits. And some nuts. But that wasn¡¯t the weird part. The weird part was that those were clearly outside world fruits. Wild ones. They were ripe too. Some of the nuts were still partially wrapped in damaged green pods. Mana fruits were considered particularly nourishing and those found in the wilds, even more so. They also helped with growth, at least for humans. And they were delicious.

    Nevertheless, Nestra felt treated like a child. Seriously, the benefactor was like a grandma. So far she¡¯d seen them as a mysterious and powerful entity and clearly they were but¡­ were they not also a little bit dumb? And since when were fruits an acceptable payment?

    There were some tiny fruits that looked like tiger bananas with black spots. She picked one.

    It was amazing.

    ¡°Mff!¡±

    Had to have more. No, wait, she had to leave first. This place wasn¡¯t secure.

    Nestra changed in record time then left the park at a brisk pace, carrying her ¡®liberated¡¯ new possessions like some sort of loot goblin. She drooled all the way back to her secret lair then had the AI drive her home so she could sample the fruits. They were really amazing. She only refrained from finishing everything because she had the jellyfish as well. Once home, she saw Stib had left her a message asking to meet and apologizing for going off grid. She would reply the next day. First, food!

    It took a long time for the jellyfish to be ready. She used her cooking robot to shred it and cook it at low temperature, but when it was done, she had it in sesame and soy sauce. It was crunchy and delicious. She cooked the mushrooms herself as a fricassee and felt very proud of herself. It was absolutely scrumptious. Her great mood was interrupted when her fangs found a mushroom of a slightly different consistency. A bit more spongy. As she bit down, a strange, leathery taste filled her palate. She immediately spat out her mouthful.

    ¡°What?¡±

    One of the mushrooms was different. It looked like a morel. She hadn¡¯t noticed.

    ¡°I hope aaaawawa. Wa?¡±

    Nestra was super sleepy. Also, the room was now a bright yellow and the walls were leaking mustard. Her fork extended into infinity while the mushrooms danced themselves into an intricate, fractal pattern.

    ¡°Guh?¡±

    Nestra¡¯s mouth felt weird, paralyzed. A shape drifted down from the ceiling wearing a bathrobe. It was, she realized, a kangaroo.

    ¡°Hey what''s cookin¡¯?¡± the marsupial asked in a husky voice.

    ¡°Moh!¡±

    Then, he pulled boxing gloves from a waist pocket, which was silly because they definitely couldn¡¯t fit.

    ¡°I want you to know that I take no pleasure in this,¡± the kangaroo said.

    Nestra¡¯s bowl grew in size until it covered the whole of creation. There were stars in there, an abyss that watched back with bloodshot eyes and asked her if she would make a run for tacos. She said hell no and laid down on the ground to contemplate the nature of her existence.

    ***

    Nestra¡¯s mind palace looked like someone had used a shotgun on paint canisters.

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    The walls twisted a little as she went by, checking the changes. There were no new resistances, however the storm core was just a little thicker and the interesting change came from the planet room.

    As Nestra entered, she felt a potential in the slowly rotating spheres, but the newest change was from the puddle over which the sphere rotated. It felt deeper, not by much, but enough that the ground underneath wasn¡¯t so clear anymore. She dipped a finger in and felt the caress of quiescent potential. The color of the puddle was gray, just like her spells.

    ¡°That¡¯s my mana.¡±

    Good to know that, just like every ability, it could be improved by killing things.

    Approaching the cores, she tried something new. The strength core had grown again. She felt that it was strong enough to¡­ attach, somehow? Link. It was strong enough to link. There was only one other core that was developed enough to matter, the one that dealt with speed and precision.

    Nestra wasn¡¯t sure how she knew what to do, possibly inborn instinct. Those two could be joined, allowing for a new concept to travel between them. She wove that tether with hesitant fingers. The gestures were instinctive, yet also unfamiliar. She really wished the benefactor would just stop for a one hour discussion instead of playing hide and seek and letting her flounder like an idiot, but apparently they shared her social grace. By that point, Nestra was cursing under her non-existent breath. The work was difficult but as she progressed, she understood what was implied.

    The power core was strength, the ability to push, to press, to beat, to pressure. The speed core was the ability to move and react, to be precise. Together, they became strength in motion. The tether was¡­ she almost had it.

    It was momentum.

    With a last mental click, the tendril locked in place and the planets escaped, now rotating in harmony with each other. It didn¡¯t change anything for the others but they felt more¡­ ordered, somehow. As if something had been completed and the chaos was lessened. It felt great.

    And then Nestra woke up.

 2.8

    The first thing Nestra did when she woke up was remove a piece of mushroom from her nostril. The second was to realize she had a terrible migraine.

    ¡°Ow ow ow.¡±

    So damn stupid. She should have paid more attention to her prize instead of just plopping them on a pan and assume they were all the same species because they mostly looked the same. She¡¯d been sloppy. She could have died! The anger at her own foolishness needled her as she stood in the living room to hunt the nearest glass of water. As she did so, she felt something new, something hard to describe.

    Nestra knew how to use mana, though not well. Rich families like her own often let their children draw power from low quality mana stones just so that they could get used to manipulating it before they awakened. The Palladians were no exception. Coating her blade was the most effective use of her weak reserves for now, but in essence, it implied sending mana through her conduits and into a suitable blade, though stronger users could just use anything. The new ability she felt was different. It felt linked to her physical body, like the ability to know where her hands were at all times. Hesitantly, she called upon it before her dehydrated brain could catch up to her.

    She was propelled forward at great speed. The sudden jump took her completely off guard and she smacked head first into her kitchen door before she could recover.

    ***

    Nestra walked in and breathed the sweet, nice scent of freshly baked pastry. It was warm and buttery and really, really inviting. Seth was behind the counter, tapping on a datasheet. He seemed old fashioned like that. Most coffee shops relied on drones but the man baked everything on site and he manned the counter himself. Nestra expected his unorthodox approach to spook off those who wanted to be left alone but, to her surprise, the place was packed on a weekday. Not just that. Delivery drones waited outside by the window.

    The tall, gangly man smiled when he saw her. It lit up his whole face from thoughtful to genuinely happy. The unfettered emotion made Nestra¡¯s head spin.

    ¡°Hello hello! You are Nestra, I remember. My dessert pleased you enough to return, I see.¡±

    ¡°You remember me?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I have a great memory for faces. Names, not so much. Ah, but what can I do for you today?¡±

    ¡°I was supposed to meet a friend¡­¡±

    An old couple left hand in hand, freeing a spot near the back.

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re in luck,¡± Seth said. ¡°Flat White?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I suggest my cardamom roll. There¡¯s a fresh batch coming up soon.¡±

    ¡°Is this why the delivery drones are waiting?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Seth replied with naked pride. ¡°My creations are having a ton of success! The baking robots really make it easy to experiment with various ingredients, you know? I could spend HOURS in the kitchen just trying stuff.¡±

    ¡°Nestra!¡± a voice said from behind.

    She turned to see Stib walking in with a wan smile. The shorter girl had lost some weight and there were shadows under her eyes like fresh bruises, a weight on her shoulders that made her stoop a bit though the smile seemed genuine. Nestra returned it.

    And then she faced Seth again.

    It was like someone had opened the blinds and now she knew for sure that, the first time they¡¯d met, Seth had not been flirting. It was like looking at the sun. Seth was transformed. He was sublimed. He was a romantic figure of a genius artist lounging casually against the counter, velvety brown eyes burning from an inner passion. He put the datasheet down and caressed his chin with an elegant finger. Stib blinked and her eyes followed the flexing muscles of his forearm. He caught her staring. She blushed.

    ¡°Why hello there, and welcome to the Sunflour. What can I do for you today?¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh, ah, I¡¯m¡­¡±

    ¡°Should I leave you two alone?¡± Nestra asked half seriously.

    ¡°Oh no no no no sorry,¡± Stib protested.

    Seth chuckled knowingly. Seth took their orders under Nestra¡¯s vigilant glare, staying tame the whole time. The pair sat down in the recently freed spot to talk while they waited for their coffees.

    ¡°So¡­ how have you been doing?¡± Stib awkwardly asked while Nestra was still considering her approach.

    ¡°Well enough. Been busy with training.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Really? Ah, hm, I wanted to apologize for cutting contact. I told you you should be more active and here I am, closing myself.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Nestra dismissed with a wave of her hand. ¡°Look, we both know I have trouble relating to people. It¡¯s a problem when I¡¯m trying to be social but the advantage is that the deaths of our people didn¡¯t hurt me the way it hurt you. So, I get it. Did the Stibbons rally around their wayward daughter?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Stib chuckled. ¡°They did it. I got a firm offer to work on drone support for the Blue River guild and¡­ I¡¯m gonna take it.¡±

    ¡°Good idea.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s really finished. MaxSec, I mean. Everything¡¯s closed. After so long it feels really weird.¡±

    Nestra shrugged. She was over it. Her main purpose for joining had always been to prove that she was worth it in her eyes, that nature had made a mistake in giving less than it had given her siblings. Now she had cool demon powers and a Nestracave and access to really delicious sesame jellyfish salad so the world was more in balance. And money. Of course, part of her serenity was due to a lack of interaction with hierarchical superiors and gleams in general but hey, she¡¯d take it.

    ¡°It was just¡­ such a long chapter of my life, you know? And I feel like it was closed without my consent. I wasn¡¯t ready to move on¡­¡± Stib continued.

    Nestra nodded to show her support.

    ¡°Sometimes I envy your mental resilience,¡± Stib finished with a bitter tone, though she dulled the barb with a wink.

    ¡°It¡¯s easy to accept unfairness when you believe life¡¯s been repeatedly unfair,¡± Nestra wisely explained.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure this is a healthy approach.¡±

    ¡°Like for you this is a violation of the reality of your life, all you believed has now collapsed and your life is in shambles¡­ but for me that¡¯s just a Monday.¡±

    ¡°Holy shit, Nes.¡±

    ¡°But don¡¯t worry! You can just roll with the punches. Like I was actually mentally readying myself to being crippled for life since, you know, I can¡¯t install augs without going crazy.¡±

    ¡°Nestra¡­¡±

    ¡°Look, I even had a list of handicaps I could accept without killing myself. I was ok with losing a limb but not full paralysis, you see? It¡¯s all about¡­ hmm¡­ accepting that you¡¯re not in control and that life might just decide to fuck you over and the only thing you can control is your reactions to it.¡±

    Stib¡¯s face was a mask of mesmerized horror. A student nearby removed his visor.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Jesus fucking Christ, lady.¡±

    ¡°Not helping?¡± Nestra asked. ¡°Damn, sorry, guess it doesn¡¯t work for everybody?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you need a hug, therapy, or all of the above,¡± Stib forced out.

    ¡°Sorry. Anyway.¡±

    Seth took this moment to bring them their order along with a ¡®enjoy¡¯ as sweet as honey. Damn but could that bastard be suave when he wanted. That made Nestra extra suspicious so she glared at his back until he parried her silent accusation with a disarming shrug. She got the meaning.

    So what?

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    ¡°This roll is so good!¡±

    ¡°It seems Seth is getting popular.¡±

    ¡°Seth, huh? By the way, what did you decide in the end?¡±

    Nestra explained her unchanged plan to assist with fifteen¡¯s resurrection. She still wanted to get at the assholes who had killed part of her team, though she didn¡¯t share this with Stib.

    ¡°No way, that¡¯s too dangerous!¡±

    ¡°It is dangerous,¡± Nestra allowed.

    ¡°Not like that. The weapons and augs that the gangs had, they¡¯re still there. Not all of it was destroyed because it never is. I bet they¡¯ll resurface over the coming weeks in, well, hold ups and robberies. You¡¯re going to come in fresh-faced with your light vest and catch depleted uranium.¡±

    ¡°Relax, we¡¯re here to keep an ear to the ground, not to go after hardcore criminals.¡±

    ¡°If you come across an armed robbery, will you cower and wait?¡± Stib asked with a pointed look.

    ¡°You forget, fifteen is a fucking dumpster fire of a place. The only things worth robbing will be Gidung supply depots and those won¡¯t be my problem. I doubt someone would pull out a walker weapon to steal from a food stand.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just worried about your safety. In groups of two? Shit I wouldn¡¯t walk in that cesspit in less than a squad of five with gleams on call. I hope you don¡¯t get jumped on.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t let it go, Stib.¡±

    The short drone operator searched her expression. She passed a hand through her red hair and sighed. Nestra noticed that the nails were chewed to the nub. She thought Stib had shaken off the habit. The past week must have been really trying.

    ¡°You mean¡­ their death?¡±

    ¡°Just how callous it all is. I want to know who pulled the trigger on providing the gangs with weapons. Doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m not spearheading the investigation because that¡¯s not my skill set anyway. I need to be there.¡±

    ¡°Just watch out for those civvies. You can¡¯t trust them.¡±

    Nestra chuckled.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°My aunt and you, you¡¯re really on opposite ends of the spectrum. She¡¯s advised me to look into de-escalation.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Learn what you can to make sure things go smoothly. Just keep your hand on the handle. You got gear?¡±

    ¡°I made a requisition list and it seems it¡¯s been accepted. I¡¯ll have an electric disabler, pepper spray, a sedative needle gun¡­¡±

    ¡°Ok ok you can take down an entire street. What about surveillance?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think there are cameras.¡±

    ¡°You know what I mean. Drones. look, I¡¯ll soup up something for you. You can¡¯t just walk through two alleys and find yourself boxed in. I¡¯ll set up a program so you have your eyes in the sky and it¡¯s easy to operate. I can do it. I¡¯ve had ideas¡­ Not as good as a dedicated operator of course¡­¡±

    ¡°Honestly, Stib, I¡¯ll take what you get me.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Yeah. Ok, so, I have a question.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Do you¡­ think I¡¯m ready to date again? I mean, now?¡±

    Nestra blinked at the non sequitur. Where the hell was this coming from?

    ¡°You want me, the aromantic person, to tell you if you should date? Sure as long as you feel good about it? Why?¡±

    ¡°The, hm, Seth, he left me his details.¡±

    Stib waved her napkin, upon which that smarmy flirter had left a number. The rogue stood there selling a Victoria Sponge to a dignified old lady with pointed questions, the very image of innocent competence.

    ¡°He¡¯s kind of smooth¡­¡± Stib dreamily said.

    ¡°Well go for it, I can promise you I won¡¯t compete.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Nestra, you¡¯re a dear.¡±

    ***

    Nestra was flush. Well not really, but on her way to be. The lizard skin was sold, as were the vials in record time. She was now over twelve thousand credits richer. Twelve. Thousand. Credits. In two nights. And that was just for risking her life doing something she loved anyway. She could buy anything, she thought, munching a piece of fruit marinated in honey. Like cream maybe. But more seriously, she had an issue.

    Her armor no longer fit.

    Her demon self was now taller than her human self by two whole centimeters. The difference shouldn¡¯t have mattered but her armor set was such a tight, custom-made fit that she couldn¡¯t properly operate in them. And that wasn¡¯t the only issue. The demon¡¯s arms were longer and a little thicker. Every piece of gear barely fit and they also limited her range of movement. What she needed was something to wear. Something to protect her. Gorge had an answer for her.

    Entry-level, standard issue armor for teenager D-class running their first gauntlets: five thousand creds.

    Armor set suited for a woman her size?

    Thirty-nine thousand.

    It didn¡¯t even look good! Not to mention, it was likely she would keep growing for a while so her purchase would only be worth it for a little while. So far, Nestra had only drawn on her reserves once to buy Gorge¡¯s stuff. Right now, she knew she wasn¡¯t raising too many flags with HQ and the AIs they used to track suspicious behavior. Even if they did track her, all they would see would be her going to weird places on a whore bike in the dead of night, nothing too suspicious. Her Nestracave only had training equipment, some couches to chill and a freezer containing some monster meat. They would assume she was selling herself for money and using it to buy mana food. Her records would show she had a mana addiction of sorts, justifying everything. She had layers of protection between herself and the truth. Someone who kept digging would find enough to satisfy them at every level.

    This changed if she suddenly withdrew enough cash to buy a second car. There could be questions. She would bet money Kim had her under AI surveillance. The woman was far too professional to forget basic precautions, especially when Nestra was supposed to work against Gidung¡¯s interests. Corpos¡¯ influence ran as deep as their pockets.

    She would have to use different defensive measures. She picked her burner.

    ¡°Can you get me potions? The flesh-mending kind.¡±

    ¡°Sure but only D-grade. Five hundred a vial. They¡¯re not great though.¡±

    ¡°Nice to see you care. I¡¯ll take four and five bullets as well. And an antidote if you have any.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll need some time to get a general purpose antidote. Don¡¯t have a price yet either. I¡¯ll take the fee off your balance. Want the rest on a chit?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Will do. And there was something else. Can I call?¡±

    ¡°Okay?¡±

    Gorge usually disliked calling. For some reason, using voice chat made him less of an asshole because he didn¡¯t get into Nestra¡¯s face that much. He was still a raging bastard though.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t what¡¯s up me bitch. I¡¯m your elder.¡±

    ¡°Whatever.¡±

    ¡°You and respect. Fuck, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this. Look, you¡¯re more or less a gleam, right?¡±

    ¡°Less but I can manage.¡±

    ¡°But can you pass off as one?¡±

    ¡°No. Don¡¯t even got the eyes.¡±

    ¡°More like a unique quirk then? Don¡¯t tell me. Anyway, I don¡¯t know where you¡¯re raiding but if you want more choice and better prices, there is a solution. In fact, it might profit both of us.¡±

    ¡°Do tell?¡±

    ¡°You could go dark horse.¡±

    Nestra slumped into her couch. In demon form, the leather texture felt strange against her skin. Too sticky. Just like Gorge¡¯s proposal. Dark horses, or masked anonymous gleams, were more a thing in spicy fiction but they did exist in real life as well.

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding right? This isn¡¯t a vid.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. This really happens. There are over two hundred masked gleams in Threshold right now.¡±

    ¡°Losers and idiots. There¡¯s no good reason to go dark horse. It¡¯s a shit assignment.¡±

    ¡°There are at least two C-tier masked operatives right now.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±

    ¡°I am. You go mask, you can get a license to purchase stuff from Threshold¡¯s armory. You also get to sell your goodies on the open market. Hell, you could even raid legally on top of¡­ what you¡¯ve been doing so far.¡±

    Nestra considered the proposal.

    Masking was a way for individual gleams to register as raiders for the city council without revealing their identities. There were even provisions so that only AIs would know of their civilian identities, and it took extraordinary circumstances for law enforcement to demand to know who they really were. Usually, suspicions of felony. The purpose was to allow corpo gleams to contribute to the city and be compensated for it. Sometimes, individual gleams from rival factions would cooperate using that system to protect themselves from publicity.

    The thing was, it was completely stupid. Most high-profile gleams could simply not disappear for days on end without their families learning of it. It meant that the only people who did it were idiots no one wanted to bring on a raid or schemers needing ad-hoc coverage for an operation or two. Popular vids dramatized masks to make them seem much cooler than they really were. Like anonymous dark horses stealing the show from powerful guilds.  Romance ones were especially fond of the mask plus female protagonist trope. The reality was usually disappointing.

    Gorge¡¯s proposition had merit, however.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the abilities to pass the exam just yet.¡±

    The truth was that Nestra had, in fact, the abilities to pass a D-class exam if barely, except for mana reserves. Hers were simply too low for now.

    D-class classification was simple enough. One first had to display superhuman capabilities in terms of speed, reflexes, endurance, and power. Then one had to prove a rudimentary control of mana, which Nestra didn¡¯t have enough juice to complete quite yet. The last one was combat. She was rather confident about that last part.

    D-class gleams basically used mana to enhance themselves. That was the bare minimum to become a raider. She knew that other paths, like crafters, used different prerequisites. That wasn¡¯t relevant to her.

    A C-class gleam could use at least one affinity and they formed the beginning of a physical core. Nestra wasn¡¯t too familiar with that since it had been far away when she¡¯d left the gleam ecosystem. B-class gleams started with a complete core and at least one of their body parts was so infused with mana it became ¡®exotic material¡¯ even at rest.

    Aunt Claire said that A-class completely reforged their bodies when they ¡®ascended¡¯. They were rumored to be immortal. They were a select few so far. Ascensions were still reported in international news.

    That was still very far away for Nestra, assuming she had the potential to grow that much.

    ¡°If you can¡¯t do it at all it¡¯s fine. If you can, though, we may be able to help. See, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re a busy bee, yeah? And maybe not the best negotiator in town. And by that I mean you fucking suck.¡±

    ¡°Look who¡¯s talking.¡±

    ¡°I can be charming when I¡¯m not dealing with a pissant brat. And I do business with my balls and my brains, kid, not my feelings. Anyway, if you can get masked, we can handle business for you at no fee provided you let us buy a thing or two in your name, if you know what I mean.¡±

    ¡°Best way to get flagged, asshole.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about recreational drugs. More like antitoxins that work on dregs like yours truly. Lots of kids out there who can¡¯t get them unless they suck up to gleam families. Ya know, the kind of deal that leaves them as retainers for life. There¡¯s profit to be made and we can even be nice about it.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Whatever. That sounds good. I get the final call on what we buy.¡±

    ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll need your ID to validate any deal in any case. Just keep it in mind.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡°Think about it. Legal raids. The marketplace. You can even attend conventions in a mask and look at those nice gleams frolicking and sucking each other¡¯s dicks for social success. All good stuff, yeah? Delivery in progress. See ya next time and don¡¯t fucking die on me you rabid golden goose.¡±

    He hung up.

    Was it too risky to go through testing in case they had secret ways to detect anomalies? Or was it too risky to go on without potions, defensive gear, knowledge and other resources? She needed data. More specifically, she needed to know how aware humanity was of her kind if indeed there was a kind. There was a specific way to do it.

    The Pandora database.

    While most guilds had their own knowledge base, including techniques and strategies, mankind had united enough to form a single, unified list of creatures. She knew the genus names of most dokkaebis she was facing because of extracts from Pandora. It was updated and managed by Gestalt, an Austrian A-class information broker for the good of all mankind.

    It was also rather restricted.

    Fortunately, she knew someone who had access to it. She had to try, but later. First, there was the question of tonight''s raid. She had food preservation bags, a cooler. She was ready and eager.

 2.9

    Nestra looked down from her vantage point at the top of an office building. The nightly wind blew against her sports jacket.

    She wasn¡¯t ready. Not ready at all.

    ¡°That joker sent me to a guild portal?¡± she grumbled under her breath.

    Pop up portals disappeared as soon as they were cleared and empty. Some portals, however, were permanent. They reappeared regularly with minor changes to their setups. Perhaps the trails were not the same but the biome and enemies were. Guilds rented such spaces from the city who officially had the right to every portal on its territory. In theory. In practice, guilds could enjoy their portals in perpetuity unless they failed to contain them or went bankrupt. Those portals were harvested for materials and if there was one thing crafter gleams loved more than exotic material, it was a regular supply of the stuff.

    That meant that gleams protected their permanent portals.

    And that meant that she was going to infiltrate a secured compound.

    Nestra watched the bunker below. It was a squat structure, more a glorified box than anything else. A high wall surrounded it on all sides and on that wall were the telltale signs of cameras and sensors. There was a single door, a reinforced, steel affair that weighed several tons.

    Nestra noticed a logo by the entrance, as well as the name Homeshield Security. She used the burner to access their website and check their offers, just in case, and her curiosity was rewarded. There was a page on the type of security provided for gates and Nestra got an inkling of what she was dealing with. Homeshield Security was a provider of safe access to D-class gates, working with small guilds to protect the most numerous and least valuable type of portal available around Threshold. Their bunkers were structured simply with a main chamber, and an antechamber manned by two security guards at the end of every cycle right before the portal reopened. The website vaunted top-of-the-line security but Nestra could read between the lines. This was a budget option meant to provide a sort of lock to other gleams who might want to loot the portal under the nose of their competitors. It happened sometimes. The issue was, Nestra was not equipped to deal with a fucking locked bunker, even if most of the security features were just a formality.

    She could perhaps slice the bunker gate open if she coated, but even if the cameras glitched in her presence, the security guards wouldn¡¯t. Not to mention, the HQ would get a notification that something had carved through a steel gate and the place would be covered in raiders in less than five minutes.

    Perhaps she could lure a guard outside with a malfunction? And then what? The bunker was so small, the other guard would see a demon slip in.

    There had to be another way. Yes, in fact, the benefactor had never sent her somewhere she couldn¡¯t get in. They¡¯d even disabled a janitor to make sure she could raid without problem. Logically, he wouldn¡¯t have sent her somewhere she couldn¡¯t get in without telling her in advance there was something to prepare for.

    Nodding to herself, Nestra decided to ¡®case the joint¡¯ as the criminals put it. Ah, who was she kidding? She was a criminal as well now. A lawbreaker. Nyahaha. Aunt Claire would be proud.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see.¡±

    Nestra jumped down out of sight, then sprinted to the wall, confident the cameras would see her as a glitch. She used a nearby dumpster as a stepping stone for a jump and, at the apex of her trajectory, she triggered momentum.

    The strange power propelled her even higher, and much faster. She landed on the concrete roof of the bunker which was mercifully devoid of captors. Her black box confirmed the presence of cameras all around. More importantly, she could feel the portal under her feet. It was there, pulsing quietly like a siren song, calling her to feast and pregnant with all things desirable. It was just ripe for the taking if she would just allow herself to be drawn in. The rays of succulent energy warmed and reinvigorated her body like a nice morning shower. It spoke of home, though what home she couldn¡¯t say.

    Yes, the portal was calling and she could feel its fingers questing for someone to release the mana trapped inside, free it onto the world to integrate it more, to awaken it sip by sip. And Nestra was the perfect key for that. She just had to¡­ give in.

    The world blurred. Colors merged into lines then into a gray kaleidoscope that played with her sense of depth. She was floating in a void without direction and without gravity and that was perfect, just perfect.

    And then she was standing in a clearing in a middle of a pine forest. Gray snow lightly fell upon her hair. Before her stood a fortress made of stone and hardened mud, brown walls covered in drab icicles and slabs of dirty ice. The blue light of the entry portal behind her confirmed what she¡¯d suspected, its rays still comforting her.

    A howl came from the fortress. A stocky creature with a long spiky mane and the face like a carnivorous horse stood on top of a battlement, a spear strapped to its back. The creature pointed at her and howled again. Yips answered it.

    Nestra unsheathed her blade. Manaprimates Habilis Sonorus. Horlers. That was a rotten day to forfeit her armor.

    Without waiting, Nestra sprinted towards the wall. Her feet beat on the frozen ground as she prepared to jump. Heads popped out from behind the crenelations, soon followed by the tip of arrows. She cried and used momentum again. The strange ability propelled her slightly above her target. She needed more practice.

    Inertia carried her against a wood palisade. She bounced off and rammed into a horler with a spear, wounding it. The muscle mass made her attacks weak. Twirling, she cleaved down and carved her victim¡¯s chest before it could recover. More of the creatures appeared from everywhere as she took in her surroundings.

    The fortress was built on a flank of the mountain, merging with it. There were tents of sorts, a couple of openings but most of the structures were layered walls linked together by stairs that didn¡¯t offer cover. Some of the horlers on the upper levels were already aiming their bows at her. Had to keep moving. She grabbed the dying horler and carried it forward like a shield, her strength barely enough to keep the surprisingly heavy creature up.

    Most of the horlers carried bandoliers and belts over short furs that came in earthy tones, but there were a few larger specimens with gray hair including the one who¡¯d spotted her. Her mind took in the way the enemy were arranged and then she charged.

    A few of the foes hesitated but most peppered the body she was carrying with short arrows. She threw her improvised barrier at another enemy and sliced low, hamstringing it. Then she was among them.

    Cut.

    Do not.

    Slash.

    Get.

    Thrust.

    Swamped.

    Flowing, brutal movements followed each other. Let a shortsword slide on her blade, step aside, cut down. Step forward and cut up. An arm flies. A loud howl. Dodge low and let a volley of arrows take the two horlers surrounding her. Their screeches were deafening but she persevered. Some were grouping above her. Dangerous. She beheaded a recoiling spearman then rushed up some stairs, killing a gray fighter with a slice of coated blade. Another howl. She used momentum and another volley of arrows clicked on the stone behind her. This time, she¡¯d been a bit short and the pair of horler spearmen blocking her way braced. She tried to use momentum and failed. It was like trying to speak and realizing she was out of breath, not particularly painful but a little annoying.

    Nestra coated her blade and sliced. The powerful swing severed both shafts and parts of the shield, leaving the horlers surprised. She kicked the first and only managed to push it back a little. A baseline would have been sent flying.

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    ¡°Hah!¡±

    An overhead strike split the other spearman¡¯s head in two, then she ducked under a third volley and she was off again.

    Happiness and frustration welled in Nestra¡¯s heart in equal measure. Happiness at the dance. It was a good one. It was what she¡¯d craved for so long. Time could not dull her excitement.

    Frustration that she was such a bad dancer.

    Too many tools, too little time to learn them. The Stalk of the Scornful Crescent was still a whispering voice guiding her but she was awkward and slow. The momentum ability was extremely powerful but she had issues with the distance. She was a baby playing with a sword. Only one thing would fix that.

    Practice.

    Kill more.

    A shrieking squad had gathered around an old horler wearing a headdress with jutting horns, its body thin and corded. The creature¡¯s chest expanded to grotesque proportions. A spellcaster. Sound shaman.

    Run?

    Not run, move in. Continue the dance.

    Nestra used momentum again. She was away from them, then she was among them. Her sword shredded the beast¡¯s lungs so that its mighty cry escaped as a gurgling squawk. She was moving still, with great sweeping attacks. She grabbed a gray horler¡¯s spear and sliced his head off. The others kept fighting in disorder. They tried to pin her down but their bodies blocked their allies and she was still dancing among them with great, carving strikes. The three survivors ran and she charged ahead, towards the last large group at the top of the fortress. Archers. She ducked under a wall and arrows clattered behind her. She felt something touch her ass and the cold hand of fear grasped at her belly but it was just a rebound. She sprinted again. Another loud howl and she was down. More arrows.

    The leader tsked and gave another order. The archers fired at will but she kept weaving ahead, sprinting with all she had. The dance guided her steps, making her unpredictable. The arrows failed to find her. There was one last set of stairs and then she would be among them.

    No cover.

    The chief horler screeched something and the pack stopped firing. She raced, waiting, staring down the beady eyes of the enemy.

    The creature flinched. For an instant, triumph filled Nestra¡¯s mind in a vicious tide but it was short-lived. The chief screeched and this time, it was different.

    A bait?

    Nestra made a gambit. It was a bait. It would lure her momentum and then strike. She held.

    Half of the formation loosed.

    ¡°Fu¡ª¡±

    Nestra used the skill at the last moment. Terror crawled up her spine. She knew what would happen. As the skill finished, she was mid-air with her curled on herself and waiting for the pain. Another shriek, and it came with the rest of the volley.

    She felt the impact first. The mind-searing flash of agony came immediately after when half a dozen arrows smashed into her. Except it was¡­ not so bad?

    Nestra landed in the middle of the befuddled formation. She stood and sliced the nearest archer in a trance, waiting for debilitation. It never came. As she fought, part of her saw the state of her arm. There were cuts bleeding a gray liquid that quickly turned red, and then, the wounds scabbed over.

    Another strike and the realization set in.

    She¡­ was fine?

    She was fine!

    The screeches of the dying horlers hurt her ear, needling her on. Strike and cut as they spread apart to give themselves space to fight. Do not let them corner. Keep moving as they do, attacking with merciless grace. Nestra followed the whispers of the Scornful Crescent as the principles guided her. She was faster and thus, the foes were obstacles to each other instead of help. Bodies blocked the trajectories of arrows. Furry torsos came in the way of sword strikes. The narrow battlements were now an obstacle instead of a help as the horlers bumped into it. Meanwhile, Nestra dove and side-stepped and used the chaos, each step a threat, each move flowing into the next one. Eventually, the chief managed to scream orders and four survivors formed a last barrier in front of him while she cut down the last of the disorganized soldiers.

    The chief removed the spear from its back and Nes realized the blade was something close to wrought bronze with a shiny jewel in the middle, in the shape of a slitted eye. The horler¡¯s eyes bulged. Its muscles contracted with grisly cracks, veins visible even through the fur. Saliva foamed in its maw while its guardians stood, shivering in terror.

    That was a portal artifact, a rarity. A mana tool crafted by unknown means. Many were extremely dangerous and, if the horlers were scared of it, that could only mean some sort of self-sacrifice or berserker effect.

    So Nestra took her gun from its sheath and lined up the sights. There was something almost comical in the chief¡¯s expression of sheer, hateful shock.

    She pulled the trigger.

    As before, the gun kicked like a mule even with her enhanced strength. The bullet smashed through two horlers before piercing through the chief¡¯s arm, causing the spear to jolt. The strange effect was interrupted.

    Nestra charged forward. Her instincts told her the horlers were going to run until they were overtaken by the same drive that pushed all portal monsters to ceaselessly attack intruders even when defeat was certain. She deflected the spears and cut in the same movement, once, twice, then she coated her blade.

    The chief horler charged her.

    Nestra breathed in and out. The creature was maddened but still dangerous. It feinted its first thrust. Nestra stepped back to avoid the next attack, then slid into his guard by deflecting the third but he stepped back. Her overhead strike was stopped by the artifact. The horler used its weapon like a staff. She blocked the next attack at the last moment, her bones shaking from the strength of his blow then she parried the next thrust and countered with a series of fast jabs. The horler struggled to block them. Blood stained his fur.

    He screamed.

    Nestra accepted the pain in her ears as she struck, catching the beast off guard. Her attack cleaved it from shoulder to sternum. Just like the shaman, the chief¡¯s roar ended in a pained moan. The coup de grace cut it off and silence, once again returned to the fortress.

    Nestra¡¯s ears whistled painfully. There were barely closed cuts on her arms and legs. She was out of breath and gulping air greedily. Blood covered her tattered clothes from head to toe, and none of this mattered because she was victorious once more. Power rushed into her. She felt her senses grow keener. Her ears popped as they healed and the sounds of the snowy forest returned in all their glory which was, admittedly, not that much. Just the groan of tree trunks.

    ¡°Nice.¡±

    Nestra surveyed the fortress. It was a scene of relentless carnage, just like she liked them. More importantly, there were a few canvas tents disseminated among the wooden stakes and palisades of the battlement. That meant¡­ it was time to loot! But first thing first, she approached a patch of pristine snow and placed her hand against it. Cold. Crunchy. She gathered some of it and compacted it. Water dripped from her fingers. The packed snow now looked like a handle with small crystals attempting to escape from the imposed form. She gathered more of it into a ball. It felt so light, yet quite compact.

    Snow.

    It was the first time she experienced real snow.

    Threshold was situated on a massive island off the coast of Japan. It was never cold enough for there to be snow, except at the top of Mount Dirge but no one went there. She¡¯d never traveled abroad. Her father considered such trips as wasteful and extravagant frivolities, far from the Palladian¡¯s ideal steely resolve. This wasn¡¯t like mainland China where one could just travel to the Harbin or Altay enclaves. Here, one had to take a ship or a plane and those were always expensive and slightly risky propositions. So, yeah.

    Snow.

    Nestra felt giddy for all of two seconds, barely enough time to throw the snowball and watch it splatter against the cooling corpse of a horler. Right. Portal world. Had to focus.

    The exit portal shone a little higher, at the top of the fortress but she ignored it for now. Pulling the horler entry, she went through the depressingly low list of prizes. The arrow tips were exotic material which would have gone through her armor but they were also of the lowest craftsmanship, which meant it was cheaper and more efficient just to mine exotic ore and have an apprentice forge some. Much like most dokkaebi, horler physiology was so familiar that specimens held no value. Nestra went through a few bandoliers finding little but teeth, poorly made thread, and small statuettes. All worthless. Sighing, she picked up the artifact.

    Mana caressed her psyche, inviting her to take ownership of the tool. She refused. It was obviously cursed as fuck and not her style anyway.

    Her mood improved though. Artifacts were worth a lot of money to the right buyer, even the bad ones. Many research breakthroughs occurred because of enchantments found in those items. Once that was done, she searched the tents and found covers and other useless everyday items. They still carried the stench of their previous owners, though Nestra found herself surprisingly resilient to it. There was, however, a prize. In a large, ruddy bag, she found grains. A lot of grains. A quick search led to a bout of ecstatic laughter.

    Dinner was going to be great.

    Pleased with herself, Nestra approached the final portal. The reward this time was a measly two crystals but that was to be expected. Permanent gates were usually less profitable than unique ones. The trees were probably valuable so any guild clearing them could sell exotic wood to gleam crafter guilds that made the kind of bed Aunt Claire could comfortably bang on. Ugh. Had to remove that image from her mind. In any case, the artifact alone would be worth a ton if she could sell it. Happy with her loot this time, she crossed the portal.

    She found herself in a dark, empty concrete room with no decoration. A lonely shelf stood against a nearby wall, filled with medical items like gauze and blood clotters. There was a camera in a corner so she was on a timer. More importantly, a single chair waited for her with a box on top of it. Rewards! She approached it and opened it. It contained a letter and as well as a nightmarish wound in the fabric of the universe with red beady eyes and an infinity of claws that writhed into and out of themselves in a mind-rending mangling of depth and the rules of physics. The insanity-inducing vista resolved itself when the fifth dimension millipede bit Nestra¡¯s hand. A black layer of silk spread over her fingers then her forearm before disappearing under her bloodstained, ravaged sleeves. She felt it spread on her being like a cold wave.

    ¡°AAAAAAAYAYAYAYARGARGETITOFFGETITOFF!¡± Said Nestra.

    In less than a second, the Lovecraftian insect had turned into a sort of thin bodysuit.

    The process had been entirely painless. The only casualties were Nestra¡¯s sanity and her pride.

    The letter fell to the ground, opening as it did.

    ¡°Congratulations on getting your Skin little Nezhra! It feeds off a liiiiittle bit of blood. Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re completely tame. I have been thinking about what you said. I am sorry. I forgot humans are a very social species, after all. I cannot tell you much now because you are simply too weak to keep a secret if someone were to interrogate you. I also do not have the right to do so. It¡¯s complicated. What I can promise you is that we will meet when you reach C-rank and your powers have matured a bit and I will answer, well, not all of your questions, but at least the ones that matter. Grow and you will know and remember, you are not alone. I am watching over you.

    Well, not all the time of course.  I¡¯ll be busy for the next three days so find the next coordinates below and then enjoy your time off!¡±

    ¡°Can I just get a Kero nut next time?¡±

    Somehow, a sense of amusement filtered through her mind, then a pang of guilt.

    That made Nestra suspicious.

    ¡°You ate the rest of them didn¡¯t you?¡±

    The guilt turned to stark panic, then she got the sense of someone pointing in a direction then using the old smoke bomb escape trope, only the direction was the gate leading out.

    ¡°Did you hear something?¡± a voice said on the other side.

    Nestra suddenly remembered her situation.

    She was an armed tall demon woman with blood-crusted runners gear carrying pilfered loot next to a clearly deactivated portal world.

    There were no words in English, Korean, or the demon tongue to express just how fucked she was.

 2.10

    Nestra used momentum to ram herself against the wall by the gate just as it opened. She instinctively drew in everything she was¡ª though she didn¡¯t reapply her mask, Praying to every god she could think of that they didn¡¯t see her.

    A trio of gleams walked in. There was an archer, a close quarter fighter with a tower shield, and a mage with long staff. The mage¡¯s eyes were a dim orange which spoke of a nascent fire affinity. She directed the pair with a single flick of her hand. Fortunately, their eyes were on the portal, not her.

    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this? Was somebody there?¡±

    Nestra ducked and used momentum to propel herself into the other room, an antechamber of sorts. Two guards sat behind a reinforced glass panel, checking screens. There were no hiding spots there, only a concrete square devoid of anything save for the two gates leading to the portal and to the outside, and a door leading to the guard room. Both of the latter were tragically closed. Nestra landed squarely below the glass in full view of a camera but hidden from direct line of sight.

    ¡°There¡¯s a letter here, it¡ª ah! Fire! Why is it on fire?¡± a male voice said behind her.

    ¡°Idiot! Don¡¯t touch anything. Guards, you¡¯d better have a good explanation.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re having glitches on our equipment ma¡¯am. Running diagnostics.¡±

    ¡°Who did you let in?¡±

    ¡°Nobody, I swear!¡±

    ¡°Well SOMEONE was here. I have to report this.¡±

    Meanwhile, Nestra¡¯s mind was running three curse words on repeat. Could she take them? Probably not. Would it do anything? Also probably not. She needed out, now. Maybe cut through the gate? A coated blade and three slices ought to do it but¡­ she would be noticed.

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re leaving for now. I want our boss to take a look at this,¡± the mage said. ¡°Open the gate.¡±

    That was it. Nestra was done for. The mage walked in her field of vision just as the other gate opened. Nestra had to make a run for it.

    There was a pressure, like a brief idea brushing her psyche. The mage stopped in her tracks. Her breath hitched. Her face turned despondent. Nestra sprinted outside through the newly opened passage, then jumped over the nearest fence using momentum. She didn¡¯t look behind but all she heard was silence.

    Speed and momentum carried her through the deserted streets lined with locked factories and warehouses. The first rays of dawn barely touched the concrete under her feet. She stopped at her motorcycle and changed at record speed into a leather outfit that would match her ¡®cover¡¯. She was off in under a minute, with her mask on. There were no noises. No signs of pursuit.

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    The benefactor had intervened, there. She was sure of it. The only question was, if there was an inquiry, would they find her out? An AI with access to traffic cameras could at least point them in her direction, since traffic at the ass crack of dawn was rather limited. She¡¯d parked far enough but she couldn¡¯t be sure if a small guild wouldn¡¯t have the right to access traffic cameras.

    In the end, she decided not to worry about it too much. The benefactor¡¯s purpose tonight was clearly to deliver the skin and teach her how to access portals from afar, not how to escape pursuit or they would have warned her. The situation also led her to wonder if she could, in fact, take raiders down. Not necessarily kill them but at least disable them.

    Portals always led to the same world but at some point, the portal would no longer allow people through if too many were already inside. It was like trying to swim through an ever-increasing current, her father had once said. It meant that a few minutes later and the raiders would have arrived at the fort in full view of Nestra. They would have definitely tried to take her down. Even if they miraculously assumed she was using a weird disguise, stealing portal rights carried a heavy sentence in Threshold. The guild would have made an example.

    So how would she compare to them?

    She was confident about being as strong and fast as an average D-class raider which was pretty good for around a week of activity. Her swordsmanship was also top-notch. The issue was that raiders were a different breed, especially in Threshold where portals were both more common and more challenging. Raiders risked their lives with every expedition and there were always unlucky moments that carried a cost: an eye shot, an unexpected enemy, fingers slipping on blood. Raiders were wounded, sometimes killed. It took something special to make people raid day after day and that meant a high combat potential.

    But Nestra¡¯s body was different. She clearly had a resilience that went beyond what could be expected at D-rank. Beginner users got stronger by infusing their bodies with mana, directing it to where it mattered. Nestra didn¡¯t have to do that. She just was strong and resilient without trying. At the same time, she barely had any mana to work with.

    Clearly not even remotely human.

    But then why mostly human-shaped?

    It was just weird.

    Nestra¡¯s mood improved after she parked in her secret Nestra lair and got the bag of food  out. Oh, and the spear. She sent a quick message to Gorge then it was time to go home. Nothing could stop her from humming when she poured the grains into her cooking robot as well as a generous amount of butter and sugar. When the first pops rang in the quiet house, she could no longer contain her enthusiasm.

    This was smuggled good, untaxed, against all of Threshold¡¯s regulations.

    This was food that the corpos wouldn¡¯t get.

    She was finally taking her life back, one meal at a time.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to eat this criminal magical popcorn with butter and nobody can fucking stop me.¡±

    ***

    In the headquarter of the Gray Shield guild, a gleam tapped on his visor with barely contained annoyance.

    ¡°Yes. The chair flickered in at around four AM. The glitches were continuous afterward. Yes. No, nothing that we could see.¡±

    He kept silent when his interlocutor spoke in a sterner tone.

    ¡°Yes, I understand. We will transfer everything. Understood. The compensation is more than enough for us. Yes, you can count on our discretion. I will make sure my team understands the importance of their silence. We will comply, sir. Yes, I consider the matter closed. Thank you for your time.¡±

    The gleam¡¯s annoyance turned to dread as the call ended. He delicately placed the visor on his desk, then massaged the bridge of his nose. When he opened his eyes again, the pulsating silvery radiance betrayed his distress.

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡±

    ***

    In Nestra¡¯s mind palace, another rotating sphere had joined the more ordered dance. The puddle underneath had grown as well, just a little, but it was still barely enough to coat her blade a few times. The newly improved sphere was the one that dealt with awareness and keen senses. Nestra had one more bound to play with.

    That meant she had to make a choice. Instinct told her that linking the sphere to strength would help her destabilize foes while linking it to speed would let her perform a very precise strike. The second choice was the more immediately useful, she felt. Maybe she was wrong. It was hard to say without knowing exactly what she would be up against. Once the bond was formed, Nestra returned to sleep while promising herself not to try to throw her chef knife at her cutting board ¡®as an experiment¡¯. She would do things right this time.

 3.1

    ¡°Mmmflgr?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s 9AM. Why are you still sleeping?¡± the modified voice asked in the burner.

    Nestra almost asked if it was Gorge before ¡ª miracle of miracles ¡ª her brain caught up with her mouth for once.

    ¡°I was busy. What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, what¡¯s up? You asked me to call you.¡±

    ¡°Ah yes. Wasn¡¯t sure if using keywords in a text was a good idea or not.¡±

    ¡°Our conversations are encrypted. Only Central could decode it and then we¡¯d be fucked anyway. What do you have?¡±

    ¡°An artifact.¡±

    Nestra heard a noise, something like a clatter. It took two seconds for Gorge to reply.

    ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡±

    ¡°Yes. D-class, obviously. A spear. Looks cursed.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re absolutely sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes for fuck¡¯s sake I¡¯m absolutely sure.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ Wow. Look, selling lizard skins to students was a thing but an artifact? This is big league stuff.¡±

    ¡°Is it dangerous?¡±

    ¡°No. I know a guy. And you shouldn¡¯t help. Can¡¯t risk it.¡±

    Nestra sat up on her bed and called to the demon skin. Yesterday, she¡¯d experimented a bit with it. It turned out that the skin was a sort of symbiote who, if she understood it correctly, fed off her body heat and a little bit of blood. It was barely smarter than the average dog and spent most of its time sleeping. She nudged it and received the mental equivalent of an annoyed groan but the symbiote complied. A tough substance covered her arms, looking like a nylon sleeve. She could thicken it a bit but for now, there was simply not enough of the creature to achieve more than a rather skimpy skin suit. The distraction gave her the courage to ask the question burning her mind right now. She wasn¡¯t scared of Gorge. She just wanted to avoid the verbal shitstorm he could unleash if he felt offended.

    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°I thought you were kind of, you know, law-abiding¡­¡±

    Nestra struggled to articulate her thought,

    ¡°You wanna know why I¡¯m doing illegal shit?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I mean fencing low grade crystals is a thing. An artifact¡­¡±

    ¡°Look, scale is not the thing here. At least not for me. If you steal an egg or a fucking car, you¡¯re still a thief to me. It¡¯s about who we¡¯re stealing from. And here, we¡¯re stealing from corpos. Did I ever tell you what I thought about corpos?¡±

    ¡°In lengthy, rude detail.¡±

    ¡°Well then I¡¯ll have you know that within limits, I¡¯m happy fucking them over even if it means pairing up with a highborn reject like you. And before you foam at the mouth, you¡¯re not so bad for a silver spoon cunt.¡±

    ¡°Nice compliment. Much obliged.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take ownership of the goods then.¡±

    The call cut and Nestra used this opportunity to measure herself, which required her some creativity because her measuring apps glitched when looking at her. In the end, she flash ordered some measuring ribbons from a fancy tailor supplier then sent the results to Gorge. Her demon form was now 1.86 meters tall, eight centimeters more than her mortal form. That meant she was still growing quickly! Nestra celebrated by stuffing her face with the remaining popcorn and mana fruits before ordering a large salad. After polishing off enough food for a family of four, she was ready to face the day.

    First, some more training.

    ***

    The first step was to test her new ability. Wielding her sword, she simply called to it. It was just like flexing a muscle she never knew she had. A link formed in her mind between the warehouse¡¯s training dummy and the tip of her sword. A single strike and the two met, her blade finding its target with uncanny precision. Even without coating, the dummy was heavily damaged. It was not a magical magnet effect so much as her mind working overtime to make sure her muscles would follow. Although dangerous, the ability was physically and mentally tiring. She would have to be careful. Next was another necessary exercise.

    In the past week, Nestra had obtained more abilities and benefits than most raiders did over six months. Her rate of progress was astonishing, a probable sign it wouldn¡¯t last. It also brought with it a series of problems. Mostly, she¡¯d outgrown her technique.

    Nestra had spent over a decade refining her swordsmanship until she was certain she was at the top of the baseline world, but now she was no longer a baseline, and so her new physique made her movements a little more awkward. There were times when she believed she could hit much harder, or faster, than her muscle memory allowed. The most defining issue was movement and positioning.

    While before, she was confident in how long it would take her to reach a point, now between her speed and the traversal ability brought by momentum, her understanding of the battlefield was no longer valid. The first test was to understand exactly how momentum worked. She practiced in her warehouse, simply moving from one side to another. The first discovery should have been obvious, in retrospect. The distance traveled depended on her speed when casting, so the faster she was running, the farther she would go. An hour of practice later, she was confident she could at least land where she meant to land in a straight line.

    As for combining both abilities, her head hurt before she could even start.

    She decided to pause the ability training because she was getting tired. She went through her forms instead and stopped in the early afternoon. There would be another raid tonight. She couldn¡¯t afford to exhaust herself.

    While waiting for her lunch, Nestra checked the news. There were a few promo pieces of Fifteen in Gidung¡¯s media arm, mostly stating that Gidung would live true to its commitment to be a pillar of mankind etc etc with a shining image of the dashing Hong Wang at the forefront. Reading between the lines, they were basically saying they would build new heavy industry assembly lines they couldn¡¯t easily set up inside of their arcology. She suspected pollution, weight, or heat might be a factor. Gidung promised to ¡®develop the district and form its population¡¯ which probably meant a few hundred town-required ¡®jobs¡¯, mostly janitors and security screen watchers. Space was at a premium in Threshold so all in all, that would be a great operation for the asshole who¡¯d come up with the plan. Nestra¡¯s jaw clenched when she finished the article. They still didn¡¯t say which specific branch would benefit most from the new territory. Knowing that would help her narrow down who was behind it all. She was about to turn off her visor when a headline caught her attention.

    ¡°Shinran is back in town¡­¡±

    Nestra wasn¡¯t sure where the A-class healer disappeared off to when he wasn¡¯t healing incurable diseases. Maybe raiding. The interesting point was the timing.

    The raider¡¯s vivid blue eyes seemed to stare at her from the screen with a disturbing intensity. Her benefactor had said they would be busy.

    Could they be Shinran?

    Or were they afraid of that powerful raider?

    There was no real way for her to know, at least not yet. Even her family¡¯s influence wouldn¡¯t be enough to get her close to him right now. He was that famous. And busy. Only the greatest and the neediest could hope to fit in his busy schedule.

    As the afternoon progressed, Nestra decided to take it easy with stretching and online de-escalation courses. It was then she received a message. It was from an unknown number.

    ¡°Hello, Miss Palladian. I am sorry for bothering you. I am Shinoda Yuuji, your future partner. I was hoping that we could meet before we start working together, if it pleases you. Please let me know if you are available.¡±

    He was being very polite despite being her elder. Nestra sent back a reply, making sure to use the appropriate honorifics. It was important to give a first great impression so she could later ruin it with quips and aggressive comebacks and still keep a modicum of goodwill. She called it the Nestra special. Once done, she prepared for the night with her usual twilight nap.

    ***

    This time, the portal was in an actual indoor swimming pool hidden away at the back of a bar closed for renovation. Nestra easily made her way inside by breaking an upper window, dodging a camera as she went. There were a couple of movement detectors but those didn¡¯t seem to pick up her presence. The pool was still full and clear when she arrived, the portal hovering at the back next to a pair of folding chairs. She breathed in the pleasant radiance before setting up. She would only wear the skin this time, no armor. Maybe the sale of the spear would allow her to purchase a shield, at least.

    There was something inherently satisfying about her nightly routine. Explore an exotic location. Encounter new fauna. Kill it, then cook it. Oh, loot and sell some stuff, she guessed. It was simple, it was primal, and it was the sort of no nonsense rhythm she really needed in her life right now. For this reason, she fully expected something to go dokkaebi-shaped in the near future. For now, she would keep enjoying her life for the first time in almost a decade. Live rather than survive. She didn¡¯t need grand plans besides getting stronger and finding out who¡¯d condemned her squad to death. How far she could progress would also dictate what she could eventually do anyway. Nestra was smart enough to realize her limits and her limits were that she wasn¡¯t too smart and she was socially an idiot. That really limited the extent of what she could do.

    So yeah, just go with the flow for now.

    With a happy sigh, she pushed her way through the portal.

    ***

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The sky was low, cloudy, and the acid green of a fresh lime. It smelled strongly of brine and water. A thick mist covered everything, limiting a visibility provided by whatever little light pierced through. Strange pillars as broad as redwood trunks surged from the rocky ground to incredible heights. Mossy growth turned them into the grasping tendrils of some massive being, frozen in time as it reached for the heavens. Some may have found the vista oppressive but Nestra was loving it. This place was new and fresh and she was getting curious as to how the hell it all worked. The temperature was nice. Her naked feet sank into mud, a feeling that might have scared her normally, but it also felt very nice having the soft sand under her soles. The lukewarm water was just pleasant and without socks to get soaked, it just felt like bathing her feet after a day of walking. She stretched her toes, then arched her back. Falling droplets of water provided a pleasant background chime but otherwise, it was rather quiet here. She also didn¡¯t have to worry about pesky raiders disturbing her rightful enjoyment of their unfairly monopolized portal so she could just take her time.

    Nestra walked around the pillars and basically explored the place. She was careful not to touch the moss or the strange fluorescent yellow flowers letting out a soft glow, just in case. Eventually, she reached the limits of the portal world when the next passage between two pillars could not be crossed no matter how many steps she took. Some exploration showed it was shaped as a tube, a normal setup for a portal world this size.

    Nestra kept walking until she came across a tree with strange fruits. Portal worlds often had hidden goodies. They were just seldom worth the effort. For example, one might mine an underground portal and find ore but the required efforts meant that it was more profitable finding another one. She took the unknown fruits but didn¡¯t sample them. Couldn¡¯t risk it. Her steps led her back to the main path continuing alongside a deeper stretch of water. She glared at the pond. Ponds were never safe.

    ¡°Come on, you might as well ¡ª¡±

    Something surged out of the waters. Nestra dodged to the side, avoiding a blue bubble. It exploded with a loud pop. Mana-compressed water. Her foe dove back into the water.

    Nestra slowly blinked.

    She had absolutely no idea what that thing was. It looked like a translucent, beagle-sized crustacean with diaphanous wings. A quick search confirmed that the database had nothing similar.

    ¡°I name thee: Shrimpus Floatus Wateribus.¡±

    Another creature ¡ª or perhaps it was the same ¡ª rose from the lake, flapping about with grace. Multiple black eyes glared at her while Nestra walked to the side. Suddenly, it cast a spell and Nestra was forced to sidestep it.

    The creature floated around while Nestra glared. It was a stalemate. Or was it? She moved backward and dodged a third projectile. Those were pretty slow. Nestra backpedalled a little until the creature approached the edge of the pond¡­ and then she used momentum to close the distance and slashed.

    The creature dematerialized, teleporting a few paces away. It cast again which forced Nestra to collapse on herself. She watched the bubble pass overhead on a background of clouds. When she looked up, the creature was hovering over the pond just out of reach of her sword.

    ¡°Ok you are Shrimpus Floatus Annoyingis.¡±

    The newly dubbed beast dove back into the pond. Nestra jumped to where it was gone, then she placed her blade in the water and pushed the button.

    Normally, this was considered a bad move according to her training but how bad could it get?

    Three of the shrimps rose from the pond, shaking from the jolt they¡¯d received.

    Ok so maybe it wasn¡¯t the best idea, however the Stalk of the Scorn Crescent whispered what to do next. She used momentum to rush to a shrimp before it could recover then sliced using coated mana. The blade decapitated the beast which fell at the edge of the water. She dodged two bubbles in quick succession as she sprinted towards the next. It teleported to her side as it cast. So Nestra used the precision ability.

    She could see where it would reappear.

    Her muscles screamed as she twisted on herself, catching the beast with the extreme tip of the blade. It severed enough back nerves that the beast fell, wings shivering and spell dispersing. The last creature hovered at the back of the pond with furious motions, sending bubbles as fast at it could. It dove back in and returned to shoot more which led Nestra to think that maybe they had some sort of reserve that refilled when they were immersed. In any case, she wasn¡¯t waddling through all that muck just to get at the last one.

    ¡°You know what? Fuck you.¡±

    Nestra drew her gun and used accuracy again. It worked. The beast practically exploded mid-air.

    Power infused her and she felt energy seep into her chest. A sensation like quenched thirst soon made her shiver in pleasure. The shrimps didn¡¯t reinforce any physical attributes. They were feeding her mana, and a lot of it.

    Giddy, Nestra carefully used her sword to drag the two mostly intact shrimp to the edge of the pond. D-Class worlds seldom had intense environmental hazards but she didn¡¯t want to step on an urchin or something like that. Although, urchins were delicious as well. With the two shrimp carcasses firmly secured, she was ready to depart with the secret hope she could rename the creatures Shrimpus Floatus Deliciosa.

    Maybe they were an undiscovered species. The odds were low but¡­ maybe she could get a lot of money selling new specimens. The problem was that this would come with a lot of questions. No, it was much safer to eat them.

    Nestra wiped the drool off her face. There were definitely similar species she¡¯d have to sample. Garlic and lemon for this one? A gumbo? Teriyaki?

    ¡°Ok, focus.¡±

    Nestra kept going, encountering another smaller pond. When a shrimp appeared, she used momentum to jump over the water, catching it off guard. Sadly, she couldn¡¯t recover that one without going into the water.

    Weaker D-rank worlds were often like that, linear with a first major battle then a few skirmishes until a final conflict. Nestra took her time to explore more and found the first ¡®loot¡¯, red stones that burnt to the touch. Ever-fires. Those were really prized outside the walls as an endless source of heating but inside of the city, they were made redundant by multiple fusion reactors. She still pocketed one for later use.

    The next pond saw another shrimp cut mid-air, but when it fell, the body was swallowed by some sort of salamander. The beast refused to resurface, even with electricity, and Nestra couldn¡¯t be arsed trying to lure it out so she let it be.

    Less shrimp for poor Nestra.

    ¡°I don¡¯t deserve this. I killed the shrimp. Why am I being robbed of my justly deserved bounty by some bottom feeder that doesn¡¯t even really need it?¡± she asked the green heavens, but they ignored her. The world was cold and uncaring and shrimpless.

    Fucking thief.

    Maybe the salamander could be provoked¡­

    ¡°No, enough time wasted. I have to pick my battles.¡±

    Nestra walked some more, finding one last pond and one more crustacean to add to her growing collection.

    It was clearly a world where range fighters would shine. It would also test their ability to shoot twice in quick succession which most raiders were trained to do anyway. Once more, Nestra wondered how she would compare with D-class raiders. She was not eager to try, however. She was still getting used to everything, including her abilities. She was having a good run. She had no reason to rush it right now.

    Nestra stopped, her feet sinking in the muck.

    She was just considering murder for the sake of progress. Well, not really murder. There were plenty of gleams who deserved to die but didn¡¯t because they were covered by their guilds. Immorality and impunity led to some pretty fucked up situations she¡¯d heard of while in the force.

    Maybe¡­

    But no, at least not now. There was a step between selling illegally acquired artifacts and killing for power and she was unwilling to take it. Where would it stop? It¡¯s not because she looked like a demon she had to act like one.

    Nestra shook her head. A portal world was no place for introspection. The lack of difficulty was making her complacent.

    As she went on, the ground grew drier and rose at a gentle slope. The pillars grew wider and sparser. Larger growths formed tufts of dense vegetation between the rocks. The place was strangely deserted. A part of her felt like there should be life among the tall ferns but portal ecosystems were often stunted. Vines clung to the pillars, producing huge leaves that reduced the available light. A yellow bolt streaked through the cloud cover, followed by the powerful roar of thunder.

    Something shifted in the distance.

    Nestra frowned. There was a clearing ahead with the usual altar. This was it.

    She looked up again.

    Something was stalking her, she was sure of it. She walked to the center of the open ground with slow steps, making sure to keep her guard up.

    It happened very fast.

    Another bolt flashed over her. In that background of light was a dark shape falling towards her. She used momentum to get out of the way and an instant later, her foe dug four talons where she used to be.

    Another flash. Humanoid shape, dark beady eyes. No neck. Long arms ending in twin curved talons. Short white fur. Powerful, lean muscles. It jumped and swung at her as she anticipated. She dove and struck, coated blade biting into a biceps. Despite the coating, it failed to sever the arm. The power sent her reeling but the creature¡¯s screeches gave her a moment. Fast, almost too fast for her. Very wide attacks. Lots of power but telegraphed motions. It charged again.

    Nestra moved up then stepped back, avoiding the tip of claws trying to gut her by a few fingers. The next strike came as she predicted. The beast¡¯s attacks were relentless.

    Using precision, she attacked the claws. Her blade slid between the talons and hit the bone of its hand, eliciting a crack but the tips still hit her side, the upper rib cage.

    ¡°Oof.¡±

    Winded. Lots of power. Shouldn''t try to block head on. Deflect instead. Dance better.

    The beast screamed again, revealing a wide maw covered in layers of inward-curving fangs. The sound was disturbingly close to human. She used momentum to close in which surprised it. Her blade slid against the thick fur of its chest and dug deep, much deeper than the cut on its arm. Red blood flowed and the creature did as expected. It kept swinging.

    Nestra stepped into and under the attack, hitting the knee which cracked ominously. She jumped over the second attack and hit the shoulder, discharging electricity this time. The beast roared and did something she didn¡¯t expect. It grabbed her with its two arms.

    Trapped. Two furry arms around her. No time to dodge. She lifted her blade above her head just as the appendages closed around her to crush her spine. She grabbed the blade with one hand, the handle with the other.

    Precision guided her strike.

    ¡°Rah!¡±

    Her sword¡¯s edge slammed into the beast¡¯s left eye, then she moved it to the side. The gray, coated surface sliced cleanly. Blood and vitreous spilled over Nestra. The creature dropped her, grabbing its wounded face. Nestra landed nimble on her feet and used one last coated attack for an upward strike.

    This one was devastating and she finally understood what was going on. The simian being used mana like humans did, reinforcing its body. It was either running out of it or losing focus. In any case, the beast was wounded and covered in blood. It wailed and jumped away.

    Nestra knew it would attack again because portal monsters only regrouped for long enough to resume their attack. She wasn¡¯t going to give it satisfaction. Using momentum, she jumped after it just as it reached the nearest pillar.

    She felt the flesh give in under her. The sword pinned the simian creature against it like a butterfly, blade easily stabbing into flesh and the stone beneath it. More blood gushed from every wound. The creature shuddered one last time, then it collapsed, only kept upright by the blade slammed into its heart.

    Nestra shivered when power rushed into her, confirming her victory. Strength. A lot of it. Maybe something more.

    Good.

    Nestra quickly checked her only wound to find it sealed close. Even her ¡®skin¡¯ looked unharmed though she felt a little tender. It was as if she¡¯d never been hurt.

    Very useful, that.

    It had been a great battle, really fun. And now for the loot. Nestra went over her database and found absolutely nothing, which didn¡¯t mean much. If Gorge gave it to her for free then it was probably kind of shit, so there was still a high chance this type of world was well known and the guild that had produced the compendium just never had access to it.

    Fortunately, there were always safe bets when it came to creatures like that. The first was talons. Those could be used in special gauntlets designed to help subclasses of brawlers punch people in the face harder. The second was the skin which she did her best to remove correctly and failed miserably. The third were special organs.

    Nestra basically emptied the creature only to find disappointingly mundane organs. Well, they were different of course but none felt like they were soaked with mana or shining or of a vivid color. It also smelled atrocious even though she was sure she hadn¡¯t pierced an intestine. Vile thing. She still decided to cut a haunch, just in case. Primates were a little¡­ difficult to eat considering they looked a little human but this one was too weird to hurt her sensibilities. Thus loaded with food, Nestra approached the altar. On top of two crystals, she also found a bar of some sort of metal that was dark and cold to the touch. After that, she moved back.

    Threshold¡¯s abandoned swimming pool welcomed her back. There were no packages this time, just as the benefactor had warned her. It felt a little disappointing but she¡¯d live.

    ***

    Nestra shoved the garlic soy sauce strand of shrimp into her molars and bit down. Those were not molars anymore, of course, since all her teeth were serrated. The shrimps had turned out to have a real name and it was much less cool than Shrimpus Floatus Deliciosa so fuck those scientists. She frowned when her phone vibrated. It was Gorge.

    ¡°Sold your spear, your share¡¯s 63k.¡±

    Nestra shuffled in her couch.

    That was an enormous sum for her. It was also pocket change for a good raider.

    ¡°It was worth three times that amount but I had to compromise for safety.¡±

    ¡°What did it do?¡± Nestra typed back.

    ¡°Some sort of berzerker effect. Can¡¯t say more than that and can¡¯t tell you who bought it. I¡¯ll buy the crystals at the usual rate and I¡¯ll auction the new goodies. You want the chit?¡±

    Nestra thought about it. Sitting on money could be useful. Spending that money was better. The problem was that she had no idea what she should get in terms of gear. She had potions, a ranged option, and a nice sword. Armor sets would only fit her for a little while. Survival gear wouldn¡¯t become relevant for a while. What should she get?

    Wait, she knew exactly what she could get.

    ¡°Send me 30k in a chit and for the rest, I want food. Specifically, mana food.¡±

    There was a delay in the answer this time.

    ¡°Food? Are you serious?¡±

    ¡°Enclave goodies, fishery surplus, corpo special reserves. Whatever.¡±

    There was a longer pause and this time, Nestra enjoyed a small miracle. After almost half a shrimp (and some rice), she had achieved a state of zen contentment.

    She was full.

    ¡°Holy Riel I never thought the day would come again.¡±

    A quick check revealed she¡¯d grown by another centimeter. It was likely she was heavier as well but her scale had some issue when she stepped on it in demon form. Not that she cared. Just had to make sure her stairs wouldn¡¯t collapse by just stepping on them.

    A girl was growing so a girl had to eat.

    ¡°I can get you food but it¡¯s ¡®fallen off the truck¡¯ as one of my cousins used to say. That means they ain¡¯t cheap. I can get you up to four dozen fresh oysters for two hundred credits each, ten mana squid tentacles for a hundred and twenty apiece, wagyu at six hundred a slide¡­¡±

    The list went on.

    Nestra¡¯s smile bloomed. She had the perfect answer.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Yes to what?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You want everything?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Spread over the next three days. Do you have any veggies with that?¡±

    ¡°Veggies are cheap and even us dregs can buy them, why do you need me?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m going to order a lot and I¡¯d love a discount.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    ***

    The puddle was a pond.

    In the dream space, Nestra watched the shimmering surface with exultation. Mana was the power to make reality¡­ flexible. It came with the gates. It infused everything. It changed wildlife and humans alike. It condemned those who could wield it to the crucible and those who could not to a reality of walls and the hanging doom of the hapless prey. Electric mana was better against single targets at lower levels, as well as self-buff. There was plenty for her to learn and now she had the tools to use it. She just needed some practice.

    As expected, the strength sphere had increased in size again, and was for now the largest one around. The simian being had also yielded a bit of physical resistance, not much but enough to make a difference. She was getting stronger. And hungrier. Things were looking up. Satisfied, she returned to sleep.

 3.2

    For their first meeting, Shinoda picked a classical izakaya nestled between two small office buildings deeper in the city. There was no place to park around so Nestra was forced to walk quite a bit through narrow streets dominated by electric bikes and the occasional heavy delivery drone. The Japanese influence in the district bled through the old-school neon signs advertising products from the homeland. The izakaya itself welcomed her with the smell of grilled meat and warm amber colors reflected in the ubiquitous wooden panels. At that time, the small restaurant was almost deserted, which made spotting Shinoda easy enough. He was currently sitting at the counter facing the kitchen, chopsticks picking at sliced cucumber.

    Shinoda was a baseline, possibly in his fifties, which he was wearing quite well. Graying hair tempered the harsh lines of a face that spoke of an ascetic lifestyle, but there was something wrong with him, a certain gauntness of the cheeks and paleness evoking deeper trouble. He wore an antiquated trench coat over wide shoulders like some archaic movie detective. The stooped posture conflicted with the steely intensity with which he was reading a document on his datasheet. Truly a study in contrasts.

    Nestra came to stand by his side and he turned with the smooth timing of someone who¡¯d seen her come in. She bowed very slightly, which he returned. He gave her a welcoming smile.

    ¡°Ah, you must be Palladian-san. Please, sit, sit. Be welcome. Have you eaten yet? I recommend the tonkotsu ramen.¡±

    Shinoda¡¯s voice was deep and warm. Caring. A little at odds with his appearance.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll have that and some gizzard.¡±

    Nestra ordered and survived through the obligatory ¡®hajimemashite¡¯ introductions, the small talk, and the careful questions about her qualifications. Shinoda was a soft-spoken man who interjected ¡®ne¡¯ and other Japanese particles in his English. His accent was quite strong, right to stressing the last syllable in a sentence.

    ¡°So you were a MaxSec officer. Support?¡±

    ¡°Close Quarter specialist.¡±

    ¡°Hontou desu ka? Really? Ah, forgive me. I did not mean to question your skills.¡±

    ¡°No harm done. Most people are surprised. How about you? Your file was rather light with details.¡±

    ¡°Hah,¡± he replied with a smile. ¡°I started in vice and made it to captain, then I joined the juvenile criminality department in district thirty-eight. I am technically retired but Officer Kim asked me to rejoin. As for why I came, I do not wish to bother you with too many details.¡±

    Polite translation: yes I admit I have a history. No, I won¡¯t tell you. Mind your own biz. Fine by Nestra.

    ¡°May I ask why you chose to accept this position?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Several MaxSec people died there and I don¡¯t want their sacrifice to be for nothing. If I can help people while I do so, then so much the better.¡±

    Shinoda¡¯s expression was unreadable.

    ¡°Yes. Regarding the people we are meant to protect... I assume you have gone over the preparatory file?¡±

    Nestra blinked.

    ¡°You¡­ have not,¡± Shinoda said in a voice that carried wounded disappointment.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t received anything yet. I¡¯ll ask Kim. Maybe she forgot?¡±

    ¡°Oh? I see, I see. Then have you done any preparations?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve almost completed the basic online course on de-escalation. I¡¯ve also gathered non-lethal armament and some scouting capabilities.¡±

    It was difficult to read Shinoda but Nestra was feeling judged. The fact he was twice her age didn¡¯t help.

    ¡°Yes. The de-escalation course is an excellent initiative. Although, your profile is, how to say¡­¡±

    ¡°Not suitable for the mission?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that is not what I mean. My deep apologies, Palladian-san. You have clearly prepared.¡±

    ¡°To be honest, Kim said my job was to back you up and keep you alive, nothing more.¡±

    Shinoda sustained her gaze and the facade of pleasant courtesy cracked to reveal the calculating mind underneath.

    ¡°Ah, Kim-san¡­ I suppose it is best said now. I, right now, only retain around 40% of my lung¡¯s capabilities.¡±

    That¡­ wasn¡¯t enough for anything strenuous. Not at all. And yet he was here.

    ¡°Ah, and¡­¡±

    ¡°I cannot afford replacement lungs.¡±

    Silence hung between the two of them. Everyone could afford replacement lungs provided they agreed to serve their new corpo overlords and someone with Shinoda¡¯s profile would be sought after by any private security company that aimed at being more than just hired goons. Someone who¡¯d made captain could probably afford the upkeep off their own pockets as well. Once again, he was omitting quite a lot of stuff and once again, Nestra didn¡¯t push because it would be a terrible faux pas.

    ¡°You will have to be our running legs. As for the ¡®less-lethal¡¯ weapons, I hope we can resolve most issues without them.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Nestra said with a shrug.

    They exchanged a glance which conveyed that Shinoda knew Nestra would draw on a fucker if she thought there would be a problem and that Nestra didn¡¯t believe Shinoda could always calm things down.

    ¡°In any case, our mission is to, ah, the expression would be managing hearts and minds. Yes, that. We are to patrol a large hab block in Fifteen and maintain a presence, as well as assist in counter-insurgency measures.¡±

    ¡°Such as?¡±

    ¡°Gidung will install amenities so water and electricity are provided for free to anyone in the vicinity for a duration of one year, courtesy of the municipality. For supplies, eeeto ne, please look at this.¡±

    Shinoda used his datasheet to show a rotation 3D view of their planned hunting grounds. Nestra followed his explanations while slurping her noodles. Basically, they would patrol and solve disputes over four large hab blocks centered around a central plaza that hosted a sort of low level trading hub, mostly a food market. A few warehouses would be repurposed by Gidung early in the operation.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°There¡¯s gotta be at least two thousand people living there. No way two of us would be enough.¡±

    ¡°In truth, less than thirteen hundred. Many of the habs are empty or were converted into anything from workshops to greenhouses. Gidung will not interfere with their activities and there will be no taxation for a year. The city hopes to slowly convert the workforce to more legal activities. Also, our primary task is not policing. We are here to be seen and to listen. Additional security will be present when Gidung distributes supplies. A field hospital will also be built. We will have a pair of Gidung users on standby to assist in case of emergencies.¡±

    ¡°So we¡¯re bait.¡±

    ¡°Yes. There is no doubt the local toughs will test us but the real issue is the gangers. Neither Gidung nor the city has the resources to send enough troops to secure more than a few hab blocks.¡±

    That was bullshit. They were not willing to spare those resources. Nestra thought she should consider herself lucky that the entire district wasn¡¯t methodically emptied and its inhabitants dispersed across poor districts. Because the city could do that and no one would stop them, especially with precious gleam time being wasted on low dregs. All those fight-capable gleams flying around were not instead raiding easy portals across the island for crystals and resources, a terrible cost of opportunity.

    ¡°... so they wish to lure them out of hiding. That is not something we can control, ne? If it happens, it happens. We will do our best to bring normalcy back to Fifteen and make sure no one ¡®redirects¡¯ the city¡¯s efforts.¡±

    ¡°Fine by me. You do the talking.¡±

    ¡°And I am in your care for the running.¡±

    ***

    Officer Kim had not forgotten Nestra¡¯s file. She was merely finishing it by adding additional data. Shinoda could take a look at one report and get the gist of it but Nestra had MaxSec training which meant she knew seven different ways to snap someone¡¯s wrist and couldn¡¯t tell how to secure a crime scene except by the old saying: ¡®don¡¯t touch nuthin¡¯. She was never meant to do field investigations, so Kim had someone create a more complete image. It was pretty much what Shinoda had explained with more data on where the workshops were, the VIPs, and the troublemakers and so on. The overachieving administrator also included a collection of mugshots to upload to her visor since some of the known gangers had escaped.

    Kim gave her until the end of the week before her starting date which was considered ¡®rushed as hell¡¯ in the industry. Sitting on her couch while munching on a homemade mana banana (or bamana, if you will) sundae, Nestra considered her situation.

    There was nothing she could do that would help with being a better cop, not on that timeline. Much better to follow Shinoda around to learn the ropes. What she could do, however, was prepare for trouble.

    Now, she wasn¡¯t really scared of dying because her mask was just that, a mask. If her human form were to be destroyed, she was pretty sure she would revert back to her true self. Maybe with some damage. Now that was obviously still a huge problem in itself, but fortunately, she had a solution.

    While demon Nestra was growing like mushrooms on a pile of politicians¡¯ promises, human Nestra remained conveniently same-sized. Nestra knew that because she¡¯d checked her human condition with great care in case it degenerated without food or exercise, and it didn¡¯t. That meant that she could invest in gear that would fit her for more than two weeks! And she could even do it legally by drawing from her end-of-contract bonus, which would nicely separate demon black market Nestra from human law enforcement Nestra. Perfect.

    ¡°Ok, let me see the best of the best!¡± She announced to herself as she sat comfortably with her visor, ready to prowl the internet for some juicy stuff.

    ¡°Ok I need to scale down my expectations,¡± she added exactly thirty seconds later.

    It took three hours and quite a few cross-checks to find the good offer she wanted. It was fine for Nestra. Like finding a cheap deal on nice shoes. She settled for a small treasure she found on a lost page selling Wellington military surplus to security companies. Her perfect find was a scout armor made for baselines to survive in the New Zealand wilderness for extended periods of time. Wellington equipped workers and researchers with it and it had quite a few nice features. The armor offered decent ballistic and excellent blade protection. It also had a helmet that looked like a cowl on the upper back until activated, then it would snugly cover the head. Even better, the helmet would protect against flashbang effects and gas which was what Nestra was most concerned about. Like all Wellington goods, it sported the corp¡¯s signature metal ink EMP shielding and minimum electronics to function. There were a few drawbacks like the weight but the most defining feature was the appearance. The model Nestra ordered just looked like an outdoorsy hiker set which would allow her to fit in more than riot armor. It even had cooling features! Nestra¡¯s only regret was the relatively ugly pair of combat boots but she guessed it would be okay.

    From Gorge, she ordered a few more gizmos like EMP charges and door breaching explosives she could reasonably explain having, then she was ready.

    Protective gear: set. Drone surveillance: delivered by Stib and operational. Non-lethal weapons: holstered and ready. Extra-lethal weapons: hidden around where they would hopefully stay unused. The only things missing were her thermos and snacks which she packed eagerly.

    ***

    Nestra was now ready except for the whole ¡®completely unqualified for the job¡¯ part. She left on Monday at 8:30AM with a fresh, renewed hatred for a schedule that messed with her weird sleep cycle. There was a message on her doorstep with new coordinates written.

    ¡°There better be Kero nuts this damn time!¡± she protested.

    The drive to Fifteen was short and uneventful. She arrived at the newly rebuilt district precinct and passed through several thorough security checks. Shinoda was waiting for her by the coffee machine next to the huge meeting room where the weekly briefings would take place. Nestra usually enjoyed those because they were relaxing. She could drink her java in peace and pretend to pay attention, except the part where whoever spoke reminded everyone to be mindful of the social realities and then glared daggers at her specifically. The gathered officers were not what she was used to here. MaxSec had been a gathering of lean, fit men with an attitude, at least at first. Here, the group was eclectic as could be. There were a couple of quirkies and quite a few augs, some old men with wrinkled scowls, some fat men with keen eyes, young women with guarded expressions, and young guys with hungry smiles. There were Malays, Pinays, Viets and Anglos, Koreans, Japanese and Chinese and even a lone black guy who looked old enough to have been here since the city¡¯s inception.

    Nestra wasn¡¯t sure where the city had found all those people but they were clearly not picked at random, because if there was one thing they all displayed besides covert curiosity, it was distrust. Everyone stuck in pairs and looked around like they were five seconds away from a massive shootout. Paranoia was the name of the game. It was the perfect crowd for this place and Nestra was now even more convinced Kim knew what she was doing.

    The briefing was given by a prim lady in a uniform so flawless it looked drawn on. She was pretty much a Kim clone to the point Nestra wondered if they shared the same plastic surgeon. There was a mold to upper middle management and she fit to the last sheen of perfectly combed hair, a sign Threshold was sending their best. There were no pieces of information to be gleaned here that weren''t already in her file, so she only listened with one ear. There would be events throughout the weeks, mostly convoys of humanitarian aids and mobile hospitals installations. The rest were reminders to behave and keep their eyes open which no one here really needed. After they were done, her visor pinged to show a message from Aunt Claire.

    ¡°Hey there Nes! The celebration is set for Saturday, so make sure you complete your revenge so you can ditch the pigs and come meet the family! ACAB babyyyyyyyy ;P¡±

    Nestra flinched at the various emotes and gifs that followed. Aunt Clecle was just trying to get a rise out of her.

    ¡°Like that¡¯s going to happen,¡± she sent back. ¡°But I¡¯ll be there. It¡¯s my day off.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d better. If some bureaucrat asshole gives you overtime, I¡¯ll smack them on the way to nab you. And you can quote me on that.¡±

    This was concerning as Aunt Claire had at least two separate citations for smacking bureaucrats on her way to do something. That Nestra knew of. That woman was a menace.

    Nestra¡¯s relatively good mood lasted right until Shinoda and her reached the motor pool. All bait pairs were assigned a refurbished Touhei cruiser from ten years ago, which was actually a pretty good surprise considering they were some of the best cars ever designed according to her brother Ulysses. All she knew was that they were good all around as well as extremely reliable, with a grid covering the reinforced glass that could stop heavy machine gun fire. That was where the good news stopped, because leaning on their new rides were a trio of gleams in Gidung uniforms.

    Shinoda stopped and tensed at a short distance which the assholes immediately picked up with knowing sneers. Nestra recognized their types immediately from the erratic mana pulsing through their bodies. Lack of discipline or lack of skill, often both, forced some raiders to the bottom of the totem pole. It was not enough to want to hurt and be ready to get hurt to be a good raider. One needed the brains to do so smartly, and the resilience to train every day. The portals didn¡¯t suffer fools gladly and those guys had it painted all over their beings from messy hair to stubble to barely lit iris to frumpy uniforms to languid postures and everything in between. Nestra knew she had to take the initiative with a step forward and a bit of diplomacy.

    ¡°What are you corpo goons doing in our garage? Shouldn¡¯t you be out working instead of playing tourist?¡±

    The demeanor of the trio changed immediately. From mocking, they grew aggressive which would have happened no matter what when their demands would not be met. Now they looked like a pack of wolves and Nestra was a perfectly seared slice of medium-rare rib-eye steak with garlic green beans on the side aaaaaaand she was hungry again. Which made her bare her teeth¡­ which incidentally gave the gleams pause. Now they were curious. One of them, a thick-set south east guy, leaned and whispered excitedly in the middle gleam¡¯s ear, a Korean guy with dark hair and a poorly chosen mustache. Meanwhile, Shinoda had also moved forward to be right by her side and he was doing something with an old-school cellphone he was hiding behind his back in one hand. Nestra picked their words easily with her slightly enhanced senses. They¡¯d recognized her.

    ¡°Well if it¡¯s not the Palladian reject. You know, you kind of feel like you¡¯re on the verge of something. If you ask nicely, maybe I could give you some mana so you could experience what it feels to be a quirkie instead of a drab? At least for a little while?¡±

    ¡°But then we¡¯d both be quirkies,¡± Nestra deadpanned.

    Oooh they didn¡¯t like that. Gleams like them knew they were shit gleams but a drab wasn¡¯t supposed to tell them they had so little mana they were on the verge of failing. The third guy, a tall anglo with a weaselly look, even took a step forward but the middle one held him back. There were cameras here, and the other officers were already gathering in quiet, judgmental clumps. They had witnesses. Probably what Shinoda was going for.

    ¡°Oh, feisty. Real shame you can¡¯t play nice since, you know, we¡¯re supposed to be your overwatch.¡±

    Tall anglo guy smirked in a gotcha moment, as if Nestra could count on those clowns to save anything if the situation hit the fan.

    ¡°We just wanted to get acquainted. Much better to know the person as it would¡­ motivate us to perform better and all that.¡±

    So bribes.

    ¡°Oh that¡¯s great, we¡¯ll be sure to tell you if your assistance is required¡­¡± Nestra kept going.

    She knew at this stage that pissing them off no longer served a purpose but she couldn¡¯t resist. Guarding cops in a shit district was as much a punishment detail as it was possible to get for a gleam. Past that was plain expulsion which few corpos were willing to risk on gleams. That meant those gleams already knew they were on someone¡¯s shit list and they either didn¡¯t care, or they were not smart enough to realize it. No matter what, they would be a pain.

    ¡°Hope you don¡¯t wait for too long,¡± mustache gleam said, then he signaled and the trio left under the blank attention of almost all of the cops that were in the meeting room.

    The assembled cops waited around like a bunch of gargoyles until they were sure things were settled, then they filed out with quiet nods. They had done their duty. It was time to return to normal paranoia.

 3.3

    Shinoda moved into the car without waiting for Nestra, directly in the driver seat. When she climbed in the passenger seat, his seatbelt was already fastened.

    That was a breach of etiquette, and a grievous one at that. Seniority meant he would decide who drives in the pair but they were supposed to agree on it as a form of respect. He¡¯d completely bypassed that, so Nestra gave him an unimpressed look. He misinterpreted it.

    ¡°You had them handled, Palladian-san. I was backing you as a partner.¡±

    ¡°So is the car gene-locked or¡­¡±

    ¡°Sonna¡­ Oh! I apologize. Oh, sorry. Please forgive me for this display.¡±

    Nestra chuckled at how bashful the grim detective suddenly was, all red and sputtering. It felt so weird it was a little embarrassing.

    It also revealed what sort of partnership he thought they had under the veneer of politeness. That¡­ was actually fair. He was an overqualified person twice her age while she¡­ well, she was doing her best. And he was mostly respectful.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok, haha, it was a distracting experience.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I admit, I have faced users in the past over certain allegations. It has been¡­ difficult. Sometimes. In truth, I am impressed by your handling of the situation. Are you not concerned they will retaliate?¡±

    ¡°Oh, they will. Mostly, they won¡¯t come to help us. They might also let it be known. But those are bottom feeders. Scum. You don¡¯t want to get close to them because they stain everything they touch. Give them an inch and they¡¯ll ask for favors, the kind that ends up with them transferred elsewhere and you transferred in front of the rat squad.¡±

    ¡°Is your experience with your family¡­ helping you?¡±

    Nestra shrugged. Of course he knew who she was.

    ¡°Yeah. And my experience as someone who thought I¡¯d be one of them. And it doesn¡¯t hurt that they expect me to be connected. I mean, the Palladians don¡¯t officially support me but my parents and my aunt got a reputation. It¡¯s protected me a few times, I suppose. Anyway, enough about them. Gleams are like bad weather. Can¡¯t do anything about them but wait.¡±

    ¡°Sou ka? Very well.¡±

    The cruiser left the brand new garage at good speed under the expert hands of Shinoda who, like quite a few people she knew, never fully trusted the car¡¯s AI. They drove deeper into Fifteen through narrow streets and crowded alleys, most of which had been avenues and wide roads before debris and sometimes even fallen buildings cluttered them into inaccessibility. The light of early morning exposed the place mercilessly as the shithole it was. Ugly concrete structures were the best one could hope for in the brutalist cityscape of post-incursion architecture but Fifteen went a step further by being abjectly poor as well. The hab blocs stood yellowed and cracked like old teeth among an ocean of detritus piles. Shinoda expertly wove between the worst trash heaps while figures watched them cautiously, huddled around barrel fires for warmth. The mood was grim. People stepped away warily when they approached, only relaxing after they were gone. Nestra spotted at least five different armed guards though they looked more like local security than ganger muscle.

    The place lacked the tattooed groups standing with affected confidence or jeering. Most of the gang signs were wiped away while crews, flying drone hives, and huge, automated machines cleared debris and the accumulated trash. In a way, Fifteen was licking its wounds but the body was far from healthy.

    ¡°We should start showing ourselves at the market and move up from there. Listen to the people,¡± Shinoda said.

    ¡°Hope they talk to us.¡±

    ¡°Some of them will if only to show the others they are not afraid. Over a thousand people. Ronins will be plenty, probably.¡±

    ¡°And they all want to be unequaled under the heavens?¡± Nestra drawled.

    ¡°Hahaha. So kamo ne. I will park over there.¡±

    Shinoda drove under an arch into the integrated parking lot of their assigned hab block. It was a large open space under the main body where the view was only obstructed by support beams. Only carcasses of vehicles remained now, every useful part long since stripped. If people could afford a car, they wouldn¡¯t be living here. Shinoda stopped in a relatively uncluttered space in plain view, within a short distance of the market just in case they had to leg it. Nestra hoped they wouldn¡¯t because Shinoda couldn¡¯t leg anything for very long. And the cruiser wasn¡¯t very safe.

    Actually, that wasn¡¯t entirely true. The cruiser was pretty good, hermetically sealed and it would probably be cleaned every night at the pool. She still fully anticipated every last wheel to smell like teenager piss by early afternoon. Those who tried to break stuff with stones would waste their time and those trying to trash it or steal stuff would get a very bad experience. Nestra came out cautiously, made sure she had everything strapped and released her small flock of drones made by Stib with the convenient activation of the visor command ¡®Nestraguard.exe¡¯. A really simple prompt allowed her to assign a camera to the car, just in case someone tried to open a window with a walker warhead.

    Stepping out of the shaded lot in the open was like playing a scene from an old western. The two vaqueros strode in the open air saloon while over a hundred and fifty people looked up from whatever the fuck they were doing. Nestra only hoped it wouldn¡¯t end in ¡®exit scene, pursued by lynching mob¡¯.

    The open market was large and obviously also a social hub. The scent of spices and grilling meat covered the unpleasant background stench of neglect pretty well. In fact, the market area was rather clean. Food stands were old and settled with tarps and antique folding chairs, the paint peeling off in places. Other stands sold off-brand clothes made in fabricators using custom models. Some of them showed a unique style that spoke of true effort. As for the people, they were both widely different and yet similar in some ways.

    Some of the older workers wore stained coveralls as they ate a late breakfast. Some felt more like drifters, others like artists, others were broken people hard on their luck with dejected expressions. A certain equilibrium kept the groups balanced between each other, and with an idle herd of young adults with ridiculous baggy clothes. Nestra¡¯s instinct recognized them as a threat immediately. She would bet a Kero nut against a pistachio that they were packing heat. It was the only explanation as to why they would be caught outside wearing that.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°What are you pigs doing here?¡± a short-haired dark guy asked from a stall selling tech stuff. He wore a pretty distinctive acid green ensemble that made him noticeable. Nestra recognized him from the file. He was also known for repairing and repurposing equipment.

    Fate hung in the balance etc, so Nestra let Shinoda handle it. Standing here with confidence in his old-fashioned clothes, the mature detective carried a disarming, fatherly aura. Nestra wondered what wisdom he would share.

    ¡°Pig stuff, of course,¡± he genially replied.

    A few people shook their heads, others returned to eating or grilling. There were a few low chuckles but though no rousing endorsement, it was enough for their purposes. Shinoda was in and the youth was declawed, though he didn¡¯t realize it yet.

    ¡°Where were you fuckers a month ago,¡± he grumbled.

    There were still a dozen people watching. Weirdly, Nestra felt like being the one to answer.

    ¡°Uh, we didn¡¯t want to get pasted,¡± she helpfully replied.

    The last of the tension bled out. Overhead, a squad of drones made a flyby to spew Gidung propaganda. No one gave a shit.

    Shinoda walked to the nearest food stand and Nestra followed until a quick check revealed half of her drones were down. Their cameras were gray and an error message returned ¡®connection jammed¡¯. She turned to see the sneering heckler, now waving a sort of remote control with an arguably deserved shit-eating grin.

    ¡°Lost something, angmoh bitch?¡±

    Her visor returned ¡®white person¡¯ for angmoh. Hokkien, so maybe originally from Singapore. She anticipated needing the onboard dictionary quite a bit.

    Shinoda spotted the problem and he went back, which got a few glares. Nestra knew it would be easier to just let it go but her life might depend on those drones and besides, they were Stib¡¯s gifts. And that guy was being a prick. She approached his stall while Shinoda engaged with a nice, calming sentence. The place was filled with cobbled together stuff with wires exposed. There were drones, appliances, and quite a few things that looked like defensive systems missing just the weapon. A couple of them rose when she approached and she realized they had flechette guns on them. Enough to draw blood though they wouldn¡¯t pierce her armor.

    ¡°Nuh uh, angmoh. You don¡¯t want to hurt your pretty lips, uh?¡± the seller said with a smile, then he mimicked a blowjob.

    He was getting a very small crowd but most people seemed not to care much for his bullshit overall which implied they were used to it. So Nestra turned to the side and revealed a small sphere which she rotated. There was a click and a countdown appeared on the sphere¡¯s surface.

    10 9 8

    The seller didn¡¯t fail to recognize a nice standard issue police EMP charge, the kind used to wipe out drones during operations. This would destroy Nestra¡¯s visors, her remaining drones, and that guy¡¯s entire livelihood.

    ¡°Yo bitch, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    ¡°Nice stall.¡±

    7 6 5

    ¡°Would be a real shame.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare you siao girl.¡±

    4 3 2

    Nestra shrugged.

    She would most definitely dare.

    ¡°Ok, stop.¡±

    She pressed the button, leaving a red blinking 1 hanging between them.

    ¡°My partner would just like her belongings back,¡± Shinoda said.

    ¡°They were made by a good friend so I don¡¯t get jumped,¡± Nestra agreed. ¡°So return them or I¡¯m wiping us both. You got three seconds.¡±

    It took less than one to have her drones return to her control and for the seller to spread his arms around with a radiant smile.

    ¡°Heyyyyy no need to get angry lah, just playing around a little? Little hazing for you newcomers. So, we good anot?¡±

    Nestra deactivated the charge.

    ¡°I still owe you for that dick joke.¡±

    ¡°Heeyyyyy come on angmoh, give Flash a break. Walao, you guys are sooo tense.¡±

    ¡°Please do not mind Flash, boss,¡± the food stand guy behind them said. ¡°He¡¯s just an idiot. Good guy though. Don¡¯t buy his rice cookers.¡±

    ¡°It was just one time!¡±

    With the crisis averted, Shinoda was left talking to Flash which left Nestra with a choice. She could play second fiddle in an exchange with someone who¡¯d tried to nab her stuff. Or! She could ¡®interrogate¡¯ the other guy who happened to sell skewers of grilled meat and shiitake mushrooms drenched in chili oil with, if her nose was right, some cumin.

    Obviously, they could split to cover more ground if they were just a few meters apart. The food seller was a short guy wearing an actual apron and a white hat. His nose flared, smelling a good deal with the same accuracy Nestra smelled diced garlic.

    ¡°Lay ho! Hello! Welcome to my stand. I am old Lin. Meat? My best stuff. Try one!¡±

    Nestra grabbed the thin wood piece and chomped on the offered piece of meat. It was pork, very tender, unnaturally so. No mana but enough calories to achieve happiness.

    ¡°You like? Is my juiciest rat,¡± the guy said with a nice, wide, gotcha smirk.

    ¡°Oh good. And here I was afraid it might be vat-grown pig.¡±

    ¡°Hah! You have good tastebuds. Skewers? Four creds for meat. Two for mushrooms and one for momo bread. Crispy and nice.¡±

    Nestra ended up with a nice spread for twenty creds, reduced from twenty-two because she was such a pretty gweilo (another term for white people, there were quite a few of those) and also because she made Flash shut up. That was apparently worth something here.

    ¡°So, why you are here Leng Lui? Racket? Please say no.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re just supposed to show ourselves and help when needed.¡±

    ¡°You and what army?¡± her cook replied with naked disbelief.

    ¡°No army unless we get jumped. I¡¯ll let you on a secret,¡± she said, leaning forward.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t actually expect a lot of people to ask for our help.¡±

    ¡°Ooooh, very smart, very smart. Yes. Because you cops are useless?¡±

    ¡°I mean, we got to build some trust first. Anyway, I should leave. Nice food.¡±

    Shinoda was done telling Flash he was impressive for breaking decent encryption that fast. The young asshole was positively preening. The two strangers in a semi-hostile land regrouped and moved on.

    The trip through the market remained uneventful. Most people were not quite as welcoming as old Lin had been but they provided service, most of the time.

    ¡°That smells quite nice,¡± Nestra told a lady selling naan she stuck to the inside of a bell-shaped oven.

    ¡°Yeah but smelling is all you¡¯ll do. I don¡¯t do business with pigs,¡± the lady replied with a calm expression that said the only way Nestra would taste it would be theft and battery. Nestra shrugged. Not a surprise.

    Except for that one incident, they were mostly just tolerated as they moved through a crowd that gave them a wide berth. Only the most confident people asked them questions.

    ¡°So you guys think you¡¯re here to stay?¡±

    ¡°Are you going to try and tax us?¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do about trash collection?¡±

    ¡°When¡¯s the hospital coming? We were told there would be one?¡±

    Obviously no one trusted them farther than they believed they could throw them but at least there were no overt shows of hostility, and they reached the end unmolested. Shinoda pointed to a set of wide stairs and the long trek up began. Long, because Shinoda was taking his time since he could not afford to run out of breath. And also because the place was a maze.

    What reports failed to say was that many of the hab blocks¡¯ corridors were obstructed by very deliberate blockades, not piles of trash but welded bars, corrugated steel amalgams and, in one case, an actual wall made of concrete blocks cemented in place with surprising professionalism. Some of the passages ended with locked doors and others with concerned guards who were more than eager to point the way up.

    ¡°There are elevators but they are limited to the manufacturing levels. They have jury-rigged security access. We will not take this path very often,¡± Shinoda explained as a way of apology though Nestra didn¡¯t care.

    The place was messy and fascinating and also some of the graffitis were frankly impressive. The ones without dicks, that is.

    ¡°They¡¯ll let us use them?¡±

    ¡°I will ask politely. Please do not override anything unless there is an emergency.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Nestra replied. ¡°Not that I¡¯d know how to do it. That¡¯s Stibs¡¯ domain.¡±

    ¡°The friend who gave you the drones?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Her setup is very impressive. We are lucky she refused to join a corporation. Are they deployed now?¡±

    ¡°All the time, yeah.¡±

    They reached a long corridor overlooking the central courtyard. Some of the railing was missing. Shinoda slowed down.

    ¡°So, are they telling you what I suspect?¡± the detective asked.

    ¡°Five of them. One¡¯s running ahead to corner us.¡±

    ¡°The baggy clothes groups that followed us at the market?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m seeing weapons.¡±

    ¡°I wish to talk to them.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

 3.4

    Shinoda resolutely walked to the end of the path, stopping right at the corner. He looked at Nestra who gave him a countdown. At zero, a tall guy turned around, almost into Shinoda. He swung without thinking.

    Nestra¡¯s senses were a little enhanced in human form, which gave her all the time to appreciate the old detective¡¯s flowing motion as he grabbed the extended arm with his own, twisted on himself, heaved the unbalanced ganger over his shoulder and sent him bodily crashing against the balustrade, which cracked ominously and then, broke.

    Nestra grabbed the guy¡¯s arm before he could plummet down on a hat-seller stand. He glared at her with venomous intensity as if Nestra was enjoying herself pulling that sack of muscles up. The fall wouldn''t kill him. She was half-tempted to pull the good old Mufasa.

    ¡°Give me your hand!¡± Shinoda yelped by her side.

    His genuine concern shocked Nestra, and the ganger as well. He still hesitated halfway because apparently, his pride had short-circuited his higher brain functions.

    ¡°Kusogaki. Hand. Give. Now.¡±

    The two finally hoisted the idiot back up just as the rest of the group arrived behind them. Without hesitation, Shinoda released the idiot so he could join his friends with bashful resentment. Nestra took position behind Shinoda while the two sides made their stand.

    The local thugs were a sorry lot.

    It was not just the cheap baggy clothes that only hid weapons from naive eyes and protected absolutely nothing. It was also the general lack of edge they were displaying, defiance without the training and mentality Nestra had seen in her colleagues over the years. Riel, even Pudding would have demolished these guys for breakfast and he used to eat three of them. And they were young. They were so damn young. The oldest thug was the leader, and he was younger than Nestra. Nineteen or twenty. South East Asian. He was the only one who¡¯d successfully grown facial hair and though he did have a certain magnetism, Nestra could see the tension in his shoulders. Interestingly, the security file didn¡¯t mention them.

    ¡°Guess the little piggies have eyes.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t go like you think it will go,¡± Shinoda stated.

    ¡°Hah,¡± the leader scoffed.

    He sounded more bitter than angry. Nestra noticed he kept his hand relaxed by his side, near the pocket of his baggy trousers. Probably had a piece there though she didn¡¯t know why he hadn¡¯t already drawn it like most of his friends. As for the other guys, their irons were fabricator-made junk made from blueprints designed to go around hard-coded safeties against gun proliferation. Basically, they¡¯d manufactured each piece of the gun independently then assembled them. The results were boxy, unwieldy things that made even her antique service rifle look like shiny corp gear. The only people those fuckers could threaten were groups as pathetic as themselves. It was a little sad but she kept the observation to herself because Shinoda was taking them seriously. To be fair, even a garbo gun could still kill.

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna give me the speech about how if I off you, a hundred will replace you? Or some shit like that?¡± the leader continued.

    ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡±

    The leader¡¯s smirk gained a steel edge.

    ¡°You knew I was coming but that does not mean you can stop me.¡±

    ¡°Not this. We will not be replaced. Should you kill us, it will be over. But it will not serve your purpose.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what my purpose is.¡±

    ¡°Then tell me,¡± Shinoda said with kindness and patience.

    Nestra got a feeling the leader had just gotten trapped and he knew it as well. For a moment, she thought he was going to opt out and just get back to violence, but the rest of his squad was looking at him with curiosity. Maybe they also knew cops were bad but they¡¯d not articulated exactly why. Riel, they really were so fucking young.

    ¡°I want to stop what¡¯s going to happen here. Seen it before. First you can¡¯t move around, then you can¡¯t have a gun. Can¡¯t sell food without a corpo permit. Can¡¯t sell local stuff cause it¡¯s not licensed. Drones everywhere. Just wait a bit and the entire kib is just a slum around a combini and a pawn shop. And we¡¯re all on the fucking dole waiting for corpo nutrient bars.¡±

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    He pulled a stick from a pocket and lit it, sending a puff of smoke traveling towards Nestra with lazy defiance. It smelled like weed.

    ¡°So gonna make it costly. Maybe too costly. We won¡¯t kill you. Rough you up a bit. Won¡¯t even ask a little knob slob from the sow. But we¡¯ll send the message. And hey, maybe we get the fucking borgs dropped on us but at least we¡¯ll have fought back, yeah?¡±

    ¡°I see. You are protecting your¡­ kib, was it?¡±

    The thugs chuckled. They really thought it was funny watching the old timers use the local slang.

    ¡°We are not here for that. We are, ah, the canaries. In a mine. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Is this some old guy shit I¡¯m supposed to get?¡±

    ¡°Old, yes. Pre-incursion. A long time ago, canaries were kept in mines to see if the air would go sour. Do you know how you can tell if the mine air is sour?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the canaries?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They are dead.¡±

    The toughs were now listening to Shinoda with grisly fascination, certain that they had the upper hand anyway so indulging in a little banter couldn¡¯t hurt. Shinoda grabbed that attention like a gleam on a dance floor.

    ¡°There are only two of us. We cannot be the law in this ¡®kib¡¯. Our role is to tell the town where to go with the help, and the hospitals, and the supplies. If the canaries die then the place is not a good place to help. It is simple. And there is something else.¡±

    The youth waited.

    ¡°We are Threshold officers. We are not corporate private security. We are not even well paid.¡±

    Nestra nodded before she could think, which made a few of the thugs shift with amusement. Her instincts kept telling her they were no danger and the Scornful Crescent whispered in her ear that she could take them all out and solve the situation immediately. Make them afraid of her. Gain dominance. But that wasn¡¯t what she wanted.

    ¡°This is your one and last chance to get a better life, because the city will try a little and then it will give up and leave the district to Gidung. The truth is, no one believes in you. The city will offer training. It will give you access to healthcare and assistance for those who need it to get better. It will not close the fabricators or the vat farms. But most people do not expect much from it because they believe you are a lost cause. You can choose to stay here if you wish and perhaps Gidung will win. Or you can grab that chance and turn your luck around.¡±

    Shinoda shrugged.

    ¡°You can change and make progress. I can even help you. It will not be easy because no one wants to make it easy for you, but it is possible. Or you can do the same thing you have always done and let the world crush you. It will take a while and maybe you will feel like you¡¯re fighting a noble cause but in the end, it will not matter. You are warriors with homemade guns. They have power walkers and bored users. It is not a war you can win by fighting with the weapons you have now.¡±

    ¡°Sure, ok. Why would you even care?¡±

    ¡°I was part of the crushing force, a long time ago. Luck offered me a mark as a reminder.¡±

    Slowly, the detective opened his vest and unbuttoned the shirt underneath. From her position at his back, Nestra couldn¡¯t see what he showed but the way the thugs flinched told her enough. He had to be sporting the mother of all scars.

    ¡°I have carried this mark everywhere I go. I will no longer be part of those who crush, but I cannot escape the trap for you. Only you can do it. As I said, I can help you. I can show you the tools. You will see that I tell the truth. If at any point, you believe I lie¡­¡±

    He approached the nearest ganger. With two delicate fingers, he picked the barrel of the homemade gun then slowly lifted it until the muzzle rested between his eyes.

    ¡°If that happens, you can kill me. I will not try to stop you.¡±

    So that was why Kim had told Nestra to keep an eye on that fucker because, as far as Nestra could tell with her sharp senses, Shinoda was unafraid. His heartbeat was steady. There was no sweat on his skin. He was¡­ truly indifferent to dying.

    That felt wrong to Nestra until she realized that until two weeks ago, she¡¯d shared the exact same mindset. But now life tasted sweet and she no longer wanted to let it go. It was a strange feeling realizing how much she wanted to keep existing now.

    The thug pulled his gun away from Shinoda¡¯s forehead, breaking the spell. The dynamic of the situation had changed and the promise of violence was now a distant thing, faded into the background. That lasted until the leader realized there was a foreign piece inserted in this perfect scene like the black queen on the white side of a chessboard. Someone who was sticking out. Someone who didn¡¯t fit.

    Nestra.

    ¡°How about you, pig girl? Why are you here?¡±

    Shinoda stepped to the side and gave her a warm smile. That gesture was aimed at the others, to show them she had his blessing and trust rather than speaking over her to smooth things over. Fortunately, Nestra had actually given it some thought.

    ¡°I almost died fighting the gangers during the purge. They had corpo gear, unmarked, and I think we both know how they got it. I¡¯m just here to make sure Gidung doesn¡¯t get free rein over the district.¡±

    ¡°You think you grunts can do anything?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do. So long as we¡¯re around, no one can just wipe the place and blame it on ¡®terrorist action¡¯. I¡¯m not joking by the way.¡±

    ¡°Oh so now you¡¯re our shield against the corpo, eh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah because so long as we¡¯re here, they have to pretend to care.¡±

    Nestra knew she wasn¡¯t as convincing as Shinoda. The gang seemed divided over her statement. She knew she was making sense but it was clear she didn¡¯t really give a shit about them and the fact she was armed and on guard reflected that. They felt it too.

    ¡°Nice blade by the way. Can I see it?¡± the leader asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s a family gift, so no. But for the rest, feast your eyes.¡±

    Nestra pulled her vest open, revealing the Wellington body armor along with some of her gadgets and the hand cannon resting against her hip. A few loud whistles welcomed the reveal.

    ¡°Nice. Is that an EMP charge?¡± the leader asked, pointing at the gadget she¡¯d used against Flash.

    Nestra knew where this was going. She grabbed the grenade and threw it. The leader caught it in the air with ease. A sleight of hand and it was gone. A toll. A symbol. Nestra could live with that.

    ¡°Ok. We¡¯ll see if you mean it or you¡¯re just talk, piggies. See you later.¡±

    The thugs left in good order, leaving the law in control of the corridor and the situation. No bloodbath! They were off to such a good start.

    ¡°That went as well as I¡¯d hoped,¡± Nestra said.

    ¡°It is so, ne? Let¡¯s hope this lasts.¡±

 3.5

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    Nestra had to admit, she was impressed. The hab housed an actual meat vat farm with slabs of cloned meat bobbing peacefully in nutrient juices. Helpers moved around the vats, checking indicators and adding powders to the mix. Much of the supplies were piled haphazardly across the room in piles. There was even mold in the corner. To Nestra¡¯s left, an open door led to some sort of biomass recycling thing if the acidic stench of rot wafting from there was any indication. What didn¡¯t look stolen had to be counterfeited and yet Nestra knew with absolute certainty that they still made it work.

    Mostly because of the skewers she¡¯d had.

    ¡°Welcome, welcome esteemed customers,¡± an old lady with a turban and a dark gaze said.

    Shinoda greeted the lady with respect, which she returned. The file said she was Miss Yadar, no known first name, and probably the hab block¡¯s richest denizen. The two discussed matters in a low voice while Nestra did her best not to scrunch her nose at the aggressive scents attacking her senses. Eventually, they left, though not before exchanging numbers so Nestra hoped this meant Yadar was taking them as serious potential partners. That or the lady wanted to bang Shinoda. She couldn¡¯t be sure. Seduction plays were hard to read for her, especially when they weren¡¯t aimed at her.

    In any case, they got to visit the hab block¡¯s upper floors.

    It was simply incredible what humanity could achieve with a complete disregard of work safety, intellectual property rights, worker rights, and taxation. Truly inspirational. There were fabricators spitting jailbroken or custom made appliances to be used all around Fifteen! Rice cookers and mixers at prices that defied common sense were piled in thin metal boxes, ready to be sent down the stained elevators. At least, this specific part was healthy.

    ¡°No drug labs,¡± Nestra observed.

    Shinoda agreed in silence. There didn¡¯t seem to be many addicts either. It looked like they¡¯d drawn the jackpot for assignments. So, that was nice.

    ¡°Hey, wait. I got something.¡±

    Nestra opened her feed. One of her drones was keeping an eye on her car. A figure was approaching it. She paid attention this time because the figure didn¡¯t fit. To her surprise, no one had pissed on the door handle, perhaps out of concern of getting their private parts zapped. There were a few young stone throwers but that was about it. The one who appeared was super suspicious. She shared the feed with Shinoda who watched it on his old datasheet.

    ¡°Oh, Palladian-san. Our friend seems lost.¡±

    The guy approaching the car had a cap and a face mask for anonymity, but he also wore brand new nondescript cargo pants, sneakers, and a hoodie in brown and blue shades. They looked fresh out of the fabricator. In police parlance this was called the ¡®undercover cops summer collection¡¯. For the winter collection, just add a vest. This guy fit in like a zit on a gleam¡¯s ass. He looked left and right, then walked closer, barely pausing near the door. His hand moved with aug speed then he was off.

    ¡°Tracker?¡± Nestra asked.

    ¡°It seems that way. Listener as well, certainly. Our Gidung friends have made their first move. They should have used a drone.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps they¡¯re afraid of Flash. He noticed my drones immediately.¡±

    ¡°Hmmmm. Then it is fortunate you two reached an agreement, ne?¡±

    ¡°You could call it that.¡±

    The pair rode the elevator down. It was getting close to 6PM so Nestra dropped her drones in slow mode at specific points across the block to keep an eye on things, expecting nights to be more animated. The pair climbed into their cruiser after unpeeling the tracker. Nestra tossed it at a garbage collector drone on the ride back.

    ¡°Today went very well, I think?¡± Nestra asked.

    She didn¡¯t really have a frame of reference.

    ¡°Yes. We were only¡­ accosted once, ne? And no violence. But there were no crimes today. None that we were called to solve. Tomorrow might change that. They will be testing our ability to solve problems without bringing in the hammer. You did well, Palladian-san.¡±

    ¡°Not going to comment on the EMP threat?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I believe it pays to show a little teeth sometimes, ne? You can be bad cop.¡±

    ¡°Why thank you.¡±

    To celebrate being a bad cop, Nestra ate her prepared snacks (spring rolls) before falling asleep in the car, only waking up long enough to transfer to her own car. She only woke up at midnight. It was time to raid again, and this time, she felt a certain sense of urgency along with the usual excitement.

    It was only a matter of time before she was attacked for real. Every little bit of help would increase her chances of success. And soon, she would be using her demon form in the real world as well.

    ***

    Tonight¡¯s portal world was inside of a tightly locked warehouse at the edge of the city, where smaller companies or artisans stored their stuff. Nestra found no way to get in without breaking in so she did the same as last time. She followed the pleasant energy until she was close enough to slip into the portal.

    It was dark in there, and it smelled musty. Bricks spoke of an artificial structure made by tools but not as much as an actual panel with arrows for direction.

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    Nestra caressed the rust-colored stone, going over the symbols with mixed feelings of curiosity and regret. Those were not magical inscriptions or anything. Just chiseled, coarse runes designed for functionality with arrows pointing towards empty corridors, and yet they evoked a sense of wonder.

    There were theories.

    In the last days of the incursion, an army spilled from the largest portals and contrary to normal monsters, they were organized. Organized and deadly. Some of the rising hopes of mankind died in the spears of those feathered, bipedal lizards. For a moment, it seemed that all was lost. Mankind saw its doom and simply called them the Shetanis, the devils.

    It was Riel who saved them all. Riel the savior. Riel the messiah. Possibly still the most powerful human to have ever lived even years after the fact. Hell, he might still be alive. No one knew his real name. All humans knew was that he was a space mage of considerable power who used portals to carry his elite force from battlefield to battlefield, defeating the enemy in detail. He¡¯d disappeared in one of his own spells at the paroxysm of the conflict, taking the opposing leadership with him. Some speculated he escaped into some other dimension afterward. Nestra thought he was finely minced atoms, but everyone needed their King Arthur ready to return from Avalon to save everyone once more.

    Anyway, the main point was, there was intelligent life out there. Nestra was likely from out there and she was intelligent life as well, pretty sure. There were even theories that the Shetanis were meant to inherit the earth and that the portals they came from didn¡¯t lead to an artificial world but a real one. Nestra believed in it - the ¡®real worlds¡¯ theory, not the inheriting part. All those creatures and landscapes were not taken from the void, They were real places, out there, being mimicked by whatever it was that did portals.

    And just like this world, sometimes, the life was intelligent.

    Maybe some aliens out there were chucking poison darts at magically cloned retail workers in some fried chicken franchise. Nestra imagined the enraged copies tossing boiling oil at the invaders from behind the fry stand. Glorious. May they spread the fear of mankind to all those species.

    Nestra checked her hand for dust. So, apparently, she still felt somewhat human. Or at least on the human side. Even though she wasn¡¯t one. That was¡­ weird? Or was it? She really needed to get the benefactor to talk to her soonish.

    In any case, she was in a copy of a base inhabited by intelligent life. Intelligent enough to write directions.

    It was unfortunate she had to kill them but the truth was that portal creatures were irredeemably aggressive. Nestra knew there had been attempts to communicate with them, even including drugs and some ethically questionable and extremely rare gleam powers that made people more¡­ amenable. All those efforts had failed. Now, capturing intelligent creatures was prohibited in Threshold for ethical reasons, which really went to show the unspeakable things humans had done for vengeance or for fun. And that was just here in one of the bastions of civility. In some places like the Nairobi enclave, killing captive intelligent species was a spectator sport because they tended to be¡­ entertainingly resourceful.

    ¡°Right. Enough of this.¡±

    Nestra was on a timer. The portals were growing increasingly complex which meant they took an increasingly longer time to clear. Maybe soon, they would start eating into her sleep time. Or her snack time. Awful. Better get on the way.

    The portal world was clearly underground, in a complex of dark red, pitted bricks with spaced stones emitting a dull red light. The walls were rather high and the corridors were large enough for her to wield her sword comfortably. The directions on the wall pointed towards several corners. Besides them, there was nothing differentiating one path from the next and the place had obviously been designed to be confusing to navigate, with no corridor being straight for longer than twenty paces. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean anything for Nestra since she had a visor with her. The onboard software would create a map as she progressed.

    Carefully, Nestra moved out. Corridors only led to more corridors and, sometimes, dead ends. She decided to record the directions on the wall and just follow one for a while. As she glanced past an intersection, she heard a dull explosion. The ground shook once under her feet while dust fell from the ceiling.

    This was¡­ a bunker? Interesting. A memory brushed her mind, from an eternity ago. A lesson from her father about the rare worlds and what could be found there. Hmmm. Red stone. Bunkers. Explosions. Could it be¡­ the Infinite War? No, that would be too perfect.

    After one more turn, Nestra finally found her first opponents. The corridor turned right towards a large gate guarded by two bipedal creatures wearing a full body suit of dark material, possibly leather. Cumbersome masks with four bulbous glasses for ¡ª she presumed ¡ª the eyes, covered all their features. They were stout and almost round, slightly shorter than human, and wielded pneumatic rifles with a bayonet fixed under the barrel.

    It was the Infinite War! Amazing!

    Staying low to the ground, she walked out, sticking to the deeper shadows between the light stones. She was only a few steps away when the closest creature let out a grunt of surprise. She used momentum to move forward.

    The creatures were so surprised they fumbled their weapons. Her first cut decapitated the right one, then she thrusted her blade into the chest of the second. It dropped its weapon but didn¡¯t die immediately. A coup-de-grace silenced it.

    A rush of power filled her. It spoke of increased resilience, of the ability to endure. Well, not resilient enough to stop her anyway. A quick search revealed nothing specific. The creatures were fleshy but shared more in common with worms than mammals that she could tell. They were just weird. They didn¡¯t really wear armor but their uniforms were naturally protective. A quick shot with one of the pneumatic rifles sent a cone of steel lodging itself into the wall, not very deep but deep enough to hurt her. They did feel difficult to handle though, despite the lack of recoil.

    So it really was Infinite War.

    A rare world, Infinite War provided a bleak outlook of what positional battle could become if left to fester for too long. The creatures living there had dug themselves to standstill, with an unknown number of sides involved, all gathering a collection of creatures. The place wasn¡¯t well researched since it was so rare anyway, but that didn¡¯t matter. What mattered was the buffet of power provided to her. More diversity of prey meant more power ups since she had diminishing returns on creatures she¡¯d hunted before.

    It was time to hunt.

    Giddy, Nestra found a key to the gate and opened it. Inside, she found¡­ an armory.

    Not a very big one though.

    Much like the rest of the complex, the armory was bare-walled and devoid of any decoration. Crates and shelves lined the space in neat, well-organized stacks. There were cone ammo dumps, rifles, side arms that looked like extinguishers with handles, sabers, bayonets, helmets of various sizes, muzzles, and one thing that looked a bit like a flamethrower.

    They were all shit.

    That was the issue with many of the portal worlds, at least at her rank. What the natives were using was systematically inferior to human stuff. Ah, whatever. Going out, she selected another directional keyword and kept walking. Less than two corridors later, a noise alerted her.

    There was a patrol nearby. It consisted of three of the footmen she¡¯d already killed along with a pair of hound things but white and misshapen, and a strange creature that looked like a jellyfish planted on a gorilla¡¯s body as its head. All of them were short and strong.

    Even though she was in the shadows, the jellyfish turned directly to her. Nestra realized that the entire appendage was covered in eyes.

    It was absolutely disgusting.

    The creature screeched and Nestra charged forward. Momentum brought her among the group. The Scornful Crescent guided her steps when she pushed aside the barrels, when she slew the first two guards. A hound jumped and she stepped back, killing it mid-air. The other stumbled on its slain brethren and Nestra struck true. The last guard missed her with a rifle shot but she still rushed back when the jellyfish lit up like a Christmas tree. An azure shockwave spread through the corridor, banishing the darkness with a fizzle of spent electricity. Nestra was back in again before the rifleman finished reloading. She killed both.

    The jellyfish¡¯s head was super mushy. It pretty much exploded when she sliced it.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    Power seeped into Nestra¡¯s essence. Resilience from the guards, awareness from the hound, but from the jellyfish came something new. She felt a font awaken in her, pulsing in rhythm with her breath. It was the last piece of the puzzle, the last element of a core: fast mana generation. It was what allowed casting users to stay in the fight even after they¡¯d depleted their reserves.

    ¡°Oh I¡¯m loving this place.¡±

    Nestra checked the patrol but found nothing worth taking, only mundane materials used on inferior technology. As for the meat of the hounds and jellyfish thing, it looked and smelled so vile, it might as well have been designed on purpose to induce nausea. That was ok.

    A little later, Nestra encountered another, similar patrol. This time, she didn¡¯t make the mistake of letting the jellyfish live. Her first slice covered the helmets of two guards in enough gore to blind them, leaving her to dispose of the hounds with ease. It was a slaughter and the¡­ sobriety of movement of that hunt sent shivers down her spine. Perhaps it was a little premature to search for perfection in execution when she knew so little about the world, but there was no shame in enjoying a bit of pride when she managed it.

    Nestra¡¯s triumph was short-lived. A grunting call rang from all around as if from loudspeakers. The language was coarse and entirely guttural to the point that even differentiating between each curt, barked syllable proved impossible. A whoomp that sounded suspiciously like an alarm alternated with short sentences.

    ¡°Ah, oops?¡±

 3.6

    This was the second portal since the fort to be reactive as a whole and Nestra believed this was going to become the norm. Her training didn¡¯t cover that.

    It was kind of exciting.

    She kept following the same direction at a good pace until she heard feet stomping around a corner. She stopped. It sounded like more people this time. Reinforced patrols? Nice. As far as she knew, monster numbers were fixed inside of a portal world so that simply meant she would have to fight less encounters. Holding her breath, she waited until they approached. Just there, at the corner.

    The first guards just turned the corner when she used momentum to appear before them. Masks. She couldn¡¯t see their faces. A sideway slash imbued with mana, just to be sure. Gain the advantage. Two dead, cloven in two. Forward. She killed the next pair on two clean strikes while they were raising their rifles. Go with the flow. Every step is part of a whole, a perfection in motion designed to take down the opposition in the most elegant, flawless way possible. Art given form. Dive under a jumping hound. Stab another as it rushes her. Crush the jellyfish just as it charges. The timing must be perfect. She smashed through the patrol in a whirlwind of violence before they could recover, before they could bring their numbers to bear.

    Lots of numbers.

    This patrol was more than twice the previous one, with new variants. One of the creatures had four arms, each ending in a blade that seems grafted there. It twisted on itself to deliver four blows. Weak, all of them. Nestra took a step back then caught a wrist with a devastating blow, severing it. The dervish creature stumbled. The next blow killed it. Nestra felt power seeping into her again, more speed this time. She¡ª

    Pain.

    A shock, a stumble forward. A spike hit her lower back. The projectile fell, not having penetrated deep enough to stick. Blood. Hers. She turned and killed a hound but the rifleman took a step back as he reloaded. Use momentum and kill it, then turn and stumble back. A second jellyfish creature unleashed a shockwave of electricity. The beasts near it were unaffected. Two guards raised their pneumatic guns.

    Use momentum to rush forward. Errant indigo bolts danced on her arms, the remnants of the jellyfish spell. They tingled painfully and her arm spasmed but she endured. She brute-force smashed through the second dervish and killed the jellyfish with a single decapitating strike. Only a couple of guards left but she heard it. Rushing feet coming from, well.

    Coming from everywhere.

    The guards were running away, though it felt more like a tactic than real fear. She hesitated and that hesitation cost her. The Stalk of the Scornful Crescent stopped with her doubt. Continue or run in the other direction? To remain untouchable or to crush relentlessly.

    She didn¡¯t know.

    There were just too many parameters she couldn¡¯t understand. Maybe it would be best to continue a running battle. She had mapped enough of the place to avoid being cornered or escape. She turned, and that was when a sharp pain lanced through her left arm.

    There was a needle in it. A long, very thin black needle. Through it. Her panicked eyes found a creature emerging from a puddle of darkness on the nearby wall, torso half exposed to reveal a black leather coat and a steel mask, bare except for two eye slits. The assassin carried a hand crossbow, now empty though it was already pulling back the string.

    Nestra struck but the creature was already disappearing and the tip of her blade only tore pieces of rust-colored gravel. The alarm sound redoubled and new eructed words came with increasing urgency.

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    Nestra ran away. The assassin was a level of magnitude faster than the others. Mid D-class, she¡¯d say. About as fast as her. That could only mean one thing. Errant boss.

    Sometimes, the commander or most dangerous beast of a world didn¡¯t wait at the end but preferred to harass the invaders during the whole trip. That was the case here. She should have ¡ª aaarg. She wasn¡¯t taking this seriously enough! Portal Worlds killed raiders every day all across the planet and she¡¯d seen it as a distraction because it had been too easy.

    The weird benefactors had sent her here as a lesson.

    Nestra pulled the spike. At least it wasn¡¯t poisoned or she would have felt it now. What a disaster.

    Ok, calm down.

    She would return to the entrance just in case she had to escape, but her goal would also be to take down patrols as fast as possible. The assassin was probably stalking her so she ought to watch out for that. Ahead of her, a spot of deeper darkness spread over a wall, at the exact half distance between two bleary light sources. She could only see it because her dark vision was perfect. It disappeared soon after. The assassin was biding its time but¡­ perhaps she could lure it out. Ignoring the pain in her arm and back, Nestra decided to veer to the side where she heard a patrol, a smaller one this time. Not all of them had had the time to converge, it seemed. She charged forward using momentum to crash against the guards once more, their rifles unable to follow.

    Fighting while keeping an eye out was one of the hardest things she¡¯d ever done. Tensions grasped her heart with its cold touch but she didn¡¯t relent. Open with the guards, kill the hounds next. She was already familiar with the perfect path. It had already become¡­ less exciting. Too predictable. A dot on the wall there.

    Another.

    A part of Nestra¡¯s brain panicked but the rest focused, slicing at the head of the assassin as it appeared. It saw her. It tried to pull back. Nestra felt it strain against the mana, resisting it to hide back into the shadows but it was in vain. The assassin used the darkness as a tool. It didn¡¯t understand it enough to reverse the spell¡¯s course and so darkness pushed it forward just as it was originally meant to do. There was so much powerless rage in the assassin¡¯s gaze as it died that Nestra felt like she was looking at herself. Diving low, she hid behind the jellyfish and thrust up and through its brain just as a long dark spike embedded itself in its flaccid body. There was now a third pool of darkness emerging from a side wall. Three assassins. And this one would have a perfect vantage.

    Desperate times, desperate measures.

    Nestra called upon precision. The power guided her muscles for a perfect throw. The assassins¡¯ eyes widened in fright behind its mask when it saw her move but it was too late. With unerring accuracy, her blade flew through the air. It landed in the assassin¡¯s chest with a ghastly wet sound.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    This left two guards, the second assassin who now had a clear path towards her, and a Nestra with a wounded left arm, a pistol on her left hip she couldn¡¯t properly reach, and not a shitload of options.

    Had to try it.

    She lacked training but¡­ no choice. Sometimes, one had to use weapons they had not mastered yet.

    She was going to cast a spell.

    Nestra extended her fingers towards the assassin as it aimed, the two guards lifting their rifles to the side as well. She drew mana from her electric core like she did to coat her blade but this time, she pulled a lot of it. A lot. Almost half of her reserves were drained in a single instant as an unseen charge of power gathered around her extended digits. When she felt ready, she pushed.

    Nestra knew how lightning worked but the way she perceived it was different. A terrible excess formed on the chest of the assassin, an abundance that warped the world around it while an equally dreadful longing remained at Nestra¡¯s fingertips. It was more than electrons, it was an imbalance in the mana of the world that absolutely must be corrected. At this precise instant, Nestra was no longer in control. The spell was cast. The imbalance was here. Now, it would be corrected, and neither Nestra, nor any creature here, nor perhaps even Shinran could stop it from happening.

    BOOM.

    The two points linked and lightning was made. It was black at its core and gray in the shockwave of superheated air exploding outward. It was loud, deafeningly so, and it was powerful, unexpectedly so.

    The gray spell obliterated the assassin, the guards, the walls, and Nestra¡¯s eardrums. It seared a memory in her cornea she would carry all her life, one of wonder and of vertigo before a force she guided rather than controlled. It also sent her careening against unyielding brick in a shower of debris and body parts.

    ¡°Ow!¡±

    The bells of every church in threshold decided that now was a good time for a concerto. Nestra propped herself up and failed, then she tried again. No time to be distracted. Had made enough mistakes already. Couldn¡¯t let her guard down.

    ¡°Ow. Ok. Not in enclosed space. Noted.¡±

    Stumbling, she raced to grab her sword and a smattering of needles dropped by the dead assassin while she was at it. Had to make some distance. Bleeding now. Couldn¡¯t hear properly either.

    Nestra shook her head and walked at a sedate pace, careful to check all her corners. There were no more pools of darkness which meant that the three assassins were probably it. Most likely. Her hearing returned after a minute or two and the bleeding slowed down as well but she still stopped in a corner to apply some basic potions.

    It was good to be prepared.

    With the bleeding stopped, Nestra took a look at the wounds. Gray skin closed over the vanishing gashes. They were already itching. Only her arm was still painful but it had been run through and a slow move proved it could work without issue. In front of her, stomping noises announced the coming of another patrol.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Nestra changed tactics. Rather than killing everything methodically, she went through the formation like a hot knife through butter, only reversing at the end for another pass. That way, there was always a guard between herself and other guards. It worked really well. She only wished she could spend more time killing the dervishes so she could study their movements. After that, her path led her to another section of the maze.

    This one was a sort of barracks with narrow cots and lockers. Some rooms looked like charging stations with strange fluids leaking from unraveling cords while others were kennels, some still hosting baying pale hounds she killed anyway. A mess occupied the center of the place with vats of bubbling food sitting against the wall. They smelled vile and didn¡¯t look much better so Nestra regrettably left them alone. The kitchen wasn¡¯t inspiring either. All the ingredients came in discolored bricks with solid parts frozen in them, some looking like maggots.

    Disappointing.

    Nestra hit the jackpot when she found three dervishes in a tiny training room.

    ¡°Aaaah, finally.¡±

    The creatures threw themselves at her, each one hampering the other by being in the way, so Nestra killed two using her superior strength before engaging the last one. She let the survivor charge her in a twisting hurricane of blades, pushing it back with measured slices. A momentum back led to the dervish rushing forward, closing the distance and leaving a shallow slice on her leg. She kicked it away and it charged back. Nestra countered with a thrust which the dervish failed to stop.The wound gave it pause, but only for an instant. It simply charged again.

    The pattern repeated a couple of times. Nestra was disappointed to see that her foe was more programmed than trained. She killed it quickly after that. She also checked the blades. They looked pretty sharp to be able to cut into her skin so she recovered a few.

    Her exploration continued. The patrols were growing rare now, and the corridors more familiar. Nestra was still careful, just in case there was another surprise, but the worst had passed. The next section opened on a large room with a table at its center. A tall, bipedal creature with a large head stood up from a large chair and shot at her. Momentum let her dive to the side and then she killed him before it could reload. It didn¡¯t offer much resistance but she still got a sizable portion of power from his body. Her mind felt keener, faster.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the commander of the base.¡±

    She considered keeping the sidearm and eventually decided to do so as a trophy. Not like this place had been very fruitful food wise. Errrr, loot wise. She found the exit portal behind that room. It was already opened, with two crystals and some weird stones she recognized as exotic magnets. Not useful to her but they would fetch a nice price on the black market.

    There was one section of the maze she¡¯d not explored yet. She was tempted to do so. Very much tempted.

    Fuck it, it would be lost when the world collapsed. Had to see it.

    Nestra retraced her step and found a winding, circular set of stairs going up. It took a few minutes to reach the end, during which the explosions she¡¯d first heard grew louder and more powerful. Finally, she found herself in what had to be an observation post doubling as a bunker.

    It was also the end of the portal world, as told by the waves she felt in the fabric of reality. Come to think of it, they were a little like a portal.

    The air smelled dry and rancid here. A warm wind carried an acidic stench she could not recognize under a roiling sky of sickly yellow clouds. Explosions sent plumes of smoke barely visible above a hazy cloud of dust, but sometimes their lights could be seen as ephemeral flashes in the grimy air. Distant shapes rushed away, sometimes small and humanoid and sometimes much, much larger, titans of flesh carrying weapons on their backs.

    There was an uncountable amount of them. Nestra stayed for five minutes and the tide of flesh never ceased. It was a multitude sent to assault a force beyond what she could see and she knew in her heart this was a real place. This was really happening.

    Placing her hand against the end of the portal world, she peered through the void to spot the opposite side and her fingers, very slowly, sank in.

    She pulled back with a gasp.

    That was how she went through portals. By pushing through. But then¡­ But no, she couldn¡¯t try. What if she got stuck there in that hellscape with no way back? That was far too dangerous.

    A little spooked, Nestra made her way back to the exit portal and back into the real world.

    It was rare when she got to think that Threshold smelled pleasant. The warehouse apparently harbored a collection of antique pieces of furniture, probably pre-incursion. Plastic sheets wrapped around veneered panels in a protective gaze. The smell of old wood permeated the place. As usual, there was a letter and this time, it came with a fine prize.

    ¡°A Kero nut!¡±

    Whatever place this thing came from, the benefactor had clearly decided to return there. That was perhaps why they¡¯d been absent for three days? She munched the treat with great gusto before unpacking the letter. Ah, Kero nuts, a balm to her soul. What made them so tasty anyway?

    ¡°Little Nezhra!

    Well done tonight. As you can see, the training wheels are off and the next worlds will be harder first sphere worlds, or D-class as the humans say. It is necessary to prepare you for the future. You are going to need strength soon.

    Remember, when you reach the second sphere, I will tell you what you want to know. Until then, trust me when I say this is the safest option.

    I am looking forward to seeing you face to face!¡±

    There were two hastily written notes next to the main body that showed that the benefactor was somehow keeping an eye on her.  To Nestra, it just reeked of a lack of preparation.

    ¡°Little Nezhra, it appears I need to talk about ¡®hubris¡¯ now rather than later. It is the drive to win perfectly. It is what pushes you to give yourself a handicap so you can experience the enemy fully rather than just win. I will not tell you not to explore and fight on your own terms. One cannot defy their nature. Just keep in mind that this is how we die.¡±

    Huh. But it did make sense to fight the dervish one on one to see its limit in case there was something to learn, right? How else was she supposed to make progress?

    That was normal, no?

    Nestra frowned. She had some thinking to do. The last piece of text had very obviously been added at the last minute.

    ¡°Little Nezhra. DO NOT CROSS INTO OTHER WORLDS NOW. DO NOT DO IT. You are not ready at all and I may not be able to follow you.¡±

    Ah.

    So, she could really cross into the other worlds. That brought its own host of questions but like most things, she was too weak for it to matter. The world was vast and Nestra was small. That was how things were, for now, but she would change that. First, going out would be a good idea.

 3.7

    Right, so, she was a prisoner here. She could break through but there was one power she knew she needed, had needed, and now there was an opportunity to get it. Nestra sat down on the ground and rested her back against a commode as old as her mom. She closed her eyes and focused. It was  a familiar exercise, though she¡¯d stopped practicing when it had become clear she didn¡¯t have a core.

    Nestra sunk into herself. Soon, she was in her mind palace. A quick visit showed she¡¯d gained toxin resistance but little else resilience wise. Possibly a secondary gift from the assassins. What interested her were the spheres orbiting over the still shallow pool of mana.

    Power was still her strongest asset, closely followed by speed. She noticed that every sphere pulsed now. They were also slightly larger and higher in the sky, fed by the death energies of her victims. She counted seven in total. Each represented an attribute: power, celerity, resilience which covered regeneration apparently, awareness, mind speed, and two basic attributes of magic: control and generation. Interestingly, mana reserves were represented by the pool of water under her feet. It was fine, that was just an image in her mind. What interested her was the bond between them and the new one she felt was ready.

    While binding power and celerity had led to momentum and celerity and awareness had led to precision, the ability she needed now the most was¡­ traversal. It was an integral part of how she would survive in this walled city where locks and bars ruled to protect mankind. Or what was left of it. With a smile, Nestra linked her awareness with mana control for what she knew was an inborn gray demon ability.

    Nestra placed her hand against the wall. It was cold and unyielding, a concrete pillar holding the structure together. And then, it was not. Or rather, Nestra was no longer so unyielding, but swimming through a different substrate of reality.

    And then she was outside. It was like pushing through a membrane.

    She would call it passe-muraille. The walker-through-walls. Now she could avoid cameras and walls. Demon Nestra was going to get her first outing soon enough. The only thing she needed was a target.

    She put on her mask and walked back to her bike and her burner phone, which had seventeen missed calls. From Gorge. The latest was from five minutes before.

    He picked up before the phone could ring.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Shit, you don¡¯t owe me anything and all but¡­ it¡¯s about the spear you sold.¡±

    ¡°What about it?¡±

    ¡°The¡­ the buyer. They want to talk to you. They have my son.¡±

    ¡°Ooh. Targets.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°When?¡±

    ¡°Right goddamn now. Look, you don¡¯t have to come. But¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m coming. But I have conditions.¡±

    ¡°Anything.¡±

    ¡°Ok, here is what I need.¡±

    ***

    Gorge was pale as a ghost. He wasn¡¯t normally half as colorful as his language but this time, the white of his skin betrayed how absolutely terrified he was. His second son sat on the driver¡¯s seat, anxious though he hid it well. The interior of the van smelled of old leather and fresh sweat, the scent titillating human Nestra¡¯s nose in a curious way. A part of her wondered if the benefactor would let her do it. Considering they¡¯d not made their move yet, it seemed she would be allowed to reveal her dual nature to Gorge, at least.

    She wondered what would happen if the benefactor just materialized out of thin air to kill them all but it wasn¡¯t like she could let Gorge¡¯s son die, and that was what was at stake here.

    ¡°Explain,¡± she ordered.

    ¡°Look, the guy who bought the spear, his pit fighter went mad. He knew it might happen. He made a shit ton of money in the arena thanks to that artifact we sold, but he¡¯s also a cunt who always gets his way. So he got my son wanting to talk to you and¡­ I imagine he wants compensation. Look, this guy, he¡¯s mundane like us. Like me, I mean, but he got gleams working for him. And borg muscle.¡±

    ¡°Aug muscle.¡±

    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake. Fine. Aug muscle if you insist. Look, those guys¡­¡±

    ¡°Take and take. Meet in person with him?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m to bring you.¡±

    ¡°Mind if I, ah, make it clear I¡¯m not to be contacted?¡±

    Gorge gave her a measuring look.

    ¡°As I said, he¡¯s going to have muscle. If you think you can handle them, sure but¡­ it¡¯s gleams, Nestra, and not the nerdy researchers kind, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Got it. Give me the gear.¡±

    ¡°Here it is. Bodysuit as requested. It can expand too. But, ah, one meter ninety-five? You sure?¡±

    ¡°Mask?¡±

    ¡°Here. It will meld to your features the first time you wear it. Quite costly.¡±

    ¡°Take it off my tab.¡±

    ¡°Get my son out of this and it¡¯s free. And you¡¯ll have my gratitude as well.¡±

    Gorge turned serious. He was sweating.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious, Palladian. I may be an old cunt but I respect the deal. You don¡¯t owe me shit. Save my boy and I¡¯ll be on your side till Riel himself crawls back from hell to finish off the dregs.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can. Need to get changed.¡±

    ¡°You, uh, change shape or something? Is that your quirk?¡±

    Nestra smirked.

    ¡°The less you know¡­¡±

    ¡°The better. Off you go, we¡¯re on a schedule.¡±

    Nestra left the van, retreating inside of a deserted section of the abandoned parking lot Gorge had selected for the meeting. This was it. She pulled off her Mask. Her true form appeared.

    The skin thing was good but it didn¡¯t cover enough. Yet. Her forearms and calves were exposed, and though her body had proven resilient, her skin was too gray, too strange. Too inhuman. The bodysuit would cover every inch of skin while the mask would completely hide her features save for her eyes and hair. Even the horns would look like part of the design. She put everything on. It felt¡­ stifling. Wrong. But also protective.

    Thus anonymous, she walked back into the van.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°Got glitches on the¡ª¡±

    Gorge¡¯s face made an ¡®o¡¯ of surprise. Nestra believed it was the first time she saw the man truly shocked.

    ¡°Palladian?¡±

    True Nestra gave him a curt nod, then she sinuously pushed herself into the tiny vehicle. Well, it wasn¡¯t tiny, but it certainly felt cramped now.

    ¡°Go on, start the van,¡± Gorge said without blinking, then after the old thing started moving, he leaned forward.

    ¡°Nestra? That really you?¡±

    Was it? Being here, seeing Gorge looking up to her with terror in his eyes and the acrid stench of his sweat, she felt peculiar. Still Nestra, though, so his question was easy to answer. She nodded in assent.

    ¡°Holy shit, I can tell why you haven¡¯t revealed yourself yet. Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen a gleam with black eyes before. Heard about them though. Shit¡¯s terrifying.¡±

    He breathed out, then had one last look at her. Seeing she hadn¡¯t jumped to tear his throat off, he recovered his focus.

    ¡°Ok, alright. Here¡¯s the thing. The client¡¯s name¡¯s Rangi. Islander type. We gonna meet at his dive, a bar he uses as legit business or whatever. It will be past operating time at least. Security-wise, he got a husher type with minor augs, a borged killer with wired reflexes, and two gleams. Don¡¯t know much about them except one of them¡¯s rumored to be a raider and he uses a wand as a weapon.¡±

    Nestra was familiar with wands. Mana could be channeled through them, sending powerful bolts at the enemy. It was a useful sidearm for caster-types operating on low mana. Not sure how good a hired goon would perform though.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have anything else defense-wise but there will be cameras and everything. I can¡¯t scramble them without him thinking, you know¡­¡±

    Nestra dismissed his concerns with a wave.

    ¡°Ok, so we¡¯ll be brought before him. Act as you see fit. Rangi¡¯s a smart guy, he will probably cut and run if things get too dicey for him. He¡¯s a businessman smelling an affair. Just, need a reminder. Having gleams at his beck and call might have given him delusions of grandeur so he thinks he can push people around. Dumbass is just asking for it.¡±

    Nestra nodded. She agreed. This Rangi guy was pulling at a rope to see what would drop but it was a shit idea because if the rope provided artifacts, then what would drop would most likely be a pissed off gleam. Gleams did plenty of biz on the side and a lot of it was picked up by monitoring AI but no one ever did anything. Smart people knew it wasn¡¯t worth it, not unless it got really bad. Like human trafficking. Even then, you never dealt with the gleam. You dealt with their boss gleam and you hoped they applied discipline with a firm hand. That Rangi guy was, and she was sorry to say that, courting death. If not by her, by someone else.

    It took twenty long minutes for the van to reach its destination. The bar was a nice place at the edge of a busy entertainment zone in twenty-five, a brick building she would have driven by without a care. The van parked at a good distance and Gorge made sure to deploy drones just in case someone decided to nab his other son. Nestra followed Gorge who nervously looked at her every ten steps. It was annoying. They moved around the corner until the back entrance came into view.

    A colossal islander stood there with a taut suit that had to be a custom job. Tattoos covered his cheeks and chin, but when he spotted the pair, he made the same ¡®o¡¯ as Gorge had done before.

    Nestra was starting to think maybe this was a mistake, that she couldn¡¯t pass for human even without showing anything but her eyes and her hair, but she realized what was wrong when she got closer. Gorge had told her the husher was an aug, more specifically, his eyes were augments. He couldn¡¯t see her well because they were glitching. She heard him bumble something into his ear piece, something about a scrambler.

    Gorge stopped at a distance, waiting for the signal to go on. The bouncer waited for instructions with a confused frown, his optics searching around Nestra¡¯s location. Eventually, the signal to go in was given and Nestra followed Gorge up a flight of narrow stairs. Cameras followed their progress in the cramped back of the drinking hole. Cans of beer and bottles lined the wall but upstairs, the place was clean and austere. A large security door stood at the end of a hall. Nestra noticed a maglock, reinforced steel and even a manual slit in case electronics failed. The only thing missing was a gun port. It would be easier to go through the walls and she might just do that.

    The door opened without a prompt. Gorge came first, then he slid to the side to let her through. There were five people waiting for her in a spacious, cozy office and lounge. A wired goon leaned at the back with his auged arms exposed. Nestra recognized a Brightcorp security construct. Man had a gun in there. There were also two gleams on either side of the main desk, one muscle-bound girl with no affinities yet, and the wand wielder sitting in a chair with his arms crossed, actinic blue eyes following her with morbid fascination. The second to last person was Gorge¡¯s son wearing a shock collar around his throat, near the back. Rangi himself sat enthroned behind the magnificent desk like a king holding court. A nice pseudo-cashmere suit clung to his chiseled physique. He exuded a debonair aura that complimented his cool chin tattoo and the shock collar control resting next to his hand. Very smooth. Nestra immediately hated him.

    Nestra¡¯s looted spear rested on a pedestal at the back of the room. Congealed blood still clung to its surface.

    All five people displayed various degrees of unease, from concern in the gleams¡¯ eyes to stark terror for Gorge¡¯s kid. The boss was the first to react but Nestra barely heard him. She kept walking forward.

    She wasn¡¯t here to negotiate.

    ¡°Ah, here you are. I have called here because of issues with your¡ª¡±

    Nestra kept on. Rangi faltered. The gleams moved first, not least because the aug was clearly running diagnostics.

    Nestra used momentum to appear between the gleams as they were standing. She struck the muscle girl in the face with an open palm. Her nose crunched painfully. She went flying.

    Nestra twisted and kicked the other gleam in the face as he reached for his wand. Electricity coursed through her leg but failed to affect her. He cried in pain and collapsed backward, chair and all. Meanwhile, the first gleam collided with the confused aug just as she¡¯d planned. Nestra took no chances. In three steps she was next to the cyborg. She drew and struck with a mana-coated blade. His severed arm went flying. She used momentum to return to the table, drew her gun, and gently shoved it against Rangi¡¯s forehead.

    The aug and muscle gleam pair finished collapsing. The wand gleam landed on the carpet with a shriek of dismay. Rangi gasped, his hand stopping near the collar¡¯s remote.

    Nestra leaned forward until the darkness of her eyes met Rangi¡¯s own. She was pretty sure the message was coming across loud and clear. He still didn¡¯t talk. A quick tongue wet his lip while he searched for a solution. Slowly, his goons were picking themselves up. The muscle girl glared at Nestra but the effect was ruined by her blood-soaked face.

    Perhaps Nestra should say something? Yes, but why was she so reluctant to do so?

    And then it hit her.

    For all her little phrases and exclamations of dismay in portal worlds, she¡¯d never really been paying attention to her words. All this time, she hadn¡¯t been speaking English. She¡¯d used that strange tongue the benefactor used to talk to her. And now, she had to use English in her demon form and it felt¡­ wrong. A little demeaning. And besides, her mouth was larger, and not exactly the same shape, and her teeth were too sharp and her tongue too narrow, and this was just, ugh! Frustrating. Bah, had to force herself.

    What to say?

    Oh, yes.

    Nestra¡¯s voice came out with a much lower pitch yet still feminine. It was hers, but more hissy and a little guttural.

    ¡°No. Refund. Hssss.¡±

    There.

    ¡°I see,¡± Rangi replied.

    He looked around, calculating. Nestra shoved the barrel of her gun a little harder.

    ¡°No need! No need for things to go, ah, out of hand. It appears I have¡­ erred in judgment. Forgive me, miss¡­?¡±

    Nestra declined to introduce herself. She let him know by narrowing her eyes.

    ¡°Right. You have been¡­ most clear, I say. I appreciate the show of restraint, yes. I will now reach for the remote to free your friend, if that is alright?¡±

    Nestra took a step back. Without looking, she pointed her sword at the electric gleam who was slowly reaching for his wand.

    ¡°Now now, Mr Blue, there is no need to alarm our guest!¡± Rangi said with a politician¡¯s smile.

    ¡°Let us just¡­ put this whole thing behind us, yes? Good. Theeeeere we go. All free.¡±

    ¡°Come, boy. Come here,¡± Gorge whispered.

    His son didn¡¯t have to be asked twice. They left the room, though Nestra heard whispered words of assurance just behind the door. She knew she could get more money but that felt¡­ like it would complicate matters. Better to leave now with the upper hand and her objectives accomplished. There was no need for her to utter more threats. Her appearance and manners spoke for themselves.

    Actually, there was one last thing she wanted to try.

    As she stepped back towards the entrance still facing the threat, she pointed two fingers towards her eyes, then two towards Rangi who raised his hands in surrender just as his muscles were picking themselves up.

    ¡°No need, you have been abundantly clear.¡±

    Nestra left. Gorge returned to serious mode all the way out, with the bouncer giving them a wide berth. They didn¡¯t talk when they climbed into the van, nor during the return trip. Gorge only let go of his son to grab a datasheet when they were parked.

    ¡°Right. Tracker check. Covering frequencies now.¡±

    They waited until Gorge was satisfied there were no secret gifts on either them or his kid, then tension left him. He deflated, collapsing against the side of the van with a loud thump. He picked a flask from a side pocket then reconsidered. Only then did his attention return to Nestra.

    ¡°Hooooly shit Palladian. I thought you could, I dunno, clear easy portals with a quirky trick but¡­ Riel, you tossed those gleams like they were children. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it. In real life, I mean.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t want to talk in demon form. She pointed at her mask, then outside. Gorge nodded and let her go.

    It was the first time her human form felt better than the demon one. Truly, that bodysuit constrained her too much.

    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m back.¡±

    ¡°You did amazing out there. I owe you. I owe you big time. But I gotta ask. You¡¯re clearly¡­ at gleam level or something. Why? Why not just return to your family and claim your legacy?¡±

    Nestra lifted an eyebrow. Like Gorge couldn¡¯t see the problem?

    ¡°No, seriously. You wouldn¡¯t be the only weird gleam in existence. I read just yesterday they¡¯d discovered a sort of void element gleam.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s my sister.¡±

    ¡°But still, I mean, that transformed appearance of yours is scary and no mistake but, you know? You could be who you always wanted to be.¡±

    Nestra had actually not considered this.

    If she were to go public, it would be clear that people would have questions and those questions would turn into invasive procedures whether she wanted to or not. It was also clear that some people would figure out she wasn¡¯t human and that would lead to her premature death, so there had never been a real question about coming out. That would be suicide. But what if it were not? What if she could just go back to her family and be welcomed as a weird yet powerful gleam, because Gorge was right, she was very powerful. Even if Rangi¡¯s men were garbage, at least one of them had unlocked an affinity and that took some work, and yet she¡¯d broken them like toys. They hadn¡¯t stood a chance.

    What if she could get in the Palladian manor through the grand entrance and be welcomed by her dad? Her mom would hug her and whisper she always believed in her. Ulysses and Helena would exchange barbs over morning bagels. It would be just like old times, before she went to high school, before she was revealed as a cripple. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to be welcome like that?

    No, not really, right? Because it would be tainted by all her memories of being swept under the carpet. Because she would be stopped at every gleam store entrance, glared at in every gleam exclusive restaurant. She¡¯d have to justify her existence at every turn. There would be snide remarks and sideway comments. And she knew. She knew what people thought of the baseline her. The new Nestra wasn¡¯t working harder than the old one. In fact, new Nestra was sleeping quite a lot. No, her effort, personality, the skills she¡¯d worked hard to obtain, none of them mattered as much as having shiny eyes. And even if she could reasonably get in, she wouldn¡¯t fit in.

    And that sucked, and the world sucked as well.

    ¡°I¡¯m who I¡¯ve always been. That¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°Well, not like it¡¯s any of my biz. Ok, Palladian. You¡¯re officially my favorite dead fish.¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t hold it back for more than five minutes, huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you. You¡¯ll see. Anyway, drop you off?¡±

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll take the whore bike back. Busy day tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Let me know if you need more goodies for your crusade against Gidung. We can get real spicy if you want.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I will.¡±

    Nestra wanted to leave the family to themselves and she was getting tired anyway. She drove to the Nestra cave as fast as she could. Only when she was back in her own car with the autopilot on did she relax. Her visor had a few alerts so she went over those, with her priority being Stib¡¯s drones embedded in several strategic places of District Fifteen¡¯s hab block. They¡¯d detected movement, a lot of it.

    Nestra frowned. It was a hab block. People moved at night, right? It was probably nothing? She selected the first link, the one aiming at the center courtyard and market. There was now a pole sitting in the middle of the deserted place. On that pole sat the decapitated head of chef Old Lin, and under that was a white board with the words ¡®Friend of pigs¡¯ written in angular letters.

    ¡°Motherfucker.¡±

 3.8

    Nestra called it in immediately. Shinoda picked up after two minutes. He sounded exhausted but determined.

    ¡°I will be there in forty minutes, Palladian-san. Do you need me to pick you up?¡±

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m on my way by car. Meet you at the parking lot.¡±

    ¡°Be careful. They might be watching, and if they see you alone¡­¡±

    ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    There were only two saving graces in this absolute shitshow. One, they¡¯d noticed now instead of showing up fresh-faced at 9AM like a bunch of amateurish nitwits. Two, Nestra had several more drones around, which meant that they could have caught something. She browsed through the recordings while her real car sped on towards Fifteen. It was getting close to 5AM now which meant she was tired, but at least she¡¯d slept some during twilight. Adrenaline and rage made her human heart pulse with a rigid staccato.

    What kind of fucking scum of humanity killed a nice street cook to send a message? What manner of skid mark on the nasty knickers of humanity¡¯s most degenerate could come up with this sort of plan and say, yeah, let¡¯s do this? Old Lin was a nice guy, a fucking food provider. An artist!

    She was going to kill them.

    Nay, she was going to make an example out of them just like they¡¯d made an example out of him. It was just a matter of finding them. After a cursory search, she did find shapes moving through a passage near the utility tunnels, a place she¡¯d not been to yet. There were four of them. Augs, and not the lower shelf civilian ones. She clipped the vid and shared it with Shinoda. He replied with a ¡®seen¡¯ emote. Probably busy. She did get a call on her visor almost immediately after.

    ¡°This is officer Kim,¡± the cold voice said. ¡°I will join you with a team. Only a few people but this is the best I can do.¡±

    ¡°Is it wise for you to show yourself?¡±

    ¡°I have officially been detached to Fifteen as a, ah, coordinator. My cover story will suffice considering we civil servants are always short-staffed. Compared to our workload, that is.¡±

    ¡°Ok. See you there.¡±

    Waiting in the underground parking for ten minutes felt like some of the longest ten minutes of her life and she¡¯d had open fractures. Only when Shinoda roared in with the cruiser did she send her car back home. It might be vandalized if it stayed.

    ¡°Palladian-san. We should secure the crime scene.¡±

    ¡°Ok. Give me a moment.¡±

    A quick drone activation revealed a few heat signatures, mostly residents observing them from behind their windows. The hab block was already waking up. Nestra checked and double checked that there were no snipers lying in ambush. After a while, she gave the all-clear. If there was a guy out there with advanced camo and a rifle, they were fucked anyway. The pair of cops walked to the trophy carefully. This time, nothing happened.

    ¡°Lin-ojisan. We failed you,¡± Shinoda lamented.

    He was apologetic but reverent when he checked for traps, then when he removed the head. Nestra was just keeping an eye out which let her see the very obvious trail of blood leading up the stairs.

    ¡°Follow this?¡±

    ¡°Chotto matte ne? Give me a second, yes?¡±

    Nestra wanted to hunt but Shinoda wanted to follow procedure and she had to admit¡­ he was probably doing a better job. The old detective placed the head in a body bag, then cordoned the area with an ease that spoke of experience. Old Lin¡¯s eyes were closed and the head was covered, which felt a bit like a ritual and made Nestra a little less furious. The ball of anger instead cooled to an arctic bite that gnawed at her, urging her on with controlled rage.

    The pair followed the trail with great care to an apartment with the door ajar. Someone had used a morphpick, a special break-in tool that molded into the shape of the key once inserted into a lock provided the lock wasn¡¯t too complicated, which it wasn¡¯t. Really expensive shit to kill an old man. Lin¡¯s body was splayed on the living room¡¯s floor over a pool of congealed blood. The cut on his neck was really clean, the sort made with an extremely sharp blade. At least, he hadn¡¯t suffered. A police hover van landed in the courtyard while they secured the place.

    A team of specialists came down to secure the place led by Kim who wore a field vest that made her look cool and professional. She didn¡¯t wait for more than a second before pinging them.

    ¡°Report?¡±

    ¡°He was killed in his home. The perpetrators came from a passage leading to the utility tunnels. Perhaps they can be tracked down? At least, we would know where they came from,¡± Shinoda said.

    ¡°Then I have bad news. The body temperature indicates he died about two hours ago. That¡¯s long enough to cross half the district on foot. The utility tunnels are a warren that expands to every nearby hab block, with multiple shelters in case of emergency. Storage space too. And we have reports that more facilities have been¡­ dug by the gangs. We will likely not find whoever did this.¡±

    ¡°There might be more cameras down there,¡± Nestra mentioned.

    ¡°The local residents do not like cameras very much.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Kim-san. I understand what she means. Flash may have installed some security measures. Maybe.¡±

    ¡°We can ask,¡± Nestra said.

    ¡°I have his address,¡± Shinoda said. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Palladian-san.¡±

    ***

    Nestra kept drumming on the door for three minutes without tiring. She knew someone was on the other side. Her finer senses had picked up the beeps of some old systems, probably cameras aiming at the door.

    ¡°Open up, I know you¡¯re here,¡± she repeated.

    ¡°Fuck off!¡± a man¡¯s voice finally said.

    It didn¡¯t belong to the man they sought.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°We need to talk to Flash. It¡¯s important.¡±

    ¡°I said fuck off¡­ or else!¡±

    A thin robotic arm deployed from above the door. Someone had welded a low-intensity stun gun to the extremity, something Flash had done before and that Nestra had a strong opinion about.

    ¡°I¡¯ll zap you!¡±

    ¡°Open. The. Damn. DOOR!¡±

    The stun gun fired. Twin filaments hit Nestra¡¯s military-grade Wellington insulated gear with nothing to show for it.

    ¡°So help me Riel I will tear off this thing and shove it up your flaccid¡ª¡±

    The door finally opened on a bare-chested youth displaying tattoos and abs. His thunderous brow glared downward ¡ª fucker was at least demon Nestra-sized.

    ¡°Lady, if you don¡¯t piss off. Gun dan!¡±

    ¡°Old Man Lin is dead,¡± Shinoda said. ¡°He was murdered. Mr Flash might be able to help us find who is responsible. I can see that you care for him, sir, but this is a decision he should make for himself,¡± Shinoda said in a soft voice.

    The young man worried his lower lip as he considered the old detective¡¯s request. Nestra took a step back and crossed her arms.

    ¡°Wait here. And you wait! No going in!¡±

    He turned around into a cluttered hallway. A thick curtain blocked the access to the living room but not the sound, and Nestra picked up a pair of complaining female voices. Eventually, Flash whispered something. It took another minute for the strange man to approach, wearing his signature neon green suit.

    ¡°What¡¯s that about Old Lin. You¡¯re shitting me?¡±

    ¡°He was murdered as an example,¡± Shinoda said.

    ¡°For talking to us.¡±

    ¡°Shit and you come here in the middle of the night? Wah seh you asshole don¡¯t care I¡¯m a gone-case.¡±

    ¡°You have cameras in the utility tunnels,¡± Nestra said.

    ¡°It would be of great help to us if you could tell us what they saw. Old Lin didn¡¯t deserve this. We have to act now or the hab block will suffer.¡±

    ¡°You mean your face will suffer.¡±

    ¡°This is not about our reputation,¡± Shinoda said sternly.

    At the back, the muscled man returned, bulging arms crossed. He was clearly backing Flash up.

    ¡°This is about justice. A man helped us and he was killed for it. He didn¡¯t deserve this and you know it. You also know that it¡¯s an attack on you, and an attack on your block, by someone who wants to prove we are all weak. Now, you must decide if you sulk back in the shadows or if you show us all a straight back. You do not even have to leave your house but you have to help us. Please. Point us in the right direction.¡±

    Flash licked his lips, his eyes going from Shinoda to Nestra. He was sweating.

    He turned his attention to her.

    ¡°Old Lin gave me food, good food too. When I get my hand on them they¡¯ll wish they were outside the walls instead,¡± she said.

    ¡°Ok, look. Okay. There are cameras near important places like the shelter and some storage rooms. I¡¯ll check the footage. Give me your numbers and I¡¯ll send you what I have. I promise.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll head there right away.¡±

    ¡°And uh, can I ask? Please don¡¯t tell people I live in a polycule?¡±

    ¡°Your secret is safe with us,¡± Shinoda assured.

    ¡°As if people didn¡¯t know already,¡± Nestra mocked. ¡°You think you¡¯re being slick? It¡¯s a fucking hab block. Everyone and their grandma knows it already.¡±

    Flash wilted under her verbal assault. Even the guy behind him piled on.

    ¡°Told you already.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and just like me, they possibly couldn¡¯t give less of a shit,¡± Nestra concluded. ¡°Get me those vids. I can¡¯t fucking wait.¡±

    ***

    Threshold was built on a maze of underground facilities. Between government-mandated shelters, arcologies, private storages and subways, there was enough below the surface to start a civilization, at least for a while, but District Fifteen had taken it a step further. Corridors expanded in every direction, some showing sheer rock instead of the ubiquitous concrete. Nestra was pretty sure they weren¡¯t up to safety standards. The only concessions to common sense was that the support pillars were intact, and the lack of rooms large enough to host a portal, because portals did appear underground, and gangs didn¡¯t have the means to stop a serious break. The result was an expanding labyrinth of small rooms and narrow passages only large enough for a single person at a time. Haphazardly placed lamps cast weak lights on rusty, pitted surfaces, those that were still working anyway. It would have been hell to navigate without her suit¡¯s night vision and without a guide. Well, an audio guide.

    ¡°Passage left is a dead end. That place was dug by the XV gang, named because¡ª¡±

    ¡°Of the roman numerals of Fifteen,¡± Nestra cut.

    She checked the opening. Shinoda was left behind to cover the main corridor. He was still sulking after Nestra made it clear she would go first as the heavy hitter. So was Kim because Nestra had invited a civvie in the group call.

    ¡°Wah seh, you are such a wet blanket angmoh girl. You¡¯ll never catch a boyfriend with that attitude.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Nestra kept going. She didn¡¯t like it. Too many blind angles, too many straight rooms with zero cover. Her only comforts were her drones and Flash acting as Stibs normally would, except his cameras were static and he was a whiny blabbermouth. Sometimes, glass crunched under Shinoda¡¯s feet, making her wince.

    ¡°Camera ahead is deactivated,¡± Flash warned them.

    Nestra stopped in her tracks. Behind her, Shinoda checked his gun again. It was a nice pistol with a silvery sheen, and she gave it a good fifty fifty chance that the bullets in there could actually stop an aug.

    ¡°What do you mean, deactivated? Since when?¡±

    ¡°Tonight. Checking footage aaaaaaand I don¡¯t see shit. One moment, all good, the next, lights out.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s there?¡±

    ¡°Intersection tunnel to other hab blocks and a side passage to barracks. Gang barracks. They ought to be empty.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Nestra turned a bend in the passage and her little black box beeped. It was the one demon Nestra used to detect cameras.

    ¡°You said you have no visuals, right?¡± Nestra asked again.

    ¡°Yeah yeah.¡±

    ¡°Anyone else would have surveillance around?¡±

    ¡°No angmoh girl, this is our turf. XV left the barracks during the purge and we, ah, liberated their stuff. Nothing left.¡±

    Nestra finally reached the mentioned intersection. Two tunnels spread out to her left and right for dozens of meters, their surface completely clear. Steel tracks met in the middle, the defunct remains of the train system that let emergency services carry goods across the city. What tickled Nestra¡¯s interest was a large archway dug at an angle, a destroyed security door blocking the path half-heartedly. Someone had melted the lock. The sheer rock beyond was even more raw and uneven than before but Nestra spotted support beams and enough cables for a good installation. The lights were live and the air smelled faintly of oil and superheated metal. A recent smell. She suspected Shinoda might not be able to pick it up, but instead, he kneeled by the entrance and pointed at what Nestra thought was dust but turned out to be wet soil.

    ¡°Tracks. Hours old at most. Mud here, still not dried out.¡±

    ¡°Looks like the barracks were revived,¡± Nestra muttered.

    Kim spoke, and this time her voice carried more concern than mild disapproval.

    ¡°Right, there is a decent chance those are our culprits. I¡¯m calling our user squad and putting an end to this operation. The purge left plenty of weapons caches and secondary bases intact, and many gangers escaped the net. Although Nestra¡¯s images are not clear, I believe we may be facing heavily augmented opposition and this could be their base. You will stay put until reinforcements arrive.¡±

    Nestra looked up to see a camera near the entrance, a recent one as well. It was a different model than the cheap shit Flash used. Just like the morphpick, the augs were using high end stuff typically only afforded to corpo security.

    A part of her knew they were in way over their heads. When Nestra faced the gangs, she¡¯d been with her team, wearing MaxSec armor and fighting from an entrenched position. This was her in discount gear and an aging detective with a solid aim (according to his file) and no tactical training to speak of. That part was the human side of Nestra understanding her situation from an outside perspective.

    Demon Nestra wanted to get at it. She wanted to jump on the prey and tear them to pieces. Bring their heads back as an example. She would tear the chrome they were so proud off from their limbs and shove it in their tender bellies while their friends watched.

    The last part of her wondered what the fuck the gangers were thinking. No smart criminal would commit a crime so close to their base without covering their tracks better. They¡¯d smashed Flash¡¯s camera and thought it was enough? What, they were expecting him to be terrified?

    Actually, that made a lot of sense.

    ¡°Help!¡± a voice said from the entrance. Male. Panicked.

    Nestra and Shinoda exchanged a glance, weapons raised.

    ¡°Heeeelp! Please, help!¡±

    Nestra was pretty sure the opposition knew they were here.

    It was most likely a trap.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± Kim said. ¡°It¡¯s a ruse. Someone is trying to lure you in.¡±

    ¡°You know I cannot do that,¡± Shinoda said.

    ¡°Yuuji, that¡¯s an order.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kim-san. You cannot call me Yuuji and pull rank in the same sentence.¡±

    Kim let out a strange, strangled sound that made even a notoriously oblivious Nestra suspect there might be something between the two. Not that it mattered right now. Threshold police officers were sworn to help people in danger. Honor and legal consequences demanded that they intervened.

    ¡°Miss Palladian, please share your drone feedback with Mr Flash. Mr Flash, please kindly provide oversight. You will be rewarded for your time.¡±

    ¡°You two are going in? You siao lah! Crazy! It¡¯s a trap!¡±

    Nestra ignored the complaints. She allowed Flash to take over ¡®Nestraguard.exe¡¯ despite her misgivings. Kim was right. She would need all her attention.

    ¡°Okay, listen up. The corridor turns left ahead and there are two doors. Right leads to storage. Left leads to living quarters and armory. Both doors are closed. Locked tight.¡±

    Nestra moved carefully. The ground was dirty, though not overly cluttered. She winced when Shinoda¡¯s foot hit a stone.

    Something shone in her night vision. She lowered herself to find a proximity device of some sort. Laser-triggered. She pointed it at a paling Shinoda. The corridor ahead led to a wall with a door on either side.

    ¡°Angmoh, you got someone running fast towards you from the back! Shit, he¡¯s sprinting. Oh fuck! I¡­ I think it¡¯s too late to run!¡±

    The handle of the left door turned.

    Trap: sprung.

 3.9

    Think fast.

    Nestra grabbed two EMPs from her breast pocket. Using the shortest timer, she threw one at her back, towards the entrance and the second in front of her.

    ¡°Cover me,¡± she told Shinoda.

    She didn¡¯t check. She knew he had her back.

    And she would have the front.

    Nestra¡¯s human mask might be¡­ not the most adequate, but that was fine. Just another challenge, just another hunt. She would win against the augs and she would do it with her barely-above-baseline shell and that would prove she was simply better. Better trained, better prepared, better made. Adrenaline pumped in her veins. Excitement filled her chest. Her legs propelled her forward as the door finished opening. An aug arm wielding a Bright Tech 10mm sweeper with a datalink pointed its muzzle. The aug didn''t have to see her in person. The embedded camera would feed her flushed face directly into his retina and he would merely have to pull the trigger, then Nestra would be Ex-stra.

    Half a second.

    The first EMP detonated. The aug gun shook, resetting. Three seconds to restart, give or take. Nestra sprinted by the door and landed in shooting position. The aug was cursing and tapping his gun. His optics glitched. He was a tall man with messy hair and a stubble under the helmet. She calmly lifted Gorge¡¯s hand cannon and lined it up center mass. A second aug behind the first swore.

    ¡°Move, you¡ª¡±

    Nestra pulled the trigger. Immense recoil pushed her back, despite her excellent posture. The mana infused bullet carved a hole in the aug¡¯s chest through layers of kevlar, and took the shoulder of the man behind him. She was rushing forward while he fell. Another shot took the second man¡¯s head off. Behind him, she saw cots and lockers, half open, and a third man. She picked up details as she moved forward. A sheathed blade on his right hip. A shotgun, not linked, in his left hand. Aimed at her.

    The knife was a monoblade.

    He was the one who¡¯d decapitated Old Lin.

    Nestra sprinted forward again. She picked up the second guy¡¯s falling body just as an impact shook his frame. Heavy. She could carry him for a step at most.

    She let herself fall. Another explosion mangled the body, but she was ready. She shot¡­ and missed. The aug had jumped to the side. Wired reflexes. Fast. There was an issue though, for him. It could only predict what the guy¡¯s optics picked up. As the second body fell on her, she shot through it.

    Her last bullet could not be predicted by the guy¡¯s augments. It shredded the shotgun, the man¡¯s left arm, and parts of the wall behind. Her hand hurt like hell. Pushing the body with her feet, she raced at the survivor just as it unsheathed his blade. Her sword met his knife in a clash of steel. She confirmed it was a monowire stiletto. Really, really sharp.

    ¡°Wo cao!¡±

    Fifty thousand volts traveled up her blade and down the guy¡¯s implants. Something fried, but he wasn¡¯t done. She blocked a kick but was sent backward. Meanwhile, the guy was left staring at her mana blade.

    ¡°Mono won¡¯t cut that,¡± she mocked. ¡°Try skill.¡±

    He lunged forward, and Nestra was forced back by a lightning-fast jab. She had the reach and the technique, but the aug had pre-recorded movements he could just activate at will. This led to an uneven fight where her foe would in turn stumble like an amateur and strike like a master with superhuman speed. Block left and right, counter. The man jumped back off balance.

    ¡°Gidung patterns, basic version.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll carve you up, you dog.¡±

    Another pattern she recognized. Step back and sweep a lunge, thrust. The shocks on her blade, it was like fighting a machine, and she was holding on. A smile bloomed on her lips.

    The man interrupted the pattern and struck awkwardly. Her counter pierced through his chest armor as his blade slid along her forearm, drawing blood. He withdrew with a curse. There was blood on her sword, but also on his blade.

    ¡°Got you bitch,¡± the man spat, and Nestra realized he didn¡¯t notice his wound. A discarded inhaler on a nearby table confirmed her suspicions.

    Guy was high as fuck.

    ¡°There is an interesting thing with prerecorded patterns,¡± Nestra teased.

    A few steps forward, fast jabs, the aug retaliated in a similar manner.

    ¡°Can¡¯t handle¡­¡±

    Nestra lunged and then swept hard from right to left.

    The damaged aug¡¯s arm lifted to block while his knife arm pulled back for a devastating gut jab. Nestra¡¯s sword flew through the space where his left hand would have been if he still had one.

    Her sweep caught him in the temple with a ghastly crunch. He stopped moving.

    The monoblade dropped from his spasming fingers. It dug into the concrete below like the world¡¯s saddest Excalibur.

    ¡°... damage assessment.¡±

    A surge of power, and of triumph, filled her with pleasure. The chaos of dust and the deafening gunshots coming from behind became more muted, or rather, she was able to hear them without them interfering with her hearing. Although, the Wellington helmet helped.

    Wait, gunshots.

    With a swear, Nestra sprinted back into the corridor. She slotted one bullet back in her gun. Shinoda was walking back into the corridor while applying covering fire. Nestra could see the muzzle of a linked gun around the corner leading back into the main path. Shinoda¡¯s steady aim was forcing the person back but he was running out of ammo.

    ¡°DOWN!¡±

    Shinoda did so without question. Nestra lined the shot.

    She wondered if the handgun could shoot through walls.

    Wait no, she wondered how far through the wall it could pierce.

    She pulled the trigger. The damn thing bucked in her hands but it took the gun, parts of the wall, and an auged arm along with it. A female voice cursed in Vietnamese. Nestra reloaded then she approached the corner.

    ¡°She legged it, angmoh girl,¡± Flash said.

    ¡°Oh, good.¡±

    ¡°Next time you use EMP, warn a bother hor? Half your drones got fried.¡±

    ¡°Kind of busy down here?¡±

    ¡°"Wa seh, girl you damn good. Want fight underground?".¡±

    Kim¡¯s voice rang in. She was not amused.

    ¡°Mr Xun, you will refrain from suggesting illegal activities to our agents, thank you very much. The footage of this incident is now classified and you WILL not distribute it or I will personally make sure you are sent to the Red House for the next ten years. Am I making myself perfectly clear?¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah. Calm down already.¡±

    Nestra still checked the corner. No presence but¡­ there was a tiny trail of blood.

    Nice, an opening¡­ for later.

    Meanwhile Shinoda reloaded. He looked unhurt.

    ¡°You in one piece, oji-san?¡±

    ¡°No need for sass Palladian-san. I regret to say that my adversary was too armored for a fair fight. Your EMP helped. It was enough to teach her caution, but not enough to neutralize her.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll get you a better gun,¡± Nestra said, and she meant it.

    ¡°What¡¯s that thing called anyway?¡± Flash asked. ¡°Oh, is it the Wallfucker?¡±

    ¡°Why do you breeders always link everything back to sex?¡± Nestra grumbled.

    But she had to admit she liked the wall idea.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call it the Window Maker.¡±

    ¡°We are not done,¡± Shinoda said.

    He was covering the corridor, more specifically the storage room which they had not secured yet. Nestra nodded as she finished reloading. Taking great care not to trigger the trap, they went to the last door. A quick camera check showed the place wasn¡¯t booby-trapped. It also looked empty. Shinoda picked the lock under Nestra¡¯s befuddled gaze then they got in. The storage space was mostly empty and quite dusty. No one had been there in a week.

    ¡°Clear. No hostage,¡± Nestra said.

    ¡°I had to make sure, although I suspect Kim-san was correct. We were baited by one of the gangers.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Nestra wondered if she should say something. Shinoda was standing there, waiting for her judgment. The truth was that if it had been any other cop instead of Nestra, this could have turned into a disaster. Flash had the right to it. Not everyone could just stop four augs without dying, even bottom of the barrels junkies like those guys. It was clear Kim expected Shinoda to pull some stupid shit like going in for honor in defiance of his screaming brain cells. It was also clear to Nestra that she wasn¡¯t bound by the same suicidal tendencies.

    But she didn¡¯t really mind.

    ¡°Your, ah, Window Maker? It does not look like a regulation gun,¡± Shinoda observed.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°And the grenades?¡±

    ¡°Also no.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Omoshiroi. Interesting, that is.¡±

    ¡°Neither are the drones or my armor set.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Your preparedness is impressive. I think I owe you my life, Palladian-san.¡±

    ¡°Hey, we are partners, right?¡±

    ¡°Aibo? Yes. You are the best bad cop I have ever worked with.¡±

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Ok, good, enough of that you¡¯ll give me diabetes. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    But they didn¡¯t go because they had to secure the scene and fill online reports and do a shitload of other procedure things normal cops had to do that MaxSec teams just left to their admins, and in the name of all that was holy did Nestra miss those little scribblers. With the adrenaline leaving her, she was also crashing down hard and on top of that, she was getting hungry. And she was tired. It was getting close to six out there.

    Ten minutes after the pair got in and while Kim¡¯s techs were busy loading the bodies, a trio of gleams finally strutted down the tunnel up in full gear. Compared to augs, gleam armor looked more medieval than modern but they were more resilient anyway. Nestra unfortunately recognized the assholes before they could even speak. Those were the twats who¡¯d met them in the garage.

    ¡°It took you eight minutes to arrive,¡± Kim mentioned in an arctic voice.

    The gangly anglo gleam shrugged, vibrant iris twinkling with amusement.

    ¡°We were on the other side of the area of operation. All records will show that we moved immediately. It¡¯s just that¡­¡±

    ¡°Traffic,¡± the thickset gleam said as he nodded to himself.

    ¡°This place was hard to find, ajumma,¡± the Korean gleam added with a sly smile. ¡°underground, not on the map. You know how it is.¡±

    Officer Kim went very pale. Nestra wasn¡¯t too familiar with Korean culture but she was definitely sure the gleam had insulted her, somehow. She might be a baseline but she was also a civil servant and the gleam was a low level security personnel. Definitely lower status. They really didn¡¯t give a shit, huh?

    ¡°I see. The city appreciates your¡­ efforts. I am sure you have done to the best of your abilities, although you were¡­ inadequate to the task.¡±

    Tension rose between Kim and the trio to the extent that the techs stopped working to steal a glance. The barest hint of a sneer twisted Kim¡¯s perfectly neutral persona into one of profound disgust. If condescension could be bottled, that woman would be rich.

    ¡°You may leave, since we have seen the limits of your usefulness. Thank you,¡± she dismissed them.

    Rather than facing them off, Kim simply turned around to work on her report. Nestra followed suit, and the three gleams were left standing around with nothing to do. It still took them a few seconds to head off. By then, Kim was back to her business self. At least in appearance. Nestra didn¡¯t miss the tension on her shoulders. For most baselines, there was something unsettling about confronting gleams. Nestra didn¡¯t know if baselines just felt mana in their subconscious or if there was something in the brain that acknowledged that gleams were just that dangerous, even the weaker ones.

    ¡°The bodies are ready for transport,¡± one of the techs said. ¡°Should we move the vehicle to a more secluded area?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Nestra interrupted. ¡°We carry them back to the marketplace. Let people see.¡±

    Kim hesitated until Shinoda intervened.

    ¡°Palladian-san is correct. We are working with a tribal structure. Let the people know that what we cannot protect, we can avenge. Those are the murderers of Old Lin. Let them see that¡­ justice was done. Of a sort. This will show our goodwill more than any shipments of supplies ever will.¡±

    ¡°This is a harsh place,¡± Kim mumbled. ¡°Very well. We will do as you say. There is not much to learn here anyway.¡±

    It was a strange procession that left the utility tunnels, and a stranger one that received them still. Men, women and children of the hab block lined the path to the hover truck in solemn ranks, some dressed in finery and others wearing makeup and, in one instance, face paint. Lin¡¯s body bag was covered in flowers and trinkets and no matter that there were no florists around. Someone had woven a wreath out of colorful ropes and cables and finished the work with carefully applied glass beads. Behind the mass of people, someone sang a mournful dirge.

    An expectant mood moved the crowd while the tech loaded the bodies, and when they moved in themselves. Kim was the last one to climb in. Under the pale light of early dawn, she looked a little rough around the edges. The signs of mental exhaustion were plain, not in her flawless makeup or the perfect hairdo, but in the pockets under her eyes, the clenched jaw, the details that made her seem more human now, so far out of her element.

    ¡°Are you sure you want to stay? I¡¯m giving you half a day off. By regulation, you should be out for three days at least while Internal Affairs goes over the details of the shooting.¡±

    ¡°We will probably head back early but¡­ we need to hammer the steel while it is hot, ne? Thank you, Kim-san.¡±

    ¡°Please be careful,¡± she replied, then after a blink. ¡°You too, Palladian. I¡­ knew I could count on you.¡±

    Nestra nodded. The hover truck left soon after, gliding over the morning air. It started to smell pretty good.

    ¡°We should walk around, Palladian-san.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you! Police girl!¡± a woman said.

    Nestra recognized her as the prim lady who¡¯d refused her naan the day before on account of not doing business with pigs.

    ¡°Come eat my zhou.¡±

    ¡°Oooh I love porridge.¡±

    For the next ten minutes, at least a dozen people brought Nestra food just for the disbelief that came with the realization that she would, in fact, eat it all. Skewers, naan, congee, fried dough, fruits, soup, all disappeared down her gullet. She choked midway through the amazing experience when a voice went through her visor.

    ¡°Ah, angmoh girl, thanks for ASMR but I close the connection now ok? I pick up your dead drones and repair, ok? Half price.¡±

    ¡°Fine, now fuck off.¡±

    She hated being disturbed while she was eating.

    ***

    Detective Shinoda breathed in the market¡¯s stale air. His visor was blinking with a call notification he could not ignore. Officer Kim. He picked it up and prepared for the worst.

    ¡°How are you, Yuuji?¡± the voice said in Japanese. ¡°Really.¡±

    ¡°Soo-Young, you worry too much.¡±

    ¡°I worry because you charge into an obvious trap. You would have died there if not for the girl.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I should not have risked her life, in retrospect. My commitment would have killed her. I have to ask you, what is she? A quirk?¡±

    ¡°Do not believe I do not see you changing the subject. You could have both died and I would have been sacrificed along with our entire investigation. There is much at stake here. You WILL pay attention and exert caution or Gidung will never be held accountable for what they have done. This is bigger than either of us, Yuuji.¡±

    ¡°Aaah, sorry.¡±

    ¡°You say sorry but you stay the same.¡±

    She tsked.

    ¡°As for Palladian, I am not sure why she can perform so well. I only know that my expectations have been surpassed. Her full medical file is sealed by the order of Dr Mazingwe and it would take more than what I can manage to get access. What I know is that she has made multiple requests to be exposed to mana, so I suspect she was mana-starved until recently.¡±

    ¡°Is this not extremely unpleasant?¡±

    ¡°Yes, to users. She appears to have found a way to bypass that hurdle. I have my suspicions. Now, she is either the strongest quirkie or one of the weakest users on earth, yet she still registers as a baseline which benefits us as her foes tend to underestimate her.¡±

    ¡°This solution she found, does it¡­ involve food?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Mana-rich food, I suspect. How did you know?¡±

    ¡°She, ah. She has eaten over a hundred and forty credits worth of street food over the past two days, as well as two bags of snacks. And she defeated a squad of augmented criminals in under fifteen seconds. Now, she is snoozing in the back of the car during working hours. I am very surprised.¡±

    ¡°I see. It doesn¡¯t matter. I didn¡¯t bring her here as a test subject but as an ally. What matters is results, and that you have each other¡¯s back.¡±

    ¡°I have only one worry. I fear she may enjoy killing, perhaps a little too much. I saw her expression when she pulled the trigger. It was¡­ pride. And hunger.¡±

    ¡°She loves winning. It was in her file.¡±

    ¡°I am concerned about the type of victory she may pursue.¡±

    ¡°Then it will be up to you to guide her, as I mentioned before. We cannot do without a heavy hitter and the city will not spare a user to babysit you.¡±

    ¡°I will do my best, ne? Would you like to meet this weekend?¡±

    ¡°For a debrief?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then yes, I would love to.¡±

    ***

    Nestra woke up feeling all fuzzy. This wasn¡¯t her bed. She needed her bed. She also needed a shower but sadly the police cruiser didn¡¯t come equipped with one. Those damn budget cuts.

    The first order of business was contacting Shinoda who confirmed he was still just hanging around. The second was to check Flash¡¯s latest message. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t the bearer of good news.

    ¡°I can¡¯t fix your drones. The EMP fried them inside out. I can¡¯t replace them either because they¡¯re an ad hoc construct with custom parts, sorry. You have to contact the original creator. Good news is, half of them are still working fine. I left them in a box by your door.

    PS: you look much nicer when you¡¯re asleep.¡±

    That was only because she couldn¡¯t hear Flash talk. Nestra still had around ten drones left from the original swarm. Stib was going to kill her.

    Had to call her though. She just couldn¡¯t do anything without eyes in the skies. Well, nothing to it. Stib picked up on the third ring.

    ¡°Nestra? Aren¡¯t you at work?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, we got ambushed and¡­ sorry, I fried half of the drones. With an EMP.¡±

    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Stib replied.

    She sounded really calm.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Thought so or you would be grumpy. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll replace them, just¡­¡±

    ¡°What, really? I thought you were going to be mad, after all the efforts¡­¡±

    ¡°Look, drones are consumables. They exist so you get hurt less. Did you get hurt less thanks to them?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we wouldn¡¯t have known we were going to be attacked from behind without them.¡±

    ¡°Then they did what they were meant to do. There is a slight issue with the replacement though.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°I used Blue River¡¯s licenses for some parts. One time was fine because I was building their fleet but¡­ if I do it again, I¡¯ll need to compensate them. Sorry. I just can¡¯t build more on the guild¡¯s dime. That wouldn¡¯t be correct.¡±

    ¡°But if I pay you for your time?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll need six hundred creds a pop. It¡¯s already over five hundred just for the license and raw materials. Add a little for fabricator use and, yeah. It¡¯s already a friend¡¯s discount.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pay,¡± Nestra said.

    ¡°Six thousand? Just like that?¡±

    ¡°Remember the check from the city? I¡¯m rich as hell.¡±

    ¡°Not like that, Nestra. You¡¯ve always been concerned about money and now you just burn six grand without batting an eye? You got another source of money. Oh, is it your family?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Nestra protested.

    ¡°Oh then, hmmm. Ok, we don¡¯t have to talk about it now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid please. Anyway, I¡¯ll get them delivered to Fifteen¡¯s precinct. Just please watch out for yourself.¡±

    ¡°No promises.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, then at least wait until I get you the replacements. You were attacked?¡±

    ¡°Ambushed by remnants of the gang. We¡¯re not sure exactly why they came at us but they had white dream inhalers near their sleeping quarters.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, on the run and stimmed to the gills? Fucking idiots.¡±

    ¡°Yeah well those idiots almost killed me. Maybe they wanted to stick it to the man. It just feels so random¡­¡±

    ¡°There might be more attacks in the future. Lots of gangers died during the purge but many ran away, or managed to hide. They¡¯re not the most stable people around. You know how dodgy augs fuck with people¡¯s minds. Be really careful out there. Nestra, I know it¡¯s not your style but¡­ could you let the gleams handle it? For once?¡±

    ¡°If they bother showing up, sure.¡±

    ¡°Oh, before you go, there was something else. You remember Seth?¡±

    The goofy baker¡¯s smile invaded Nestra¡¯s mind like some persistent weed.

    ¡°Yes? He gave you his num¡ª oh no.¡±

    ¡°Hmm so yeah. We dated. You, ah, don¡¯t have a problem? Right? You just seemed weird about it.¡±

    ¡°Stib, I am the last person who should give you relationship advice. As long as you¡¯re staying safe.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, he¡¯s a real gentleman. And funny too. And a great cook! Anyway, just wanted to let you know in case you went to his shop and he asked questions. It¡¯s picking up, you know? His business. Ok, I should go. Go get them, tiger.¡±

    Shinoda was gesturing so it did seem she was going to go get something.

    Unfortunately that turned out to be human misery.

    ***

    Sometimes, Nestra¡¯s life was exciting and filled with interesting foes and sometimes, it was both tragic and banal. The room up here stank of old socks, piss, and neglect, the kind that built up over months of just giving up. The room¡¯s inhabitant¡¯s sallow skin clung to his bones like old parchment. Discolored patches marked him as a meth user, probably, and the state of his teeth, dirty hair, and bloodshot eyes confirmed he was far gone. And yet there was still a spark of lucidity under that crushed shell of despair. It shone ominously while the man stared listlessly at the body of his wife. She bore the same stigma but what attracted the eye was more the pool of blood and the crushed skull. An old trophy lay on its side, still caked in congealed gore. He had made no effort to hide his crime.

    ¡°Dunno what took me,¡± he said.

    Drool fled from his chapped lips.

    ¡°Dunno, dunno. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°You cannot stay here, you need to come with us,¡± Shinoda said.

    He remained calm but there was a distance here, a coldness in his voice Nestra had never heard before. It was still the most normal thing in this den of misery. A part of her wondered what would have happened if she¡¯d joined another branch. Or the emergency services. Being submitted to scenes like this one day after day after day¡­ Nestra had issues caring but even that would have ground her mental to a fine dust. Shinoda followed another approach. She wasn¡¯t sure how but it was as if he were wearing a mask and transmuting all that horror into¡­ she didn¡¯t know what. Something else.

    ¡°You need help,¡± Shinoda said.

    ¡°Help, yeah. I don¡¯t think I need help.¡±

    The man reached for his pillow. Shinoda didn¡¯t move beyond taking a few steps forward but Nestra felt something was wrong, so she took out her neutralizer. It was her fastest non-lethal tool. It also looked like a small compact gun, except it was painted blue so people could tell the difference.

    What was hidden under the pillow was, unsurprisingly, a gun. An old handgun from before the incursion, only meant to stop other humans. The junkie didn¡¯t aim it at anyone. He just cradled it between shaky fingers like a treasure, or a lifeline.

    ¡°I think I need to stop being a fuckup. There¡¯s only one cure.¡±

    ¡°That is the easy way out,¡± Shinoda said.

    The man blinked. He had almost forgotten them.

    ¡°I¡­ I guess it is. I just¡­ I¡¯m so tired.¡±

    ¡°You can rest, get better, then atone. Come on. I¡¯ll see you out.¡±

    ¡°Marge. She doesn¡¯t deserve to be left like that.¡±

    ¡°My friends are on the way. They will take care of her. They are professional and respectful.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s good. She doesn¡¯t deserve it. Being like that. Yeah.¡±

    Broken record.

    The demon part of Nestra shifted. This man was a goner. He smelled like an accepted end. There was absolutely nothing left to hunt here, nothing at all.

    Abruptly, the junkie grabbed his gun and pushed it into his mouth, or he tried to. Nestra lifted her neutralizer and pulled the trigger. The shot landed on the man¡¯s naked leg. He spasmed. Shinoda grabbed the gun from his hands just an instant later.

    Oh, he would have gotten it without her help.

    Had she interrupted a touching heart to heart moment?

    ¡°Ooops. Sorry. Bit fast on the trigger there,¡± Nestra said.

    Shinoda didn¡¯t reply. He spent a few seconds taking the gun apart but his expression remained vacant. Nestra let him place the unconscious man in a safe position before restraining him.

    ¡°No need to apologize, Palladian-san. We are new partners, yes? And besides, the culprit is alive and, well, he is alive. That is all we could hope to achieve here.¡±

    ¡°The ambulance is on the way?¡±

    ¡°No ambulances here, however, the city has made hover vehicles available to us. We merely need to wait for their arrival.¡±

    ¡°Are you¡­. ok?¡±

    Shinoda flinched. For a moment, Nestra believed she¡¯d been too direct, but it was ok to ask people how they were doing, right? It just meant she cared. It felt strange to care about new people.

    ¡°Ah. As fine as I will ever be, Palladian-san. Thank you for asking. The fallen, like him, they are like¡­¡±

    He searched for an answer in the ceiling¡¯s discolored tiles.

    ¡°Like leaves through a spider web. The spider web is friends and institutions. When someone falls, the web holds them and sometimes, they pick themselves up. But sometimes, the web tires, or breaks, or it was never strong enough, and the person disappears. The web does not know it failed until¡­¡±

    He gestured at the two wrecks, one dead, one wishing to be so.

    ¡°Until they die and then, they exist again. Briefly and painfully.¡±

    ¡°Are we the web?¡±

    ¡°Yes, for this place, we are. Sadly, the web is never strong enough. And it always misses people. I know it. I tried. We cannot see how far some have fallen, even when we are so close to them. I still try, Palladian-san. Sometimes we even win.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we should get some coffee. And then go home.¡±

    Shinoda chuckled. It was brittle yet genuine.

    ¡°Yes, perhaps we do. It will be up to psychiatrists to pick it up from here, I believe. To care more would leave us¡­ drained. The web is only as strong as the spiders that live on it, ne?¡±

    ¡°I think you are pushing the metaphor a little far.¡±

    ¡°So I am. I shall buy your coffee as an apology. And a donut.¡±

    ¡°Deal!¡±

    ¡°You are a very sunny person, Palladian-san. I am glad you are here.¡±

    ***

    Sipping on a fresh cup of excellent BaiHua java, Nestra considered her next step. The situation was pretty clear so far. Some time ago, someone in Gidung made a plan to turn a profit in District Fifteen. This plan included arming gangs with military-grade rejects so as to justify Gidung¡¯s security presence and the juicy contact it would generate. There was undoubtedly more to it but that was the aspect of the plan that almost got Nestra killed. Now, Gidung was settling in their new domain while the city¡¯s civil servants sniffed around, looking for proof that they¡¯d been bamboozled. That was the gist of it. There was, however, a complication for Gidung. The city reacted too fast for them to finish their purge as thoroughly as they¡¯d hoped for. Now there were two competing, overextended groups paralyzed by each other¡¯s presence, and in the gap, gangers had survived. There were no doubts in Nestra¡¯s mind that Gidung had thoroughly erased everything they could get their hands on including most records and witnesses, and it was only a matter of time before the rest was found, but there were bound to be pieces of the puzzle still scattered around the district, and it would be a race to get them before the opposition. Nestra had every intention to assist the city¡¯s inquiry, but there were things her human self could not readily do.

    Her demon self could, however.

    The first order of business would be to find more of those remnants, and she knew exactly where to start. The survivor of the ambush was bleeding, though Shinoda didn¡¯t seem to be aware of it. Nestra could call the techs and then request a team to follow, which could take some time¡­ but there was another option.

    It was time for demon Nestra to follow that dribble of blood back to another lair after tonight¡¯s portal world. There was a risk she would be tired but if what the benefactor said was right, she needed to become much stronger, much faster, because something was coming.

    ***

 Part 9 (3.10)

    It was dark in the Redwood forest. Outside of the main trail, light came from the odd lamp post dotting the secondary paths. Benches and picnic areas waited for the next day¡¯s visitors. A few cleaning bots picked empty cans, replaced trash bags, or otherwise ate the odd leaves fallen on varnished wood. Bio-engineered cicadas filled the night with a pleasant, muted chorus that accompanied Nestra with every nervous step. The odd traveler ignored her as she walked past. Most were corpo pawns or gleams on their way to somewhere important.

    Nestra had to give it to them, BaiHua Biotech Solutions had the most pleasant arcologies of them all, both in terms of appearance and comfort. A massive greenhouse occupied the entire ground level and most of it was opened to visitors so that the masses may wonder at its many creations. It was said BaiHua¡¯s compound was entirely self-sufficient. It could survive another apocalypse almost indefinitely. It was also, unfortunately for Nestra, extremely secure. It meant she could reach it with her real identity without much concern, but she wouldn¡¯t have access to her gear tonight.

    Just her demon self and the skin.

    The benefactor¡¯s precise coordinates were enough to guide Nestra deeper into the forest, by which time she could feel the soothing pulse of power all portals seemed to share. She wondered how the many cleaning drones had not picked it up yet, until she reached a large specimen nestled between two artificial boulders and looked up.

    The portal was in the air, hidden between two branches. Portals were never fully inaccessible, which meant that she¡¯d have to climb to reach it but it would be fine. The presence of the portal confirmed a few things and Nestra didn¡¯t know what to think about it.

    First, BaiHua didn¡¯t have the technology to detect a portal on its immediate territory. She wasn¡¯t surprised that outer district would rely on cheap cameras to manage the space, but the inside of an arcology was another matter entirely. Maybe detecting the strange radiation she enjoyed so much was more complicated than she thought.

    Second, the benefactor didn¡¯t give a shit about corpos. They were confident enough to send her here with only a small warning about not bringing weapons. They were sure she would get away with it. That was¡­. terrifying. Corpos paired up with the most powerful guilds. Hell, most of the key actors were high gleams themselves. And the benefactor just didn¡¯t care.

    That or they were a complete moron but somehow, she doubted that. They were only a mild moron, and a well-meaning one as well. Welp, nothing to it. Nestra moved out of the path then waited until she was absolutely sure there were no patrol drones around, then she pulled off her mask.

    Climbing the redwood proved easy. With enhanced strength, she could hold her entire body weight with two fingers and the modified redwoods bore enough crevices on their bark for a comfortable climb. She felt the delicious power grow as she approached, and soon, a pale blue light shone on the nearby leaves.

    And then she kept climbing.

    A hissy curse word escaped Nestra¡¯s lips. The portal seemed perfectly positioned for maximum stealth, which was why it wasn¡¯t detected yet. That was how breaks usually occurred in Threshold despite the hundreds of thousands of cameras monitored by AIs. She could have slipped through but she wanted to confirm her suspicions first, and soon she had to sit down in annoyance.

    She clicked her tongue to express her frustration. It sounded harsh and alien but she also felt better using it so she did it again. That fucking benefactor was out of his mind or something. There were plenty of portals popping all around Threshold all the time, most of them D-class. Breaks occurred once every two weeks at the very least. That meant there were plenty of portals to find that would match her level. This portal was on the upper middle size as far as D-class portals went, about four meters across. It was an indication of the opposition. She would mostly face D-class monsters inside.

    That sucked, especially without her sword. Guess she had to use the Scornful Crescent in a new way. The philosophy still felt weird in her head. It was like a skill she was digesting, something she could control to an extent yet was still foreign to a degree. It felt like learning the sword all over again back when the gestures had not been automatic. And now she would have to get in there and fight with even less tools than normal, on a harder world than she¡¯d ever faced.

    Sucked to be her. Portals of that size usually took a team of four to five D-class raiders to safely clear. Oh well. She was probably just completely awesome so a lot was expected of her.

    With one last sigh, Nestra slipped in and found herself on another tree overlooking an infinite sea of fog pierced by colossal trunks reaching so high their branches seemed to meld with the alien stars above. It was night. It was very wet. Screeches and clicks surrounded her in an overwhelming cacophony after the quiet of the arcology. A stifling heat made every surface bear condensation like crystal tiny beads, undisturbed near the portal yet bleeding in a nearby branch around the mark of a clawed feet. Nestra looked around and repressed the urge to whistle.

    The titanic trees on the horizon? Yeah, she was on one of them. A secondary canopy extended under her feet at distances that made her question her depth perception. It was like being on a plane and watching cities roll by, except that here it was a single organism.

    A part of her wanted to jump and just¡­ cross that distance. She would survive the landing with her resistances. Just let go like that, with the wind in her face, watching the green masses turn into village-sized hedges. She could just slip by the boundary and live there for a while.

    Nah, definitely not worth it.

    Nestra turned around. The entry portal was lodged against the gnarly trunk, with a branch wrapping around providing a way up. Below her, a distant blur and the lack of obvious paths marked the end of the portal world while above, a network of thin branches formed a rudimentary revolving staircase fir for a colossus. That was her destination. Within one last sigh, Nestra took a step forward and something caught her left arm.

    She was yanked to the side. Instincts and urgency made her grab the captive limb before her shoulder could dislocate. She twisted on herself to plant her feet, which slipped on the wet bark underneath.

    She fell into the void. Whatever caught her dragged her forward, towards another branch. There was a long, tubular thing wrapped around her forearm, a tongue.  A blurry shape pulled her body towards a gaping maw filled with teeth. Two black eyes were fixed on her. The blur grew more defined for an instant and she spotted her captor, a creature a little like a toad but also a chameleon.

    Timing would be¡­ complicated.

    The tongue finished dragging her towards the branch. Stress and exhilaration made her sneer at those black eyes. She put one foot on the branch as the mouth opened wider to chomp.

    Nestra bit down on the tongue.

    Squishy, elastic. The blood was tangy and a little fishy but filled with mana. Her teeth sank through it like through butter. There was barely any resistance when she viciously tore off a good chunk of flesh, sending a spray of blood in a crimson wave around her. The toad croaked with enough strength to deafen a baseline but Nestra¡¯s sensory defenses were now slightly higher than this morning and she didn¡¯t flinch. The Scornful Crescent whispered in her mind. It told her to press her advantage, to push her victory. She was in danger. This was the perfect moment. Nestra pushed mana into her fist as inertia carried her the rest of the way towards the screaming toad and punched it. Her first impacted its skull just under the eye in a powerful blow, making it crack. The shock traveled all the way to her torso and she winced.

    Pretty sure the crack wasn¡¯t her knuckles.

    But not certain.

    ¡°Ow!¡±

    Stupid. Should have used the precision ability but it was not an automatism yet, ugh. If only she had her sword! The toad didn¡¯t exactly recover but it lashed out anyway. She had to step back or risk being swallowed. Its legs tensed. She fell on her back.

    The toad surged over her in a mighty jump. Displaced air cooled her skin. Dangerous. She flipped and used momentum just as it landed farther away on the branch. For a moment, she thought the creature would fall off because it was in such an awkward spot, partly on the side of the branch, but the feet latched on like vacuum cups. Her sprint forward finished with a slide under a tongue whip, then she punched the same eye again. Hard. Repeatedly. The creature tried to push her away. It reared up on its hind leg to throw her off, and Nestra let go. Her toes dug into the wet bark, then she front kicked the standing creature in the chest as it was already out of balance.

    For an instant, the toad teetered over the edge, the mass of its upper chest too large to allow it to recover immediately. Nestra saw that, spotted the wide opening. She knew what to do. Kneel. See the mottled, shifting skin from close up. Smell the slightly acid scent of the beast. Open her mouth wide and chomp down.

    Her black teeth shore through skin, muscles, bones, and ligaments with obscene ease. The creature pulled its leg away with a screech that left its entire weight holding on to one foot. Nestra turned, spitting gore. One leg to go. Aaaaaaand the bark gave way.

    The toad fell off the branch to the abyss below and the very, very, very long drop towards the next false canopy. She watched its form cross the threshold, then grow smaller until something with wings detached itself from the trunk and flew on a storm of wind, catching the toad mid-fall.

    A sort of wyvern the size of a decent airliner.

    A second later, a rush of power filled her and she fell back on her ass with toad blood dripping down her chin. Her awareness increased a little, especially her vision. There was also something else like a cooling sensation flooding her vein, though she couldn¡¯t identify it. All in all, an excellent haul, hehe.

    Ok so jumping would have been a Bad idea, but hey, she thought at the wyvern, thanks for the assist, homie. Nestra smiled to herself. That had been fun as hell. Dangerous, but fun. She was right though. That portal world was really dangerous. That toad had been D-class and not the weakest either. Got to be careful.

    Nestra frowned. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for teams to retreat to fight another day. Most guilds actually encouraged it because no one wanted to lose raiders on stupid shit. What about her? Was she supposed to push herself to the brink or was retreat an acceptable option? The benefactor had said that hubris killed her kind. Maybe retreating would help her fight off that flaw. She wasn¡¯t sure.

    She would retreat if she were seriously wounded before facing the portal¡¯s guardian. Nodding to herself, Nestra decided that it was probably the best way to handle hubris. Yep! Now to go up.

    Nestra walked back towards the trunk. There was a sort of path there, or at least enough bulbous growths to make a sort of winding way up. After some experimentation, she realized it was easier to walk from branch to branch as it prevented her from having to crawl. A crawling Nestra was a slow target, and that would be a bad idea. As she slowly made her way up, Nestra used the opportunity to watch the wildlife since she had to look for other toads anyway. A vibrant ecosystem had developed around the titanic tree. There were white mushrooms with a yellow marbling that she surprisingly had a data on despite not knowing about this world. They happened to be edible as well. It would be the heights of carelessness to bring back any sort of loot now so she tried them on the spot. They were nice and gorged with mana so she ate some more, lamenting her forlorn gear. This would have been amazing grilled in garlic butter! Curse BaiHua and their advanced security detectors.

    Besides the edible ones, there were a couple of poisonous mushrooms that could have been sold on the black market, as well as colorful birds and small critters who merged into the bark when she looked at them. Strange insects flew lazily around the vegetation, the distant sun shining on their shells through heavy clouds. At last, she spotted strange lianas ending in bright yellow stingers.

    Hmm, that looked a bit like¡ª

    The liana tensed and Nestra dove to the side with a hiss. Yellow darts whistled through the air. Those were not lianas, those were back limbs for a small green creature with root-like feet. Its round form gave it a good ability to hide. The lianas tensed again and she readied herself.

    As soon as the darts were in flight, she sprinted and used momentum to land right next to the creature, which hissed and jumped back.

    The creature was now untethered from the bark, and that was a death sentence. Nestra smirked and used precision. She swung her naked foot and kicked with all the might of a soccer manga protagonist. The creature was unceremoniously punted into near orbit. It wailed miserably on its way down.

    Praise Newton, Nestra thought.

    The same wyvern creature grabbed the impromptu second serving. Nestra thought it was a little unfair that IT got to eat all that meat while she had to munch on raw fungus. Disgusting. Still, another victory and one that came from noticing her enemy in advance - granting her a rush of coolness in her veins ¡ª probably toxin tolerance ¡ª and mind speed somehow.. She kept going up at a sedate pace, taking her time to make sure she wouldn¡¯t be caught again. That allowed her to spot the next toad.

    The beast¡¯s camouflage was near perfect, but there was one thing it couldn¡¯t do: make water disappear. A puff of wind blew condensation across the branches and gathered around a crouched form like an angelic, ephemeral halo. It was enough for Nestra to spot it. She stopped and considered her options.

    It had probably seen her. She had no real way to hide here, in the camouflage-ruled world. She would have to kill it, but to do so, she had options.

    The safest way to kill it would be by using a demon bolt, but the problem was she had only two in the tank before exhaustion set it, and she needed at least one for the guardian. There was also the issue of mana-infused attacks. She only had her fists and without some power behind her strikes, she might as well gently massage the monsters instead. How should she approach it?

    Hmm.

    She knew she could lure the tongue whip out. Monsters of this power were predictable, especially ambush predators. Then what?

    Well, she had a tool.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    If a princess kissed a frog in turned it back into a prince. What happened if a demon bit a toad? Would she turn back into a human?

    Nothing to it. She had to try. Nestra walked as casually as she could towards the base of the toad¡¯s branch. A step. Another step. Another one. Come on, lick me.

    A blur.

    Nestra leaned back, watching the powerful muscle extend past her nose, and then, she grabbed it, and then she bit it. Her teeth tore a chunk of flesh half as wide as the tongue itself. Almost immediately, the toad pulled it back with a screech of pain. Blood pulsed out of the wound in great splurts but she wasn¡¯t done yet. The toad, however, was. Despite her best effort, she was pulled forward, her neck jolting painfully.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    She rushed forward so as not to be pulled into the air. Her feet clambered on the wet bark as the toad desperately pulled the mangled appendage in. Couldn¡¯t get a grip. Fuck it. She lurched forward, dragged on the tongue and bit again where the wound extended. This time, the muscle spasmed and then, finally, she tore it off. The stump sprayed her with crimson liquid as she fell on the ground. Blinded! She used momentum to step back before realizing it was already over.

    The toad creature screeched loudly as it bled out, which left Nestra wiping blood off her face. The rush of power came soon after ward.

    Her neck still hurt a little.

    So, yeah, had to refine her technique a little but at least she was having fun. Her gaze lingered on the creature¡¯s powerful hindlegs.

    Maybe¡­

    No no no no she could not sneak any meat out. She¡¯d even forfeited getting a bag to mute the temptation. Enough of this, time to go on. She still had to visit Fifteen afterward.

    The climb remained slow and controlled. Nestra dispatched another two vine creatures with ease now that her strategy was perfected, the only difference was that she grabbed one by the liana before tossing it out to its death like a bola. The portal was rather small for one of its power, though the creatures were strong and well-adapted to the environment. It made her worried about the guardian. As she approached a large platform with great care, her suspicions were confirmed.

    At first, it looked like a giant green leaf stuck to the bark but careful examination showed that the moss-like surface was, in fact, fur. The four corners of the leaf then revealed themselves to be limbs ending in claws, their white structure digging into the bark. The upper side was triangular and flattened against the tree, possibly the head.

    This was it, the moment of truth. She had two bolts and the creature was lying in ambush. Nestra crouched on her branch, looking up towards her target. Should she aime for the head or center mass? Give how ridiculously potent the bolt was and her lack of experience with it, aiming for center mass might be safer. Focusing, Nestra brought¡ª

    Pain.

    Sharp, overwhelmingly sharp pain. Back of her left arm. Something latched on it. Teeth raking her bones. She screamed and panicked. There was something there, black, shaped like a shark. About her size. Head like a catfish and a wolf mashed together, with two black beady eyes glaring at her with rabid fury. Wrong wrong wrong. Not the correct ecosystem. It wasn¡¯t here a moment before! She plunged the thumb of her right arm into the eye with all the strength she could muster, her blow backed by precision while her red blood pooled on the beast¡¯s mouth. Something crunched. The beast let out a muted scream that sounded inside of her damn head, not here, there. What the fuck? She hyperventilated. So painful.

    The shark thing flopped away. It was swimming in the air and now Nestra got a better look at its powerful shape as it made to charge her again. It wasn¡¯t here before! She was sure it wasn¡¯t here before! That piece of shit was cheating! What the fuck! And the mana was wrong, not the right taste, not the right place of existence! It was an intruder!

    Like her.

    ¡°Hssss!¡±

    The shark thing swam around to attack her, its face still wet. Her left arm was a sea of pain. Blood dripped freely on the wet bark. She used momentum to close the distance while it was still winding up to attack. Precision guided her fist into the creature¡¯s bleeding eye socket. There was a crunch. The shark wailed and veered away, directly into the path of the falling guardian.

    A horrified yet determined Nestra pulled the rest of the power towards the guardian, just as the creature¡¯s long arm extended towards her, just as its maw opened to reveal serrated teeth. The beast punted the shark, which blinked out of existence while Nestra extended her arm, furious because the guardian looked like a giant, carnivorous sloth.

    And she was damned if she would let herself get smushed by a fucking sloth. The charge connected. The potential was made.

    The world exploded in front of her.

    With an ear-splitting crack, a ray of dark and gray crossed the distance and the creature¡¯s right chest exploded in a spray of blood and fuming gore. Deep crack splintered the bark and Nestra was left with just enough strength to jump out of the way. The sloth¡¯s severed arm still clipped her.

    Her hand slipped uselessly on slipper wood, then she went over the branch and down.

    ¡°Fu¡ª¡±

    And towards another branch. Her body slammed painfully against the unyielding material, sending droplets all around her. The shock stole her breath and that was nothing compared to her arm. For a moment, all she could do was wail and clutch herself.

    ¡°Ah, hsssss.¡±

    A few hissing swear words escaped her lips. She wasn¡¯t even exactly sure what they mean but they sounded very rude. It took her maybe a minute to move again, but she did. She had to.

    There had been no bursts of energy.

    The guardian was still alive.

    Using the tree as a wall, she climbed to her feet and checked for damage. Her chest felt sore. There was a half-moon of deep teeth mark around her entire right arm, still oozing blood.

    She realized she didn¡¯t have time to handle it. Nestra ran up the branches as fast as she could, confident that at least she¡¯d dealt with the threats on the way. She was leaving this place as soon as possible. She was also certain the guardian was bleeding out. The exit portal was going to open soon, and she would jump out before that fish thing came back to give her another wedgie. Pain made every movement difficult. The Scornful Crescent was of no use here, only the tolerance for pain she¡¯d built over a decade of merciless training. Almost there. Almost there. Something crashed below her and she peered quickly over the edge. The sloth thing was climbing with one arm. A mossy structure covered the ruin of its chest. It should be dead. It was probably dead. It was not just ready to go alone. She could see it in the rage-filled malice of its beady eyes.

    It was the perfect occasion.

    The shark was a stealthy thing but she only had one chance at it. With one last glance around for an anomaly, she cast the lightning spell again. An extended finger pointed at the head of the sloth and the potential stretched the fabric of the portal world thin.

    Another explosion. Around her, shaken condensation formed a cloud of sweltering heat. Nestra didn¡¯t wait to see the beast fall as a potent surge of energy filled her essence. Resilience, mostly. Good. She rushed ahead while looking around and found the altar bearing her rewards, this time crystals and enchanted branches still gushing with life. She ignored them all as she jumped through the exit and crashed on redwood.

    It was much colder here, dryer. More comfortable for her. There was an envelope in front of her, along with a red vial, greenish bandages, and a Kero nut. She reached for the message first because she wanted to know what the fuck happened.

    ¡°Little Nezhra!

    A void shark! It must be lost. It¡¯s got your scent now, so be careful when you go into portals and good luck!

    I am working on a little something for you because you rely on your mana tool too much. In the meanwhile, have those supplies and the nut. It has been a long day!¡±

    Into portals, the message said. She assumed it meant it wouldn¡¯t attack her here. Good. Good. She sat down and applied the potion and bandages to her poor arm, hissing in pain the whole time. The wounds were closing very slowly and they stung something fierce. Even the skin had failed to grow over it to help her heal, something it usually did almost immediately. It was a hard place to treat as well so it took her two minutes to finish before she could sulkily wipe off her tears and chew on her Kero nut. Peace at last. Since she wasn¡¯t sure what to do with the empty potion bottle, she left it there.

    That was going to leave a mark. Maybe the void shark¡¯s bite had something special going on. Pissed her off though. Next time she¡¯d bite it. On the fin. And make fucking soup with it. Seriously, did other raiders have monsters cross the boundaries of reality to bite them in the ass MID HUNT? What the fuck kind of stupidity was that. Ugh.

    Climbing down the tree wasn¡¯t really pleasant but she managed.

    Nestra pulled her mask on. The pain receded at the back of her mind, replaced by a dull ache. She would heal and it would all be fine, but for now, she had to get back to her house and then out to track some wounded aug. Ugh, not looking forward to this after all. She felt exhausted.

    A grumbling Nestra retraced her steps towards the entrance of the arcology. There were trams and other means of transportation across the massive park but none near the edge where she was. That left her trudging along the carefully manicured trails in a foul mood until she caught a flash of mana on the main path, further along.

    That was surprising. She didn¡¯t hear or sense a battle but there was something fundamentally hostile about flashing mana, even though that one felt warm and caring. Gleams always kept it under control in public.

    Should she head away?

    No, a baseline like her wouldn¡¯t notice. Better not to attract the attention. Nestra kept a steady pace that led her to the central path, and then the main avenue leading to BaiHua¡¯s lobby. It was mostly deserted past midnight except near the massive security gate leading outside, towards the parking access. Two gleams argued in slow voices near the long entrance. Nestra caught flashes of vivid green eyes she identified as life mana. One of the gleams, a woman, was clearly arguing, the sleeves of her white BaiHua outfit moving wildly like the wings of a silly bird. She was also quite red in the face. She shared her dirty blonde hair and facial features with the other gleam who wore a¡­ armored white police user uniform? Wait, she knew that guy! He healed her the night of her transformation. What was his name again?

    As she stopped, the two gleams somehow sensed her, the woman turning with fury and the man like he was drowning in a storm and she was a fat buoy with self-heating functions.

    ¡°Officer Palladian!¡± he yelled. ¡°You, err, you¡¯re finally here!¡±

    Nestra felt caught in a storm as the woman¡¯s furious mana invaded her personal space. A normal baseline would instinctively flinch though they wouldn¡¯t exactly know why. The rude gesture annoyed her enough that she ignored it completely. Besides, the man had invoked the ancient rites of protection: always back up someone who claims you were going to meet in case they are being stalked.

    ¡°Valerian of¡­ House Nephrite,¡± she greeted. ¡°Am I interrupting something?¡±

    ¡°No no, I was just about to leave!¡±

    ¡°Val, you¡ª AAAH! Hopeless! And you, do you really know him?¡± the woman demanded.

    Interestingly, she wasn¡¯t sneering. It wasn¡¯t a disparaging remark. It was the question of someone fully expecting Valerian to be full of shit, which, arguably, he was.

    So was Nestra.

    ¡°Of course, we met during the purge in Fifteen.¡±

    ¡°When he got his ass handed to him by a ganger instead of saving lives?¡± the woman spat.

    This was getting into dangerous territories. Nestra was too busy to get caught in a gleam argument. Baselines never came up on top.

    ¡°Haha, miss Palladian volunteers in Fifteen to rebuild the peace, like I do!¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± the woman asked.

    ¡°I work with law enforcement.¡±

    Valerian¡¯s relative was about to ask more but she shook her head instead.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s not over, Val. You know what you have to do for your own sake. Please. And you¡­¡± she said, returning her glare towards Nestra. ¡°Don¡¯t encourage him. You¡¯d be making a mistake.¡±

    With that last threat, she stomped away in a huff. Nestra waited until she was halfway to the lobby before turning to a sheepish Valerian. For a gleam, decorum was clearly not his forte.

    She admitted to being a little curious. She also knew it was a shit idea to express it, so she made to leave.

    ¡°Wait! Ah, sorry, were you leaving?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Let me walk you to your car as an apology. You brought it this time, right?¡±

    Nestra believed the best apology would be to leave her the fuck alone. That said, no one stopped gleams for random inspections so¡­

    And Valerian was kind of a good guy.

    ¡°Sure. Thanks.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re most welcome.¡±

    The pair made their way to the security door and the many scanner preventing poor demon girls from smuggling out rightfully hunted frog legs of unusual proportions.

    ¡°So, yeah, sorry about that. It¡¯s¡­ an old argument. My family doesn¡¯t really approve of my choices, you see?¡±

    I don¡¯t care I don¡¯t care I don¡¯t care.

    ¡°Joining the police?¡± Nestra asked to be polite and because Valerian looked like a kicked puppy.

    ¡°No, uh, fighting. For the people, not a guild. Trying at least. Life mana isn¡¯t really good for offense.¡±

    It was completely useless, yeah.

    ¡°My family¡­ are mostly healers, you see. And biomancers I guess. They would rather have me join them than waste my time on battle.¡±

    ¡°Your family works for BaiHua?¡±

    ¡°The Nephrite are among the founding families, yeah. Grandpa is on the board.¡±

    He blushed.

    ¡°Guess that makes me a child of nepotism trying to escape a life of privilege, ey? A bit stereotypical.¡±

    ¡°Then that makes two of us, only I absconded with a house.¡±

    ¡°Do you come here often, by the way? First time seeing you here. I like visiting at night. I¡¯m also saying this because my cousin might give you issues if she sees you alone, just saying. Maybe. She¡¯s good people, I swear.¡±

    So nervous. By then, Nestra had walked to the elevator and waited for the lift down towards the massive outer parking garage of the arcology.

    She had her cover story ready.

    ¡°No I, errr, today at work was¡­ difficult.¡±

    ¡°The dead augs?¡±

    ¡°You heard?¡± Nestra asked, suddenly interested.

    ¡°Of course! Well done, dispatching them without reinforcements. Wish you didn¡¯t have to do it though.¡±

    He winced.

    ¡°Some of my comrades in arms are not exactly the cream of the crop.¡±

    ¡°Understatement of the century. And yes, I always wanted to see the redwoods since they were grown. I guess tonight felt like a really good time.¡±

    ¡°My uncle made them! They¡¯re great, visually. We¡¯re studying their fire resistance.¡±

    They boarded the elevator, alone except for a short baseline woman in a suit who did her best to look inconspicuous. Valerian didn¡¯t even notice her.

    ¡°So yes, anyway, I¡¯m also working around Fifteen. We¡¯ve had to break fights and capture a few augmented gangers causing trouble but otherwise it¡¯s been calm. Yours was the largest group. Be careful, there is no guarantee this was the last of them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be surprised as well. Say, do you know if any of the gang gleams escaped?¡±

    ¡°No, they were the priority and there weren¡¯t many of them anyway. I think Hong Wang got them all. He was¡­ thorough.¡±

    Nestra thought back to the Red King and his flames. Yeah that gleam wasn¡¯t exactly subtle.

    ¡°However,¡± Valerian said, leaning conspirationaly towards Nestra in full view of another baseline. ¡°Rumor says many lieutenants made it out. They¡¯re probably far away by now but you never know.¡±

    They left the lift and a traumatized secretary behind. Nestra paid the parking fee with her visor while they walked. Valerian was just so excited to talk to her. It felt weird.

    She wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to add him to the list of people she ought to care about. He was a disaster in waiting.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye out,¡± she said.

    ¡°You do that. Strong augs will be a danger to you seeing as you¡¯re, you didn¡¯t¡­¡±

    He gestured awkwardly.

    ¡°Riel I¡¯m making a mess of things. You don¡¯t have raider combat capabilities. There, I said it.¡±

    He winced.

    ¡°To be fair, neither do I.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just life, right?¡±

    ¡°Strong life. No other affinity though this one would be all I needed. It¡¯s just¡­¡±

    He sighed.

    ¡°It sounds selfish but¡­ I want to fight. I know I¡¯d be more useful as a pure healer and all, just¡­¡±

    ¡°Can life mana really not be turned around? Leeching spell maybe?¡±

    Valerian shook his head.

    ¡°I can buff my allies really well, or I would if they let me. They mostly want me to save mana to heal them if things go south. If only they¡¯d let me prove myself! And, errr, maybe if I did find an aggressive use, it wouldn¡¯t change things. I would just be ¡®perverting¡¯ my gift. Not to mention I¡¯d need three times the effort and twice the mana of a fire spell for half of the result. I fear there is no winning here.¡±

    ¡°Yet you still do it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡­ look, I want to contribute on the frontline, not in a tent at the back. I don¡¯t want everyone to tell me how to live!¡±

    He bristled.

    ¡°But¡­ I guess they¡¯re right. I¡¯m being selfish. I could save many more lives doing what I was born to do rather than what I want to do.¡±

    Nestra and him shared a tense silence. She¡¯d reached her car by now, and waited by the front. For some reason, it felt wrong to cut the man off.

    She thought she knew why.

    ¡°Am I being an ass?¡± he eventually said.

    ¡°Why do you ask me even though we barely know each other?¡±

    ¡°Because,¡± he replied with conviction, ¡°you know what it¡¯s like to grow up with expectations and not meet them.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have a choice.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just¡­¡±

    ¡°Yet I see what you mean. You don¡¯t really need my answer. You know what I¡¯m doing. I could have a cozy office job using my network or even work for my parents¡¯ guild and yet here I am shooting augs in a concrete jungle. As for doing what you were born to do, nobody decided that.¡±

    ¡°I would help more people if I picked the path of the healer.¡±

    ¡°Fuck them,¡± Nestra suddenly said with feeling. ¡°You may be expected to contribute but those folks sure as fuck don¡¯t get to tell you how. What do you owe them? Or are you expected to spend every waking hours shoving life mana into paper cuts? Nobody¡¯s explored life mana beyond the basics so far. We merely use it as a supplement to technology. Maybe you were born to change that. Who the fuck knows? Not me, and not your cousin. Nobody has the right to tell me to set myself on fire to warm others. Nobody is owed my sacrifice. Same for you.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± Valerian said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You were on fire just now, but anyway I think I see your point. And I agree. I¡¯m holding you back. Thanks. For the candid reply. I¡­ think I needed to hear it from someone else. Maybe I¡¯ll become a healer eventually but¡­ you are right. I want to explore what life mana can contribute on the battlefield. Maybe I¡¯ll fail. Maybe not. I just¡­ don¡¯t want to live with regrets.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Ok, then be careful out there and come back for a walk sometimes? I¡¯m actually there almost every evening. Did I say that already? Oh! And, uh, not that it¡¯s my business but¡­ you smell of blood. A little. Do you need any help? I can heal you for free, haha.¡±

    Nestra did her best not to freeze like a deer in the headlights.

    Human Nestra was intact.

    Demon Nestra though¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Unharmed, actually. Maybe it¡¯s something from the battle?¡±

    ¡°If you are sure,¡± Valerian replied, dripping polite disbelief.

    She climbed in and set up the autopilot. Valerian waved her goodbye and despite her better judgment, she returned it. She was also asleep by the time the car left the district. She only woke up two hours later in her seat and then only because she¡¯d put the alarm. A string of slurs followed her return to the waking world.

    ¡°So tired¡­¡±

    But she had to go and track that blood.

    After a snack or two.

    ***

 Part 10

    It had been a shit idea. The right thing to do would have been to follow the wounded ganger on the spot instead of letting her escape. What if she got into a vehicle?

    No, vehicles were controlled very tightly in Fifteen. Gangers just couldn¡¯t be seen above ground or they would have a fleet of drones on their asses in less time it took to say ¡°Police state¡±.

    Nestra should have still taken the risk and followed, even if that meant losing access to evidence. She would have had the support of Kim, maybe even the gleams though¡­ ah whatever. It was done.

    The trail of blood was still relatively fresh but Nestra wasn¡¯t. Her arm ached, a sore feeling that persisted long past what she was used to in a society with ready access to painkillers. Although the wound was almost closed now, it was exhausting. The pain weighed on her overtaxed mind like the constant clang of a bell, stealing her attention away. She grit her teeth and took a deep breath. The tunnel here smelled stale with the coppery scent of the wounded aug¡¯s lifeforce still potent after more than half a day. She followed it. She could see it as well, like a fading arrow. The rust-colored track led deeper into the bowels of District Fifteen past the lit track tunnels and into mazes of maintenance and storage rooms. The tracks didn¡¯t seem to follow any strict direction either. Once, they made a small detour through a pump system hangar. The blood flow also fell into a trickle there, but there was a large, crimson shoulder print against a manual control panel. Nestra¡¯s quarry had made a stop to staunch the bleeding here. Perhaps also to make sure she wasn¡¯t pursued. She was weakening.

    Nestra shook her head then winced. The trail was old. This was not a hunt. She had to calm down. Maybe lie down for a second and¡­ no. No. She had to finish this.

    The wounded aug left the maze almost a kilometer down the line, close to Threshold¡¯s kaiju wall. The purge had hit the place the hardest here where one of the gangs had made its stronghold. Nestra had to push through debris and collapsed rooms to find the surface. Bloody handprints made the task easy. She ended up near a half-destroyed building at the edge of a large crater. The smell of fire still haunted the place, with molten plastic and twisted steel beams hanging over the precipice in a forest of rotting limbs. She would have missed the steel door were it not for yet another bloody spot on the wall nearby. Nestra¡¯s quarry had leaned there, perhaps waiting for someone to open the gate.

    This was it. Her destination.

    Her black box beeped to warn her about cameras. Better to take a small detour. She moved around the devastated street to avoid being seen. She would not be recognized, of course, but glitchy cameras and guards on alert mixed poorly, especially since the open ground would make her visible for entire seconds. Her path led her around and to the heart of the dead battlefield.

    This part of the city was an absolute wreck. Perhaps it had been a hive of villainy before the purge, but now it was an empty grave. Scorched husks of tents and stalls lined the ravaged streets. Not a single wall stood that didn¡¯t bear bullet impacts and half-erased graffiti, all that remained of a defiant faction¡¯s struggle against Threshold¡¯s all-encompassing authority. Casings still littered the asphalt for all the good it had done the gangers. Nestra shook her head. Fucking idiots. Fucking dead idiots now.

    Well, whatever.

    A small search revealed a water tower ravaged by machine gun spray. Nestra climbed it, then made a short jump to her target¡¯s roof.

    It could have been an administrative building. Or a company office. The roof was empty except for inactive AC units. A door led downstairs, though it was locked and probably secured. Not that Nestra needed a door. A breath, and she slipped through the fabric of the world and through the floor under her feet.

    One moment, she was standing outside, the next, she was falling down a derelict office, her naked feet landing smoothly on a ratty carpet.

    It was dark here and it smelled terrible, musty and rotten with a burnt undertone. Cubicles stood, yellow surfaces eaten by mold. They were gutted and empty with cables snaking out of the desks and leading nowhere. The gangers hadn¡¯t used this specific room at least. Riel, maybe no one had since Threshold completed the wall. Nestra carefully moved to the only door leading further inside and listened.

    It was mostly silent, probably because the hour was late. Rather than opening the door, she slid through the wall and into a trash-strewn corridor. Here, the stench was more aggressive but Nestra¡¯s sensory defenses left her unaffected. She carefully made her way through forsaken trash bags, wishing for the day when the skin could cover her feet as well. The symbiotic garment felt her anguish. A few tendrils of darkness creeped down her calves until she stopped it with a thought. There was little point in covering her soles after walking through a kilometer of dusty corridors. Better to focus on the matter at hand.

    She was getting distracted. Nestra massaged her eyes to try and wake up. She was so close to something useful that she couldn¡¯t afford to lose if she wanted to find out the truth.

    It was a matter of minutes to find the stairs down, by which time she realized with some surprise that most of the doors leading to empty offices were trapped with old-fashioned claymore mines. They even used wires. Aggressive. At least, she was in the right spot.

    Carefully, she climbed down while keeping an eye out for cameras. One of them pointed at the stairway and couldn¡¯t be avoided so Nestra slipped down once again, landing into a crouch on the floor below. Probably the third floor. She should have checked before getting in. Amateurish.

    A quick check revealed that the second room was used for storage. There were crates in the empty offices with the marking of emergency rations, probably pillaged from the shelters under Fifteen. The food in there could last for centuries so long as the seals held so they made a great prize for people on the run. She also spotted cases of ammunition, a few rifles, and clothes. Lockers presumably held personal effects. She approached the staircase and saw colors for the first time since getting in. There was light, and sounds. Footsteps. Someone was still here.

    Nestra creeped by the corner. The stairs down led to a large open space lit by powerful lamps. From that angle, she could see isolating fabric lining the walls and some workstations including a weaponsmith. In one of the corners, monitors displayed camera footage and surveillance data watched by a bored aug. A couple more slept in bags along the wall. She couldn¡¯t see more from where she was but there were a lot of crates, most of them packed. Were they on the way out? They could be rotating between safe houses.

    There was probably a place she could drop in. Just had to make sure she wouldn¡¯t be¡ª

    ¡°Hey!¡± a voice rang from behind.

    Nestra turned, feeling both shocked and very, very stupid. An aug stood behind her, at the end of the corridor. He was holding a half open bottle of something. Dirty clothes. Matted hair. A machine pistol on a holster.

    ¡°Mo¡ª MONST¡ª¡±

    Fuck.

    Nestra used momentum to close the distance, grabbed his machine pistol and emptied half a magazine in his unprotected head. A rush of power marked his death. Screams and gasps of alarm rang after the deafening booms. Five of them. Nestra didn¡¯t wait. She dropped through the ceiling on a pair of augs thrashing their way out of sleeping bags. Both had eye implants judging from how they didn¡¯t seem to know exactly where she was. Two men. She shot the lightly auged one and grabbed his knife, a monoblade. A horizontal strike guided by precision decapitated the heavier one. She picked his gun and charged forward.

    ¡°User not recognized,¡± a synthetic voice said.

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    Nestra used momentum to close in with the aug in charge of the cameras even now brandishing a room sweeper with a confused look. He was just as lost as the others, eye implants searching but finding only glitches. Nevertheless, wide choke shotgun bad. She dove low and struck up, gutting him and grabbing the gun. Bullets buzzed past her head. There was a shorter man with curly hair pointing a rifle near a small printer in the distance. He didn¡¯t have eye augs.

    Nestra used the dying, gutted aug as a human shield. He screamed and convulsed under the onslaught while Nestra remained untouched. Smelled bad though. The shooting aug slowed down to adjust his sight. He was surprisingly calm, Nestra thought, as she watched him breathe, nervous sweat pearling on his brow. As he did so, she sprinted then used momentum again to appear behind him. He swiveled his gun around but it was too late. The shotgun blast took him in the neck. Even dermal plating couldn¡¯t stop a shell at this range.

    There was a crash of glass upstairs. Window. Nestra grabbed her latest victim¡¯s rifle then slipped through the nearest wall. A man, running away to safety, or so he thought.

    She lined the rifle and switched to burst fire. There should be at least half a magazine left. More than she needed. The weapon felt so small in her hands. It was more like a toy than a tool of destruction. It didn¡¯t buck under her fingers when she pulled the trigger thanks to her superior strength. The fleeing shape shuddered and stumbled on the uneven ground. Little puffs of blood bloomed where the bullets pierced through whatever defenses he had. One two three. One two three. One two three. The last volley caught him in the neck.

    He fell and stopped moving.

    Nestra remembered to breathe.

    Breathe, that¡¯s right.

    Breathe and curse.

    ¡°Riel fucking dammit.¡±

    Stupid. Stupid and sloppy. Amateurish. She hated amateurish with a burning passion, and yet here she was, forgetting to sweep rooms clear because she saw something shiny and let curiosity take over her higher brain functions. She could have lost her lead, or even her life acting like a fool. Fuck! At least she remembered to use their own weapons instead of her sword.

    Nestra clicked her tongue as she moved to retrieve the body. A quick check showed she could slip back into the den with it so at least she had that going for her. This time, she made sure to quickly sweep the second floor just in case. There was no one there.

    Only one person remained in the ground floor¡¯s makeshift infirmary. It was the aug she had wounded this morning. She was dying.

    Nestra watched the woman¡¯s heavily bandaged chest move up and down. The aug was younger than she thought, with light alterations that focused on speed and reflexes. It had not helped against a bullet traveling through a damn wall. Her companions did try to do their best, with synth blood transfusion and other drugs but¡­ there was a rattle in her chest, lungs slowly filling with liquids. Her heart beat too fast and her skin was too pale. Organ damage, most likely. Not something that could be fixed here.

    There was still a rush of power when Nestra slit her throat. Mind speed, this time. She could recognize the taste. Humans seemed to grant random advantages, and though they were not significant, they were not weakening either. Nestra had diminishing returns with monster deaths but with her peers, either she had not noticed it yet, or there was¡­ no limit to how strong she could grow by killing humans.

    She considered this as she gathered the bodies in a pile, thankful that she didn¡¯t have fingerprints in demon form. Was this how it would end? With human undesirables acting as fodder for her growth? A disturbing sensation of kinship filled her mind. Those augs fought her and died without standing a chance because she was simply superior and there were no measures they could have taken, no training they could have followed, that could have saved them from her. They were doomed from the moment Nestra decided to kill them.

    She was the gleam now.

    It felt¡­ a little sickening. Winning like that didn¡¯t feel good. It felt like cheating. She didn¡¯t mean to summarily execute those people. She only wanted to find a way to lead her side of the human conflict here, so maybe they could be interrogated. They were not dead because she planned on executing them. They were dead because she¡¯d fucked up and left herself with no choice.

    Nestra shook her head. She already knew the cause of her torment: overestimating herself and her energy reserves. It was just so unfair! A month ago, she could run all nighters and be functional well into the afternoon, but now? Now she needed over four thousand calories and ten hours of sleep a day or she would forget how to tie her own fucking shoelaces. Gleams were renowned for their amazing stamina! Where was hers hiding? This was bullshit. Utter bullshit.

    And also an excuse for her failure. She knew she needed sleep and still thought she could get away with it.

    Her fault.

    Nestra let herself whine until the bodies were gathered, then she realized there was no real reason to gather them to begin with. Instead, she went to the monitor to see if she could at least erase the surveillance footage. Luckily, the videos were stored on a local hard drive she recovered for her own perusal. The cameras didn¡¯t show reinforcements rushing in so she took some more time looking around the computer. It really was a bare bone setting with no internet access, only security logs that didn¡¯t say much. She only learned the local gangers had been here for a week, that they had a rival gang and a boss called Cleaver which was, in Nestra¡¯s opinion, really fucking tacky. The latest log named the wounded aug as Mai. Her group¡¯s massacre spooked the gangers who were ready to move at dawn.

    She found the answer to one of her questions among the available programs. It seemed this safe house was linked to a couple of others, including the one she¡¯d cleared the day before. There was a way to ping the safe house for a status update via the shelter under the hab block.

    Nestra knew with absolute certainty that Flash was plugged into that system. He had access to its cameras. She started the program and set it on repeat. Flash wouldn¡¯t fail to notice it.

    Hopefully this would be enough to have human Nestra access this place.

    After one last look around to make sure she hadn¡¯t forgotten anything, she left.

    ***

    Nestra was still tired, but at least she would have a respite this morning in the form of an approved medical visit. It was time to meet Mazingwe again.

    This time the appointment was at his private practice which happened to be closer to the center of the town. Her car delivered her there without issue, and she used the transit time to check the surveillance footage she¡¯d copied to her visor. After ten minutes of fast forwarding, the prize appeared.

    Someone had come to visit, someone familiar. She tried to place him and failed, at first. Heavy augments on his eyes, chest, legs under a tattered waistcoat made an imposing figure. He was tall and bulky with short brown hair. He also no longer had enough flesh to even identify an ethnicity. She stopped the feed when it caught his face at a good angle. There was something about the shape of his implants¡­

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    A roof over District Fifteen on the night of the purge. Nestra had shot at a charging tide of stimmed augs and¡­ a heavy weight almost crushed her. This was the one who had jumped on the roof. She¡¯d pushed him back over the edge after paralyzing him with her sword. He was a ganger lieutenant and he¡¯d come a swipe away from killing her.

    Huh.

    So he did make it after all. And now he was¡­ doing whatever. She kept watching the feed which was now running at normal speed. He wore a heavy blade on his hip, this one too heavy to be really wieldy. It looked like it had been torn apart from a combat walker.

    Cleaver. That was Cleaver.

    Nestra pushed herself back from her seat, eyes widened as the one of the cameras showed Cleaver opening a wall safe and placing something in it. Demon Nestra had missed it but demon Nestra just wanted to go home at the time. Maybe it was still there. Cleaver left shortly after.

    She searched for more visitors but found nothing, only gangers vacating to their occupations with a surprising modicum of discipline.

    ¡°You have arrived.¡±

    Nestra blinked. Her car was parked in a nice spot next to a flower pot. In front of her, a glass building rose high. Right. Her health check. She easily found the main entrance, a tastefully decorated affair.

    ¡°Can I help you, miss?¡± a security agent asked, seeing as she was in the uniform she usually wore under her armor.

    ¡°Just here for an appointment.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Nestra followed the directions to the third floor where she was welcomed by an old lady in an immaculate suit exuding polite competence. Mazingwe still employed a secretary and greeter where most doctors had automated the process, or operated out of a hospital. He was old fashioned like that. She sat down in the waiting room and checked her visor for messages. There was one, from Shinoda, giving her a new address to meet at when she was ready.

    It looked like Flash did the right thing. Good guy. She wondered¡ª

    ***

    ¡°Miss Palladian.¡±

    Nestra woke up with a jolt.

    ¡°MUOH!¡±

    Golden eyes illuminating a very dark, kind face. Lean muscles. Mana bled out of his frame in both a gentle light and the promise of fire should she stray. There was so much power in this lithe frame, it almost gave her a headache.

    He was also holding a cup of coffee and a donut.

    ¡°No, Miss Palladian. You may not have my snack.¡±

    ¡°Dr Mazingwe! It has been too long. How are you?¡±

    ¡°A worthy effort at pleasantries, however you still may not have my donut. Is this the moment you will assure me you were not asleep?¡±

    ¡°Why would I? I¡¯m not at the office so you can¡¯t exactly discipline me.¡±

    She shrugged.

    ¡°No rules against sleeping in the waiting room.¡±

    In her peripheral vision, Nestra saw a gleam look at her with utter shock. No affinities so not a raider. Maybe a researcher or something. He was leaving.

    ¡°I took the liberty of letting you sleep longer, seeing as you were exhausted. It is now ten AM.¡±

    ¡°Shit I need to get back to work.¡±

    ¡°None of that now. I did you a favor.¡±

    Nestra considered it. Maybe he had. It would take the techs hours to comb over the area anyway, and she needed the sleep. She eyed the donut and thought longingly about the bag of croissants in her bag. They were not the freshest but they had a mana-rich almond fillings. Some leftover from a gleam function.

    Maybe with some coffee.

    ¡°Thanks, by the way,¡± she finally said.

    ¡°Think nothing of it, and now, if you will follow me. I need to ascertain that you are in good health.¡±

    Mazingwe¡¯s office was clean and well-lit by large windows. Several lights would provide a sunny feeling even in winter though the high gleam himself could probably do it just as well by releasing his control. There were several testing machines in the room that tried to look harmless despite the restraint-like bands and other torture chair similarities.

    Maybe Nestra was a little biased.

    ¡°You look much better than when we last met. Have you perhaps found a workaround for your mana cravings?¡±

    ¡°I have, in fact. Food.¡±

    ¡°Mana-rich food?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He leaned against his designer chair.

    ¡°And do you also sleep more or was today just a coincidence?¡±

    ¡°I sleep more, yes.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm.¡±

    Mazingwe flexed his long fingers. With his distraction came a rush of barely contained might, the power of the sun just peeking from behind a mountain.

    ¡°Your case being unique, perhaps this solution will work in the long run. I am relieved that you seem to be doing so well, though I have concerns about the amount of food you would need to maintain a balance. We will be conducting in-depth tests. It should not take more than twenty minutes.¡±

    It might have been short but it was invasive. Mazingwe took a blood sample then ran various examinations. Blood pressure, visual acuity, X-rays. Everything was done besides a pee sample for which Nestra was quite grateful.

    ¡°Interesting. You are in¡­ remarkable health. Better than before when you were exhibiting signs of exhaustion. In fact, some of the results would almost place you in the lowest bracket of users. Have you, perhaps, shown any signs of having quirks? Multiple ones?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Nestra replied.

    Mazingwe stared. He could do that very well.

    ¡°No, really! Why would I hide it?¡± she replied with conviction. ¡°I just feel better and maybe I move a little faster but I don¡¯t have any special tricks or anything.¡±

    At least not in human form, which was all that mattered.

    ¡°I see. Hmmm, perhaps they might manifest later. I have equipment to measure the performance of freshly awoken users in the next room. I would like you to take those tests as well.¡±

    ¡°Oh, the machines that tell gleams what they¡¯re worth right after they awoke? Nice,¡± Nestra replied before she could stop herself.

    ¡°Your sarcasm is misplaced, Miss Palladian. Everyone wants to know which way their natural abilities lean so that they may follow an appropriate training path, especially raider candidates. I merely point them in the right direction.¡±

    ¡°What if they have no talent?¡± she asked, perhaps a little sweetly.

    Just enough of the high gleam¡¯s aura pierced through to send her back to her seat with just a hint of vertigo.

    ¡°You should know better than most that everyone has their skills, Miss Palladian.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay.¡±

    ¡°There is also a psychological evaluation.¡±

    ¡°Oh spare me.¡±

    ¡°But considering your career choice and your attitude, I would say they would come considerably too late.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    ¡°Just one question then. Are you aware that your biting attitude and the way you lash out against perceived figures of authority stems from a deeply ingrained feeling of inadequacy compounded by a desire for recognition of your own merits and the deleterious effect of Threshold¡¯s vertiginous social ladder?¡±

    ¡°Mazingwe, what the fuck are you on about? I¡¯m a simple girl that likes swinging her sword. If I were a gleam I¡¯d be swinging it too and if I couldn¡¯t swing I¡¯d just end it. It¡¯s that simple. I don¡¯t give a shit about politics, respect or hierarchy beyond the basics because it won¡¯t give me what I want, which is, as I said before, swinging my damn sword. Don¡¯t try to overcomplicate me. I know what I am.¡±

    ¡°You may have surprising depths to your character.¡±

    ¡°Nah. I¡¯ll never be a genius and I¡¯ll never be a leader. I accepted that long ago and gleam powers wouldn¡¯t have changed my brain anyway.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm. You seem to be in a good place. I see no cause to push you right now.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Would a donut convince you to go ahead with my tests?¡±

    ¡°Bribery? Sign me up.¡±

    And so Nestra did the damn tests.

    The donut was freaking amazing but Mazingwe refused to say where he got it. There was some very basic weight lifting but most were reflex tests, and once she turned when Mazingwe flashed his aura and he later made a note.

    ¡°Well, I have confirmed that you have¡­ slightly superhuman capabilities,¡± he finished.

    Nestra nodded. She knew that already. While demon Nestra¡¯s progress was massive, human Nestra only benefitted from a fraction of her true strength but a fraction of a shit ton of strength was still quite respectable.

    ¡°As expected, you knew this but elected not to share this piece of information with me, just as you elected not to tell me you were doing much better. Even though I am your practitioner.¡±

    Nestra frowned as they sat back at the man¡¯s office. He didn¡¯t offer another donut.

    ¡°Dr Mazingwe, no one sends messages to their doctor telling them they¡¯re doing fine.¡±

    ¡°And yet I recall asking you to keep in touch last time.¡±

    ¡°I mean sure, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Specifically.¡±

    He seemed a little annoyed.

    ¡°You are angry. Is that why you didn¡¯t shake my hand and ate the first donut in front of me without offering any?¡±

    ¡°I cannot express my annoyance in a clearer manner without overstepping the bonds of courtesy.¡±

    ¡°That was petty. Buuuuut you have always been good and¡­ I suppose you¡¯re right. I should have told you. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°I accept your apologies, and acknowledge that the wounded beast only sees its own pain.¡±

    ¡°What does that even mean?¡±

    ¡°You are a bitch when you¡¯re hurting.¡±

    ¡°OOF! What happened to the bonds of courtesy?¡±

    ¡°I ran out of patience and allowed myself a little folly. Since there are no witnesses.¡±

    ¡°You are a dangerous man, doctor.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± the high gleam said, ¡°you have no idea.¡±

    On the way out, Nestra asked the secretary where that accursed doctor got his donuts.

    ¡°Oh he makes them himself. I understand he doesn¡¯t even use a machine for that.¡±

    ¡°Riel! Really?¡±

    ¡°Certainly.¡±

    Talk about VIP treatment.

    ***

    Nestra parked right next to the building she¡¯d infiltrated the night before. The light of the day gave it and its surroundings no quarter. Where night had left some doubt this place could be redeemed, now it appeared as the dead husk it was. Most structures were either collapsed or on their way to be, and those that still stood had been gutted by fire, bullets, or both. This entire place was a lost cause. By contrast, the tech hover van and the few cruisers present were beacons of order and cleanliness.

    Nestra found Shinoda by the main gate, drinking miso soup from a thermos. The wind carried hints of umami to her nostrils. She appreciated the nice change from the stench of voided bowels and old blood. It bothered her much more when she was in human form.

    ¡°Detective Shinoda. I have a gift for you.¡±

    ¡°You do?¡±

    ¡°Also, miso soup? I figured you for an instant noodle kind of guy.¡±

    The detective cast a shameful glance towards the nearest trash bin set up for the day. Probably where he had disposed of the evidence.

    ¡°Ah, very astute of you, Palladian-san. I fear I never learned to cook.¡±

    ¡°There is still time. Anyway, the gift?¡±

    ¡°Douzo. Lead the way.¡±

    Nestra opened the trunk of her car which caused Shinoda to whistle. She had her own rifle there in a black box along with a few other goodies she kept there for the big game. Shinoda hesitated to pick his weapon when she presented it to him.

    ¡°Rush order. Got it in time.¡±

    ¡°Is this¡­ legal?¡±

    ¡°You have been deputized. Kim cleared it this morning, or so she said by mail. This is very much above ground. Hell, I even got a grant for it.¡±

    What Nestra didn¡¯t say was that Kim¡¯s budget barely covered the gun, and it didn¡¯t cover the ammo. That was fine for now but she sure as hell hoped she would keep the loot from her next raids.

    ¡°Palladian-san. This is a sawn-off shotgun.¡±

    ¡°Tut tut tut this is a ¡®Last Ditch¡¯ monster-killer gun. It was designed to look like this. Note the compact frame. You can unfortunately only chamber and shoot one flechette at a time. Got you five mana-charged ones in case we meet some really large hindrance.¡±

    ¡°This might even stop a D-class beast!¡±

    ¡°It can.¡±

    ¡°You are joking.¡±

    ¡°If you land the shot, it can. I also got you ordinary bullets for augs. Should stop most of them in their tracks.¡±

    ¡°What are they made of? Titanium?¡±

    ¡°Depleted uranium.¡±

    ¡°Palladian-san, chotto, you are joking too much.¡±

    Nestra frowned. The old man was pissing her off.

    ¡°Look, detective, I never joke about weapons and survival. This is the realm of gleams and heavily augmented gangers. Feel free to stick to your peashooter and maybe next time, I¡¯m not here and a wired goon will gore you while laughing because you can¡¯t pierce through their defenses. Or you can shut up and accept my gift so maybe you stay alive a little longer. This wasn¡¯t exactly easy to find, wakatta ka?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you are correct. I receive this weapon with gratitude, Palladian-san. Perhaps my previous work has made me too unused to the violence of this place.¡±

    He sighed then touched his chest.

    ¡°The most dangerous encounter I had in the past five years was being threatened with a kitchen knife by a scared widow.¡±

    ¡°Ah, sorry.¡±

    ¡°Not to worry Palladian-san. To be fair, she had previously killed her husband, so I was indeed in danger. In any case, let me show you the inside. You have seen the file I sent, yes?¡±

    ¡°I did. And there was something I noticed¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get in first.¡±

    The steel door demon Nestra had ignored because doors were for scrubs stood wide open. A few techs milled about next to body bags, having finished their own part of the work. A few more officers stood at the corners of the building with weapons out while uncontrolled, fizzling mana betrayed the presence of at least one low gleam. Kim wasn¡¯t taking any chances.

    Despite some fresh air flow, Nestra was almost overwhelmed by how much the place stank. It wasn¡¯t just the fading scent of dead bodies. An acrid aroma of unwashed bodies permeated the air, clinging to the yellow isolating tarps on the walls. A team of techs devoted their attention to one of the weapons workshops though Nestra wasn¡¯t sure what they expected to find. Maybe they would get lucky and find proof Gidung had provided the equipment but she wouldn¡¯t be holding her breath. In any case, people were mostly done here.

    ¡°Palladian-san?¡±

    Nestra had been wondering how she would find the drive without appearing too lucky, until she remembered the gangers never really built anything.

    ¡°I looked at the picture of the crime scene and then I remembered something. This is a standard class 3 administrative building from the time humanity moved on the Threshold continent. They are all copy-pasted templates designed for convenience so I knew something was missing, and I found it.¡±

    ¡°What was it?¡±

    Nestra sent Shinoda the blueprint. The wall safe Cleaver had used to hide his storage drive came with the building but it had been camouflaged. Shinoda quickly inspected the plan and came to the right conclusion.

    ¡°Interesting. Very astute, Palladian-san. Great job.¡±

    He walked to the hidden spot and knocked. The telltale sound of a hidden compartment answered him.

    Nestra leaned against a pillar for what followed, which was an interesting mix of excitement and reprimands.

    ¡°We were going to finish with this,¡± a tech assured Kim on his visor.

    ¡°Finish? FINISH! What if the gangers hid an explosive in there? From now on, every inspection will begin with a wall check immediately after the area has been confirmed clear of hostiles, do I make myself clear?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Kim-Nim.¡±

    ¡°You are lucky to be alive. You are operating in a warzone. Do not forget that and change your protocols if you have to. I do not want to attend any more burials.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Kim-Nim. We understand.¡±

    ¡°See that you understand AND remember.¡±

    While the tech in charge got chewed up, another pair finished excitedly dismounting the entire safe door, revealing the soft, juicy secret inside. Nestra got a first good look at the drive. It was¡­ a drive. A widely-available commercial one for people who didn¡¯t want to store stuff on the cloud. Workers who went outside of the walls sometimes carried them to quickly transfer files. It even had a decorative little rabbit painted on the surface which gave Nestra a bit of a mental whiplash. She didn¡¯t know what sort of horror was on there.

    ¡°We need to transfer this to a specialist,¡± one of the techs said with bitter annoyance.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re all busy. We have already found an enormous amount of data. I just don¡¯t know when we will get the results.¡±

    ¡°Hold on,¡± Nestra said.

    ¡°Do you perhaps know someone, Palladian-san?¡±

    ¡°I know a girl, yeah. Let me just clear this up with Kim first.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Got to say, I never expected to work for the rat squad,¡± Stib said on the call.

    ¡°Yeah me neither. At least they let me keep my weapons.¡±

    ¡°But not your honor. Hss! Hss!¡±

    ¡°Stib, I have no honor.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just such a weird thing to say for a fencer. Anyway, I checked the data. It¡¯s heavily encrypted.¡±

    ¡°Damn.¡±

    ¡°Buuuut you know me, I still got something for you! So, ok, the encryption? It¡¯s a weird, really high level type that needs two data sets before you can access the decrypted stuff. It¡¯s called a symbolon and it¡¯s really, really high level shit, like top secret corpo projects or the military.¡±

    Nestra¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She knew exactly what it meant. This wasn¡¯t ganger property.

    They had taken something from Gidung.

    As to why they hadn¡¯t used it yet, she wasn¡¯t sure. Maybe they had to find the other half.

    ¡°So yeah, you¡¯ll never get anything complete unless you find the other half. Not even sure the city¡¯s quantum computers could learn anything. Buuuuut there is a catch. It was never meant to be stored on a commercial drive. Someone opened it about¡­ three weeks ago, with the other half, and the drive saved a page in the cache. I managed to recover it. Just, it doesn¡¯t make sense to me. Here, sending it now.¡±

    Nestra shared the document with Shinoda.

    Her hopes that it would be a picture of the person responsible for the entire debacle holding a sign that said: ¡®I did it! It was me all along nyeeeehehehehehehe!¡¯ were promptly dashed. What Stib had sent her was a very dense table of numbers.

    ¡°Those are automated measurements. The column on the left is the date. The next one is the location,¡± Nestra said.

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°Simplified longitude and latitude markings,¡± Shinoda explained. ¡°They refer to locations in District Fifteen.¡±

    Nestra blushed a little. District Fifteen¡¯s markers were part of the information packet Kim had sent her but¡­ Nestra hadn¡¯t been very diligent in learning them. It was just a pile of numbers and she¡¯d had limited time.

    ¡°What matters is the last line. I recognize the rest. Temperature, pressure, but what are¡­ thetas?¡±

    ¡°An abbreviation for thaums,¡± Nestra explained. This was her area of expertise after all. As a failed gleam.

    ¡°It¡¯s a measure of ambient mana. Not a very good one because it doesn¡¯t work well with aspected mana, but still a good indicator nonetheless. The name is based on some twentieth century writer. Still a rather, ah, not widely accepted unit of measure.¡±

    ¡°So¡­. someone was measuring ambient mana?¡± Stib asked.

    ¡°And the gangers think it¡¯s significant enough to be kept, possibly for blackmail.¡±

    Nestra pondered the discovery for a few moments.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Gidung is here just to make factories,¡± she finally said.

    But the question remained.

    What did they find here?

    ***

 Part 11

    It was Wednesday, the third day of her new job.

    It was ONLY Wednesday.

    ¡°When can I retire?¡± Nestra asked herself. Actually, forget retiring. She just wanted to get to the weekend so she could¡­ ugh. See her family for some hurtful, pointless drama.

    ¡°When will it enndddddd?¡± she bemoaned.

    ¡°Patience, Palladian-san. We are next in queue.¡±

    Nestra glared at the office desk behind which a gaggle of admins shared the same black business suits and annoyed scowls. The official town hall of Fifteen had been repaired and refitted in record time but the result was a sterile office in fresh bruise blue and very light piss yellow (the healthy hydrated kind). Even the flower pots looked like they¡¯d rather be somewhere else.

    There was some paint stains on the carpet. Really a rush job then.

    ¡°Number twenty-seven please,¡± a recorded voice said.

    Nestra followed Shinoda past the desk and through a series of alleys lined by numbered offices, dodging workers and harried visitors on the way. A screen next to room two-oh-six displayed their names so Shinoda knocked and entered, finding a young blonde woman behind. She had deep pockets under her eyes though the tidy state of her desk showed she hadn¡¯t given up yet. Her clothes were just a little frumpy. Many civil servants had to take a shuttle out of the district before they could even get to the subway so Nestra assumed they were overworked to hell.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Knightley,¡± Shinoda greeted with his usual calm.

    The woman blinked, her tired eyes inspecting them both with caution. Nestra said hello when it was her turn to be examined for flaws or whatever.

    ¡°Yes. Hello to you too. And, er, welcome to Fifteen¡¯s center for¡­¡±

    She yawned deeply.

    ¡°For administrative yadda yadda. Sorry. How can I help?¡±

    ¡°We represent law enforcement for hab block D-12, Miss Knightley. Sorry for bothering you, but we were supposed to receive a shipment of food and medical supplies this morning and they failed to arrive. We were directed here to find answers. Could you please tell us where they might be?¡±

    ¡°D-12, D-12. Gimme a moment.¡±

    The woman¡¯s eyes glazed over. She had eye augments, Nestra realized. High-end ones. And a mind jack. Threshold hadn¡¯t brought its most useless people.

    ¡°Yes. I see. Yes, we have it in storage but we can¡¯t get them out because all outgoing convoys must be first approved by the security deputy. It¡¯s protocol.¡±

    To avoid wasting resources willy-nilly, Nestra surmised. Threshold was already spending a shitload of money trying to protect the place. Too many ¡®lost¡¯ supplies and they would feel the pinch, perhaps to a point of failure. It was an easy flaw for Gidung to exploit.

    ¡°And is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, not really. The, ah, the deputy, Mrs Fallstar. She is currently out of the district.¡±

    An uncomfortable silence filled the office. Nestra realized the light that came out of the window was fake. It was just a UV lamp hidden behind shutters so the office wouldn¡¯t be terminally depressing. It didn¡¯t seem to help, though, because she¡¯d been wrong about Threshold sending their best.

    It would take five seconds for Security Deputy Fallstar to receive the approval by mail and sign it electronically. So what the fuck was that woman waiting for? This was a gleam name, besides, so pretty hard to claim she didn¡¯t have the time. Gleams had more time than anyone else. They didn¡¯t need to sleep as much.

    ¡°Any particular reason why she would not be available for approval?¡± Shinoda asked softly while Knightley fumed in her chair.

    ¡°We have been informed that she was otherwise occupied.¡±

    ¡°Would you happen to know when she would return?¡±

    ¡°I am not privy to this information.¡±

    Funny how such a powerful apparatus as the Threshold government could be bottlenecked by a single asshole.

    ¡°I see. Then perhaps, another deputy might sign in her stead?¡± Shinoda continued.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so?¡±

    ¡°The supplies would go a long way to giving us legitimacy,¡± Nestra added.

    ¡°I know that!¡± Knightley replied, lashing out.

    She massaged her eyes. Nestra glanced at Shinoda who delivered the knockout punch.

    ¡°Then work with us. I am sure there is a way for protocol that can be technically followed despite the absence of Mrs Fallstar. We are willing to assist you however we can.¡±

    Knightley glanced at Nestra who nodded.

    ¡°We are on the same side here. Just want the people to get their supplies. Favor for a favor?¡±

    For a moment, Nestra thought the stressed woman would refuse. Instead, she bit her lips. She was thinking of something. An instinct rose from the demon behind the mask. Expectation. The woman¡¯s attitude was shifting. They were almost in.

    ¡°There is something. We got some missing excavation equipment.¡±

    ¡°Excavation equipment?¡± Nestra asked before she could control herself.

    Shinoda gave her a warning sign but Knightley was supremely uninterested anyway. Nestra still ought to be careful showing too much interest in Gidung¡¯s business.

    ¡°Yeah. Gidung is digging large facilities, which is also of interest to us because of the job offers. Anyway, one container has gone missing but whoever took it forgot to turn off the GPS. Maybe they¡¯re too stupid.¡±

    ¡°It is likely the culprit is unfamiliar with corporate security protocols,¡± Shinoda suggested.

    ¡°Yeah, that. Anyway, could you go get it for me? If I get you the coordinates?¡±

    Nestra deferred to Shinoda here. He replied after they exchanged another glance.

    ¡°Very likely, yes. Send them and we will get a warrant for it.¡±

    ¡°Ok, cool. Ok, that should work. I¡¯ll send them then. Ok, now my part of the bargain. Shit, I hope it works.¡±

    Knightley took a deep breath. Nestra picked a voice coming from near the other woman¡¯s ear a moment later but it was too faint for her to follow.

    ¡°Sir, Mrs. Fallstar has not returned yet and I was wondering if ¡ª No sir. Yes, since Monday afternoon. I did. No replies. I can¡¯t move the supplies ¡ª A security deputy must sign on them. Yes, the protocol leaflet says exactly that, not that it has to be my direct superior. Any deputy would ¡ª¡±

    There was silence for a moment.

    ¡°Sir,¡± Knightley risked, ¡°I have over four tons of food clogging the warehouse. You know¡ª yes sir, right away.¡±

    The woman¡¯s expression shifted from tense to triumphant. Shinoda looked pleased as well.

    ¡°Finally, something is moving,¡± Knightley finished. ¡°You¡¯ll do your part then?¡±

    ¡°Of course. We will contact our superior for a warrant immediately.¡±

    ¡°Ok. Keep me up to date on your progress.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Miss Knightley.¡±

    The two left the office after exchanging numbers. Knightley had an exact location for a stolen package, including drone pictures of the garage and of the idiots who visited it. As to why someone would steal from a corp and not even check for trackers, it was as Nestra¡¯s old superior Camus used to say. ¡®We only catch the stupid ones.¡¯

    It was only a matter of minutes for Kim to reply. She called them rather than send a text.

    ¡°Good initiative. We will need a little¡­ flexibility to handle the situation properly. So long as you do not openly break the rules, we will be fine. As for Mrs Fallstar, I¡¯m afraid I cannot do anything. She is well connected and¡­ but it doesn¡¯t matter. One last thing.¡±

    Kim paused. Nestra picked a tapping sound, like someone using a datasheet.

    ¡°The data you¡¯ve sent me confirms what Palladian guessed. Those are mana readings over time taken somewhere in the center of District Fifteen.  I asked around and nobody knows why they''re important, though the readings are unusually high. They might have been taken near a portal for all we know. For now, we are not sure why they matter, only that they do. My superior believes the Cleaver will endeavor to recover them. As such, you will probably be targeted in the near future. I have arranged for a fast response team dedicated to you, with the one user I trust. He will be on overwatch while you work until Cleaver decides to make his move.¡±

    ¡°Er, won¡¯t he assume we didn¡¯t keep the drive with us?¡±

    ¡°The drive is copy-protected though we had no difficulty breaking that specific piece of encryption, so he will need it specifically. He has no choice. You are his best lead and so he will get to you. Preliminary psychological assessment indicates that he will single-mindedly pursue his goal through any means necessary. He is also arrogant, and might believe we are unable to understand the drive¡¯s worth.¡±

    ¡°That is concerning,¡± Shinoda noted.

    Nestra agreed. Cleaver had military-grade augs the last time they met. He¡¯d also underestimated her and her sword¡¯s electric discharge. It would be different this time, not to mention that tattered coat of his could hide even more cybernetics than before. Assuming the gleam arrived to save them in thirty seconds which was already wildly optimistic, they might be twenty-nine point seven seconds too late to save Nestra¡¯s ass.

    That made it exciting. Maybe she could have a rematch? The only thing she couldn¡¯t afford to do was getting caught off guard, but somehow she didn¡¯t think it would be the case. The Cleaver had stopped for an instant when he¡¯d landed in front of her back during the purge because he wanted to savor her fear. He liked feeling in control. He might isolate them but he would make sure they saw death coming.

    Demon Nestra was sure of it.

    He was a cruel hunter. She felt neutral about his kind. Cruel hunters were confident because they were strong. She just didn¡¯t think he was justified in his belief. Proving him wrong would require some preparation but it would be, oh, so rewarding. Nothing quite like making the mighty fall.

    Demon Nestra could win that battle easily. The ability to escape sensors was just the sort of game-changing skill that exemplified why military technology was growing increasingly obsolete. She could basically pop out of a wall and cleave Cleaver before he registered that the glitch was actually a mana-infused sword going for his head.

    But that wouldn¡¯t be fun.

    Nestra would beat the aug with her human form and her bag of tricks, then she would get the second half of the symbolon and find out what those readings meant exactly. Right now, she suspected they spiked somewhere and Gidung was digging, which would explain the excavation equipment. That was just a theory, though. She still had no idea how that data could be so precious and useful a ganger would value it. She was betting on blackmail material, and assuming the file had more than just readings.

    They¡¯d see.

    ¡°Are you worried, Palladian-san? This Cleaver person sounds like a dangerous opponent.¡±

    ¡°No, just hoping the data is worth it. I still can¡¯t put a name on whoever screwed us over and I really want to.¡±

    ¡°Patience, Palladian-san. This is a very big fish and we have a small net, ne?¡±

    ¡°As you say. Should we head back?¡±

    ¡°I was thinking that perhaps we should stop at the cafeteria for an afternoon break. You look famished.¡±

    Shinoda was such a good partner.

    ***

    The pair was called to resolve an altercation immediately as they returned to the hab block. Nestra let Shinoda calm both sides down through kind words while she acted like a gargoyle by his side. The two folks causing a scene were merchants with the solid muscles of men who worked with their bodies, yet they remained apprehensive around her. Nestra knew of few strong men who would see an average-sized blonde and felt threatened. Those searching eyes, the orientation of their feet, those stank of fear. Physical, tangible fear.  Perhaps it was her reputation finally working, but a part of her wondered if those men could feel the demon underneath, somehow. Threat assessment was a survival skill for those who wanted to conduct biz in Fifteen. They sensed something was off.

    Fortunately, the argument died down as soon as the promised supplies arrived. People formed orderly rows without much prompting. Shinoda walked up and down the lines to keep everyone calm. The mood turned festive. For the first time since she came here, Nestra saw people mellow. Someone even gifted her free porridge! It wasn¡¯t long until helpers gave out large crates, crossing names off a list as they went.

    ¡°What do they even contain?¡± she asked Shinoda.

    ¡°Fruits. Leafy greens. Baby formulas and supplements for new mothers. People here do not lack protein or sugar but their diet is poor in fresh vegetable products. The goal is to remedy that. Canned food will also be made available in the near future.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good. The mood is already impro¡ª what¡¯s that?¡±

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    Nestra spotted drones coming in close from the space above them. She made for her gun, ready to drag Shinoda to cover until she recognized their colors. The streamlined design marked them as Gidung drones, the advertisement kind. They stopped slowly over the muttering people and holographic projections soon popped above everyone¡¯s head, showing an elegant East Asian woman in a perfectly tailored dress.

    ¡°Hello everyone, and greetings live from the Gidung arcology! I am so glad to be here with you today, and I hope you enjoy the little gifts we¡¯ve prepared for you!¡±

    It¡­ was paid by the city? Nestra smoldered in silence. The cheery tone left people grim and detached but it wouldn¡¯t last. Gidung¡¯s PR teams would turn the tide soon enough.

    ¡°As new members of the Gidung family ¡ª if you agree, of course! ¡ª we would have exciting new opportunities for you, great ways to improve the city, gain new skills, provide for your families and, of course, have some fun! But don¡¯t take my word for it. Let¡¯s go ask Mr Choi!¡±

    The camera switched to a swarthy man with a tan and the protective hat of a construction worker. His sleeveless vest held an array of tools. She recognized the detector attached to his sleeve, a tool that warned its user if it detected anything harmful. The real deal then, though probably briefed. So the tactic was to position Gidung as a rich corpo, then show how it could lift people? Devious.

    ¡°Hello everyone, lay ho, sour s¡¯dey, ¡ª¡±

    The image fizzled. Though the drones remained stationary, something had gone wrong.

    The entire hab block¡¯s population watched the ever eccentric Flash walk out from his shop with the frazzled look of someone nursing a terrible hangover. His fingers danced on a datasheet as he spoke.

    ¡°Aiyoh, so noisy, just diam la. Who¡¯s the atas bitch anyway? Can explain or?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s your sponsor,¡± one of the workers unloading the truck said, though a smile lifted the corner of his lips.

    ¡°Fuck that. Who wants to listen to English Neo-Grunge instead?¡±

    A collective groan rose from the queue. Nestra thought she could see those already holding their bags of goodies walk away just a little faster.

    ¡°You guys have no taste eh. Then at least keep quiet.¡±

    He returned to his well-deserved rest. Nestra was pretty sure she could see why the community tolerated his antics now. She sure felt like doing the same.

    ¡°Ah, a terrible case of malfunction, Palladian-san,¡± Shinoda said.

    ¡°Shabby drones for sure. Bad connection maybe,¡± she added.

    ¡°I wish we could help, but we are poor detectives with no technological knowledge.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not even a detective!¡±

    ¡°There is nothing we can do.¡±

    ¡°I am sure the masses were touched by the message of our benevolent corpo overlords for the twenty seconds it lasted.¡±

    ¡°Sou desu ne? It will have to suffice.¡±

    With their duty fulfilled for the day, the two officers saw the distribution to the end and then went home.

    ***

    It was night again, and Nestra was tired. Her demon teeth shore through a bag of mana carrots with vengeful fury. Their orange defenses didn¡¯t stand a chance! Alas, that victory was short-lived, for Nestra had to raid again, and she didn¡¯t want to.

    Raiding was fun and all but she was so damn ready to take a break. It had been three days of non-stop work, battles, or preparation with every waking hour. She was mentally strained and sleep-deprived, and yet she would still fight tonight. The benefactor had said something was coming. Nestra needed power and she needed it fast. Even an incremental increase in speed would give her human mask just that little bit of edge that would make the difference between detonating an EMP in Cleaver¡¯s face or catching a power fist with her jaw. She couldn¡¯t afford to slow down.

    It had also been several raids without good food. This madness had to stop!

    The portal in front of her hid in the corners of an abandoned arcade, in a maze designed for laser tag games. If the tree portal in the BaiHua arcology could have been spotted by a passing gleam, this one was definitely a breach in waiting. The nearest cameras only caught the lockers.

    ¡°They should have knocked it down,¡± she hissed.

    As before, her voice came out in that strange language she could speak by instinct.

    ¡°Nothing to it.¡±

    Nestra slipped through the portal, sword out, and found herself in yet another dark corridor.

    For a moment, she thought she was back in an infinite war scenario, but the bricks of the walls were different, the passage narrower. Light came from white-fire torches rather than dim reddish lamps. This could only mean one thing.

    A trap world!

    ¡°Noooooooo!¡±

    Trap worlds had few strong ambush predators, but were otherwise rather empty. More importantly, they didn¡¯t have vegetation. This was the worst for her! No food!

    ¡°Benefactor you big idiot, what am I even doing here?¡±

    Pah.

    Well, come to think of it, maybe she could improve her perception through training. It was possibly the most important skill for a lone raider like her. Not like she had a choice.

    Ok, so this was a slightly below average D-class world, much smaller than the previous one so progress would likely be linear and trapped less viciously. Nestra only had a passing knowledge of those worlds because she was expected to be a frontline swordsman while traps and detection were more of a scout role. To be prosaic, scout raiders were selected for stealth, intelligence gathering, and heightened awareness while Nestra was training to cut things to ribbons. Those were different skill sets. Fortunately, she had several advantages, chief among them being her demon sight. She could see gravel at the end of the corridor even though it was darker than inside a darkling¡¯s rectum and human raiders would have been waving torchlights by now. It was time to put those senses to good use. She merely needed to take it slow and stay focused which was absolutely what a hungry, tired demoness with a shortening fuse and the creeping threat of hubris would be terrible at.

    ¡°It¡¯s a stress test, isn¡¯t it?¡± she asked the ceiling.

    Alas, there was no answer. Sighing, she first had a good look at the alley in front of her.

    It went on for ten meters then sharply veered right.

    She could already count two traps. One was a pressure-plate snare though she couldn¡¯t see what would happen if it were triggered. The other was a knee-high thread, almost invisible. Tiny openings on the ceiling matched her knowledge of poisoned darts.

    Only a complete imbecile would assume that was it. Nestra decided to take it slow, testing the stones ahead of her for more pressure plates. Her eyes crossed and her vision blurred trying to find tiny wires across the way but there were none. After ten minutes of grueling efforts, she reached the end of the passage.

    There had only been two traps. The pressure plate triggered spears hidden nearby thanks to a trick of perspective.

    ¡°Uuuuuugh I¡¯m going to be here until 6 AM with NO FOOD!¡±

    Wait, she shouldn¡¯t speak out loud. Nestra approached the side of the corridor and stabbed a spider-thing hiding on the ceiling in the middle of a pool of unnatural darkness. Completely useless against her. Her perception improved, which gave her the same feeling of satisfaction as ever. A new foe! This one wasn¡¯t much but there were bound to be more exciting creatures around.

    The dying arachnid dissipated in a gust of malodorous gas.

    Not edible then.

    Nestra looked around the corner. Another passage extended for a dozen of meters. A mana ring at the end flared as she watched, the image of an open eye drawn in the middle. She pulled back.

    A roaring ball of flame rushed past her face before splattering harmlessly against a nearby wall. The temperature increased a bit.

    A sight-activated trap. Nasty! Maybe this world did present a challenge after all.

    Progressing slowly, Nestra killed another shadow spider with the same result. This corridor had a large pitfall right before a very obvious thread crossing the corridor in its middle. Naturally, the obvious thread was a decoy and, naturally, it was trapped anyway. Nestra just skipped under it rather than trying fancy stuff like deactivating the trap to recover the components. This was a nerd activity for people with too much time on their hands. She was here to loot stuff and eat monsters and she was all out of both.

    ¡°This fucking place¡­¡±

    The next alley annoyingly turned right again. It was also larger and the entire ground was made out of pressure plates spread out in squares. Mana lined the wall, though she wasn¡¯t good enough to say what would specifically try to ruin her day.

    Nestra was annoyed because she could just use momentum to cross the entire grid but¡­ that would be cheating.

    Fine.

    Those types of traps usually used some sort of writing to mark a safe path. It wasn¡¯t mana this time, so there was probably something that could only be seen by thermal or ultraviolet sights. She couldn¡¯t tell, but a deeper examination revealed a difference in a grain of the stone, almost imperceptible. Only the most observant of scouts could have found those! She painstakingly followed the markings, finally identifying a recurring rune forming a single path across the grid. She didn¡¯t know what that rune was because she had never studied them. Hell, she didn¡¯t even recognize the writing system. It should be ok, however.

    Nestra took a deep breath and pushed the stone down with her exposed toe. Nothing happened.

    She stepped more confidently.

    The mana in the walls remained quiescent.

    Encouraged by her success, Nestra moved on the path with determination, keeping her eyes peeled for¡­

    There was an opening in the shape of a door set in a nearby wall.

    Excitement filled her veins. Traps and enigmas sometimes had an easy, safe option and a subtler one. The runes of the grid could probably be followed to form a secret sentence that would open the nearby passage, an option closed to Nestra, except, she didn¡¯t need it, did she? A jump, and she slipped through the opening and into an unlit room.

    There was a chest in the middle. It was locked. There was also something in the air she didn¡¯t like. Not exactly poison, more like a presence. A shift in the air. Nestra came closer to the chest and realized it was most likely trapped. She removed a small vial from her gear and poured half of it in the lock. It was a basic chest so this kind of measure might work. An acidic stench soon filled the room which helped Nestra realize the uncomfortable sensation wasn¡¯t smell, or magic. It was¡­ space.

    She unsheathed her blade. The fabric of the world shifted ever so slightly.

    Breathe in, breathe out. Feel the ubiquitous pavement under her sole. It was a bare room. Would it help? She didn¡¯t know.

    A shiver.

    Nestra turned on herself and struck. Her blade landed on a set of dark teeth, not the same as hers but close. Beady dark eyes glared with utter malice. When the void shark passed by her, its power pushed her back and the raspy skin ground against hers like a peeler. She twisted on herself and struck down but her attack was too hasty. It bounced against its muscular tail.

    ¡°I knew it! You little shit.¡±

    Nestra dove to the side then struck up, drawing blood. The beast was fast, faster than her, but it could only move forward and with a lower range of lateral motion. Blood on her blade. Good.

    The void shark screeched strangely. Nestra winced at the deafening, alien sound that twisted her mind like a physical presence. It stopped her from reacting on time to dodge the next lunge. No time. Place the blade in front.

    The teeth closed on the manablade with a dreadful shriek. Very, very strong. She was pushed back painfully against the wall but managed to keep the creature at bay. Her arms screamed. So close, the beast¡¯s face gained a wolfish appearance that woke up ancestral instincts of panic in the human recesses of her mind. If those tenebrous jaws closed on her, she was finished.

    She let go with her left arm. The blade¡¯s tip clanged against the wall, close to her throat but only for the moment it took to smash the shark on the eye, again. Her foe shrieked and swerved sharply. Nestra stared at her sword with disbelief while the creature sped away for another pass.

    There were teeth marks on it!

    ¡°Oh that is IT!¡±

    The shark disappeared behind a wall but she could feel it, swimming just under the fabric of reality. It thought it was smart. When it surged out again she was ready. She used momentum to place herself above the emerging creature as it swam in head first. Her arms grabbed its sandpaper skin with all the strength she could muster. Harsh. Cold. The shark struggled against the demon on its back.

    She pushed herself forward, grabbed its fin. This was it. Revenge would be hers!

    Despite the shark¡¯s best efforts, Nestra would not relent in her quest for justice. She grabbed the precious appendage and, with a supreme effort, bit down hard.

    Her teeth pierced through skin and cartilage like butter. It¡­ didn¡¯t taste very good. Too fishy, the mana too acid but¡­ what power! It was very filling. Needled by the pain, the shark finally managed to push her off by slamming her against a nearby wall. Nestra gasped in pain as it retreated at the end of the room. Only her endurance allowed her to jump to the side on time to avoid a flying chest tossed at her by a furious tail swing.

    She stared the maddened beast down while swallowing the unsavory lump of its flesh. A matter of principle. The half moon crescent of the fin¡¯s wound bled a silvery liquid. Her prey screeched mournfully from the atrocious pain but Nestra didn¡¯t care.

    For a second, the two adversaries circled each other, then the shark relented. The last Nestra saw of it this time was the flash of malicious outrage on its predatory head.

    ¡°Serves you right,¡± she accused. ¡°Bothering me while I¡¯m hunting myself! I hope you get jumped by a pack of rabid void dolphins you nasty spoilsport.¡±

    Nestra kept screaming at the brick wall for the better part of a minute. It was a necessary cathartic experience after that whole trap session. Her elation doubled when she realized the chest was now open. What the vial of acid had started was finished by the void shark¡¯s mighty tail strike, and the contents had spilled from the spike-covered remains of the precious container.

    Nestra was suddenly very glad she¡¯d dodged the chest before its defenses could trigger.

    As for the contents, well, there were two¡­ but that was all she needed.

    ¡°Arm guards! It¡¯s perfect!¡±

    Her second artifact. Truly, raiding temporary portal worlds really yielded the best results. The armbands were a dull silver with serpentine patterns, clearly not designed by humans or, indeed, for them. Some of the shapes seemed distorted to accommodate a larger wrist. She had a good look at them for anomalies but contrary to the spear she¡¯d found, there were no strange mana signatures to spoil her fun. Only reinforcement and size adjustment enchantments.

    ¡°Yessss!¡±

    Nestra tried them on. Clasps encircled her forearm to adjust the size while the silvery sheen took on life of its own.

    And then, the skin expanded, inky tendrils covering the artifact. Snaking lines spread over every piece of the defensive gear on both sides. Nestra just stared on, paralyzed with surprise.

    ¡°What?¡±

    The metal bubbled ominously.

    ¡°What?¡±

    In less than ten seconds, her skin armor dissolved and digested the artifact until nothing was left. When the lines retreated, the skin could now cover up to her ankles. It had expanded.

    ¡°What? How can my fucking dress eat before me! Nooooo.¡±

    Her precious artifact.

    Gone.

    Nestra bounced her head against the nearest wall, wailing in frustration at the unfairness of it all. Her horns got in the way of her broody display which ruined the moment. That led to another moment of frustration.

    Nestra paused.

    Nestra frowned.

    It was weird to say so but the demon formed felt flightier and more easily annoyed than her human one. It also tired faster. She made a checklist.

    Constantly hungry.

    Constantly annoyed.

    Sleepy at odd hours.

    Outgrowing her clothes with annoying regularity.

    Significant body changes.

    Constantly confused.

    The natural conclusion dawned on her.

    ¡°Fuck. Am I a teenager?¡±

    The only thing missing was constantly horny, except that had never been the case for her. Was she abnormal even for a demon? She wasn¡¯t sure. She couldn¡¯t be sure, in fact, since there was no one around to ask the fucking questions. The benefactor better have a lot of answers when she finally cornered them.

    After ¡®coping and seething¡¯ for a while, as Aunt Claire tended to say, she decided it was time to finish that damn world. She slipped back through the wall.

    Her feet depressed the tile directly below her.

    Click

    The trapped tile.

    The tile she had specifically used momentum to avoid.

    ¡°Fu ¡ª¡±

    Spears from the ceiling. Sidestep and move back. Whistling darts. Crouch and pass below. Another click. Spears, from the side. Grab one and twist, pushing her feet towards the wall. Jump forward after another rain of darts. Use momentum and land on a safe tile.

    Click

    ¡°¡ªck.¡±

    The room returned to normal.

    Nestra massaged her horns, which were painful right now. Another mistake. Another stupid mistake. Had to do better.

    ¡°Ok, ok. Calm down and move on. Slowly.¡±

    There was nothing else to do. Maybe it was exhaustion, maybe demon hormones or something. That wasn¡¯t important. What was important was playing the deck she¡¯d been dealt and stop acting stupid.

    With a refreshed hatred for life, Nestra faced the next bend in the path, which went left. This one went back to basics with the corridor being wider and crossed by the thinnest threads she¡¯d seen yet. It was a maze of spider-like extensions. Magical traps lined the place, showing the common runes for sound and tension but fortunately, she was really quiet this time. Even the two ambushing spiders she killed next were dealt with quietly.

    The symbols would have triggered if she had used something to sever the threads, perhaps like the pruners scouts were so fond of. It was a pretty nasty place for one supposedly so easy. The shadow spiders were probably the worst of it. If the portal had breached, those creatures would have spread and killed dozens of civilians before they were all found.

    This was what the world looked like outside of the walls.

    One last corridor remained. It led to a wide, open entrance beyond which a cave waited. This one had the entire floor trapped with only a dozen or so tiles safe for passage. The key was to watch for the tiles that were irregular, rather than split into geometric patterns. She crossed that one easily, then slaughtered the three spiders by the door. Her perception was visibly improving. It was an amazing change.

    ¡°I could have just finished this in five minutes by using momentum,¡± she bemoaned.

    But that would have been lazy.

    Now she was stronger and more experienced, she told herself as a coping mechanism. The last cave showed the expected treasure pedestal and nothing else at the ground level. Her gaze traveled up because that was almost always where the guardian hid, appearing from above like a cheap trope. And here it was. She beheld her final prey as it waited within a pool of unnatural darkness, and she weeped.

    ¡°Yes. Yeesssssss. Finally!¡±

    It was a crab.

    A very big crab with large pincers. Nestra couldn¡¯t wait, so she grabbed her gun and shot one of its fucking legs off so it would hurry down.

    The creature screeched and fell in a thunderous crash that sent shards of stones raining on Nestra¡¯s uncaring body. The demon was already charging before the tremors could stop. She recognized her prey. Manastacea Cancer Irrotatus. It was well known across the city for its nature. In fact, it was considered to be¡­

    A delicacy.

    ¡°You are MINE!¡±

    She sought the thinner section behind the claw before the crab could recover. Nestra used precision to guide her strike to that weak spot. Infused steel carved through the shell in a cataclysmic shock before she retreated to avoid a side claw sweep.

    The rock crab gurgled and grabbed its useless flopping claw with the other one. Nestra closed the distance, intending to use the distraction.

    The crab tore the wounded claw off and threw it at her. It was too late to use momentum. All she could do was block, but the beast¡¯s strength sent her rolling against the ground.

    Guided by the Scornful Crescent, Nestra jumped to her feet just as the crab charged her sideways. She used momentum to slide out of the way of the charge which hit the nearest wall and sent tremor throughout the cavern. Stalactites fell, though Nestra managed to weave between them. A sword strike crushed a second leg just as the crab freed itself. She realized it was slow to turn.

    Staying on the side with the missing claw, Nestra went to town on her victim. It tried to strike her but she managed to stay one step ahead. At some point, the crab stood on the remaining legs to spit something at her.

    The spray wasn¡¯t even close and since it was stationary during the attack. she cut off its two remaining legs on that side. The crab collapsed, alive but disabled. All of the limbs on one side had been smashed.

    It took her thirty seconds to safely cut off the other claw, then to execute it by stabbing through its mouth. A rush of power came to her, tasting like resilience and hardened skin which was always useful. She¡¯d picked the safe option and it was fine, but other worlds may have hordes of those creatures and they would need to be killed quickly. She made a note of their weak point.

    ¡°Riiiiight.¡±

    Nestra ignored the reward on the altar next to the exit portal. It was time¡­. to harvest! Sadly, the rock crab was male so there were no eggs to be found but she packed the legs and both claws before dragging them out. She pocketed the two mana crystals and the other reward which turned out to be magnetic stones useful for geomancers. They would fetch a decent price. Finally, she was out and back into the maze.

    There was a congratulatory message along with a promise that the benefactor was working on something to help her soon. It was time for her to gamble.

    ¡°Look, I know you¡¯re out there, so I have a request. I can¡¯t take the claws with me since they¡¯re too big, but since you seem to be able to move around freely, well, let¡¯s just say that if I arrive at the Nestracave and the claws happened to be there, I¡¯d be super grateful.¡±

    With only a couple of cut legs with her, Nestra left for her motorcycle. The trip home was filled with anxiety but when she arrived at her base, there was a pile of crab parts waiting for her on the table.

    She almost squealed until she realized¡­ there was only one claw.

    A message was stuck to the lone survivor. It just said: 50% taken as charge ;)

    ¡°I will never need a sex life because taxes fuck me every day.¡±

    ***

    Nestra watched the spheres of power gravitate around the deepening lake that was her mana pool, its waters a deep cobalt. While most had erred across the room as dead orbs when she¡¯d first come here, now they formed a harmonious planetarium. The three radiant gray orbs representing her mana control, might, and regeneration lagged behind though they still felt unreasonably strong for D-class, much like the rest of her. Her awareness and mind speed rushed at the periphery as vigilant guardians. The mightiest remained pure strength, and now because of the rock crab, resilience, with celerity slightly lower. Resilience was also unbound and now it was time to use it.

    Momentum came from binding power and celerity, precision from binding awareness and celerity. The wall slip came from awareness and magical control but now she felt she needed battle options more than utility. With a gesture, she bound power and resilience.

    A new concept bloomed in her mind. At first, it struggled with the part of her that followed the Stalk of the Scornful Crescent. After all, that style relied on breaking the enemy¡¯s rhythm and the new concept would, in theory, slow her down. It was wrong, however, and she saw it immediately.

    She decided to name the new concept ¡®immovable¡¯. So long as she stood where she was, her presence would anchor her to her location, significantly increasing her resistance. The issue was that she couldn¡¯t move away from her location but that was fine. Sometimes, breaking an enemy¡¯s pace came more easily when a strike didn¡¯t lead to the expected result. It would be fun to try, at least, and she knew she would get plenty of opportunities.

    After that, Nestra visited the resistance room and stared painfully at the two missing shields lacking on the wall. Those were heat and cold. She still hadn¡¯t gained any resistance in those.

    Riel, she hoped there wouldn¡¯t be a volcano world.

    Anxiety hounded her until she reminded herself that not all could be bleak when there was crab leg for breakfast.

    ***

 Part 12

    Nestra rang the bell for the third time and then slammed her fist on the door. It would not break easily. Reinforced hinges, frame possibly dug into the wall. Whoever owned this place had made some effort to keep it secure.

    From the average junkie, that is. She was the police. The hammer of justice. Also, she had explosive charges in her breast pocket.

    Something moved behind the door. Nestra wasn¡¯t sure how she knew, probably a sound at the edge of her hearing. A shoe against an umbrella holder? There was someone there.

    ¡°We have a warrant,¡± she said. ¡°That means we¡¯re coming in with the gate open or broken. You have thirty seconds. Your call,¡± she said.

    Ten seconds later, the gate opened. By her side, Shinoda gave her a curious look while a tired man in dirty coveralls leaned by the frame, jaw clenched in panic. He was of Arabic descent, a rarity in Threshold where the overwhelming majority of the population came from Asia and Oceania.

    ¡°We¡¯re here for the Gidung excavation equipment. We know you have it because you failed to deactivate the GPS. You will lead us there and open the garage door.¡±

    The man hesitated. He was scared. Nestra could see it in the way his eyes checked the deserted, filthy street behind her, the tension in his shoulders. She could almost smell it in his sweat, an acidic waft that marked him as a victim. Prey, not instigator. Weakling. Boring.

    ¡°Mr¡­ Chaarani, was it? You are the owner of this place?¡± Shinoda asked in a softer voice.

    Chaarani latched onto him like a dying man to a buoy. His posture changed though his eyes kept returning to Nestra. She waited there for Shinoda to work his magic. This little contest was already over.

    ¡°Yes? I mean¡­ I am?¡±

    ¡°Not legally, of course, however the city has a record of permanent inhabitants. I know there are considerations made to transfer ownership to you in the near future. Hence why we have a warrant.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? This is great news? I think?¡±

    ¡°There is still the matter of illegally acquired equipment on your property,¡± Shinoda continued with a smile.

    ¡°Stolen corpo machinery. Expensive machinery,¡± Nestra added with bared teeth.

    She was getting the hang of that bad cop routine.

    ¡°It would be a shame if you were found to be a fence, of course. But I am sure this gear was left in your care without your knowledge. Ne?¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­¡±

    The man licked his lips. There it was. The little bit of spine before the end.

    ¡°You are making a mistake. Maybe the GPS is wrong?¡±

    Nestra casually grabbed her handcuffs. Mr Chaarani¡¯s eyes widened in alarm even as Shinoda slowly made to lower her wrist. She let him, of course. It was all a little game.

    ¡°Chotto matte. Sir, is that really how you want this to go?¡±

    The canny detective looked like someone had just kicked his puppy. The spine melted.

    ¡°Ah, come on in. I, err, probably know which package you are referring to. I think?¡±

    Nestra followed Chaarani in his den, wary of ambush. The entrance led into an empty corridor. A passage left led to living quarters with a little girl peeking near the edge. Ventilation carried the scent of spices. A tajine, maybe. The man led them to the right, however, and into a large open space. Well lit if dusty. The Gidung crates waited on pallets by the exit, logo clearly on display.

    Nestra gave the man a glare he had the decency to wither under.

    ¡°The gate, please,¡± Shinoda ¡®requested¡¯.

    ¡°Oh. Of course. Hmm, was there anything else?¡±

    ¡°Not unless we are forced to come back,¡± Shinoda said.

    ¡°And that would be a terrible loss of our time,¡± Nestra added just because it was fun.

    ¡°Haha. No. Then, hm. Good day.¡±

    The pair walked into the stench of one of Fifteen¡¯s less reputable areas. The pallets wouldn¡¯t go anywhere without transport equipment so they contacted Knightley. It was her request. Their job was done. As they left, a female voice screamed insults through the nearest wall.

    ¡°It appears Mrs. Chaarani does not approve of her partner¡¯s choices.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s always a bad decision if one gets caught,¡± Nestra said before realizing it could also apply to her.

    ¡°It is so, is it not? Eeeeeto ne. Now, we should probably lie in wait.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re pretty devious, actually. I¡¯ll grab the snacks.¡±

    ¡°I accept your compliment with grace.¡±

    ***

    The man wasn¡¯t smart, but he had good instincts. That¡¯s why he knew something was wrong when he left the manhole cover with the boss and there was a woman waiting for them by the Arab¡¯s warehouse. That wasn¡¯t right. Nobody waited for them. They waited for other people and then they came out and the people got scared. That was normal. The girl was pretty and pale like those gleam trophy girls he saw on vids. She didn¡¯t belong here. Too confident. That wasn¡¯t normal.

    She was wearing expensive corpo stuff that looked like armor. Like the top gangers used to own. That was even less normal.

    She was finishing a bowl of soup.

    That was fucked up. Nobody ate in front of the boss. That was so disrespectful. She was giving him some colors to see. And the boss¡¯ face was very thin.

    ¡°Ah? Ni gan shaa, biaozi?¡±

    The woman smiled. She had eyes the color of dirty snow, and just as cold. He didn¡¯t like it.

    ¡°Mr. Lang, I assume. My visor informs me you¡¯re being fucking rude.¡±

    The boss¡¯ hands moved towards his vest. The man got scared. Either the boss would do his thing and there would be blood, and the man would have to clean up, or the laowai girl would do something and it would be even worse.

    A voice sounded from behind and the boss froze. The man turned anyway. There was a police dog standing there in a ridiculous duster like he was from a hundred years ago, pulled from the screen like the gritty stars on his mother¡¯s old TV.

    ¡°We were expecting you because we knew Mr Chaarani would want to report the loss of your prize. We know who you are and we know what you have done. Our profilers give it a 20% chance you will surrender peacefully. Nevertheless, we have to ask. You are under arrest, Mr Lang. You have the right to remain silent and the right to legal council should you¡ª¡±

    The boss sneered and the man took a step back. He knew what was going to happen. The boss was too angry to think straight.

    There was a beep and the boss jerked.

    The man could not help but stare at the little feathered metal thing digging into the boss¡¯ neck. The boss¡¯ face was scrunched like an old raisin. He fell to the side brutally, like furniture, not like a person. There was a nasty crack when his arm hit the curb.

    It was very upsetting to see the boss fall like that.

    The man looked back to the smiling face of the woman as the colorful gun thing in her hand, aimed at him. There was another beep.

    ¡°Have to calibrate it every time before shooting, otherwise the voltage could kill someone.  Anyway, what will it be?¡±

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    The man didn¡¯t understand. All he could do was watch the boss fidget on the ground. Like a fish. Very weird.

    ¡°What my partner means is that you too must choose between peaceful surrender and what happened to Mr Lang.¡±

    The man didn¡¯t have to look at the crying face of the boss. The man was a survivor. He had good instincts. It was not even a question of calibration or whatever that was. The woman was dangerous because¡­ she just was. That was it.

    ¡°I surrender.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. Please place your hands in the air ¡ª¡±

    The woman cuffed him. He wondered how mad his mom would be this time. At least, he didn¡¯t get shocked like the boss so it could have gone worse. Maybe the woman would let him have some of that soup. He asked. She stopped.

    ¡°You know what, it¡¯s not everyday I meet a fellow foodie in the weirdest circumstances. It¡¯s crab soup. You¡¯re gonna love it.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Palladian-san, now I see what it takes for you to break protocol.¡±

    ***

    ¡°There is something wrong.¡±

    The cruiser was almost in view. By her side, Shinoda checked the nearby roofs for danger but there was nothing in the desolate alley, nothing but trash and cracked concrete. This area of Fifteen stood at the edge of one of the ¡®hot zones¡¯, one of the ex strongholds of the gangs. Now, it was a husk. The ring of businesses around the defunct hive only survived by virtue of a lack of alternatives. Nestra waved Shinoda off before he could reach for his gun. The drones showed no signs of activity.

    ¡°Not that, the scent. It¡¯s¡­ so strong. Can¡¯t you smell it?¡±

    Shinoda shook his head. He frowned, seemingly frustrated.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ from there.¡±

    Nestra could almost taste it on the tip of her tongue. Blood. So strong, and something else. Mana? Strange mana. Mana that had a perfume. Something heady, intoxicating. Some high gleams made perfume out of monster parts when those monsters had hypnotizing skills. Maybe it was similar, though not as strong. It certainly didn¡¯t belong here.

    ¡°Follow?¡± Nestra asked, distracted.

    ¡°Yes. I will call it in.¡±

    Nestra was already off. That scent was so strange it made her giddy with excitement. To think she would come across such an anomaly here! The floating perfume led her deeper into the maze of abandoned warehouses and ruined production facilities and then through a broken fence to, unexpectedly, a field. Her swarm of drones flew above wild grass and stacked crates to give her a view of a small valley nestled between the backyards of several factories. Suspicious stone marked several spots, forming a familiar pattern.

    ¡°Is that¡­ a graveyard?¡±

    ¡°An illegal one, then. This is supposed to be a landfill, Palladian-san. How curious.¡±

    Nestra moved deeper into the overgrown maze of wild vegetation, her guard kept up. If there was one place where a breach could have occurred, it would be here where surveillance had failed in the recent weeks, but nothing came out to eat her. The ambient mana was barely perceptible except for that one compelling smell. They made their way to the only structure standing on the field. It might have started as a shed but now, strangely, it was a mausoleum.

    ¡°That''s impossible. Who would bring white stone here?¡±

    Statues lined the white walls. Basic gargoyles and praying figures. It was all very medieval religious and completely out of place on a continent that did not exist sixty years before. Nestra approached the only gate, a monumental entrance made of two solid slabs. Coppery hinges showed no signs of wear and tear. Really, the only proof this place had existed for a while came from moss crawling over the rocky surface. It was all very weird.

    ¡°Nanda to?¡±

    ¡°Am I hallucinating?¡±

    ¡°Palladian-san, dispatch says this place didn¡¯t register as anomalous by drone view because the roof is still made of metal.¡±

    ¡°No movements. Should we¡­¡±

    ¡°I suggest we wait for reinforcements.¡±

    Nestra was curious. The demon in her just wanted to explore that curious place. Unfortunately, her human self was held back by her hierarchy and the natural squishiness of baselines. They waited in silence. Shinoda was nervous though he didn¡¯t show it much. There was a bit of sweat on his brow while his eyes searched around for threats despite Nestra sharing the feed of her drones. It took only thirty seconds for a gleam to actually fly down from the sky. Nestra recognized him immediately.

    ¡°Valerian?¡±

    The life gleam passed a hand through his dark blond hair, looking a bit like a surfer as he did. By contrast, his armored white vest had enough scruffs to show he had seen action. It was just a shame that he¡¯d been on the receiving end, if Nestra remembered correctly.

    ¡°Hello Nestra. Yeah, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m covering you today!¡±

    ¡°You¡­ know each other?¡± Shinoda asked in a low voice.

    ¡°Ah, but where are my manners? Valerian, this is Shinoda Yuuji, an experienced detective and my partner.¡±

    ¡°It is nice to meet you,¡± Shinoda greeted with a small bow.

    ¡°Ah, no need for this Detective Shinoda. I am Valerian of House Nephrite. I am sure we will have more time later. For now, let me open that gate for you.¡±

    ¡°Is it safe?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon enough. Miss Palladian, I understand you have access to surveillance equipment?¡±

    Nestra had to race back to the cruiser to retrieve her bag of tricks. A brief inspection revealed the gate was just that ¡ª a gate, but a camera under the frame only showed darkness. No obvious traps.

    ¡°There is a lot of blood mana here,¡± Valerian said.

    He didn¡¯t seem too concerned.

    ¡°Darkness too,¡± Nestra added.

    ¡°You can tell? Hmmm. Yes, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s subtle. In any case, not enough of it for a major trap so I should survive. You two better step aside.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we call a team?¡± Shinoda said.

    ¡°Right now we have nothing except a suspicious scent and unnatural darkness. Could be a dokkaebi den from an old breach, in which case I¡¯m enough to handle it. And there is a team on the way¡­¡±

    Shinoda and Nestra exchanged a glance. They knew what team would show up. They walked back to the edge of the clearing and waited for Valerian to do his thing. The gleam pressed his hands against the gate¡¯s panes. They rotated inward with a cavernous sound. For a supposed weakling, Valerian had a shit ton of upper body strength. Nestra was a little impressed.

    A cloud of darkness dissipated harmlessly into the fetid air.

    ¡°Hooooooly shit,¡± Valerian said.

    He froze.

    Nestra raced forward with the Window Maker out, Shinoda right behind her. She stopped in front of the entrance and took in the interior, now revealed after the dark seal evaporated in the late morning air.

    ¡°Hoooooly shit,¡± she whispered.

    Eyes carved on the stone surrounded the naked corpse of a woman, still fresh despite all odds. Ritual scarings covered most of her body while a mop of dark hair covered her face. The eyes themselves were painted a variety of colors and no two were the same. Reptilian pupils, feline gazes, wolfish stares, even a gleam iris. They all took in the morbid spectacle with emotionless attention. With the seal breached, the scent of blood mingled with that of magic rose from a subtle touch to a pungent stench. It was horrifying, and Nestra felt terror crawl up her back like a creepy stare. There was a hunter on the loose, and this one¡­ was much more dangerous than she was. The meticulous attention given to the carvings and the scars spoke of patience and a complete lack of empathy. This was the work of hours of focused dedication from a very sick, very determined mind.

    She was in waaayyyyy over her head.

    ¡°Ok let¡¯s, errr, call it in now,¡± Viridian said.

    Nestra turned to Shinoda to see if he had something to add, but all she could see was his hunched, retreating form. He was clearly in distress. She couldn¡¯t blame him to be honest. At least, he sat at the edge of the clearing so she could keep an eye on him.

    ¡°Kim says the forensic team is on the way. She notified the TPD¡¯s Special Crimes division. They say they¡¯ll take it from here. We merely have to keep the location secure.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Yeah, that was no longer her problem. Nestra had her plate full without adding a psychopath gleam on the list, because whoever had done that had used at least three different kinds of magic: darkness, stone, and blood, and that was C-grade shit at the very least.

    While D-class learned to infuse their bodies with mana and unlocked their affinities, C-class gleams were building their cores. That meant they were not just stronger, they also had much, much more mana to play with than D-class. The average C-class raider could take on Demon Nestra, Valerian, and the three gleam stooges with a single hand. The difference was that significant.

    Nestra was hopelessly outclassed.

    No matter how much she wanted to find that hunter, even her hubris couldn¡¯t push her to suicide like that. She wanted to go check on Shinoda instead but something stopped her. A small hover car landed close to them and from them, three familiar figures came out. Nestra did her best not to groan. Threshold¡¯s shittiest gleams had arrived.

    The tall anglo whistled as soon as he spotted the slaughtered victim.

    ¡°Damn, Palladian. You¡¯re bad luck. Corpses everywhere you go.¡±

    ¡°Wish I could say the same of you,¡± Nestra replied without thinking.

    They were weak and pathetic.

    ¡°We heard about you from the grapevine,¡± the stout one said. ¡°They say you¡¯re a frigid bitch.¡±

    He sounded very matter of fact.

    "I can tell you''re trying to insult me and I can also tell you''re not putting any effort into it."

    The three men stopped approaching. Nestra felt very much like a fat deer eyed by a trio of wolves, except they were all in Threshold¡¯s tame enclosure and she was secretly a lioness with a hunkering for underachieving meat.

    ¡°You sound like someone who¡¯s never got the snot beaten out of them.¡±

    ¡°Again, wish I could say the same to you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it will happen sooner or later. Fifteen¡¯s a wild place,¡± the mustachioed Korean said.

    Nestra shrugged.

    ¡°Sure, we¡¯re all bottom of the barrel here. Difference is you have no excuse.¡±

    That concluded the discussion. The tall anglo physically dragged his two companions away from her. Nestra found herself wondering if she could take them on in human form, hold them back until reinforcements arrived. She probably could, if Valierian helped. He totally would too. She allowed herself a sneer as they flew away. She knew they would be looking at her, the fucking losers.

    So that was done. Now to check on Shinoda. Fuck she¡¯d rather fight with those guys than watch him face whatever demons haunted him. Not an option though. He needed her. She made her way to his spot and sat on the side.

    The detective didn¡¯t look up. He had this shell-shocked face she¡¯d seen a couple of times, usually after bad portal breaks.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Are you okay? I mean, clearly no, but is there anything I can do to help?¡±

    Shinoda smiled though it was very bitter.

    ¡°Ah, thank you for your care, Palladian-san. There is nothing to be done. Perhaps we could just stay here for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Of course.¡±

    Nestra saw by his side, in silence. Shinoda¡¯s chest moved too much which should be expected given the circumstances. The exaggerated motions placed him at the edge of the uncanny valley and that was something Nestra found troubling. He didn¡¯t deserve that from her. He was just a wounded man doing his best. If there was one person who fit the uncanny valley, it was Nestra.

    ¡°It has been a long time, Palladian-san. A very long time. It still hurts me just as deeply.¡±

    Nestra waited. Shinoda would speak on his own time.

    ¡°My son was the same age as the victim when he died. He was stabbed in a gang war over a stupid argument. A jacket. I had no idea he was even in a gang.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t say she was sorry. That word was weak and insufficient to the task, in her mind.

    ¡°My wife said we should use his death for our PR campaign in the next election. That it was what he would have wanted. I think I broke at that moment, not at the death but when I heard that sentence, because it summarized everything I had become. That is why I am here, Palladian-san. I do not need to explain my motivations to you, I think.¡±

    Nestra shook her head. She understood atonement, at least.

    ¡°Every time I think I have made peace with myself, and every time, it all hurts like a salted wound. One more life cut short by someone else. I know I could not have saved her. She was dead a long time ago, and kept intact by enchantments. I have seen it done before. My heart does not know this. It will not listen.¡±

    Nestra nodded. She¡¯d heard a similar tale.

    ¡°My mom said something like that. She said that even decades later, a face reflected in a dirty window would remind her of the fallen. She said it would never stop.¡±

    Shinoda finally turned to look at her.

    ¡°Your mother is a first-gen, yes?¡±

    ¡°Yeah and not a weak one either but¡­ Australia during the incursion was hell on earth. Only three of her group made it out of, I think eight? Anyway, she knows loss. She says grief is like a shipwreck in a storm. At first you¡¯re drowning then the sea calms down, and you think you¡¯re saved, but this is the sea. There are always more waves. Sometimes you see them coming and sometimes not, but they come. And you¡¯ll survive them too. You¡¯ll be drenched and blinded but you¡¯ll make it again so long as you don¡¯t let go. And maybe because you didn¡¯t let go, some other people won¡¯t be shipwrecked.¡±

    Shinoda nodded. He did so very slowly.

    ¡°Ah, thank you. This is a good metaphor. A moment for me please?¡±

    Nestra left his side to give him some space, just as gleams landed from the sky dressed in armor that marked them as heavy hitters. They completely ignored Nestra to focus on Valerian so after a couple of minutes standing there like a traffic cone, she moved to the cruiser. Shinoda joined her fifteen minutes later, following which Nestra recalled her drones. She had kept an eye on him just in case. Couldn¡¯t be too careful around here.

    ¡°Ah, Palladian-san. Are you perhaps a quirkie?¡± he asked as they took off.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know what I am, if I have to be honest,¡± she replied.

    ¡°You perceive things we baselines do not. The way you move is also¡­ very confident. I do not know how else to explain this since you have no augments.¡±

    ¡°Not sure either. Could be though.¡±

    ¡°You could get tested. Quirkie employees of the state gain benefits and free training.¡±

    ¡°Actually I¡¯m fed up with medical exams and I would prefer to be left alone.¡±

    Shinoda laughed, which turned into a painful cough. A nasty one. He removed an inhaler from his pocket and took a deep breath. His voice sounded clearer afterward.

    ¡°Ah, I understand you very well. I dislike hospitals too, though for different reasons. Well, keep it in mind at least. There is no reason to let Threshold enjoy your unique skills without recovering some of that tax money.¡±

    ¡°Hear hear.¡±

 Part 13

    It was night and Nestra was hunting, this time in the depth of a derelict recreation center. She scrunched her nose as another puff of dust rose from the room¡¯s old tatami. The portal¡¯s pale blue light didn¡¯t do the abandoned dojo any favor. She checked the corners just in case but saw nothing but discarded equipment and the sad, dusty portrait of Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo. She would have taken it away. It was almost sacrilegious to leave it behind.

    Nestra made sure all of her gear was secure before walking in. The benefactor had been clear. The void shark would not stop until one of them was dead, and the size of the portal showed it wouldn¡¯t be an easy one. She didn¡¯t really have a plan to deal with the shark but now she could feel it move under the surface of reality and that gave her an edge. It would be their third meeting. She would make it the last one. And then she would make void soup.

    Salivating, Nestra slipped through the portal and found herself in a small recess leading to a circular arena. She recognized the setup immediately. Giddy, she took a few steps forward on a sandy ground and a door slammed shut behind her, splitting her from the entry portal. She now stood at the edge of an arena surrounded by high walls leading to rafters populated by elaborate stone statues. Magical torches provided a very bright yellow light that bathed everything under the natural rock ceiling, including her opponent as it kneeled on the ground. The entire room gave a feeling of a secret underground fighting pit for the discerning Roman patrician. This time, her opponent was a golem. A metal, manufactured one filled with energies. Light flashed behind the helm as it stood.

    It was a dueling ground portal. Finally, the perfect set up to try her Scornful Crescent against a peer! So exciting! Well, not exactly a peer, she thought as she watched the scuffed construct take a few steps towards her.

    Some golems were made of solid material and it was actually extremely difficult to pierce through solid metal with just the strength of one¡¯s arm and another piece of solid metal. Portal worlds avoided difficulty spikes, to some extent, so this one was clearly a training model of rather low quality. The metal looked damaged and poorly made with defects and impact marks. Some of the runes let out occasional showers of sparks like a faulty outlet. For all its shabby make, it walked with confidence as it removed a massive two-handed sword from its back. Nestra thought the aesthetic was interesting. It reminded her of fantasy armor from the late twentieth century, more decorative than practical, and there was an emphasis on the upper parts as if it were meant to block overhead blows. Maybe it was. She took out her sword and moved forward to engage.

    The golem pointed the blade forward and charged. Nestra charged as well, then twisted on herself while parrying at the last moment. As expected, the golem thrusted and she managed to push the blade aside, immediately moving into its guard. They exchanged fast blows while the golem moved back to try to use its superior reach but Nestra didn¡¯t let it. Greatswords were extremely fast, much faster than some people believed, but so was she and her technique was better. She struck the chest plate several times and the helmet once though it failed to penetrate. She could use precision but she was having entirely too much fun! This was the first fencer she¡¯d fought since maturing and she wanted to test her limits. She also wanted to see if the shark would come while she was fighting a relatively weak opponent.

    Nestra managed to puncture the breastplate of the fifth try. Even with infusing her blade with mana, she was contending with thick enchanted metal, so, a decent enough result. She decided to take some distance and rely more on her strength. The armor was slightly more powerful than she was so contesting it required a bit of skill. She would strike at its arms and face before it could wind up for strong attacks. Their dance was an unequal one, and the golem couldn¡¯t learn so she pushed it back, little by little. The golem¡¯s defenses were whittled down until it suddenly disappeared. Nestra¡¯s blade missed its leg just as it was aout to hit.

    The golem now stood two paces back with its blade behind itself. She recognized the posture from training with her father an eternity ago. A pang of nostalgia and anger filled her heart. It was a mana art.

    Gleams could manipulate mana into patterns that led to greater effect. Those were standard spells and mana arts. They were essentially the same thing but one threw energy and the other stabbed, so humans, as was their wont, split them and then argued for hours about which attack belonged to which. Nestra barely had to think. She charged and struck.

    Mana arts were powerful. They were also rigid and predictable. Just as the golem delivered a devastating swing that could have cut her in half, she dove under it and struck, blade slamming into the golem¡¯s elbow. The power of the attack worked against the golem and its arm was smashed, the armor dangling uselessly by a thread. Thick white energy bled from the opening like molasses leaving a broken container. The fire in the helmet dimmed. Nestra stood and lunged, catching the golem in the eyes.

    ¡°Hah!¡±

    Her sword pierced through the helmet.

    Runes flared and the golem collapsed. Thick, jelly-like essence bled from every hole until it fully evaporated into the air. It left behind nothing but mangled, cheap metal in a small pile.

    Nestra felt the usual triumph and even a boost of power, this time directed to her resilience. She felt it could be comparable to actual metal armor, at least for her class now. It was¡­ very strong. She really wanted to face human users, sometimes. Was just a shame they couldn¡¯t be allowed to survive the experience.

    A door opened at the end of the arena. Nestra took her time to check the golem¡¯s remains first, in case she could find something interesting. Magical metal could fetch a decent price but this looked like a poorly mixed alloy and it would only be sold at scrap prices. She was looking at a couple hundred credits at most and she would have to lug it around to the end of the portal world and then back to the Nestracave. Again, if she lived in a more primitive society, this would have been a boon but here in Threshold they had systematic mining operations in recurring portals. Scrap magical metal was cheap. The sword was just an ugly slab of metal no one in their right mind would use. It wasn¡¯t even properly sharpened.

    Maybe she could bite it and see if this was what she was meant to eat? She hadn¡¯t tried something new in a long time. She chomped on the golem¡¯s sword and bit clean through the enchanted metal.

    It sucked ass.

    Nestra spat the scrap out. Not a steel muncher, thank whatever gods looked after her species. A part of her wondered if she could bite through weapons as a tactic but usually, when her head met a weapon, the weapon won so that sounded kinda stupid. Better not risk it.

    She tried to feed the armor parts to her symbiote skin and received a dull, confused answer along the lines of ¡®Are you seriously expecting me to eat THAT?¡¯ Shrugging, Nestra moved through the gate. This one slammed shut behind her as well.

    The next arena was slimmer and longer, more corridor than circle. The same elaborate statues sat above her to form a silent crowd. A bipedal beast stomped on the ground at a distance in the usual angry and confused routine she¡¯d seen in foes who had not yet spotted raiders. It, no, he, she thought, noticing a loincloth. He reminded her of a minotaur but with a single horn and a head that was closer to an otter in shape if the otter had suffered from sudden decompression. Its body was muscular, reddish, and slightly asymmetrical. He wasn¡¯t wielding a weapon, instead displaying impressive calluses on his hands. Damn, that thing could probably pick fritters directly from the billing oil. The most striking feature was a pair of human-like eyes deeply set in his skull. They shone with muddled intelligence. Yet another portal creature denied sentience to serve as a stepping stone to raiders. Or as their end. She took a step forward and drew her blade.

    The false minotaur spotted her in the same instant. He charged and the knuckles of his meaty fists gained a reddish hue. In the narrow corridor, the charge would be dangerous.

    Above Nestra, reality churned like disturbed water.

    ¡°So you decided to show up,¡± Nestra muttered.

    She moved forward. The creature took a wild swing.

    Predictable.

    Momentum carried Nestra under the blow. She put her left hand behind the pommel and infused the blade with mana. Precision guided her powerful strike between two ribs. The false minotaur¡¯s inertia turned a dangerous attack into a suicidal one. Nestra carved through thick muscle like butter with enough strength to skewer her foe. She used her newest ability, immovable, to become a rock upon which the charge would break. She was over two meters tall by now so the false minotaur was barely higher than her, and the charge crashed against her like a wave upon rock. The false minotaur gasped. She¡¯d skewered him, front to back.

    She looked up in that moment between moments and saw the glint of surprise and panic in his eyes. A brief flash of relief turned that brutish face into a disturbingly human one when he realized he was dead but it was so fugacious she might have dreamt it.

    Nestra struck to the side with a roar, gutting the beast and spreading a flood of blood and severed organs on the nearest wall. Her foe made a last ditch effort to grab her shoulder. His bloodied fingers slipped on her skin, the red light fizzling as he fell. He gasped for a few moments and then he was dead.

    Above her, the shark swam through invisible eddies. She had been ready for it but, strangely, it didn¡¯t attack. She glared at its agile form and realized why.

    It was badly wounded. The bite mark on its dorsal fin had not healed yet, and new gashes had come to mar its shadowy skin. Sucker marks near the tail spoke tentacles as large as a car. There were deep gashes like teeth mark on its flanks as well. Some still oozed the milky liquid that acted as its blood. One of the eyes, the one Nestra had punched twice, remained puffy and sore. The beast tried to swim with its predatory grace but even she could tell pain made its movement more gauche. She lifted a brow.

    ¡°Well?¡±

    It was in bad shape but it was still a predator, one the benefactor had said never let go.

    The shark approached her and then rolled on its belly. The lazy movement exposed a lighter, softer expanse of skin, this one miraculously still intact. It remained here for a second before floating away. Nestra wasn¡¯t sure but it looked surly. Its beady eyes followed her as it turned around to expose its belly again. A harsh, whistling sound emerged from its fanged mouth. It expressed frustration. Spite. Humiliation.

    ¡°You¡­ want me to kill you.¡±

    Another whistling hiss. It could understand her? It could understand her! Well, not really the words but more¡­ the underlying emotions. And she could understand it. The hisses, they were not exactly familiar but the beast operated on the same level as she did. It was a raider. It was also a loner. And it was very, very arrogant. Probably an apex predator of some sorts.

    Quite possibly a baby given the small size.

    With a terrible sense of dread, Nestra anticipated the emotion welling into her chest.

    ¡°Oh no.¡±

    Sympathy filled her. Here was a widdle shawk trying to survive by raiding worlds for food just like she did, and it was way on over its head like she was and now it had come to face death with dignity, giving the victory to the one who¡¯d caused its fall and not some outer space squid opportunist or one of its siblings. The shark was here to die by the hand of the true victor, the only one who deserved it. Her. So, of course, she couldn¡¯t kill it.

    ¡°OH NO.¡±

    The sight of shark soup faded into the recess of her mind. There would be more opportunities for soup but only one for friend and it was cute and a little bit like her and she was so very, very, very lonely.

    Maybe it could be tamed. It could, at the very least, communicate.

    ¡°Truce,¡± she said in her hissy language.

    ¡°Truce. Here.¡±

    With more enthusiasm than skill, she hacked off the false minotaur¡¯s forearm. She would check the actual species¡¯ name later because she loved to feel smart knowing the latin name of monsters but that wasn''t urgent. A toss of the severed limb and the shark struck out, making the meat disappear down its tenebrous gullet.

    ¡°More? More.¡±

    Nestra fed the shark which sounded confused and not exactly grateful but cautiously curious, at least. The whistling gurgles coming from its maw felt more fierce and less, well, depressed.

    ¡°Fuck I¡¯m already tamed. Ah whatever. You, void shark, shall be the first of my minions. I told Stib I wouldn¡¯t be a leader but you are different. You have no social skills, just like me, hence why I accept your fealty. I dub thee¡­ Sashimi.¡±

    The newly named Sashimi let out a hiss of confusion. It was already looking better, possibly due to accelerated healing. The cuts on its flanks were visibly closing though the bite mark on its fin stayed there, the scar even more obvious now. It was a fair trade since the bite marks on Nestra¡¯s triceps hadn¡¯t completely faded yet. Also proved she was the top biter with the best teeth. Nestra decided that she felt good about herself despite how ridiculous this all was, and that worst came to worst, she could still eat the shark if it tried to betray her.

    All good.

    Probably.

    For a couple of minutes, the shark circled Nestra, sometimes approaching her with a pissy hiss she returned by waving her sword. Come to think of it, the blade was growing increasingly short compared to her so she might have to upgrade later. More expenses¡­ The shark continued to circle as she waited and kept throwing pieces of false minotaur. After a while, the movement felt less predatory and more relaxed, less guarded though the creature¡¯s beady eyes kept glaring at her as if personally offended by her existence. Nestra wasn¡¯t in a rush since D-class portals were lax when it came to time management. Eventually, she decided to move on. The void creature turned to face her then it shrieked one last time before accelerating. The meaning behind was painfully obvious.

    Hunt.

    Contest.

    It¡­ it was going to raid her world! Maybe eat her food!

    ¡°Sashimi noooooo!¡±

    Needled by the entirely predictable betrayal, Nestra raced after the void shark and through another door. The next arena had platforms floating inside of a sphere-shaped cage. The spectator statues stood in lodges hanging in a void by mysterious means while flood lights bathed her with a blinding radiance. A fish monster as long as Nestra swam around, a sword-like protrusion on its nose shining a light blue color. She knew that one. Lesser Manaxyphias Managladius. An elemental swordfish, attuned to electricity apparently. Not a bad matchup.

    At the edge of her arena, Sashimi cast the creature a disinterested glance before moving onward. It was going for the guardian.

    ¡°Accursed thing! You dare!¡±

    She only received a laughing shriek in return.

    ¡°Aaaaaah!¡±

    Nestra jumped on the nearest platform. The monster fish ambled towards her, horn shining more intensely.

    It was about speed now, She wouldn¡¯t lose the guardian to void food buffet after feeding the damn thing. Her mind¡¯s focus narrowed to just victory. Jumping on a higher platform, she prepared her strike.

    The horn flashed. Nestra planted her sword in the ground to redirect most of the attack. Whatever was left fizzled uselessly against her skin, barely more than a tickle. She jumped at the monster but leftover mana energized it and it lurched forward with a burst of speed.

    Nestra¡¯s trajectory finished with her two feet planted on the next platform, just as she had planned. She pivoted and jumped, using momentum to reach the fish¡¯s back as it retreated.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Her strike carved through its dorsal fin and the flesh beneath. The fish shook from the monstrous power of the blow. It was fast and powerful but it wasn¡¯t resilient and now, it would pay for it. Nestra climbed on its back even as indigo lightning tried to push her off. Thick red blood spurted from the ghastly wound. She grabbed her sword¡¯s blade with her other hand and pushed down. It dug deep through the dying flesh until something cracked and the fish fell from the sky, dead. A flash of energy greatly increased her mana pool.

    Wanted to harvest that. No time. No time! Thinking quickly, she dragged the entire corpse after her in her mad rush to what ought to be the last arena. A short corridor led her to a large cave, this time without spectators. Red light and heat radiated from the wall as if the cave was near a volcano. Racks of crude weapons stood at nearby intervals along the wall, under the watchful gaze of a fantastically muscular colossus with its head fully ensconced in a metal cage as dense as plating. It was almost half again as tall as she was and its arms were thicker than her thighs. Of the shark, there was no trace.

    The creature let out a gurgling laugh when Nestra appeared. It grabbed two unwieldy hammers in its large hands and charged.

    Really fast.

    Finally, a challenge!

    Nestra dropped her fish, then hissed and pointed her finger to cast a thunder spell. The dot of potential manifested just as the creature placed both his weapons in the way. It landed on a shaft. With a thunderous crack, black lightning closed the distance and annihilated the weapons but the creature dropped them almost immediately. It grabbed two halberds from a nearby pile while Nestra rushed him. Her blade bit into its thigh and struggled to penetrate. The muscle was so damn dense! Again, the creature chuckled in amusement. Nestra ducked under a swing, then moved in to stop another sweep before it could fully wind up. The power behind it still sent her rolling away on the dusty ground.

    The creature was on her before she could stop but she sprung up, striking as it tried to pin her. A blade clipped her arm while hers dug a small furrow in his shoulder from where dark red blood slowly seeped. The two opponents separated.

    The colossus checked his polearm¡¯s blade and found no blood. Nestra¡¯s skin wasn¡¯t so easy to pierce anymore.

    ¡°Two can play that game,¡± she said.

    The colossus snarled and attacked again. Nestra used momentum to get into its guard and then precision to stab up, finding a gap between the bars of the creature¡¯s strange cage helmet. It howled in pain, though it was short, and moved forward to grab her. She used the opening to try to attack its wrist but it failed to penetrate, then she was forced to momentum away. Only experience allowed her to fall on the ground and avoid a thrown halberd. A roll and she dodged the next, dust flowing into the air from the strength of the impact.

    That thing was stupidly strong! And fast! Probably near the top of D-class. As Nestra stood up to close the distance again, he grabbed two axes with short hafts. Nestra extended her fingers to see what he would do but an axe whistled past her head and she knew she¡¯d need an opening against such a reactive opponent. Always the trouble with smart foes. She still had her gun but¡­ it was cheating. Her ace. She wanted to win like a raider would.

    The two opponents circled each other, moving in for fast strikes before disengaging. Nestra judged the creature to be experienced with all weapons present in the room from the way it was set up, so breaking them would be of no use. Its body was tough as well. She would need to hit the head, clearly a weak point.

    She had an idea but the timing would be problematic.

    Having taken her measure, the monster charged again. This time, it fought with a flurry of fast axe blows. Nestra was forced on the defensive now that he was using her own tools against her. The Scornful Crescent focused on relentless interruptions but it was now her foe overwhelming her with disruptive attacks. Only her mana tool¡¯s sturdiness and great strength let her survive the onslaught, but that was fine. This was a fight to the death with a physically superior opponent. He even had a decent technique.

    She lived for that shit. She wanted to win so badly.

    ¡°Yes yes yes yes.¡±

    Finally no politics and no masks, just her and him and the promise of the end. Nestra used momentum to reposition every time the creature was about to strike her, drawing his blood with a thousand cuts. Tiny gashes covered his arms but he didn¡¯t stop. He thought he was cornering her. A powerful strike sent her back and this time, she felt a burning line across her flank where she had failed to completely twist away. Gray blood glistened on the axe, turning red as she watched. The creature growled with excitement. Nestra smiled. That was fine. She¡¯d bled before and she would again and now, she was ready.

    She blocked a powerful attack and was pushed back. Her hand ached from the constant abuse even if her blade didn¡¯t dull. Her enemy chuckled as it closed the distance once again, eager to finish it. She let him and closed the jaws of the trap.

    The Stalk of the Scornful Crescent didn¡¯t suit her so much because it was about stopping attacks before they came. That was only the first, most basic aspect. She liked it because it was about preventing her foes from doing what they wanted. This time, she didn¡¯t block the attack as she¡¯d done the previous five times. Instead, she took a half step back. The axes whistled through the air and missed her completely. The colossus was off balance.

    She stepped in and stabbed up with the help of precision.

    Nestra must have hit something important because a lot of blood gushed from the unseen wound under the helmet, and the creature¡¯s pained gasp told her it had been effective. Nestra dodged another attempt to grab her and struck his nether but the blow was stopped by something. Well, it had been worth a try.

    He was scared of her now. The part of Nestra that learned the Scornful Crescent felt it seep into her essence, the underlying principles understood. One could fight and win against a wielder of the Crescent, but one could never, ever feel confident. There was always a counter, there was always a deception, always the promise of unexpected pain. Now he knew and he was afraid. The monster threw his axes at her, easily blocked, and went for two swords, slightly longer. That was fine. He charged again and struck her at full range without overextending. She allowed the attack to hit her blade and push her back. That was what she wanted, after all. Her naked heels touched a discarded pile of weapons.

    The beast charged again.

    Nestra used immovable to stop the next blow. Blades collided in a titanic shock, ringing like bells in the red cavern. Her body screamed in protest but she didn¡¯t relent, instead crouching while her foe recoiled from the unexpected resistance. Her fingers closed on the haft of a massive warhammer. Nestra grabbed the borrowed weapon and swung with all her might.

    The hammer smashed against the helmet with a deeply satisfying clang. The colossus crashed against the ground.

    Above it, a shadowy maw manifested under two beady eyes. The void shark was going for the kill like the ambush predator it was.

    And then a demon bolt hit the dazed colossus¡¯ helm.

    It exploded and sent gore and pieces fuming of metal flying through the air. Some of it rained on the void shark¡¯s skin while it shrieked with outrage.

    ¡°HAH! HAHAHAHA! BITCH YOU THOUGHT!¡±

    Sashimi shrieked in dismay just as the most powerful rush of strength Nestra had ever felt filled her essence. Her power increased drastically along with her mind speed. She felt so strong now, like she could lift an entire car and bash someone with it. The rush filled her with euphoria and the vindication of having denied Sashimi its moment of stolen glory.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to make some more effort you lazy, good-for-nothing discount handbag. Stealing my kill? After doing fuckall? You little baby!¡±

    The void shark endured her demonic gloating with sullen hisses. Since Nestra was a generous winner, she let the freeloader feed on the fallen guardian as she went over the loot, shaking with excitement. This was the BEST. The altar in front of the newly open exit portal held a dagger she was probably keeping for herself, a dull, seemingly chipped weapon that stank of blood. It felt perfect for her. She picked the five ¡ª FIVE ¡ª low mana crystals and returned to the real prize: her fish. Sashimi squealed excitedly.

    ¡°You are deluded if you think I¡¯m sharing that one with you. Eat the guardian and be grateful, idiot.¡±

    The disgruntled void shark swam around her a couple of times, then it grabbed a piece of leg and disappeared back into the void. Nestra didn¡¯t mind. She was just in a fantastic mood, and no amount of voidquatic sulking could change that. She dumped the fish on the altar and butchered it there in the most blasphemous manner imaginable, thanking past-Nestra for packing extra-large freshness bags. Mana fish filets! Mana fish head soup! Oh, she bet the cheek would taste amazing. Oh, and sashimis, obviously, since the meat was so fresh. Should she make ceviche? She could probably bring a shutome poke on rice to work tomorrow. This was going to be great!

    Nestra hummed under her breath when she left the portal and smiled even wider when she saw the benefactor¡¯s message left behind on a nearby chair. There was a letter and a book using the same homemade cheap DIY appearance they had used to write the Scornful Crescent manual. She checked the letter first.

    ¡°Little Nezhra!

    I can¡¯t believe you didn¡¯t kill the shark! I don¡¯t think any of us ever tried to tame one, wow! Humans will truly try to turn anything into a pet, huh? I didn¡¯t think you would be so affected by their urges! This was very well done and I am so proud.

    This portal was meant to push you to your limits but it seems it was still a little easy.¡±

    ¡°Easy?¡± Nestra sputtered. ¡°Easy? Seriously?¡±

    ¡°So next time I will push you more! You are growing faster than I anticipated. It¡¯s only been two weeks and you are already nearing the peak of D-rank in some regards! Good because you will need it. Concerning your gear, your skin is growing too slowly compared to you. I suppose you could try to feed it more blood but I would recommend buying defensive artifacts for it. Human-made gear will do well.¡±

    ¡°My moneyyyyyy,¡± Nestra lamented. ¡°Why don¡¯t YOU give me artifacts since you¡¯re so smart, huh?¡±

    Grumbling more, Nestra continued. This was a long letter.

    ¡°Finally, I have one last gift for you. It¡¯s a technique that you can use to replace your sword! Most of us don¡¯t use tools in combat so this is the best I could come up with on short notice. Have fun!¡±

    Nestra opened the manual next to her and ¡ª

    ***

    A gray demon standing on a field of purple grass, tiny steps carrying him forward. He was shorter and lighter than the female demon Nestra saw in her previous vision, the one that taught her the Scornful Crescent. This one smiled at a large, wolf-like being with spikes covering its back. The beast snarled. It jumped. In slow motion, she watched mana coalesce from the demon¡¯s essence, flowing lazily along his hand and the straight edge of his delicate fingers. It hardened and formed a long blade, longer than the beast itself. First, the blade was a dream, then an idea, then a slab of mana hanging at the tip of claw-like nails, then an edge as sharp as the finest artifact. Then it was death. The dark and gray blade contrasted with the colorful scenery in an ominous manner, like a tear in a tapestry. Nestra gasped when demon mana made solid cut through the beast in a single, casual slice. The air wailed at the violation and reality itself shivered, only spared by the demon¡¯s perfect control.

    The image faded.

    ***

    Nestra breathed long and deep. This vision had been intense. Just watching the memory of that blade¡­ She touched her nose and found a single droplet of blood.

    ¡°Ok, so SHARP sharp.¡±

    But she got it, and that was what mattered. A flick of her fingers, and a tiny blade extended from her index. It was small and weak and it would barely cut butter but that was fine. She got it. And if she kept practicing, she would eventually get a sword and that one would always be the size she wanted.

    But enough of that.

    It was time for fish.

    ***

    It was morning again in Threshold and the summer sun pierced through the precinct¡¯s dirty windows. Nestra resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Some things never changed. She was now sitting in an office, alone and facing a gleam from the Special Crime division as well as  her two administrative stooges. The gleam was one of those who¡¯d landed near the crime scene and ignored her completely to talk to Valerian the day before in what was the classical ¡®if you¡¯re a dreg you don¡¯t exist until I need something¡¯ approach to teamwork. The problem was that they wanted to talk to her now and this wasn¡¯t a discussion. It was a trial. She surveyed the three idiots and leaned a little more in her seat to show her annoyance.

    It was psychological warfare. Seeing someone relaxed or even pretending to be so tended to piss the gleams off and in this instance, she wanted to piss her off. Because Cleaver was outside looking for Nestra and she was stuck here with someone who cared for theatrics. Nestra kept quiet while they fiddled with stuff and just generally glared at her.

    The gleam had the gray iris of a metal user like her dad with the short hair many close-quarter raiders favored. She was also fairly powerful, probably a C-grade. Nestra could feel controlled mana wash over her which was the only pleasant thing about this whole encounter.

    ¡°Before we begin, I would like to know why you felt free to leave the crime scene?¡±

    Ah so that was what it was.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Yesterday, you notified us of a crime scene on¡­ landfill 37 of District Fifteen.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The gleam waited.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand your question.¡±

    ¡°Your behavior is doing you no favor. You notified us of this discovery and then you left.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Another bout of silence.

    ¡°Was there a problem with that?¡±

    ¡°You were not relieved, Officer Palladian.¡±

    Nestra carefully calculated the safest way to annoy the gleam. A part of her was aware she was being childish but the core of her mind wouldn¡¯t budge. It was nasty and it wanted to bite, but smartly, in a way that wouldn¡¯t lead to a significant punishment.

    ¡°If you say so,¡± she replied noncommittally.

    It was enough to set the gleam off.

    ¡°We are the Special Crime division, the one rampart between rogue users and the general public. Our activities always take priority, am I clear?¡±

    ¡°What activity? I stayed until I was sure the place was secured and then I left to work. At no point did your people interact with me or ask me to stay.¡±

    ¡°Is common sense such a rare commodity these days?¡±

    ¡°Whatever do you mean?¡± Nestra asked innocently.

    The gleam glared harder, mana now pushing on Nestra¡¯s ever-gluttonous mana circuit and disappearing down its bottomless depth. It was rude so Nestra felt free to fight back a little.

    ¡°I followed protocol. I don¡¯t see what the problem is.¡±

    ¡°We had questions for you.¡±

    ¡°And you called me and here I am, so maybe ask them?¡±

    ¡°Our time is eminently precious, Officer Palladian. We have better things to do than to run after rogue elements.¡±

    There was a clock on the wall, an old-style analogue affair that also displayed the current temperature and mana concentration for legal purposes. Nestra made a show to check it in order to imply that, for people who saw time as precious, they sure enjoyed wasting hers.

    ¡°I see. I¡¯m terribly sorry you feel that way. Now, you had questions?¡±

    ¡°Please note that we will make a request for disciplinary action.¡±

    Nestra pushed back a smile but the gleam saw the minute curl of her lips, and it was enough. Internal Affair was a fortress unto itself and Nestra was currently under their jealous umbrella. Any rat squad agent who was found stealing or accepting bribes suffered the worst possible consequences, such as being sent to Red House with the violent criminals and without protection. In return, the rat squad obstructed any and all outside interference with their own business, including from gleams. They were quite famous for that.

    ¡°Noted, request away. So, you had questions?¡±

    The gleam smoldered in her seat. Nestra wondered if she would try to escalate. Her two subordinates were looking at Nestra with a mix of shock and horror. Obviously they weren¡¯t used to a dreg talking back. Nestra was connected so she could afford to do it. Actually, the iron gleam should know her father. It was a rare attunement and he was the strongest user of this type in Threshold. Maybe she had an axe to grind.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t over, Palladian. I would like to know how you managed to detect the tomb at a distance and what made you decide to investigate.¡±

    ¡°There was blood mana, though it was a little weird. And I decided to investigate because I¡¯m a cop.¡±

    ¡°How do you know it was unusual? Do you have experience with blood mana?¡± the gleam asked with a predatory gaze.

    Blood mana had a somewhat bad reputation. Case in point.

    ¡°I was exposed to many types of mana as part of my training. Blood included.¡±

    ¡°Are you telling me MaxSec gives its employees mana training?¡±

    ¡°No? Surely you haven¡¯t failed to recognize my last name?¡± Nestra asked. ¡°As a metal-aligned user yourself.¡±

    The gleam grit her teeth and made a note on a datasheet.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be checking that. Now elaborate on ¡®weird¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Just that,¡± Nestra said, switching to useful mode.

    It was one thing to piss off the gleam but she wouldn¡¯t do anything to hamper the investigation.

    ¡°It had a sort of smell, not a physical one but more an induced synesthesia. It was potent enough that I perceived it from a nearby street.¡±

    ¡°And yet your partner didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Officer Shinoda is a baseline.¡±

    ¡°Officer Valerian of House Nephrite did not, however?¡±

    ¡°He landed right on top of the mausoleum if that¡¯s what it is. The mana saturation was very high there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m curious how you would be able to recognize mana with such precision.¡±

    They were checking if she wasn¡¯t an accomplice drawing attention to the crime scene, which made sense. The way it was structured hinted at some measure of exhibitionism. The killer or killers would want it to be found. Demon Nestra understood the hunter on a fundamental level without a need for deep thought. That hunter was a cruel one and proud of their work, but they were not willing to display it without someone trying a little, hence why it was camouflaged yet also baited. Someone had to work to enjoy the show, to deserve it. She thought there was also a domination game hidden in the maneuver. The hunter was showing they were smart enough to set up an elaborate display under the Special Crime division¡¯s nose. Or close to it. Nestra was not an apprentice, just one of the few mana-sensitive people who remained close to the ground.

    ¡°I can feel mana. It¡¯s in my profile,¡± Nestra replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s not. Your medical information is sealed to us. Care to explain why?¡±

    Mazingwe was apparently looking out for her in his weird protective way, though in this case it was giving her grief. She didn¡¯t really mind people figuring out she had a full circuit and no core. In fact, it would be enough to explain most of the weirdness surrounding her.

    ¡°Nope, but I can tell you I have a circuit. You should be able to tell since you¡¯re C-grade,¡± she replied.

    The gleam bristled a bit. She really couldn¡¯t take any backtalk at all, not even the most benign.

    ¡°So you claim you could sense a sort of¡­ trail?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It was laid on purpose. There was even a, hmm, direction to it. The person or persons who built it, they wanted it to be found, I think. Although that¡¯s speculation.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. You saw what was inside, yes?¡±

    ¡°A glimpse through the door only.¡±

    ¡°Do you think it was a ritual?¡±

    Nestra shrugged.

    ¡°No idea. That¡¯s not my area of expertise.¡±

    ¡°And the eyes?¡±

    ¡°Same. I don¡¯t know enough to formulate an educated opinion.¡±

    ¡°Strange turn of phrase. Well, I believe we have all we need for now.¡±

    Sure you do, Nestra though, sure you do. Wait for it. Wait for iiiiiit.

    ¡°One last thing. Hypothetically, if you were in my shoes, what lead would you pursue?¡±

    Nestra blinked. Not the question she¡¯d expected. That was the first time the gleam caught her off guard and when she looked up, the silvery iris remained carefully neutral. Nestra gave it some thought.

    What would she do?

    ¡°Hm, knowing what I know, I¡¯d look for more sites.¡±

    ¡°You think there are more victims?¡±

    ¡°Probably? Feels like¡­ a show. Very arrogant. It wouldn¡¯t make sense to stop at one, I think? The hunter is very proud.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    Shit.

    ¡°The, uh, hunter. Like a cat. Showing a trophy. Sorry, just the impression I got.¡±

    The gleam kept staring and Nestra was growing a little uncomfortable.

    ¡°The victim was a user.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Nestra replied.

    That made sense. The hunter wanted to show they were competent. Dangerous, even.

    ¡°A raider with the Blazing Blades guild. C-rank. A pyromancer.¡±

    Nestra gasped. She couldn¡¯t help it. Someone had murdered a C-rank raider? And gotten away with it? Completely? That was¡­ terrifying. Raiders fought back. Mage raiders demolished entire blocks. And this had all gone under the radar?

    Inconceivable.

    ¡°Holy shit. Wow. A raider. Wow that¡¯s¡­ bad.¡±

    ¡°An understatement, Officer Palladian. Thank you for your time and see you later.¡±

    ***

    Before returning to Shinoda¡¯s side, Nestra stopped at the coffee machine for a nice cup of java and a donut. It was a nice one, not too greasy with pseudo-maple syrup glazing. There was one thing she should do that she¡¯d promised to do twice: talk to Mazingwe before he managed to corner her. He picked up after only one ring.

    ¡°Nestra Palladian. Good morning. Are you bleeding out in a ditch and require urgent care?¡±

    ¡°And good morning to you too, doctor. Is now a good time?¡±

    ¡°You mean there is no urgency in your request?¡±

    ¡°No requests. I just wanted to inform you of a small change. Hmm. I had synesthesia with a mana signature and my sense of smell. It¡¯s new so I thought I would inform you.¡±

    ¡°It is a good thing I am currently sitting, Miss Palladian, or else I might have fallen from the surprise. Your update is much appreciated. And yes, this is a common feature for nose-reliant quirkies though usually other senses are also enhanced. Can you see mana?¡±

    ¡°No, not yet.¡±

    ¡°It appears that your body finally adapted to a lack of core, though I will admit it was rather sudden. Your case being unique, I am unsure what ¡®normal¡¯ constitutes, but I can tell you this latest development is consistent with quirkies profiles. You might develop other abilities including more active ones such as sudden bursts of strength. Please keep in mind that since you only regain mana from the ambient layer, so to speak, the first triggers might leave you completely exhausted. Are you feeling any discomfort?¡±

    ¡°Just hunger.¡±

    ¡°Monitor your weight please, just in case, but so far you seem to be in top shape. It was good listening to you but now I must attend to my next patient. Feel free to send me regular updates in written form and I promise to reply as soon as I can.¡±

    ¡°Thanks doctor. Have a great day.¡±

    ¡°I am pleased that you would trust me, Miss Palladian. Your well-being matters to me.¡±

    ¡°You spoil me.¡±

    ¡°I spoil all of my patients, Miss Palladian. It is my prerogative as an old man. Have a good day and kindly do not get killed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±

    Nestra hung up.

    She was sure she was getting stronger because demon power seeped through her true form into her mask. She could feel it, the way she was mostly cut off but not completely. It wasn¡¯t a quirkie thing but what mattered was that it looked similar enough that she could explain her change through it. Maybe she could study quirkies and imitate them.

    She still wished she¡¯d been born with a core. That would have made everything easier, including, apparently, being a conceited bitch.

 Part 14

    Gorge parked his van by the empty dumpsters and walked out gingerly, like an old man in pain. Now that Nestra paid attention, he was already different compared to before the purge. The bald asshole used to have this strong fat build that said he could take a punch and deliver two, but now his loose shirt hung loose from visibly narrower shoulder. His belt was tighter too. He looked softer. Like a civilian. The loose shirt also hid the colostomy bag and possibly a handgun too. His expression felt more guarded, more bitter. Nestra reassessed her opinion. He was down but not out and his unassuming appearance was just a shield. The retired captain expressed relief when Nestra walked out of the shadows. She¡¯d made sure there were no cameras around, and the highway superstructure above them would block the sight of surveillance drones.

    It wouldn¡¯t help if someone was actively keeping an eye on her but that was a risk she had to take.

    ¡°Palladian, by Riel did you ask me for fun goodies this time. What are you hunting? A war walker? A plane?¡±

    ¡°Heavily modified aug who attacked us during the purge. One of the survivors,¡± she calmly replied.

    His expression fell into one of shock.

    ¡°No shit, really?¡±

    ¡°Zapped his ass. I think he has a grudge.¡±

    ¡°You still have the ¡®Window Maker¡¯, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°Keep it because it¡¯s one of the only things that will worry a real borg.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t use slurs so casually.¡±

    ¡°Oh for fuck sake. Fine! An aug. Ok, now I understand why you wanted the goodies. Got your foam here, really easy to use, just point and click. Fully mechanical so EMP won¡¯t stop it. Got the jamming cloud grenades here. Payload is super thick and stops both thermal and radar with heated aluminum-coated glass fiber. Just to be clear, you don¡¯t want to breathe that shit so make sure your mask is up or your lungs will be fucked all the way down, as in, you¡¯ll need replacements, got it?¡±

    ¡°Got it, I just need to make sure my partner has his stuff.¡±

    ¡°Can get him a rebreather in an hour, don¡¯t sweat it. As for the weapon, I got a twelve millimeter modified submachine gun, Touhei design. It¡¯s¡­ really at the upper limit of what a baseline can use in terms of recoil. Ammo is high-ex, as requested. You sure you can handle that? In your, you know¡­¡±

    He made a short motion to refer to her human form.

    ¡°Should be fine, just wish I had the time to practice. Do you have the bills for those?¡±

    ¡°Yep! Everything above ground as requested. Can I just ask why?¡±

    Nestra checked the invoice and filed them in the system. Kim would reimburse some of it and she wouldn¡¯t get into trouble for using military-grade weapons without declaring them first. Right now, it was important to be kind of legal because she expected some amount of scrutiny in the future, one way or another.

    ¡°I¡¯ll use those in my human form. I¡¯m working for the rat squad right now. If our geeks find out I¡¯m firing black market guns and this gets reported¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah ok makes sense. Anyway, transferring the invoice. It¡¯s all good unless someone digs really deep, like asking how I came across the rights for crushed mana crystal without a gleam on staff.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s your problem anyway,¡± Nestra replied with a smile.

    ¡°Fair enough. What do you got for me?¡±

    ¡°Five mana crystals.¡±

    ¡°Then you owe me seven thousand credits for the lot. Speaking of, your final order, although, I hope you didn¡¯t make a mistake¡­¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t reply while Gorge fetched a box containing her final prize. While the other containers had been utilitarian gray and black cases clearly designed to contain technology, this one was made of lacquered red cedar with engravings, granting  it a luxurious appearance - especially given the fact wood came at a premium. It spoke of hand-crafted perfection which was utter bullshit since the boxes were all machine-made. Nestra knew it because she¡¯d visited the guild that made it when she was a kid, back when her dad had a new armor made. Locus Magica, the independent guild of crafters. They produced some of the best human-made artifacts on the planet. They also made a lot of shit too. You can¡¯t teach students and only get masterpieces, after all.

    ¡°A failed, discounted gauntlet made to resist fire. Its actual resistance progressively drops after it¡¯s activated instead of remaining stable,¡± Gorge explained. ¡°It¡¯s still pretty good for a minute or two.¡±

    ¡°That will do nicely.¡±

    ¡°May I ask why?¡±

    ¡°It would be best not to.¡±

    Gorge nodded. Nestra had told him about the Cleaver angle because he was a crafty asshole with twenty years of experience taking down augs and other threats. He had suggestions, and it wasn¡¯t technically illegal to work with him. Anyone looking into Nestra would find dodgy shit that could be explained and would get her slapped on the wrist, but hopefully the raiding aspect would stay hidden. Gorge knowing as little as possible would help. It wasn¡¯t perfect but it was safer.

    ¡°You¡¯re digging deep into your reserves, by the way. Some of that cash, it¡¯s from your savings right?¡± Gorge asked.

    ¡°Better that way. It helps with the whole ¡®legal and above ground¡¯ aspect of buying the aug-hunting supplies. It¡¯s also an investment.¡±

    ¡°Got a thing though, if you want to make some easy cash. Some old asshole club looking for mumbo jumbo rejuvenating treatment. They¡¯re ready to pay through the nose for virgin gleam blood, if you know what I mean.¡±

    There was no way in hell Nestra was giving out blood to anyone but Mazingwe. She also felt a little miffed by the bald fucker¡¯s happy face. She was sure he didn¡¯t mean virgin as an insult this time but the assumption still pissed her off. There was an opportunity to dispel some of Gorge¡¯s preconceptions. If she was going to work long term with the cunt, might as well educate him a bit.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a virgin.¡±

    ¡°What? But I thought¡­¡±

    ¡°I had a boyfriend at the academy. It was nice enough. I just ended it on a cordial note because it didn¡¯t mean the same to him as it did to me. I experimented. Tried to be happy, you know, the same way as everyone else. It was good but it wasn¡¯t enough. Just not who I was. The way I worked.¡±

    ¡°Huh, that¡¯s weird. So you still fuck? Like sometimes?¡±

    ¡°Not appropriate to ask a colleague about her sex life, Gorge.¡±

    ¡°You should send your complaint to smuggler HR and see what they have to say.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I will. So will you stop calling me a frigid bitch now?¡±

    Gorge¡¯s smile couldn¡¯t be any broader.

    ¡°Palladian, I don¡¯t insult people according to who they are. I do it according to what gets a rise out of them, get it?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re such a cunt.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t get it. Need more practice. And hey, I stopped, didn''t I?¡±

    ¡°Since when?¡±

    ¡°Since you, you know¡­¡±

    Saved his boy.

    ¡°Right, I¡¯m getting all flustered by positive emotions. Fuck that shit. Good luck tomorrow and let me know if you need more stuff. Cheers.¡±

    ¡°See you later Gorge.¡±

    ***

    Nestra drove back to District Fifteen with a frown. Sharing something with Gorge, anything really, felt weird but that was where her life was headed right now. The person she¡¯d despised the most had become a stern ally, sharing the belief that retribution would come only with a little bit of help. The other reason was that she was perhaps¡­ more introspective than she should be. She checked her latest message from Officer Kim.

    ¡°Lots of chatter on captured devices. Something is about to happen. You are Cleaver¡¯s priority target so watch yourselves.¡±

    That was it. Cleaver was going to go after them, and specifically her. He was a heavily modified fucker with whatever gear he¡¯d managed to find since the purge. Maybe she would be hit here and fail, her mask breaking from catastrophic damage. If that happened, her only option would be to flee and pray there would be no C-rank threats between herself and the kaiju wall, because if there were, she¡¯d die. Her life would change once again just after finally having fun, and that was it, she was having fun. It was tiring and she needed more sleep but¡­ she was good. It was the first time since walking in that test chamber in high school that she felt good. The first time in eight years.

    That wasn¡¯t fair at all.

    The worse thing was, she didn¡¯t feel she¡¯d turned a corner or improved as a person. Younger Nestra had trained hard, worked harder, done her best to find a way out. She¡¯d consulted with Mazingwe, who had a stellar reputation, over her cravings. She¡¯d dated, partied, learned, tried her best to keep her head above the water and failed repeatedly until failure had become the norm. Fuck, thinking back, she hadn¡¯t even been mad they¡¯d refused to let her stay near portals to manage her cravings. She¡¯d expected it. Any success would have been a surprise. Past Nestra had control over her job and the entire rest of her life had been a garbage truck crashing down a hill while on fire and surrounded by people screaming ¡®just try something different you can do it!¡¯. And now she was fine and the only difference was she¡¯d shived a gleam in the head when his back was turned. Talk about a great initiation quest.

    If she¡¯d known she¡¯d have done it before. Fuck. The benefactor should have contacted her as a human, or at least given her a hint. Anything!

    Bastard had left her hanging for most of her life.

    And he¡¯d stolen her Kero nuts.

    The universe really owed her one on that.

    ***

    ¡°Yes, I have a mask, Palladian-san, rebreather included as well as an oxygen supply of two minutes. By regulation, I must have it on me at all times. Even air that would not cause most people trouble can be painful to me. I appreciate your thoughtfulness, and I assume you fear Cleaver is on the move?¡±

    Nestra looked out of the cruiser window. Most of the clutter on the streets had been removed, leaving behind damaged walls and cracked roads, their surface smoothed by hastily poured concrete. The debris might have been cleared but they were not yet replaced and now it looked like some giant creature had taken random bites off the landscape. More tellingly, people were missing. No souls gathered under the shade of old bridges to grill their catches over barrel fires, as was a common sight during lunch time. The inhabitants of Fifteen were a hardy lot with good instincts. They could feel something was wrong.

    ¡°He is on the move. Everyone is scared.¡±

    ¡°It may be so.¡±

    ¡°It should happen today.¡±

    Shinoda slowed the car down. He started to look to the sides, just in case. Nestra didn¡¯t think they would be attacked here simply because the roads were under surveillance by security drones as the most important arteries of the block. Cleaver didn¡¯t just want to kill them. He wanted the storage drive, and he might not have the time to find it even if everything went well. Or he could accidentally destroy it. No, that wasn¡¯t it. That wasn¡¯t why Nestra was sure. Cleaver was not a person of strategy and reason. She remembered him towering over her during the purge after he¡¯d jumped up the building, the way he looked at her to drink in her fear. He could have attacked as he landed, though he was off balance. He had not. Because he lived for the terror he ignited in others. He was a hunter who enjoyed the moment right before the kill, and Nestra had offended him. He would make it personal. He wanted to watch life fade from her gray eyes. Yes. Yesss.

    ¡°Palladian-san?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°Ah, it is nothing. You had a¡­ peculiar expression.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Once we arrive, let¡¯s load up.¡±

    ¡°You have more experience in this domain so I will defer to you.¡±

    Nestra gave her partner an assessing look. He was staring ahead and to the sides with clenched jaws. Shinoda wasn¡¯t a soldier, he was an investigator. She had to keep this in mind.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    The cruiser turned into the familiar derelict parking at the edge of their hab block. The sun disappeared behind them to be replaced by gloomy darkness. Shinoda deftly drove them across its empty surface, taking a slightly different path than usual. He was taking things seriously.

    ¡°I shall park near the inner courtyard entrance.¡±

    ¡°That would be best.¡±

    Nestra deployed her drones. The coast was clear and so they climbed down. The moment her foot touched the asphalt, a monumental explosion made the ground vibrate.

    She paused.

    It was far away. Intense, but far away. Hushed whispers and cries of panic erupted from the market. She moved to the trunk to load up. The submachine gun looked really nice, at least. It was black and orange, sporting Touhei¡¯s cogged wheel on the side. She loaded it and shoved spare magazines in her breast pockets. Besides her, Shinoda put on heavy body armor and a helmet, closing a mask over his face. It looked futuristic. His voice wasn¡¯t even muffled.

    ¡°I am ready, Palladian-san.¡±

    ¡°Weapons check.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes.¡±

    Nestra closed her helmet as well though it was more of a cowl. It wouldn¡¯t stop a rifle round but it was excellent against sensory attacks. The two were ready by the time Kim¡¯s message arrived on their visors.

    ¡°Explosion in a warehouse by the admin center. Gleam patrols recalled. I exempted officer Nephrite. Placing all of you on high alert. Be careful.

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Kim.¡±</li>

    </ul>

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    A diversion. Nestra agreed and a moment later, her doubts were confirmed. A second explosion rang in the distance, near the Kaiju wall.

    ¡°Palladian-san, if this is a diversion, then people have died to get at us.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it. Think about the now. Deep breaths, eyes open.¡±

    ¡°Hai.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t jump when she received a call. She¡¯d been expecting it. Flash¡¯s panicked voice rang through her years.

    ¡°Angmoh girl, waaaasseh! You know you asked¡ª¡±

    ¡°Where, how many?¡±

    ¡°Four borgs, right at the entrance and moving fast! They came from¡ª¡±

    ¡°Send me the feed. Now.¡±

    Nestra accepted the link request. There was a video, seen above and from an angle. Four heavily augmented people rushing towards the parking entrance street-side.

    They¡¯d been waiting for Nestra to arrive. It was happening.

    Her only saving grace was that they were limited by the speed of the slowest who barely moved faster than a human. They wore a variety of tactical gear and made no efforts to hide. Cleaver was at the head with a large riot shield and a shoulder-mounted machine gun. Another one hid behind a cloak and seemed more lightly armed though he had a thin rifle. A woman rushed with a variety of guns strapped to her back. As for the last one, all his limbs were modified and Nestra recognized the make: spider type. An infiltration tool that allowed the user to stick to virtually any surface. He had to die first. She couldn¡¯t afford to get flanked.

    All of them didn¡¯t just have implants, they also sported the copper-colored coating typical of unpainted shield lattice. Her own EMP grenades wouldn¡¯t really harm them, provided she could even throw that far. Nestra bit back a swear word. Cleaver wasn¡¯t taking any chances. She immediately pressed her ¡®oh shit¡¯ button, signaling Valerian to come down. He¡¯d be there very soon.

    ¡°Ok. Shinoda, take cover behind that pillar by the cruiser. Shoot when you have a clear shot. Flash, they¡¯re gonna blast us so keep your drones at a distance.¡±

    ¡°I got an electronic warfare suit angmoh girl. Can help!¡±

    ¡°After they trigger it or you¡¯ll get fried for nothing.¡±

    ¡°Is ok, I got many drones.¡±

    ¡°Right, I¡¯m getting closer to get the first shot.¡±

    Nestra activated the camouflage of her suit and moved forward. She would be very hard to detect by whatever sensor those buffons had, at least until she moved. She calculated her best fallback options and settled on an abandoned wreck.

    ¡°This is Valerian, I¡¯ll be there in one minute.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m jamming their recon drones, angmoh girl! They¡¯re not happy!¡±

    Nestra locked her submachine gun against the wall and waited. Cleaver¡¯s crew had not triggered their EMPs yet, probably hoping to find Nestra first before frying every drone in the vicinity, so she still had her feed. Spider aug was to her right and at the edge of their formation, slightly forward. He was sticking to the ceiling which wouldn¡¯t be such a bad idea, normally. People tended not to look up. Only problem was, while the rest was laying low among the wrecks, spider idiot was clearly visible hopping along support beams like a degenerate monkey. He was still a bit far though, and Nestra wasn¡¯t sure of her shot. She lined the visor and waited.

    That guy would stop every two seconds to take a look towards the cruiser, its front visible from up close. She switched her gun to burst fire and waited. One. Two. Two and a half¡­

    The spider aug stopped right above a rotting van and looked. Nestra pulled the trigger.

    A muffled bang.

    The recoil made the gun jolt in her hands but her strength was that of a quirkie now, and this was nothing to her. The spider¡¯s head lurched back but it didn¡¯t let go. Default safety measures, maybe? His loss. She switched to full auto and shot again, this time struggling to keep the bucking gun under control. The roar of the gun felt muted to her ears as she watched the aug die. Tungsten rounds shredded the lightly armored frame in moments. Puffs of blood and oil wafted through the air. A small rush of power told her she¡¯d gained a modicum of speed.

    Felt good.

    Something rocked her. The Wellington armor overlay informed her she¡¯d been attacked by a flashbang effect. They were trying to disable her. She fired on the woman trying to flank her and got her to hide behind her own pillar.

    Less than two seconds later, the rest of the squad opened up on her hiding place, with real guns this time.

    Most of the rounds pulverized the wreck by her side. Shrapnel flew through the air in a cloud of mangled pieces, thankfully angled away from her. She kneeled behind her pillar just as the reinforced concrete was torn piece by piece. She picked her first cloud grenade and launched it. At the same time, she lost control of her drones. Her visor went dead and the overlay on her helmet switched to safe mode. She lost her coms. Cleaver had triggered his EMP.

    Her grenade detonated a moment later, silent in the terrible din of gunfire. Nestra retreated through the thick, silvery particle cloud. She kept her head low to avoid errant bullets. It looked like Cleaver didn¡¯t want to get her alive that hard, or perhaps they were ok with losing her and getting Shinoda. In any case, the bulk of the bullets strayed to her left while the pillar behind her stopped most of what remained. Some bullets still buzzed over her like angry wasps. They were shooting too high. Untrained hunters, not coordinating well. The smell of the helmet was frustratingly pungent while she longed to smell them, to hear them so she could hunt properly but that fragile human shell couldn¡¯t take it.

    Nestra stopped by another pillar by the market entrance. The cruiser was to her right when facing the approaching augs, then Shinoda after that, himself kneeling behind debris. Bullets were hitting everything by now. The augs were confident in their ammo reserves, at least.

    Nestra threw another cloud grenade to her left where the market opening was. Bullets soon zipped through it, searching for targets. She threw another one towards her back and let the cloud cover most of her and the cruiser.

    She soon saw the first two approach, Cleaver with his riot shield up and the heavily armed woman, now having discarded a couple of empty weapons. They still lay suppressive fire. Nestra waited until she had a good shot. She wanted to take out Cleaver¡¯s mounted gun just because it could shred through her pillar as it had done the wreck. She positioned herself to keep the pillar between the woman and lay down the sights. This would be a close call. She was already lucky they¡¯d failed to spot her despite the reflective cloud and the EMP. Some advanced sights could have spotted her anyway but she guessed Gidung hadn¡¯t given the gangers their best software suites.

    Cleaver came in sight as she breathed out. From here, he looked even more monstrous than before. There was little left of his flesh up to his face, where the remaining meat clung to metal plates centered around his auged eyes like angry, irritated slabs. He turned to spray the cloud near the entrance. Nestra could see the ominous black maw of his gun, much smaller than she expected, and the chain of ammo linking it to Cleaver¡¯s back. Her helmet struggled to handle the blast as it was absolutely deafening in a closed space. When Cleaver fired, all other sounds grew muted. Demon Nestra would be able to hear and smell thanks to her resistances, jump and tear him in half because he wouldn¡¯t even be able to see her properly, but that wouldn¡¯t be fun. She aimed for the gun and shot. The explosive rounds hit the barrels but Cleaver¡¯s torso rotated so fast, she didn¡¯t see it.

    Nestra saw her death in that maw, and if the gun had been intact, the return fire would have pulped her in an instant. But the gun fizzled and she recovered. She emptied her magazine at Cleaver who advanced patiently towards her with metal feet stomping on the dusty ground. The bullets pinged uselessly against the riot shield, then something hit her pillar hard. The woman had located her and was laying suppressive fire. Dust peppered her armor though she didn¡¯t feel it. She was running out of options.

    Abruptly, the shooting stopped. Nestra peered from behind the damaged pillar to see two things. The first was the woman watching in disbelief at the many holes in her armored chest, blood dripping from there in crimson rivulets that stained the powdery fragments. The second was Cleaver aiming a short tube towards their cruiser.

    ¡°Oh sh¡ª¡±

    The vehicle exploded in a ball of fire.

    Nestra fell to the side as a wave went over her. Red error signals covered her overlay, showing damage. Her chest was constricted but when she caught herself, she realized she was unharmed.

    Shinoda lay on the ground. There was some blood. No time to check. Cleaver was walking towards her again. She tossed her last grenade at the aug but she could see its large form walking through the cloud.

    ¡°CONNECTION RE ESTABLISHED. EXITING SAFE MODE.¡±

    ¡°Angmoh girl, you back! I¡¯m jamming him but¡­¡±

    Bullets peppered the shield. The local thugs Shinoda had faced the first day were firing their peashooters at the advancing colossus.

    ¡°This is Valerian. I¡¯ve engaged the sniper. Delay Cleaver if you can!¡±

    But the aug was already drawing a weapon from its back, this time some sort of shotgun. The system that helped him shoot those who shot him must have been malfunctioning or the street urchins would be sieves by now. Still, had to draw him away from them. Give Valerian time.

    ¡°Get them to stop firing and get Shinoda,¡± she ordered as she raced out of cover. The thugs hesitated and started looking around like headless chicken instead of taking cover. Idiots. Nestra dropped her submachine gun and drew the Window Maker. Her first three bullets carved deep dents into the shield. Sparks flew, and the shotgun swiveled in her general direction. There was a door in front of her. She crashed through it just as Cleaver carved a crater in the wall to her left. Better not to get hit once.

    Behind her, one of the thugs exploded in a shower of gore.

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    That motivated the rest to seek cover. Heavy stomps confirmed Cleaver was going after her. Yes, he had to have her. She knew he could grab Shinoda and get out and he would accomplish an objective, but she also knew he couldn¡¯t. That was twice now she stymied his efforts. He had to have her, and she would use it to drive him away from the others. He was delectably predictable.

    Nestra rushed up some stairs. That was an abandoned part of the hab block, too exposed to the outside. Completely walled off and emptied. She knew it because she¡¯d patrolled it once or twice. It was scrupulously kept free of trash to avoid a severe cockroach infestation. Not much light but that wasn¡¯t a problem. She reloaded her window maker and considered her next move. She just needed to delay Cleaver, really. She would use Valerian to deliver the last blow, and she had an idea. After all, augs had their drawbacks.

    ¡°Angmoh girl, he¡¯s right behind you! I¡¯ll keep jamming his shit but be careful lah.¡±

    ¡°No shit.¡±

    Nestra angled right and raced, Cleaver stomping behind her. He was really fast in a straight line but she kept turning and turning. He also seemed to always know where she was.

    ¡°Scramble his optics?¡±

    ¡°All I can do is mess with the targeting. He has a LOT of shit running at the same time.¡±

    ¡°Palladian, Agent Nephrite has dealt with the sniper. Just hold on for a little longer,¡± Kim¡¯s voice said.

    Cleaver was gaining on her. She planted a foot on a nearby wall and turned into a room, then jumped, crossing it in one go. The heavy stomps rang in the corridor behind her. She aimed the window maker and shot through the wall, once, twice. She was hitting something.

    Return fire.

    Something clipped her calf. Hard. She fell as a lancing pain tore through it. Blood. She was hit, though the armor had stopped half of her leg from being torn off. Red signals on her display. It hurt like a bitch.

    ¡°LACERATIONS DETECTED. FIRST AID IN PROGRESS.¡±

    A cool flood dulled the pain as she rolled to the side just as the wall exploded. Cleaver came through in a shower of crushed plaster, a behemoth of metal behind a damaged riot shield. She¡¯d also hit his flank. The colossus thundered towards her like the judgment of God himself.

    It was too much for the old, tired floor. It broke down under him and sent him crashing down below. Nestra¡¯s relief was short-lived. The riot shield embedded itself through the damn ground right behind her, thrown with great strength. She grabbed for the foam just as what remained of the floor cracked and she fell down.

    Cleaver was waiting for her at the bottom like a giant trapdoor spider. The dim light turned his heavy armor into an obsidian shell and his eyes shone with a malevolent red light. She aimed the foam dispenser just as his shotgun swiveled towards her. He didn¡¯t shoot because he thought he had her. She didn¡¯t hesitate. Heavy, quickly expanding foam covered the entire right side of his body, including the gun arm. Hydraulics groaned under the strain but that foam wouldn¡¯t peel off so easily. It was designed to disable walkers.

    Nestra landed on her good leg and aimed center mass, but Cleaver¡¯s left arm intercepted the shot with preternatural speed. It blew up to shards right to the elbow, yet the punch still connected and the last shot went wide. The Window Maker slipped from her numb fingers. She grabbed her sword with both arms and drew, hitting the damaged arm and releasing an electric charge at the same time.

    The damaged arm connected with her belly.

    ¡°Ooof!¡±

    Even through the armor and even dulled, the blow hit her like a truck. She was sent crashing against a nearby wall. The entire armor was flashing red by now but her head was protected. Unfortunately, she fell on her wounded leg and collapsed. More blood. The smoking titan that was Cleaver reached for his namesake weapon hanging on his back and realized he no longer had the fingers to grip the hilt.

    Nestra grinned at him through the pain. She picked herself up painfully. Bruised ribs, for sure.

    ¡°What¡¯s funny?¡± a cold voice asked her, low and robotic.

    The red glare was fixed on her as the wounded titan closed the distance between them, Nestra standing but not moving. She smiled even more broadly when Valerian landed right behind him, when Cleaver¡¯s torso rotated on itself too fast for her to follow and when it didn¡¯t make a difference. With shining green threads lighting his skin, the gleam pushed a large thing that looked like a cattle prod in Cleaver¡¯s wounded flank and pressed a button. Shimmering purple bolts arced from the weapon into the aug who shook and collapsed soon after. Electric mana. That was an artifact, and not a shitty one either.

    The titan fell on his side like a hunk of metal. Valerian turned to her.

    ¡°Nestra! Are you alright? That was so impressive!¡±

    Power filled Nestra¡¯s demonic self. Elation lifted her spirit above the pain and the stress to a state of felicity. Yes. YES! She¡¯d won the hunt with the conditions she¡¯d set, just the way it was meant to be because she was the fucking best! The best of the best! Riel dammit that felt so good. Victory. Full victory. She felt like laughing maniacally.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he won¡¯t move for a while. This voltage should have disabled him for at least an hour.¡±

    Nestra realized she¡¯d been fixedly looking at the fallen aug. Valerian¡¯s words finally registered, turning bliss into amusement.

    ¡°Eeeeehm.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    She pointed at a steam of steaming pink fluid dripping from the aug¡¯s ears.

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s walking that off.¡±

    ¡°What? Oh! Ooooh¡­ Oh no. Well, this is, but nevermind I need to see to your leg. Quickly.¡±

    Nestra looked at her calf.

    Yeah ok she wasn¡¯t walking that one off either. Crushed raspberries on half of it. Thank fuck for the painkillers.

    ¡°Hmm. Yes please.¡±

    ¡°Not here, let me carry you out first to Shinoda. I still want to keep an eye on him.¡±

    ¡°One moment please,¡± Kim¡¯s voice said in the comms. ¡°Mr Flash, once again your support is greatly appreciated but I will ask you to leave this conversation as what follows is classified.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah.¡±

    ¡°You will be compensated for your efforts. Good. Now please, approach the dearly departed Mr Cleaver.¡±

    Nestra removed her mask and regretted it a little because it stank like hell in here. She waited while Kim essentially guided Valerian towards a secured compartment lodged in the aug¡¯s upper back. As expected, it contained a drive.

    ¡°His psychological profile suggested that he wouldn¡¯t trust subordinates with the drive, and would most likely keep it on himself. Please reconvene to the parking lot. I will be here shortly.¡±

    Valerian actually princess carried Nestra back, and though it implied Nestra hadn¡¯t done the lion¡¯s share of taking Cleaver out, she still appreciated it in a weird, intimate kind of way. It helped that Valerian was friendly, and that she trusted him. She was soon dropped in a prepared stretcher by a freshly landed hovercraft next to Shinoda. The poor detective was fine except for Kim fussing over him with the sort of angry concern some people had for reckless partners. Nestra had seen her mom do the same thing for her dad when he returned wounded from a raid. It distracted her from having to look at her mangled calf, especially at the beginning when Valerian extracted pieces of metal from the meat.

    ¡°I apologize for any discomfort,¡± he said with a winning smile.

    ¡°Think nothing of it. I¡¯m so anesthetized down there you could stab me and I¡¯d never know. I am thankful for your help, by the way. Both the killing and the healing.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well, the killing part was unintended,¡± he said with a wince. ¡°I thought his brain cavity was more isolated.¡±

    ¡°What a shame.¡±

    ¡°Ok, all done, I will now proceed with the healing part of that¡¯s alright with you, Officer Palladian.¡±

    ¡°Look, friend, you¡¯re knuckles deep in my Gastrocnemius muscle so I think at this point you can call me Nestra. Besides, you just did it two minutes ago.¡±

    ¡°I got carried away. And sorry for the attention you¡¯re getting.¡±

    Nestra looked back towards the market and the people she was meant to protect. They didn¡¯t know Cleaver had been here for her, because of the trap she¡¯d laid so they couldn¡¯t be angry. Even the thugs who were crying for the death of one of their own still nodded when they met her eyes. Besides them, a horde of people and one of Flash¡¯s drone surveyed the devastation with fearful eyes. Shredded pillars, pulverized wrecks and fallen debris punctuated an ashy landscape of cracked concrete with steel beams exposed like rotting bones. A long blood trail snaked down like a wound where the woman aug had fallen, torso pierced by Shinoda¡¯s solid aim. The apocalyptic scene painted the tale of a desperate battle even though Nestra had felt in control, and the few glances aimed her way carried respect and even a little bit of admiration.

    Kim briefly stopped by Nestra¡¯s stretcher on her way to the techs. She leaned over Nestra with a very serious expression, though her eyes were a little puffy.

    ¡°Excellent performance, Officer Palladian. You truly were the right person for the job. And thank you¡­ for protecting him.¡±

    ¡°He did well.¡±

    ¡°I wish I didn¡¯t have to depend on just you two, and you, of course, Officer Nephrite.¡±

    ¡°Happy to help, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Now let me see what¡¯s on that drive. You can join me when you are done. I assume you are just as curious as I am to see if we found our grail.¡±

    Nestra was, in fact, really curious but she knew better than to hurry Valerian. He was taking his time and she was really happy she couldn¡¯t feel what he was doing. Slowly, the damaged fibers were fixed and reattached until, with a last flourish, skin smoothly closed over the wound, She wouldn¡¯t even have a scar.

    ¡°Ok you got me, I¡¯m impressed,¡± she admitted.

    ¡°What about my swordsmanship?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll test your cattle prodmanship at a later date.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Officer Palladian. I shall hold you to it.¡±

    Valerian seemed super pleased for a moment and it gave his nice face and jade iris a sort of happy sheen like this man didn¡¯t live in the real world, the sweet summer baby. Nestra wished for him to never lose that naive hope as she sat, but Valerian wasn¡¯t done with her.

    ¡°No no, first we cover the lesion with a protective bandage. You can remove it in two days and not before.¡±

    He applied a rather expensive BaiHua product, something designed to solidify the healed tissue as they tended to break very easily in the first few days after a healing was done.

    ¡°You also can¡¯t walk for another half an hour so the new flesh can settle. Let me get you a wheelchair.¡±

    Valerian dutifully pushed Nestra towards a working station at the edge of the hovercraft¡¯s temporary base. Kim was already looking at the screen with a frown. A very long table was scrolling fast, filled with numbers. It followed the same pattern as the lone cached document they¡¯d found on the first drive, but this time, there were a lot more data points.

    ¡°Millions of readings. Tens of millions, not just in District Fifteen but closer to central and directly outside of the walls as well. I have no idea what to do with this. Are thaums the main measurement?¡±

    ¡°Can you model it?¡± Kim asked.

    ¡°Yes, if we send it to central they can get an AI to render it in a couple of seconds but¡­ what are you looking for?¡±

    Nestra was starting to get a sneaking suspicion.

    ¡°Use a 3D modeling of the city with thaum levels over time as the Z axis. You can use a temperature model as the base.¡±

    ¡°Yes, they are probably the main point of interest. I doubt pressure and altitude matter,¡± Kim added.

    The tech sent the file.

    ¡°They¡¯ll need a moment. In the meanwhile, we can check the other files on the drive.¡±

    And they did. Kim was the first to gasp.

    ¡°Riel, this is¡­ Cleaver could not have possibly gathered that much.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s signed by a user named Caine,¡± the tech helpfully added.

    ¡°The most powerful ganger gleam. He should be in a Gidung corpo prison now¡­ Hm.¡±

    The drive hosted a treasure trove of evidence with sources ranging from Gidung internal communications to ganger accounts and even videos of corpo cybernetics being shipped to Fifteen. It was more than damning. It was enough to send someone to the Red House until they died. Finally, Nestra managed to spot the face of the person responsible for her near death and the loss of the last standing MaxSec squad.

    He was a man, handsome in a conventional way, nose remade by plastic surgery. A mixed blood, half anglo half Korean probably. His straight hair was combed to the side and his suit always impeccably wrapped around an athletic body. A man of average height. One of the many corpo clones climbing the ladder of upper management. His name was Watkins.

    She had no fucking idea who he was.

    The internal mail he signed spoke of unique opportunities, of bottom line, of investments. Nestra¡¯s lingering happiness at the victory melted when her gaze swept over the text there looking for anything, any hint that her would-be murderer had acted out of a grand vision to change or destroy the world, for vengeance or something but it all remained so very, very mundane. Meaningless. He had acted out of greed and ambition. She wasn¡¯t even factored in the whole calculation. Hell, the entire purge had been left to the cops. She was just a collateral casualty in a scheme to make unprecedented amounts of cash.

    It was almost disappointing, how banal it was, Evil committed in a sanitized and distant manner, almost casually. She¡¯d been personally hurt by actions decided in a boardroom months before the fact by people who were not even aware she would be there to bleed on their fucking project. She wasn¡¯t even a liability in their eyes. She was an externality.

    But then her happiness returned. They were going to get fucked because of an externality.

    They were going to get fucked, right?

    ¡°Riel, that is¡­ hold on, let me send this to my supervisor,¡± Kim whispered excitedly.

    Kim left them behind, reaching to her ear. A second later, she spoke in rapid-fire Korean to someone out of sight. Nestra watched her hold for a while, then the quick speech resumed and lasted for a good fifteen minutes during which she acted increasingly agitated. Valerian and Nestra exchanged a glance, then shrugged. She had no idea if it was good or bad, and eavesdropping with a translation software would be very rude.

    By the time Kim came back, her eyes were like saucers.

    ¡°Holy Riel. I just talked to the mayor.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s keep it all under wrap for now but let me tell you, the stone is falling down the cliff.¡±

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, you may want to see this,¡± the tech interrupted.

    The simulation was here. Nestra and the others gathered around the screen, watching a rendition of Threshold appear there in cold blue, then red, pulsating bars covered the overlay.

    An angry red root spread over Fifteen and beyond to the wall. It was almost alive in the way it ebbed and flowed like a slumbering limb. The root burrowed through the rendition in complete disregard of man-made constructions. It was Nestra¡¯s turn to gasp.

    ¡°Palladian? What am I looking at?¡±

    ¡°I know it was formulated as a hypothesis but¡­ to see it here. This a telluric line or¡­ I guess you call it a dragon vein. It¡¯s a mana river.¡±

    ¡°A what?¡±

    ¡°A mana river. Some places on earth have a higher mana concentration than others, and the ambient mana levels are increasing as well, which means that this river will only grow stronger over time, or at least it should. Gidung, well, Watkins was probably hoping for that.¡±

    ¡°And this is valuable how?¡±

    ¡°Whoever controls the space around a river can have their D-class recover faster, have better enchantments run on ambient mana, and I think they can even coalesce mana crystals from thin air with the proper arrays. I know it¡¯s been tried in some of the largest portal worlds.¡±

    Kim blinked and so did Valerian.

    ¡°You are surprisingly well-informed, Officer Palladian.¡±

    ¡°I was originally supposed to be my father¡¯s heir. I may look like a muscle brain now because that was my best option but I¡¯m not stupid,¡± Nestra replied, pride stung by the comment.

    Kim actually gave her a short bow of apology, a sign the demon girl was in tremendously good favor.

    ¡°My apologies, Officer Palladian. I was condescending.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok. And yeah, this is¡­ I don¡¯t know how to explain it except to say that a mana river is literally a gold mine for the future of Earth. And that branch is already in Threshold. All that¡¯s left to do is¡­¡±

    ¡°Dig and build,¡± Kim replied.

    ¡°Gidung already brought a lot of construction equipment.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re planning to harvest the mana.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Nestra replied. ¡°They¡¯ve already started.¡±

    ***

 Part 15

    Nestra leaned back in her seat. The Sunflour was half full early in the afternoon, a testament to Seth¡¯s increasingly fancy baking. Nestra had a bite of coconut profiteroles and allowed the cool ice cream to contrast with the hot chocolate sauce through the breached puff pastry. That was not bad at all. And now she could eat pastries without fear of gaining weight since her body was exactly the same as it had been three weeks ago, when she¡¯d awoken. Praise be.

    It was weird because her weight should fluctuate according to exercise and diet, even over three weeks. But it didn¡¯t. Her human shell maintained identical and arguably excellent performance but it still took wounds and they still required serious healing. Everything else was normal too. It just¡­ wasn¡¯t changing anymore. Meanwhile, it was too early to tell if her demon self could improve through training and weight lifting or just by killing stuff.

    Nestra was procrastinating, filling her head with distractions to avoid facing reality. Her hand reached for her calf, eager to scratch at the itchy stabilizing bandage. That was a shit idea so she refrained. The truth was, she was scared. Scared of the news.

    Her hands gripped the datasheet. It was time. The news flash blinked, ready for view, the letters forming ¡®raid on Gidung¡¯ flashing like an obnoxious bait. She pressed play.

    An aerial shot of the entrance of the Gidung arcology filled the screen. Drone shot, probably. A convoy of black government hover cars rushed towards the entrance. No one blocked their access to the plaza expanding before the doors, but as soon as the agents came out with the white page of a warrant flapping in the wind like a battle standard, the gates of the fortress opened. A short man with a rolled up white shirt and long white hair came out. A large number of gleams followed him in matching business suits, their ties showing the pillar of Gidung in golden filigree. The camera zoomed on the old man, revealing powerful muscles and a light band around his iris. Sun, Gidung¡¯s founder and a light user. One of Threshold¡¯s most powerful gleams and on the cusp of A-rank.

    But not quite there yet.

    One of the government cars landed closeby, and from there walked a man in a monk robe. The late afternoon sun shone on a bald scalp. It was an extremely unassuming getup, and yet the oddity of the outfit only made him stand out that much more. This was Shinran.

    The A-rank gleam walked to Gidung¡¯s founder amicably enough. Nestra understood. One didn¡¯t need to feel aggressive when one wasn¡¯t threatened, and there wasn¡¯t shit Sun could do to stop Shinran. A short conversation followed, then a tech team was allowed in. The video jumped to seven minutes later. The tech team returned with a struggling man in a suit pushed forward by members of Gidung¡¯s own private army. Nestra recognized him when the camera zoomed on an expression of utter shock. Watkins. The Mayor had moved fast.

    The mix of terror and disbelief on the corpo¡¯s face was a thing to behold, and that said a lot. Despite leading a massive conspiracy with multiple points of failure and causing the death of thousands of people, he looked like he¡¯d never considered there could be a price for that mistake, an effect to that cause. He¡¯d believed himself untouchable, and now, he couldn¡¯t believe he wasn¡¯t. Probably couldn¡¯t believe his corp would throw him to the wolves either.

    The rest of the video was boring. The city goons didn¡¯t get to enter the arcology so Gidung saved face. Gidung was forced to surrender Watkins and some evidence, so the city saved face as well. There would probably be a fine and a pound of flesh, and the corpos would feel the reminder not to go too far but the monoliths of the great institution that was Threshold would be left standing. She noticed what was painfully absent from the newsflash and the many speculations on the lips of excited anchormen and women: no one knew about the mana river. Nestra wasn¡¯t sure what the city intended to do with it beyond kicking Gidung out on their asses. At least, there was that.

    The man who¡¯d tried to kill her was on his way to the Red House. The slap on the cheek of the law had been answered in kind. Justice would kind of prevail, sorta, in a way. This was probably the best she could have hoped for, and she¡¯d managed it in a week.

    Nestra knew she should feel proud or at least, vindicated. Or maybe hollow in the typical way that came with the release of a long-held tension. She didn¡¯t. She merely felt anxious for tonight. That hunt, the one for Watkins, had not been hers. She¡¯d been at the right place and the right time and merely guided the damning evidence Caine had gathered towards Gidung like one guided a spear in someone else¡¯s chest. Although the conclusion matched her hopes and values, demon Nestra couldn¡¯t relate. She was merely a tool in someone else¡¯s fight. And that was¡­ fine. Her own hunt had concerned Cleaver.

    Nestra shrugged and took another bite of profiteroles before the ice cream could melt. Enough of that. She should head back to get ready. Maybe try to catch a bit of shut eye since her family celebration would happen during her usual sleepy time. As she left, she was hailed by Seth who¡¯d just finished buttering up an old couple.

    ¡°Hey, hey! Nestra! Been a while.¡±

    ¡°I was busy with work. How are you?¡±

    ¡°Good! Great! People here love my pastries. If I knew it could be so fun and rewarding I would have started a long time ago. Oh, and uh, did Siobhan say anything about me?¡±

    Nestra frowned. Stib had sent her a couple of messages but besides that, nothing.

    ¡°Nope. Any reason why she should? What have you done?¡±

    ¡°Haha no pleaaaaase don¡¯t be the bad cop. I have done nothing bad. Just checking.¡±

    ¡°Sorry. Really busy week.¡±

    Seth nodded as if he understood.

    ¡°No pressure. Hey, I¡¯m glad you could come. Take care!¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Seth.¡±

    The baker was right. She felt like she¡¯d been under a tremendous amount of pressure, but she was also on sick leave until at least Monday so¡­ finally some time to relax. The benefactor had even canceled tonight¡¯s portal! Well, more like postponed. Things would be alright.

    If she repeated that often enough she might even believe it.

    ***

    Gravel crunched under the wheels of her car. It was a nostalgic sound that brought back a lot of memories of going home in her father¡¯s car, those last few seconds crossing the garden before she could move inside. Some of her best and worst memories were associated with that sound. Being held by her father. Returning home after failing to awaken a core.

    If she¡¯d still been a true part of the family, she would have turned right here and driven through an alley of tall oaks to the main house¡¯s underground garage¡­ but that time was long gone. She didn¡¯t even have the keys anymore. Instead, she turned left and parked on an empty space by the garden wall between a nondescript sedan and an honest-to-Riel pink Lamborghini. There were quite a few hover cars as well.

    Nestra stepped out and checked herself one last time. Makeup? Still there, even the lipstick had survived her attempts to worry her lips. Dress? The same she¡¯d worn when meeting with Aunt Claire: Gleam-made and tasteful without being too flashy. Gift for Ulysses: there, carefully wrapped. A cashmere scarf from a good baseline designer in the gray colors of the family. She simply couldn¡¯t afford a gleam-level gift. A last look at the glass confirmed she was her normal, slightly scarred, obviously bandaged, athletic and cold hostile self. And tired, obviously, since it was currently 7PM and her unofficial sleepy time. She stepped out and joined the short line waiting for admission.

    Nestra didn¡¯t recognize either of the two guards providing security at the entrance tonight. They were low gleams, handsome and unctuous with muscular builds so basically high-end bouncers. Maybe hired for the occasion? They only gave most guests a cursory glance before politely letting them in. Not surprising given the amount of mana floating around. This was a raider¡¯s gathering, after all.

    It was her turn very soon.

    Nestra could tell immediately there was going to be a problem. The guard gleam¡¯s expression turned from pleasant to surprised when he spotted her drab face, then annoyed when he noticed her gleam dress.

    ¡°Staff entrance is that way, if that is what you¡¯re looking for. Otherwise, this is a private event.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a guest. Clytemnestra Palladian.¡±

    The gleam turned to his colleague with an expression Nestra could only translate as ¡®can you believe this shit?¡¯.

    ¡°The Palladian is a user family, miss,¡± he said with a condescending tone. ¡°You know what that means, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Nestra knew at that moment she wouldn¡¯t get in without help but¡­ she should still try.

    ¡°Perhaps you should check the guest list. Surely you have pictures of the attendees?¡±

    ¡°Listen, dreg. You can leave now or I can escort you out. And you won¡¯t like that.¡±

    Nestra took a step back, crossed her arms and waited. The gleam gave his partner yet another long-suffering glance.

    ¡°Guess you prefer the hard way.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just surprised you can¡¯t feel it.¡±

    The gleam took a step forward, provoked, but he stopped when a powerful mana signature washed over the three of them like the first gusts announcing the coming of a hurricane. Aunt Claire landed next to them an instant later with a grace and composure that belied the palpable rage twisting her mouth into a sneer. She wore an elegant cocktail dress that left her scarred shoulders bare. Aunt Claire enjoyed making statements. Right now, that statement was that she was not to be fucked as a B-class raider. Her presence absolutely smothered the guard to the point he was maintained in place not because of courage but because fear had stolen his legs. Nestra felt like standing in front of the oven of her aunt¡¯s wrath.

    ¡°I see you haven¡¯t even taken the time to check the guest list.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±

    ¡°Get the fuck out of here before I lose my calm for good.¡±

    The guard stumbled away, Aunt Claire turning to Nestra an instant later. Her anger melted to reveal the guilt beneath.

    ¡°Absolutely sorry about that, dearie. Damn. And I made a scene. Look, Helena is, hmmm, not doing so well right now. Why don¡¯t you head in and say hi? Errr, do your best. And I¡¯ll come help you if there is anything wrong again. Just don¡¯t mind the others from the Century Guild.¡±

    What Nestra said was: ¡°Alright.¡±

    What she wanted to say was: ¡®I fucking told you this was going to be a disaster. I¡¯m not even through the damn door an everything has already gone to shit and you stand here with your baffled face and superpowers and lack of social acumen wondering where the fuck it all went wrong when the reason why it¡¯s already gone off the rail like a radioactive disposal unit on fire is that it was essentially a shit idea, by nature a shit idea, irrevocably a shit idea, I don¡¯t want to be here, I don¡¯t want to see them like this, and I should never have agreed to it.¡¯

    Nestra took a deep breath. She was here. She had to see this through or regret it for the rest of her life so she swallowed her anxiety in order to move on. The familiar house had not changed much. Someone had repainted the wood shutters and the small trees by the entrance had grown slightly taller. The hydrangea died at some point and had been replaced by a flower she wasn¡¯t familiar with. The hot evening air carried the sounds of laughter and the clinks of glasses. She walked on the familiar trail by a group of Asian people speaking in Mandarin. The Century Guild. They looked at her curiously until one of dad¡¯s companions came to greet her.

    ¡°Damn girl, are you ok? You look rough!¡±

    Vassily was one of her dad¡¯s old teammates. He had always been and still was an absolute peach, a support raider despite his imposing size. Green irises reminded her of Valerian though he was a nature mana specialist. She mechanically told him she was just a little tired and another user came, this time a Japanese woman. Sanae, a pyromancer. Vadanak was next, a water-aligned fencer with a patient and calm personality. A few other old guards greeted her as she made her way in, doing small talk and Nestra appreciated it, and them, she really did. She just didn¡¯t enjoy the pity and concern she could see in their eyes.

    ¡°Oh darling, you are just perfect!¡± a strident voice said.

    A gleam with a wide brimmed hat strutted to her before shoving a card in her hand. It read Ms. Teneru.

    ¡°I came here to congratulate your brother but oh am I glad I found you. Clytemnestra, was it? Such intensity, like a sharp broken doll! Why, give me a call if you want to model for me. I promise to make it worth your while. Ta-ta darling.¡±

    The weirdo left the scene and all the attention on Nestra¡¯s shoulders. That was the perfect representation of her situation, really. Close friends fussing over her nature, weirdos attracted by the uniqueness, and her left in the middle embarrassed and just as coreless as before. She wanted so much to have a witty thing to say to defuse the awkwardness but her mind drew a blank. She just wasn¡¯t good with crowds.

    A part of her told her it was her fault. Her fault for leaving, for being difficult. She could still be part of the gleam world if she wouldn¡¯t be such a prideful bitch. Nestra shrugged the thought off. The gentle soul who could have worked for her family anyway, making the best out of a difficult situation and dispelling tension with a cheerful smile was a nice girl. She just wasn¡¯t Nestra.

    Especially not demon Nestra.

    While the old guard greeted her like friends, a lot of the junior members of the Palladian clan didn¡¯t know who she was and spared a curious glance at her only to be told who she was and deciding this level of drama wasn¡¯t worth their time. In a way, their whispers and hidden glances felt more comfortable because she was so used to it by now. The main entrance was the heart of the party, filled with experienced C-ranks swapping raiding stories. Those people, she didn¡¯t know, and they were much more disdainful than the others. Her brother immediately spotted her. He detached himself from a group of friends to welcome her with a lopsided grin.

    Ulysses looked younger than his thirty years. In fact, he looked younger than her which was a fact of life she¡¯d have to get used to. Now one of the youngest B-ranks in the world, his age and appearance would no longer match that of a baseline. It was still weird seeing him here clad in mana, his power radiating softly around him. He shared the same gray irises as their father, but his also crackled with electricity, his second active affinity. Warm brown hair combed to the side and a handsome face gave him the appearance of a standard action hero. He also had the body to match, wrapped as it was under an elegant charcoal suit. He was also noticeably taller than her now. Yet another change.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    He looked good. Among a court of equals, of promising raiders, he still walked like a princeling. This was the upcoming top of the world, the new generation of elite raiders. Some of earth¡¯s very best. They knew it, and they held themselves like it. Ulysses belonged there, and in a way she was happy for him. He looked like he was having a great time here. Generally, the mood was relaxed and friendly despite a few clear rivalries. A comfortable curtain of layered mana covered the room to form a pleasant background while Nestra waited at the edge of the group, clearly a stranger. Progressively, more eyes landed on her until Ulysses perceived the change and when he did, he whispered something in the ear of a young lady in a silver dress before making his way to her.

    ¡°Hello, sis. Walk with me?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a request but Nestra was fine with it. She didn¡¯t want to be a show anymore than she was. She followed his broad back to a side corridor, the one that led to the library. Possibly the most deserted part of the house.

    ¡°What a curious occasion you¡¯ve picked to return,¡± he said, his smile still sticking to his mouth in a way that she found upsetting. It was both a mask and a weapon.

    ¡°Aunt Claire suggested it,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Ah,¡± he said as if it explained everything.

    ¡°Got you a present. Congratulations on reaching B-rank.¡±

    He grabbed the present from her hand with three fingers.

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s lovely. I assume you are going to talk to the others as well?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Please do, Helena has been having a bad time. Come to think of it, mother too. They do tend to be overly emotional, unsurprisingly. I am sure they would appreciate your presence.¡±

    ¡°Okay?¡±

    The smile was still there.

    ¡°You know, I think I¡¯ve never thanked you for fizzling on us. I digested this over the years but¡­ this is such a special occasion. I kind of want to take it off my chest. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°My dear sister, so nice of you to show up on this very special day for me. All of us back together? Dad must be ecstatic since he¡¯s always been so big on the family unity myth. And since it¡¯s so special to me, I wanted to tell you something I¡¯ve always wanted to share. Well, it feels less important now than it used to be since I¡¯ve had some time to digest it but, you know, might as well. After all, who knows when I might see you again?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ okay?¡±

    This was not what she expected.

    ¡°I harbored some measure of resentment when daddy dearest picked you up as the heir apparent after my¡­ difficult first years at the academy, but after your fall, he finally gave me some time and, you know, words fail to express how much that meant to me, how special that made me feel. All those expectations? Someone else might have been crushed but I felt so very empowered. Finally, I mattered to the old maniac. I do not mean to belittle your suffering, of course. The golden child failing to grow a core and fizzling on us? Well, that must have been hard on your ego, but you know what they say. One woman¡¯s pain is another man¡¯s opportunity. Anyway, I wanted to share how much of a life-changing event this has all been, today, as I reflect upon my trajectory. Now, I¡¯m sure you were expecting some sort of moving welcome and I wouldn¡¯t want to deny you the opportunity. Before you no doubt see Helena, why don¡¯t you dig up our mother from her lair in the library? She¡¯s been retreating there to sulk and brood and it''s a bit unseemly, especially at her age. We¡¯re trying to build a dynasty here, just to inform you. Thanks again for the gift. Enjoy your stay!¡±

    And he left.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Nestra whispered.

    At least this had been done in private.

    Nestra shook her head to chase off the emotions. This was a waste of her time. She was here for Helena, and possibly her mom. She should see her mom. Nestra knocked on the door and entered.

    Her mother was sitting in a corner, near the window in a small recess hidden from the entrance by a thick bookshelf filled with old novels from before the Incursion. Nestra knew she was here in the way her familiar mana leaked, in the way her mother¡¯s breath hitched in her chest. Slowly, Deborah Reid-Palladian made her way across the dim room.

    Nestra¡¯s mom wore a dark blue dress with diamonds which would have made her stand out almost anywhere, especially since it complimented her ice blue irises. They too crackled with energy, but in the cozy library, she felt more like a blonde ice queen escaping from a fairy tale book than the resident. Mom had never looked soft but now she looked distant as well, the cold air between them acting like an impenetrable wall. She smiled gently when she saw her but it was brittle, and it never reached her haunted eyes.

    ¡°Nessy. Claire said you would come. I didn¡¯t believe her¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Not really sure it was a good idea.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a very long time. You should have come sooner. We, well, I shouldn¡¯t talk for the others, but I missed you. Claire told me you were really doing a lot.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. And she told me you were going back to raiding.¡±

    ¡°I am. The call of the raid¡­ Your father and I, we were never the power-hungry raiders at the front of the group. He¡¯s too much of a perfectionist and I am too¡­ controlled, but the need to grow stronger¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter. We are not here to talk about me. You¡­ could return, you know?¡±

    ¡°No, actually, I don¡¯t know. My presence doesn¡¯t seem very missed right now.¡±

    ¡°Nestra. You shut us off. You left and cut contact.¡±

    ¡°I was FUCKING SEVENTEEN!¡±

    Nestra gripped the back of a chair. What the¡ª Why did it feel so raw? Maybe¡­ maybe Ulysses had gotten to her more deeply than she thought.

    And then anger tore through her. It overwhelmed her usually mature countenance like a tide and flooded her mind until everything turned red and very vivid. The pain in her mother¡¯s eyes. The garden lamp shining through the half-shuttered window. Messy books. A pulpit. All the images assailed while she looked for ¡ª she didn¡¯t know what she was looking for. A threat? A way to deal? The words escaped her through clenched teeth, even if she didn¡¯t really want them to. But the anger had gripped her and there was not enough calm left in her to hold it back.

    ¡°I was a teen and hurting a lot. I was and still am a freak accident. What I said was that I needed to find my own path. What I needed was someone to hold me and help me find a purpose, any purpose, that didn¡¯t make me feel like I was measured against impossible standards because I had no core. I know you guys are big on personal responsibility but you¡¯re my fucking parents, no? Or do you think it stops if I reach my majority? I guess that¡¯s what you believed, or maybe you were relieved to see the back of me.¡±

    Her mother kept her gaze on the table by her side.

    ¡°Even then I would have loved if you had, you know, come and seen me, or hell, even called once. But you didn¡¯t. Since finding where I live or my number was such a daunting fucking task, I don¡¯t want to break the mystery. Think I¡¯ll check on Helena now. Good luck on raiding.¡±

    ¡°Nessy.¡±

    Nestra stepped away but her mother¡¯s voice held her back.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know what to do.¡±

    ¡°You were both mature adults when we were born. You didn¡¯t have us at 15.¡±

    ¡°Was I a bad mother?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just don¡¯t know.¡±

    She slammed the door behind her. Right. Right. Find Helena and then sod right off. She knew where her sis¡¯s room was so she climbed the stairs looking straight ahead and not paying attention to anything.

    Helena¡¯s door had a skull on it. And several knife marks. She knocked.

    ¡°What?¡± a voice yelled.

    Damn.

    It was Helena¡¯s voice. A little lower-pitched and a little raspy but¡­ it was her.

    Nestra came in. The room was a mess with clothes everywhere, posters clustering the walls, and supplies strewn about like they¡¯d just been thrown. It smelled of feet and sweat. It was also very dark here. Helena sat on her bed, back arched forward. Matted dark brown hair hung over her face so Nestra couldn¡¯t really see much but the girl¡¯s face appeared like a white sheet when she looked up, and Nestra found herself looking into twin abyssal pits.

    The only difference between Helena¡¯s eyes and her true own was that demon Nestra had no sclera. That was it. Otherwise, they were the same. The realization shocked Nestra. The others were their own, but Helena? She was like Nestra. Like true Nestra. Well, maybe more of a teen. Her face was too angular, not full yet, and she had acne. There was also something feral and raw there that Demon Nestra didn¡¯t have, even at the worse of times. She recognized kin in more ways than one, and yet¡­ it didn¡¯t feel like a mask. Helena was still a human.

    It shouldn¡¯t be possible.

    ¡°Well, look who finally deigned to show up,¡± the teen spat.

    The final barb woke Nestra up from her surprise.

    ¡°Aaaaaand I¡¯m out of here.¡±

    ¡°No, no wait. Wait. Sorry. FUCK! Aaaaaah ok ok I take it back. Please come in.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Nestra said.

    The light of the corridor faded. Human Nestra couldn¡¯t see in nearly pitch black but she could certainly smell and now that she was in an enclosed space, it was fucking terrible. Not rotten but more hormonal teen who needs to do laundry. It took five seconds of looking around in darkness before Helena switched her bedside light on her bedside table.

    ¡°Sorry, forgot you can¡¯t see in the dark. Didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±

    She gestured.

    ¡°Yeah, I got it.¡±

    ¡°Shit Nessy, it¡¯s been, what, seven years?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°And you return for Ulysses'' big day?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here for you. Aunt Claire said ¡ª ¡°

    ¡°What a nosy bitch. She really can¡¯t let go, huh? Has to rescue all of us lost kittens or it¡¯s the end of her world. Tch.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s trying, I guess.¡±

    ¡°She should try not to be a public disaster, that would help us as well. Not that either of us have a right to tell her, haha. So. Cop, huh? Actually, I don¡¯t care. You¡¯re here for me. Nice. Now, what the hell can you do?¡±

    ¡°I, uh, I thought I would listen. For a start.¡±

    ¡°Listen. Now. After seven FUCKING YEARS you return to lend me your ear. Fan Fucking Tastic. I¡¯m not doing super well. I also have a therapist. Would you like me to repeat what I said to the therapist? Will that make you feel useful?¡±

    ¡°Helena, I already got shit from Ulysses.¡±

    ¡°Yeah it¡¯s always been about your pain, right? Yours and only yours.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that leaving hurt you.¡±

    ¡°Damn right it hurt me. You were¡­ you¡¯re my sis and you left me just like that. Poof. Gone. I really really really kept wondering what I had fucked up as a sister to chase you away.¡±

    ¡°Not about you, pain blinded me.¡±

    ¡°It blinded you. To me?¡±

    ¡°Not saying I was right. I hurt you. Just saying I was your age and felt lost. That made me act stupid. I¡¯m sorry I hurt you. I never meant to hurt you. Please accept that I never meant that. I just, I was choking, here, reminded of my failure. I just couldn¡¯t accept that I would be left behind.¡±

    ¡°Yeah I, ah shit. I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m being a bitch again but just, I just can¡¯t accept you left me, you know? Just, I was missing you and Mom was missing you and Dad stopped talking about family unity and everything and I was wondering what I did wrong, like, all the time.¡±

    Nestra waited. Helena wasn¡¯t done. She stood up and moved excitedly around the room. Nestra realized the teen was a little too thin as well, though it might just be a growth spurt. She lacked the natural grace of other gleams, instead being frantic and almost predatory in the way she moved. It was slightly disturbing and it was no wonder other awakened gleams would pick on it, and possibly her.

    ¡°I know my therapist said it wasn¡¯t about me. But that¡¯s not what pisses me off so much. You were always there for me, when I was angry and I didn¡¯t get it and you got me and I knew I could count on you. and then you just¡­ left! And there is all this¡­ anger. I just can¡¯t face it. It just takes over and I am SO FUCKING MAD. Yeah so I¡¯m telling you because the therapist said it helped talking about emotions yeah? You don¡¯t have to comment or anything.¡±

    ¡°Claire said you fought at school.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, got a secondary affinity, force, like dad. It triggers when I lose control and I can¡¯t get the hang of it otherwise. Hurts the other assholes. They FUCKING deserve it,¡± she said, and her fists contracted painfully.

    Nestra could see the muscle tensing under her too pale skin. A single tear rolled down Helena¡¯s cheeks and for a moment, Nestra could see the same child she¡¯d played with under the growing pains and the acne. The grown up Helena looked so lost. Guilt filled Nestra¡¯s chest.

    ¡°I, shit. I didn¡¯t know it was that bad,¡± she admitted.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t understand¡­¡±

    Nestra made the decision here and there. A secret shared with more people was a major risk, and there was no guarantee the benefactor wouldn¡¯t¡­ plug any leak. They¡¯d made clear they valued the secrecy of her existence. It didn¡¯t matter. This was her sister and she was hurting.

    Nestra sat by Helena¡¯s side and leaned forward.

    ¡°Look. When you¡¯re angry¡­ does it feel like a constant thing eating at you until it explodes then you¡¯re being drowned in a wave of emotions and it¡¯s still you but you can¡¯t help yourself because the wave is just so damn strong?¡±

    ¡°Yes! YES! Yeah, I knew you¡¯d get it. I mean, I kinda explained but with different words. Is fine. That¡¯s it, you got it.¡±

    ¡°Okay. What about raiding? Done any?¡±

    ¡°Not until we¡¯re 18 but the school purchases dokkaebi sometimes. Fucking useless, I can just kill them in one spell and then I¡¯m just too tired.¡±

    ¡°Should use weapons.¡±

    ¡°Yeah I don¡¯t know, I have trouble coating. It just¡­ eats the practice sword.¡±

    Must be using shit materials.

    ¡°I¡¯m using an ax. Uncoated. Dad and mom disapprove but fuck them. I love axes,¡± Helena said, somewhat defensively though she tried to be aloof about it.

    ¡°Nothing wrong with axes. They¡¯re also great for massive damage on armored opponents.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    ¡°When you kill a dokkaebi, how does it feel?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a psycho!¡± Helena said, suddenly more guarded.

    ¡°No not what I¡¯m asking. I just want to check something.¡±

    Those big dark eyes bore into hers.

    ¡°Promise,¡± Nestra insisted.

    ¡°Ok, well, like shit actually. They¡¯re just not that challenging. They never let us at something good enough to really push us. I mean, I¡¯m strong as well. But there are rules. The others, they think I do too much. And they say I¡¯m unstable.¡±

    ¡°You can only have a proper hunt if the enemy has a chance.¡±

    ¡°EXACTLY!¡±

    ¡°Look, what I do is I set myself limits. It¡¯s ok to do it in a controlled environment.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Give yourself constraints. Only use the ax, no magic. Only strike if you can kill in one blow. That sort of thing.¡±

    This time, Nestra knew Helena wouldn¡¯t just let it go.

    ¡°Alright sis, spill the beans. Underground fights?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Are you murdering random hobos?¡±

    ¡°Fuck no how is that a challenge?¡±

    Helena snorted, dark humor. Heh.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m guilty of doing the same thing I blamed mom for. I left you behind and found excuses for myself, here that I was in pain but¡­ yeah. I abandoned you. I don¡¯t need a long lecture or anything to realize that. It doesn¡¯t matter that I¡¯m not your mom or whatever. You were counting on me as my sis and I left you behind without much of an explanation. I don¡¯t have a real justification but I have an excuse. I was hurting, really hurting, but I¡¯m better now. And I don¡¯t want to abandon you again. I want to help you. I think I can. I can find a way to do it. Can we meet in a couple of days? I gotta check something and I wanna show you something. But not here, too risky.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell me what it is?¡±

    ¡°Really not here. Trust me. Look, give me your number, I¡¯ll contact you. I might be able to help or at least explain, ok? Just hold on until then.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ does that mean you¡¯re coming back?¡± Helena said with hope filling her voice though she was trying very hard to hide it.

    ¡°Wellll not coming back home but I am definitely not leaving you again. Even if what I plan doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll be there. Somehow.¡±

    ¡°Okay! Okaayyyyyy it¡¯s going to be great! Ok, secret secret I won¡¯t tell anyone. Shit, this is great. I mean, it¡¯s going to be great!¡±

    ¡°Alright I need to go before Ulysses throws me out on my ass. Keep your visor charged, yeah?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t do that anymore. I don¡¯t forget.¡±

    Nestra gave her sister a long hard look.

    ¡°Almost never. I won¡¯t this time!¡±

    ¡°Alright. Well, at least that went reasonably well. Sorry, gotta go now. Having so many gleams around is giving me conniptions.¡±

    ¡°Lies. You crave the mana.¡±

    ¡°But not the entitlement. Later alligator.¡±

    Nestra left a groaning Helena and walked head first into the broad chest of Hector Palladian, patriarch of the clan and daddy dearest.

    She took a step back and looked up at his imposing face. Dad had always been tall, even before the Incursion. Now he had filled in as well thanks to his gleam physiology to grow into a titan. It used to comfort Nestra. Now, not so much.

    ¡°Hello Nestra. It is¡­ good to see you back.¡±

    It felt more like an attempt to be pleasant than a genuine emotion. Dad was always like that. Exactingly precise and demanding, then randomly remembering to be nice and caring. It didn¡¯t even faze her anymore. It was his way of showing care.

    ¡°Are you staying?¡±

    ¡°No actually I was about to leave.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I see. I will say so since you returned, but know that our door is always open for you. We kept your old room empty, and I can have the maid ready it for you in an afternoon. You are not repudiated or exiled in any way, remember? In any case, did you talk to Ulysses yet? Your mother? I know she was missing you terribly.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then let me walk you back.¡±

    Nestra glared. He was in a hurry to see her gone, huh?

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I want you away, Nestra. You were never barred from our home. It was your decision to leave to find your own path.¡±

    But they¡¯d let her go and turned their back at a moment she could have used some love, Nestra wanted to say, but she knew it wouldn¡¯t register. Her parents were technically right. It had been her decision. They hadn¡¯t exiled her. A part of her wanted to yell that she was in a crisis and just wanted to hear she was loved and that there would always be a place for her, but Dad would never understand. He was too big on taking responsibility for one¡¯s action to consider that sometimes people needed help. Including his daughter.

    ¡°I wish you¡¯d returned at another time. Claire and her hamfisted attempts at social maneuvering¡­ if only she would grow up. Bypassing my authority with the guards as well, in full view of the Century Guild. I do not blame you, of course. You are here for Helena, but between your return and her outburst at the gates, Ulysses must be rather upset. This was supposed to be his big day and taking the attention away from him in any way hurts his image, you understand.¡±

    ¡°Right. He made it quite clear too. Poor Ulysses.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s his day, Nestra. He worked very hard for this moment. Skill does not suffice to reach that level. Hard work and a little bit of luck were required as well. Several prominent teams have showed up, perhaps thinking to recruit him for the raiding season.¡±

    ¡°Sure, I just didn¡¯t imagine that showing up would be such a disaster for him. My bad I guess,¡± Nestra replied, this time making the sarcasm heavy.

    Her father gave her a measuring look. Nestra shrugged.

    ¡°You have to understand him. You have made finding a long-term partner delicate for him. I believe he was recently refused because her family was concerned that their children would be born without a core.¡±

    Nestra scoffed.

    ¡°Oh shit, should I apologize for existing again? Damn, now I¡¯m potentially contagious as well? You really should have culled me earlier. Sorry for polluting your gene pool I guess.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that, Nestra. Please don¡¯t make it difficult. It¡¯s not our fault either.¡±

    ¡°I think you can stop talking now.¡±

    Father sighed but he didn¡¯t complain. He merely walked by her side then stood at the corner of the parking spot when she stepped into her car, then when she drove away. He was still there when she turned the corner into the posh neighborhood¡¯s street.

    Once she was out of sight, Nestra slammed her head against the driving wheel.

    ¡°Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.¡±

    Nestra¡¯s visor beeped as she recovered and let the car AI take over driving. It was an unusual sound. A sound she still recognized nonetheless. She had to double check to make sure it was what she thought it was, because her brain couldn¡¯t accept she would be getting splattered by life twice in such a short interval, but here was the message and it was exactly what she expected.

    ¡°KAIJU ALERT. INCOMING ATTACK, ETA 3 HOURS. PLEASE CALMLY REPORT TO YOUR ASSIGNED STATION.¡±

    Outside and in the city, sirens rose to call the citizens to their shelters.

 Part 16

    Nestra let the car drive her back towards her house because District Fifteen was in the same direction anyway.

    Was this a coincidence? It was probably a coincidence. Kaiju attacks happened. The last had been two years ago so it was completely normal, and Shinran would just fly out with the elites and turn it to paste, right? Her heart beat frantically in her chest. She was exhausted, emotionally, mentally, and physically. What now? What now?

    Right, right. She was a cop. When she was part of MaxSec, her duties had been to control a crossroad near a shelter in case something got through. No idea what the rat squad was supposed to do. Maybe get into a shelter and stay there?

    Her car slowed down when she reached the highway. There were military convoys on the road, APCs and others. A drone flew overhead and scanned her vehicle, which was when she remembered using the highway was forbidden to civvies during emergencies. Fortunately, it merely flew away.

    Right.

    Nestra searched her orders for emergency clauses and found nothing. In despair, she left a message with Kim even though she ought to be extra busy.

    There was no reply.

    What to do, what to do? Nestra placed her head against the glass and watched the wall approach as they got closer. Over a hundred meters tall, the Kaiju wall was a constant presence in Threshold, the one that kept not just the larger monsters at bay but also silent predators and roving bands of devouring beasts. It was a leftover from the old days when the city was only an enclave on a new, mysterious new landmass, but since then it had been constantly improved. It was a symbol. It was merely delaying the inevitable. It was the breath the baseline needed for their children to prosper. It was humanity¡¯s defiance, the human choice not to give up the technology it had been forced to develop. It was a prison. It was¡­

    BEEP

    Nestra snorted herself awake. She was in her garage. At home.

    ¡°Damn, did I really fall asleep so easily?¡±

    BEEP BEEP.

    A call on her visor. Kim.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Palladian. Thank Riel. You have to get to Fifteen as soon as you can. Please.¡±

    Please?

    ¡°Hmm sure, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Shinoda. He left his hospital room.¡±

    ¡°WHAT?¡±

    ¡°The old fool. He is, well, he should be fine but concussions are always a tricky thing. GPS signals indicate he is already in Fifteen at your assigned hab block, probably organizing shelter activities. Palladian, I am telling you this in confidence. The Kaiju is accelerating.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m on my way but¡­ let me guess, it¡¯s accelerating towards Fifteen?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, yes. Today at 5:30 PM and as part of an agreement with the city to avoid in-depth criminal investigations into Gidung¡¯s activities, Gidung personnel activated the ¡®Dragon Vein Reclamation Array¡¯ under our supervision.¡±

    ¡°Let me guess, it makes mana stones out of thin air?¡±

    ¡°No, that would be inefficient. Instead, mana is directly¡­ extracted from the vein to be used in circuits. and various constructs. This is not important, Palladian. Listen to me. Seismic activities were detected in the Pacific Ocean only two minutes later.¡±

    ¡°Ok so it was not a coincidence,¡± Nestra whispered to herself with amazement tinged with annoyance.

    ¡°No. Shortly after, GSN detected a disturbance off the continent¡¯s east coast. I am telling you this so you understand. The Kaiju is heading straight towards you, not any other section of the wall.¡±

    Nestra¡¯s car sped up the ramp to the highway. It would be fine. She only had to help with pushing people into the shelters. Easy.

    ¡°it¡¯s ok, it won¡¯t breach.¡±

    ¡°Palladian, it has a horde with it¡­ and Shinran is raiding.¡±

    Oh.

    Oooooooh.

    Oh, ok, that was a shit timing.

    ¡°Worse, the city will not concentrate troops near you because it would be an admission that they knew it was going there. And an admission of guilt. As far as the administration is concerned, there is no link between the activation of the device and the presence of a Kaiju. Hong Wang¡¯s guild will guard the wall but there is a distinct and real risk of breach, however minor.¡±

    ¡®¡¯What the hell¡­¡±

    It took a moment for her to realize that she¡¯d sworn in front of a rather uptight superior but Kim didn''t care.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to get to the mayor. Kim sijang-nim must have ways to help.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, like actually telling everyone to gather on Fifteen¡¯s wall?¡±

    ¡°... I am sorry, miss Palladian. I am working with what I have. There is no real proof that the Kaiju reacted to the activation unless the effect can be replicated. The city will not hesitate to sacrifice the district if it means unrestricted access to dragon vein research. This might be the world''s first occurrence. A natural mana powerplant? The safety of the people of Fifteen does not even begin to compare,¡± the civil servant said.

    She didn¡¯t sound too pleased. Nestra frowned, but she was in the same situation. What could she even do? She was a single person in a world of gray decisions she had no say in. The only thing she could do was fight.

    Nestra took the ramp off towards Fifteen¡¯s main entrance, the district being partially blocked off which wouldn¡¯t help. The streets were empty at this time which was for the best.

    ¡°Ok, nevermind, I¡¯m almost there. I¡¯ll group up with Shinoda¡ª¡±

    The connection cut abruptly.

    ¡°What?¡±

    [IMPACT IMMINENT]

    Nestra had less than a second to react to the screeching red signal on her windshield. Only her enhanced reflexes allowed her to turn the wheel, the car drifting with the scream of tires into the curb. Wheels bounced.

    Something crashed on the right side of her engine. Something big, white. Drone.

    Impact.

    Weightlessness.

    Nestra¡¯s seatbelt bit into her shoulder. Her head bounced against the airbag, her mind reeling from the surprise. A drone? Suicide drone? No, it would have exploded. What the FUCK was going on?

    Her car slammed against something then came to a stop. Nestra¡¯s world was white expanded airbag. She hit the emergency release on her belt. The door popped off and she stumbled to her feet.

    Her car was totaled, the entire front crumpled to offset the impact. The drone¡¯s mangled wreck waited a few meters away, white paint shredded but she recognized the model. Gidung.

    Those vengeful motherfuckers.

    ¡°You¡¯re so dead,¡± she grumbled.

    ¡°Are we, now?¡± a voice said, mocking.

    Nestra recognized it.

    Her mind clicked. Now, she knew exactly what was going on.

    Could not stay here. Had to find a secluded place.

    She ran. There was an alley between two low buildings, away from the wreck and the voice. She raced across it, past dumpsters and wrappings, deeper into a maze of back offices and small warehouses. There were footsteps behind her. A burning fury smoldered in her heart, now that her focus on the Kaiju was gone. Her brother¡¯s condescending dismissal, her mother¡¯s lost pain, her sister¡¯s unguided fury, her father¡¯s unwitting callousness, her own guilt and her resentment, all of it bubbled like a cauldron and it was done. It was over.

    She didn¡¯t even want to resist demon Nestra¡¯s instincts anymore.

    For tonight, it was finished. She gave up.

    Nestra moved into an empty warehouse with its gate open. Discarded wrappings and open cans showed this might have been a squat at some point. It was out of the way. The footsteps showed she¡¯d been herded there or close to there anyway.

    Nestra turned towards the entrance where a man approached, casually, hands in his pockets.

    ¡°Well well well, fancy seeing you there, Palladian,¡± the police loser gleam said.

    It was the leader of the group and the rest of the trio soon came, their smugs displaying a feral satisfaction. Nestra¡¯s fury went cold. It lodged herself into her chest like a dead star. Just wait for it, the last of her control whispered. Just got to make sure. Wait. And then we can let go.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied with gritted teeth, ¡°very fancy. You must be out of your mind.¡±

    The Korean guy twirled his ridiculous mustache, then he shrugged. The backlight reflected strangely in his messy hair. The lanky anglo snickered as he leaned against the entrance. As for the heavyset guy, he was keeping an eye out for¡­ something.

    ¡°Nah, we¡¯re just here to get paid and have some fun. You must have pissed off someone really important for us to get contacted but¡­ seeing as you¡¯re a complete bitch, it doesn¡¯t really surprise me.¡±

    ¡°There''s a reason why I can do that. Guess you don¡¯t mind getting pulped then.¡±

    ¡°Oooooh the PALLADIAN family,¡± the leader said.

    He knocked on his temple as if just figuring it out. The other two chuckled.

    ¡°How could I have forgotten? Unfortunately for you, I guess they¡¯ll just have to be sad and bury you under the petunias along with the other birth defects.¡±

    Nestra¡¯s fury flared. They couldn¡¯t know about her mother¡¯s health, it was merely a cheap jab, but it had landed and it was all Nestra could do to keep herself calm.

    ¡°Ooooh, angry, are we? That''s my favorite part.¡±

    The leader took a few steps forward, flanked by the lanky asshole. Heavyset was staying by the door as a lookout.

    ¡°One more person who thinks she¡¯s better than us, one more to break from her pedestal. You thought you had the police at your back? The weight of your piddling dynasty? Here, there is no one. Just you, me, and that little jammer our friends from Gidung got us.¡±

    Heavyset was carrying a case. Probably it.

    ¡°So you¡¯re really that confident no one will interrupt us?¡± she asked, voice flat.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Absolutely¡­ Certain¡­¡± Mustache said with a triumphant sneer.

    ¡°Oh good. GOOD.¡±

    Nestra breathed out and smiled.

    The mask cracked open.

    ¡°Greaaaaat. ETZIA NEZHRA.¡±

    ¡°What the FUCK!¡±

    Free.

    Gloriously free, and gloriously mad with a black anger that pumped liquid magma through her veins. Energy sizzling along her skin. So liberating. Pounce. Grab the anglo¡¯s face. Dislocate the jaw. Crush the eyes like ripe cherries. It screamed. It struggled. She broke the body like a cheap toy and its terror was so sweet. It struck her ribs with a mana fist but it was weak, weak and pathetic and so not a challenge but it did not matter.

    This time, it was personal.

    She shivered when energy filled her, which the others saw as an opening. Mustache attacked her with two daggers and a scream. She smiled. She deflected one blade with the flat of her hand, without moving anything else, the infused surface failing to pierce her skin. Slow. Meek. Sloppy. She got into its guard and stopped at the edge of its face with her needle teeth bared so it knew, it knew in its heart that it could have been already dead. Ten little fingers on the arm. Ten little void blades flaring from her nails. She pulled back and raked.

    Ten grooves seeping blood. A lot of blood. It screamed and it dropped the weapons. She used momentum to duck under a quarterstaff attack from Heavyset.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Charge from behind Mustache, from the blind spot. Push them together. They smacked against the wall like puppets. They looked up in terror. She wanted them to be more afraid, to fear her more than they feared death. She wanted them to pay for what they chose to be, when they had cores and a future and she didn¡¯t, when they decided to take on the weaker ones as weaklings themselves. Something shifted in her throat as new instincts awoke, and her voice sounded strange to even her ears. It was deeper, a growling alto. She leaned forward so they could look at the abyss in her eyes and find no glimmer of hope there.

    ¡°Oh, feisty,¡± she said in the voice of the dead anglo.

    ¡°What? Ayden?¡ª ¡°

    ¡°Real shame you can¡¯t play nice since, you know, we¡¯re supposed to be your overwatch.¡±

    Those were the first words anglo had said to her a long time ago, in the garage underneath the precinct. Back then, they¡¯d been the bullies. Now, they were dead.

    ¡°No. No! Nonononononono!¡±

    Momentum. She slammed Mustache¡¯s head against the concrete, again, and again. Even shitty gleams were unusually resilient.

    ¡°We just wanted to get acquainted,¡± anglo¡¯s false voice mocked.

    Heavyset screamed and ran. Nestra whaled on the dying mustache for a second. So good. She manifested a knife-sized void blade above her fist and rammed it into its skull to finish it off. Another burst of delicious power filled her veins. Humans. Truly, they always remained fresh and interesting¡­ and Heavyset¡¯s fleeing footsteps were just so tempting. She ran after it. It was slow. It was going through an alley back towards the main street. Fleeing. Futile but fun. She walked through a warehouse wall to cut it off.

    She found it really fun to slide, grinning face first through the wall in front of it. It babbled something incoherent when it fell backward with a hand raised in front of it like a pathetic barrier. A warrior, defeated with just fear, a fear of her. So delicious.

    ¡°This place was hard to find, Ajumma,¡± she mocked in Mustache¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Nooooooo PLEASE.¡±

    ¡°Nooooooo PLEASE hah hah hah hah.¡±

    Grab its head. Pull it back. Expose the dark neck covered in stubble. Time to find out.

    Nestra bit down. Juicy blood spayed her mouth and chin. Her teeth sheared through sinew, muscles, bones. So much blood.

    She pulled back and let the choking corpse fall. The pool of ichor lapped at her feet but she didn¡¯t move.

    It tasted¡­

    Really really meh. Basically unseasoned tartare but worse. Unremarkable. She spat out the gore with a sigh of relief.

    ¡°You know,¡± she told it in her human voice, ¡°I was really worried I might be anthropophagic, buuuuuut it looks like I still got to search more for what those teeth are meant to bite after all.¡±

    Heavyset died. More power filled her.

    Nestra looked up. No drones directly overhead, luckily. It wouldn¡¯t last.

    She looked at the very dead gleam and the large blood spill under him, then back towards the fuming wreck of her personal and easily identifiable car. In the distance, lockdown alarms for District Fifteen heralded the raising of the containment wall. Smoke trails in the distance echoed the faint roar of reactors. Cruise missiles were off. Threshold was finally baring its teeth, but it was also a sign that the horde was approaching.

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    ***

    What to do?

    The lockdown alarm meant the wall was rising. The city was going to quarantine Fifteen for the second time this month. She had to decide if she wanted to go in now or risk¡­ no, actually she could probably go through it without problems but that wasn¡¯t the issue. Right now, she had two options she could see.

    Option 1: stay here and destroy the evidence if possible.

    Option 2: stay here and change back to human and then clam up when asked uncomfortable questions.

    Option 3: get in to try and help Shinoda.

    Option 1 would be almost impossible, unless¡­ She focused and bit her finger, letting some blood out. She waved it in the air while making sure not to let any of it fall, then she tried to see if she could instinctively shift into a portal world. She couldn¡¯t. There weren¡¯t any around.

    ¡°Sashimi? Sashimi!¡±

    No reply. She couldn¡¯t even feel a presence. Bah, it was a long shot anyway. Nestra sucked on her blood to make sure none would spill while she considered her options.

    The bodies would be found sooner or later. She had no way of disposing of them in such a manner that she could outsmart the local law. Besides, those were dead gleams. They might have health monitors. Maybe their deaths would be reported by their handler. The crime scene would also be irremediably linked to her between her car GPS, the accident report, the onboard camera¡­ She was completely toast.

    Option 2: sit down and wait. That felt stupid. Literally the worst possible outcome. Was there a way she could at least get plausible deniability?

    Actually, there was.

    Option 3 was looking to become pretty interesting. She ran towards District Fifteen then found another empty warehouse, shifting through the wall and putting her mask back on. Immediately, the night sky turned dark and unknown. Shadows crept everywhere and a world of smells and feelings disappeared from her perception as the limits of her human shape constrained her. It was necessary, she told herself. Just a return to normal. The idiot gleams had a scrambler, and there were probably no drones overhead. That meant that there were no recordings of her fleeing the car, running through the streets or fighting. She could claim she just ran towards the safety of the wall and¡­ what would people do? There was nothing concrete linking her to the crime because she had left no DNA and the killings had been done using a different tool than usual. Run and deny and it would be fine, especially because it just made sense to leave a disabled vehicle after what could be perceived as an assassination attempt. And it was reasonable for her to be trying to complete her mission.

    Nestra ran in human form, regretting her lack of weapons since she¡¯d left them in the trunk of her car. And armor since she was still in her nice dress. She would absolutely have to fight in her true form if it came to that¡­ In less than five minutes, she finally found the gate.

    The district inner wall wasn¡¯t as sturdy as the outer one but it was still formidable, expected to resist all but the most sustained effort from C-class beasts. It raised level by level so she just waited for the next one to be stable before engaging the emergency lock on a section. Fortunately, her police ID gave her clearance. An instant later, she received a call on her visor. It was Kim.

    She¡¯d forgotten about the visor. It had fully rebooted now.

    ¡°Palladian, what the hell was that?¡±

    ¡°I think Gidung just tried to kill me. A drone crashed into my car and my coms were jammed.¡±

    ¡°... Palladian, please repeat?¡±

    ¡°A Gidung drone totalled my fucking car. And my visor was dead.¡±

    ¡°Aish¡­ Unbelievable. Where are you now? Are you safe?¡±

    ¡°I used a safety override on the district gate. I¡¯m in Fifteen now.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps it was foolish to send you now. I will immediately talk to the commissioner, in the meanwhile, get to cover. FIfteen¡¯s assault is imminent. Gidung¡¯s Guild already engaged the kaiju near the wall but it¡¯s not stopping and there is a horde with it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll hurry.¡±

    The night was alive by now. Jet trails lit up the sky as Threshold¡¯s fighter bomber squadrons took off to deliver death on the approaching horde. The rhythmic thumps coming from all over the city told her the kaiju was now close enough to be engaged by artillery. She couldn¡¯t hear the sound of explosions in the distance yet, but it was probably a matter of minutes. Angry light shone on low clouds above every second. It painted the familiar vista in a layer of hellish radiance that spoke of the violence to come. This was a fast, fast kaiju. It would be a close call.

    She had to hurry.

    What was a five minutes drive by car turned into a long slog as Nestra was forced to stick to cover. She crossed several empty hab blocks on the way, their similarities with the one she managed eerie and disturbing. It was like watching a parallel universe version of a place she knew down to the electric appliance stall being on the wrong side of the inner courtyard. Fortunately, all of those places were empty with evacuation almost completed. She only came across a couple of drugged out toughs who didn¡¯t even try to stop her because they were convinced she wasn¡¯t real. The darkness helped with the rest. It took her half an hour to reach her familiar hab block and by then, she was a, breathy, sweaty mess with aching feet. By now, the artillery was a constant roar in the background. An alien red glow shone on the western horizon, outside the walls. Distant fires caused by the punishing bombardment.

    Nestra stopped by the entrance. A red halo emerged from the top of the Kaiju wall near the center of the district, close, very close. Distant spells and weapons striated the night sky even as the lights of the district switched off one by one. She called Shinoda as she reached the parking lot where the remains of their patrol car still lingered.

    ¡°Palladian-san? Are you safe?¡±

    ¡°Just got into the hab block, making my way to the shelter. Status?¡±

    There were yells in the background for him, though they were not hostile. Someone was giving orders.

    ¡°The evacuation is nearly complete. Our shelter should be nearly emptied of furniture. Flash assured me all the systems were functional.¡±

    ¡°Furniture?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The shelter was partly used as a storage space. Miss Yadar took charge for the end of the process.¡±

    Nestra remembered the old lady with a turban, the hab block¡¯s richest denizen. Most likely the best choice.

    ¡°I have led the Red Wings to a nearby shelter after they called for help.¡±

    Red wings, red wings¡­ The local youth gang. The same who¡¯d threatened her on the first day.

    ¡°Wait? You left?¡±

    ¡°Those people need help Palladian-san. Their shelter is not functional while ours can welcome many more people as it is intact. We will make our way back as soon as the convoy is ready.¡±

    ¡°Kim told me the Kaiju is accelerating.¡±

    ¡°I am following the battle as it rages. You are correct, the situation is concerning. Forgive me, Palladian-san. The people always take priority.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll hold the fort.¡±

    ¡°See you soon.¡±

    He was following the battle? Nestra remembered the last attack and the news that followed. She¡¯d been busy during the event but after, there were illegal recordings of the attack. Surely¡­

    She turned on Wired, the world¡¯s most popular streaming platform and sure enough, some enterprising asshole had rigged a long range recon drone with enough relays and high quality cameras to turn the Kaiju fight into a show. She half-listened to an excited commentary as she raced towards the shelter. There, the locals had turned piles of metal furniture into an improvised barricade system, a pretty good one. She had to crawl under an old bookcase to reach the entrance tunnel where she was stopped by the congee stand seller waving an old shotgun.

    ¡°Glad you could show up,¡± the woman told her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t wave that thing in my face. Tell me the other side isn¡¯t blocked?¡±

    ¡°Of course not, that¡¯s our evac tunnel. If the beasts breach it, well, we¡¯re supposed to move into the shelter anyway.¡±

    ¡°You should have already done that,¡± Nestra grumbled though her heart wasn¡¯t into it.

    A group of armed men waited in the corridor, watching the stream on a hastily mounted large screen with Flash setting up a sound system as well. The drone must have been high up in the air to capture the battle so vividly.

    A titan strode through the tropical forest west of Threshold, a monster as tall as a skyscraper. It was vaguely humanoid, already a rarity, and that made its aspect even more horrifying. The creature walked on two thick stone pillars, its skin was green like an old emerald and its hair was kelp, thick and falling to its waist in tangled threads. Vestigial arms hung by its side like parodies of human limbs, but it was the face that really brought home this was a monster. A single yellow eye occupied most of its forehead, then there was only flat space where the nose ought to be. A mouth, or rather, a cavity began below that. Like a screaming mouth, it started with a circle but the jaw simply¡­ wasn¡¯t there. The cavity expanded wider and wider down the throat, then most of the chest right down to the plexus. It was just a massive, shadow maw bordered by tentacles that writhed and grasped for victims. The speed at which it moved wasn¡¯t that impressive until Nestra remembered this thing was so massive it was practically moving as fast as a racecar.

    Behind it, the world was ablaze in a sea of fire and steel. Hover gunships circled around the killing ground unloading all their guns in an orgy of blood and steel. New explosions lifted sizzling corpses in the air with every passing seconds. The explosions were so violent that not single tree on screen still had leaves, and yet the horde was seemingly endless. Tens of thousands, perhaps even more monsters raced behind the titan through the gauntlet of death. Even C-class monsters were not immune to bombardment. The wave, this time, was just insanely numerous.

    But that was meaningless compared to the danger represented by the kaiju.

    The titan was fighting a flying hive of gleams while others attacked its flank, or fought off the squirming horde of lesser monsters following it. Nestra immediately realized that the number of gleams was far too low compared to what it should be. For one moment, she feared it might be due to massive casualties but zoomed footage showed flying support teams bearing the Gidung colors and doubt crept into her mind. That doubt was confirmed when she noticed the B-class gleam leading the charge. It was Hong Wang, Gidung¡¯s rising star.

    Those idiots should have asked for reinforcements.

    To be fair, they seemed to be doing well. The titan was dangerous, and as she watched, the camera zoomed on a struggling gleam caught by the creature¡¯s, well, hair. The fighter hacked at the kelp-like appendage with a sword in vain, and even his allies failed to rescue him before he was shoved in the massive maw, and yet the titan was also wounded. Cracks filled the deep green shell, revealing pulsating pink flesh underneath. Long bubbling wounds exuded pus and boiled blood that dripped down its massive legs in foaming cascades. Countless strikes chipped what remained of its defenses but still it persisted. The walls were in view.

    Nestra wondered why nobody attacked the massive eye, which would obviously be a weak point until a few errant spells missed the mouth. As soon as the projectiles neared the eyes, they appeared drawn by it, the fabric fizzling and devoured like a black hole stripping a star bare. It was a strange ability but Nestra didn¡¯t have the time to think about it too much. The battle was gaining in intensity as more flying gleams joined the fray and the assault reached a paroxysm. Squads flew, tossing weapons and spells at the colossus in a dazzling display of sound and color. Many of the colossus¡¯ tendrils were now either burnt or severed by a determined assault. Like packs of piranhas, the gleams nibbled at their opponent until flesh cracked, skin shriveled and healthy green turned to dying brown. The beast moaned. It was a low sound as deep as an oceanic trench. Nestra noticed the dust shaking on a nearby chair and the people watching the monitor stopped talking. They were hearing it for real, not via speakers.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ they¡¯re gonna stop it,¡± someone said. ¡°Right?¡±

    Nestra was pretty sure they were going to stop it. Her demon instinct told her Hong Wang was holding back, but for what?

    And then, the drone rotated to show the wall. That was it. The titan would breach it in a matter of seconds.

    Hong Wang smiled then as the cameras zoomed on his handsome face. The red in his eyes flashed mightily. He flew up until he was leveled with the titan¡¯s head and spoke, though the jury-rigged drone couldn¡¯t pick up what he was saying. Nestra stopped herself from cursing out loud. This was another piece of PR for Gidung¡¯s flagging image. The B-class gleam had sacrificed safety and a few lives for a perfect shot.

    He spread his arms wide and closed his eyes. A massive circle of flames appeared behind him, then it gained in intensity as symbols and shimmering patterns erupted, turning the living canvas into a complex work of arcane knowledge. It grew. Nestra blinked at the might and complexity of the spell, she who struggled to cast a single bolt. Hong Wang stood there and he made it look easy, easy to wield the ancient power of fire. The flames turned white and wings expanded from the high gleam¡¯s back until they radiated like a small sun. A low rumble silenced even the constant jabbering of the excited streamer commenting on the battle. Hong Wang was turning into a phoenix. The Fire gleam disappeared inside of the spell until there was nothing to be seen but this single fire bird hovering before the faltering titan, wings spread and so hot the distant grass under it spontaneously combusted. The other gleams pulled off. The horde died as i approached. Only the maddened titan kept going, smoking and wounded, towards the altered dragon vein.

    Hong Wang cast the spell.

    The phoenix took off. It flew up with a mighty screech and then it dove head first into the monster¡¯s maw, burning it to a crisp in an instant. Blackened flesh peeled off, bones cracked, skin combusted. A small sun had lodged itself into the titan¡¯s throat and it was killing it. An arm fell off, its connective tissue charred to a crisp. The beast stopped.

    It was dead standing. In front of him, Hong Wang flew triumphant as a champion of mankind, his immaculate hair flowing in the inferno¡¯s updraft. The light of the fire illuminated his heroic shape and on the stream, the crowd went wild, but all Nestra could see was the eye, the still open eye now zeroed on Hong Wang¡¯s shape. She approached the tv to see it displayed on a side screen while most of the attention was dedicated to the victor. The eye drank the energy killing it in silence. It glowed in the already alit form of its failing body.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Nestra said.

    She wasn¡¯t alone. A few gleams were already flying around and Hong Wang himself frowned, annoyed that his moment of glory could be ruined.

    Suddenly, the screen went red.

    A¡­ laser-like beam linked the titan¡¯s eye, Hong Wang, and the wall beyond. The sound system sent back an error message but Nestra didn¡¯t need it. She heard with her own ears the cataclysmic call of the attack. The tunnel shook and dust fell on her hair. Shocked silence filled the spectators. Even the streamer finally shut up.

    When the drone¡¯s sensors recovered from the saturation, it shook from a massive shockwave but the cameras were good enough to pick up the important details.

    Hong Wang was gone. There was nothing left of him.

    A large gash now cut through the kaiju wall from top to bottom. Slowly, an entire pane collapsed inward. The ground shook again.

    The colossus stumbled forward after having delivered its last attack. The dead one managed one last step, then its mountainous corps collapsed on the wall, finishing what the laser had started. The head flattened the last remaining intact part, near the base, then it finally stopped moving, and in its wake, the horde came. Some engaged the gleams barring their way, some died under the fire of automatic defenses. The survivors flowed through the opening in a tide of flesh, claws, and fangs.

    ¡°Well, so much for that,¡± Nestra grumbled. ¡°You, get in and seal the bulkhead.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± one of the guards asked. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, chill angmoh girl. We¡¯re still waiting for others!¡±

    ¡°You seal it because the wall is breached and if a single C-class beast slithers through that joke of a barricade, you¡¯ll all be dead before you even realize it was there.¡±

    Miss Yadar strode out of the shelter gate at that moment. Her brows furrowed under an imposing turban.

    ¡°The girl is right. Get in. We¡¯ll open the shelter again if¡­ when Inspector Shinoda returns. Hurry in. You too, girl.¡±

    Nestra shook her head.

    ¡°Gotta help.¡±

    ¡°It is suicide. You are wearing a cocktail dress and I see no weapons on you.¡±

    ¡°I still have a few tricks up my sleeve,¡± Nestra claimed though it was obvious Yadar didn¡¯t believe a word of it. In the end, the old woman merely shrugged.

    ¡°It is your funeral, warrior. You lot, in. Now.¡±

    The congee seller lobbed her shotgun at Nestra, who grabbed it. It was a pretty nice automatic piece with some ammo stuck to the side. It would certainly be effective against a dokkaebi. An ammo pouch followed.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Try to bring it back. It¡¯s real leather. A family heirloom.¡±

    ¡°I shall try.¡±

    The blast door sealed with a clunk.

    It was quiet here. For now.

    Nestra swore, stretched her tired shoulders, then she was off.

    ***

 Part 17

    Nestra¡¯s sprint quickly turned into a jog. She was too tired to sprint all the way there, in those shoes. It had been a long week and even her true self was tired, so the human mask was really not happy about it. The underground utility and evacuation tunnels lacked fresh coffee, unfortunately, so she grit her teeth and persevered.

    It was quiet down here, for now. Dust and the scent of rot tickled her nose though the tunnels were holding well for their age. Threshold¡¯s bowels were dimly lit by sparse ceiling light that failed to dispel the shadows. Only Nestra¡¯s feet made a pitter patter on the concrete ground. Besides that, it was silent as a tomb.

    Nestra slowed down to check her gun and make sure the ammo pouch was easily in reach. It gave her some time to think and decide what she would do, how far she was willing to go to defend others. Her shotgun would kill dokkaebi easily enough but that would only be the first, frantic wave. Even if portal monsters were weaker on earth, it would still take several twelve gauge to the face to stop a D-class threat. She didn¡¯t have her gear. She didn¡¯t even have her sword. If Shinoda¡¯s herd of idiots got caught up, she would have to fight at a fraction of her abilities.

    That meant, people might die. She had to decide now if she was willing to let them die to protect her secret because although Gorge knew about her, he was actually an honorable asshole. He wouldn¡¯t talk. She was confident about that. A group of strangers? No. They would talk.

    Risk her life for strangers?

    Hmmm.

    Probably not, but she would risk it for Shinoda. It was cruel but¡­ it was them or her, and she wasn¡¯t willing to die for strangers. They were not entitled to her life.

    Decision made, Nestra moved faster, doing her best to ignore the cold ball in her stomach. The one that said ¡®what if it¡¯s a kid?¡¯. She hoped she wouldn¡¯t have to find out. Soon after, she reached a branch in the tunnel.

    Where were they again? Shit, had she even asked? Both tunnels led to other places on Fifteen. Tragically, there were no directions she could recognize.

    ¡°Fuck, I need to call Flash.¡±

    The deafening sound of gunshot rang from the left tunnel. It reverberated and made her wince.

    ¡°Nevermind.¡±

    She sprinted this time. Screams and snarls joined the din and she chambered a shell in anticipation. The tunnel turned sharply. She scrambled to a stop before she could hit an old woman carrying a wailing child. Beyond, a group of maybe fifty people were fighting off a swarm of rat creatures.

    Nestra took in the situation as she aimed. The group had not totally devolved into chaos yet but it was a close call, with monsters nipping at their heels and harrying the more isolated people. The refugees were an eclectic bunch. Only herd instinct and terror held them together.

    A burly man pushed one of the creatures off a teenager. Manarattus Viridae. One of the weakest dokkaebi around. Lucky them. Time to help.

    She pulled the trigger.

    Boom. Recoil. Splattered meat. Turn and aim. Boom. Recoil. Decapitated rat. Turn and aim. Rinse and repeat. After eight shots, the gun clicked empty. She batted a rat mid-air then chambered more rounds, but eight victims in a short time turned the tide. The front of the swarm retreated, and prey nature took over. They fled back. They left behind many of their corpses as well as stunned human survivors, many sporting scratch marks. A woman was dying on the ground with her throat ripped out while a young man clutched her hand.

    The group broke off then. Many of them raced ahead with a small thank you but others were left without direction. The air was thick with fear. They needed orders.

    ¡°Don¡¯t wait here! Go, go!¡±

    She reloaded while they rushed on. Face after face passed by and eventually, the back of the group came into view. Solid men and women, some armed with guns and others with knives, bats, rebar, whatever they could get their hands on. They were the most wounded of the lot and some were carried on the back of their companions. Even the dead ones.

    Shinoda wasn¡¯t there.

    ¡°The Japanese policeman, where is he?¡± she asked an old guy with a machete. He tried to brush her off but she turned him around using a pain point. The snarl on his face died when he noticed the muzzle of her shotgun.

    ¡°The Japanese policeman.¡±

    ¡°Shenme? Ah, yes. Yes. At the back, with the militia. They¡­ I hope they¡¯re alright. We got separated at the bend.¡±

    She was off before he could finish his sentence. More dead mana rats, at the back. They must have been frenzied to keep going instead of eating their victims, and there were plenty of those. A teenage girl leaned against the wall, having tripped, maybe. Gone. A mother with her toddler, both dead. An old man with two stones. He¡¯d killed three before bleeding out. The trail of dead rats grew wider then, and she realized she¡¯d caught the very end of the battle. Images flooded her mind, angles, perspectives, dead monsters and dead persons. Checking her corners not to get blindsided by something only playing dead. All to forget what should be there but wasn¡¯t. Finally a trio of rats jumped at her from behind a crate. Boom, boom, block the last one. Tiny clawed hand scrambled on the black metal of the barrel. Beady black eyes, filled with frenzy. Rage, so much rage. The teeth snapped at her when she twisted, then slammed the beast against the wall. Its spine cracked. She lifted her foot to crush its head before remembering she was wearing fucking pumps with the toes exposed. Soft soles.

    ¡°Balls.¡±

    Nestra left the dying rodent behind. She chambered another two shells.

    Ahead, something stepped out of the shadow.

    The last surviving overhead lamp shone on green scales, then a wide crest that reached her throat. A stooped back. Claws. She recognized it from shows and warning videos. Neosaurian, Threshold version. The lowest carnivorous rung of a very long food chain.

    D-class.

    Nestra shot it. The beast seemed to merge with the shadows in a confusing mix of colors but she mostly got it. Blood sprayed on the ground when she hit something important, hit it again when it squealed. It was already halfway to her. She aimed for the head, got it in the crest. More blood sprayed and it stumbled. Another shot, this time, under the eye. She missed the sixth one. The seventh got it in the chest. It fell down with a piteous squeal, shivering from the pain. The eight shot finished the beheading the others had started.

    The gun clicked empty. Nestra¡¯s ears rang. She frantically reloaded, just in case, but there was nothing yet. This was it, really. This was the limit of what she could do with human tools and even then, the shotgun had massive stopping power and she¡¯d relied on quirkie reflexes. Anything more and she was done for.

    She knew what it meant but she still pressed on. Another corpse. A man with a machine gun, neck torn off by a lucky attack. A woman with a blood-soaked frying pan. Nestra heard the sound of mastication ahead.

    It was a large room. The human defenders had used a line of crates as an improvised barricade. Several neosaurs lie dead, with more rats splattered all over the place. Typical horde scene since those monsters would normally kill each other, but kaijus always seemed to override their aggression to center it on humans. A couple of neosaurs fed on the young man Shinoda had almost dropped from the balcony on his first day here. They stopped to raise a muzzle when she walked in.

    There were half a dozen dead fighters here, human baselines who¡¯d made the ultimate sacrifice to cover the civilians¡¯ retreat. The hint of tan duster caught her attention. She looked down and to her right, near the entrance. Shinoda was here. He was, of course, dead. A neosaur had planted a clawed hand into his chest, which felt like an overkill really, though the old inspector had taken it out with him. The pistol Nestra¡¯s lent him had done good. Just¡­not good enough.

    And shattering his chest felt like such a dick move. Completely unnecessary. He was probably out of breath the whole time too.

    Nestra tossed the shotgun aside just as the neosaurs charged her. She was too late anyway.

    There was really no more need to hold back.

    Nestra surged out of her mask. She slapped the first neoasaur¡¯s entire face away with a void-clawed hand. Got into his guard and hit the pathetic thing. She pushed the second one¡¯s extended arms to the side, grabbed it by the throat. Smashed it against the wall. Watched its slitted eyes.

    ¡°I have had¡­ enough of you.¡±

    Cracked the neckbones and tossed it aside. More grunts and roars, more squeaks. Was it something in her conditioner that made all the monsters attack her so rabidly?

    It didn¡¯t matter.

    Neosaurs, one after the other. She danced aside as she carved, one swipe each. She struck as they did but their claws only found air because they were predictable and she wasn¡¯t. She moved forward, beyond the barricade to the mass of fur returning like a tide. It was enough to punch the mana rats to cave their little chests in or bash their fragile skulls, snap their brittle spines. Celerity from the neosaurs and resilience from the rats suffused her body, keeping her going past her exhaustion in a manic fashion. Excitement rushed through her veins like too many coffees. She had to keep going. The why stopped mattering. Why was she holding this place? Why was she facing the tide? It didn¡¯t matter anymore. All that mattered was this place. All that mattered was the horde she was going to kill. The mana rats bit at her but her Skin stopped most of it. Those that managed to draw a bit of blood were soon crushed. Too many though, she used momentum to step back. The mass grew confused but she killed the outliers and the dance continued. She was the Scornful Crescent now, untouchable, frustrating every strategy with an insufferable counter. She was always a step ahead of the storm of claws and nibbling teeth. She was fists and speed and they were chasing after a ghost. The horde died on her knuckles and under her heels. She was gore-drenched but smiling, always smiling, and after blood covered every free last piece of ground, the few survivors broke off to find easier prey. But more came.

    The first was a charging turtle that must have smashed through something to get in, so thick it was. Top of D-class.

    Nestra didn¡¯t hesitate. Her fingers extended and potential bloomed on the creature¡¯s exposed throat. Gray light turned the tunnel monochrome, and the turtle¡¯s entire head disappeared in a flash. The resulting explosion shook the walls and took a chunk off Nestra¡¯s reserves, but she had a little bit more now.

    Something crawled over the smoking shell. It was clearly insectile, and black. Nestra spotted a raising head and ducked, and not a moment too soon. A red thread covered the path she¡¯d followed. Where it touched the concrete, it smoked and turned to glass. She used momentum to close the distance and precision on a mana blade to catch the armored creature in the brain. Another high D-class, fortunately not too fast. This one¡¯s essence filled her bones and the heat coming off the ground didn¡¯t seem so intense anymore either. She sidestepped a massive jumping spider, then another. The first died from a foot blade through the thorax. Her mana control inexplicably improved, confirmed when she killed the second one just as it was pushing on her mind with¡­ something.

    She crushed more neosaurs until they no longer improved her, then a spine caught her in the arm though it barely penetrated. She found a quill-covered creature only as large as a small dog creeping on her. She made a slightly longer blade and it died as well. More spiders, still D-class. She was pushed back towards the barricade room. There were less monsters but they were stronger now, and she was still killing them as they came. They didn¡¯t work together. They were never meant to work together. Only the Kaiju¡¯s presence urged them on and it was a weakening thing. She slipped through the cracks of their chaos on tippy toes with a claw here and a blade there and they simply couldn¡¯t catch up. Errant strikes tore through the Skin but her blood and energy grew it back and it never did much damage. She was already beyond them. It wasn¡¯t a battle. It wasn¡¯t even a slaughter. It was¡­ a buffet. Such variety, such interesting abilities to discover, tactics to learn and exploit. The spiders could harden their skin to resist magic if they saw an attack coming, a discovery that cost her a gash on her flank. A butterfly with a deafening sound attack came though she crushed it fast. An acid-spitting leech almost sprayed her, though she used one of the many corpses as an umbrella. Always on the move. Momentum and precision gave her the distance and executions she needed to catch a breath. She could always retreat through the wall but why stop? The Scornful Crescent had led her to such a feast.

    Nestra killed and she grew. The spiders were no longer a threat if she slightly delayed her attacks. Neosaurs became a complete non issue. Another creature spitting lava died before it could strike. A snake tried to coil around her but it was too slow and its head, too exposed to her void blade. It was when she killed a strange, hairless creature without a head that she realized something peculiar.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    She wasn¡¯t getting stronger anymore in one aspect. Her muscles were as powerful as they were going to get without¡­ adding something. Instead, the mana swirled in her chest. It didn¡¯t dissipate as before, or at least, not as fast. There was just a very light pressure. Her resilience was next after crushing a blue salamander that spat water and made her more resistant to cold. She wiped its blood on her Skin and then¡­ there was a lull. Shrieks still came but they were distant.

    She became aware, fully aware of the mountain of corpses in front of her. At this point, it no longer looked like food. It was a charnel pit. The stench of blood and bowels turned her empty stomach. Her vision swam, just a little. So hungry but¡­ so disgusted as well. She ignored the pain from several light wounds to turn around, returning to the barricade she had left behind at some point. She heard a clash. A screech of pain. She moved faster.

    Standing above the body of Shinoda was a gleam. She blinked away the exhaustion, found the white uniform of the Threshold Police Users. He turned to her and gasped, his mouth opened. The heavy mace in his hand hit the ground with a thunk.

    It was Valerian.

    Of course it was. Shit. Instead of attacking immediately, the idiot lifted a shaking arm.

    ¡°Errrrr. Nestra?¡±

    It was Nestra¡¯s turn to blink. Some of her battle focus fell away. She became more aware of her surroundings outside of immediate danger. The squelching under her naked toes. The high temperature. The stench. Her throat obeyed her command, becoming more like her human self but with a lower pitch.

    ¡°Hmmm how could you tell it was me?¡±

    ¡°You have the exact same face? Hello?¡±

    ¡°Ooooh right. Right.¡±

    The two stood around awkwardly. Nestra wasn¡¯t sure what to do. She wasn¡¯t exactly the most socially competent person around.

    Well, might as well.

    ¡°Could you please keep this a secret?¡±

    ¡°Nevermind that, how are you a gleam? You have no core! Wait, it¡¯s a camouflage thing? Does your family know? Damn, my mom told me I would never be attracted to a baseline ¡ª no offense ¡ª and here I was thinking I had proven her wrong and bam!¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, sorry but¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh I know I know you¡¯re not interested, can¡¯t help my heart though, can I?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll move on,¡± she said more out of habit. ¡°About me looking like that?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, I won¡¯t tell. Obviously. You know you can count on me. Right?¡±

    ¡°I was hoping very hard. Truth is¡­ this is very new.¡±

    The gleam looked at the literal hill of savaged corpses she¡¯d left behind.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The shrieks were getting closer.

    ¡°Look, about what I said. I can boost you. I mean, it should work, most likely? Can I try?¡±

    Nestra frowned. What was he¡­ oh, the buffs. He did mention buffs.

    Well.

    Worst case scenario she could always escape. Valerian had been killing fast, comparatively weaker creatures according to the bodies around him so that side of the tunnel was still on the safer side. And she was really tired so the buffs would help.

    ¡°Yes please.¡±

    ¡°Ok, here we go!¡±

    The sensation was one of soothing warmth. At first, her body resisted and Valerian winced, but his jade eyes soon widened. The spell was taking hold. Nestra¡¯s exhaustion washed away as if she¡¯d suddenly had a nice nap and a bowl of something tasty. Miso ramen, maybe.

    ¡°You are¡­ exhausted. Strained too hard. You¡¯re going to crash hard when the spell breaks.¡±

    ¡°No choice, unless we fall back.¡±

    ¡°The surface is worse and I¡¯d rather not lead them to the shelter. They¡¯re safe, by the way, And¡­¡±

    They both turned to Shinoda, then to the other human bodies.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t want us to be eaten. Call me crazy but it¡¯s just¡­ not right.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± she agreed. ¡°They deserve better. They deserve the last rites. It¡¯s important,¡± she replied with conviction.

    Valerian grunted, then he lifted his mace. It looked quite heavy.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯ve seen you move from the back. Thought you were some sort of scout C-class in a mask, to be honest. I¡¯ll cover you. Give them hell.¡±

    ¡°When reinforcements come¡­¡±

    ¡°Turn back to normal and I¡¯ll just say it was like this when I arrived. Let¡¯s focus on fighting, for now. I hope I¡¯m not making a mistake by deciding to stay. You can turn back to normal, right? This isn¡¯t permanent?¡±

    ¡°No no.¡±

    ¡°Ok, great. Here they come. Let¡¯s get them here before they spread across the entire fucking district and we have to give chase.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡±

    Nestra was acting much more confident than she was feeling. Gorge knew and she was fine with it but Valerian? He was a damn gleam. But she couldn¡¯t murder him, it would be like killing a puppy. And especially not after losing Shinoda. And just¡­ it was Valerian. Her¡­ sort of friend.

    Her demon self was immensely confused. He wasn¡¯t kin, but he was still brother in arms. Or something like that. Her mind struggled with the concepts just as the snarls and roars of the horde grew closer. She was too tired. Even the spell was already unraveling at the seams. She just had to keep going. It was too much of a good opportunity and the tunnel was a great chokepoint. Or maybe hubris was getting to her and they ought to be fleeing towards the nearest battle, hoping to catch the attention of a B-class raider. She spared a glance towards Valerian who was now standing with his back to her and his mace firmly held.

    He was so confident she could do it.

    The idiot.

    His blind trust chased the anxiety away. She could still get away with secrecy if nobody looked too hard and they probably wouldn¡¯t. Here was a tide of varied and interesting foes to kill. She just had to lean into her nature and make it work.

    The first were rats, again, and Nestra methodically crushed them. They no longer provided her with any essence at all. Next came a group of green insects the size of children, looking like large, compact mantis. They were almost as fast as her but they followed a basic pattern and after getting a single cut on her arm, Nestra was able to bait the first strike reliably. A massive wolf thing was next and she was forced to fall back to avoid being bitten. It just closed the distance and snapped at her, so she used momentum to get behind it and let the size of the tunnel prevent it from turning too quickly. Nestra clung to its black fur and stabbed, and stabbed again with a short void blade. It smashed her against the wall but she held on, though it stole her breath. Finally, she cleaved a long gash along its flank and it fled away. A yelp of pain showed it didn¡¯t go very far. The kaiju¡¯s influence was unraveling, with monsters fleeing or turning on each other. She just had to hold a little longer. She tried to catch her breath but a large, rock biped was next. It was slow, so she easily used its thunderous attacks to manage the next group of mantis, staying ahead of them. They still gave her essence but it fed into her chest now because she was as fast as she could get. Once the mantises were dead, she struck the golem in the chest with precision and the most concentrated void blade she could muster.

    Its outer skin exploded.

    Nestra used immovable at the last instant but the shrapnel still bit into her in many places. She was bleeding now. Her regeneration wasn¡¯t following anymore, and Valerian¡¯s spell only helped a little. Golem was dead though and her resilience increased yet again.

    Fire hit her leg, and she dodged another as pain seared her mind. Fireball-tossing monkeys of all things. She used momentum to run into the troupe and crushed them, using their bodies as shields, then she raced back with more mana in her pool to avoid the charge of a sort of¡­ metal unicorn?

    Its horn shone.

    Nestra jumped behind the golem corpse. Magical energy pierced through it like butter. She used momentum to roll under the beam, then punched up and with a blade using precision. The strike caught the unicorn under the jaw, killing it instantly. She got a lot of power from that one.

    There were fighting sounds from Valerian¡¯s side but here, at the edge of the tunnel, silence was returning.

    That¡­ that was it? Maybe? Strange though, she could swear¡­

    The only warning she had was a pool of darkness on her left, in the wall. She recognized it from the infinite war world. It was a standard maneuver for shadow users: teleport through darkness and strike from a blind spot. She twisted on herself to avoid snapping teeth but something caught her in the shoulder and sent her careening. Momentum saved her life. The creature was fast, much faster than her. It was all she could do to stay ahead. It merged with the darkness, a snarling mass of chitin-covered muscles and a head made only of teeth. Long claws on its digits. A horrifying shape halfway towards human but too elongated and far too muscular. She didn¡¯t know what the fuck it was but she decided, right there, to call it the Shadow Beast. Nestra fell back towards the barricade but the creature was fast, too fast and she couldn¡¯t shake it off. Dodging was all she could manage, even then it was a close call. The Stalk of the Scornful Crescent helped her stay just one step ahead but it couldn¡¯t last. In desperation, she turned and raised her left arm. She activated immovable. As the thing slapped her. Claws bit into her arm and shoulder but she was still standing. Potential bloomed on the creature and it¡­ veered away.

    A cataclysmic boom shook the entire tunnel. Parts of the wall in front of her exploded in a shower of dust. The beast screeched. It lashed out. Pain flared in her side when she was smacked into the barricade. Hurting all over, really all over. Valerian¡¯s spell was working overtime to keep her functional. She had maybe a few seconds more.

    ¡°Aaaaaah!¡±

    Valerian jumped on the Shadow Beast, bloody mace raised high. The creature casually batted him away into a nearby wall.

    ¡°Oof!¡±

    Nestra aimed her last bolt. Her ears picked up the sound of dying monsters. Cavalry was almost here. Just had to hold for a little longer. Using the time Valerian had granted her, she pushed potential in the Shadow Beast¡¯s face. The maddened creature opened its maw wide to bite on her.

    She let it go.

    Gray energy tore through her target, then a geyser of blood splattered her. Decapitated. A fantastic spike of energy flooded her, pushing her awareness and resilience to their limit. A diffuse warmth lingered in her chest but even the rush of power could not protect her anymore. She barely managed enough strength to reactivate her mask before Valerian¡¯s support finally fizzled. She was the most tired she¡¯d ever been in her life. The last thing she saw was a pair of worried jade iris but the concrete was simply too comfortable. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

    ***

    When Nestra came to, she was warm and lying on something soft. And that was weird. She was also starving and hurting all over which was much more within her expectations. Below her was a cot in some well-lit place but still underground, a sort of recess more than a room separated from the rest by a drawn curtain. The susurrus of conversations drifted from behind the symbolic line, as did the scent of tomato soup. It nicely covered the smell of blood, rust, and her own sweat. She was wearing her filthy cocktail dress, still. Her throat itched. Thirsty.

    ¡°Here, here,¡± Valerian said as he shoved a straw in her mouth.

    She gulped tepid water with relish, though moving her arm hurt terribly. Her true self must be really messed up if even her human body felt the aches. Moving around through, she realized the light didn¡¯t come from a lamp as she¡¯d originally thought.

    It came from a man. A gleam in golden plate armor. Their aura was so controlled she hadn¡¯t realized they were here. Her gaze drifted up from a pilum and a strange leaf-like shield to dark skin under a thick helmet and two soft golden eyes shining like the sun itself.

    ¡°Mazingwe?¡±

    The calm doctor¡¯s face tilted to the side. It was a strange and terrifying expression in someone usually so warm. The gesture chilled her.

    ¡°Sorry, Doctor Mazingwe.¡±

    ¡°I see your memory is intact, at least. Valerian, if you would give us a moment?¡±

    ¡°What? Oh, sure. Sir.¡±

    He left with a last worried glance and Nestra saw something there she didn¡¯t like at all. Pity.

    ¡°Oh no.¡±

    Mazingwe made a small black orb appear seemingly out of thin air. The sounds from outside grew immediately muted.

    ¡°Oh noooo.¡±

    ¡°Do not blame him,¡± the doctor said in a guarded voice. ¡°He was concerned after you could not be woken up and agreed to share more about your conditions under a seal of secrecy. My oath as a doctor means that your medical details are safe with me. Unfortunately, my oath as a defender of mankind supersedes it, so now I must ascertain, are you my Clytemnestra Palladian or are you a monster wearing her skin?¡±

    Nestra felt pressure. This was bad.

    ¡°I told you I hate that name,¡± she said.

    ¡°So you did, many times.¡±

    ¡°I am still me.¡±

    ¡°Your words speak in favor of this hypothesis. Were you always able to assume¡­ another form?¡± he asked.

    It felt like a very, very, very bad idea to lie to him.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°Really no. I only figured it out right after the purge.¡±

    ¡°Right after the purge?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    He waited.

    ¡°I am under the impression you are hiding things from me.¡±

    ¡°Well yeah I was and I am, but the question here is: am I a monster and the answer is no.¡±

    ¡°The answer is no?¡±

    ¡°The answer is no.¡±

    Another silence. His voice was low and soft but there was something in the intensity in his gaze that meant he would kill her in an instant.

    ¡°How would I know that you¡¯re you, and not some skinchangers or some other creature?¡±

    ¡°Riel, doctor, how the fuck do you expect me to prove that? I don¡¯t even know for sure. Maybe I woke up with the exact same souvenirs but since there were no corpses and it still feels like me, I¡¯m going to apply Occam¡¯s razor and say it¡¯s me, alright? It¡¯s me. Still mostly the same as far as I can tell.¡±

    ¡°You are not human,¡± he stated with absolute confidence.

    ¡°How the fuck would you know that?¡±

    ¡°You think you¡¯re still human?¡±

    She froze. He got her there.

    ¡°Well, hmm.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°I, uh, I don¡¯t ¡ª¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t what?¡±

    Nestra clenched her teeth. This was all going wrong. He¡¯d found a crack and dug in and there was no amount of bullshit that could save her now. Still had to try.

    ¡°I am what I am. And who I am. Maybe I¡¯m a weird human. How would you know?¡±

    Mazingwe considered long and hard. Nestra was tempted to ask him if he was lagging or something. When he finally spoke, he was even more guarded than before.

    ¡°A long time ago, Vanquisher¡¯s alpha team came across a¡­ strange being in a portal world.¡±

    Nestra blinked. Vanquisher was North America¡¯s top guild by a large margin. Their Alpha Team had to include stars like Cyrrhus and The Mangler.

    ¡°They were tested and they were beaten. Portal Worlds of their levels have entire groups of seemingly sentient entities, though they only have a semblance of civilization, so meeting one wasn¡¯t particularly a surprise. Being beaten was. Being spared after that confirmed they were not dealing with a maddened portal creature.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The stranger didn¡¯t kill any of them. Eventually, Shiloh managed to shoot him at point-blank range and then something surprising happened.¡±

    Nestra was almost hanging from her bed. This was¡­ classified information.

    ¡°The stranger changed. He grew in size and revealed black horns, black eyes, sharper teeth. Gray skin. He congratulated the team for breaking his¡­ mask. In English.¡±

    Nestra was so excited. Someone like her. Finally, knowledge!

    ¡°He told them they were not ripe yet before leaving them. The Vanquishers collected a sample of the little blood they¡¯d managed to shed. I compared it to the one found on your dress. It seems your own¡­ mask¡­ was breached a little, whatever that means. I could obviously not check the highly classified Pandora database from here but many of its attributes were similar. Gray then oxidized to red. You are not human Nestra. You are a Cacodaimon Anthropomimesis. A gray demon, as your kind was dubbed.¡±

    ¡°Caco whatever,¡± she stubbornly replied. ¡°It¡¯s me. You know it¡¯s me. Now, I know where this can go.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Mazingwe said.

    He seemed sad.

    ¡°They¡¯ll kill me if you tell them. Or worse.¡±

    ¡°I will reveal your presence to Shinran and his team only. He¡¯s not the kind of person to execute others for who they are, believe me. There is no need to spread it to the public, however he, as Threshold¡¯s guardian, must know. I am sorry, Nestra. You will be coming with me.¡±

    The room darkened.

    Mazingwe¡¯s magical tool splintered on the spot. Outside of the room, all conversations had instantly died. All that was left was a group of people breathing heavily. Even Mazingwe¡¯s light felt dimmer. The high gleam himself was now standing in front of Nestra, to his credit defending her, facing the curtain opening.

    Stomp stomp. Someone was coming. Slowly. They were taking their sweet time.

    A stooped shape stopped in front of the flimsy fabric. It was absolutely fucking massive. More than three meters high, far above even the tallest human, and strong. A large white hand grabbed the curtain then pulled it apart. It revealed an angular, humanoid face with eyes as black as the void under twin forward-jutting curved horns. The being smiled a forest of abyssal needles. It was Seth. The fucking baker. His voice was low yet very soft, and comforting to her, somehow.

    ¡°Hello little sister,¡± he said in the strange hissing language.

    His attention turned to Mazingwe. This time, his voice carried the promise of death. And he spoke in English.

    ¡°She won¡¯t be coming with you.¡±

 Part 18

    ¡°No one is going with you,¡± Mazingwe growled.

    Seth seemed completely unbothered. He merely tilted his head before replying with a nod.

    ¡°That would be my first choice as well.¡±

    The high gleam still stood between them. Wait, Mazingwe was defending her?

    ¡°You see, humans need their packs and little Nezhra is still very young and she would be very sad if those bonds were broken. And her being sad would make me very, very angry. Were you not about to break those connections?¡±

    ¡°This is the best option. The best one I could think of.¡±

    ¡°Reconsider.¡±

    Mazingwe¡¯s aura flared ever so slightly. Seth was still aloof.

    ¡°Shinran would have protected her. And before I reconsider anything, what happened to the people outside?¡±

    ¡°Oooooh they¡¯ll be just fine. They won¡¯t even remember it. Just having a moment of introspection and being very focused on their toes right now. Everyone is fine. Everyone is alive. For now.¡±

    ¡°For now?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Pending on your decision.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like you want everyone to stay that way.¡±

    ¡°Correct. And it depends on you.¡±

    ¡°And what would it take for everyone to stay alive?¡±

    Seth moved his head again. He was doing that a lot, as if it was part of his language which was weird considering he was the same as her and she didn¡¯t feel the need to do it. Maybe a difference? Actually, now that she was looking more, his face was less human than hers, the eyes larger, and he had very long, very sharp ears while hers were only slightly pointed. Not to mention the horns were different. She wasn¡¯t sure what to think about it.

    ¡°Easy. Swear on your core not to betray her secret and we¡¯re good.¡±

    ¡°You just want me not to tell her secret?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± demon Seth said, eyes half-lidded over a knowing smile.

    ¡°And let two demons loose around mankind?¡±

    ¡°I think there are four things you¡¯re forgetting,¡± Seth replied quickly. ¡°One, she clearly cares about you and your kind much more than many of your own humans. Two, I was already loose around mankind before this moment. And I have been loose for a while, which you didn¡¯t notice. We have masks, remember? Three, the alternative is that we fight and you know, as an experienced warrior, that you do not stand a chance against me.¡±

    ¡°Not a chance against you?¡±

    ¡°Shinran couldn¡¯t do it.¡±

    He smirked, and Mazingwe seemed to tense though Nestra couldn¡¯t see his face from that angle. It was still weird that he was standing between Seth and her as a protective guardian despite his words.

    ¡°Which leads me to my fourth point,¡± Seth said ¡°What you¡¯re doing is mirroring which is an interrogation and negotiation technique. I¡¯ve studied human law enforcement extensively and I do not think you appreciate the position you are in, so I will make it clear. You will accept my terms and swear on your core, or your city will be razed to the ground.¡±

    ¡°You say you faced Shinran? And yet the city somehow didn¡¯t hear about it?¡±

    ¡°I faced him inside of a portal world, obviously. I didn¡¯t want the city to know, just him.¡±

    Seth¡¯s smile widened.

    ¡°He¡¯s full of surprises. But that is not for me to share.¡±

    ¡°I want you two gone. I do not hate her but¡­¡±

    ¡°That is not an option for you. I will have the oath from you or you will die. You will respect the oath or the city will die. Those are your options.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like ¡ª¡±

    ¡°No. No tricks. Choose.¡±

    Mazingwe actually considered dying for the cause, for nothing. And condemning those outside. Seth must have perceived it because he continued in a soft voice.

    ¡°I swear that Shinran knows I am here. I also solemnly swear that since I arrived here, I have not taken a single human life. We both want peace here, but I also want little Nezhra to be happy. Desist.¡±

    ¡°If Shinran really knows, surely he will confirm it.¡±

    Seth tilted his head again, probably considering the offer.

    ¡°I have no objection. No one else.¡±

    ¡°Very well. For the sake of peace and life, I agree not to share Miss Palladian¡¯s secret identity with anybody in any way except for Shinran.¡±

    ¡°Good enough for me. Remember, you talk and¡­¡±

    Seth shrugged. The gesture moved his massive body in a rather intimidating way.

    ¡°Very well.¡±

    ¡°And now I will be leaving. With her. Come with me Nezhra. We have to talk.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah we definitely do.¡±

    Nestra managed to move her tired body up though it was a colossal effort that should have been rewarded with a large slice of something caloric. Mazingwe helped her out, though he didn¡¯t let his guard down.

    ¡°Miss Palladian,¡± Mazingwe said.

    She turned to the imposing high gleam.

    ¡°Medical checkup tomorrow, 10 AM, my office. On your other body as well.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s Sunday!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be late.¡±

    ¡°Aw. Ok. Oh, can I ask a question, doctor?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°You finding us first, was that a coincidence or were you looking for me?¡±

    The high gleam shifted from foot to foot. It was kind of hilarious.

    ¡°My duty is to protect my people from incursions. Nothing says I should not prioritize well-meaning yet insufferably risk-prone officers first.¡±

    ¡°Aw, you¡¯re a softie!¡±

    ¡°Pot. Kettle.¡±

    ¡°And you are, in fact, the famous Dawn Spear. Wow, I would never have guessed.¡±

    ¡°Get out, Palladian, before I lose my patience.¡±

    ¡°Ok ok.¡±

    Nestra followed Seth¡¯s imposing form out into a shelter. Tomato soup bubbled in a large pot while people waited around or rested in cots. They all stared at their feet with great intensity, as if spacing out. Maybe that¡¯s how it felt to them? Even Valerian was affected. The most curious thing was that Nestra didn¡¯t feel anything besides Seth¡¯s presence, and it was comforting. A bit of the void energy of the portals emanated from him and he smelled really good as well. Safe. He gave her a lopsided grin before addressing her in the demon tongue.

    ¡°I have prepared a meal!¡±

    ¡°Oh good!¡±

    ¡°You must be ravenous. Let¡¯s get there first, then we can talk.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡±

    Seth walked her through the unmoving bodies of the sick bay. The tomato soup was dangerously bubbling. Valerian was leaning against a pillar in a state of anguish. The traitor, She was pissed at him but¡­ only a little bit. He¡¯d broken his word out of concern for her well-being. It was the wrong decision but, if she had to be honest, if Shinoda told her he was fine but he clearly wasn¡¯t, she would not respect his wishes aaaand it would not happen now. Damn.

    Shinoda was dead.

    Felt so sudden. Never had the chance to say goodbye, or even good luck or something. She couldn¡¯t cut Valerian off now but she would scream at him.

    The door of the sick bay slammed shut behind them and the conversations picked up immediately. She heard the cook swear a storm too. Seth energetically dragged her through corridors packed with supply crates and sleeping people. This was clearly underground but outside of a shelter, maybe some sort of exchange node? The usual smell of dust and stagnant humidity made orientation difficult. To her mild surprise, Seth led her deeper underground until they were in some sort of pump room. Faint traces of void energy told her a portal might be nearby but it was far too diffused for her to use. Not for Seth, apparently. He waved his hand in the air, then grabbed her own small human limb and dragged her through the fabric of the world.

    Just like that.

    She gasped. Heat on her human skin and filtering through the sole of her shoes. The stench of sulfur. Cracked basalt poked with marks, smoke blowing up from stone chimneys. A dark orange sky. They were now in a portal world in some volcanic island. Strange shelled creatures as large as cows skittered a way when Seth sauntered forth. A deadly silence filled the place. The tall demon made his way straight to the edge of the portal world and the membrane there. He placed a massive mitt against the surface. Or in front of it. It wasn¡¯t exactly solid, or even there to begin with. Seth turned at the last moment with a worried look.

    ¡°Oh, right. I told you this before but don¡¯t do it at home!¡±

    ¡°I remember ok?¡±

    ¡°Yes yes but sometimes you younglings just want to try stuff. Don¡¯t do it.¡±

    Once again, he pushed and unceremoniously dragged her through it, which felt like falling off a cliff, being pushed through a mattress and choking all at the same time.

    ¡°Blegh,¡± Nestra said.

    Then she blinked, realizing they were back on earth in a large apartment, or at least it looked like one. The outer walls were a little weird.

    Whoever had designed the place really favored open spaces. There were support pillars but otherwise, only the bedroom and bathroom were separated and even then, it looked like recent work. Furniture and shelves stood in harmonious arrangements but the concept of room was firmly denied.

    ¡°Welcome to my home away from home! You are the second person to visit it. You must be hungry!¡±

    She was, in fact, ravenous. Seth navigated through carefully arranged seats and tables to a cooking¡­ place covering a large part of the apartment¡¯s corner. He did something with his hands and dishes appeared on an American-style table. Nestra hesitated. She wanted to eat in demon form. She could smell the mana from here.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± Seth told her, kind abyssal eyes centered on her.

    She just knew they were even if there was nothing but darkness. Weird. Too hungry to give it more thought, she removed the mask and the pain moved to the forefront. It was all she could do not to groan, though her Skin had thankfully cleaned her up, somehow. She was at least not actively bleeding but her healing had slowed down, probably due to a lack of nutrients. Seth¡¯s dishes were Japanese-inspired which reminded her, again, of Shinoda, and made her sad. She gulped down the miso soup in seconds. It had some salmon bits in it. Delicious.

    ¡°Enjoy!¡± Seth said with great pride.

    Nestra had questions but she dug in first. Seth wasn¡¯t going anywhere anyway. Gyozas in soy sauce were next, then came the ramen. The broth was perfect. The egg hit her taste buds with a wall of rich umami flavors. And there was mana there, not just in the meat but in the noodles as well! It was absolutely great.

    ¡°Hm! Hm!¡±

    ¡°I know, I am so pleased that humans dedicated so much effort to gastronomy. There are even knife techniques that are just for preparing food! Imagine that!¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you eat and I will explain. I am not sure what your thinking process is, so how about you ask the first question?¡±

    Nestra slurped the end of her noodles and chewed faster than she would have liked just so she could speak.

    ¡°Seriously? You can¡¯t imagine what I want to know? Like, what are we, to begin with?¡±

    Seth was a strange mix of giddy and cautious. It was baffling.

    ¡°Yes! Of course. We are the People.¡±

    In demon tongue it sounded Aszhii and was a bit of a hiss, one that a human mouth would struggle to reproduce and yet she could. It was¡­ very strange.

    ¡°I told you I would share some of what we are with you when you reach the second sphere, ah, that is C-rank, and you are already there! I only need to teach you how to start building a core after you have recovered a little.¡±

    ¡°I am C-rank?¡±

    ¡°On the cusp of it, but please let us talk about that later.¡±

    ¡°Right. Hm! The meat is delicious.¡±

    ¡°Enclave prime pork cheek. Sadly, I cannot tell you much. Please know that we are old players in many worlds and that you are one of us. In fact, you are the first of us of human descent! And you are female! How very auspicious!¡±

    His enthusiasm cast an immediate dread in Nestra¡¯s heart to the extent she actually stopped eating. The term he¡¯d used told her demon society placed a lot of emphasis on the difference between their genders.

    ¡°What do you mean, a woman is auspicious?¡±

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°There are more than a hundred men born for every woman!¡±

    An uncomfortable calculation wormed its way into Nestra¡¯s mind. Her next words were enunciated very carefully.

    ¡°Ok, I need to make this clear. If you are counting on me to repopulate the species, I have very bad news¡­¡±

    ¡°No! Nooooo!¡±

    Seth waved his hands with agitation. He almost looked revolted at the thought.

    ¡°Sorry, I should have led with that. Men and Women of the People do not¡­ make babies together! Many of our women never bear children! It is the role of men to, ah, make more of the People with other sentients. Your role is different! You are here for the portals!¡±

    He seemed very excited about that.

    ¡°The portals?¡±

    ¡°Yes! The women guide our war parties on the rare occasions when we unite against those who seek to exterminate us, and¡­ but I shouldn¡¯t share too much yet. You do portals! Openings through the weave. And you also gather in covens to have the men leave you alone and negotiate if they need a portal. Us men can still create openings and you can still change aspects of your shape, but making paths where none exist, that is the power of the women! We males are the ones who change shape and find suitable, ah, partners.¡±

    ¡°Sooooo you¡¯re telling me you, what, have sex with other species and it creates demon babies.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Vertigo made Nestra¡¯s mind swim.

    ¡°Oooooh shit. Oh shit. Wait, we are a species of CUCKOOS?¡±

    ¡°The, ah, the comparison is¡­ not accurate!¡±

    Nestra was horrified.

    ¡°My mom had sex with a demon? What? Wait, are my brother and sister¡­¡±

    Seth winced. He raised both hands in a very affected way which was really strange to see on such a large being.

    ¡°I am sorry, I should have presented it better. You are the only People in your human family. Look, you are not going to like what I tell you and there is nothing I can do to soften the blow. Our father is¡­ not a kind being.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck did he do?¡±

    ¡°He took on your human father¡¯s appearance one night and, hmm, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Yeah? YEAH? Oh my GOD. Riel fucking dammit REALLY?¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°He had sex with my mom while masquerading as my dad?¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°And, just, I was born like that?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°The child of a deception?!¡±

    ¡°I am sorry, little Nezhra. The People only reproduce with women of other sentient races and then take on some of the characteristics of their parent race. This is our way. Our only way. We mostly care about not harming families. We will pick stronger hosts in the hope of providing the best conditions for their offspring.¡±

    ¡°This is fucked up.¡±

    ¡°This is what we are.¡±

    Nestra pushed the bowl of ramen away. So much for her appetite.

    She wasn¡¯t her dad¡¯s kid. Well. She didn¡¯t even know how to feel about it. He was a little bit clueless when it came to parenting but¡­ he¡¯d tried. And he was her dad. What¡­ what did it all mean?

    And she was the living reminder some asshole had deceived her mom.

    It took a solid two minutes for Nestra just to tank the emotional blow, by then she felt emotionally empty and just wanted to flood her mind with more stuff to chase the disgust away.

    ¡°Are you sure Helena isn¡¯t one of us? She shares our power.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I had a look and¡­ indeed, void energy, The first such occurrence that I know of. I even asked a coven member when I was¡­ momentarily gone.¡±

    ¡°To get more Kero nuts.¡±

    ¡°Among other things.¡±

    ¡°That you ate.¡±

    ¡°Ionlyatethefirstbatch.¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°I am sorry, please let me finish. Helena¡­ shouldn¡¯t have been born. The demon child will change its mother¡¯s body in order to survive pregnancy. The mother should only be able to bear demon children after that. This case is mysterious. The coven woman demanded answers.¡±

    ¡°What but then¡­ oh¡­¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°Helena is an IVF kid. My parents¡­ well I learned in retrospect that they struggled with having her. Damn, that explains why she¡¯s¡­ not well adjusted. I¡¯ve got to help her.¡±

    ¡°Fascinating. Technology truly helps humans in interesting ways, hmmm. The women will be interested to hear that. Oh, and for Helena, remember, the more you share with others, the harder it will be for me to keep the situation under control.¡±

    ¡°Fuck you.¡±

    Seth seemed really hurt. Like she¡¯d slapped him.

    ¡°Uuugh sorry this is a lot all at once,¡± she allowed.

    ¡°I am partly to blame. You regard her as your sister. I was being oblivious and tactless.¡±

    Nestra frowned. The demon term for sister among the host family was different from the one in the demon family. The distinction felt important.

    ¡°So our father played doppleganger to, basically rape my mom and now he sends you twenty fucking years after the fact to keep an eye on me?¡±

    Seth had the grace to look embarrassed. His answer made it even worse.

    ¡°He¡­ wasn¡¯t the one to send me. Aszhii tradition is to wait for the child to reach maturity to seek them out. Your situation was strange enough for one of the covens to ask me to go. This world is very peculiar. Your mana is still weak. Your technology is mighty. Cooking robots! It also means that your host kin have too many ways to track you down while other species would allow demons to thrive simply because they cannot keep track so easily.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t react to confirmation that not only did other worlds really absolutely exist, but the intelligent portal monsters were really drawn from several sentient races. It was the most likely explanation, of course, but it was still amazing to get a confirmation. That wasn¡¯t what she wanted to hear about right now though.

    ¡°So our father didn¡¯t send you.¡±

    ¡°No. He is¡­¡±

    He seemed embarrassed.

    ¡°I should not criticize my clan but¡­ he is a callous man spreading his seed far and wide in the hope of gathering powerful offspring. I know it comes as a shock to your culture¡­ and possibly many others as well.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a fucking asshole yeah.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, no one would find his behavior reprehensible back home. Only¡­ wasteful and cruel.¡±

    ¡°The more I hear about your society and the less I¡¯m interested.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s the good thing, see! Every new species that joins the People enriches us! You could change our society for the better!¡±

    ¡°I want nothing to do with you,¡± Nestra told the crestfallen Seth.

    Looking at the monstrously powerful demon wither under her glare gave her whiplash. She had to stop letting her emotions take over.

    ¡°I am making a mess of things,¡± he lamented after a few moments.

    ¡°Ok, so you¡¯ve been looking after me then?¡±

    ¡°Yes! I put a compulsion on Gorge and his sons just to be sure though they were already loyal. I also made sure Shinran fought me so every inquiry about something bearing the resemblance of one of us would be intercepted by him. I also cleaned up the bodies of those gleams you killed earlier, by the way.¡±

    ¡°Nice. And the gifts?¡±

    ¡°The coven was pleased with your adoption of the Scornful Crescent. Humans are adaptive and they learn very fast, but some were concerned the species was too¡­ individually weak. You have proven them wrong so far.¡±

    ¡°And the Kero nuts?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm.¡±

    ¡°You ate my Kero nuts. Does Stib know you¡¯re a demon?¡±

    ¡°No. But we are not having children yet! We are only at the love-making phase of courtship!¡± Seth said, very proud of himself.

    He gave her exaggerated thumbs up. Nestra facepalmed.

    ¡°Seth. Seth Seth Seth. You¡¯re also an asshole. It¡¯s deception from people I¡¯m supposed to be kin with I hate. Do you realize you¡¯re doing to her what¡­¡±

    She was about to say: what their father had done to her mom but that would be a lie. Her demon¡­ actually not a father. A genetic material provider and a sexual abuser on the same level as Zeus.

    ¡°I¡­ but I don¡¯t know how to tell her.¡±

    ¡°Either you come clean with her or you break up.¡±

    ¡°Nezhra¡­¡±

    Nestra crossed her arms. She wouldn¡¯t bulge.

    ¡°... Can you help me¡­ break the news with her then? I like Siobhan Stibbons very much. I wouldn¡¯t mind, you know¡­¡±

    He shuffled on his large legs. It would be comical if he were not at least evenly matched with Shinran.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Make a family. Some of us stay with their partners for a lifetime. It¡¯s considered¡­ very challenging to do. And¡­ a little kinky.¡±

    ¡°You are such a bunch of weirdos.¡±

    ¡°You are one of us, Nezhra.¡±

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll help, promise. Ok. Well. I have more questions. First, I assume I was supposed to fit in as¡­ an immature demon. Right? Like a cuckoo?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Well, yes, but we don¡¯t kill other children!¡±

    ¡°Yeah only stop more from being born¡­ Anyway. Why don¡¯t I have a core? Isn¡¯t that expected? I even have a core as a demon.¡±

    ¡°Ah! Yes. Well. I did talk to the coven¡¯s envoy about it. You¡¯re not going to be happy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not fucking happy.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes. It was very difficult for you. Ah, you see, the ambient mana on earth wasn¡¯t enough to sustain your life.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It has increased since then but¡­ still not enough.¡±

    ¡°I was doomed to starve? And your genitor didn¡¯t see it fit to, I don¡¯t know, ANTICIPATE THAT?¡±

    ¡°He is¡­¡±

    Seth looked down, dejected again.

    ¡°A very callous man,¡± he finished.

    ¡°I¡¯ll fucking kill him.¡±

    ¡°Not happening for two millennia, at least.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be patient and very vindictive. Ok. So. Why no core?¡±

    ¡°You had the decoy one. Your body cannibalized it to survive.¡±

    ¡°WHAT?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ gone. Sorry.¡±

    Nestra slammed the table. Seth winced and grew more stooped. He shook his head from side to side in a weird, distressing move.

    ¡°Motherfucker.¡±

    ¡°I am sorry, Nezhra.¡±

    ¡°DO YOU HAVE ANY FUCKING IDEA?¡±

    Once again, Seth deflated. Guilt filled Nestra mid scream. She was wailing on the messenger here. He had nothing to do with it.

    ¡°Ok. I will stop screaming at you since you apparently were only just sent here by a coven, whatever it is¡ª¡±

    ¡°A group of women of the People.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. That. But seriously, Seth! Wait, is that even your real name?¡±

    ¡°Sereth is my real first name! Seth is a cute nickname! Do you like it?¡± he asked, excited again.

    He was kind of tiring to deal with.

    ¡°Yes. Seth. Very nice, now I appreciate you¡­ trying your best¡­ to keep me happy.¡±

    ¡°There are rules I have to follow, sorry. Or I would do more. I cannot hamper your growth by pampering you.¡±

    ¡°Ok, sure. But you¡¯d better believe that from what I¡¯ve seen so far, I intensely regret being born as one of you.¡±

    Seth sat on the ground with a piteous groan.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t going like I thought it would be going.¡±

    ¡°You got balls eating my Kero nuts¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I was too stressed!¡±

    ¡°...And eating half of my shrimp...¡±

    ¡°I have to tax you if you use me as a beast of burden. Those are the rules!¡±

    ¡°YOU OWE ME, SETH!¡±

    ¡°Yes yes sorry. I shall provide more good food as an apology.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Nestra said.

    Seth stared at her, mouth wide open.

    ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes, maybe, if you want, I¡¯ll get my own anyway stop interrupting me. What I want from you is¡­. sparring.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Sparring. You teach me how to fight like a member of the People.¡±

    She crossed her arms while he seriously considered her options, then she dug into the ramen because being so angry took a lot of energy. She was half done with the skewers by the time he came to a conclusion.

    ¡°It would not break any rule I can think of since it wouldn¡¯t be considered pampering. However, I have to tell you that normally, we learn how to fight from our host species. Mostly via hunts.¡±

    ¡°Are you familiar with the term ¡®murder investigation¡¯?¡±

    ¡°No! Well, yes, but you miss the point. There are plenty of legal ways for you to attack host kin.¡±

    ¡°There would be if I were a fucking gleam, yeah?¡±

    But in fact, she had a way. Maybe. In fact, Gorge had mentioned it. She could always become a masked gleam. All she had to do was use that and a full body suit while out in public. No one would suspect unless she talked too much.

    ¡°That is acceptable since I can teach you how to form a physical core anyway. I will prepare for sparring since otherwise I might hit you a little too hard.¡±

    ¡°That would be painful.¡±

    ¡°Briefly, yes. Very well. Oh! This is human bonding but between us! Ooooh I love this culture so much.¡±

    ¡°Ah yeah, so, you grew up in another civilization? On another world? How does that work?¡±

    Seth shrugged, the movement exaggerated. He moved his head a little bit afterward.

    ¡°Just like that? I was raised with the other small ones?¡±

    ¡°So what was that civilization like? What are they called?¡±

    ¡°I will not tell you until you break through! Twice. Else you might let out information you shouldn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Do the, ah, head movements mean anything?¡±

    ¡°Ah! I¡¯m doing it again. It just means I am excited. Sorry, the mannerism is meant to be hidden in adults of¡­ my host kin but I have spent too much time away from them, and without a suitable mask on, I find it difficult to remember how to behave.¡±

    ¡°Great. I am excited as well.  I¡­ actually think I¡¯d like to spend more time with you.¡±

    ¡°Yes yes yes! Okay! We¡¯ll begin in a few days though. You need to rest. I have pushed you far enough.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is this what you said you were preparing me for? The Kaiju?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I saw the humans tampering with telluric veins with such recklessness, I knew it was only a matter of time before something attacked, and Shinran has been delving a lot since we faced each other so he wouldn¡¯t help. Hahaha, he must be trying to kill me! I am glad I didn¡¯t have to intervene to save you. Well done!¡±

    ¡°You kind of did.¡±

    ¡°Just to offset the effects of technology in terms of information sharing. It is only fair. Hmmm, I wonder if I should steal some fiber optics and a satellite.¡±

    ¡°Just don¡¯t do it while I¡¯m watching my vids thank you.¡±

    After that, the conversation continued while Nestra took her time polishing off every dish on the table. Seth wouldn¡¯t budge on sharing more about the People, portals, or other species, claiming she had to progress to the third sphere first. He didn¡¯t seem to be in a rush, though with the speed at which Nestra was progressing, it might only be a matter of months, not years. Seth was strange when he wasn¡¯t wearing a mask. He seemed just so happy and excited to have her around, so much that after she was done, he briefly showed her his collection of cooking tools. She was barely awake by then so he helped her through yet another portal world before dropping her home directly into her garage. She managed to drag herself upstairs before checking her message which were on her visor, miraculously intact since she¡¯d worn it on her human mask.

    There were quite a few messages from Officer Kim.

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    Too tired but¡­ she replied, saying she¡¯d just woken up and was wounded. Officer Kim surprisingly replied though it was around 4AM by then.

    ¡°We will talk more after you have rested. There is no urgency.¡±

    So she knew.

    Nestra felt sorry for the woman but she was far too tired to do anything. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

    ***

    Nestra woke up at twelve, following which she raided her own freezer and fridge like Attilla descending upon Rome. Her visor was choke full of messages and notifications, which she classified in order of how much hassle and emotional pain it would be to deal with. The first easiest call was to an unknown number since it was the only one that could possibly be urgent. Someone picked up after a single ring.

    ¡°Office of Doctor Mazingwe, hello.¡±

    ¡°Oh shit.¡±

    ¡°Miss Palladian, hello. The doctor was just finished.¡±

    ¡°I, errr, I can call la ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Miss Palladian,¡± the doctor¡¯s smooth voice said.

    It carried a certain tone she didn¡¯t like very much.

    ¡°It occurs to me we had an appointment earlier this morning?¡±

    ¡°I was asleep. Exhausted. I literally just woke up.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it appears you have specific needs for sleep, more so than my usual patients. I will need you at my office at 4PM. You agree, of course?¡±

    ¡°I meaaaaaaan.¡±

    ¡°Miss Palladian, you need a medical certificate to justify your absence anyway. One that would require you to explain why someone who faced a horde of monsters did so without sustaining a single wound.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I could come up with something.¡±

    ¡°Shame, and that was my last doughnut.¡±

    ¡°You know what? You¡¯ve been very patient to me, Doctor Mazingwe.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    ¡°4PM sharp unless I¡¯m summoned somewhere.¡±

    ¡°If you are and the person is neither Shinran nor the mayor, do let me know as I would have choice words for them.¡±

    Nestra mulled over the situation.

    ¡°Still can¡¯t believe you¡¯re Dawn Spear. Damn. You could be a leading figure in the Nairobi enclave if you wanted.¡±

    ¡°And that is why, Miss Palladian, I am here instead. I would really appreciate it if you kept that information private since there is a rather sizable price on my head.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°4PM.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Goodbye.¡±

    The next call was in house, so to speak. It came from District Fourteen¡¯s precinct.

    ¡°Yes? This is Nestra Palladian.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thankfully you are alright. This is officer Gao from the Highway police. We found your car.¡±

    She might have met this guy in the past, at a function or something, but she couldn¡¯t place him. Threshold had a lot of cops and she tended to stay around the anglos.

    ¡°What¡¯s left of it. You found the drone as well, right?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely. The attorney has been very interested in the origin of the drone, especially considering your current posting. We were mostly concerned about finding you, until we had confirmation that you had been seen in Fifteen. You rushed there immediately after the incident?¡±

    ¡°Yeah I needed to find my partner.¡±

    ¡°And¡­ did you?¡±

    ¡°I did but he didn¡¯t make it.¡±

    There was silence for a few moments.

    ¡°Damn, sorry to hear that. We knew it got bad but we didn¡¯t know how bad. I¡¯ll still need you to come here to make a statement, at least for insurance¡¯s purposes. It¡¯s not urgent though, so if you¡¯re hurt.¡±

    ¡°A little. Mostly tired though. I¡¯ll definitely come early next week, if that¡¯s ok?¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure. Oh, we got your gear as well to come and pick up. Nice sword, by the way. Anyway it¡¯s all in house so don¡¯t worry, just, I have to ask, do you need protection?¡±

    Nestra considered Seth.

    ¡°I¡¯m good, I think. Unless they start bombing runs on my house. I¡¯d still love to know what the fuck happened because I doubt it was an accident.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, us too. You take care now and call me when you¡¯re ready.¡±

    Ok, that was another easy call. At least she¡¯d get her blade back. Would have been useful to have back when facing the horde but whatever. At least she¡¯d gotten some good practice in. The next calls were easy. Stibs was worried so she talked to her and promised to catch up soon. Aunt Claire called as well, furious to have missed Nestra and assuming she¡¯d been home safe. The Palladians had participated in the horde cleanup until the wee hours of the morning so Nestra took solace in the knowledge their evening had been ruined as well. Gorge had unexpectedly asked how she was holding on but the asshole just exchanged a few text messages with her stating he was glad his cash cow hadn¡¯t bought it yet. The last call for the day was by far the most difficult.

    Officer Kim picked up after three rings, more than expected. Her voice was raw.

    ¡°First thing first, are you safe, Miss Palladian?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m home. You, uh¡­¡±

    ¡°I am safe as well. I have been placed on sick leave for one day and ordered to rest. Guild Affairs have taken over the case considering the gravity of the situation, as you may imagine.¡±

    All gleams, Nestra remembered. Assholes who trampled everyone they wanted but at least their hatred of the guild system, which they saw as a humiliation to the idea of a strong state, was well known. Gidung wouldn¡¯t get off the hook.

    ¡°I¡­ just needed to know how he died. He was very precious to me as you may have surmised and they didn¡¯t let me see him. I have to know.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, ok. Yeah. You need closure.¡±

    One of the reasons why raiders went to great lengths to retrieve bodies.

    ¡°So, our hab block¡¯s shelter had no issues but one of the nearby blocks didn¡¯t have one, so Shinoda led a small group towards our own since our shelter was big enough to accommodate both. They were attacked by the faster monsters. There were a lot of dokkaebi but¡­¡±

    ¡°But also D-class monsters, I assume,¡± Officer Kim said with a resigned tone.

    ¡°Yeah. I helped the group fend off mana rats so I think they mostly made it but Shinoda was in the rear guard. They took a lot of fatalities. I found him in a checkpoint. He was killed by a neosaur he managed to take out as well. He died clean and I think the body was retrieved. I was saved by Valerian. I collapsed from exhaustion a little later but I assume the body was properly recovered.¡±

    Kim gave a shaky sigh. Nestra¡¯s excellent hearing picked up a few sniffles. She gave the woman a few moments of peace, wondering exactly how well the two had known each other.

    She also remembered the woman had sent Nestra to look after Shinoda and Nestra had failed. She didn¡¯t feel particularly guilty about it. He¡¯d gone off without backup in the name of his principles, a respectable act but also one she had no control over. Shinoda had died a warrior¡¯s death, the best possible end if she had to be honest. It was probably a belief she shouldn¡¯t share with other people.

    ¡°That was what I was told. At least I can be certain they were honest now,¡± Kim finally said.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°There is¡­ one more thing. No, two things. First, there are talks of allocating more social services and less officers now that most of the surviving gangers have either been killed or captured at the end of the purge when they went to secured locations. You will make sure the transfer of authority is done properly, then I will reassign you to a task that would better use your frankly impressive skills, which leads me to my second point.¡±

    ¡°Ok?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ are not what you seem, Palladian. I had an inkling after you killed those gangers under the hab block and last night¡¯s events confirmed it. You do not have to deny anything. This is not a trap. I just want you to listen.¡±

    ¡°Ok¡­¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure so I ran a few simulations on a tactical AI, the results of which I kept for myself of course. According to what you did, that is, finding Shinoda alone in the middle of a horde, your chances of survival were a flat zero.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡°According to a timing I confirmed with tunnel camera footage, it should have taken Valerian almost five minutes to find you after you left the refugee group behind. You survived a horde alone, without visible weapons, and without implants. To be honest, there are no implants in the market that would have saved you.¡±

    Nestra held her breath.

    ¡°I will not ask more right now. I just want you to know that¡­¡±

    Nestra waited for Kim to finish her sentence. It took a while.

    ¡°That Mr Watkins is going to be transferred to Central tomorrow. Some details were shared with me concerning the risks such a move entailed. There is a¡­ a specific part of District Twenty-eight that an unscrupulous individual could use to get a vantage point to the back of the precinct. Police users can stop a great many things. A supersonic round isn¡¯t one of them.¡±

    ¡°You think someone would try to assassinate him?¡±

    ¡°If an unscrupulous individual had the will, access to dangerous weaponry, and some inside information, a tactical AI would confirm this is the best place to do so. I would be very, very disappointed if our star witness disappeared before we nail his ass to the wall and Gidung with him.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Nestra said. ¡°And hypothetically, when would that be?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow morning, 5AM. The Levant Project towers, which have not been finished due to financing concerns.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡±

    ¡°And Palladian? One last thing.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Shinoda¡¯s funerals will be tomorrow. I took the liberty of organizing it since his estranged wife would make a political mess of it. Can I count on you coming?¡±

    ¡°You could not possibly stop me.¡±

    ¡°Very well. Thank you and¡­ we can talk more there. About the future.¡±

    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll see you there then.¡±

    That was probably ok. Kim was a work friend but not a real friend yet. Surely. Nestra jumped into the shower in demon form and let the warm water cleanse her. All her wounds were closed but they still felt tender to the touch. She hoped Mazingwe wouldn¡¯t poke her. He clearly intended to make sure her demon self was healthy which was going to be a tall order without a baseline but that would never discourage the stubborn man.

    Weird how her timetable was suddenly so busy. Well, there was some grieving and a lot of mopping up to do but it seemed her adventures in District Fifteen would be over only a week after starting. It had been a busy time. For now, her new goals were clear but she also wondered what the future would have in store for her. She hoped it would be edible.

 Part 19

    ¡°I told you, electronic equipment won¡¯t work. Can I go now?¡±

    Nestra glared at Doctor Mazingwe. Down, for once, since she was using her true form. The doctor tilted his head in a way that made her feel distinctly uncomfortable, because he was like a teacher and she was a petulant teen trying to get away from the physical exam.

    ¡°Miss Palladian, do you perhaps believe I am clueless without electronics? Hmm?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not,¡± she mumbled.

    ¡°Then I believe we can proceed the old-fashioned way. I assure you, humans have managed their health for centuries without advanced machines and I will draw upon their experience. Now, if you will follow me?¡±

    ¡°Oh, back in your days? Do you think an excess amount of humor in my spleen might cause me to be sad?¡±

    ¡°I know you are trying to get a raise out of me because you are concerned, Miss Palladian, however I assure you that I have handled worse than you over the ages and I will qualify your banter as ¡®average¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Oof. Who had the best banter?¡±

    ¡°Surely you do not expect me to provide you with ammunition. Here.¡±

    They had moved into the gleam testing area. The good doctor¡¯s innovative new tool that would beat X-ray and other pedestrian devices happened to be a table.

    A table, and two chairs.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°My testing equipment is designed for young men and women on the edge of D-rank, and since you are clearly much stronger than that, we shall assess your physical prowess with a basic yet nonetheless indicative test.¡±

    ¡°Beat each other over the head with the chairs?¡±

    ¡°No, Miss Palladian. We are going to arm-wrestle.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Oooow.¡±

    ¡°Do not be silly; I stopped long before breaking anything. Now, where were we? Oh yes. We shall now test your reflexes and general speed.¡±

    The doctor opened a drawer, removing throwing knives from a sheath. They were clearly blunted.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°If you will take position in front of this reinforced wall?¡±

    ¡°NO! Do you seriously use that on kids?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. I have them throw the weapons. Again, however, I fear it will not be a good indication of your capabilities.¡±

    Nestra wondered if she could get away with walking through the wall. Unfortunately, Mazingwe was already stronger than Claire thirty years ago according to some footage she¡¯d found, and though battle instincts could grow unused, a gleam¡¯s body never weakened.

    Bastard would probably burst through the entire building then drag her back in, screaming.

    ¡°Oh fiiiine.¡±

    Mazingwe shifted. Nestra used momentum to move to the side, because she knew the old bastard would try something. The first dull knife clanged against the reinforced wall before falling down. Nestra dodged again fully expecting the good doctor to follow up, and of course he did. Something slapped painfully on the skin of her left arm. She changed direction. A glimpse at her attackers showed that he was looking at her right leg, so she pulled it to the side just in time to avoid another painful throw. No time to dodge the next so she received it on her forearm with Immovable. Mazingwe blurred. She used Momentum again.

    Three knives were now lodged in the reinforced wall. Planted it, as it were.

    Mazingwe¡¯s hands were empty.

    Nestra still didn¡¯t let her guard down. She¡¯d counted seven knives but who knew what he would pull off to test her.

    ¡°Hmm. Impressive. I have fought slower experienced C-ranks. Your battle instincts are also remarkable. How is the arm?¡±

    She flexed it. The knife had only grazed it.

    ¡°Already healed.¡±

    ¡°No hematoma? Is regeneration one of your skills?¡±

    ¡°Think so.¡±

    ¡°Very impressive. If you do represent the baseline for gray demons, then your race is dauntingly powerful. I notice that you used some activated skills during the exercise? Do you know how many you can do in a row? Are they tiring you?¡±

    ¡°I, errr. They¡¯re not very tiring. I always finish fights before I run out of juice.¡±

    ¡°But do they affect your mana, your physical endurance, or some other metaphysical source unique to your species? Mental exhaustion? Or several resources at the same time?¡±

    ¡°I, errr, dunno.¡±

    Mazingwe seemed utterly unimpressed.

    ¡°Miss Palladian¡­¡±

    She groaned.

    ¡°While I admit that your base abilities are very impressive, especially your natural resistance which we humans lack, you have so far mostly faced D-class threats. C-class threats are significantly more dangerous and will require you to know yourself and the full extent of your abilities. We will be testing those abilities over the course of the next few weeks until you are performing to my satisfaction. You cannot do any less than the maximum to survive.¡±

    ¡°Those are no longer doctor duties,¡± Nestra replied. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re supposed to be my coach as well?¡±

    She thought about her words. Was she sounding a little ungrateful?

    ¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining, quite the contrary. I just¡ª¡±

    ¡°My stone town was destroyed during the incursion. We lived along the shore of Tanzania, above the Indian Ocean. I was one of the only survivors.¡±

    Nestra shut up immediately. First gens NEVER talked about the incursion. At least not to little shits like her. When her parents had done it, it was behind closed doors with sifters of mana liquor and hostile glares should she dare to break the sanctity of the moment by intruding.

    ¡°I could not return. When I became Dawn Spear, the crafter who made my armor asked me if I wanted to wear it with a kanzu. A kanzu is¡­ a robe. A cream or white robe I would wear under a jacket. I found that I could not. I could not see elements of my past and not remember the screams. The fires. I have come here with no roots.¡±

    He shrugged.

    ¡°No roots, but a past. We cannot let go of the past, yes? Now I have decided that I would help people before the portals claim me again. It will happen. It always does. We can never fully stop. And now, I am helping you. Do you deserve it? No. You are a headstrong, obnoxious, rebellious woman with a sharp tongue and a sharper sword.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°You remind me very much of my little sister.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°I am helping many people. I am helping you more because you need the help more, and also because you remind me of my little sister. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ think so?¡±

    ¡°Now that you no longer have to divine why on earth I would try to keep your sorry hide mostly intact, will you stop questioning and challenging everything I try to do that would favor you?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just¡­¡±

    She hesitated. He waited patiently.

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve been kicked in the teeth by life many times, so now if something goes well I expect that it will come back to roundhouse me some time later.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate the difficulty of trusting people, Miss Palladian. However, according to my understanding, I have not been the only person who has been here for you consistently over the years. There is your aunt?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah.¡±

    ¡°So perhaps you should trust the people around you a little more.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s also my brother.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, that.¡±

    ¡°And my dad. And my mom. And Bard, you remember Bard?¡±

    ¡°This detail had escaped my mind.¡±

    ¡°Well it didn¡¯t escape mine. By the way, are you familiar with the decisions of Gidung¡¯s leadership?¡±

    ¡°I stand corrected, Miss Palladian. You have driven the point home. I would still appreciate you extending me the courtesy of trust.¡±

    He waited for her answer. A part of her wanted to jab more, maybe out of habit or maybe because Mazingwe was a father figure and she was the poster child for daddy issues. Double daddy issues, even. Mazingwe didn¡¯t deserve it.

    ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll stop giving you shit. I promise.¡±

    ¡°Marvelous.¡±

    ¡°So what do we do now?¡±

    ¡°We shall test your mana sensitivity in terms of direction, intensity, and nature. The other abilities will require tests that I cannot conduct in this facility.¡±

    ¡°How will you test my sensitivity? You mean like feeling mana?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You will close your eyes and I¡­¡±

    Golden mana emerged from the doctor¡¯s delicate fingers. Power radiated from them in an instant, brushing against Nestra¡¯s skin with the promise of searing pain.

    ¡°I will be moving this sphere around you.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t hit me with it. Right?¡±

    ¡°I am confident you will feel its presence before it occurs.¡±

    Nestra was starting to wonder if the good doctor wasn¡¯t having a little bit of cathartic fun at her expense.

    ***

    ¡°Hello, this is Doctor Mazingwe.¡±

    The voice that answered was usually harmless. It made the cold hiss now filtering through the visor that much more threatening.

    ¡°I only gave you my number for dire emergencies. You must be very foolish or have a very good reason to contact me now.¡±

    ¡°I need some information on Gray Demon anatomy if I am to monitor the health of my patient.¡±

    ¡°Foolish, then. Gray Demons do not require physicians, Mazingwe.¡±

    ¡°You are never hurt? You always know exactly what you are capable of? I find it hard to believe given your proclivities. I need to know more so I can treat her if she gets hurt.¡±

    ¡°I can help her, unless she regenerates first. We are rather resilient.¡±

    ¡°Are you a medical practitioner?¡±

    There was annoyed silence at the end of the line.

    ¡°I shall take this as a no. Listen, I have a proposal. You tell me enough to help her under an oath of secrecy, and in return, I will give you the recipe to my homemade doughnuts.¡±

    There was a long pause.

    ¡°I do enjoy the human rituals around the preparation and consumption of food, but make no mistakes. I am here for the new woman of the People, not for the cultural experience of being a human. You already have information on our anatomy I am tempted to¡­ erase. I will be forced to take drastic measures if you keep digging.¡±

    ¡°I swear on my ancestors that this knowledge will only be used to safeguard her wellbeing. I take my duty very, very seriously.¡±

    Another pause, then a chuckle. It was not a pleasant sound.

    ¡°You believe in your own words. Very well, but if the coven protecting her decides that you need to be removed¡­¡±

    ¡°I already know enough to be a danger. A little more will make no difference.¡±

    ¡°I admire your commitment. I shall accept your oath and extend my trust. Recipe and one demonstration,¡± Seth replied.

    ¡°We have a deal.¡±

    ¡°The coven will love to hear that a human healer has taken a female Changeling under his wing, knowing what she is. Perhaps it is true that humans can pack bond with almost anything. You are making your own species quite interesting, Doctor Mazingwe.¡±

    ¡°I hope that is a good thing.¡±

    ¡°Oh, most certainly. After all, some may care about good and evil but for us, it is about fun and tedious, and you are beginning to be quite fun. Goodbye. We will be baking at my place. Bring your own supplies.¡±

    ***

    Dawn crested the kaiju wall. For those who¡¯d barely slept, it offered no solace. The rays of the sun revealed cables snaking out of the van when there should be none. They dispelled the illusion of secrecy that comforted operatives everywhere. They reminded said operatives that they were late, that the delivery robots were dropping fresh muffins on the doorsteps of harried corpo slaves, and that the time of reckoning was upon them. Mostly they showed the contents of floor sixty-eight of the unfinished Pacific Dream tower, part of the Levant Project real estate disaster. It should have contained, to the exclusion of most other things, a 40 mm single shot remote controlled-rifle. A walker killer as they were known in the military. Around that weapon, there should have been satchel charges designed to turn the entire floor into a pile of molten slag and powdered concrete.

    That was not the case. The last intact camera showed a mess of exposed cables and the barrel lying on the ground, possibly still connected to the rest of the gun. Or perhaps not.

    The team leader ignored the sweat pearling in his brow. Every assessment said this should be impossible. Cameras didn¡¯t glitch that way. This was either the work of a gleam, or a hostile jamming device not yet in the Gidung database.

    His gut said it was a rogue element.

    ¡°We¡¯re packing.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± the runner said, interrupting him.

    The team leader looked into her crimson eye implants. The false iris rotated, probably calculating his heartbeat and blood pressure and all the other tools runners used to ¡®convince¡¯ people they were not allowed to kill. She licked her lips. His eyes caught a crease near her scalp where the dermal implants were barely visible.

    ¡°I can do it. I can make the shot. Manually.¡±

    ¡°Target on the move. ETA three minutes, sir,¡± Condor said from her seat in the far corner of the van. He could see the convoy holding Watkins making its way towards the precinct, with hovercrafts providing oversight. Once he reached the place, he would be out of reach and his testimony would fuck the corp over in a way no one had done before. Their window was closing fast.

    Condor¡¯s voice had wavered. The team leader thought it was a lost cause and Condor didn¡¯t seem so hot either.

    ¡°Sir. Please let me.¡±

    The team leader assessed his chances.

    Law enforcement would have already gone after the van. A rival corpo would have detonated the satchel charge since it was the easiest way to make the operation fail. And Gidung really needed a symbolic win. His career depended on it.

    The stench of cigarette smoke and sweat joined forces with the wet heat and his own exhaustion to muddy his thoughts.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a trap.¡±

    ¡°Then let me trigger it. If it were the city, the place would already be swarming with cops. I can do it. Somebody¡¯s fucking with us and I want to look them in the eye.¡±

    ¡°It smells of gleam to me.¡±

    ¡°And I can go toe to toe with a low C-class. Let me do it.¡±

    ¡°ETA two and a half.¡±

    A feed showed the convoy carrying the witness on its way to Central. He would be out of range soon.  The team leader had to choose now.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Ok. Ok but you evac the moment you get cornered.¡±

    The runner gave a carnivorous smirk. She turned and the swish of her black ponytail brushed the man¡¯s face. He hoped for a floral touch from shampoo, perhaps vanilla, his favorite, but the synthetic hair was soaked with tobacco. It offered no succor. Neither did the sight of her armored form leaving the false safety of the van. The floor rose a little higher when she walked off just from the sheer weight of synth muscles and plating and against anything without mana, he would bet on her. She was more machine than person at this stage.

    He suspected that wasn¡¯t the case here.

    The runner allowed her feed in his own implant and he accepted the connection. The runner was fast. She was through the deserted underground garage in seconds, then carefully, she looked up the empty elevator shaft. The team leader saw little but gray, bare concrete around the holographic sight of the woman¡¯s short submachine gun, though the lack of light was no obstacle. She clasped a rope ascender around the naked cable and then she was off and up along the vertiginous well, her aim never wavering. The team leader waited for a trap to spring but there was nothing, no falling grenades or massive impact tearing down the rope. The runner still stopped a few meters away, lightly jumping to the nearby wall where her gloved fingers somehow adhered with enough strength to keep her attached. The entire endeavor had been perfectly silent.

    She scaled the wall.

    ¡°ETA two minutes.¡±

    The team leader knew he should have brought a spare anti-walker rifle but those things were massive and there had been no time. He could only watch the runner deploy small drones to watch the room above her. To his surprise, they flew unimpeded.

    The room was empty. It looked empty. Faster than the man could process, the cameras cycled through thermal, X-rays, infras, and then the woman was up and walking. He allowed himself to take in the devastation.

    Someone, or something, had gone off on the rifle and its surrounding. Only the naked concrete pillars surrounding the remnants were still intact. Satchels lay haphazardly, some torn apart, some throw off at a greater distance. The rifle was a loss. Its barrel was still mostly intact but the stock was twisted out of shape, the supporting frame looked crumpled, and the connected machine smashed. It felt more like the result of a tantrum than a deliberate attempt at neutralizing equipment. A chill crawled up his spine.

    ¡°Gear¡¯s destroyed. Fall back.¡±

    The runner paused but she didn¡¯t listen. The team leader remained silent while she slowly, slowly took a step back. Inside of the empty space, only the howling wind came to break the silence.

    Light from the rising sun crested the angle made by the floor, stretching the runner¡¯s shadow towards the elevator shaft. She twitched.

    It happened very fast.

    Something clanged. The runner turned so fast it gave the man vertigo. A silent round blew something off, which exploded outwards towards the gaping great empty of District Twenty-Eight. She turned just as fast and then, the image twisted. Chaos melded pixels into each other in a pulsating, disturbing kaleidoscope of dark motes. Psychedelic mouths and claws assailed the cameras from every angle to the point that the man recoiled. The runner¡¯s gun went off. A shower of debris rained down, merging with the phantasmagoria in a nauseating riot but the man was no longer watching. His gaze was glued to the display showing her vitals.

    Catastrophic damage to the chest.

    There was something holding her gun in place.

    Catastrophic damage to the neck. Signal lost. Agent considered deceased.

    The feed showed the camera falling on the ground. It landed her, and for the briefest of moments, the team leader saw it reflected in the glassy mirror of some broken casing. A foot. Naked. Strangely gray. Then it, too, was eaten by the glitchy nightmare.

    ¡°We pull the plug. Go,¡± the man said.

    Every cable disconnected at the same time. The van hurled itself across the garage and towards the exit. As it surfaced into the light of dawn, the team leader expected something to stop them. Surely, it would. After all of that. Instead, they continued unimpeded to the outer middle ring and beyond.

    In the distance, Watkins¡¯ convoy continued on its merry way, unaware of the danger it had escaped. It went to Central to seal Gidung¡¯s fall from grace and gleams watched it pass with curious eyes. It was not every day one could see a titan stumble.

    ***

    ¡°Tell me,¡± the tall man said.

    He did not turn to look at the team leader. White hair combed back over a white Hanbok, a traditional Korean garb. Tall shoulders. Gidung¡¯s founder was a man of short stature but he had this solidity earth users had, the one reflected in the name he had chosen. Gidung. The pillar. Even now the corporation cracked at the seams, but the man didn¡¯t. His gaze was fixed on a small altar nestled in the corner of his presidential office. It showed a faded picture of a young woman smiling over the distant Busan Harbor.

    ¡°Someone came after us. They knew we would be here. Some shadow user. It felt¡­ personal.¡±

    ¡°I wonder who we might have offended to face such a reckoning.¡±

    That was not a comment that invited reply, and so the team leader didn¡¯t offer one.

    ¡°This ends now. The crisis management team will stand down.¡±

    ¡°Sir, if I may¡­¡±

    ¡°You were let go as a courtesy,¡± the founder said.

    He turned, and the team leader saw a weathered face, marked by adversity. Deep brown eyes met his. They were not unkind.

    ¡°When courtesy is not repaid with respect, terrible events follow. That is particularly the case when we have not identified our opponent. We will just blame fate as we brave the storm. Gidung weathered many and it will weather more.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir, I just¡­¡±

    ¡°Wish to know whose terrible gaze fell upon us?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    ¡°So do I.¡±

    ***

    The harbinger of fate bit into a chestnut cream pie.

    ¡°Hmm! Thish ish good!¡±

    No calorie impact on her mortal shell plus nepo power on the owner plus on a break meant that she was ravaging the Sunflour¡¯s inventory with gusto. Four small plates were already piled on her table, forming a monument to hubris, a Babel tower of sugar and an affront to God. Nobody seemed to care but it made her feel positively sinful. An article on her datasheet spiced the pastries up with the sweet aroma of vindication.

    ¡°Gidung market cap in free fall. Emergency Board meeting in progress.¡±

    Hurting where it mattered: wallet and reputation. Nestra turned her attention to Seth, somewhat hoping that gorging on his stuff might annoy him with the ¡®family discount¡¯. Unfortunately, the goof was beaming with pride at the counter. He pointed at a verrine filled with white chocolate mousse and passion fruit puree, possibly his next offering.

    It was really hard to piss off Seth for some reason. It was like he had no real ego. All her teasing were universally taken as gestures of attention. And he loved attention. From her. Maybe from Stibs as well, though the way he talked about her, he saw her in, well, a different way then what she thought was normal for partners. From her limited experience.

    Her visor beeped, and she moved her shoulder carefully. The runner woman had clipped her. The wound on her real form still pained her. There were still non-gleams who could make her bleed, not just that, but the woman couldn¡¯t actually even see her and she still managed one clean hit. It was inspiring, in a way. Gleams would continue to increase in numbers, but perhaps technology would be integrated instead of discarded. It was just too damn potent.

    With one last sigh, Nestra gave up on her thoughts of chocolate mousse. She nodded to Seth on her way out into the stifling heat of summer. The weather was just nice and there was something there that bothered her.

    It should be raining, because today was Shinoda Yuuji¡¯s burial, but of course that sort of serendipitous crying from the heavens happened only in movies. The world didn¡¯t give a shit that Shinoda was dead, and neither did most of Threshold. That pissed her off, even though her grief was light since, well, they had not known each other for that long. It was just that Shinoda was one of the good ones, and he¡¯d died a hero, and, just, there should be something, anything, to acknowledge that. But instead, mundane birds flew around to pick up insects.

    Her partnership with Shinoda had lasted only two weeks but now, it was time to say goodbye. She readjusted her black suit then made her way out to the nearby elevated tram station since her car was totaled. It was mostly empty at this time of the day. Only a couple of students and older folks with grocery bags sat around, casting her curious glances since she was dressed to the nines in a morbid kind of way.

    Outside, the cozy houses and low buildings of her district gave way to brick buildings, then to a park as the tram slowly made its way along the kaiju wall. The wind carried the distant scent of the Pacific Ocean when Nestra climbed off, not too far east. The park was open and wide with low, carefully cut grass. The few people leaving with her did so in a subdued mood and the usual flock of children was missing. Around her, tall columns dotted the ground in miniature stonehenges with people gathering in loose clumps of dark-colored garbs. Nestra made her way to the one Kim had referred to, close to a pond surrounded by zen sculptures. The susurrus of flowing water calmed her nerves.

    There were quite a few more people than she expected.

    At first, she hesitated a little since those looked at her with curiosity. Even in Threshold, there was an invisible wall formed by a group of mourners when they were obviously of the same ethnic or cultural group ¡ª in this case Japanese. The sight of a diverse group of cops in the distance confirmed that she was in the right place. She made her way up towards the mausoleum. Her stress faded as the groups didn¡¯t push her away and she finally spotted Kim atop some stairs.

    If there was any doubt the two of them were closer than they let on, this dispelled it. Officer Kim wore a regal black kimono with her dark hair tied back with a white ribbon, a mark of respect to the deceased when she could have worn a hanbok though the ribbon was most likely a korean thing, from the vids she watched. Nestra wasn¡¯t exactly sure about the etiquette here, but the rest of the mourners seemed to approve since no one was being hostile. Not like Nestra could do anything but learn from the diplomatic civil servant. More importantly, Kim carried the urn containing Shinoda¡¯s ashes. Cremation was compulsory for anyone buried within the walls of the city but the role of carrying them to the mausoleum usually fell with the widow if there was one. Kim stood above the crowd as if daring them to challenge her. Shinoda¡¯s ex-wife was conspicuously absent.

    She started the ceremony at 3PM sharp. By that time, the heat had turned slightly uncomfortable. Nestra only half-followed the proceedings. There was a Shinto priest, a very old gleam who looked at everyone with quiet benevolence. Nestra voided his gaze just because she was feeling pissy. Then came quite a few people saying how Shinoda had saved them, somehow.

    Each story was short but it was clear he¡¯d mattered.

    Maybe that was better than rain.

    It felt strange, getting to know someone better after they were dead. She would have liked to meet him in an izakaya for more beer and food if he¡¯d lasted long enough, but he¡¯d gone the way he¡¯d lived, touching and saving more lives than was wise to. In a way, he had more hubris than she did but while hers was a thing she reined in, Shinoda had embraced it. And then, he¡¯d fought to the end. And he¡¯d died. With his finger on the trigger.

    The ceremony didn¡¯t last for a very long time. More than a lack of things to say, Nestra felt it was the distance between the mourners that was to blame for the reserved silence. Shinoda had helped without reserve but his benefactors didn¡¯t actually know one another. The various groups eyed their counterparts warily from an angle when they thought no one was looking. Nestra watched all of this from afar and wondered if they were jealous that someone else had been saved and made feel so special. Eventually, she watched Kim finally place the urn in an empty box of the mausoleum, then the place was sealed and the massive dark slab returned to being a monolith to the dead of the threshold city.

    The mourners solemnly made their way to pay their respect. Many spoke to the shaman who offered words of comfort. Nestra and he exchanged a glance and he moved away, apparently accepting that she wasn¡¯t interested in talking.

    The afternoon went on. Clouds gathered to provide some welcome shade. The wind picked up until the weather cooled to more pleasant temperatures. The mourners trickled away but Nestra waited, leaning against one of the slabs. She wasn¡¯t in a hurry.

    Kim only sobbed when she thought she was alone.

    Nestra stood by and waited. There was really no need to interrupt. And also no need to get physical. Kim really didn¡¯t give off any huggable vibes and Nestra had been tempted to jump on Sashimi just to feel what it would be like.

    It was remarkable that she was the first to feel the intruder come. Nestra could tell from the straightening shoulders and the discreet application of tissue to her face, then she looked out herself and saw a woman approaching, a Japanese one in an impeccable suit. Handsome in a mature way. While Kim¡¯s ¡®touch ups¡¯ had turned her into a distant and efficient worker, this one exuded majesty. She meant to impress. An aug bodyguard strode after her though not too close. He wasn¡¯t enjoying himself. The ground was too open, maybe.

    The woman addressed Kim in English. She had to know Kim¡¯s Japanese was perfect but she did it anyway.

    ¡°How come I learn about my husband¡¯s death from social media?¡±

    She spat the last two words. A few late visitors turned her way. Nestra put on her visor and started to film just in case.

    Kim replied with all the dignity of the bereaved. Nestra didn¡¯t need a translator to guess Kim reminded the late comer she was the ex-wife. She did so in Japanese, again, a power move. The two women talked in a glacial tone. At some point, the bodyguard took a step forward and that was all the signal Nestra needed. She stepped up next to Kim, drawing the gaze of the two.

    ¡°I hope there isn¡¯t gonna be a problem,¡± she said with a tight smile.

    The bodyguard flexed his muscle under a too tight suit. They bulged, but Nestra could tell from the wandering gaze that he had concerns.

    Her time to flex, she guessed. With a ¡®tut tut¡¯, she clasped her badge to her breast pocket. Now if the guy put a hand on her, that was two years in prison and his license revoked.

    He reconsidered.

    There was a certain hypocrisy in pulling ranks when she despised the gleams for doing the same. The difference was that she was not being an asshole. At least, in her own eyes.

    ¡°This does not concern you,¡± the ex-wife finally told her.

    ¡°Oh, but it does. I was Shinoda¡¯s partner and you are making a scene. At a funeral, no less.¡±

    Nestra tapped her visor to indicate the woman was being recorded. If she was still a career politician, as Shinoda had mentioned, then this would not show her in a good light. The woman sneered at Kim one last time.

    ¡°Mada owatta wake de wa arimasen. This is not over yet.¡±

    They left, the woman striding with all the fury hell does not have and the bodyguard trudging after her. Kim remained unmoving as a statue for a long time, Nestra waiting by her side.

    ¡°Thank you, Palladian. You have made a difficult moment bearable.¡±

    ¡°You seem to have it handled. I was merely providing support.¡±

    ¡°I was ten seconds away from slapping the bitch.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    They waited some more. In the distance, someone played the flute. It wasn¡¯t very good.

    ¡°We are done here,¡± Kim finally said. ¡°For now. Let us walk. Since you are here, I wanted to go over a few things before I retire for the day. I do believe I will take a short break after that so we might as well finish first.¡±

    The prim Officer picked up a small object from her kimono¡¯s inner pocket. It was a tiny jammer. She wasn¡¯t taking any chances.

    The pair walked by the pond, then they made their way through an alley of tall sycamores. Kim appeared distracted. There was something about so much open ground that gave Nestra vertigo, made her feel unsafe rather than relaxed. Or perhaps it wasn¡¯t open ground per se but her fragile, imperfect human form who couldn¡¯t smell the enemy come and couldn¡¯t trick sensors.

    ¡°First things first, we just received word from Gidung. They have decided to settle for the murder attempt on you by drone. They will give up the idiot responsible for the operation under charges of reckless endangerment and provide you with a comfortable compensation of one point two million credits if you accept.¡±

    ¡°Reckless endangerment? This was attempted assassination.¡±

    ¡°It is up to you to accept or refuse, of course, but my advice is to take the deal since Gidung will otherwise clam up and hide their idiot behind an army of lawyers. It would take years before you see money. This way, the culprit will spend three years behind bars at the Red House.¡±

    Nestra thought about it.

    ¡°Did they say who it was?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not cooperating until we sign. At least not on this.¡±

    ¡°And we know they will give up the right person¡­ how?¡±

    ¡°Because we¡¯ll have AIs go over their records, of course.¡±

    If she accepted the deal she would have a name, and then kill the guy if she felt like it. Not to mention, she needed money for a new car. The insurance wasn¡¯t covering more than a third of the price since the car itself had been pretty old.

    ¡°Yeah ok sure.¡±

    ¡°Good choice. I will also take the liberty of flagging that imbecile in our system to make his life miserable from now on. Can I drive you back?¡±

    They had arrived near a parking lot.

    ¡°Uh. Sure.¡±

    They climbed in a nice hovercraft, black. The inside was perfectly clean and smelled vaguely of lavender. It was devoid of any trinkets, not even a loose wrapper, but there were three ports for charging electronics.

    Once the doors were closed, Kim leaned forward.

    ¡°By the way, a janitorial team found a body and a demolished sniper rifle in the Levant Project Tower. How fortuitous. The dead might have made an attempt on Mr Watkins¡¯ life otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Serendipitous indeed.¡±

    Kim assessed Nestra for a moment. The secret demon didn¡¯t react. There were already too many people knowing about her. Let Kim wonder a bit.

    ¡°We may have a job for someone of your peculiar skill, outside of the walls. There is a¡­ developing situation in one of the enclaves. It will have to come later, however. Your performance during the invasion has raised some questions. I have removed you from the active roster for the time being, and you will be replaced by peacekeepers trained specifically for the task. The end goal is to have District Fifteen law enforcement done by its own residents. You should go say goodbye at some point.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    ¡°I believe some paid leave would do you good since there is a possibility you will be¡­ involved in our inquiries. How does that sound?¡±

    ¡°Pretty good. I wanted to spend a bit more time with my family anyway.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Kim asked with some doubt.

    ¡°I have some catching up to do.¡±

    ***

    Helena had this guarded expression Nestra recognized in pictures of her around the same age. A bit hopeful, but mostly expecting some bullshit. The young gleam clutched her training gear with a nervousness that her face tried very hard not to express. It didn¡¯t help that Nestra had brought her to a decrepit parking lot at the center of an abandoned hospital in the back of a rental van. If she wanted to give off psycho killer vibes, she couldn¡¯t have possibly done better.

    ¡°So¡­ we¡¯re training here?¡± the young gleam asked with obvious disbelief.

    ¡°Yes, well, no. Around. But first we need to talk.¡±

    Nestra stepped out. It took a while for Helena to join her on a bench overlooking an abandoned zen garden. The hospital extended in a square all around to form a vaguely oppressive prison.

    Helena¡¯s mana was leaking. It tasted familiar to Nestra¡¯s dull senses but it also meant Helena was really, really nervous. Not good.

    ¡°Shit, I should have picked a better place.¡±

    ¡°Hmm damn right we should have. That¡¯s like the set of some horror story where the stupid teens get picked off by a shadow monster, or something.¡±

    ¡°Yeah it¡¯s my bad. It¡¯s just, at least here we won¡¯t be listened on.¡±

    ¡°By Riel Nestra have you, like, killed someone or something?¡±

    Nestra blinked.

    ¡°Yeah but how does it relate?¡±

    ¡°Nestra! Killing people is bad! Oh shit you¡¯re a cop. I always forget. You guys don¡¯t really mind.¡±

    ¡°Damn it, Claire, get out of this body.¡±

    ¡°Hahaaaa! No but seriously what is this about?¡±

    ¡°Ok so, it¡¯s a bit weird but it¡¯s about me and¡­ how it¡¯s¡­ Look, there is no good way to say this. You¡¯re like that, with the weird attunement and the bursts of anger, because of me. It¡¯s¡­ not exactly my fault but it definitely happened because I existed and¡­ I think you have a right to know. No, I believe you have a right to know.¡±

    Helena immediately rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Oh my Riel Nestra not you too for fuck sake. I know the conversation by heart. I already got this shit from mom. Stop it. Stooooop it. You¡¯re not helping, ok?¡±

    ¡°No, listen, I¡¯m serious.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah I know the draft. ¡®If only I have been here when you were a child¡¯ and ¡®I was too focused on my own boo boos¡¯. Cut it. I want actions, not words. The sparring idea is good, though I really don¡¯t see how this place is good for sparring¡­¡±

    ¡°There is a portal underneath. In the shelter.¡±

    ¡°There¡­ Oh. Oooooh. Wait, you¡¯re fucking crazy.¡±

    ¡°And it¡¯s my responsibility because I was born first and you got void as an affinity because of it.¡±

    ¡°Riiiiight.¡±

    Nestra bore her gaze into Helena¡¯s amused, yet still worried black orbs. She had normal sclera but the iris and pupil really were like her own. It was uncanny.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m not human.¡±

    ¡°Riiight. Right. Wait, shit, you¡¯re serious?¡±

    ¡°Dead serious. I was born non human, and mom¡¯s body was¡­ affected. And you got the void affinity and the anger as a result. Also our dad is not my real dad. I mean, not genetically. Probably. Whatever.¡±

    Helena¡¯s mouth hung open.

    ¡°I can prove it but you got to promise not to freak out.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ are not human?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°And¡­. who knows about this?¡±

    ¡°Exactly five people. Three who shouldn¡¯t be, I had to help.¡±

    ¡°So, uh, ok? Are you going to¡­ show me?¡±

    ¡°Yep. If that¡¯s ok, I mean.¡±

    ¡°And you brought me here becaaaaause?¡±

    ¡°The portal. If you were, I mean if you took it well, I thought we could have a bonding moment.¡±

    ¡°And not because you wanted to kill me and get rid of the body if I threatened anything?¡±

    Nestra paled. Horror filled her chest.

    ¡°Wha ¡ª what? No! No, of course not I would never! Helena!¡±

    ¡°Ok ok ok ok sorry I shouldn¡¯t have. My bad.¡±

    ¡°I, shit I didn¡¯t think it would worry you so much I¡¯m so sorry!¡±

    ¡°I know thinking¡¯s a bit hard for you but just listen to me! I¡¯m fine, just show me non human Nestra!¡±

    ¡°Ok. Sure. Don¡¯t freak out.¡±

    ¡°You have tentacles?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Horns?¡±

    ¡°... yes.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so wired! Come on, show me.¡±

    Nestra sighed. It wasn¡¯t going the way she¡¯d expected. Helena was just so exuberant but¡­ maybe that was better? She pulled off her mask. Immediately, the world became more. She could hear the birds nesting on the second floor cafeteria. Her nose picked the dust and the rot and the wild flowers growing through the cracks. The wind caressed her skin. Mana pulsated wildly from her little sister, familiar yet strange on a human. Said little sister was now standing but Nestra was still looking down at her in her best, most harmless impression of a meek demon.

    ¡°Wooooooow.¡±

    ¡°Yep, it¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so tall!¡±

    ¡°And ssstill growing.¡±

    ¡°And your voice is so low-pitched?¡±

    ¡°Also because I¡¯m really tall.¡±

    ¡°Are those horns?¡±

    ¡°As I said, yesss.¡±

    ¡°Can I touch them?¡±

    ¡°No, please. Very sensitive.¡±

    ¡° Holy shit what are you?¡±

    ¡°A Gray Demon.¡±

    ¡°Yeah I can see that but what is it called?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Err. Gray Demon.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Unless you want the latin name but please don¡¯t address me by my genus and clade?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so wireeeeeeeed. How long have you been, you know, that?¡±

    ¡°Hm. From birth. But I only figured it out recently.¡±

    ¡°So is this why you have no core? Is that part of the disguise?¡±

    ¡°Hm. No. My body needed a lot more mana to grow so¡­ it cannibalized the human core.¡±

    ¡°WHAT REALLY?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You nommed your own core? That¡¯s so wired! Can you, like, regrow it?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think so. My true form has a core anyway. It¡¯s¡­ serviceable.¡±

    ¡°Nice. And can you use mana and everything?¡±

    ¡°Yes, void, same as you. Or rather, you are the same as me.¡±

    ¡°Riiiiight! Can you tell me more about who your dad is then? Are there more like you? Oh, are you infiltrating human society to overthrow it and control the government? Wait, you¡¯re not going to do that, right?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Aw.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you more about what I am, partly because it endangers you and partly because, well, I know very little myself. But we are hunters, not manipulators. At least, I think so.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you can have human shapes and you¡¯re not evil manipulators bent on world domination?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t talk for other Gray Demons I assume exist but as far as I am concerned, I absolutely and very definitely couldn¡¯t possibly be arsed.¡±

    ¡°Damn. You show up with super infiltration power in human society and you stay for fun?¡±

    ¡°And gastronomy.¡±

    Helena huffed though a smile tugged at her lips.

    ¡°That¡¯s some high mindset here. I like it. Actually, you just asked me to bring my axe expecting me to, like, be okay about all of this?¡±

    ¡°I was certainly hoping for it, yeah.¡±

    ¡°And we just go into the portal and kill stuff? Wait, that means you¡¯re registered as a gleam then?¡±

    ¡°No, at least not yet and¡­ this portal isn¡¯t registered yet.¡±

    ¡°ILLEGAL RAIDING?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°What about the loot?¡±

    ¡°Black market.¡±

    ¡°This is so damn wiiiiiiirred. WAIT A MINUTE YOU ARE A COP IS THIS A STING OPERATION?¡±

    ¡°Human Nestra is a cop. Demon Nestra¡­¡±

    Nestra shrugged.

    ¡°She is one hungry girl. And Threshold¡¯s gleams are not exactly tolerant of non-humans.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I mean. Oh. You would be killed on sight. At least by the old guard.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°I am part of a secretive criminal conspiracy. Oooooh this is so wired. I wish I could tell someone, but I won¡¯t. Oooh this is so damn wired. Can we go now? Can we go?¡±

    ¡°Get in your training armor. I¡¯ll go grab my sword.¡±

    ¡°Yes. YES! We were only scheduled to raid shit portals at the end of the semester, and even then only under guard. You¡­ you¡¯ll cover my back, right?¡±

    Nestra used momentum to step really close. Helena jumped back with a yelp.

    ¡°WAH!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m actually quite strong. This is a D-class portal. We¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Get that damn sword and let¡¯s goooooooooooo!¡±

    ***

    ¡°Sooo what now?¡±

    ¡°Just like the textbooks say. You just need to push your hands into the portal after coating them with mana.¡±

    ¡°Like that? WHA¡ª

    ***

    Nestra drifted through the hospital portal into a forest. Leaves covered the ground in patterns she didn¡¯t recognize. The trunks were smooth and striped like a zebra¡¯s hide. They were also red. Above her, a bluish sun cast late afternoon rays that provided little heat while Helena finished collapsing from the entrance portal.

    ¡°¡ªAHT. Oh. Huh, it was easier than I expected.¡±

    ¡°Might be the void element. Hss.¡±

    They stood in a clearing. The ground rose and fell in tiny mounds and deep recesses and the air smelled of mud and rotten leaves, altogether not unpleasant at all. The distant din of battle surrounded them on all sides though Nestra wasn¡¯t too concerned. It had a distant, fake quality she couldn¡¯t quite place. It was more a setting than a reality. That told her what sort of portal this would be.

    Helena stood up, She looked a little ridiculous in her training gear since it was so bulky, but it would definitely help. Her axe sucked since it was a dull weapon but she knew how to coat and it was all she needed with void mana. And it was still a large piece of metal swung by a gleam so¡­ not exactly harmless. And Nestra was here.

    ¡°A portal world! I¡¯m inside a portal world! What do we do now, explore?¡±

    ¡°No. Battle.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Nestra pointed. A short humanoid creature emerged from the treeline, clad in a gambeson with pieces of shiny metal strapped here and there. He looked surprisingly humanoid but his features were much more feral, his skin drawn, and the hair on top of his head was dark and thick like a horse¡¯s mane. He growled when he saw them, then picked a mace hanging by his side and charged. A dozen warriors followed quickly after him. Only their hair color and weapon truly differed, though the first had by far the most protection.

    ¡°Battle,¡± Nestra said. ¡°You take the leader.¡±

    ¡°YAAAAAAAH!¡±

    Nestra had been worried her sister might hesitate but the girl was meeting her foe head on with her axe held high. It was weird watching her be so fearless. She really trusted Nestra.

    Speaking of.

    Nestra used momentum to move to the first of two archers, dispatching him with a single punch. They were D-class. She was almost a step above. She was also twice their size and monstrously stronger. There was no context and yet, when his skull crumpled, she still felt her mind grow slightly faster.

    She took out the next archer in the same breath. Helena made contact with the squad leader. She didn¡¯t coat, but her strength was alone to push him back. Her follow up was slightly too slow to land a solid blow, Nestra judged. The demon rushed to a spear wielder trying to flank Helena. A kick crushed his spine. She slew a sword fighter with a void blade an instant later.

    The barrier between worlds shivered. Nestra tensed, knowing what it meant. She grabbed a shield bearer before crushing his vertebrae. Helena fell back when another spear fighter threatened her flank. Solid battle instinct. Not bad, but though the warriors were little danger¡­

    Sashimi swam into this world.

    ¡°Sashimi if you touch a hair off her head, I swear to¡­ to¡­¡±

    But the shark just hovered above them. Their dark gaze met Nestra¡¯s own and in them, she felt a sort of baffled condescension, along with a feeling words could only express one way.

    Cub.

    That was it. Sashimi would not attack Helena because Helena was a cub.

    ¡°You leave her alone but you attacked me? What?¡±

    Nestra used momentum to appear in the middle of the surviving fighters before they could surround Helena. Her strikes were precise and, to be frank, there wasn¡¯t much challenge here. It would be a little boring without Helena. Maybe she could fight without any mana at all? No, that was hubris talking. When Helena was here, Nestra would take no risks.

    Rival.

    Not cub.

    ¡°REALLY?¡±

    Her sister did a nifty maneuver and managed to strike the enemy across the chest. It didn¡¯t break through the armor there but the blow was enough to send the leader on his back. Before he could recover, Helena stepped forward to bring her axe down. The blade erupted with a dark corona. Her void was a wild thing, hard to control yet oh so destructive.

    The blade cleaved through an arm, the chest, and the loam below. A little bit of blood sprayed the armor.

    Helena stepped back. She pressed her hand to her torso, then found her fingers sticky with her victim¡¯s fluids. She took a deep, shuddering breath.

    ¡°Wow. Feels different when they¡¯re humanoid. Wait, what is that thing? A pet? You have a pet shark?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call Sashimi a pet, per se.¡±

    ¡°Can I touch it?¡±

    The traitorous shark bumped Helena with their snout. Then stole her victim¡¯s severed arm before lazily floating away.

    ¡°It¡¯s so glorious and buoyant!¡± Helena declared.

    The damn emergency seafood banquet went for one of the dead spearmen.

    Nestra was livid.

    It was so unfair.

    ***

 Part 20

    Nestra watched while Helena engaged in the time-honored tradition of divesting the dead of their belongings. Sadly, this was a relatively benign D-class world and the pickings seemed slim indeed.

    That was a first world problem, to be fair. Primitive societies would love to recover the high purity metal contained in the fallen warriors¡¯ weapons and armor. In Threshold, they would be absolutely useless. The city mined its own minerals in special enclaves, recurring portals, and it recycled a lot as well. Nevertheless, Helena was consciously piling all the shinies in a single pile.

    She finally hit something valuable.

    ¡°Gold!¡± she exclaimed.

    The leader had a single, tiny bar of the precious metal engraved with a really stylistic depiction of a bird. Or maybe it was a really ugly leaf. Nestra couldn¡¯t tell.

    ¡°Yes! Gold. It¡¯s worth something, right?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Enchanters use it a lot, and gold found in portals often have some properties so¡­ this is probably worth a couple hundred creds. The bar is just very small and the purity doesn¡¯t seem very high. You can give it to me and I¡¯ll sell it on the black market. Return the cash.¡±

    ¡°No, I want to keep it. This is my first portal world. I¡¯m clearing it with you, my sister, the gray demon, and that¡¯s the most wired thing ever. Yeah, I¡¯ll keep it as a souvenir. First trophy yay! I won¡¯t get in trouble, right?¡±

    ¡°Just hide it from mom and dad. You¡­ can do that, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, obviously? They¡¯re afraid to step into my room.¡±

    ¡°Yeah because it¡¯s a disgusting pigsty.¡±

    ¡°I cleaned it! I cleaned it!¡±

    ¡°Did you discover a new species of fungus maybe? Name it after yourself?¡±

    ¡°Har har. Hmm so, what now? Is this a fae world?¡±

    Nestra looked around, The distant sounds of battle were still present, though she wasn¡¯t too worried. This was a rather common portal type.

    ¡°Looks like a faerie conflict world, yeah. It will feel like we¡¯re at the edge of a battlefield. We¡¯ll come across patrols and scouts, or rather, they¡¯ll come across us.¡±

    ¡°Are they really faeries, you think?¡±

    ¡°Nope. I think the first raiders just picked the name because the fighters were short individuals with exaggerated features. And also, super cruel.¡±

    ¡°Your low-pitched voice is kinda relaxing. Can you keep it in human form?¡±

    ¡°Focus, Helena!¡±

    ¡°Sorry sorry sorry.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, D-class worlds don¡¯t have royals. Those are much, much stronger than their foot soldiers. You must still pay attention to their war beasts. And watch your footing.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ we¡¯re going?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°No battle formation?¡±

    Nestra crossed her arms.

    ¡°What formation? This is a void raid. You stand alone. I am only covering your back because it is the first time.¡±

    ¡°Okay! What about¡­ them?¡±

    She pointed at the menacing shadow of the void shark swimming through the air above like a sleek missile of smug voracity. And also duplicity. And also food theft.

    ¡°Dunno. Sashimi is absolutely useless, in my experience.¡±

    She frowned at the shark, just to make sure they got the intent. Perhaps they did since they flicked their tail in a way that felt very much like a ¡®fuck you¡¯.

    ¡°Ok! Rely on myself. Got it. But hmmm. if there are plenty of enemies just like last time¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you if you don¡¯t stand a chance.¡±

    ¡°Works for me! Riel, this is exciting. The teachers at school don¡¯t really trust me that much because, you know, I always have to hold back. But here I¡¯m free to go all out! Ok! Raid on.¡±

    Helena stepped out carefully, and Nestra followed at a distance with Sashimi providing, errr, overshark. Nestra wasn¡¯t sure what the hell the void creature was up to. Maybe just garbage disposal. It wasn¡¯t competing with her for the portal guardian, this time.

    Helena followed a small trail forward, barely more than a beast trail snaking its way between the zebra-striped trunks of the crimson forest. The uneven ground meant that sometimes, she lost sight of Helena behind a sharp incline but that was fine. The autumn air and the smell of fallen leaves made the trek pleasant, a contrast to the sounds of battle. Sometimes close, sometimes far, they were punctuated by great screams and the detonations of mighty spells. They still sounded off to Nestra. She almost expected to find tiny audio things cleverly hidden in trees but the sounds came from all around, probably directly generated at the edges of this temporary world. Whatever battle it emulated must have been massive and really, really bloody if the screams of the dying were any indication.

    Nestra was the first to hear the two scouts shuffling in position. She approached, ready to help just in case as Helena progressed deeper into the forest. One of the scouts drew on a bow.

    Helena couldn¡¯t see him from where she was. She also couldn¡¯t hear him with her low D-class ears, and yet, Nestra saw her react. As the arrow flew towards her head, Helena moved to the side and the projectile clanged uselessly against the training armor. Another shot pinged against a carefully angled pauldron. When the next arrow flew, Helena was already halfway up the slope with her axe in position. Nestra moved up to make sure she was close enough. She needn¡¯t have worried. Helena caught up with the first scout with decent speed and cut through the bow and the creature in a single void-infused strike. The other scout shot her in the back but once again, Helena moved just in time for the armor to take the blow, instead of her knee. She closed the distance with the last scout in moments using her speed and superior size. The scout screeched as it unsheathed a dagger. It didn¡¯t make any difference.

    Helena was left standing over two gored corpses, unscathed.

    She breathed hard and looked around, making sure she hadn¡¯t missed anybody. Nestra felt a pang of pride at the sight of her sister doing well and taking things seriously. A smile bloomed on her lips. She let it.

    ¡°Well done. You have great battle instincts! You could even tell they were there.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know for battle instincts but I knew they were there because¡­¡±

    Helena pointed up. Sashimi was circling its next meal.

    ¡°The shark took off and started hovering over there so I figured¡­¡±

    ¡°Wow. I actually didn¡¯t notice that. You¡¯re damn smart.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t notice the large floating shark?¡±

    ¡°I try to ignore Sashimi so I¡¯m not tempted to chase it and bite it again. I currently hold a grudge.¡±

    ¡°Oh by the way, do you know if they¡¯re a he or a she?¡±

    ¡°I, uh, I don¡¯t know about void shark anatomy.¡±

    ¡°Is it like normal shark anatomy?¡±

    ¡°Define normal? Actually, nevermind I can ask someone I know.¡±

    ¡°Woooooh is it another Gray Demon?¡±

    Curse her for being sharp.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say. It¡¯s confidential.¡±

    ¡°Oooh ok I won¡¯t pry. So. Loot?¡±

    ¡°Yep. Your kill, your loot.¡±

    ¡°So you don¡¯t object if I give the bodies to Sashimi?¡±

    ¡°Sashimi¡¯s going to get fat.¡±

    ¡°But that would be so cute!¡±

    Hmmm.

    Nestra considered the question.

    Could a fattened shark be even more delicious?

    No harm in finding out.

    ***

    Helena followed the void shark to two more patrols, then disposed of them with a merciless efficiency Nestra had never expected from her bubbly sister. They grow up so fast etc. Or maybe it was that teenagers tended to be psychopathic little assholes and this was just normal. In any case, the shark swept down to kill one of the scouts that had climbed up one of the trees, possibly because Helena had not brought ranged weaponry and the shark, somehow, recognized that. They didn¡¯t find more gold but they did find obsidian shards and other trinkets that could be broken down and used in low-tier enchantments. It wasn¡¯t too bad a haul.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep those as well. Truth is, I¡¯m minoring in enchantments and I was thinking, maybe I can turn those into basic defensive tools. Like a bounce-back or something. Diversify a bit since void is not exactly versatile for me. Is that ok?¡±

    ¡°Yes, those are yours. You can do with them what you wish,¡± Nestra said.

    It was obvious to her, to the point she felt weird about Helena asking. It was the girl¡¯s hunt, her kills. It would be cruel and ridiculous of Nestra to tell the young hunter what to do with her first prizes.

    Helena continued along the trail rather proud of herself and still vigilant if the careful walk was any indication. She didn¡¯t seem to suffer from too much hubris, but there was a savagery in the way she fought that Nestra wasn¡¯t sure was the normal human standard. Her technique was also more straightforward than Nestra¡¯s. Much more direct. She relied on her strength and the dangerous coating much more, assuming the enemy would never ignore it and¡­ it was correct. So far. It was still very different from Nestra¡¯s own vicious disruptive technique.

    Nestra paused when the trail passed by a strangely even patch of sand in the middle of a clearing. Contrary to the rest of the forest, the open ground had little vegetation. The sounds of battle were also dull around here.

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Helena took a step forward, a little curious. Sashimi hovered above her.

    Nothing happened. Helena took another careful step.

    Something erupted from the center of the clearing. Nestra and Sashimi exploded into motion, Nestra grabbing Helena back while Sashimi dove, taking a bite out of a hurricane of claws and chitin. Twin mandibles snapped shut a meter away from Helena¡¯s face and even then, the whip-like crack sent shivers along even Nestra¡¯s spine. Gritty gravel flew through the air along with teal blood and then, everything returned to normal. Mostly.

    In the center of the clearing, the sand bubbled. A spray of blue ichor traced an uneven line across the area. In Nestra¡¯s arms, Helena struggled. She climbed back to her feet and brushed off her armor with shaky hands.

    ¡°Hoooly shit what was that?¡±

    ¡°Bobbit worm, hmmm.¡±

    She checked her visor and the database there.

    ¡°Eunice Manaphorditois. A really large specimen. Hm! Should we hunt it?¡±

    ¡°Hell no.¡±

    Ah, truly not a Gray Demon then, Maybe for the best. Helena was still young and inexperienced. She needed to be careful.

    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s a great answer actually. You don¡¯t really have the tools to safely defeat that threat on your own. Anyway! I¡¯m going to kill it.¡±

    ¡°Why? Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°The shell¡¯s apparently valuable and since it¡¯s so big, probably even more so. It can either be used in light armor or as magical dye according to my file. Also¡­ it¡¯s edible. And delicious.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ are going to eat that stuff? Really?¡±

    ¡°Hey, think of it as, errr.¡±

    Nestra considered her options.

    ¡°Land crustacean.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a fucking insect.¡±

    ¡°No it¡¯s not. It has more than six limbs. It¡¯s probably an arthropod.¡±

    ¡°You are bringing semantics into gastronomy?¡±

    ¡°Look, you don¡¯t have to touch it.¡±

    ¡°Maybe kill it first and then you can talk,¡± Helena said defiantly.

    Nestra shrugged. Before she could do anything, Sashimi dove and slapped the ground with its tail. The bobbit worm rushed out once more, again finding only air as the shark mockingly swam away. Nestra was off before the worm even snapped its jaw shut. It perceived her but too late. Its segmented body ponderously swept to the side, hoping to crush Nestra with weight alone but it was futile. She deftly stepped on its back and stabbed down with a void claw, severing the central nerve. The beast shivered as it fell.

    Nestra felt her bones grow slightly harder. She moved her shoulders a bit to get used to the sensation. Resistances were both rare and very nice.

    ¡°Wah,¡± Helena exclaimed while the dust settled.

    Share.

    Nestra grumbled but the shark had done half of the job so she didn¡¯t have the moral high ground. It was a matter of minutes to cut the worm apart, piling the shell and mandibles on one side for later sales. Sashimi refused to eat unless Nestra threw the pieces of meat so the shark could snap them mid-air. The process annoyed Nestra to no end. Did the spare seafood banquet want to eat or not? What was its deal alway? She grumbled as she packed the bobbit tail meat into her backpack since it was the best part. Well, second best part after the brainstem but she let Sashimi have it.

    ¡°What now? Also, ew.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to touch anything and I didn¡¯t pierce their entrails so you have no right to complain. Ok, so we must be getting close to the guardian. I will handle the followers while you focus on them. According to my database, they should be a scout leader.¡±

    ¡°Oh! I know that, it was even in one of my exams. Enchanted weapons and good technique. I got it.¡±

    It suddenly occurred to Nestra that Helena was attending a school she had personally dropped out of, so technically, Helena was a better trained and more knowledgeable raider than she was.

    ¡°Huh. Ok then. One last thing because you may have forgotten. Remember that in a portal world, the local fauna is as dangerous as the main foes.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know. Sorry about that. I just don¡¯t think that species is very common. I¡¯ll be more careful!¡±

    ¡°You are doing really well. Ok, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Once again, Helena took point. The sounds of battle increased again to the point it sounded like the pair was heading straight towards it, even though it was probably long over in whatever world it had taken place in. They spotted a clearing very soon and a sound of alarm came from a scout standing at the edge of the trees. Helena didn¡¯t seem disappointed. It was almost impossible for D-class raiders to take the fae scouts by surprise anyway. Despite their typical monster aggression, which tended to make them more reckless, ¡®fae¡¯ warriors remained on average much more skillful than humans who had to rely on their massive physical advantages to triumph. Nestra kept that in mind as she pushed ahead of Helena to engage them.

    She burst out of the clearing and used momentum in the same instant, taking her surroundings mid-step. This was a camp, less fortified than camouflaged though there were a few earthworks designed to stop mounts. A tall tree stood at the top of a small hill and a large tent hid under its boughs. Warriors stood in a loose formation around a spear-wielding captain with hound-like creatures baying at her, though they looked more like trackers than war beasts.

    Arrows whistled behind her. She repositioned.

    The leader and obvious guardian was only slightly taller than his subordinates but there was a difference in his features that gave her pause. They were refined and smooth where the others were beastial. Almond eyes, much larger than those of a human, followed her mid teleport. The being also wore an elaborate and elegant leather armor that shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow. His hair fell down his back in an elegant silvery waterfall. For all his grace, there was something deeply disturbing in the blood dripping down his mouth. He was chewing on something and she wagered it wasn¡¯t chicken.

    The noble ordered his soldiers forward in a sybillant tongue but Nestra was already in their midst. She tore through their ranks easily since they had preferred to give each other a wide berth. It was almost too easy. Her boredom pushed her to take special care in dodging the arrows rather than letting her thick skin block them. That was decent training at least, and the motivation helped her keep motivated.

    Sashimi fell on the archers hiding among the branches above her. She killed but kept her attention on the noble, who ordered his men to close ranks around him while the hounds were left to fend for themselves. Those were still D-rank monsters, all of them. They stood no chance against her, so Nestra merely disposed of them as efficiently as possible while still doing her best to dodge the arrows. And there was the power from the kills, even now pushing against her core though the boost felt rather inefficient.

    Helena cut down two spearmen blocking her way, using her strength and non infused attacks. The fae tried to deflect her strikes but there was just a lot of power behind each one and they fell, overwhelmed before they could bring their techniques to bear. The captain gave Nestra one last furious glance before charging down the slope towards the roaring axe girl challenging him. Nestra used the opportunity to finish her sweep, all the while following the duel as it progressed.

    The noble fae deflected Helena¡¯s first assault with a flick of his spear. He was obviously proficient at fighting against a superior opponent but Helena was expecting it. Her strikes were precise enough to make every parry difficult. Nestra saw the pained fury on the captain¡¯s twisted features every time an attack made his lithe arms shudder. Helena wasn¡¯t using coating yet. She was saving mana for a finishing blow.

    The result was that Helena¡¯s training axe was getting damaged. With every deflection, the fae¡¯s enchanted spear bit more into the axe¡¯s blade. Helena didn¡¯t care or maybe she didn¡¯t notice. Nestra believed the girl had a plan, and her patience was rewarded. With a savage blow, the noble managed to cut a piece off of Helena¡¯s axe.

    Helena didn¡¯t stop. She flipped the axe and bashed the surprised noble with the haft, sending him crashing backward. She was on him in an instant. Her axe went up, then down, engulfed in void energy.

    This was where the fae superiority shone. The noble dropped his spear and surged forward, blocking the blow with a vambrace. In the same, smooth movement, he managed to lodge the enchanted piece of armor exactly where Helena¡¯s axe showed damage. Gossamer energy fought against the fizzling void and still lost. Blood, crimson and vibrant, sprayed from the wound but the noble had gained breathing room. His hand went for a sheath hidden near his waist.

    Nestra used momentum to jump forward just as Sashimi dove but she got there first. She managed to grab the noble¡¯s hand before the enchanted dagger could burrow itself in her sister¡¯s guts.

    Then, Nestra hesitated.

    And she let the arm go.

    The enchanted blade dug into Helena¡¯s flank, now with much less momentum. It pierced the training armor like butter and when Helena moved back, blood dripped from the gash. Her sister roared and struck again, then again. The noble had gambled everything on the maneuver and failed to take her down. Helena gave him no chance to get the initiative back. She smashed through the chestplate on the third strike, and cleaved the head on the fourth.

    The noble was dead. Nestra felt no energy but that was fine. She was just glad that Helena had triumphed, sweaty, breathing hard and obviously mana-starved but victorious nonetheless.

    The noble¡¯s corpse was absolutely mangled though. Really, Helena was not afraid of getting her hands dirty.

    ¡°Wooooh that wasn¡¯t easy. Wow! I got him good though, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and I am very impressed by the way you didn¡¯t panic when you got wounded. Many people would flinch and hesitate, but you¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m wounded?¡± Helena asked, face an expression of panicked bafflement.

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m wounded? Where? Aaaaah I¡¯m bleeding! Well, it doesn¡¯t look so bad.¡±

    Helena put a finger in the gash of her armor, pulling it wet with her blood. She smudged it a bit on her glove.

    ¡°Huh. Ow. Owowowow. Ok, ok, I feel it now. It¡¯s not bad though, right?¡±

    ¡°Nope, and we have potions.¡±

    ¡°Oh good.¡±

    She stood up, a bit hesitantly. She breathed deep a couple of times, then winced. The exit portal opened inside of the tent.

    ¡°So, we can go now?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to loot first? Actually, don¡¯t you want to drink a potion first?¡±

    ¡°This is nothing. I got worse in training.¡±

    The sentence bounced around Nestra¡¯s brain three times before it suddenly clicked.

    ¡°What do you mean, you got worse in training?¡±

    Helena blushed, caught.

    ¡°Helena?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you know, sparring can get a little rough.¡±

    Nestra knew very well that it didn¡¯t. Schools were very specific about keeping their students healthy if only because healing liquids were rather expensive and in limited supply, not to mention wounded students had to stop training for a little while. It was a big fat lie.

    ¡°Helena.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it, ok? I just want to raid in peace. With you.¡±

    Nestra wanted to push a bit. Was Helena being bullied? Maybe? Her sister¡¯s mulish expression told her the girl had clammed up tight and it would be of no use to pressure her now.

    ¡°Sure, ok. Here, drink this. And you can talk to me whenever.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. And it¡¯s nothing too bad, just kid rivalries. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Helena tried her best to sound dismissive but Nestra wasn¡¯t fooled. Her reaction was too intense for it not to be bothering her. It still wouldn¡¯t help to pressure her right now. Helena was already a boiling pot of emotions right now.

    ¡°Ok.¡±

    ¡°I am! Really!¡± Helena exploded.

    And here it was, Nestra thought. Her sister calmed down and took a deep breath immediately after, however. That therapist must have taught her how to do that. It was rather impressive.

    ¡°Sorry. Anyway, it was really fun. Damn, those potions taste like ass.¡±

    ¡°Defective batch. They were supposed to taste like mint.¡±

    ¡°Like mint? Damn I¡¯m happy they taste like ass instead. Anyway, go back?¡±

    ¡°Loot first.¡±

    ¡°Oh yessss!¡±

    In the end, the harvest proved surprisingly good, including some special fruits and fae military rations humans could eat. The fruits were already cultivated and sold by the Baihua corp thanks to looted seeds, but those bastards charged an arm for a small basket so it was a good haul anyway. The spear was a minor artefact Helena intended to sell for a better, secret axe.

    ¡°Won¡¯t you get in trouble for damaging the equipment?¡± Nestra asked.

    ¡°You mean like I already destroyed seven axes fucking up the coating? I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll just fix the armor myself. Oh, can we do anything with the fae armor? It¡¯s enchanted.¡±

    The multicolored piece of armor was an artefact, though it was extremely weak. It would fit a child if the kid was awakened and someone wanted to do a ¡®bring your kid to work¡¯ day in a portal world and they repaired the massive damage first. Nestra told Helena as much.

    ¡°In other words, it¡¯s fucking useless, yea?¡±

    ¡°We can always sell it for research. Or to a collector. I guess. Or I could take it off your hands because I have a use for it.¡±

    ¡°What kind of use? A little too small for cosplay, no?¡±

    ¡°My err, it¡¯s hard to explain but I¡¯ll try. You see my body suit?¡±

    ¡°You mean the skin suit that leaves your feet bare and sticks to your tits a bit indecently?¡±

    ¡°Oh I¡¯m sorry for not being a paragon of fashionable modesty while I wade knees deep in monster guts. Anyway, yes, that, it¡¯s actually a symbiote. It eats armor to grow.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re shitting me.¡±

    ¡°And it drinks some blood as well.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re either fucking with me or this is like the most wired thing ever. Show me.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Nestra grabbed the mangle piece, feeling her Skin shift and hunger like a waking snake. She brought it to her chest.

    Darkness.

    Ripples in the fabric of space. A hell of inward-facing teeth, extending to infinity. A tongue that peeled the soul, eyes like apertures into insanity. Slavering planetoids shoved through the eye of a needle. Cracks where a thousand maws closed. A sigh of contentment like thunder in a tiny bowl.

    Reality reasserted itself.

    Something burped.

    The Skin extended to wrap around the arches of Nestra¡¯s feet, leaving the toes and heel bare.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s progress.¡±

    ¡°What the FUCK?¡±

    ¡°Wired?¡±

    ¡°Ooooh wow. What a day.¡±

    ¡°Go back and have a picnic?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Do you have booze?¡±

    ¡°How old are you again?¡±

    ¡°I think I just saw space shit itself.¡±

    ¡°But not time so you¡¯re still underage.¡±

    ¡°Riel dammit.¡±

    ***

    The beat officer walked into the empty hospital, lured in by the salivating smell. Something was wrong. There should be no one in here, and in Threshold, unusual smells could be the only hints one would get before a hidden portal breached. It was probably hobos grilling sausages over a barrel fire but¡­ better be sure. And besides, it smelled too good to be secret meat.

    She called it in and took out her service weapon, just in case. If it was hobos, they would be a little scared. If it was a break, she could unload it into a dokkaebi and run.

    If it was a D-class monster, the city would be safer for her sacrifice.

    She gulped with some difficulty. Her steps carried her through an underground parking lot. Shadows crawled around her. Any moment now, claws would close around her neck. She felt much better when the ground rose towards a small, half-dry garden.

    The smell came from a fire and she spotted its smoke in the inner courtyard. There was the top of a human head there as well, with blonde hair and a jacket.

    A human.

    The officer breathed a sigh of relief, then she stopped, unsure what to do with the scene.

    A merry fire roared in the empty clearing, and two women sat around it. A blonde one with gray eyes slathered chili oil over chunks of juicy pale meat which she then laid on a grill while a younger, dark-haired girl chewed on a vibrantly green fruit.

    It was the most bizarre sight she¡¯d ever seen.

    The two were obviously related. Also, the younger one was a gleam. She hadn¡¯t noticed at first because her eyes were so dark but the shine was there. They were eating here of all places? The amount of food piled to the side showed they had enough to feed a dozen people.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Eating.¡±

    ¡°Cooking.¡±

    The delivery was matter of fact. The voices, eerily similar. There was nothing humorous about their tones. It was like entering a tiger enclosure and they watched you but didn¡¯t move yet. The younger one felt more rebellious while the older was uncaring, and though she wasn¡¯t a gleam, she somehow felt more dangerous. Too calm.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be here, you¡¯re trespassing.¡±

    ¡°Nope, this is state property and legally the hospital never fully closed so we are, in fact, not trespassing,¡± the blonde calmly replied.

    ¡°This is ridiculous. The hospital is clearly abandoned. I will ask you to leave.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your fucking problem?¡± the gleam erupted. ¡°We¡¯re not doing anything wrong! Why don¡¯t you¡ª¡±

    ¡°What my sister is trying to say,¡± the non gleam clearly interrupted.

    Sister? Oh, some baseline parents were starting to have gleam kids. Made sense. Maybe they were hiding because of personal issues.

    ¡°Is that we are trying to have a family moment here and we are not bothering anyone. Could you please let us finish? We will clean after ourselves and not bother anyone.¡±

    The gleam smoldered in her corner, vengefully biting on her fruit. She cast the officer a dark glare as if daring her to object. The blonde woman was still the very image of detached disinterest.

    Well, it was weird but not worth anything except for a report at the station. Just in case.

    ¡°Can I ask to see some ID? Then I¡¯ll leave you alone.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± the blonde woman said, then she gave the officer a genuine police badge.

    ¡°The rat squad? Oh, sorry, didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s ok, and I didn¡¯t want to show you before because I didn¡¯t want to pull rank.¡±

    ¡°I see. Well, I¡¯ll leave you to it then. Please don¡¯t litter.¡±

    ¡°I promise. Would you like a skewer?¡±

    ¡°Never during office hours. You take care now.¡±

    The officer turned away, feeling a pair of gazes drilling into her back. She prided herself with her good instinct. Some people even said she was an intuition quirky, and perhaps they were right. It was still weird how the slightly scarred blonde woman still felt more threatening than the dark-eyed gleam girl. Probably because she was a cop. Yeah, that was it.

    The officer cast one last glance back. She could swear the rat squad woman must have felt her gaze, because she looked up from the skewers and her iris were gray, not gunmetal, more like a total absence of color. For a moment, she could almost see something else.

    Then the impression was gone.

    Nah, it was probably the fact she was a cop. May have seen some action. That was it.

 Part 21

    Nestra slipped into the world with great difficulty. The membrane resisted her efforts, pushing her away like a deep current. It felt like opening a door into a flooded room.

    Once in, she sprawled over bare stone. Immediately, stark heat assaulted her senses. The ground was harsh and unyielding under her fingers, black basalt, pitted and full of shards. Acid air filled her lungs. Before panic set in, she realized she could breathe it.

    After the heat, it was the mana that gave her vertigo. It was so incredibly thick here, cloying, like too much perfume. She struggled to her feet and shook her head. She was standing on a flat valley the color of onyx. Red and purple crystals jutted through the air like grasping fingers aimed at a sky of dark clouds crossed by the odd lightning bolt, and above it, a dark sky with no visible star. No sun. There was only a black dot.

    It was the darkest thing Nestra had ever seen. It just¡­ absorbed light completely. A gash in reality, and around it, like fire kissing an anvil, was a disc of luminous gold heat. It provided the only real source of light in that alien landscape.

    A distance away, a massive rock floated lazily away. It was as dark as the ground she stood on while yellow crystals dotted the surface of its main body. It appeared to have a flat top as well.

    She turned to the only person visible. He stood with his back to her, looking in the distance.

    ¡°Are we standing on a flying rock?¡± she asked in the tongue of the People.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Seth replied.

    She noticed he was wearing an elaborate robe that hid his muscular form well and gave him a scholarly look. She didn¡¯t need a closer look to realize it was his Skin. The material flowed a little and the pattern over his left shoulder changed to give the design a more asymmetric look. It was a little weird but Nestra could see how a morphing, living piece of clothing could be a real banger for one¡¯s wardrobe.

    ¡°Ok? And am I breathing sulfuric acid or?¡±

    Seth shrugged as he turned. He smiled at her.

    ¡°Water, carbon dioxide and, hmmm, hydrogen sulfide. Mostly. Your earth science has many answers. I love the internet.¡±

    ¡°Does that not kill people?¡±

    ¡°We are on a B-class world, little Nezhra. B-class humans won¡¯t let a little unbreathable atmosphere get in the way of their fun. As for us of the People, we are a little more resilient than that, although your fire resistance could use some work.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the one who picked the portal worlds!¡±

    ¡°Yes, and now that you are on the cusp of the second sphere, we can get started on some real diversification!¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment,¡± Nestra said, looking around.

    There were very few floating islands around, at least that she could see though more could be hidden in nearby dark clouds.

    ¡°Won¡¯t we be found here? Aren¡¯t B-class worlds cleared as soon as they open?¡±

    ¡°The permanent ones, yes, but it takes the guilds some time and this place is out of the way. Besides, trust me when I tell you I would feel them come long before they spot us.¡±

    ¡°Oh, ok. So. C-class? Then sparring?¡±

    ¡°Practice then sparring, yes. But before, a little bit of theory. What humans call classes and we call spheres or circles, do you know about them?¡±

    ¡°I mean, I know what everyone knows. Dokkaebi are the lowest.¡±

    ¡°We make no distinction between dokkaebi and the first sphere, or D-class as you call them. Those are all creatures that are taking mana in and progressively increasing their¡­ existence, for lack of a better term. The ability to influence the world around them beyond the constraints of what their bodies would allow them to otherwise. The second sphere, or C-class, covers the creation of a physical core to match the metaphysical one, a permanent source of mana. Thus the worlds expand with every breath until the creature perishes.¡±

    ¡°B-class is magical body, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The entity will slowly reforge themselves until the physical matches the spiritual. It can be a long process, especially if the entity was grievously wounded, or born with many imperfections. They will also develop their own¡­ identity. Their own magic, if they have not yet done so.¡±

    ¡°Ok, and A-class?¡±

    ¡°Domain and concept. I could elaborate but it is hardly relevant to you, and will require a deeper understanding of what mana truly is before you can understand my explanation.¡±

    ¡°Is there a S-class?¡± she asked.

    It was top secret but Seth probably didn¡¯t know that.

    ¡°Naturally, the path continues. There are at least two more steps I know of.¡±

    ¡°WHAT? Wait, you mean¡­ the People have¡­ S plus members?¡±

    ¡°I believe humans will have to change their nomenclature if they survive that long. And yes. But that might be something I was not supposed to share, hmmmm.¡±

    ¡°Riel! Wow. Do humans know?¡±

    ¡°To my knowledge, only Shinran has steadily advanced on the fourth circle and may have the certitude there is more beyond.¡±

    ¡°Ok ok, but wait, we have, hmmm, skills. Like momentum.¡±

    ¡°Space step?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that thing. It¡¯s not a skill, is it? Not our own magic?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see what you mean. It is an ability of the People that stems from our own nature and affinity with void mana. You may see it as a, hmm, racial feature. Not all races are individually equal on the path to infinity. While humans learn fast, cooperate well, are very versatile and adaptive, we tend to be¡­ individually stronger but also very self-centered, if I may. Humans do not have access to void mana, and thus cannot develop those skills.¡±

    ¡°Except Helena.¡±

    Seth nodded.

    ¡°True, though it remains to see if she can use those skills as well. Void mana use might be very hard on her body.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of¡­¡±

    Nestra stepped closer to Seth, who watched her come impassively. It felt stupid to be worried about asking. Seth was a good person. Well, good to her. Surely, he wouldn¡¯t mind?

    ¡°So I was thinking. Helena, she, errr, might need some help training. How would you feel about training sessions together?¡±

    Seth winced. He took a deep breath, but then his expression hardened and it was like he became a whole other person. On the weird hell space background, the unyielding horned warrior intimidated Nestra a little. It was not just the traditional Christian imagery of evil. He just matched the apocalyptic vista a little too well.

    ¡°I am sorry, little Nezhra. I must refuse. You are taking too many risks, opening yourself to too many people.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s my sister.¡±

    ¡°And she is a human, and you are of the People. By now, three separate host kin know of your existence as a Gray Demon, as they call us: Mazingwe, Helena, and Gorge since his two sons have not grasped the situation. Three is a lot, especially a month after your awakening. You are taking their trust for granted, but we do not. My rules are clear. I am not here to help your family. They can and will betray you.¡±

    Nestra noticed the hard edge and felt a pang of sympathy.

    ¡°It¡­ happened to you?¡±

    Seth flinched a little, then he chuckled. There was a bitter edge in the curl of his smile.

    ¡°Yes, well guessed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry it happened to you, Sereth, but I cannot abandon my sister. She believes in me.¡±

    ¡°And I will not get in the way but I will not help either.¡±

    He sighed.

    ¡°Now might be the right time to explain the rules I am under. It will be easier to tell you what I can do. I can provide advice and training, perhaps even lend an ear since humans like to talk so much. I will intervene if the humans use their technology to track you. I will also intervene if something attacks you that you could not possibly have a chance of defeating, such as Mazingwe. The rest, I will not do.¡±

    He looked away. The goofy, sometimes stooped demon brother disappeared and in its place was a threatening being with inhuman features and eyes like portals into the abyss. He stood like an immovable mountain and he felt very, very dangerous to her instincts.

    ¡°I will not save you from yourself or your failures. That is not our way, and I will not change them, not even for you. If you make a mistake in combat, you die. If you attack more than you can chew in the real world, you die. If you lose your temper and reveal your form in a room full of human users, you die. If you have to crawl on broken limbs back to an entrance portal because you overestimated yourself and succumbed to hubris, you crawl, or you die. If you must eat the dead with your skinned fingers because you are lost and starving, you eat, or you die. If any of your friends or relatives find themselves in danger and I could do something to save them, I will not. If Helena is in danger and you fail to save her, she will die. The same applies to Gorge.¡±

    ¡°What about Aunt Claire?¡±

    ¡°There is nothing that can take her down that you would stand a chance against.¡±

    ¡°What about Stibs?¡±

    ¡°Siobhan¡­ is MINE. HSSSS.¡±

    Fear. It hit her like a wave. Nestra had to take a step back before reason reasserted itself and she could remember this was Seth, and he would never hurt her on purpose.

    ¡°Siobhan concerns me, and I will act according to my own rules. The others are yours. Protect them, or fail to do so, or do not try. It is your decision and the burden of success or failure are yours to carry, but you will carry them. I will only stop what you had no way to predict. Do you understand?¡±

    Nestra considered the question.

    ¡°If I stand against a corpo to protect a friend and they find me and send a heavy hitter after me, will you intervene?¡±

    ¡°Did you take enough precautions, and was your identity found due to superior technology you could not have predicted? Then yes? Do I believe you acted like a stupid whelp? Then you will never reach our dwelling. It is that simple.¡±

    ¡°Ok, got it. I think. I just¡­ despite my misgivings, I really care about people. I was just too hurt to realize it. Too focused on my pain. I just hope my idealism will not kill me.¡±

    ¡°Then back it up with a measure of cold detachment. It is not your goal I am judging, but your methods.¡±

    Something whispered at the back of Nestra¡¯s mind.

    ¡°What if I just started killing people in secret to grow stronger? Would you stop me then?¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Seth replied, completely uncaring. ¡°You would not be the first kin to, ah, jump start your growth that way.¡±

    ¡°I mean, it feels like I could just keep killing host kin and I would always get growth,¡± she remarked.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    Maybe Gray Demons were threats to their host kin most of all. She wondered if more aware species had groups dedicated to rooting out and killing demons spawn before they could grow.

    Seth was looking in the distance.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°This is not a host kin specificity. We suspect this might be¡­ a human specificity.¡±

    ¡°What? But, that means other¡ª¡±

    ¡°This is neither here nor now.¡±

    A chill crawled up Nestra¡¯s spine despite the stifling heat.

    Could the People be inquiring into¡­ but no, they are hunters. They would never farm humans.

    Sereth crossed his arms. It looked like he was done.

    ¡°Should we talk about cores next?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes. The possession of a physical core is the mark of a second sphere, ah, C-class entity.¡±

    He was returning to his usual enthusiastic self. The dichotomy was making her head spin.

    ¡°Still can¡¯t believe Aunt Claire has a solid ball inside her heart,¡± she remarked to dispel the last dregs of heavy mood.

    ¡°The idea of a core as a ball is inaccurate. It is portrayed like this in the media because of human expectations. In reality, the shape varies. As for its superimposition with the flesh, there are essays on space warping I will not share with you but suffice to say, it is not fully there.¡±

    ¡°Is it the same as¡­ my human and my demon form? Sorry for the segue.¡±

    ¡°No it is alright. Both rely on space manipulation, however demon Masking is a void-based ability that superimposes two bodies in the same twinned space and¡­¡±

    Seth sighed, though Nestra wasn¡¯t sure why.

    ¡°There will be plenty of time to study this in the future. For now, we can put it like this. The other body always exists in a space¡­ inside of your current one. The human body is tethered to the demon one, so it can be destroyed which will pull your demon body forward but if the demon body is destroyed, you die. The hidden body exists in animated suspension, meaning it is inactive but it will heal by drawing energy and nutrients from the active body. And, uh, you can choose to swap the items you are currently wearing. For you right now, it will only be a handful of items but mature demons can carry a lot. Especially the women.¡±

    He suddenly frowned, as if realizing something.

    ¡°But then, why do they always have me carry the¡­ ah, unimportant. Now that your curiosity is sated, can we continue talking about cores?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sorry.¡±

    ¡°You currently have a seed of a core as a demon on the cusp of the second sphere. A very fast progression, by the way, especially without direct help. This seed must be fed. Now, I did some research on human transition from first to second sphere¡­¡±

    ¡°You mean you spied on guilds,¡± Nestra guessed.

    Seth shrugged.

    ¡°Yes? Is that not the best way?¡±

    ¡°Nevermind. Please do go on.¡±

    ¡°In humans the formation of a core requires meditation and the absorption of a lot of mana. It appears to be mostly instinctive. For us, it will require you to push your body to its current limit.¡±

    Nestra frowned.

    ¡°Recently, it feels as if¡ª¡±

    ¡°Your physical power and other attributes have stopped progressing.¡±

    ¡°Not the resistances though.¡±

    ¡°Yes, or the magical abilities, am I correct?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ how do you know? Do you have a mind palace as well?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Although, for me, it is a cave by the sea.¡±

    His long ears twitched. He shuffled uneasily from foot to foot.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t supposed to know?¡± Nestra asked.

    ¡°It is less about imposed rules and more about intimacy. You are my sister, but you barely know me and I shared this personal piece of information with you without asking.¡±

    ¡°So, a People faux-pas?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We seldom talk about our years before we return to¡­ to the fold. Not to people we barely know.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok. Your secret is safe with me and I, err, I appreciate your trust. I know you¡¯re doing your best. I won¡¯t forget it.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you are kind for one of us. Let me continue then. Your core will only fully form and then start growing once the magical abilities inside of you reach the top of the first sphere. This usually happens last because first sphere creatures rarely rely on magic to defend themselves since their reserves are mechanically rather weak. You could, of course, keep killing them and eventually the excess power will convert into magical progress. The other solution would be to kill a magical second sphere creature and thus do all the progress in one go.¡±

    ¡°I am intrigued.¡±

    ¡°Good, because I am not leaving you a choice. I will show you the way after we have trained a little, and I have helped develop your abilities to my satisfaction. The creature will be much stronger than you. It will not be easy.¡±

    ¡°Ok. Before we spar, there was another thing. I was considering becoming a dark horse, that is ¡ª¡±

    ¡°I know what a dark horse is. I watch vids.¡±

    He was very proud about it too.

    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s your favorite drama? I surprisingly enjoy some of the romance ones.¡±

    ¡°Later, Nestra. I have no objection to you becoming a dark horse provided you are extra careful. If I start having to plug leaks and kill people left and right, I will have to ask you to call it off.¡±

    ¡°Agreed, and do let me know when I make a mistake. I¡¯m eager to learn how to be a proper infiltrator.¡±

    ¡°Very well, miss super secret spy. Now, sparring. First thing first, I will attack and defend a few times to assess your current level. Do not be alarmed.¡±

    ¡°Ok, where and when?¡±

    ¡°Here and now.¡±

    It was exactly what Nestra expected, and she had her sword out before Seth was done talking. He walked forward with steps that made the ground shake. Nestra almost lost her footing.

    Wait, he wasn¡¯t serious, ri¡ª

    DEATH.

    Pressure, immense. Nestra used momentum to move to the side. Seth landed where she had been an instant ago. His fist pulverized the ground, sending shards of obsidian flying through the air with a cataclysmic sound of shattered glass. Nestra let the shrapnels slide on their skin. She moved in. Precision guided her hand. Her sword sung through the air on their way to slash his eyes. She expected him to step back and was ready for a follow up, but he slapped the blade away, no, punched it, and then he was all in her face. She used immovable to block the next jab on the flat of her blade. Even gorged with void mana, the implement barely stopped him.

    ¡°Ooof.¡±

    Her feet slid on the uneven ground.

    Ok, she couldn¡¯t face him head on. She used momentum to reposition mid slide and countered as he closed the distance again. She dodged and walked back, countering and feinting to stay one step ahead but he was an avalanche that never stopped, and she was making mistakes. A hook glanced off her shoulder and he smiled viciously, until her blade almost kissed his chin. He took a step back. Had to, it was a good counter.

    Two fingers extended, she called her mana forth.

    Her bolt¡¯s anchor connected with his fist, which he had placed in front of his damn face. Potential called for power.

    Her spell triggered with a thunderous explosion but slabs like ice that never met a sun moved in the way. The mockery of stone exploded outward, showering her in shards. It was her turn to step back.

    When she glanced up, Sereth was rubbing his fingers, expression distant.

    ¡°Not bad.¡±

    He punched her in the face. There in one moment, here now. Momentum. Of course.

    ¡°But not enou¡ª¡±

    She used momentum as well, but at a shorter distance than ever before, just enough to step under his blow and attack at the same time. She used precision to aim for the mouth since he enjoyed flapping it around that much.

    ¡°Oooh,¡± Seth said appreciatively.

    He bit it.

    He bit the damn sword. A version of immovable helped him hold on. So she kicked him in the nuts, or at least she tried, but must have missed and hit the inner thigh instead. He twisted away. The sudden move almost disarmed her, so she cast another bolt at his back and this time, it landed.

    Seth¡¯s shoulders shook, and she realized he was laughing.

    ¡°You tried to kick me in the gonads. My fault for underestimating a Scornful Crescent. You folks are so annoying.¡±

    ¡°So you follow another path?¡± she asked, a little curious despite her desire to bash his face in.

    Wouldn¡¯t happen anyway.

    ¡°Yes. Scornful Crescents are rather rare, in fact, especially in our family. My path is that of the Unrelenting Stalker. It is much more¡­ direct. Shall we?¡±

    ¡°Come at me, asshole,¡± she said, doing a flourish with her blade.

    Just a damn shame she was already running dry on mana.

    Seth smirked. His skin expanded from the cloth to morph into thick plate armor that left only teeth and eyes bare. The armor was almost insectile in nature, close to the aesthetic that the fae warriors had favored. It looked really fucking intimidating especially since the one wearing it had tanked a bolt that had demolished a C-rank monster in one go like it was just a friendly zap. Not even that.

    The armored monster pushed his fists together. Heavy, spiky gauntlets covered them, ending in wicked claws.

    ¡°I will keep adapting to your speed and skill as I get to understand your style better. Where were we? Ah yes.¡±

    Nestra flipped her sword and struck just as that bastard used momentum to catch her off guard just as she knew he would try. Sadly, her guess was off by a bit and the void-drenched blade slid against a pauldron. His own fist hit her leg and flipped her like a log. She twisted on herself and sliced at the same time. He blocked it on his vambrace.

    Then he lightly punched her in the gut. Lightly because it only hurt a bit.

    She was airborne and quite breathless.

    Her cheek was still hurting.

    This was going to be a long day.

    ***

    ¡°Look, it¡¯s weird to say but¡­ your style almost exactly matches the one Helena is developing.¡±

    Seth sighed. He seemed really pained about it.

    ¡°I know, you can¡¯t tell her stuff.¡±

    ¡°I cannot teach a human, and besides¡­ you are trusting your sister too much. At the risk of repeating myself¡­¡±

    ¡°She knows what I am and is cool with it.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Seth struggled. ¡°She is but¡­ siblings¡­ sometimes you count on them and they turn on you.¡±

    Seth scratched his arm with a long nail, then frowned and stopped when he noticed Nestra¡¯s attention.

    ¡°I have spent too much time wearing a single mask in a civilization where facial expressions are not punished.¡±

    ¡°I assume you had a difficult time among your host kin?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It was¡­ ah, you know our father selects highly placed families. Some have a rather more stringent approach to education and siblings than yours do. Most of them, in fact. A matter of survival. My sister¡­ I trusted her very much. You are very lucky.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Seth.¡±

    ¡°I will not teach Helena.¡±

    That sounded definitive. Nestra considered the issue from another angle.

    ¡°Look, she is the first child with void magic, right? Or at least they are extremely rare among host kin?¡±

    ¡°Unique, as I said before,¡± Seth replied, tilting his head to the side. His long ears twitched. At least, she got his attention.

    ¡°So maybe the covens would be interested in how she, uh, works with us? With our culture? Elements of it, maybe. If you are truly interested in humans, then would the covens not love the idea of a human who accepts a demon for who they are? And can be taught void skills? You said we¡¯re considered versatile. That¡¯s related to resourceful, right? And changing their mind could be of interest to you as well, Seth.¡±

    A low rumble shook his chest. It took her quite some time to realize he was laughing. it didn¡¯t sound very human.

    ¡°You are courageous to call upon the attention of the covens. Although, you are a woman of the People so I suppose you can allow yourself to be more daring. You speak the truth. The covens may have an interest in your sister¡¯s peculiar situation. I will ask them, but I will also abide by their decision, should they refuse.¡±

    ¡°Are the covens that important, or are you just more aligned with them?¡±

    Seth shrugged.

    ¡°I already told you. They create portals, impossible paths between distant places while the other species must follow existing worlds and hope for the best. You cannot comprehend the ramifications of such a power. Not yet. So yes, they have great power in our society.¡±

    ¡°Sooooo when can I do that?¡±

    Seth laughed. It was a little bit insulting.

    ¡°Not for a long, long time. Enough of this. You must be famished, let us head back.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ***

    The Sunflour was mostly empty at this time of the day. Seth delicately placed a plate of lemon biscuits on the table between Nestra and Stibs, looking like the world¡¯s most deceptive butler.

    ¡°Thank you love,¡± Stibs replied with a smile and a blush.

    Huh, he had her completely under his power, the old monster. Actually, how old was he to begin with? Was it not, like, wrong for him to go after women under eighty or something? Nestra couldn¡¯t be sure and thus left the problem to future Nestra.

    ¡°So, how are you feeling now?¡± Stibs finally asked after availing herself to some biscuit.

    ¡°Good. Still a little sore.¡±

    ¡°You dolt, I meant your mood,¡± Stibs replied while rolling her eyes dramatically. ¡°Almost dying? Losing your partner? Hello?¡±

    ¡°Ah, sorry. You know how it is. Almost dying no longer has the same impact it used to, and as for Shinoda, he was a pretty amazing guy but I didn¡¯t know him for long enough to be truly devastated. Still a bit sad though. It¡¯s hard to find people with such strong conviction that would put their life on the line every time,¡± Nestra said, perhaps a bit dreamily.

    ¡°The hell are you, Nestra? A neo-samurai? I thought you were eternally snarky and dismissive!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really easy to be more pleasant when you¡¯re not hurting all the time. Shocking, I know,¡± Nestra said with perhaps a little bite.

    ¡°Oh. Yeah. Anyway, Shinoda was actually a legend. Many more people wanted to show up at his funeral, you know? Including the entire Blue River guild. But Officer Kim told us to send representatives instead. She didn¡¯t want to make a scene.¡±

    ¡°Or more of a scene. His ex showed up.¡±

    ¡°Oh, nasty. Speaking of nasty, you¡¯re feeling better, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep. Eating mana food has been working wonders.¡±

    ¡°And¡­ is it sustainable? You think?¡±

    ¡°As long as I have the money,¡± Nestra shrugged.

    It was more about awakening but she was feeling cranky without mana food anyway so, might as well stick to this version.

    ¡°Speaking of, do you need a job? I could plug you with the Blue River. We¡¯re looking for baseline enforcers for more delicate jobs that require infiltration and the likes.¡±

    ¡°I think Kim has something for me. That¡¯s what she said anyway.¡±

    ¡°Not ready to throw off the yoke of the tyranny of government, Nestra?¡±

    ¡°Har har. Maybe one day but right now I¡¯m on break.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so unwilling to make waves.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you have no idea.¡±

    Stibs chuckled. She looked much better, so either the new job was much less mentally exhausting, or Seth was really helping her. Or both. Maybe it was also the sex thing. She was unwilling to ask.

    ***

    Nestra relaxed on her couch at home, checking a catalog on her visor. Her plan for the next few days was settled. The settlement money from Gidung was in her account, making her significantly richer than her demon self for now. She was also on indefinite administrative leave that would last at least a month, and Doctor Mazingwe had doctored (haha) a note to say she was hurt from the battle against the beast tide.

    That part was true though, and she was still hurt on account of Seth kicking her ass all across the B-class floating caldera. The tall fucker. It was thus time for human Nestra to take the back seat for a while, relax, enjoy her break, maybe have a spa day while true Nestra would come out and play. But first! She had one last thing to arrange.

    The representative picked up after the first ring.

    ¡°Gidung company concession hello? Park Sun-jeo here. How may I help you?¡±

    ¡°Hello, my name is Nestra Palladian. I was told to call you to arrange my new car.¡±

    ¡°Ah yes, Palladian-nim. Thank you for calling me. My superior already informed me of the situation. I would like to once again extend our apology for this mishap.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a fucking mishap, Nestra thought. Someone tried to zero her.

    ¡°Yeah, sure. So what can I get as a replacement?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is the thing. As a mark of our appreciation, I have been authorized to offer you our latest Grebe brand of economical hover cars. An excellent product, if I might say, with an autonomy of over two hours.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t have to think much. A hover car was super convenient but it was absolutely shit for her, because it was a gleam car. It ran on mana, at least for the antigrav mode. It wasn¡¯t even the questions she would get using that regularly. Her house didn¡¯t have a setup to handle hover cars. And they were expensive as fuck to maintain.

    She wondered if this was a calculated insult and then wondered if it was the contrary, offering them their best class of product knowing she would probably refuse but still showing they were willing to go the extra mile. Gidung products couldn¡¯t be resold without their agreement, not without a ton of hassle, so she couldn¡¯t just take the money and run.

    A shame because Gidung cars were streamlined designs, contrary to the main vehicle-focused corpo, Touhei. They definitely went for function over form.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to decline.¡±

    ¡°We also have a wide selection of cars so long as the value remains below eighty thousand credits. The cost value, not the market value. Speaking of, we have just had a car returned to us after its owner decided that it was no longer the best option for him at the moment. It is an Alda model 4.¡±

    Nestra¡¯s enthusiasm picked up. Aldas were legendary cars, even she knew that, though the model thing was beyond her meager knowledge. She used her visor to check what the sales guy had said.

    It looked nice.

    Really, really nice¡­ and¡­

    ¡°Is it the roofless version?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely, Palladian-nim. The car is a convertible with memory upholstery. Would you like to come and give it a virtual spin in our AI-generated simulation?¡±

    It took five minutes but she did so and by Riel this was a nice car. Sleek and retro with rounder shapes than modern sensibilities favored, but it was cute and felt nice. And she knew it was safe and comfortable as well. And fast. Not that it mattered much here.

    ¡°Ok, I like it. I¡¯d like a two years insurance for that.¡±

    ¡°I will write you in for the whole after-sale package. Now there is only one last question to address. What color would you like the car?¡±

    ¡°Bright pink.¡±

    There was a moment of hesitation on the other side of the call. Aldas were a little on the macho side of cars though it wasn¡¯t as pronounced as, say, a Wellington Stryker. You had to be so extra to drive one of those inside of town.

    ¡°Bonbon pink? As flashy as possible?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°Why certainly, Palladian-nim. I will have it arranged immediately. We will deliver the car at your home within the next three days. I will call you back when I have a time, if that is agreeable?¡±

    ¡°Sure thing. Bye.¡±

    ¡°Have a great day, Palladian-nim.¡±

    Nestra chuckled. A pink Alda. Aunt Claire would blow a massive fuse. She couldn¡¯t wait.

    And now for the last important step. She picked up her burner.

    ¡°Hey, this line is secure, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Gorge¡¯s modified voice said. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m ready to mask up. Let¡¯s go with the dark horse option. I¡¯m gathering all the stuff I need and then I¡¯ll register.¡±

    ¡°Finally, we enter the gleam zone. Lets¡¯ make a credit or two out of those fuckers. No insult intended.¡±

    ¡°This time.¡±

    ¡°You know it. Have you picked up a call name?¡±

    Nestra wondered if Demon was a little too on the nose.

    It was probably taken anyway.

 Part 22

    In order to become a masked gleam safely, Nestra deployed every last bit of paranoia she was capable of. Even searching the process was done via an antique burner phone. She did her application remotely using the maximum possible amount of loopholes, and the highest secrecy offered. Gleams could accelerate the process by linking their raider identity but Nestra would take the test to prove she was no joker. Gleams could link their financial info but Nestra would get an ad hoc bank account open for all her transactions, which would take more time. Gleams could bypass medical exams by, again, revealing their real identity to people sworn to secrecy but she would get basic body data recorded by an AI in a sealed chamber.

    All of this meant that what could have been a one hour formality was going to be a day-long ordeal but that was fine. She was already cutting it damn close by having a handful of people know about the real her, so she ought to cling to every bit of discretion she could. There was also the fact that this would be the spotlight. Right now, nobody knew she was raiding, so no one was keeping track, but she was solo finishing what people carefully completed in squads of four.

    It was during the last sparring that she realized she¡¯d forgotten something important. Her counter was blocked, again, so she used her last mana reserves to blast Seth in the face at point blank range. The asshole simply leaned to the side and let the gray thunderbolt fluff his hair. He was too used to her style by now. She had her break, though.

    ¡°By the way, I forgot two things.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°First, how do I not set every camera around into a frenzy?¡±

    ¡°Oh! I almost forgot. You are wise to remind me of this detail, as it would be problematic if people linked this phenomenon to your gleam identity. The exercise is not very difficult. You merely need to look at a camera and tell yourself you exist very strongly.¡±

    Nestra took a few steps back and mulled this over.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡±

    ¡°The thought will ground you, and allow devices, magic and otherwise, to capture your presence. Let¡¯s just practice this for now and you will see that it is a mindset. Just remember not to be too distracted during the interviews and you will be fine.¡±

    ¡°Oh, alright?¡±

    It was, in fact, rather easy. Nestra tended to be aloof and disliked attention, but the mindset involved the demon¡¯s natural tendency to also show off and, for the lack of a better term, assert dominance. It was quite fun.

    ¡°One last question,¡± she finally said.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Do you know what Sashimi¡¯s gender is? Because I¡¯m tired of referring to them as they without knowing if there is a more accurate descriptor.¡±

    Seth¡¯s mouth made that beached fish thing. He tilted his head, and his thin, pointed ears made that waving thing that showed he was thinking hard.

    ¡°For all intents and purposes, Sashimi is female.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s noncommittal.¡±

    ¡°Void shark anatomy involves sequential hermaphroditism, like some species of earth sharks. She is female now and will remain female for a while, but if she grows extremely large, she may become male depending on the territory she can claim and the current population balance. Void sharks are fascinating creatures! I have tried to tell the others but they are only interested in hunting¡­¡±

    Seth frowned a little.

    ¡°I will have to tell the covens that Sashimi is not to be touched, though she is too small to be of interest to one of the People.¡±

    ¡°No touching my shark. Only I can bite her. I insist.¡±

    ¡°Of course. But truly, you bond with the strangest beings,¡± Seth said wisely.

    ¡°Uhu,¡± Nestra replied with a pointed look.

    He missed the cue entirely.

    ¡°More sparring!¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t have the time to reply. He just attacked again. She blocked the first blow and tried to punch him in the face. It didn¡¯t work.

    ***

    Nestra walked through the corridor of resistances, in her mind palace.

    It remained kind of empty. So far, she had three sets of armor representing skin resistance, bone resistance, and sensory resistance that looked semi-decent but the shields that represented more elemental resistances were few, and they were kind of barebone. She had heat, toxins, acid, and cold shields in a spot that was clearly housed for many, many more pieces of armor. There were also many more ways for someone to get hurt. Interestingly, there was no electricity shield despite the fact she knew she was resistant. Maybe her mind considered it a different way. Inborn versus acquired, perhaps? In any case, her collection was still lacking but that was normal at D-rank, or so Seth had said.

    He was excited to help improve her collection. Nestra was also excited about hunting more stuff but she surmised acid-resistant creatures tended to spray the stuff themselves and that couldn¡¯t be too fun to experience.

    With a sigh, she returned to the central hallway, then to the core door. There, the fake electricity core still hovered. It had grown a little bit, but not much, and it felt more intrinsic than stolen like the rest. It remained the only fake core as well. She had hoped killing the corrupt cop gleams would have helped but clearly, she needed something more.

    Her path to power remained a long one.

    After sighing a second time, Nestra headed to the sphere room, this one representing her physical and magical attributes. The planetoids rotated over a deepening lake representing an increased mana pool, though it was only maybe six or seven times what she had started with. That wasn¡¯t actually much. All of the spheres positively vibrated with energy except the three representing mana intensity, control, and regeneration. Power radiated strength, celerity represented speed and precision, resilience was how long she could last and how much she could resist, awareness related to senses, and mind speed was how fast she could process information. They were as strong as they would get. All surplus energy would slide off of them to seep into the magical spheres from now on. Unless she could build a true physical core.

    There were, finally, the bounds. They shimmered in the semi-darkness of the grotto. Power and resilience gave her immovable. Power and celerity gave her momentum. Awareness and celerity had granted her precision, and awareness and magic control led to passe-muraille, the ability to slip through walls. Nestra felt dangerous enough as she was but what she needed was a better way to handle the unknown. She had been surprised too many times. In a C-class world, that would be death.

    She needed a little more utility.

    Slowly, Nestra linked awareness and mind speed. The spheres were more than ready to accept a new binding so the effort was minimal. After a small bit of resistance, the spheres rejoined the dance above her head. That was it.

    She felt it lock into place. Intuition, she would call it, rather than danger sense though it felt more appropriate.

    Now, if something came for her, she would get a bit of warning.

    ***

    The fateful day happened a week later, at the end of summer. By then, Nestra felt much more in tune with her body and abilities. There was still a mountain between Seth and herself despite her smug brother ¡®lowering himself to her level¡¯, but that was not a gap that could be bridged in weeks, or years. She still felt much better adapting to her demon self. After fighting as baseline for so long, now she had to contend with a longer reach, a longer stride, a higher center of gravity, a traversal ability and the Scornful Crescent style. There would be a learning curve until she fought at her best.

    Some things just took time and practice. She was ok with that. It was just how training worked, and no amount of pillaged strength would change that.

    Again, Nestra was forced to wake up before her biological clock agreed, but a hearty breakfast made it all better. She drove her flashy brand new pink car to an entertainment mall, parked there and then walked to a vast community center at the edge of the central district where the amount of cameras was low. There she removed her mask in a janitor¡¯s room and checked herself one last time.

    Fancy mask that melded with her small horns so they looked like they were part of it: in place. Her horns let her feel mana better so they¡¯d better stay exposed. Besides, they tickled.

    Combat suit: in place. Her Skin left too much, well, natural skin exposed and that was a big no. This one had cost her a pretty penny but fuck it, she couldn¡¯t really afford to leave skin exposed yet the suit could not hamper her movement. No cheap stuff would do.

    Security badge that showed her as an applicant, sent by drone to a remote location: pinned to her chest and visible. Very visible.

    Wouldn¡¯t want anyone to get ideas.

    That was it. She had a burner credit chit in a side pocket for the subway fare and maybe a snack or two and nothing else. No electronics.

    This was going to be really weird.

    Nestra focused on existing to the humans, then slid through a nearby wall into a service access corridor. She followed a path without cameras for a good five minutes before coming upon her first human. A short woman in a suit opened the door in front of her, had one look at the horned figure and screamed.

    Nestra stopped.

    The woman¡¯s face was an expression of deep terror. She grabbed her chest and swore, though her eyes had found the really visible ID badge, so at least she knew Nestra wasn¡¯t a monster.

    ¡®Nice thinking, Nestra!¡¯ Nestra thought to herself.

    ¡°CHOI! You scared me! Errr.¡±

    Nestra waited.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    She wanted to go through the door. The woman was in the way. She wasn¡¯t particularly inclined to talk in demon form, at least not to strangers. Even talking with Helena was kind of a pain while she was her true self.

    And Nestra realized she didn¡¯t have to.

    She was a gleam, and though not technically in a public part of the community center, she wasn¡¯t trespassing either.

    ¡°Can I help you?¡± the woman asked, still gripping the handle like a safety rope.

    Nestra shook her head, then pointed at the door.

    ¡°Oh, sorry.¡±

    And that was it. Nestra moved on, and all of this without having to speak a single word to justify herself. Not having to talk felt strangely exhilarating. Liberating, in a way.

    The woman let Nestra walk into the main hall of the community center, where at least a hundred people milled around or queued for activities. There were a lot of children here, during office hours. Many people stopped to stare but she walked confidently, like she belonged, and nothing happened. No one stopped her. No one recognized the Aszhii, the cacodaimon anthropomimesis in the midst of homo sapiens. Those she came across near the entrance did a double take but they quickly returned to their visors or data sheets because it was rude to stare. The feeling of existing to them grew stronger until she no longer really had to focus to let the cameras pick up on her presence. It was a short jaunt to the subway station, then she made to board the busy train towards Central.

    Except, she could ride in the user compartment now. A bit curious, she moved to the front of the platform where a couple of gleams were waiting beyond a symbolic barrier. Most of them here were office folks in corpo slave uniforms, only fancier. They all wore something that was made from monster parts as a status symbol. A scarf. A hat. Sometimes, a necklace that shimmered in her sight. They had one glance at her before ignoring her presence.

    She sat down on a bench to wait. Gleam fingers suddenly danced on sheets. Not ignoring her then. Maybe they were gossiping. Or looking for her profile? She knew famous gleams were listed on various websites.

    The train arrived smoothly, doors opening invitingly into a slightly forbidden space. The gleam carriage was the same as the others but it obviously had a ton more room. She managed to grab a seat. During peak hour! Well, at the end of peak hour. Also, it was far too low for her to be really comfortable.

    Her head was brushing the roof otherwise, though.

    The corpo gleams stole glances at her but mostly left her alone. She just sat back and relaxed. The ride would take thirty minutes, even with her driving a bit before, because Threshold was just that massive. There was nothing to do but wait.

    She really believed there would be no issues at all, but ten minutes into the silent ride, the gates opened and in came the raiders.

    There was something inherently different about raiders. D-class users who didn¡¯t want to fight could still grow stronger by basking in mana at regular intervals, though it was significantly slower, but they lacked a certain edge that raiders gave off regardless of power. A taste to their mana, as if it were more alive, even in the most polite of context. Here, there was nothing polite about the way the three raiders walked in. They stumbled in brazenly. One of them guffawed. The scent of powerful mana booze tickled Nestra¡¯s nostrils along with a smokier odor she didn¡¯t recognize. Drugs, maybe. She saw dilated pupils shining even in the well-lit carriage. Definitely drugs. Sweat and a tinge of blood hit her next. Recent raid. Celebratory party? Fancy clothes but rumpled, some of it stained. Her intuition woke up but it remained calm, as if warning her of trouble but not danger.

    She didn¡¯t look away. The human reflexes that had served her for so long didn¡¯t really work on her demon form, so she stared, trying to learn more. Even if it invited attention.

    They spotted her.

    ¡°Hey guys, check this out,¡± the leader said.

    He was a squat, powerfully built man with close-cropped dark hair and deep brown iris. Pinoy, she judged. Smiling but with cold eyes searching for amusement. He¡¯d found her.

    The second was a blond anglo with frizzy hair who looked completely out of it. Unfocused. Definitely more addled than the other to the point of incapacity. Yellow iris. Probably an electrokinetic. Striker build. The leader was clearly a frontliner, less mobile, stronger.

    The last one was a woman, very similar to the leader. She looked fed up with his shit. Worry filled her features. Not sure what she was from the dull red iris, probably support and interdiction. Only the leader was a threat.

    Wait, what was she thinking? This wasn¡¯t human Nestra here. Those were all mid-high D-class.

    They didn¡¯t stand a chance.

    ¡°Hey bitch, what¡¯s with the getup? Is it Halloween already?¡±

    The leader approached. He didn¡¯t check behind him for support, so the stoned guy just stayed listlessly where he was, though he was no longer smiling, and the woman grabbed her relative¡¯s shoulder in a gesture of restraint.

    ¡°Roel¡­¡±

    In vain. He wouldn¡¯t be denied.

    The lack of backing didn¡¯t affect the leader though it should have, just as the fact Nestra didn¡¯t leak mana all over the place like they did should have alerted him, but instead he took it as a sign of weakness. He wasn¡¯t himself.

    Nestra watched him approach and considered what to do. She didn¡¯t need to beat them up or kill them, of course, but she also didn¡¯t need to cower. Or calm things down to avoid a hospital stay.

    Behind this white mask, she was more free than she¡¯d ever been.

    ¡°What the fuck are you cosplaying at? Hey, remove the mask. I wanna see if you¡¯re not a known criminal. Just checking, yeah?¡±

    The leader chuckled. He was being an ass but she would still give him a way out.

    ¡°Unwise,¡± she hissed.

    Her voice was low and though Helena loved the pitch, she suspected the other humans might not agree. The woman held the man back with more strength, clearly not expecting it to work. He reached for her face.

    ¡°I said ¡ª¡±

    Nestra grabbed him by the throat, then she was standing, all in the same move. The leader was left dangling with his feet in the air. Surprise led to fury. He grabbed her arm with two hands, braced his body, then kicked her chest. She rotated smoothly and let most of the blow glance off her torso. It would have been painful without the resistance she had accumulated. As it was, she barely felt it.

    Another attempt failed.

    Anger turned to fear. The woman wanted to do something but didn¡¯t dare to. The drugged one was only starting to realize something was wrong.

    Nestra tightened her grip.

    Fear turned to panic.

    ¡°Please wait,¡± the woman said.

    And Nestra released the man. He collapsed, legs buckling and hands flying to his throat like spooked birds. He gulped precious air with pure relief. Nestra waited for him to look at her. The cockyness was gone, as was the fun part of the intoxication. Adrenaline could do that.

    He scrambled to his feet.

    Nestra slowly, slowly bent forward until their faces were level. He didn¡¯t dare move. The huntress in her didn¡¯t care about those cubs playing around, but the human enjoyed this little bit of free schadenfreude.

    ¡°Unwise,¡± she repeated.

    ¡°Yeah, I got it.¡±

    Nestra sat back while he readjusted his collar, turning around with a huff to salvage what was left of his dignity. She glared a little at the woman, just because she was still in her personal space, and by personal space Nestra meant every part of the carriage she might reach if she stretched her legs really far. The gleam bowed before departing. Honestly, Nestra didn¡¯t blame her. She was probably tasked with wrangling a talented scion and it was clear her relative had a mean streak, not to mention he didn¡¯t listen.

    The trio sat at the opposite side and mumbled quietly to themselves. During the whole incident, the other gleams had scrupulously kept to themselves.

    Nestra relaxed again. Then it hit her.

    She had bullied a gleam.

    Riel dammit but that felt fucking nice. And all of this without maneuvering or pointless verbal sparring. Just good old strangulation. And she had uttered one word, twice during the entire exchange. From behind a mask. Didn¡¯t even have to school her facial expressions.

    Life was grand.

    Her next mask would need a mouth opening so she could just plain bite people. A magic one when she could afford it.

    The ride went on without issues, the raiders leaving the train a little later. Nestra knew that technically, what she had done could be seen as assault, but the reality was that no raider would want to get the cops involved. Great families sending goons for the smallest slight was vid shit. It didn¡¯t happen in real life.

    As she looked around, the train climbed a small slope and soon, they were in a tube suspended midair. The late summer morning sun hit Central just right, backlighting the colossal skyscrapers on a field of azure while wispy white clouds drifted in the distance. Flocks of drones flew all around to deliver parcels and late breakfasts while hover cars danced, delivering execs and guests to various platforms. There were even a few flying high gleams descending from the town hall tower in tight formation. Nestra wasn¡¯t sure but she thought they might be Tiger Den from the white, black-striped uniform. Not lightweights for sure.

    The train slowly eased into the Beacon of Riel building where at least a dozen other tubes converged. It proved easy to weave her way through the crowded corridors of Central Station since people, even gleams, gave her a wide berth. And to think she hadn¡¯t even picked up her sword. Mana was thick here, surprisingly so, and she just felt comfortable. The lack of visor forced her to stop and look at directions for the first time in forever instead of letting the map AI guide her in the most effective way possible. Thankfully, the Beacon was designed for streamlined traffic.

    In order to reach the exam center, she had to transfer to the Guardian Tower which was the military heart of Threshold. An imposing gray slab, it was offered a sober counterpart to the glittery Beacon of Riel and the solemn Town Hall to form the trinity that was the city¡¯s heart. The three remained a miracle of engineering and architecture built at a time when mankind was more concerned with its immediate survival. Nestra rode a funicular up in the company of a group of augs in the blue uniform of the Threshold military. They didn¡¯t give her shit though she could tell they were ready to jump her. It was very optimistic of them.

    The interior of the Guardian tower was surprisingly spacious. Or at least, this lobby was. She walked confidently to the slate-colored welcome booth, only to be accosted by a severe man in uniform. He carefully checked Nestra¡¯s ID badge before leading her deeper in at a brisk pace.

    ¡°Everything is ready to begin, if you will follow me. The testing facility is the one we use to assess the progress of military users and contractors. It is one of the most secure places on the planet.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t reply which didn¡¯t seem to faze her guide. He led her through neatly labeled doors and winding corridors, waving past checkpoints without stopping. The soldiers progressively switched from admin type to heavily auged grunts though they were not in battle gear. They finally reached the testing level after taking an elevator. If asked, Nestra would be absolutely unable to tell which way was the nearest exit.

    On the testing level, the dull thud of firearms could be heard even through reinforced windows. Nestra walked past ranges, gyms, and workshops where soldiers practiced under the vigilant glare of examiners. Clearly Threshold kept its fighters in tip top shape.

    Her guide led her deeper still. Gleams soon became the norm. Nestra was intrigued by their gear, as many of them wore highly sophisticated exo-armor. Her senses picked up a lot of portal material in those and yet they were clearly high-tech, with sensors and other gizmos she couldn¡¯t identify. Those gleams gave her long hard looks which she didn¡¯t return. Talk to the mask was feeling more and more like a perfect strategy when dealing with unwanted social situations. Eventually, they reached a locked vault door.

    It looked like it could withstand a cruise missile.

    ¡°This is where I leave you,¡± her guide said.

    She nodded her understanding. He saluted crisply, then left her to her fate. Two guards by the door checked her ID in excruciating detail, manually going over every entry. Nestra could spot the turret holes on the ceiling and resisted the urge to stop ¡®existing¡¯ so they couldn¡¯t target her.

    ¡°You are clear to go in. Engaging lock,¡± one of them said.

    She walked past the titanic gate. It closed behind her with a ponderous clank. Inside was another such lock in front of her, a door to the right, and two people. One was an auged black man built like a wardrobe on steroids. She wasn¡¯t familiar with military insignias, but the colors on his chest screamed ¡®I¡¯m important¡¯. As for the woman, she was stern, clearly Scandinavian and so tall even demon Nestra had to look up a little bit. From her posture to her hairstyle, to the lean muscles under her suit, not a single part of her could be called soft, but the hardest thing remained her gaze. It was steely in the most literal way, iris shining like freshly galvanized metal. They also radiated the tightly contained power of a high gleam. She didn¡¯t need introductions but she gave them anyway.

    ¡°Good morning. I am Threshold¡¯s head of User Military, Ragnhild Lidstrom.¡±

    Ragnarok. The person testing her was Ragnarok. Threshold¡¯s deadliest B-rank raider. Shinran¡¯s right hand juggernaut and the undisputed boss of Threshold¡¯s soldier gleams. She had been old during the incursion, gray-haired and wrinkled even as she minced monsters in the Swedish hinterlands. Now, the old slayer stood in front of Nestra, a living legend. And a proctor, apparently.

    It made sense, in a way. Nestra had filled herself as transitioning to C-rank with minimum information, and as part of the induction, she was to get into the sanctum of Threshold¡¯s military though obviously under surveillance. That must have triggered all sorts of red flags. No wonder they didn¡¯t take any chances. But damn, talk about overkill.

    That was fine, though. Again, Nestra didn¡¯t have to do shit. She was here legitimately. As a perfectly valid candidate, she nodded a greeting to both Ragnarok and the man who had yet to present himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m Commander Killroy, Threshold Intelligence Agency. I represent the administrative and confidential side of things while my partner here will assess your value as a masked user when we start testing.¡±

    He nodded towards the side door, the one that didn¡¯t look like it was trying to stop a second Incursion.

    ¡°After you have registered of course. Now, I need to ask you a few questions as part of protocol. Are you Crescent?¡±

    Nestra surreptitiously glanced down towards her badge. It said ¡®Crescent¡¯ in big bold letters, all caps, visible even in low light. The reason she¡¯d picked it was simple. Sereth kept cursing her as a Scornful Crescent every time she almost succeeded in stabbing him in the groin, so she had internalized the term a little. Being called Crescent would be easy to remember, and it wasn¡¯t too bad because it sounded a bit like ¡®croissant¡¯ and she enjoyed pastries. It was also the name of her second favorite Lazpop group.

    She nodded. Yes, she was indeed Crescent.

    ¡°I need a voice confirmation, if possible. You need to acknowledge your identity.¡±

    ¡°Yessss. I am Crescent.¡±

    His eyes implants flashed a few times. He was really auged to the gill and it didn¡¯t look like cheap stuff either. She bet he would be even harder to take down than the Gidung operative she had decapitated, and that one had managed to hit her despite the glitches. Not that it mattered with Ragnarok herself in the room. Speaking of the tall woman, her eyes searched the room with a frown. Her aura fluctuated a bit. Nestra knew the rumors were that the old monster was on the verge of A rank, so perhaps she was taking a step back from raiding while the transition happened.

    ¡°Excellent, thank you. I would need voice confirmation that you consent to becoming a masked user for Threshold with all the risks it entails.¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Are you aware of the confidentiality agreement between us to guarantee secrecy, including its limits? You will be given an opportunity to read the exception clauses while completing your application.¡±

    ¡°Yess.¡±

    ¡°Very well. Alright, it appears that everything is in order. Would you mind stepping in the containment room to finish the process? We will be waiting outside.¡±

    Nestra nodded. The equally massive gate behind him opened into what looked like a high tech infirmary. Nestra moved in and it closed behind her with a smooth hiss.

    ¡°Hello,¡± a synthetic voice said, ¡°I am Threshold¡¯s Secure AI. I will guide you through the final steps.¡±

    The room was bare except for the medical side, which had a scanner and some sampling material, and a bare console with exposed circuitry and a flashing screen. The design appeared to be intentional, though she wasn¡¯t clear as to why.

    As promised, the AI told her what to do like an exceedingly formal butler. Her first task was to bind her civilian identity with that of Crescent. To Nestra¡¯s surprise, there were absolutely no issues doing so even though it was technically illegal not to register as a gleam. There were even options to record herself as an illegal immigrant or a complete unknown though she assumed it came with complications. As for the clauses that would lead to her identity being unmasked, what mattered was that all of them must receive the approval of Shinran himself.

    Considering what Kim had hinted at, just that step would force anyone trying to ID her to be really, really confident about their claim. It was weird trying to reconcile the affable persona of the monk with the reputation he seemed to have in private. In any case, she was probably as safe as she could be between him and Sereth guarding her secret.

    The medical part of the exam was expedited quickly. She had to give a blood sample but she was ready, switching back to her human form for that part. The AI didn¡¯t comment so she figured it was fine. It only took an hour to go through the battery of tests and formalities. No drama, so far. She exited the room in demon form feeling a bit apprehensive. Ragnarok and Killroy waited outside for her like the world¡¯s most unlikely gargoyles. The woman nodded towards the testing center.

    ¡°Now that we have dealt with the tapes, time to show me what you can do.¡±

    Ah yes, Nestra thought. The fun part.

 Part 23

    To call the testing facility ¡®state-of-the-art¡¯ would be an understatement. Everything was chrome, high-tech, and shiny. Nestra looked around with bemusement before returning her attention to Ragnarok.

    So that¡¯s where MaxSec¡¯s funding had gone? Okay¡­

    The stern gleam guided her to a secured exam computer ¡ª the kind used for university entrance tests.

    ¡°We will start with some theory, then we will be measuring several basic metrics to assess your capabilities. Finally, there will be some sparring involved,¡± Ragnhild Lidstrom said.

    She sounded a bit bored, although maybe that was just her normal voice. The B-rank gleam and Killroy waited while Nestra blitzed through the basic theory test. There was a multiple choice quiz on the law, which she felt very confident about, then an exercise to identify and describe several species of monsters culminating in a couple of C-rank beasts. Those she proved absolutely incapable of recognizing. Hopefully, her knowledge of the fauna around Threshold would compensate for that but it would probably be ok anyway. Theory was usually less important. The last part was a long series of questions on her mental health and possible addictions. All the things that one would definitely answer no to if one didn¡¯t want to end up on a list. Once finished, the pair of examiners led her to the nearby machines to begin the physical aptitudes test.

    Nestra demonstrated how she could bench press a small car, how she could punch through a thin wall, and how she could run really fast. Those were the boring tests. The next one was more interesting: they led her to an empty padded room to face some sort of robot launcher that threw high-speed rubber balls at her in various patterns. It was like an upgraded dodgeball game, and that was really fun. She used momentum to escape the tightest cluster, and immovable to block what she couldn¡¯t safely dodge. Eventually, the flow petered out.

    Ragnarok entered the room an instant later.

    ¡°We will stop the test here, thank you.¡±

    Nestra must have looked dejected because the gleam huffed gently.

    ¡°Sadly, the robot has run out of balls, Miss Crescent.¡±

    Nestra looked down. There were hundreds of the buggers spread across the floor. Those gleams should just build in some sort of gutter like in those ancient bowling alleys to keep the robot going, charge a hundred creds for ten minutes, and they were in business.

    She didn¡¯t share her commercial insight with Ragnarok.

    After those came mana detection tests. The old gleam led her into another room, and this time the place was pitch black.

    ¡°Miss Crescent, emitters hidden in the wall will leak mana. I need you to point a finger at the source as soon as you perceive the mana, then identify the nature if possible. Do you understand?¡±

    Nestra turned to the camera she spotted on the ceiling, then glanced at a wall partition silently drifting up to expose a small core.

    ¡°You can perfectly see in the dark,¡± Ragnarok stated.

    It was not a question.

    ¡°One moment, we will provide you with an infused band I will ask you to place in front of your eyes.¡±

    It was a disconcerting experience. Nestra could tell that she was definitely not meant to have both her eyes and skin blocked. Her instincts warned her of danger, of blindness. It took a great amount of effort not to fidget. Fortunately, her horns were exposed so she was not completely in the metaphorical dark.

    ¡°Electricity,¡± she said, pointing vaguely up and to her right.

    ¡°Very good. Keep going.¡±

    The test used thick flows of mana of the more common origins, like fire or acid, or even light, sometimes two at a time. Once, one of the sources was large while another at her back was much smaller. A decoy, of sorts. It was easy at first, but she eventually failed to identify some of the more exotic sources.

    ¡°Very good. Is there a spell you would like to show us?¡±

    Nestra considered her options. She was rather sure she would pass, but¡­ maybe it was fine to reveal a little bit more. She nodded. They led her to the most reinforced room she had seen so far, with targets at the far end. There were also circles of unknown purpose, and a few other pieces of equipment she could not identify.

    ¡°You may begin your demonstration at your leisure.¡±

    Nestra pointed two fingers at a far target. The positive energy dot landed square on the bullseye. Potential grew. It begged to be released.

    Nestra unleashed her void mana. A gray and black merged with the dot.

    The light dimmed.

    BOOM.

    The target was obliterated, as well as a section of the wall behind it. Pieces of debris ran all around them, and the lights flickered overhead.

    Killroy brushed dust off his impeccable uniform.

    ¡°An offensive spell,¡± Ragnarok drily commented. ¡°Duly noted. The test is concluded. Thank you. We will do one last segment before the sparring begins.¡±

    Nestra was led to a large room that contained a strange mix of computers and an obstacle course. Her lost expression must have been obvious.

    ¡°This part will focus on team management and measure your ability to lead a squad in challenging circumstances. We will begin with raid logistics questions, then move to a case study, and lastly, you will have to complete this obstacle course while solving three different Ng formula equations.¡±

    Nestra stopped. She blinked, which only seemed to confuse the other two.

    ¡°Ng formula?¡±

    Killory replied as drily as ever.

    ¡°The Ng formula, a comprehensive model that helps determine the strength and nature of the magical intensity required to pierce the defenses of resilient foes. It is a prerequisite of leaders who must identify which of their subordinates, if any, may disable the threats coming for them and possibly recommend spell use.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t have to think for very long.

    A case study on leadership?

    Math she had never practiced?

    Absolutely the fuck not.

    ¡°Can I just give up?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Of course, but bear in mind that you will not be authorized to lead a squad of other masked users until you have proven your leadership preparedness to our satisfaction.¡±

    Nestra was pleased that the users took squad tactics seriously, however, it was her firm belief that she would rather be punted out of the building with a sledgehammer than lead a group of gleams.

    ¡°Very well. We may now begin with the sparring. We will lead you to a combat area while we wait outside. Your adversaries will be sparring robots.¡±

    Nestra was interested.

    ***

    Ragnhild climbed to the examination room at a speed that her augmented colleague matched without issue. She approached the monitors with purpose while her mind went over everything she had seen so far. Powerful users like her had minds that functioned quite fast, so it was convenient not to have to waste time on pretenses.

    ¡°Is there some sort of practical joke being played here?¡± her companion asked.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°She is off the charts in almost every category.¡±

    ¡°I am well aware, and I assure you that she doesn¡¯t have a physical core yet. Her body armor is not enchanted either. She is exactly what she claims.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°I suspect it also bothers her. She keeps readjusting it.¡±

    ¡°Ragnhild, you¡¯re getting off topic there. Are you really sure she¡¯s early C-grade? What is happening? Did she transfer from some mysterious enclave? Where does she even come from?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea.¡±

    She gave him her sternest look.

    ¡°Exciting, is it not?¡±

    ¡°This is not a joke.¡±

    ¡°And I am not jesting, but I have lived for over a hundred and twenty years and I shall savor every pleasant surprise that comes my way. God knows they are rare. Now, enough of this. The true test.¡±

    Ragnhild¡¯s fingers blurred on the display: activating models, selecting routines, conducting diagnostics. Normally, one puppet would be enough. They were fairly deadly opponents that could even give C-class raiders a run for their money provided there were no spells involved. Machines were just more precise, and those were remotely piloted by a combat AI hosted in the building, so even Ragnhild herself used them on occasion to study a new style. Little Crescent showed promise though, so three it was.

    Below them, the candidate entered the arena. This one was a large rectangular room with steel panels and a few obstacles placed haphazardly to represent boulders on a field. There was an armory near the exit. Crescent almost jumped on a two-handed sword. She turned to the window as if asking for permission.

    ¡°You may use whichever weapon you wish for this exercise. Those are all low-level mana tools.¡±

    Ragnhild was about to elaborate more, however it became clear that Crescent wasn¡¯t interested. She just gave the sword a whirl with basic stances that flowed into each other. Ragnhild didn¡¯t recognize the style at all. It was almost disturbing to look at, the movement seemingly erratic and nonsensical. Interestingly, Crescent used the massive blade as an arming sword.

    Her strength could handle it.

    Three puppets emerged from trapdoors in the ground. They walked on all four at first, a basic destabilizing method that played on the uncanny valley. It didn¡¯t appear to have any effect. Ragnhild took a moment to appreciate the craftsmanship that went into creating the dummies. The limbs were thin and basic, most of the power held in the central body, which was sort of bulbous. The head barely had anything but sensors in it, though the dummies were programmed to deactivate by default if it were destroyed. They were painted off white.

    They reminded Ragnhild of puppets her sister used to collect, just as morbid but infinitely more dangerous. She activated the microphone.

    ¡°The exercise will now begin. You must disable the puppets to succeed. If I see that you would be grievously wounded, I will press an emergency key that will instantly disable the puppets, however, you will have failed.¡±

    Crescent nodded, head bobbing, but looking away. Not interested in talking.

    The puppets charged in a triangle formation, aiming to box her. She shifted forward and to her left using some sort of¡­ shadow magic? No, something else. Rare then. The left puppet pivoted on itself, the torso rotating while the legs remained static. Crescent confidently struck at the same time. Her blade caught the puppet in the wrist. The limb was instantly severed.

    ¡°Hm,¡± Killroy mumbled appreciatively by her side.

    Crescent lunged but the damaged bot retreated, leaving both of its companions to attack. Crescent reacted with a sweeping attack that the first robot tried to stop. Tried. The violence of the shock sent it crashing against its companion. Crescent was indeed freakishly strong.

    This left the damaged robot open for an instant. Its offhand strike was simply dodged despite machine-like precision, then Crescent riposted.

    Ragnhild watched the huge sword tear into the puppet¡¯s chest with amazement. The strike was incredibly precise, severing several core components perfectly. Crescent teleported again to dodge a strike at her back. Good instincts, or good ears? Ragnhild leaned forward.

    Had to find out more.

    Crescent crossed blade with the third puppet, then punched the chest. A mana coat covered her fingers at the moment of impact. Ragnhild didn¡¯t wait for the entire hand to disappear down the puppet¡¯s chest to intervene.

    She pressed the emergency key.

    An unpleasant buzz filled the room. Killroy turned to her, shocked, but it was Crescent that showed immediate outrage while the three puppets collapsed on themselves.

    Ragnhild used the microphone again.

    ¡°I will just end the test and save the city sixty thousand credit in repairs, thank you. I have a better test for your abilities. If you will allow it.¡±

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Crescent shrugged, blade swishing as she twirled it. Frustrated. Ragnhild needed to see more first. She felt a deep need to understand.

    She made the call.

    ¡°Henry, are any Fast Response teams training right now? Already in gear?¡± she asked.

    By her side, Killroy blinked. Ragnhild waited to see if he would protest. He nodded instead. He understood.

    ¡°Yes, Team Five. They are undergoing evaluation.¡±

    ¡°I am changing the program. Have them come down here in full gear.¡±

    ¡°Now?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she hissed. ¡°Now.¡±

    They didn¡¯t have to wait for long. Crescent tilted her head when a trio of heavily armed soldiers walked into the room.

    Team Five wore the advanced bodysuits that would hopefully become the future of mankind: the union of advanced technology and magic. Portal material formed a heavy armor, with helmet displays using predictive algorithms to assist the wearer in understanding the battlefield. Polymer layers and high-density foam paddings alternated with mana-enhanced alloy plates to provide the best possible protection at the lowest cost, or at least, in the most mass-producible way.

    The Incursion had brought a new question: what to do when a single user can defeat a trained squad backed by the might of industrialisation. What to do when the Leviathan of the State no longer dominates the individual.

    This was the state¡¯s answer.

    Team Five deployed in a loose formation, weapons exposed, from shoulder guns to the swords and spears they wielded as users themselves. They exuded cockiness. Ragnhild held back a smile.

    Oh yes, this was going to be interesting.

    She climbed down the stairs, then stood behind Team Five who saluted smartly.

    ¡°You will engage candidate Crescent and neutralize her.¡±

    One of the soldiers scoffed in his mask. Raghnild did her best not to react. Why punish someone when reality would soon do it in her stead? They needed a reminder that training and equipment could only carry them so far, and to never assume they could just defeat anybody.

    ¡°You may not use offensive spells, but you can use all your other weapons and go for lethal attacks. Candidate Crescent will be held by the same standards. Begin.¡±

    Team Five was too slow to react, caught off guard while Crescent attacked them in the back immediately. She wasn¡¯t surprised at all. Hmmm. Perhaps trained by a twisted individual.

    All three soldiers were C-class with well-formed cores and a vast raiding experience, however, and the attacked spear wielder activated his armor¡¯s shield.

    The two-hander broke through the shield, the outer layers of the armor and only stopped at the pauldron the soldier rotated in front of the blow. Crescent disengaged, dodging a spear strike. The soldiers moved in to box her in with confidence. Shoulder-mounted guns opened, spitting rubber-tipped bullets. Those would still manage to disable a D-class raider but Crescent teleported to the side, behind the second spear wielder. Just inside of his guard. The other two lost line-of-sight.

    Ragnhild listened to their surprise, but they communicated quickly to adapt. Crescent¡¯s blade struck the spear wielder¡¯s knee in the back, drawing blood through shield and armor. She blocked a sweep meant to push her away, then with an impossibly precise blow, severed the shoulder gun¡¯s magazine link. Meanwhile, the other two had repositioned. They opened fire as they drew near but Crescent ran away behind one of the obstacles. The bullets didn¡¯t seem to be doing anything at all.

    Ragnhild added resistances to Crescent¡¯s quickly expanding list of skills.

    The three noticed as well. The wounded spearman took the rear of the formation while the other two advanced, switching to flashbangs. The launchers clicked in position.

    From her position at the back of the room, Ragnhild realized that Crescent didn¡¯t react to the sound. Not hearing-based, then. Interesting. The flashbangs exploded, then the soldiers moved forward only for Crescent to teleport in their midst. Resistant to sensory attacks as well? Now that was useful. Ragnhild wondered how that worked.

    Crescent redirected the thrust of the wounded spearman into the back of an ally, though the C-class soldier stopped it. A powerful sweep sent the two front soldiers staggering while the wounded spearman retreated, still catching a wound on each arm. She somersaulted over her victim, then kicked him forward into a would-be rescuer. This time, the two spearmen fell. The swordsman engaged her while the other two recovered. Her style was completely unpredictable and the rhythm was both frustrating and fascinating to observe, sometimes slowing, sometimes so fast, even the predictive algorithm could not follow. Ragnhild could tell the soldier couldn¡¯t match it. His style was serviceable but it was a means to an end. She was a prodigy. A counter, and the two hander slammed painfully in the man¡¯s plexus through the entire shielded armor.

    One of the spearmen grabbed his hand cannon and shot, catching her in the shoulder. Real bullets in that one. Crescent seemed surprised but instead of moving, stood still. The second and third bullet smashed in her back but didn¡¯t affect her.

    Ragnhild frowned. Crescent¡¯s skin, through the punctured fabric of her suit, had a strange hue. She was definitely using a body modification spell.

    Crescent teleported again, hand lifted, then threw the sword at the wounded spearman¡¯s back, mana still lingering in the blade.

    The sword whistled through the air. It slammed against the wounded spearman¡¯s neck. The armor there was extremely thick so it blocked all of the damage, but the might of the blow sent the shocked soldier careening on the ground. Not a long-range specialist, then. More of a trick. Good one though. The other two tried something else: tear gas. Ragnhild sighed.

    She hoped it wouldn¡¯t make her clothes stink.

    The swordsman picked up Crescent¡¯s discarded weapon while she was already rushing through the cloud gas towards the weapons rack, grabbing another sword and a hammer.

    Ragnhild had expressly told her she could use any weapons she wanted for the exercise.

    Crescent teleported in again. It was now clear that the ability was extremely efficient. She kept hounding the trio and rather than allowing them to cover each other, their numbers played against them as they constantly struggled to reposition. She was individually stronger than them, and never let them bring their own numbers to bear. Worse, they completely failed to draw blood while she ground them down with methodical delight. She was learning their patterns, while the algorithms completely failed to predict hers, and no wonder. Ragnarok couldn¡¯t have done it herself. It was too adaptative, and too vicious. It was an extremely offensive style designed for a lone striker. Sometimes, Crescent managed to dodge an attack she couldn¡¯t see but it didn¡¯t seem to be systematic. Hmmm.

    Eventually, Ragnhild decided it was enough. She could wait no longer. Appearing in front of the bleeding swordsman, she blocked Crescent¡¯s sword with her hand.

    Even hopelessly outclassed, the mana tried to devour them, and her, hungrily demanding to be released. It even started to sting a bit.

    Crescent huffed in annoyance. It was twice now that her fun had been interrupted.

    ¡°That is enough, thank you. Team Five, you have performed adequately. Please make your way to the infirmary.¡±

    They saluted and left. Ragnhild could feel the fury boiling in their mana, in their rigid steps. Crescent had intentionally spared one of the spearmen to focus on the others, and he was the most furious.

    Ragnhild had used the term ¡®adequate¡¯ for maximal humiliation. Those three would be less cocky, and more serious in their training from now on. She held back a smirk.

    Now what?

    She knew Crescent¡¯s style, her potential role in a squad, her spells, most of her abilities, her mana sensitivity, and her reliance on sight and touch, though Crescent probably didn¡¯t realize it herself. All highly unusual. There was only one thing Ragnhild didn¡¯t know yet.

    Technically, she didn¡¯t have to find out. Except, Ragnhild was the boss, and she decided when the testing was finished.

    She had to know.

    ¡°You are quite good, so in order to get a full grasp of your potential, I will add one last test.¡±

    Crescent nodded, clearly eager to fight more.

    It made her widening eyes even more delicious when metal covered Ragnhild¡¯s skin.

    This once, she allowed herself to smile.

    ***

    Nestra felt a mix of fear and elation when the gleam¡¯s aura smashed against her, that thick mana as domineering as that of Sereth. Not that they were an even match. She was just so far below them, it might as well have been irrelevant.

    Ragnarok. The steel beast.

    ¡°We are going to see your limits,¡± the voice said from a hellish mess of corded steel.

    Where a woman had stood, now there was a werewolf-like creature with massive claws and a black face devoid of eyes. over a serrated maw. Nestra¡¯s dad went for the juggernaut approach, but Ragnarok was the wolf that swallows the sun and moon. The monstrous being looked down at her, daring her to strike. Ragnarok¡¯s savage aura blanketed the arena until even the plastic racks took on a steely appearance. It reminded Nestra of fighting Sereth: a powerful being offering to teach her, except, Ragnarok was a human legend.

    Nestra knew she couldn¡¯t defeat her. That didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t win.

    So she took the bait.

    Precision guided her strike into the wolf¡¯s chest, where Ragnhild ought to be. The coated blade buried itself in the wolf¡¯s chest by a single centimeter. Nestra immediately used momentum to whirl away while two massive claws whistled through the air where she had been. She immediately charged in to strike a leg, just to be sure.

    Yeah, no damage. Even if she did, metal users just rebuilt their armor quickly, and Ragnarok was famous for having her flow. The counter came.

    She blocked, using immovable.

    Weightless. Flying through the air.

    Nestra smashed against a nearby wall. Her head banged painfully against the panel. Her arms shook from the impact, but she was standing and sidestepping in the same motion, just to see the monstrous form of Ragnarok crash against the place she had been in a thunderous clash of metal. She leaned back to avoid a claw sweep.

    Hand, big, reaching for her. A grab. Lodge her blade against two phalanx and push, up, turning the momentum away.

    Two fingers pointed.

    Ragnarok leaned to the side but she was a nicer player than Sereth, and the spell hit. Nestra let the bolt connect and struck at the same time, but Ragnarok twisted, her wolfish face rebuilding the meager damage. Nestra had three more spells in her, and she could keep her bladed coated for a while. Had to try it.

    Nestra stuck close to Ragnarok as they fought, though it was more Nestra dodging and Ragnarok making an effort to protect her ¡®core¡¯, her true body under the layer of metal protection. The old gleam was relentless and practically unstoppable but Nestra used all her focus to stay ahead just a little longer. Counting in her head.

    5 4 3

    Nestra¡¯s intuition screamed but too late. Ragnarok slapped her. Nestra¡¯s teeth clacked painfully, though she rolled with the blow. Counter. Lunge with precision. Momentum away.

    1

    0

    Nestra aimed two fingers center mass and landed her anchor, but this time the demon wolf blocked the blast. Pieces of metal went sent flying, charred and damaged. The wolf took a pretend step back. Ragnarok being a fair player.

    Nestra counted down again.

    12 11 10

    The dance intensified. Nestra struggled to keep the wolf at bay because she could not manage to be dangerous enough. Ragnarok nipped her suit, then used the piece of cloth to shake her before it broke. Nestra resisted the urge to use her spell again, even as a leg swept her own, sending her rolling again. She pushed herself away from stomping feet. She was almost at her limit. The pain in her bones grew with every strike. At least, Rangarok had not punctured skin.

    1

    0

    Nestra repositioned behind the wolf¡¯s back and unleashed her second to last bolt. It hit metal fur and failed to penetrate. Ragnarok contemptuously turned with a sweep.

    Nestra dodged under it and aimed.

    Ragnarok had been led to believe Nestra could only cast every twelve seconds. She had established a false pattern, and now she was going to use it. Hand extended, she gathered everything she had left.

    BOOM.

    The explosion was stronger this time. The wolf pretended to stagger, hurt. It was all Nestra needed. She charged forward, precision guiding her blade to the sternum.

    ¡°RAH!¡±

    A large hand grabbed her own.

    Nestra braced for pain, but it didn¡¯t come. A blink, and she was facing the old woman again.

    Overhead, the lights flashed once.

    The battle was over.

    ¡°A good attempt. I believe I have seen enough. Congratulations on passing the test. If you will excuse me for a moment, I will return to the observation platform to validate the results.¡±

    Nestra smiled.

    Just like with Sereth, she couldn¡¯t win, but she could push them out of the parameters they¡¯d selected for the spar.

    That was fun in itself. And good practice.

    ***

    ¡°I have¡­ concerns,¡±  Killroy said.

    ¡°I would have been surprised if you did not.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure she is human?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ragnarok replied without a second of hesitation. ¡°You might think that users that dominate others on the field of battle to such an extent could not possibly happen, but you need to remember that the logic of baseline humans no longer applies. No single baseline can stand against ten others and win, barring a miracle, but I could neutralize a hundred experienced D-class raiders without breaking a sweat, and Riel could defeat armies with the flick of a finger simply by sending them¡­ elsewhere. No, I am certain she is human. Not only human, but a Threshold-trained user.¡±

    The man considered her for a few moments in silence. Ragnarok used the opportunity to consult her sheet, her fingers dancing on the specifically-designed tool as fast as the connection would let. Databases flashed at speed no baseline humans could process.

    The truth was that even though all the ¡®Dark Horses¡¯ were officially protected, Threshold¡¯s security knew who the important ones were with a 97% degree of accuracy. For example, how many Threshold-based, C-class, 1.78m, male pyromancers with light brown hair could only raid on Saturdays?

    As it happened, just one. Naturally, Ragnhild didn¡¯t keep a record of it. She just inferred. And now she would do the same with Crescent.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll bite. How do you know?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps alien infiltrators would have perfect forms for bench-pressing and deadlift. I can accept that. But the way she fights¡­ There are plenty of unique moves I have never seen before, however the way she parried my claw, by striking it and then pushing it aside with a deliberate movement, that is a Palladian parry.¡±

    He frowned.

    ¡°From the metal clan?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Once formed, metal is slower to flow. The technique uses the weight of our own manifested metal against us by interrupting a strike before it is delivered, then pushing the limb out to destabilize the entire body. It turns our strength against us. She also jumped and lashed out over a low sweep in the same motion, a technique we call an Azanagi volte. A very aggressive move. Those are both local clan techniques that mark a Threshold raider.¡±

    Killroy didn¡¯t seem convinced.

    ¡°A monster could have stolen the body and memories of a raider.¡±

    ¡°But then you are a suspect, my dear, and so am I,¡± she retorted. ¡°There needs to be a limit to your paranoia.¡±

    He sighed. She gave him more time to think while she perused the list of all known and rare mana types that manifest as black or nearly black. Obsidian. No. Coal. No. Tar. No. Black acid¡­ maybe? She shortlisted it. Nightmare. No, this was not a mind effect.

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ her body isn¡¯t right. It doesn¡¯t move like a human does. Not quite.¡±

    ¡°Very observant, however, several mana types allow for body transformations including life, jade, earth, and¡­¡±

    ¡°Metal.¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    Ragnarok finished her list, then narrowed her search to Threshold-based users. Erin Semper, ¡®goo¡¯. Material engineer specialized in viscosity. No. Helena Palladian, void.

    Void?

    Ragnarok clicked on a small video, which she then accelerated sixteen times because she was feeling giddy. A young woman with abyss-colored iris coating an axe. An awkward blow. Stress. Much strength though, and the way the mana danced on the blade was familiar, though far too unfocused. This was it, however. Void. The video dated back to six months before. No, could not be her. Too blunt. Too¡­candid. Someone else? Pull the Palladian clan database. Father Hector, relatives in Australia. Isolated. Unlikely. Mother, relatives in the United States. Estranged. Support class. Even more unlikely. She made a note anyway. Ulysses, brother. She checked his file. Electricity and metal-based close-quarter fighter. Gender was less relevant with a shape-shifting power. Possible. She clicked on the B-class exam recording.

    Not the same style at all. Very patient and deliberate. Much less flow. Too rigid. Just like Ragnarok herself.

    A file called for her attention. A third relative? Archived. Excitement bubbled in her chest. Today was the more fun she¡¯d had since the last time she raided. She had to re-enter her credentials to unseal the file. Clytemnestra Palladian. Failed user. Oh yes, Ragnhild did remember something to this effect in the news. A decade ago. Concerns about the ¡®gleamification¡¯ of mankind not being as inevitable as previously believed. But that had led nowhere. Ragnarok selected the only recording available, a private school entrance spar.

    Elation filled her mind. The sheet groaned under her fingers until she remembered to stay in control.

    It was her.

    Younger, more graceful, more hesitant. Fresh and hopeful. Less wary. But those moves... The precise counter-attacks, the controlled offense, the way she never stopped moving, never giving her opponent breathing room. The little edge of viciousness. Yes. That was her.

    Ragnarok smiled.

    Crescent was Clytemnestra Palladian. Somehow.

    And then, she closed all the tabs and wiped the history of her search. The Threshold security AI confirmed that the data had been completely erased a moment later. Of the discovery, there would never be any trace.

    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Killroy asked.

    ¡°Nothing specific besides the fact that we found one of the most talented C-class raiders in history. A detail you will keep to yourself since I have a use for her. As of now, her testing results are sealed.¡±

    The AI acknowledged her command with a message.

    ¡°Good. Now, if you will excuse me, I must talk to her.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    She could be the one.

    Ragnarok walked down to the waiting room. Crescent was waiting for her, those abyssal eyes lazily inspecting the place. The old gleam pushed down a smile when she heard the masked one¡¯s stomach gurgle. Hungry girl, ey? A few taps on her sheet, and the AI confirmed that all monitoring equipment around the room were disabled.

    ¡°Before we go, however, I have an offer.¡±

    Crescent tensed. Ragnarok could tell that the girl didn¡¯t want to be bound. She was distrustful of politics, and Ragnarok felt sympathy.

    But one couldn¡¯t demolish almost every record ever made on an admission test without getting a little attention.

    ¡°I will bypass exclusivity contracts to offer special access to several C-class worlds around and outside the city. There are also special events you might be invited for.¡±

    She smiled.

    ¡°In return?¡± Crescent hissed back after a long delay.

    It was funny how she avoided talking as much as possible. Being silent and capable of killing everyone in the room had worked wonders for Ragnarok across the years.

    ¡°I want you to climb fast so one day, you can kill Shinran.¡±

    ***

    Ragnarok might have just told Nestra she wanted to strip naked and dance the polka. There was no question of staying impassive behind the mask, this time. Kill Shinran? Kill. Shinran? Was the woman completely fucking insane? Not only was Shinran so powerful he kept the more ambitious A-class gleams at bay from the pile of money that was Threshold by his mere presence, he was also, well Shinran? Guardian Shinran? A good guy who smoothed things over, gave everyone face, and healed people for free in his spare time?

    Hello?

    Ragnarok smiled in a predatory manner.

    ¡°I can tell the proposal hurts your Thresholder sensitivities. Do not pay my words any heed. It won¡¯t become relevant for a very, very long time.¡±

    Hopefully went unsaid. Nestra wasn¡¯t willing to just let it go, however.

    ¡°What elssse? Depleted uranium on Sssanta¡¯s sled?¡±

    ¡°No need to be cross, Crescent. Shinran may be in control right now, but he has exhibited some concerning tendencies when angered.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t speak. Shinran was a first gen high gleam. Of course, he¡¯d be ultra dangerous when pissed. She¡¯d witnessed her dad bitch slap someone with a sedan, once, though he¡¯d apologized afterward. Unless Shinran was pulling baby arms out of their sockets, this didn¡¯t warrant a kill order.

    ¡°In any case, I have decided I will also grant you a solo operator license. I assume you would prefer to work alone,¡± Ragnarok continued, eyeing Nestra¡¯s body armor with condescension.

    It was annoying how perceptive she was. At least, Nestra took comfort in the fact her identity was safe, protected behind redundant layers of administrative security. But apparently Ragnarok already believed Nestra was a Thresholder, and she was right.

    ¡°Solo operator?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It means you are exempt from minimum squad member requirements when entering portals. Ace users tend to have them, though it also comes with a rather high fatality rate.¡±

    Nestra was happy to have it but¡­ wasn¡¯t it counter-productive? To have gleams die like that?

    Once again, Ragnarok read her like a book. Annoying.

    ¡°We set this up because the mavericks would bring a team of pushovers and have them wait by the entrance, picking up daisies and shiny stones. That way, we are not wasting more resources trying to police unruly battle maniacs.¡±

    Ragnarok gave Nestra another meaningful glance before turning away.

    ¡°Killroy will stay behind for now, as you will primarily be working under me. When you want, of course. Let me show you the facilities, then we will get you set up at the marketplace.¡±

    ***

    It was happening.

    Ragnarok personally fast-tracked Nestra through the admin thingie. She was given an ID, credentials for raid applications, a market card, the whole thing. She could now literally walk in the city as a (masked) Aszhii and no one would say anything. It was absolutely incredible. What surprised her a bit was that her results were not displayed, and it almost felt like Ragnarok was getting her in through the back door. It was fine by Nestra. She didn¡¯t want to attract too much attention anyway.

    She was so excited that she almost raced back after she was done. Only paranoia held her back. Once she was home, she sent a message to Gorge since he had pressed her to apply.

    ¡°Ready to make a killing reselling medicine on the black market?¡± he asked.

    ¡°And buying food,¡± he added after a delay.

    Who was he taking her for?

 Part 24

    Nestra stood in an empty apartment overlooking the headquarter of the Varang guild, a squat tower built on the edge of the Museum of Art¡¯s garden. Prime location for a prime guild. The structure was entirely opaque to Nestra¡¯s budding mana senses though, and that blindness left her feeling exposed. She wouldn¡¯t even be standing at all were it not for the presence of Sereth.

    If Sereth stood, that meant nobody could see them. She felt a little giddy watching people leave late from work, hurrying under the blue street lights to the nearby metro station, completely oblivious to the fact she was doing a crime.

    They were trespassing.

    It made Nestra nervous and more than a little ashamed. This was clearly someone¡¯s place, not some corpo office. The owner had forgotten her orange juice on the table and it was all Nestra could do not to put it back in the fridge with the cap on. Six different handbags clogged the coat hanger. It smelled vaguely of vanilla with a hint of dirty dishes.

    She was burglarizing. No, trespassing. They wouldn¡¯t steal anything. Still, this was a violation.

    ¡°You are bothered,¡± Seth said.

    ¡°We are intruding.¡±

    ¡°So we are,¡± he agreed with a nod. ¡°You are always intruding, Nestra, because you are not human.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know.¡±

    ¡°I respect your appreciation of other sapient beings¡¯, ah, boundaries. For their private places. But to actually respect them is not something you can afford just quite yet. You are still a little whelp, weak. Easily found out.¡±

    She hissed at him though her heart wasn¡¯t into it. Sereth¡¯s remarks had come without bite. He shook his head, ears bobbing in that weird manner that she couldn¡¯t yet interpret.

    ¡°I worry about you. Rules and courtesy are luxuries of the powerful. You may die if you do not understand that they are not. Your. Friends.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, habit.¡±

    ¡°It is the same with portal worlds.¡±

    Sereth¡¯s hands waved at the building in front of him.

    ¡°All of the portals you have access to nominally belong to the dominant species of the world, here, humans. You are parasitizing their resources just as they keep them from each other by building walls and vaults and whatever they see fit to hoard their wealth. This is just a more visible proof of greed, but even what you get by following rules will be the subject of influences, politics, trade offs. We Aszhii grow stronger by taking from the defeated. You must be cunning if you hope to succeed.¡±

    ¡°So get in, get through the portals, then get out.¡±

    ¡°In one piece,¡± Seth said with a pointed look. ¡°I will wipe out your blood if you leave any, but if the Varang guild catches you, you had better run fast.¡±

    Nestra had a plan if it came to that. She could shift through walls up and down. That would definitely help.

    ¡°Are you sure you cannot tell me more about what¡¯s in the portal?¡±

    ¡°I will not.¡±

    Nestra grumbled. D-class portals were mostly public domain when it came to content, but C-class portals and the guilds that owned them tended to be a bit more private.

    ¡°If you wish to prepare better, next time find the information on your own. I would add that when you travel to other worlds, you will also move through portal worlds with very little information. It would be better for you to train your ability to adapt rather than on your ability to research.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I get it!¡±

    Sereth smiled apologetically.

    ¡°I am just¡­ worried. The masked gleam thing does not help, though I believe your identity will be¡­ contained.¡±

    ¡°Secret, you mean?¡±

    ¡°Enough talk, little Nezhra. Show me what you can do.¡±

    Nestra nodded, then she headed to the apartment¡¯s entrance. Sereth had assured her that they were facing the offices of the Varang headquarters. They would be mostly deserted at this time.

    Varang was one of Threshold¡¯s largest guilds, only second to Wellington¡¯s Ngati in terms of numbers. They fell under the umbrella of Bright Security Inc. Nestra expected a ton of tech-based barriers to her progress. That would suit her ok. By comparison, BaiHua favored tamed beasts and that would be an absolute hell to infiltrate.

    Well, that was fine. Nothing to it. In order to fully form a core, Nestra needed something that could only be found in C-class worlds, and all C-class worlds nearby were in tightly controlled, guarded locations. She¡¯d suggested waiting for the army to give her a spot as a masked gleam but Sereth had refused. So Nestra was out to explore and kill until she ¡®found what she needed¡¯, whatever that meant.

    Bloody training.

    Sereth smiled, then Nestra ran. She rushed forward to the window of the apartment.

    At the last moment, she used passe-muraille, swimming through reality until she cleared the glass.

    The temperature increased as the late summer air buffeted her. She smelled the scents of the night, heard the low hums of car engines. In front of her, the black panes that formed the building¡¯s outer layer drew closer. She was flying through the air from one trespass to another. Tonight would see a record-breaking number of felonies on her part.

    Kind of exciting.

    She used passe-muraille again, misjudged where the floor would be and found herself between two. Pressure built on her mind until she was forcefully propelled downward into an empty cubicle. She landed in a crouch.

    Large room, an office. Rows of cubicles. Clean ground. Few lights. Mostly silence, except for someone dictating a report a dozen meters deeper in. No mana. She waited in silence for a second.

    ¡°¡ª would avoid further damage to mining equipment if Liu Zhen wasn¡¯t such a fucking dickhead. Ugh. Erase last sentence. We could avoid ¡ª¡±

    Nestra moved deeper towards the center of the building, bypassing an angry woman doing her best to compose what sounded like the end of an accident report. She wasn¡¯t sure where the portal would be but probably somewhere near the middle and at street level, because that was where most portals spawned. She soon came across the end of the office, where a door waited, locked. She counted two cameras above her, one retinal scan and one flat rectangle that should be an RFID tag reader. Light security by Bright¡¯s standard. She walked a little bit away, then swam through the wall. No reason to leave too many glitches on record.

    Behind was more of the same, but the smell of coffee ahead heralded the presence of a break room. Nestra walked there then waited until a sad man walked away with a coffee mug and a steaming cup of instant noodles. She eyed the vending machine on the way.

    No, focus.

    The break room was almost dead center according to her estimate, so she swam down to find an almost carbon copy of the upper break room. Only this one had a different microwave.

    ¡®I have demonstrated a loop,¡¯ Nestra chuckled to herself.

    Thankfully, this one was empty but it might not be the case every time, so she angled to the side so she could land on top of the company fridge. There was barely enough room under the tall ceiling.

    If it were up to her, she would have raided this place at 3 AM on Friday evening, the day most people worked from home. Unfortunately, guilds like Varang had B-class gleams under their command, and those, Nestra just couldn¡¯t handle. Period.

    It so happened that tonight, most of the leadership was attending a charity ball organized by the mayor in favor of District Fifteen¡¯s victims. The fact that a mana vein had been recently found and that it was a perfect timing for the various power groups to sniff each other¡¯s asses for opportunities was purely coincidental. The last B-class gleam of Varang was currently inside of the portal world, very busy looking after a gaggle of underlings as they pillaged their ways through the world¡¯s riches. The building was empty of major threats.

    Couldn¡¯t get better than this.

    The three next floors going down were a break room, a janitor¡¯s closet, and another break room, all empty. Her next drop almost caused her a fright but she managed to push herself back instead of landing on a security guard resting on a chair, a visor blocking his view of the real world.

    This was a security strongbox. The place was cramped, with three guards inspecting feeds from the safety of their shelters. A locked weapon locker occupied an entire side of the cubic space. Nestra resisted the urge to whistle at the enchantments protecting the door. Varang really wasn¡¯t fucking around.

    Also, she was getting close.

    In order to avoid any stupid mistake, Nestra sat on the ground to get a better feel for the mana round her. She got nothing from below and thus swam into an unlit corridor. A person was turning the corner so she swam again, this time right above a gleam.

    She planted her hands and feet on the wall and stayed there, suspended like a big stupid spider. Ugh, the lack of visibility was really making her gamble, though she was decidedly being unlucky as well. Below her, the gleam in full armor was watching a cricket match on a large pad. The corridor they were in ended with stairs, blocked behind a security door that showed enchantments on top of the technological safeties. The passage led down. She was near the ground floor.

    Nestra wall-walked to the side. She could feel the nice energy ¡ª the zeta radiation ¡ª of a portal but she was too far from it to break through. They were strong though. She almost dropped again but she could feel a strange mana emanating through the wall and that wasn¡¯t the portal. It felt¡­ abstract. Not fire or electricity but something more exotic.

    She swam horizontally and found herself in a sort of garden or lobby, almost empty but for two talking office workers in the distance. Nestra fell to her knees and crawled behind a bed of azaleas until the portal and weird mana faded. There, she went down.

    Lockers. She was in a changing room. Dull mana from weapons and equipment radiated through the metal. The place was well-lit. A carefully-labeled sheet on the door in front of her read as such:

    ¡®Jensen Yu, C-class striker, ID: 16423¡¯

    This was the raider changing room. She looked up, finding the door nearby. Like all the others at this level, it was enchanted, armored, and locked behind redundant layers of security.

    Nestra felt the abstract mana approach. This close, she could almost taste it, the owner making no secret of its presence. It was a bit wane, almost like a blank. Not void, or emptiness. More like¡­ a sticky vacuum.

    It touched her.

    ¡°Shit,¡± she swore in Aszhii.

    The door unlocked with a beep. Nestra ran to the wall and waited, then as the door opened, she used the blind spot to swim through the wall.

    She was standing in a large, empty cavern made of layered metal panels. Floodlights completely saturated the place. The only thing of interest here was the portal.

    It was blue and singularly massive. She had not actually seen the B-class portal Sereth had dragged her in. This C-class portal was as large as a small house. It radiated power and mana in a pleasant glow that made Nestra want to lounge, like sunbathing in summer. To her right, she spotted an armored butt, the owner looking into the room she had just left. a sword rested on the gleam¡¯s side.

    ¡°Curious,¡± a timid voice said, ¡°I could have sworn...¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t wait. She placed her hand against the fabric of space, then pushed her way in.

    The flooded, barren room disappeared. She was standing in a massive tropical forest next to a large tree whose roots were as thick as a car. Rich, cloying smells filled her nose, the air warm and wet after the air-conditioned insides of the Varang building. Strange birds let out ululating cries. Far in the distance, something died noisily. The entry portal hummed a few dozen meters away.

    The mana here was even nicer than outside, and Nestra stretched her arms with delight. It was just a little too dark for baseline eyes with the canopies of titanic trees blocking most of the light coming from above. She could barely see tiny fragments of blue sky peeking from behind a thousand leaves. Lianas and moss turned the world around her green and crowded. There were just so many shapes here, from the rugged trunks to the twisted branches. Thick roots snaked on the ground like a safe path on a sea of shriveled ferns. Ripe fruits and lush flowers brought vivid colors to the blotted tapestry. Nestra took a deep breath to calm down, her enjoyment of the rich mana already ruined. This was a little overwhelming but she would be fine, she just needed a little bit of time.

    Breathe in, breathe out. her mind went over everything she was seeing, then she looked up. Should not forget the up. This world operated on several layers, with the ground being one and the first level of thick branches another.

    Nestra approached a nearby fruit. It was large, orange, and shaped a bit like a gourd. She gave it a sniff. Vegetable, not fruit. She recognized it from advertisements, something pretentious like golden patisson. It was great in a gratin.

    First piece of loot acquired!

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    She pocketed it and went to the next one, then slapped something jumping at her face. It was a big hair spider thing that scurried under a root.

    She checked the fruit. it was half-hollow and filled with yellow, translucent eggs. And goop.

    ¡°Ew. You can have this one.¡±

    After giving herself a second to think, she decided to move up rather than stay on the ground level. Humans tended to dislike climbing steep inclines if they could avoid it, especially those that wore heavy armor. It was also only a matter of time before the first recovery teams showed up to harvest the resources here. Picking the largest tree, and thus the flattest trunk, she began her ascent.

    It was rather easy except for the red-tipped mosquito things trying to get a cup of fresh Nestra juice. A void-infused slap took care of those pesky things but they kept coming, which slowed her down a bit. Eventually, she reached the thick networks of branches forming improvised bridges over the dark loam below. The sky felt just as distant here.

    Nestra unsheathed her sword.

    Sereth said that if she kept walking around, she would eventually find what she was looking for. Nestra shrugged, picked a random branch, and jumped to it.

    Might as well explore.

    The first five minutes went well. She found a small colorful snake lying in ambush that was possibly both poisonous and venomous but also potentially edible, a handful of small red fruits she also bagged just in case, and a bird that tried to scream very loud at her before pecking out her eyes. That one she didn¡¯t keep, but she did grab a few nice feathers. Those two creatures were high D-class, situationally dangerous but not exactly a threat to her. She knew it wouldn¡¯t last, and it didn¡¯t.

    After jumping across a chasm, she found her first real target. It was¡­ an ant. A brown ant. An anty ant. No weird color, or scribblings or anything. The only strange features were that the ant was human-sized, well, reclining human-sized, and looked quite thick. Chitinous plates also covered the top of its head and parts of its torso.

    The ant¡¯s antennae twitched.

    Nestra froze. She didn¡¯t move, hell, she didn¡¯t even breathe. Despite her efforts, the twitching intensified until the ant twisted on itself with surprising grace.

    Now, it was looking straight at her with those multi-faceted eyes. Its head was unexpectedly flat and the chompers straight and sharp. Wait, no, mandibles. That was the proper term.

    It charged her.

    As Nestra moved to meet it, a dreaded fear wormed its way into her mind. She knew ants relied on pheromones to communicate, and that it involved antennae, somehow.

    And the ant had detected her from behind while she was perfectly silent.

    This could only mean one thing.

    ¡°Do¡­ do I smell?¡±

    Nestra stepped back at the last moment, just before she clashed with the ant. It was a trick that usually worked with stupid monsters. Fortunately, the ant was it. It twisted its head and bit down, missing her completely, but the jaws still closed on the bark beneath them.

    With a dreadful clack, the mandibles snapped shut like a fucking bear trap. The shockwave sent shards and pieces of bark flying around while tiny leaves flew off nearby offshoots. It was like a small detonation, extremely localized but remarkably powerful.

    Note to self: don¡¯t get caught.

    Nestra moved in while the ant returned to its pre-strike position in one smooth move. Felt like a pattern to her. The mandibles were slowly opening again so there was a windup period after it bit down, good to know.

    Weak point? The jaws looked strong, and the top of the head had plates but the arena around the eyes and antennae was lighter in color. Probably full of nerves. She sweeped to the side with an infused blade.

    The sword carved through the head horizontally in one blow.

    Power rushed into Nestra, though part of it was lost. This had been¡­ really easy? Too easy. Probably a very weak C-class monster then. The beast collapsed, limbs contracting around the branch.

    Nestra was left a little disappointed. Well, it was fine.

    And then it hit her, an acrid smell, pungent and animal. She frowned and realized that without sensory protection, this would probably be a little bit debilitating. A few steps back and the air returned to its cloying, tepid self.

    For a defense mechanism, it sure came rather late in the ant¡¯s life.

    Shrugging, Nestra kept going. She knew ants were edible but the smell just didn¡¯t inspire her at all. She was rather confident she could find tastier specimens if she just kept walking around triggering ambushes. Speaking of, she decided to stop and have a good look. Maybe the smell would attract predators?

    As soon as the thought hit her brain, her mouth hung open.

    Strong smell. Pheromones.

    ¡°Oh shit, I¡¯m an idiot.¡±

    She glanced down.

    The forest was writhing with activity. Four armored ants the size of small cars were looking at her from the ground while other smaller specimens climbed the trunks at great speed. More were popping out from behind trunks as she watched.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    The larger ant turned its butt towards her. She didn¡¯t wait to see what would happen. There were dozens of the buggers. It was time for cardio.

    Nestra ran. A hiss behind her told her all she needed to know: acid sprays. An ant climbed from below the branch in front of her. Thankfully, it had its back turned so Nestra killed it as she raced by. One strike through the neck was all it took.

    But that begged a question.

    How did they even¡ª

    A snap. Broken bark. One of the ants nearby had slammed its mandibles against a tree with such strength that it was now flying through the air. Nestra slid under the wriggling mess of limbs and the ant missed her, but there were more snaps and now the air was filled with flying, grasping creatures. She struck the next one as it passed by, scoring a grievous wound but nothing immediately lethal since there was no energy. Worse, her hands throbbed from the impact.

    Had to get out of here fast.

    Nestra sped along a trunk. A spray of acid splashed on the bark, a few droplets hitting her skin. It immediately started to sting painfully. Another ant landed in front of her. She killed it quickly. More power rushed through her body when the monster died. Momentum carried her past another two. She was forced to step back to kill a third, losing speed, and the carpet of ants gained density around her. Shit, there were a lot of them. Changing direction, she jumped to another, less crowded branch.

    Below her, the three large ants twisted on themselves, immediately firing a wave of acid in her path.  Momentum carried her to her destination. Acrid fumes from the vegetation filled her nostrils.

    Dying swarmed to fuck probably wasn¡¯t what Seth had in mind. She was confident she could kill several dozen ants before falling but falling she would. Even her hubris held back. Standing and fighting would be just stupid. A fighting retreat though? That was challenging and a little fun.

    Nestra ran faster. She was used to the way the smaller ants moved now. By using momentum sparingly and killing the more isolated ants, she was able to stay ahead but this wasn¡¯t a long term solution. Each kill sent her pursuers into more of a frenzy. The forest behind her cracked and groaned with each snap, with each light ant catapulting themselves after her. They were damn fast if not exactly aerodynamic.

    The race continued. Nestra was getting used to the patterns now. The larger ants were also falling behind but they were still here and the small ones were keeping up because branches were not straight paths and she was wasting time following them. Go down? That didn¡¯t feel wise. Up here, the ants struggled to corner her as well. Up? She was too slow a climber. Needed a solution.

    She found one slightly to her right, on the ground level. One of the trunks bore massive claw marks.

    Might work. Would probably work.

    Nestra turned, the ants still following at a dead speed. She cleaved her way through a couple more to make up for the speed loss, then momentum ahead of an acid wave. The forest grew taller ahead. Large mushrooms decorated ancient roots and she could see ahead further. Tiny openings in the canopy revealed hints of rock ahead and, in the distance, the tracks she was hoping to see. This time, she did jump down.

    A quick look back revealed a quiet stampede, a layer of chitin and mandibles rolling over roots and soil in a silent wave. Even at a dead run it was difficult to stay ahead, but that was fine. She had found her target.

    A large, hairy back the size of a small house. A sound like a low rumble accompanied each lift of the enormous chest. The monster was asleep.

    She¡¯d heard about those. C-class worlds didn¡¯t have just one powerful foe. Several deadly creatures made their homes in those long-lasting portal worlds, and although only the true guardian had to be slain in order to prevent an eventual breach, killing the others could bring a wealth of body parts and combat experience. This was one such creature.

    She sprinted past it, on the feet side just in case it tried to grab her. The frenzied mass of ants split into two confused groups behind her, some stopping, some racing after her, and the smaller third attacking the large monster¡¯s back. A foolish move that most of the ants avoided.

    It only took one.

    Nestra looked back, seeing jaws clamp on the large beast¡¯s big toe. It was built like a giant honey badger though the head was strange, almost bird-like with two long mustaches covered in thin tendrils.

    The monster woke up with a sharp gasp. Liquid, slitted pupils found Nestra first, but then they immediately latched on the one ant clamped on its toe. A stomp, and the insect was pulped.

    The monster roared as it sprang to its feet. A furious melee ensued, one Nestra was glad to run away from. A burst of power confirmed that even if she wasn¡¯t the one delivering the final blow, causing deaths was still a way to absorb strength.

    Once she was at a safe distance, she observed the bear-thing. Ants jumped and bit it in waves, covering it in their multitude while a spray of well-timed acid splashed on its fur. A larger type of ants soon arrived, those the size of bus and lumbering yet really strong, if the way they pushed the bear was any indication.

    It was all for nothing. All those attacks barely cut through the thick hide and whatever succeeded was promptly squashed by a relentless fury that only seemed to grow as time went on. The bear splattered with heavy steps, dismembered with powerful sweeps. It was fast, too. Nestra observed it punch three ants on the ground in quick succession, the blows several times more powerful than needed. They left massive fist imprints in the loam with quivering legs stuck at the edge. The bear absolutely demolished the horde and whatever tried to stand before it ended as fine paste. It didn¡¯t take long for the ants to disengage, and for most of the force to skitter back from whence they came, leaving the bear thing victorious. It grabbed the shell of one of the large ants then plucked the meat from inside with sharp claws. Nestra decided to make herself scarce.

    No matter how she thought about it, the bear was not an adversary she could even hold back at this moment. Momentum would simply place her in the path of the second of several punches while immovable would get moved really quickly and rather painfully as well. She was confident she could at least make the beast bleed ¡ª void mana was really good at carving things up. She just wouldn¡¯t survive the experience.

    That was fine. She was just getting started, and it was nice to have something to look forward to. Namely, bear stew.

    One thing at a time.

    A patch of mushrooms in the distance attracted her attention. There was a nest thing near it, and Nestra spotted eight black eyes peering above the ground towards her, just above ground level.

    Spider legs tasted like fried prawns, right?

    ***

    ¡°Something¡¯s sent the ants into a tizzy. They¡¯re attacking Old Deathpaw,¡± the armored user said.

    Yunlong tasted the air, sending disturbances far in the distance. It did feel like Deathpaw¡¯s roars of anger. Even he couldn¡¯t be sure since they were far back towards the gate and past the mountain.

    ¡°It happens sometimes. Some lesser monsters do not fear death.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and I would normally not tell you but¡­ Xiao Yu called from the gate. She said she sensed something.¡±

    ¡°Is she still in range?¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡±

    The B-class user gathered his robes and his long halberd, making his way to the temporary command post. A sturdy radio waited near the entrance. He spoke in Chinese.

    ¡°Xiao Yu? What is the matter?¡±

    ¡°Didi, I felt something but when I went to look for it, it was gone!¡±

    Yunlong sighed. Typical of big sister to be so unreliable.

    ¡°What do you mean? Something?¡±

    ¡°A shadow in the weave. Not a true one. A void. Different. It came close to the portal on the earth side and then, it vanished.¡±

    ¡°Let me talk to the sentry.¡±

    ¡°En.¡±

    The man who replied did so in English. His voice was crisp. Professional.

    ¡°Kaneda speaking.¡±

    ¡°Has anything gone through the portal?¡±

    ¡°No sir, not unless it was invisible, soundless, and intangible.¡±

    ¡°I see. Tell the recovery team that they will be delayed. The ants are acting strangely. Now let me talk to my sister again.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    There was only the slightest delay.

    ¡°I do not feel anything here, but perhaps I should look?¡± Xiao Yu said.

    ¡°No. You are officially resting. I will not have you chase after a ghost. Just let me know immediately if you feel something similar.¡±

    ¡°Hao le.¡±

    ¡°And return to the safe side of the portal. I know what you are doing.¡±

    ¡°Hao le hao le, I¡¯m going!¡±

    Yunlong shook his head as he left the tent. This portal world could be hard on the nerves since there were so many threats outside of the true fights. He didn¡¯t have the time to investigate every shadow, not while babysitting his C-class so they wouldn¡¯t end up as wasp egg nests.

    ¡°Prepare to move out,¡± he announced to a chorus of complaints.

    ***

    It was darker in this part of the woods. Silent too.

    Rather than climbing towards the mountain, Nestra had turned left with her back to the portal. C-class worlds were still rather linear though there was a lot more freedom than in D-class worlds. That meant that the mountain was the next obstacle on the path to the guardian, and since the expedition had started the day before, there was a possibility they were still around. She didn¡¯t want to come across their B-class gleam.

    Also, Sereth expected her back before dawn, so what she was supposed to find was definitely close to the entrance. With a frown of distaste, she stepped away from a sickly-looking root covered in a patch of green bioluminescent mushrooms. Maybe coming here was a mistake. There were less creatures here, and they were sneakier. White translucent spiders crawling slowly, barely visible to her. Strange featherless birds. Skittish rodent creatures with bone snouts that looked more fur than anything else. She¡¯d come across the corpse of an ant with white stalks growing out of its eye sockets a little bit before and that had been nasty. Just as she decided to leave, a strange radiance pulsed from behind a rotten trunk.

    Nestra frowned.

    This was either a hidden treasure, or a bait. Probably both. She took a step back, frowning. Her new intuition was telling her¡­ something. She looked around herself. Nothing but gray moss, dying bark, ancient trunk shooting up and far away. No sounds. No movement.

    Something was moving. She felt it on her skin. Up. She looked up. Towards the nearest trunk.

    Nothing.

    Nothing but¡­

    Some light, shimmering like reflection on a stained glass. Like luminous static. Nestra frowned and used momentum. Back.

    Between the moment she took a step back and right before the void pulled her away, something whistled.

    Sharp impact in her jaw, cheek, left side. Like a strong slap.

    A trail of gray blood, quickly turning red.

    Agony hit her. She hissed between clenched teeth. It hurt. Something was stalking her but she couldn¡¯t see it, could only vaguely catch spasms in the colors of the trunk. Just a wrinkle here and there. She stepped back again, then used momentum to jump to the side.

    Something caught her in the small of the back. The Skin absorbed some of the damage, and it was just a glancing blow but pain still told her she was hurt. Blood from her face reached her throat. Lateral failed. Forward? Or run away?

    Forward, the Scornful Crescent whispered. Forward, and do the unexpected. She raced towards the tree and used momentum to close in. This time, the whistling missed her. It was above her. Close to the bark. She jumped up with a wide sweep to force some form of answer, and her blade hit a mirage. No, not a mirage. A thin limb. It deflected her blade upward but she was strong, very strong. Stronger than the creature from this angle. She roared and struck again, forward, down to up. Something touched her flank but her blade hit first. The monster let out a hiss of pain as transparent ichor sprayed the trunk, a mirror to Nestra¡¯s earlier wound.

    Gravity took its hold so Nestra used momentum to hit the ground. An instant later, something whistled past her head. For a fragment of a second, the beast¡¯s camouflage failed, and she could see more of it.

    Four thin legs grabbing the trunk. Two more extending like delicate whips, magic clinging to their delicate frame. Two front limbs, thicker, and long. So long. They ended in a hellish maze of grasping barbs, meant to shred even the hardest armor. Blood still dyed the right one. As for the main body it writhed still, and she could see no more.

    The creature blinked out. She recognized it, or at least the general shape. It was an amblypygi. A whip spider.

    She charged again. A part of her told her that if she failed to finish it off now, she wouldn''t see it again until it was too late. If those pedipalps touched her throat, she was dead. She wasn¡¯t confident in hitting it with her bolt yet because of the camouflage. It wasn¡¯t just light, the way it moved and altered things, something wasn¡¯t right.

    Nestra danced towards the trunk again, moving haphazardly to make it harder for her foe to get her. The whip spider was trying to hit her from the side so she could make things harder by moving back and forth to prevent a proper grab. The whistle of barbs in her ear filled her chest with exhilaration. Now this was a fucking battle. As she reached the trunk again, wind on her skin told her that the thing had jumped. She finished the motion, planted her feet on the trunk, looked back. There. A shimmer near a patch of mushrooms. She jumped towards it, eager to close the distance. Another shimmer. Thing was walking like a crab.

    The timing ought to be now.

    She dove under the strike she knew was coming for her. The limb still managed to glance on her ass before leaving. More pain, but she had it. This time, her strike fell down and the blocking limbs failed to completely stop her. Another gash opened on a cephalothorax that just didn¡¯t seem to want to exist. Yes! So close, she was strong and it was weak. She foiled its ambush. She had it! A desperate limb tried to interpose itself but this time, Nestra overloaded her sword with void mana, infusing it beyond what the beast would manage. The blade, Claire¡¯s gift, flashed with the deleterious mana, and then, at the apex of Nestra¡¯s assent, it exploded.

    The thud was dull for such a strong thing.

    Nestra was catapulted back, on her wounded ass. A piece of shrapnel was stuck to her arm. Painful, she removed it. She couldn¡¯t hear. New wounds added agony to the one on her face, which had not closed yet.

    She picked herself up, slowly. Her only saving grace was that the whip spider was even more hurt than she was. The creature was almost fully visible now, down to its straight abdomen, which it was shaking powerfully.

    Nestra¡¯s confusion only lasted as long as it took to realize why that part was more shimmery than the rest, and why her instincts told her that a bolt to the body wouldn¡¯t work that well.

    It was carrying its babies on its back.

    Nestra figured it out when the first landed on her chest, drilling two small holes in her torso before she could grab it and squash it against the nearest root. A veritable hail of spiderlings fell all around her. Another landed on her leg. She kicked it.

    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!¡±

    But the whip spider¡¯s head was stationary.

    Two extended fingers. Dot placed on the eyes, still filled with maddened hunger. She released the void into the world, and it answered with a thunderous boom.

    The head exploded as did half of the body, but something didn¡¯t. Something that rolled down as the amblypygi died, as the legs contracted, and as its spawn crawled away from the carnage. A sphere. She knew what it was. She had seen one ¡ª her father had shown her after a difficult hunt. He was so proud. And now, she was proud too. It was¡­ a core.

    A physical core. The mark of a true C-class monster. Not the tiny stones the ants would have been but a genuine core, one a skilled artisan could turn into a powerful weapon. The king of all prizes. It shone from an inner light with all colors of the rainbow. Nestra wanted it. She craved it.

    It looked so tasty.

    Letting her instincts take over, she let her fingers close on the sphere and lead it to her mouth. She bit down. Those teeth that went through steel like it was butter crunched the glassy surface, the core melting into her palate like liquid happiness. A synesthesia of sensations filled her, lights, sounds, taste, all mixed to evoke a strange experience of image-bending.

    And then, it was gone.

    ¡°Ok, so this is what my teeth are designed to eat.¡±

    In Nestra¡¯s chest, there was now a tiny, physical core. Her mind was forced into its palace, to the room of spheres. The small pond of mana was gone. Now, a small sun occupied the center of the room and the spheres representing her attributes revolved around it in a ceaseless dance. It was white and gray, and it radiated void mana.

    Warmth filled her chest, sating a hunger she had forgotten was there. As the portal world reasserted itself around her, she smiled.

    And then, annoyance filled her. Cores were supposed to be nigh indestructible but more importantly, they were thirty thousand a pop! At the very least! Aaaaah. As the elation faded, the pain returned with a vengeance.

    Space, again, shivered above her. She looked up to see the slow, threatening shape of a certain void shark. The two eyed each other.

    ¡°Oh, now you show up,¡± Nestra complained.

    Her unjust suspicion that Sashimi had come to chomp her while she was weak faded when the shark snagged those spiderlings that had stayed close to her. Maybe Sashimi could only feel her presence when she was bleeding heavily, like she was now.

    Nestra grabbed her small backpack for her medical supplies which were inconveniently hidden under the food bags. She patched herself up while the shark swam around the forest like the weirdest guard dog ever. All the time, she eyed the radiance that had lured her so successfully.

    Loot.

    She hoped it would be good.

 Part 25

    Nestra made it exactly three steps before the pain caught up to her, and she sat back down on the gray moss.

    ¡°Ow. Ow ow ow.¡±

    Now that the fight was over, exhaustion caught up and her mouth, which she had sprayed with a basic healing gel, was now smarting something fierce. It made even witty quips too much to utter.

    She picked up a mirror from her healing supplies, bringing it to her face to inspect the damage.

    Damn, if it looked like that now, her teeth must have showed up before.

    Nestra lounged. Conflicting sensations wracked her body. The core pulsed mana through her muscles, bones, filling them with a newfound power and unlocking their potential which the top of D-class had blocked. It was a delicious feeling, like stretching after a long time trapped in a small space. At the same time, the pain grew as the adrenaline faded and she could see the flesh of her flank slowly knitting itself back together from ¡®crushed raspberries¡¯ to ¡®default Nestra¡¯. Power coursed through her veins, but so did exhaustion. It was like being on uber espresso after a night and a morning of intense work.

    Above her, Sashimi drew closer. She eyed the malevolent shark as its rotund nose tasted the air.

    Very deliberately, she removed a bottle of soy sauce from her bag and placed it in front of her.

    It was a thick variety. Slightly sweet because that¡¯s how she preferred it.

    ¡°Try me,¡± she growled between clenched teeth.

    The void shark swam slowly, never straying very far, but then there was a shuffle in the distance, like someone trampling leaves, and the beast was off like a thunderbolt.

    But not without leaving a last, smug message.

    Good bait.

    ¡°Screw you.¡±

    Nestra ignored the scuffle she heard in the distance to focus on her own pain. Another careful application of spray helped, then because she was feeling ravenous, she gobbled all of her sandwiches. Chewing was especially painful.

    Five minutes later, Sashimi returned with a closing gash on her flank, and an insectile leg in her maw. Nestra noticed her own bite mark on Sashimi¡¯s fin, now scarred. Was there something in her teeth that made them impossible to regenerate from? Maybe. But she wasn¡¯t going to go around biting people when they had swords and guns. Speaking of, she should move in case the local gleams heard the confrontation. With a slight wince, she stood and shook her shoulders.

    Tired. Sore.

    Nestra grumbled her way to the shiny loot thing. It was light blue, resting against a bark. It looked like an ethereal nest of silk, long since deserted. The silk looked strange in her sight, sometimes very clear and sometimes a mess of shapes that made her want to rub her eyes. Broken strands moved under an unseen current.

    Her Skin woke up from its annoyed torpor. It was busy knitting itself back together using her blood as fuel, but the scent of something precious excited it. The symbiote asked for the silk. Tendrils of fabric crawled over her fingers, nudging her forward.

    ¡°Well, sure.¡±

    That was going to be another ten thousand creds down the drain but maybe she wouldn¡¯t be barefoot anymore.

    The Skin gently ate the silk in its usual space-warping fuckery hell-of-fangs and fractal barbs routine that was just getting tiresome at this point. Sashimi swam away, annoyed, while Nestra¡¯s armor shifted. Centered on her shoulders.

    Long plumes of diaphanous material extended from her deltoids, covering her and part of her head in a gossamer embrace.

    Still no shoes.

    ¡°Well thanks.¡±

    When she looked down, the light bent around her figure and if she didn¡¯t move, it bent even more. Stealth! Nice! Hopefully it would help with people who relied on their eyes for detection. Between her glitching ability and this, successful infiltrations were assured!

    Anyway, the core was definitely what Sereth wanted her to get so now she was heading home, thank you very much. Nestra picked up the pace on the way back, heading straight for the entrance portal or, rather, the direction she felt was right. She now had enough mana to coat her blade during entire battles and still fire several bolts and¡ª

    ¡°Fuck. My sword.¡±

    It was shattered.

    Nestra sprinted back, then picked up the pieces of her blade from the damaged moss. She got most of it, but soon had to resolve herself to the tragic knowledge.

    ¡°It''s broken for good.¡±

    Aunt Claire¡¯s special gift. Gone. Devoured from the inside by too much void mana. Nestra didn¡¯t have the time to lament the loss of her trusty weapon, because Sashimi grew agitated, and when Nestra turned, she spotted the source of her unease.

    A large flying drone.

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    Nestra ran in a perpendicular direction, but not without feeling a hit of the vacuum mana brushing against her. She sprinted to a nearby trunk, then climbed up. Fear needled her. If the Varang gleams found out about her now, she was deep in it.

    Nestra finally managed to hide with a good view of the empty clearing. A few minutes later, an Asian woman in light armor emerged from the forest. Her sides were covered by a squad of warriors led by a stocky man in samurai-inspired armor. The squad fanned out carefully. One of them pointed at Sashimi, swimming away into the distance.

    Nestra recognized the woman who had almost caught her in the changing room.

    Well, if she was here¡­

    Nestra dropped from the trunk and sprinted away, then she angled left, back towards the portal. Her fast pace turned to a jog and, as soon as the biome grew more lively, she climbed up to the branches. This time, she avoided the ants, and even ignored fruits that hung so invitingly from nearby branches. Her feet carried her to the portal, which was almost unguarded. Nevertheless, she still breached it from a distance.

    Nestra popped back on earth inside of a deserted toilet. To her shame, it was that of the gents. A quick exit showed that she was in the visitor section of the Varang guild. Her pride pushed her to steal three bags of drip coffee and a cookie box on the way out. The only person who might have spotted her was a bored janitor blasting music and she didn¡¯t even look in Nestra¡¯s direction, making the stealth armor moot.

    It would still be cool and useful one day for sure.

    Sereth waved at her from a nearby bus stop. Nestra raced there, then he wordlessly helped her all the way back to his weird apartment.

    ***

    ¡°You could have used the core of any sufficiently strong C-class creature, you know? One of the big ants would have been enough. Or some of the carnivorous sloths on the other side of the starting area,¡± Sereth said with clear amusement.

    ¡°If only, mfff! If only someone had warned me!¡± Nestra complained between two bites.

    ¡°The whip spider was technically a sub guardian. You were fortunate to be well-equipped to face it. That large mammal would have killed you.¡±

    ¡°You know I¡¯m going to eat it, someday,¡± Nestra replied with anger.

    Sereth gave her a knowing smile, then he applied more frosting on the cake. His hands moved with quiet competence, writing runes of congratulation on the thin meringue.

    ¡°That is your hubris speaking. I do not object, of course. It remains our most powerful motivator. You merely need to remember not to succumb to it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah. What next?¡±

    ¡°Next, you legally raid by day, illegally by night, and you spend the money on defensive artifacts so the Skin can eat its fill. After that, I will personally guide you to places where you can improve your resistances. I also suspect your human handler will have tasks for you as well.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm.¡±

    ¡°You may want to take breaks on occasion.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. There is one thing I wanted to do as well. I should have done it sooner. We should have done it sooner.¡±

    Seth¡¯s mood plummeted. His ears drooped sadly, and the last of the cream was left in a nearby bowl.

    ¡°Ah, must we? Yes, I suppose we must.¡±

    ***

    ¡°What¡¯s up, girlfriend? You¡¯re acting a little weird.¡±

    Nestra lured Stib inside of her house, then she locked the door.

    ¡°Not like you to invite people in,¡± Stib remarked.

    ¡°That¡¯s because there isn¡¯t much to do here, but anyway. I needed a place without a camera.¡±

    ¡°Uhu?¡±

    Stib chewed on some bubble gum. She didn¡¯t look amused.

    ¡°Look,¡± Nestra said. ¡°I have something to tell you. A confession, if you will. You can leave at any time you want if you feel uncomfortable, ok? And I have something to show you as well.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a genital rash, is it?¡±

    Nestra felt the conversation flounder like a dead fish.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°No, because you¡¯re ace so I wanted to be sure. Can¡¯t think of anything else you¡¯d be embarrassed to show me and that requires no camera.¡±

    ¡°What? I mean, no, I am not trying to show you my¡ª arg! Stib! It¡¯s not that, ok?¡±

    ¡°Ok good.¡±

    ¡°So, yeah. Hmm. Want some coffee?¡±

    ¡°Out with it already.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright.¡±

    They reached the living room and Nestra sat gingerly on her seat while Stib landed on the couch, frowning mightily.

    ¡°Ok, so, don¡¯t take this the wrong way but¡­ I discovered that Seth and I, well, more like he told me, but basically, we¡¯re related.¡±

    Stib just looked more confused. After a few seconds, she shrugged.

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°Ah, on my¡­ father¡¯s side. We, ah¡ª¡±

    ¡°Waaaait a minute. That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s¡­ impossible?¡±

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Not him. I mean, not daddy Palladian.¡±

    ¡°Now that is completely impossible because he¡¯s your brother¡¯s age.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not. He¡¯s much older. And, err, we¡¯re not human.¡±

    Stib leaned forward, clearly agitated but not calling Nestra out for lying. That was better than she feared.

    ¡°You¡¯re serious.¡±

    ¡®Absolutely serious. We are not human. I checked.¡±

    ¡°But your mom is your real mom?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°How does that work?¡±

    ¡°So our monster father took my dad¡¯s form and he and my mom, well, you get the picture. And he did the same with Seth¡¯s mom. And so we¡¯re¡­ like him. Like our monster dad, I mean.¡±

    ¡°And Helena and Achilles¡­¡±

    ¡°Are not. They¡¯re normal people. He just¡­ Yeah. He abused my mom. And we¡¯re like¡­ cuckoos or something.¡±

    ¡°Not cuckoos. Those kill the other chicks. So you, Nestra Palladian, my friend since you entered the squad, are telling me that you are not a human being. Did I get that right?¡±

    ¡°I mean, I just figured it out a bit over, well, actually almost two months ago. It¡¯s new. I¡¯m still me, promise. And I can prove it.¡±

    ¡°Will it hurt?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, no, I just grabbed in front of me and then I look like a monster.¡±

    Stib barely hesitated.

    ¡°Hmmm. Ok, do it then?¡±

    Nestra pulled her mask away. Stib studied her for a second. She looked shocked, but also in control of her emotions. Nestra latched on every gesture she could to guess her friend¡¯s thoughts. Her feet were not angled away, so she wasn¡¯t about to run for her life. Her eyes were not averted. Nestra couldn¡¯t see any other signs of nervousness though there was tension in Stib¡¯s shoulders and jaw. What was going to happen?

    ¡°Huh. And what are you called?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, gray demons, normally. There is a scientific term and we call ourselves the Aszhii, but gray demon works fine.¡±

    ¡°And Seth is one as well?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He wanted to talk¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll handle the Seth part myself, thank you very much. Who else knows?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Helena.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s cool.¡±

    ¡°And, hmm, he doesn¡¯t know everything but¡­ Gorge.¡±

    ¡°Uhu.¡±

    ¡°Errr.¡±

    ¡°You told Gorge before you told me?¡± Stibs said, volume increasing with her anger.

    Nestra winced.

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated.¡±

    ¡°Nestra, I¡¯m your FRIEND! Your best friend, even! Your comrade in arms in this hostile shithole of a city! And you and your daft brother hold this from me for WEEKS?¡±

    ¡°Stib, you¡¯re a human. I¡¯m not. And Gorge¡¯s son was kidnapped.¡±

    ¡°Oh so you had grand adventures with that cunt and you didn¡¯t think to tell me? Great.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m¡­ a monster?¡±

    Stib was close to admitting that mattered, but then her anger flared and the tiny redhead walked in Nestra¡¯s face, getting uncomfortably far into her personal space, and Nestra didn¡¯t have the heart to push her away.

    ¡°You said you were still the same! Has anything changed between when you found out and now that makes the situation any different? Or were you just procrastinating?¡±

    ¡°But¡­ when we watched the Monster Infiltrator vids together¡­¡±

    ¡°Riel dammit Nestra this was a fucking horror movie. Are you really gonna use that to gauge my reaction?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a¡­ a defender of the rules?¡±

    ¡°Oh so it¡¯s my duty to denounce you to Internal Affairs and the gleams right?¡± Stib said with a fake sweet smile and a falsetto voice. ¡°Is that it?¡±

    Somehow, replying yes was both the obvious answer and definitely a fucking bad idea.

    ¡°Errr.¡±

    ¡°You absolute moron! Did you really think the drones I gave you were reg? Have you never seen me bend the fucking rules?¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m loyal to you! You! To my friends! Not to the fucking city! They don¡¯t give a shit about us! All of those fuckers will toss us under the damn bus first occasion they get and they did it! They fucking did it! Wrote off the entire department! And you were there for me, in that shitstorm, when you climbed the damn tower with a hole in your chest to save me from that gleam like the idiot you are, and obviously I¡¯d be there for you! But no, you wait for almost two months to announce that you¡¯re not human, let your bro date me.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know until¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut the fuck up. You waited. You did.¡±

    ¡°I did¡­¡±

    ¡°And now you¡¯re standing there like a tall fucking goof with the face of a smacked dog wondering what went wrong. You¡¯re so damn clueless.¡±

    ¡°Errr. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Yeah I bet you are. I¡¯m getting out of here. Don¡¯t follow me.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Ok.¡±

    Stib turned back one more time, clad in her outrage.

    ¡°Did the drones at least help? In Fifteen. What happens if you die as a human? Do you die as a demon as well?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I revert to demon form so if it happened in a public place like the hab block in Fifteen then yeah, done for.¡±

    ¡°Well at least there is that. I¡¯m taking a moment to digest all that shit. Keep your goofy demon ass in here and don¡¯t call me. I¡¯ll call you. And what¡¯s with the getup?¡±

    ¡°Errr, it¡¯s my demon armor thing. It just, ah, needs more food.¡±

    ¡°You go to battle barefoot?¡±

    ¡°I mean.¡±

    Stib glared dagger.

    ¡°Half barefoot?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m out of here.¡±

    And she was. Out of here. Nestra was left standing here unsure as to how to take things. Her plan was to end with a plea not to tell the authorities if the meeting didn¡¯t go well but after the loyalty speech, it seemed like a sure way to be kicked in the tibia so¡­ that was probably fine, right? Nestra wasn¡¯t sure how angry the diminutive drone operator was exactly.

    Maybe Nestra could bake her a cake as a peace offering? Couldn¡¯t go wrong with cake.

    ***

    Stib sent a message the same day telling her not to get into anything dangerous before she¡¯d given it some thought. Nestra honestly replied that it wasn¡¯t up to her, which Stib answered by ¡®fair¡¯. From Nestra¡¯s limited understanding of her friend, that didn¡¯t sound too bad.

    The more she thought about it and the more Nestra believed her caution and, well, general fear had been warranted. Surely, everyone could tell that waking up as a monster in a society designed around the killing of monsters would be stress-inducing. Stib would understand, after she calmed down, or she would not. Nestra was sure she would, and then, Nestra would also apologize for not trusting her.

    Her decision made, the gray demon decided to put this at the back of her mind seeing as she had no way of improving the situation right now. The cake was well-received, at least. Nestra decided to take it easy for another day seeing as the cut on her true cheek still felt tender. Aunt Claire was back in town, and she accepted an invitation.

    Nestra happily came to pick her up in her brand new car in front of one of Threshold¡¯s best spas.

    The gleam¡¯s expression of sheer bafflement was something Nestra would treasure for a long time. Finally, the old warrior spoke in a tone that betrayed horror and amazement in equal measure.

    ¡°An Alda model 4 convertible, and you picked the pink one?¡±

    ¡°No no no no. I had it specifically painted pink.¡±

    Nestra grinned until Aunt Claire finally laughed her ass off.

    ¡°Well, if anything, it¡¯s a bold statement. Should we go?¡±

    They drove away. Nestra had fun pushing her new car to the maximum legal speed on the outer circle highway. The restaurant she¡¯d picked was a bit farther, this time.

    ¡°Ok so you haven¡¯t said ACAB yet. What¡¯s going on?¡± Nestra eventually asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s the first time we properly have a girls day out since Detective Shinoda died. He was a good guy so I figured I¡¯d pay my respects by not insulting the force. You got one day of truce, class traitor.¡±

    ¡°Wow, much obliged. Speaking of class, I regret to say that the dress you got me was destroyed as well. I don¡¯t suppose I could convince you to join me on a shopping spree?¡±

    Nestra lowered her sunglasses to give her aunt her more convincing puppy eyes.

    ¡°Watch the road. What¡¯s with the risk bonus?¡±

    ¡°I blew it all on the car,¡± Nestra shamelessly lied.

    ¡°Riiiight. Ok, sure, it¡¯s been a long time since I got myself something nice.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve been raiding hard recently. Is there a reason why?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saving money for a big project.¡±

    ¡°Ooooh.¡±

    ¡°But I won¡¯t tell you what it is just yet. Oh, and by the way, I remember you were involved in finding traces of that serial killer? The one that targets gleams?¡±

    Nestra had almost forgotten about that. It showed how intense the last month had been.

    ¡°Yes. A¡­ shrine of sorts.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, they have found others. You watch yourself, ok? If someone starts following you or something, you call the house immediately.¡±

    Nestra winced.

    ¡°Claire, I¡¯m not a gleam.¡±

    ¡°But you felt the mana. It might be enough.¡±

    ¡°This person killed a C-class pyromancer without getting spotted¡­¡±

    ¡°I know what I said. Anyway, enough of the gloomy shit. You want to tell me how Helena is doing?¡±

    ¡°Better. I think she just needed a break from school¡­¡±

    ***

    ¡°I think the others will suspect something if I get too good too fast,¡± Helena said, wiping blood off her training axe.

    It was already corroded at the edge.

    Nestra realized that she should have been smarter. Helena went through axes like Aunt Claire went through boyfriends. Of course, Nestra¡¯s own sword would eventually succumb to the void¡¯s deleterious energy. She had to ask Seth what the Aszhii used for weapons, sometime.

    ¡°Still mad about the sword?¡± Helena asked with a knowing smile.

    ¡°Ugh. And a replacement would cost so much. Where do you even get yours? They still conduct mana so they can¡¯t be cheap.¡±

    ¡°I take them from the school and say I practice at home.¡±

    The teenager gave a ¡®no big deal¡¯ shrug.

    ¡°I know they have those forged from scrap. Doesn¡¯t bother me. They cut just as well.¡±

    It did bother her. Nestra could see it. The other students probably had high-quality, high-conductivity weapons tailored to their size while her little sister just grabbed whatever junk of the week they tossed her way. It pissed Nestra off but, at the same time, she understood the school. Mana weapons cost serious money.

    ¡°To answer your question, this is the time when the rich scions get help from junior family members. Most of them would be raiding family-owned D-rank portals by then.¡±

    ¡°Dad said he was looking into it.¡±

    ¡°Well then consider this an advance and a, ah, secret allowance from your sister.¡±

    Nestra felt very proud about herself.

    ¡°How is that an allowance?¡± Helena exploded. ¡°I¡¯m doing all the work!¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m providing access, safety, and training. You¡¯re welcome.¡±

    ¡°This is bullshit!¡±

    ¡°And without me, you would never have met Sashimi.¡±

    Nestra looked up to the indifferent squall with a smirk of triumph. Finally, the chonky tube was proving herself useful. Nestra just had to steal all the credit.

    Sashimi floated on in judgmental silence.

    ¡°Ok, fair. Fair!¡± Helena replied, calming down.

    She kicked at a dead bird creature that had tried to pluck her eyes out before a broad-side axe swing had brought that ambition to an end.

    ¡°So what¡¯s valuable in those things anyway?¡±

    ¡°The beaks.¡±

    ¡°And how do we get them out?¡±

    Nestra smirked once again. She tossed a horrible tool that looked like a portable guillotine and her sister¡¯s feet.

    ¡°We?¡±

    ¡°Riel dammit Nes!¡±

    ¡°You get all the money so you will also do all of the work.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m never eating chicken again.¡±

    But the celebration dinner proved that was a lie.

    ***

    Nestra sighed.

    It was almost too easy. She used momentum to move forward and struck. A chameleon creature squirmed and died under her mana-coated hand, spine cleanly severed. At least, the skins would be mostly intact. She stepped back onto the path with one last grunt. Mud squelched under her exposed toes.

    This D-class world was proving to be disappointing. Very disappointing. Even letting the chameleon strike first didn¡¯t help. They were too slow and weak to provide any sort of challenge. The only positive was that they shored up her mana control, one of the three last aspects of her power that still lagged behind at D-class level.

    Raiders with poor mana control would certainly struggle here as the ambush predators would demand constant vigilance, but Nestra was well-suited to counter those. It was just a walk in the park. Even the rich mana air felt thin after fighting in higher worlds. She wouldn¡¯t be here if it were not for Ragnhild Lidstrom¡¯s request.

    Crescent was to solo clear a difficult D-class world, so that¡¯s what she did. It was certainly one last test but it wasn¡¯t a very fun one. Any C-class raider could do what she did without difficulty. Except the dedicated supporters, maybe.

    Nestra disposed of the guardian in a single strike, then she returned to the entrance to put on her new, slightly less uncomfortable bodysuit. Leaving through the exit portal would destabilize and close the portal prematurely. She pretended to push through the aperture the way the humans did, finding the recovery team of D-class employees on the other side. A baseline in an impeccable suit walked up to her.

    ¡°Hello, user Crescent. Do you confirm that the guardian and most of the creatures were slain?¡±

    ¡°Yesss.¡±

    ¡°Very well. Please be advised that you will have to pay reparations should any of the employees be wounded. Sign here.¡±

    Nestra shrugged. She was confident she¡¯d gotten everything larger than a minnow, including some delicious-looking large frogs. The contract was to be between her, a school of art, the Threshold University of Applied Sciences, and Baiyan Furnitures. It looked exactly like what her human father mentioned in the past. Raiders would clear a portal world, then non-combatant gleams would get in with specialized equipment to clear up valuable wood essences, monsters parts, ore, the works. The material would be then sold to the contracted buyers on a bidding system, with the raider getting seventy percent of the profit after tax. There could be additional fees depending on the portal¡¯s owner, but all in all, it was a lucrative activity.

    The money landed on her Crescent account later that day. She checked it.

    Over thirty-seven thousand credits. A decent yearly salary.

    ¡°Not bad at all.¡±

    There was another message from Ragnarok asking her to come visit her the next morning. Well, asking was a nice way of putting it. In any case, Nestra was eager to start with the real raiding. She had to get stronger if she wanted to accomplish her next goal.

    To kill Varang¡¯s portal¡¯s bear thing, and then eat it.

    If she wanted to accomplish this goal before Officer Kim found another task for her, she would have to hurry.

    ***

    ¡°Do you know what the great filter is?¡± Ragnarok asked, her arms crossed at her back.

    The view from her office was breathtaking, Nestra had to admit. She could see the wall from here and even the jungle beyond, with the little gray patch near District Fifteen where the army had glassed the incoming horde. The other side of the building ought to be better though. The sea was there. Maybe Shinran had picked first since his office was right next door?

    In any case, the old huntress was a cloudy sky and three puffy chimneys away from the perfect evil leader trope. Her uniform was also maybe a tad too blue. Black would give better vibes.

    Ragnarok turned and Nestra shrugged. She knew what the great filter was. She¡¯d gone to school like everyone else and learned about the incursion, but Ragnarok was in a talkative mood and Nestra wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°It was the idea that extraterrestrial life could not be observed because there was a barrier of a sort, something that drove technologically advanced species extinct before they could reach the stars. Many people believe we were almost filtered at the peak of the incursion, when those fucking lizards slew our champions left and right.¡±

    Nestra stood straighter. This was one of those other veteran moments that ought not to be interrupted. The sudden lack of decorum was catching her off guard though.

    ¡°It was Riel who saved us. I don¡¯t care about those people who said we were meant to be a client race. Slaves or dead, we would have been done for as a species. But Riel dove in the middle of their deadliest fighters and grabbed the space around them before hurling himself and them to parts unknown. You young ones learn about it in history textbooks so you can¡¯t understand, you can¡¯t feel the deep, desperate terror and doom lodged in your chest every second of your waking life because you can add two and two and realize you are fucked. No matter how hard you fight and how many people you gather, they have monsters you just can¡¯t stop, and you are absolutely, and irrevocably, fucked.¡±

    Ragnarok turned. Her anger was cold and palpable, something brewed over decades over the enduring flame of her hatred.

    ¡°We were almost filtered and still, instead of uniting, humanity is divided into tiny realms with bickering warlords fighting for scraps of power. I can¡¯t express how much that annoys me, but I don¡¯t have to. What I can do is to cull the worst of the lot so the rest can learn. You are going to help me.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a request.

    ¡°And I will pay you for it. And before you worry, no, I will not send you after Shinran. That would be a more¡­ long-term solution to a problem that might never manifest. Now, are you familiar with the law vacuum concept?¡±

    Nestra nodded yes. Ragnarok huffed with frustration.

    ¡°Try using sentences for once.¡±

    ¡°Portal worldsss are cut off. Only what people bring is there. Including camera¡­ or ethicssss.¡±

    ¡°Good. I have a TK situation.¡±

    Nestra blinked. She thought team killers were the stuff of vids and no one in their right mind would try to assassinate a fellow gleam while inside of a portal. Well, she assumed it happened sometimes, but the way Ragnarok said it, it didn¡¯t seem like a super rare occurrence.

    ¡°Right. I have a peculiar healbug on my arms that¡¯s been making waves. Name is Valerian of Nephrite.¡±

    Even though Nestra did her best to school her body language, she knew the old monster felt her react.

    ¡°Does the name ring a bell?¡± Ragnarok asked with a knowing smile.

    ¡°No,¡± Nestra lied.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    She was clearly unconvinced.

    ¡°Dear Valerian is currently at odds with his hierarchy, which has made him a target. I like the kid. He¡¯s trying to turn life mana into a weapon, and though it clearly has no good direct application, I¡¯m sure you can see ways it could become a sophisticated weapon given enough time and research. More importantly, Valerian has done a lot of volunteer work for the city. And now I¡¯ve got convincing AI predictions that say someone¡¯s going after him. The thought of leaving him to the wolves gives me stomach cramps, so you¡¯re going to accompany him on his next C-rank raid and make sure none of his partners shank him. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°C-rank?¡± Nestra asked.

    She was pretty sure he was still D-rank the last time they met. Well, pretty strong for a D-rank, actually. Maybe he was on the verge of ascending?

    Ragnarok misunderstood her words.

    ¡°I am confident the two of you can fend off a C-rank raider. He¡¯s great at self-healing. The only way to kill him would be with devastating damage. He also carried an all-purpose antidote as a backup plan. You only need to make sure no one decapitates him. Do you understand?¡±

    Nestra nodded a yes.

    ¡°Good. For this operation, you¡¯ve been designed as an artillerist. Make sure you behave accordingly. The raid is tomorrow. I¡¯m sending you an information package right now, and before you complain, I only had the full details late last night.¡±

    Nestra shrugged. What would she even be preparing?

    ¡°Ssso. One assassin?¡±

    ¡°It could be, or maybe a pair. The team will be six members strong total. Find the culprit as they strike, and make an example out of them. I¡¯m not asking you to non-lethally neutralize a C-class gleam so they face trial, in case I was not abundantly clear. I want you. To kill them. Is that understood?¡±

    ¡°Yessss.¡±

    Nestra knew she was right. Why take the risk to murder gleams to gain more power? She could just let Ragnarok cover her instead.

 Part 26

    Ragnarok clearly expected Nestra to act with a brain, so instead of showing up fresh-faced, Nestra called Valerian with her shiny new masked gleam phone. He actually ignored her three times before finally picking up.

    ¡°Finally. This is Cresscent.¡±

    ¡°Am I supposed to know you?¡±

    Was he stupid?

    ¡°You didn¡¯t get the note? I will accompany you on the raid tomorrow. Can we meet?¡±

    ¡°One moment please. I was reading the file.¡±

    He left her on hold, which surprised Nestra quite a bit. This was far from the respectful, almost meek gleam she was used to. A part of her was pleased. His distant tone meant that he was not nice to everybody, just to the human her. And that was pretty cool. Even though she had to admit the feeling was rather childish.

    ¡°Yes, I found your name. My apologies ¡ª Crescent, was it?¡±

    ¡°Yess.¡±

    ¡°I was going over the profiles one by one and yours was the latest addition. You said you wanted to meet? Yes, given the circumstances, that¡¯s probably a good idea. Hmm. You do not object to coming to the BaiHua arcology, surely? I am feeling a little¡­ out of sorts at the moment.¡±

    ¡°Underssstandable. I will see you there, so long as you can guarantee my anonymity.¡±

    ¡°Naturally. BaiHua will follow the rules. We always do. In an hour? Unless you have something planned, of course.¡±

    ¡°No, that isss fine.¡±

    ¡°I will meet you in the lobby.¡±

    Well, it was interesting to talk to public Valerian. He was spikier than she expected.

    ***

    Nestra ordered a limo this time since she had official money from her first raid and didn¡¯t feel like taking the train. It was good to be semi-rich. Hover limos were essentially the taxis of gleams, and so long as one was registered with the city, the prices were heavily discounted. It was just one more barrier between gleams and baselines that she was experiencing from the other side. The limo dropped her at the entrance of the arcology at the VIP entrance. While the ground floor was designed for efficiency, with large spaces and long counters designed to accommodate the influx of people that came with job fairs and the like, the VIP section was significantly smaller. It was a matter of seconds to go through the security check, and she was treated fairly well too.

    BaiHua really showed its life-sciences knowledge with an abundance of enclosed gardens and aquariums, many of those completely self-sufficient. Glass and white stone gave the zen aesthetic the kind of cachet Nestra expected from one of Threshold¡¯s Big 6. She notified Valerian that she was here, then settled to wait in the many cafes catering to corp execs and their visitors. Nestra ordered immediately. The new improved mask had an opening for the mouth for biting reasons, so she could now even eat in public! It was also fairly easy to hide her teeth, though she preferred to eat without it.

    Sadly, the durian cheesecake proved to be a major disappointment.

    Valerian arrived in advance. He looked aloof and handsome in a well-tailored white suit with a flower on the vest, the emblem of BaiHua. The official garb upgraded him from scruffy raider to rich scion. Or was it downgraded? She wasn¡¯t sure.

    Many of the patrons watched him enter though he didn¡¯t pay attention to them. Nestra observed that he was particularly of interest to the ladies.

    He froze when he saw her, then his faced formed an ¡®o¡¯ of surprise. She waved a little, but he was not out of his shock yet.

    ¡°Ah. Ah!¡±

    He pointed, quite rudely. Now everyone¡¯s attention was on her. Very annoying. She made a hush sound just in case, which was what he needed to recover his composure.

    He sat at her table with a half-smile.

    ¡°That caught me off-guard. Let¡¯s talk somewhere else. I suppose you won¡¯t object to the Seed of Prosperity? It¡¯s a pretty good restaurant that only uses BaiHua made ingredients.¡±

    ¡°No no, no objections.¡±

    Valerian was chuckling to himself all the way to the VIP of VIP restaurants. It wasn¡¯t even advertised with signs or anything, so she assumed it was private. Rather, they had to walk through several unmarked doors.

    The Seed had a thing for wood paneling and creeping vines so Nestra felt like she¡¯d stepped into an inner garden. While they were immediately let in, the place was packed with actual BaiHua gleams and the reception was much more lukewarm than the cafe¡¯s had been. She was pretty sure Valerian was recognized, and that was with BaiHua being home to thousands of gleams. Maybe he was famous?

    He probably was. Most healers were happy not acting as punching bags.

    Only after they were seated in a private room did Nestra speak.

    ¡°Is this place sssecure? The mask is fine but¡­¡±

    ¡°There are no cameras and the staff will only come if summoned. Let me tell you, I was surprised to see you here, Nestra! I really thought you would, ah, hide?¡±

    ¡°Most people assume I am a strange gleam with transformation power.¡±

    She shrugged.

    ¡°And my identity is secret, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait, it is? I thought you had been picked because we knew each other.¡±

    ¡°I was picked because I am the strongest masked gleam in all of Threshold. Probably.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re C-class now? Congratulations! Oh, you didn''t celebrate it yet? This is an important rite of passage.¡±

    ¡°Sssure let me tell just my family I¡¯m actually not a human and see what happens. I expect a short celebration with plenty of fireworks. My parents are first gen, sssee?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. Yeah, that makes sense. Ok. Well, in any case, I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re here. Riel dammit, what a mess.¡±

    Valerian passed his hands over his face, groaning all the while.

    ¡°What a mess, what a mess. Wait, how much do you know about C-rank gleam, you know, life. You¡¯re new to this right?¡±

    ¡°I am learning on the fly but yesss, this is all new to me. I only¡­ woke up recently.¡±

    ¡°We actually never talked about your experience.¡±

    ¡°And we will not,¡± Nestra said with a pointed glance.

    Sereth had been very clear she should stop oversharing with the few friends she had.

    ¡°Fair enough. I still can¡¯t believe¡­ Ah, whatever. Well, most D-class raiders will rotate teams for raids. We all have our favorite partners and some people are just inseparable, of course, so some teams form from the start. Powerful scions will also benefit from talented guardians trained from an early age, you know the deal.¡±

    Nestra did. The Palladians didn¡¯t have retainers per se, but the friends of her parents were also Ulysses¡¯ raiding partners. Most of the time. He did move around a lot when he started though.

    ¡°But in general, people will want to rotate. This is especially true for D-rank raiders trying to earn experience, or trying to get noticed. I raided with allied guilds and took municipal contracts with people I¡¯d never met before. I even raided with guilds associated with rival corpos since we healers are in short supply. We¡¯re just accepted everywhere.¡±

    Nestra nodded. Her eyes kept getting drawn to the menu. It was old-school printed on cardstock. Fancy.

    ¡°Oh right, let¡¯s order.¡±

    That took only a few moments with Valerian efficiently guiding her through the few options. Few options were usually a sign that chefs handled most of the preparation instead of robots. Truly, being a gleam came with a slew of unexpected benefits. Like profiteroles au chocolat with balls of homemade vanilla ice cream.

    ¡°Anyway, my point was that D-rank teams are flexible. By the time people reach B-class, they are in fixed teams that combine and merge only for specific worlds or when, well, people die. It happens. C-rank is somewhere in between. Stop me if I¡¯m telling you something you already know, ok?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    How to explain?

    ¡°I was out of the gleam life when I was sixteen. Everything that someone learns or experiences afterward¡­ I cannot relate. Did not try to learn.¡±

    ¡°I see, alright, yeah. I will just explain stuff and you can interrupt me whenever. C-rank teams mix and match and in this case, I¡¯m paired with people I didn¡¯t know.¡±

    He winced.

    ¡°And you, sorry. My family strongly disapproves of my attempts to experiment with combat life magic. They¡¯ve also let it be known that people who, what was it they said?¡±

    He took on a nasal, pompous voice.

    ¡°People who indulge Valerian¡¯s life choices will be poorly regarded by House Nephrite and BaiHua as a whole.¡±

    Nestra could feel his simmering resentment.

    ¡°Suddenly, nobody wanted to raid with me. Even the fact I¡¯m a pretty good healer wasn¡¯t enough. Guess BaiHua has a long reach, and I got some¡­ feedback about my conditions for joining a raid.¡±

    ¡°Which are?¡±

    ¡°I often ask to take the role of a frontliner. I can hold reasonably well. I deaden my pain and just¡­ keep fighting. Try different ways of buffing myself every time. I did say I could buff you, right?¡±

    ¡°You did help me in the tunnel. It was a great buff.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. Well, I can enhance other people reasonably well, but enhancing myself is just¡­ not as impactful as enhancing others. I¡¯m trying things to change that. Like that time I focused on muscle strength.¡±

    He winced.

    ¡°That one got really painful. Anyway, I¡¯m seen as¡­ disruptive. And people know that if I get killed, they¡¯ll get in trouble. I just ascended to C-rank so the stakes are even higher now, so I only pair up with people who, ah, there is no nice way to say it. People who are beneath BaiHua¡¯s notice anyway.¡±

    Nestra nodded. She wasn¡¯t exactly sure how guilds and employment worked for C-rank gleams, only that the large guilds only hired people with potential. Not every raider candidate would make it a career. Some gave up, Some retired to security or porter jobs. Some¡­ died. Quite a few of them, actually. That was why raiders were really well paid, after all.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m telling you all of this so you know that I have never met those people and if we work together, and I really hope we do because I¡¯ve seen you fight, we¡¯ll always be paired up with loners. People who don¡¯t want or can¡¯t belong to a guild.¡±

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to,¡± Nestra said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Be paired up with othersss.¡±

    ¡°We¡­ don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°I have a sssolo raider license. If I say we two raid alone, we will.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Oh¡­ That¡¯s, wait so you¡¯d be ok with bringing me with you?¡±

    Nestra shrugged.

    ¡°Sure. But you fight alone and I cover you or vice-versa. I¡¯m not good at protecting people if I¡¯m fighting myssself. Can¡¯t focus well. You keep the money and the meat of what YOU kill though. I¡¯m not sharing. Especially crab.¡±

    Nestra hissed, remembering the tax Sereth had so odiously imposed upon her rightfully earned seafood. The lark.

    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m even willing to, ah, let you have the meat from my kills.¡±

    ¡°No no, your kills, your meat,¡± Nestra insisted.

    It was only proper. And he was selling himself short.

    ¡°Have sssome pride as a hunter,¡± Nestra admonished. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t debase yourssself by forfeiting your prize.¡±

    ¡°Okay?¡±

    ¡°So you don¡¯t know the others, is what you are saying.¡±

    ¡°Yes. The other five are made of three raiders who form a stable team, and two loners who have worked together before.¡±

    ¡°And who do you think has it in for you?¡±

    Valerian leaned forward, giving her a serious look. His jade green eyes flared in the dim room.

    ¡°All of them.¡±

    Nestra nodded. She¡¯d come to the same conclusion. A Team Killer group would need to leave no witnesses.

    ¡°That seems likely. I don¡¯t see anyone taking the risk of fighting an equal amount of raiders in a portal world. Even assuming they win, a death would be fine, but three? There would be questions. That remindsss me. Why would anyone want you taken out?¡± Nestra asked with no small amount of curiosity.

    Valerian did feel harmless. Not in a bad way, of course.

    He shrugged. There was definitely a sad bend to him now, more so than before. He was objectively handsome, obviously apolitical, and a healer. It made him likable as a person. She knew that was how it worked. She couldn¡¯t think of a reason why anybody would want to kill him specifically.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably not about me. BaiHua¡¯s made a lot of enemies over the years, and not just within the walls. And my family¡¯s on the board. We¡¯ve sunk a few companies and harmed many enclaves by providing cheap, plentiful mana fruits and vegetables. And that¡¯s just the gleam side. If it¡¯s not vengeance then it could be someone wanting to send a message. I wouldn¡¯t just be a relatively unimportant child killed by a rival family.¡±

    Ouch.

    Nestra¡¯s face must have looked horrified because he reacted immediately.

    ¡°Hey I¡¯m just being realistic here. Just don¡¯t touch the heir but otherwise rich gleam families tend to have three or more kids, you know? Assassinations are more common than you seem to believe. Errrr, I don¡¯t intend to die if that helps.¡±

    That led to the next obvious question Nestra had planned on asking.

    ¡°Then¡­ why spring the trap?¡±

    Valerian¡¯s jaw locked with that stubborn chin Helena did when her temper flared.

    ¡°Would you? I¡¯m not hiding. I¡¯m not going back with my tail between my legs so my family tells me ¡®see, just heal and let the others protect you¡¯ because if I do it once, just once, they¡¯ll never let it go. So we¡¯re going out there and if I die, then I die.¡±

    He remembered himself, schooling his expression so smoothly, it was clear he was used to it.

    ¡°But it won¡¯t come to that, right?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Just so we¡¯re clear, I can hold my own. I really can. I just don¡¯t have offensive or defensive spells I can use to really make an impact on the battlefield. But I¡¯m working on it.¡±

    Nestra nodded, then helped herself to some water. Valerian cooled down a little.

    ¡°So what¡¯s the problem? With life mana, I mean.¡±

    ¡°Do you mind me ranting?¡±

    ¡°Not at all or I would not have asssked.¡±

    ¡°Right. So. It¡¯s the characteristics of life mana. How should I put it? If you¡¯re tossing fire, magical fire, it¡¯s the fire and its mana aspect that burns people, right?¡±

    ¡°With you ssso far.¡±

    ¡°But life mana doesn¡¯t naturally hurt people. It heals them, or at least boosts them. If I want to disable someone, I need to be extremely precise and attack specific functions, so it requires more concentration. I''m also fighting the host¡¯s own mana without an offensive medium like a rock spike to carry the ah payload, and there are biological differences between species that require some fine-tuning. It¡¯s, it¡¯s¡­¡±

    He sighed, very heavily this time, before resting his head on his closed fists.

    ¡°It¡¯s an uphill battle. Oh, the food¡¯s here.¡±

    Nestra put on her mask, politely nodding to an intimidated baseline waiter who did his best to show detached professionalism. It was a bit early for dinner, but they both dug in as soon as the door was closed. Nestra had picked bacon-wrapped stuffed pineapple and a quinoa salad. It was really fancy, and required many more mana ingredients than what she could get her hands on. Gotta enjoy that rich boy¡¯s hospitality while she could.

    Valerian was more than happy to keep talking while she demolished her plate.

    ¡°Thankfully, I know the human body well, so tomorrow I won¡¯t be defenseless. But yeah, it¡¯s difficult. I¡¯m exploring several options. Oh, and I¡¯m completely useless against golems and some exotic species, especially weird insects. Guess what¡¯s the most common enemy in the Threshold Portal biomes?¡±

    ¡°Insects?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. Well, and arthropods and arachnids. But you got the idea. They still die if you hit them hard enough.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of hitting, we should spar before tomorrow. Get used to each other. I will join as an artillerist, so you won¡¯t get to see the real me until the shit hitssss the fan,¡±

    ¡°Works for me. Dessert first?¡±

    ¡°Obviously.¡±

    After they were done eating, Valerian paid the bill which Nestra was grateful for. The VIP section of the arcology¡¯s entrance had sparring rooms which surprised Nestra a bit. Valerian explained that sparring was a common way for raiders to get to know each other or to let off steam, so there were suitable rooms a little bit everywhere, including a rather large one near the top of the pyramid where the board met. Valerian changed, then used the privacy setting before they fought. Nestra had to admit that he had trained very seriously. It was as he said though. As soon as she started using skills, he was overwhelmed. She did feel his mana trying to get a hold of her but her own was just impossible to penetrate, no matter how hard he tried.

    ¡°Wow you¡¯ve got to be the most hostile and resilient lifeform I¡¯ve ever faced. Uh, no offense.¡±

    ¡°None taken. Again?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Despite his assurance that he could recover from most wounds, she didn¡¯t hit him more than once to check how he would react. It felt pointless and cruel.

    ¡°You can hold you own,¡± she admitted. ¡°But your defensive abilities need you to be hurt and your offense is lacking.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I said,¡± Valerian grumbled.

    ¡°How about draining life directly from the target?¡±

    Valerian gave her a long measuring look. It was clear he¡¯d thought about that.

    ¡°That¡¯s one of my three main avenues of research right now but when I started asking questions, I was shut down really quickly. I think the healers don¡¯t want to be associated with life absorption.¡±

    ¡°Would it be difficult?¡±

    ¡°There is no spell framework for it. Yet. But if I can work in a portal uninterrupted¡­ Experiment a bit¡­¡±

    Nestra smiled.

    ¡°Oh now I¡¯m curious.¡±

    The healbug and the gray demon made a few plans but a single evening was too short to really come up with something for every situation. Nestra also had other things to do, so she left after messaging Gorge. The old asshole was more than happy to receive the medicines she¡¯d bought, which cost a few thousand creds and would hopefully not put her on a watchlist. The rest of the legal money was to go towards a sword, and when Nestra opened the catalog on her gleam phone, she realized there was a lot of choice.

    It was mind-boggling how much stuff there was, actually.

    She knew gleams changed and upgraded often, of course, but there was also a mana affinity element she¡¯d not considered. A firespark would want a staff that carried fire mana better while a buzzer might want an armor that reacts well to electric mana for improved self-buffs. Those used portal ores that were of varying degree of rarity, and required different treatment. The prices varied wildly but mostly, they went up really fast. Nestra wasn¡¯t the same. There were no items meant to harness void mana. She only needed a big sword that would last a while before she wrecked it. She still had that dagger she¡¯d found in an early portal world and never used, but daggers were weapons of assassination or desperation, not fighting. She needed a real thing.

    Nestra wondered if she should pick an artillerist weapon to fit in, maybe a short sword or something easy to wield. That was, however, a shit idea. It was better to find a suitable blade and look a little bit suspicious rather than pick an inferior choice and find herself underequipped when they were inevitably attacked. There was that and also the fact she was an above two-meter tall, clearly muscular titan of a woman while in demon form, and picking a toothpick to defend herself wouldn¡¯t make her any less intimidating.

    She settled for a large zwei-hander that was the same length to her demon body as Aunt Claire¡¯s sword used to be to her human body. The matching dimensions ought to make wielding the weapon easier. On a hunch, she also called Sereth. He picked up immediately.

    ¡°Hello brother mine, isn¡¯t there a weapon that holds void mana you could possibly reward for a task?¡±

    ¡°Alas, no. You¡¯ll need to come home with me and grow it yourself.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll find something in a local portal world.¡±

    ¡°You will not. You may not know this, but rewards are tailored for the dominant local raiding species, little Nezhra. We are and will always be parasites. You will need to use your adoptive species¡¯ tools until we head home.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Alright.¡±

    Big sword it was.

    To Nestra¡¯s surprise, the gleam weapons could not be delivered by drone, and Threshold was a place where she¡¯d gotten her car delivered to her. Probably a security concern. As such, she was forced to once again take a taxi to Central. By then, it was getting quite late.

    If there were any concerns that the marketplace would close, they were immediately dashed the moment she returned to the gigantic lobby of the exchange. Artificial lights shone on a crowd perhaps even more active than they¡¯d been during the day. The high ceiling really gave the impression of being in a cavern, and when she approached the long service desk, a baseline in a blue uniform brought her to a viewing room without questions or delay.

    Her new sword came inside a nice, fancy sheath. There was even a small dummy for her to try it on, and after doing so, the transaction ended without a hitch. They really valued serving raiders as efficiently as possible. The bows and honorifics felt a little weird, still, and she couldn¡¯t quite get used to the gleam treatment.

    The sword would definitely last for the duration of the raid, but she realized that getting through swords like Helena went through axes was going to be the norm.

    ¡°My money¡­¡±

    Nestra used the rest of her cash to buy basic supplies, then went home. There, she found a package from Gorge with her newest faulty artifact, a chestplate fir for a, well, obese person. No wonder no one had bought it yet so she could get it heavily discounted. There were no unfit raiders who could afford such fine work.

    Her Skin did that horrible reality warping thing before extending with a satisfied sigh.

    Nestra now had shoes. Well, not really, but the skin of her feet was covers at least. The ¡®fabric¡¯ on her forearm felt fuller as well, and when she touched it, it felt like the beginning of an armguard.

    Progress. And timely too.

    It was just a shame it was all damn expensive.

    She slept, pored over the file Ragnarok had given her, then slept again.

    She was up a bit earlier than she¡¯d liked but that was business as usual.

    Time to meet new interesting people and then kill them.

    ***

    Nestra walked to the site of the portal, entering a cordoned off park after flashing her ID to a pair of beat cops. The place was mostly empty with only a few people bringing in mining gear that would be equipped later. This was a fairly small, relatively new world with the unfortunate distinction of being mostly linear, in rough terrain, and sporting piddling deposits of mana aluminum and base iron.

    Those happened to be two of the most common elements that could be found everywhere, specifically in places that were much easier to mine than this one. The local fauna was also made of insects that were a pain to deal with and offered few rewards. All in all, it was a shitty C-rank world. The city only offered a reward for D-class world so the pay would be low. Only unaffiliated C-rank raiders would bother to clear it.

    It was pretty telling that the park was still open. No guilds had claimed the place yet, so it was probably not worth it, but it had to be cleared anyway. Wouldn¡¯t want weird bugs chomping on the toddlers.

    Nestra was the last to arrive, though she was still ten minutes early. That didn¡¯t stop the heavyset Asian man heading the formation from frowning at her with clear disapproval. He stood near some packs near a table showing a map while the rest of the crew milled around. She recognized him as Satoshi, a plate-wearing frontliner who used a large, thick saber. His two partners were a striker going by Strix, who had his hand on the handle of a sword, and a controller fire mage called Naomi, now standing at a distance with her arms crossed. The firespark user wielded a staff and wore no helmet over her short bob of black hair. Those were supposed to be the main combatants. A wood archer going by Gobbet and another, hammer-wielding frontliner named Sheryl completed the team, with a nervous Valerian standing at a distance. The mood wasn¡¯t very good, which shouldn¡¯t come at a surprise.

    Nestra realized she was thoroughly underdressed compared to the rest. She only had a pack, her sword, and her combat bodysuit. By comparison, the rest of the group sported trinkets, magical boots, magical chest plates, magical navigation tools, lamps and so on. The works. They almost shone with leaking mana in Nestra¡¯s perception. There had to be several hundred thousands worth of cred in those people, dammit!

    Satoshi made for her immediately. His hostile strut lost some effect when he arrived and realized Nestra was half a hand taller than he was, but he didn¡¯t let it deter him.

    ¡°And you must be Crescent. Are you aware that junior members of a raid are supposed to come in advance? This is basic respect for your seniors. You should try it sometimes. Tsk. I¡¯m Satoshi. Listen, I¡¯ll be blunt. We have a full team, a good team, and the last thing I need is an untested artillerist throwing spells willy¨Cnilly. I don¡¯t know you. You don¡¯t know me. We¡¯ve never worked together. A C-rank portal isn¡¯t the place to learn how to work as a team, in case you didn¡¯t know, so whatever the city¡¯s paying you to join, I¡¯ll double it provided you stay at the entrance and don¡¯t get in my way. You should really take my offer.¡±

    Nestra waited three seconds before providing any sort of reply simply because she could. The mask hid her features except for her mouth and eyes. He also didn¡¯t have authority over her, or anything of the sort. By tradition he could give battlefield orders and she was supposed to follow, but that sort of request? He could fuck right off.

    In those three seconds looking down at Satoshi¡¯s close-cropped hair and deep brown iris, she realized she didn¡¯t actually have to answer. Nestra gave him a condescending look, and by Riel did it feel good to be condescending to a gleam, then she simply walked by him.

    Fortunately, he didn¡¯t try to physically stop her or things would have gone poorly.

    The portal lit the center of the park in that typical light blue radiance that Nestra now associated with the pleasant radiation that fed her body. Municipality spooks in dark suits stood at a distance, ostensibly making sure the raiders wouldn¡¯t be interfered with, but also guaranteeing there would be no brawls. Some raiders were also stars in their own right. None of them were here today.

    Nestra stopped to look at the table. A nice flat screen showed a map of the interior as well as several battle formations, with Satoshi taking point, Shirley and Valerian covering his flanks, and Strix acting as an outrider. Naomi and Gobbet formed the backline.

    Without a word, Nestra clicked a few options and added herself next to the archer.

    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± Naomi said, scandalized. ¡°That¡¯s not for you to decide!¡±

    The firespark clenched her jaw, iris flaring with poorly controlled mana. The temperature increased a little bit.

    Nestra shrugged, pulling back from the table. They could place her where they wanted provided it was at the back where artillerists were meant to serve.

    Satoshi arrived and Strix backed him up. Nestra was boxed in but she didn¡¯t really care because they wouldn¡¯t try anything here, not in view of the government mooks.

    ¡°I think I made our ¡®offer¡¯ quite clear,¡± Satoshi growled.

    If there were still any doubts those were the ringleaders, their insistence resolved that.

    Nestra ignored them. Instead, she looked at the portal.

    Definitely not as large as the Varang one.

    ¡®What¡¯s your fucking problem anyway? Why do you want to come so badly, huh?¡±

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± one of the mooks asked from afar.

    Nestra returned her attention to Satoshi and this time, she returned his glare.

    ¡°Isss there gonna be one?¡± she asked.

    The trio exchanged glances before seemingly coming to a conclusion. Nestra had a good idea what that conclusion was. Wait until they were inside the portal world then fuck her up. The only question was whether or not they would wait.

    They probably would, actually, otherwise they ran the risk of Valerian jumping back to denounce them.

    ¡°Will you three stop?¡± Valerian asked in a bored, imperious voice.

    He was rather lightly armored compared to the other two, quite likely because his element didn¡¯t give him any advantage in this regard, but his armor shone nicely, and the white flowers of his corp adorned the impeccable breastplate. He clearly wore the most expensive gear out of everyone.

    ¡°I heard you were professional but now I am having doubts. Is there any reason why you would refuse a free artillerist?¡±

    Again, the three exchanged glances before Satoshi began to speak. He was much more polite, Nestra noticed.

    ¡°There is always a risk, with artillerists, that they would hit¡ª¡±

    ¡°I am aware of friendly fire, Satoshi. The risk exists with every caster, including your girlfriend. Stop wasting your time or I will find another raiding group. I hope you packed enough potions?¡±

    The value of healers was invaluable because they could save lives while potions were slower, expensive, they lost potency quickly, and raiders needed to actually drink it which was easier said than done with a giant wolf monster snapping at one¡¯s face. Valerian acted like he knew that even though Nestra knew the would-be assassins could not afford to let their quarry go.

    ¡°No sir. Let¡¯s start the briefing then.¡±

    To his credit, Satoshi was serious about that part, possibly because he wanted Valerian and Nestra to be useful right to the point where he murdered them. He placed Nestra at the center of the backline, then went over several scenarios. The squad was supposed to spend the night inside of the portal world. It meant stopping for rest as well as fighting a variety of enemies as the squad progressed towards the guardian. Nestra paid attention though he was mostly rehashing what was in the file. She found his tactical advice sound, though she had very little experience. Soon, the time came to get in. The squad assumed formation, with Satoshi crossing over first.

    Nestra cast one last glance towards Threshold¡¯s sky then she went in.

    ***

    The squad spread out a little to secure the area, everyone making sure there were no surprises. Nestra was tasked with the rear. She used the opportunity to have a good look around.

    The entrance portal was set against a cliffside, the yellow, cracked stone climbing quite high against a blue sky decorated with ochre, distant clouds. The dry air smelled of dust and a pungent scent she couldn¡¯t identify. In front of them, a canyon snaked between two sheer walls peppered with green patches of vegetation. The bottom of the chasm was so dark it was barely visible, but Nestra could see some water there. The farthest reach of the canyon was blocked by a bulbous dirt structure popping like a boil to deface the otherwise pleasant vista. Uneven towers dotted with openings crowned that cancerous growth, and even from here, Nestra could see distant flying shapes. This was the home of the guardian and just as Valerian had said, it was insectoid in nature.

    ¡°Everyone ready?¡± Satoshi asked.

    Words of affirmation came from everyone. Nestra mechanically checked that her new sword moved nicely in its sheath, then they were out.

 A Tale of Nice Tails (featuring a returning character)

    Yuren Jie stood before the temple¡¯s gates with a heart full of pride.

    At long last, he had made it to the top of Beast Mountain. The great jade gates of the entrance stood with the majesty of the heavens themselves. A great stairway of stone awaited him beyond it, alongside great buildings as old as time itself.

    This. This was where Yuren would complete his formation and ascend to greatness.

    Yuren Jie wasn¡¯t special among would-be cultivators. He was simply young, handsome, incredibly talented, phenomenally lucky¨Chard work was for those who weren¡¯t born winners, after all¨Cand most importantly of all, about as modest as a peacock on a strut. He was a magnet for beautiful women, though of course, he remained above the influence. Girls led to romance, romance led drama, and drama led to work.

    And real work was beneath Yuren, like the earth crawled beneath the sky.

    No other sect was worthy of being graced with his immense talent. The Golden Order Sect had produced the greatest and most powerful cultivators in all of the Thousand Story Realms. He would soon put them all to shame.

    And so, it was with great pride that he stepped inside the temple. He immediately sensed a warm power flow over him like water on a smooth rock; an energy filling his body with serenity and energy. It was as if all his exhaustion and doubts vanished in an instant.

    He found himself entering a courtyard of well-tended grass and lotus flower ponds. A haven of peace¡­ were it not for its occupants.

    A bunch of disheveled men crawled on the ground with the grace of maggots.

    ¡°She just won¡¯t stop firing at us¡­¡± a man rasped, his clothes full of holes and his eyes beset with fear. ¡°Every day¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± Another replied, while clearly in a fugue state of some kind. ¡°Get back here, minion¡­ get back here¡­¡±

    Losers, Yuren thought. He knew cultivation wasn¡¯t for everyone. Few possessed the willpower to claim their rightful place at the world¡¯s apex. He didn¡¯t look down on these failures, not really. They were just beneath his notice.

    Thankfully, Yuren soon noticed an elder meditating near a pond; a great and powerful cultivator with a long white beard, plain silk robes, and wizened skin. The man turned his head at Yuren with eyes full of wisdom.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked, his words carrying the weight of a mountain.

    ¡°I am Yuren Jie, aspiring master under the heavens,¡± Yuren introduced himself. ¡°I have come to join the Golden Order Sect, greatest in the Thousand Story Realms.¡±

    ¡°You are in the wrong place,¡± the sage replied before returning to his meditation. ¡°Get lost.¡±

    The casual, sudden dismissal filled Yuren¡¯s heart with anger and incomprehension. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Beast Mountain?¡± he protested in disbelief. ¡°Then you should be in the Golden Order Sect!¡±

    ¡°No, we are the Golden Hoarder Sect now. With an H and an A. We used to be the Golden Order, but Dragon Sifu-Sensei insisted on the name change.¡± The sage shuddered. ¡°Arguing with Dragon Sifu-Sensei leads us further away from enlightenment and closer to ignorance, so we accepted his wisdom with pain and humility.¡±

    ¡°Your sect¡¯s name does not matter to me, only its power,¡± Yuren declared. How dare that old geezer not recognize his limitless potential? ¡°I have to come to train and take my rightful place among the Immortals.¡±

    ¡°To join our Sect is to experience great suffering,¡± the elder replied without looking at Yuren. ¡°You know not what one must endure to ascend.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of anything, old man,¡± Yuren insisted. ¡°I will pass any test I must.¡±

    This time, the elder deigned to look at him again. But his eyes¡­ His eyes were devoid of anger and pride. Instead they radiated compassion. A deep sense of pity, the kind one reserved to cancer patients or the most miserable of all creatures.

    It took Yuren completely aback. ¡°W-why do you look at me with such pitiful eyes?¡±

    The elder shook his head with a deep sigh and a quiet look of resignation. He rose to his feet and then agreed to Yuren¡¯s request. ¡°Very well,¡± he said. ¡°Dragon Sifu-Sensei will see to your initiation and put you through the Test of the Mind.¡±

    A dragon? So the rumors were true, the Golden Ord¨CHoarder Sect included a true dragon among its elders.

    Yuren nodded sharply, and then followed the elder deeper into the temple. The noise of explosions coming from nearby courtyards rocked the structure, but Yuren paid more attention to the strange energy pervading the air. Was that a spell of some kind?

    ¡°You are now under the influence of Fairy Elaine¡¯s healing power,¡± the Elder explained upon noticing his curiosity. ¡°It shall heal your wounds, even the searing flames of Dragon Sifu-Sensei¡¯s divine breath.¡±

    Yuren had been begging to ask something. ¡°Sifu-Sensei? Aren¡¯t they the same thing?¡±

    ¡°You are not to question Dragon Sifu-Sensei¡¯s logic,¡± the elder replied with the wisdom of the eon-old turtle. ¡°You will hurt yourself and your wounded spirit will crawl away from enlightenment.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question.¡±

    ¡°There is no answer, only acceptance.¡±

    That made no sense, but Yuren didn¡¯t have time to wonder for long. The elder soon led him down great stairs wide enough for an army to climb and before great closed gates of gold dug into the very heart of the mountain. It would take two giants to open them.

    ¡°Dragon Sifu-Sensei awaits beyond these doors,¡± said the elder. ¡°I must warn you that only the strongest of will can endure what awaits you.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯m overqualified,¡± Yuren replied.

    Once again, the elder sent him a gaze full of pity and compassion.

    It started to wear on Yuren¡¯s nerves. ¡°Are you looking down on me, old man?¡±

    The elder shook his head. With no more time to waste on this senile old fool, Yuren approached the golden doors and waited for them to open. They didn¡¯t. He stood in place for five minutes, waiting for the gates to bow before his majesty, before noticing a smaller backdoor dug into the stone. He grumbled as he walked through it.

    What awaited him on the other side nearly left him blinded.

    Never before had he seen such a wealth of treasures gathered in a single place. A vault larger than an entire town stretched far and wide before his eyes. An ocean of gold glittering like the sun filled each and every corner under the weight of marble pillars.

    And atop its greatest hill stood a dragon.

    A great and mighty beast with crimson ruby scales, jet black wings, and claws longer and sharper than any spear. The beast¡¯s fangs alone matched all of Yuren in length. The creature raised its immense and wise head upon sensing his approach, then looked at his visitor with eyes of shining gold.

    Yuren immediately realized that something was wrong.

    This looked like a dragon, felt like a dragon, but it wasn¡¯t a Long. It had no fur, no deer horns, no mustache. Was it a rare form Yuren had never heard of?

    ¡°Who dares interrupt my slumber?¡± asked the dragon, his voice stronger than a thunderstorm, his words heavy with the force of a hurricane.

    ¡°I do, oh great dragon sifu-sensei,¡± Yuren replied upon bending the knee. ¡°I am¨C¡±

    ¡°Insignifiant!¡± the dragon interrupted him with a grunt. ¡°Call me Dragon Sifu-Sensei, if you wish to live.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Yuren frowned in utter confusion. Had he offended the dragon somehow? ¡°I just did.¡±

    ¡°You will call me Dragon Sifu-Sensei, capitalized. I can tell the difference.¡± The great dragon narrowed his eyes at Yuren, his tail sending waves of coins falling down his throne of treasures. ¡°Are you a thief? I hope so. I haven¡¯t had breakfast yet.¡±

    ¡°Far from it, Dragon Sifu-Sensei.¡± How did he¡­ The letters felt right, but he couldn¡¯t explain why. ¡°I have come to study with the Golden Hoarder Sect.¡±

    ¡°Ah, excellent.¡± The dragon suddenly sounded pleased. He raised his mighty head and swaggered, his chest full of pride. ¡°Then know that I, Vainqueur Knightsbane, First under the Heavens, Great Buddha of this Age, Master of the Golden Hoarder Path, and King of Beast Mountain, shall gladly accept your fee!¡±

    Yuren squinted in confusion. ¡°The fee?¡±

    The dragon¡¯s happy mood suddenly deflated. Yuren felt his blood run cold as the immense beast looked at him with unbearable suspicions.

    ¡°Your entrance fee,¡± the great dragon asked, smoke coming out of his nostrils.

    Yuren had the impression of standing on thin ice. Or in this case, kneeling in front of a very large beast with a gullet of swirling fire.

    ¡°F-For the sect?¡± For the first time in his short life, Yuren found himself suddenly beset with dread. ¡°There is an entrance fee?¡±

    ¡°Of course there is one! Do you think this place is a home for homeless cultivators?¡± The dragon rubbed his claws together. ¡°You must pay the low, low price of ten thousand gold to join my sect.¡±

    The price was so outrageous that Yuren forgot to be afraid. ¡°Ten thousand? You can buy half a kingdom with that!¡±

    ¡°I do not like your tone, miserly poor disciple.¡± The dragon snorted fumes and raised his head so high it nearly hit the ceiling. ¡°Did you expect the secrets of the universe to come cheap? That I, the greatest immortal under the heavens, would teach you the way of the Dragon Dao for free?¡±

    ¡°But¨C¡±

    ¡°I am a dragon,¡± Vainqueur interrupted him sharply. ¡°Your kind named its best techniques after me. Which one sounds better, Immortal Dragon Fist or Puny Ape Slap?¡±

    Yuren opened his mouth to answer, but what could he say before such ironclad logic? The weight of his insignificance suddenly dawned upon him when faced with a creature large enough to swallow him in one bite.

    ¡°Come to think of it, I should charge you for cultural appropriation too,¡± Vainqueur muttered to himself. ¡°Your species¡¯ debt towards me keeps increasing.¡±

    ¡°I, uh¡­¡± Yuren gulped. The realization of his own poverty suffocated him. ¡°I do not have¡­ ten thousand gold¡­¡±

    The dragon looked at him as if were lesser than a cockroach. It reminded Yuren of how he used to look on others, but magnified ten thousand times over. Like a noble king glaring at a pile of horse shit waiting to be squashed.

    ¡°Are these clothes all that you have?¡± he asked with a dangerous edge to his voice.

    Yuren gulped and then nodded.

    ¡°Give me your shirt,¡± the dragon said. ¡°Give it to me. Give it to me now.¡±

    Yuren was too intimidated, too ashamed, to resist. He threw his shirt at the dragon¡¯s hoard, keeping only his pants.

    ¡°Your debt has decreased to nine-thousand, nine hundred ninety-nine thousand gold and nine silver,¡± the dragon declared with ludicrous precision. ¡°To reward your dedication and humility, I shall accept you as an Emergency Food Disciple.¡±

    Yuren didn¡¯t like that title at all. ¡°Why emergency?¡±

    ¡°Because everyone outside the sect is just food,¡± the dragon replied kindly. Yuren wisely didn¡¯t push the subject further. ¡°Emergency Food Disciple is the lowest rank in my Golden Hoarder sect. Then you have Minion Disciple, Minion Master, Princess, Virgin Princess, Catering Gourmet, and then Chief of Staff. And then there is me, Dragon Sifu-Sensei. Do you understand your place?¡±

    Yuren opened his mouth to argue, when he suddenly noticed piles of ashes in a corner of the vault. Somehow, he had the intuition that they didn¡¯t start out as firewood.

    ¡°I¡­ I do, Dragon Sifu-Sensei.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Vainqueur replied. ¡°Henceforth, you shall work for this sect for free until you repay your entrance fee. It should only take you five hundred years or so, factoring in the interests and the first class lodging accommodations.¡±

    ¡°Five hundred years?¡± Yuren choked. ¡°But I won¡¯t live that long!¡±

    The dragon looked at Yuren with condescension. The young disciple suddenly remembered the entire reason why he even came to this place; and why it suddenly didn¡¯t appear like a good thing anymore.

    ¡°Why do you think,¡± Vainqueur asked, ¡°We dragons taught you humans how to become immortal?¡±

    Yuren¡¯s heart skipped a beat in his chest, his soul suddenly assaulted by the primal terror of the modern man. The ultimate technique which had brought countless aspiring masters low.

    The Student Loan Debt Trap.

    ¡°We taught you immortality so you can work longer hours and make us richer. Time is money, and right now, you are wasting mine.¡± Vainqueur dismissively waved a claw at Yuren. ¡°Return rich or not at all.¡±

    Yuren found himself walking back to the exit before he realized what was happening. His mind, his pride, screamed at him to make a stand, but whenever he tried to straighten his spine, it crumbled back under the weight of his defeat.

    ¡°Loafer,¡± he heard the dragon complaining behind his back. ¡°Another one who lives in his mother¡¯s cave.¡±

    Yuren closed the backdoor behind him, and found the Elder waiting for him.

    He looked surprised to see the disciple alive at all.

    ¡°What just happened?¡± Yuren muttered to himself, his brain scrambled. He tried to find an explanation for this meeting and found none. None of this made sense.

    ¡°Dragon Sifu-Sensei was brought in as a treasurer, to better protect the sect¡¯s funds from thieves,¡± the Elder explained. ¡°Dragon Sifu-Sensei is so good at his job that he keeps the gold safe from us too. He only lends us one-one tenth of what we ask for.¡±

    ¡°One one tenth?¡± Yuren Jie did a quick calculation in his head. ¡°Like a tenth of a tenth?¡±

    ¡°Hence why we ask for ten times of what we need each time.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s still a tenth!¡± Yuren protested.

    ¡°Dragon Sifu-Sensei is bad at math, but you?¡± The elder looked into his eyes. ¡°You will be worse.¡±

    A terrible pain raced through Yuren¡¯s skull, raw and sharp. Blood dripped down his nose and inside his lips. Then he sensed Fairy Elaine¡¯s magic healing his head from whatever wound he suffered through.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Yuren asked upon touching his blood. ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°You went through a brain aneurysm,¡± the elder explained. ¡°By surviving a meeting with Dragon Sifu-Sensei, you have taken your first step towards enlightenment. Next is the Test of the Body.¡±

    A chill traveled down Yuren¡¯s spine.

    Ascending to the heavens might prove a little harder than expected.

    Yuren Jie walked the many peaks of the Golden Hoarder monastery, wondering what in all realms he had gotten himself into.

    There were many manners of sects under heaven, from righteous to demonic, but none with a foreign dragon extorting new prospects. And that was but the first in a long series of surprises. Elders who ought to be overseeing mortal affairs, nodding gravely over cups of tea, ran around in a frenzy to pursue strange and outlandish philosophies.

    ¡°The fist of utilitarianism must be wielded for the happiness of the many, not the great happiness of the one!¡±

    ¡°That is not the nature of a cultivator!¡±

    Masters and disciples wore uniforms in a wide variety of styles and colors. Students fought on the streets, exchanging insults and yet, none of them ever spat blood! It was as if some strange aura prevented them from being hurt internally and externally. In this place, one could lose nothing but their face. It was baffling. It was chaos.

    The architecture as well defied the imagination. Most pavilions showed the harmony and beauty of the Thousand Story Realms, yet here and there, foreign contraptions ruined the effect like zits on the face of a jade-like beauty.

    The test of the Body was to take place in the next peak, and when his eyes rested upon its massive flanks, Yuren Jie¡¯s stomach dropped. Chimneys belched black smoke to the skies while the din of metal on metal  strained the ears. As he walked across a long bridge, he was joined by other prospective students. He knew they were like him because the men were shirtless, the women sleeveless, and all of them looked as if their birth village had been burned down by a callous young master they would spend seventy-three chapters tracking down.

    They exchanged confused looks but not much else.

    Their path led them to a wide, open platform facing the maze of steel and heat that could only be the Armory, a great beast that breathed dark smoke and glared at them from its myriad of glass windows. Targets and strange, wood platforms filled with stacks of precious ores waited on one side. Racks of training equipment lined the other.

    Now what?

    A man exploded out of one of the windows in a shower of crystalline shards. He slammed into the ground with back-breaking strength before coming to a rest at the students¡¯ feet, yet once again, he stood unharmed. A feminine voice rang through the air. It was very loud.

    ¡°A shield against arrows must be made of composite materials! I won¡¯t give two pills about your fancy water enchantment unless it¡¯s layered on a properly designed base! Have I taught you nothing?¡±

    The fallen man jumped to his knee, face lit with the revelation of the dao.

    ¡°Thank you for your guidance!¡± he cried, then more quietly, he needled Yuren Jie on.

    ¡°You had better come in while she is in a good mood, junior brother.¡±

    Yuren Jie was not so sure, yet the presence of the other students meant he could not refuse or he would risk losing face. He had to show he was a dragon among men, but obviously of the proper variety this time.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    He opened the gate using the strength of a hundred men. It was a heavy gate.

    Golden morning light shone on a workshop, and on a woman wearing the strangest cultivator robe he had ever seen.

    ¡°HISS!¡±

    She cowered for a second, leaving Yuren Jie certain he was soon to meet his ancestors. Instead, she smoothed that impractical garment of hers.

    ¡°Sorry, habit. Ah, yes, I recognize in you the fish-eyed and shirtless appearance of¡­¡±

    She sniffed the air. Her sky-blue eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Fresh blood. ¡®Tis time again, it seems. Oh well. I will be with you shortly.¡±

    As she turned to one of her assistants, Yuren Jie studied her appearance even more. She was certainly a laowai from faraway, with golden hair and that strange¡­ dress¡­ of hers. There was something uncanny about her. Her canines were too sharp. Her fingers ended in black talons, short yet sharp. Perhaps some beast blood ancestry.

    ¡°The alloy we want is nine part mountain steel and no less than one part vanadium, manganese, and copper. I don¡¯t care if it is not ¡®the way¡¯. If you don¡¯t follow my orders, I will not eat you, I will shove an incandescent bar up your buttocks the size of the average machine-translated Xianxia novel, and you know it will not kill you. Not here.¡±

    The apprentice bowed.

    The woman returned her attention to them.

    ¡°To the Test of the Body, and then we will give you your uniforms.¡±

    She stepped outside, as did all of the other prospective students in various states of confusion.

    ¡°Right,¡± she said. ¡°Let us clear things up. My name is Fairy Thread Seeker and the first thing that will come out of your filthy impurity pools will be ma¡¯am. Do you silk worms understand that?¡±

    Yuren Jie gasped.

    ¡°WELL?¡±

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, yes,¡± a few students replied with terror.

    ¡°I can¡¯t hear you, sound off like you got a core!¡±

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, yes!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s better. If you disgusting spawn survive my training, if you find your dao, you will be a shining and tasty example of mankind, leading the world forward with an understanding of war, crafts, ethics, and safe forklift operation. But until that day, you are nothing! You are lice crawling on the ass crack of destiny. Frogs at the bottom of the well. You are lower than the dirt. You are not even cultivators. You are amorphous accretions of baseless audacity. Because I do not give face, you will not like me, but the more you despise me, the higher you shall soar. I am difficult but fair. There is no discrimination on blood here. I don¡¯t care if you are jade like beauties, body cultivators, toad cultivators, three ravens in a trench coat, or if your ancestor fucked a dragon once. You are all equally pathetic. And my goal is to turn your arrogant mediocrity into the exacting perfection of a Golden Hoarder member.¡±

    The woman waited to see if anyone would object. Yuren Jie could not sense her cultivation, but she had to be at least at the navel-gazing realm to become a Peak Master. As a man gifted with the rare talent of common sense, he knew better than to challenge her. By some miracle, none of the students dared protest.

    ¡°No one to perform involuntary qigong this time? Amazing. First thing first then, in order to better understand who you are, you will be allowed to attack me so that I may taste your mettle.¡±

    Someone raised a hand. The woman nodded.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, do you mean test our mettle?¡±

    ¡°I said what I said. Enough barking at the moon or whatever. Face me, get your uniforms, then your next stop will be the medical pavilion.¡±

    Fear spread across the ranks.

    ¡°No, I will not maim you. You are going there to receive medicine and advice on how to practice safe sects. It is your duty to remain cautious, for the Thousand Story Realms are a dangerous and nonsensical place ruled by maniacs, as you all well know. What? What¡¯s that look?¡±

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s nothing,¡± a disciple grumbled.

    ¡°I thought as much. Since you cannot school your expression, you¡¯re the first to be schooled. Get up here and show me what you can do.¡±

    The woman appeared on one of the elevated platforms. A flick of her fingers, and the nearby targets disappeared, leaving the space bare.

    ¡°Get on with it.¡±

    Yuren Jie quickly realized that although his skill was supreme, he was not yet peerless. Students faced the woman one after the other and she somehow matched their skill and even style perfectly to push them to their limits without humiliating them. Her guidance left many disciples in awe.

    ¡°How about screaming the name of your technique after you¡¯ve used it? Or even while you cast it, but not, maybe, before?¡±

    ¡°Please do not monologue at me. I am impervious to such low-level sass. Focus on the fight.¡±

    ¡°If you tell me that this pill will unleash your true power, I¡¯m going to try to stop you from eating it, you know?¡±

    Truly extraordinary revelations. After fighting the disciples and giving them advice, the woman would provide them with a matching uniform that would best match their budding dao.

    ¡°You smell of water and metal. This should serve you well.¡±

    She handed one of the disciples a salmon-colored robe embroidered with the image of a mighty fish jumping up a waterfall. It was exquisitely made.

    ¡°Pink? You want me to wear pink?¡±

    ¡°You also smell like my lunch.¡±

    ¡°I am honored by your gift, esteemed elder.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s better.¡±

    And soon, it was Yuren Jie¡¯s turn.

    As a genius that happened only once in a generation among an arbitrarily selected population number, Yuren Jie wanted to show that he was not to be underestimated, although he often was for some reason. Indeed, he may have been the child of a beautiful seamstress who died of unidentified wasting disease and a mysterious man who left him nothing but a ring bearing the sigil of the ruling bloodline of the phoenix empire, a demonly heavenly manual of techniques that only work with children of the imperial bloodline of the phoenix empire, and also a dagger that could only be wielded by the heir of the phoenix empire, and him for some reason, but he was certain he was destined for greatness. He couldn¡¯t stumble across hidden inheritances every three chapters if fate didn¡¯t recognize in him the seeds of a sage to equal the heavens.

    He prepared his first technique, a forbidden special skill that killed most users after three attempts, except for him because he was just that talented.

    He raised his fist. The rays of the sun gathered in an ethereal dance like fireflies upon ¡ª

    ¡°Another protagonist. Ugh, I hate protagonists,¡± the woman complained.

    She extended her hand, then seemed to reconsider.

    ¡°Plot twist!¡± she roared.

    Yuren Jie looked behind him, but there was nothing! Instead, he was punched from the front.

    When Yuren Jie came back to his senses, he was standing at the edge of the platform again.

    ¡°Right, looks like it¡¯s everyone. As I said before, your next step is the medical pavilion, over there.¡±

    She pointed at a distant mountain.

    ¡°And since you are now properly dressed, you might as well get some practice out of it. Remember: there is an aura around here that heals you¡­ which means¡­¡±

    Yuren Jie turned to see the Fairy Thread Seeker wielding a long, metal weapon with a tube at the end.

    ¡°It means that even when I hurt you, you heal. So every minute from now on, I will shoot the slowest runner. Better start running now.¡±

    ***

    Yuren Jie was not hiding, for he was not a coward.

    He had merely... tactically relocated himself to a location where the bloodthirsty mistress of the forge wouldn¡¯t immediately see him. Yes, this was wise. Yuren Jie was certain that arriving at the Golden Hoarder Sect would teach him many lessons, and he was correct.

    For example, he was learning the wisdom of discretion already. He was not so unwise as to not take this lesson to heart.

    The medical pavilion still awaited, but it was atop a peak near the centre of the sect¡¯s great holdings. The other new disciples had taken the straight path, across bridges and over ravines, the mad cackles... polite tittering of the forge mistress behind them.

    Yuren Jie had chosen a less direct path. Perhaps it would be somewhat slower, but only if he didn¡¯t move with great alacrity.

    So he moved quickly... from statue to statue and from large stone to large stone, constantly on the lookout for a bloody, hungry smile from the shadows. He froze when he saw motion, but it was just a small cat who stared at him with about as much passion as one could expect from a cat. It seemed to sneer before sauntering off. He wondered if even the wildlife here was... peculiar.

    After some distance was made, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders. it seemed as though he would make it in due time with no great risk to himself. This, too, was wisdom. Truly this sect was the greatest if it could impart such wisdom so easily and clearly.

    ¡°Why¡¯re you sneaking around?¡±

    Yuren Jie started and spun to find... no one. He looked left and right, then cast his senses both upwards and down, but he felt no presence. Had the stress upon his core caused a deviation in his mind?

    Turning, he started again as he discovered a woman sitting upon a statue on the path ahead of him. She was clad in strange garments, clothes that were tight against her body, and a large flowing coat like a robe cut down the front. More interesting were her ears. The ears of a cat sat atop her head, perked forwards at attention even as the woman smiled cockily.

    Truly, she lacked the aura of a jade beauty, and instead felt like a cocksure, cockless, young master.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked, his guard rising. Was this an older disciple of the sect?

    The girl grinned, displaying slightly crookedy teeth. ¡°I¡¯m just a stray,¡± she said. ¡°What are you doing, sneaking around my neck of the woods?¡±

    ¡°This... is not a forest?¡± Yuren Jie said with a gesture to the area around them. This was one of the lower peaks, a flattened mount with several paths cut into its sides. There were archways here and there, and a few small garden pavilions with fantastic views of the ravines between the peaks. He could well imagine an elder cultivator sitting here and enjoying some ten billion year old ginseng.

    The young woman blinked, then stared off into space. ¡°You know, he¡¯s right, this isn¡¯t a woods, so that saying doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±

    She nodded. Then frowned.

    ¡°I guess it could be some language drift stuff,¡± she continued to speak. He was quite certain she wasn¡¯t speaking to him, and was equally certain that she wasn¡¯t quite sane.

    ¡°I will just be on my way, then,¡± he said.

    ¡°Hey now, no strutting off on my turf,¡± Stray said, her attention snapping back onto him. ¡°Where are you heading off too, anyway?¡±

    ¡°If you must know, the medical pavilion.¡±

    Her eyes widened a fraction, as did her smile. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a newbie!¡± she gushed. ¡°Fresh blood! A little baby cultivator!¡±

    Yuren Jie tensed, then glared. ¡°I am Yuren Jie, and I will reach the heavens, defy them, and surpass them to become even greater!¡±

    The woman snorted. ¡°You don¡¯t look like you could handle a fight against a scarecrow,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re all thin, no muscles. No brains either. And where¡¯s your gear? Are you gonna reach the heavens with those pretty-boy robes? Flash the entire realm while you¡¯re up there?¡±

    Yuren Jie stood straighter. ¡°What is this juvenile taunting?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not juvenile. You¡¯re juvenile,¡± she said. Then she stuck her tongue out at him.

    Yuren Jie spun on a heel and walked onwards. He was leaving this place and this discussion. He knew not where this woman had come from, but he wouldn¡¯t have minded if she crawled back to that place.

    As he came around a bend, he felt his heart constrict at the sight. There was another statue of a large cat, and atop it, the woman was lounging, one leg bouncing casually. She was eating grapes from a small bowl. ¡°Okay, so I might have been somewhat immature,¡± she admitted. ¡°Tell me this, uh... Yuren Jie? Weird name. Anyway, tell me this; if you want to be so strong, why don¡¯t you let me take you on a little detour?¡±

    ¡°I will not follow you, strange woman,¡± he said. Was this a test? A punishment for deviating from the straight path to the medical pavilion?

    ¡°You¡¯ll get treasures and new weapons and all sorts of neat rewards,¡± she said temptingly.

    Yuren Jie stood taller. ¡°Treasures?¡± he asked. ¡°Who are you, exactly?¡±

    The woman grinned the kind of smile he¡¯d only seen on cats who discovered a saucerful of cream. ¡°I¡¯m the Golden Hoarder Sect¡¯s quartermaster. You need a Heavenly Spear-Throwing Earth-Shattering Bursting Demonic Pillar Emitter to fuck up some local dragon and I hand you an ICBM.¡±

    He didn¡¯t know what either of those were, but the first sounded fearsome and powerful, the kind of legendary weapon oft associated with the Golden Hoard Sect. Was she truly the sect¡¯s quartermaster? If so, it would do him well to make her acquaintance.

    He eyed her for a moment. Her clothes were strange, but of fine make, and while he couldn¡¯t discern the use of the items she carried, they seemed to be of exquisite craftsmanship. They also had small images carved onto them, of cats frolicking and staring and licking themselves.

    On reflection, many of the stories of the sect¡¯s greatest warriors often mentioned that their swords of Rending Earth and their Heavenly Iron Arrow Hurlers had cat-like symbols upon them. Perhaps this woman truly was the sect¡¯s quartermaster.

    He bowed. ¡°What favours can I accomplish for you, Lady Quartermaster.¡±

    The lady smiled. ¡°A quest, then! Hmm... there¡¯s a shop on the far end of the sect. It¡¯s just past the western gate. There you will find a woman who makes sweetcakes and sells artisanal teas.¡±

    Yuren Jie nodded along. Was this the fabled fetch-quest?

    ¡°I want you to go there, tip over her tea pots, and burn her cakes.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Sabotage,¡± she clarified. ¡°Sabotage her shop. Don¡¯t kill her or anything, you know, just ruin her afternoon.¡±

    ¡°Has this woman threatened the Golden Hoarder Sect?¡± he asked.

    The lady quartermaster looked away, not meeting his eyes. ¡°In a manner of speaking.¡±

    ¡°That is not as clear of an answer as I expected,¡± he said. Not that he minded too much. If the sect needed him to scythe through ten million innocent civilians to prove himself, then that would be a small price to pay. ¡°Though I am curious as to her capabilities.¡± There had to be something more here.¡±

    Stray Cat cleared her throat. ¡°She gave my girlfriend a free sweetcake the other day.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s basically flirting, you know?¡± she said.

    ¡°You wish for me to punish a mortal because she has laid eyes upon your girl?¡± he asked.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t just lay eyes. Laying eyes is fine. My girl is the prettiest girl under heaven, so I can¡¯t blame either mortal or immortal for wanting to look. She gave my girl sweetcakes. That¡¯s crossing a line! Only I¡¯m allowed to give her cake!¡±

    Yuren Jie looked at her and took a moment to process what he was hearing. It was petty. It was petty and jealous. But it was also a task. One that would surely test his skills. ¡°I accept, lady quartermaster,¡± he said with a low bow of respect.

    ¡°Cool,¡± she said. He wasn¡¯t sure what the weather had to do with anything, but he chose not to question her. ¡°By the way, you¡¯re Yuren Jie, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, you¡¯re supposed to be at the medical pavilion. Like, right now. I¡¯m pretty sure if you don¡¯t show up soon, Fairy Elaine¡¯s gonna be pissed, and between her and a live nuke, I¡¯d rather piss off the nuke, you know what I¡¯m saying?¡±

    Yuren Jie glanced down the path, then bowed quickly before darting along. He couldn¡¯t afford to be late!

    Once he was done with this medical examination, he would begin upon this quest. It would be one of the first steps towards gaining what he needed to defy the heavens!

    ==========

    ~Selkie¡¯s part because I¡¯m just too impatient~

    Yuren hurried onto the Medical Pavilion. The sharp crack from Fairy Thread Seeker¡¯s weapon as she fired upon the slowest members of the entrance class, along with the occasional hair-raising cackle let him know that, in spite of his side quest, he was not so utterly late to the lecture on safe sects.

    Why they needed such a thing, Yuren didn¡¯t know. And yet, was that not the point of attending the Golden Hoard Sect? To receive wisdom from his elders? Truly, it was the only way this once-in-a-generation genius would ascend past the heavens. He would remember his stepping stones fondly once he¡¯d arrived.

    For now, it was time for wisdom.

    Yuren could not claim to be the first in the lecture hall, and yet, he did not have the ignominy of being the last. He managed to slip in past a few fellow disciplines, rubbing their buttocks and complaining about Fairy Thread Seeker¡¯s methods.

    He wanted to snort disdainfully at them.

    Weak. A basic trial, and they were complaining about mere pain? He had seen the truth - Fairy Elaine¡¯s powers healed all injuries as they occurred. What was a little bit of pain on the bitter path of cultivation?

    Yuren entered the grand lecture hall, the inside distorted to thousands of miles large, likely by some fantasy author with no proper sense of scale, and where the words ¡®structural integrity¡¯ and ¡®loadbearing¡¯ were simple suggestions.

    The seats at the front were all taken by the over-eager, as were the seats at the back by the lazy. Yuren rolled his eyes at the painfully transparent ploys, and sat in the middle.

    A beautiful cultivator took to the stage, with hair the color of soft hazel and blue eyes that twinkled with stars deep inside. Yurne rubbed his eyes and looked again.

    There really were stars deep inside the cultivator¡¯s  phoenix eyes, and he straightened up as the petite woman began to speak.

    ¡°I¡¯m Fairy Elaine. As part of the orientation to the Golden Hoarder Sect, we will be discussing Safe Sects practices.¡±

    There were titters around the room, and some of the men gazed lustfully at the jade beauties that were scattered throughout the room. Yuren wasn¡¯t thinking too highly of his peers. While they chased the unobtainable flowers, he studied the blade. Seeking attachments was a distraction from cultivation and the Dao.

    ¡°First! Before two Sects do battle with each other, it is important that both Sects understand that they are going to do battle.¡±

    Yuren¡¯s eyebrows scrunched up as he tried to divine the wisdom inside. He struggled - didn¡¯t that completely remove sneak attacks and thefts? Then again, the Golden Hoard Sect was considered one of the most noble, virtuous, upstanding, dignified, honorable, gallant, respectable, principled, esteemed, righteous, valiant, stalwart, and gracious sects around. Maybe this was just one of their rules.

    ¡°Second! Demonic cultivators can be hidden within the ranks of a sect. It is impossible to know where they are, and which sects have hidden members within their ranks, and which ones are clean. When doing battle, it is best to always protect one¡¯s sect from demonic cultivators trying to infiltrate.¡±

    Shouldn¡¯t there be a lecture about how to identify demonic cultivators, and prevent infiltration? Perhaps that was a later, more advanced lecture.

    ¡°Third! Know I wanted this to be first, but was overruled. A sect should never ever, under any circumstances, do battle with a thousand year old vampire, or similar. Don¡¯t do it. No.¡±

    Would a vampire at a mere seven hundred years be acceptable? Or was that too similar? Yuren dutifully wrote down a note to ask later.

    Fairy Elaine continued her lecture, dropping morsels of wisdom such as ¡®don¡¯t flash your sword carelessly¡¯, ¡®it¡¯s perfectly acceptable to battle the Chrysanthemum sect with proper preparation¡¯, and a long segment about ¡®cultivation realm and level matters. Don¡¯t do battle outside your realm, I might not be able to put you back together.¡¯

    Yuren scoffed at that. He was a genius whose battle prowess could cross realms! But why was she saying ¡®battle¡¯ so strangely, and why was half the lecture hall laughing and blushing?

    ¡°The last part of this lecture before we break out the bananas! It is well known that Sword and Spear sects enjoy battling Flower and Gourd sects. However! It is perfectly acceptable for a Sword Sect to battle a Spear Sect, just as it is acceptable for a Flower sect to battle a Gourd sect.¡±

    Yuren was convinced by now the others in the lecture hall were idiots. The most basic of revelations - a Sword Sect battling another Sword Sect? How obvious! - was causing an uproar. A dozen disciplines spat blood in outrage. Three near Yuren suffered Qi deviation, their faces going purple as they clutched at their chest. Down near the front, such basic words had caused a revelation in a fellow disciple, the man instantly jumping three realms as the enlightenment raised his cultivation.

    Yuren nodded to himself. Truly, he was a once-in-a-millennium genius.

    ===========

    Yuren hurried after Cat - Lady Quartermaster - unsure quite how he¡¯d ended up following her, of all people. Perhaps it was the reasonable amount of martial might - Fairy Elaine didn¡¯t seem to have any, Fairy Thread Seeker was too liberal in her application of violence, and sifu-sen- Sifu-Sensei, Yuren mentally corrected himself, suddenly paranoid that the dragon could read minds and the Lack of Capitalization inside of them - hurt his brain and caused nosebleeds every time he got near him.

    Perhaps that was why the Catering Hall had the most powerful disciples.

    Or maybe he followed the Lady Quartermaster simply because of the promise of treasures, new weapons, and neat rewards that had actually been delivered on. He wasn¡¯t quite sure how a Gre Nade worked, but the impact it had in practice had been¡­ satisfying.

    Truly, the Golden Hoarder Sect had earned their reputation.

    They skirted around the pigpen, then scooted down one of the Sect¡¯s main roads.

    ¡°Hey! You!¡± A commanding voice arrested Yuren¡¯s movements. He froze, like a mouse under the gaze of a hawk, slowly turning his head.

    Yuren clasped his hands and bowed to Fairy Thread Seeker, who beckoned him over.

    ¡°Well? Are you just going to stand there all day?¡± She demanded. Yuren hurried over to see what she wanted, getting handed three jade slips.

    Peerless cultivation manuals? Indomitable martial techniques? Repositories of forgotten treasures? Endless possibilities flashed through Yuren¡¯s mind. His months of hard work were finally paying off! The heavens were smiling upon him!

    ¡°Please return these to Fairy Elaine, with my thanks.¡± Fairy Thread Seeker said. ¡°And tell her I think she¡¯ll enjoy the last one. What are you still doing here? Shoo!¡±

    Yuren bobbed his head and shot out the door before Fairy Thread Seeker could think to use him for target practice once again.

    On the empty trail to the Medical Pavilion, Yuren sneaked a look around. There was nobody around, and he couldn¡¯t feel any spiritual presences looking at him. Fortunate favored the bold, and holding three high-level jade slips was a once in a lifetime opportunity. No mention had been made of a reward - perhaps the chance to glean wisdom from the jade slips was his reward, should he be able to comprehend the profound knowledge deep inside without exploding. The best would be a new cultivation technique that would let him get twice the results for half the effort.

    Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Yuren plunged his consciousness into the jade slip, plundering its vast and unfathomable knowledge for himself.

    His nose started to bleed at the deluge of information that slammed through his mind. Titillating moonlight rendezvous and ripped bodices, dark and mysterious men with plucky and bold women.

    ¡°Junior, you dare? Are you courting death?¡± A soft voice whispered from behind. Yuren jumped a foot in the air, spat blood, and immediately threw himself into a kowtow.

    ¡°Please forgive this impudent one¡¯s transgressions!¡± He shouted out to Fairy Elaine. With a flick of her sleeves, she teleported the jade slips from his hands to her, and lifted an eyebrow at him. Yuren didn¡¯t know if he should laugh or cry. ¡°Fairy Thread Seeker wanted me to return these two to you, and thought you would enjoy the last one!¡±

    Fairy Elaine¡¯s face lit up, and she chuckled like a dirty old man. She waved Yuren off.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go sneaking around. Be off with you, I hear Cat¡¯s looking for you by the Treasure Pavilion.¡±

    Yuren started to sweat again. The Treasure Pavilion was across the entire sect, and one of the loudest, most boisterous places. Fairy Elaine could hear that far?

    Yuren found Cat again, and was engaged in the mundanities of the day, when, like thunder from a clear sky, the alarm bells began to ring.

    The Lady Quartermaster perked up, throwing her paperwork into a corner.

    ¡°It¡¯s a lobster attack!¡± She proclaimed, grabbing a key and unlocking the door to where the heavy Ordi Nance was kept.

    ¡°Lobster?¡± Yuren asked. Dinner was rebelling?

    ¡°It was supposed to be ¡®monster¡¯!¡± Cat yelled from the depths of the room. ¡°Here, catch!¡±

    Yuren caught a heavy, malleable block of unrecognisable substance. He poked it with his finger, seeing how it sank in.

    ¡°Except there was a typo, and autocorrect turned it into lobster!¡± Cat continued to explain, throwing more blocks to him. Yuren tried to catch them all, but two fists couldn¡¯t block four hands.

    Yuren had been learning wisdom, and one key component was to keep his mouth shut when heaven and earth were flipped on him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Cat came out with a cart filled with more of the blocky plastics, clearly indicating that he should push. Yuren hurried after the Lady Quartermaster, quickly arriving at the field of battle.

    The field of battle was all the walls of the sect. Against each one of them, monstrous lobsters the size of horses were attacking with terrible pincers, firing energy blasts from their claws. Nevermind the impossible vast distance between the Sect and the nearest body of water larger than a pond. Experts were as common as clouds, manning the walls and firing their own martial techniques back at the ravenous, never¨Cending hordes.

    Hoard vs Horde.

    Yuren flinched as an expert was blown apart, an energy blade destroying his entire chest. A moment later he was restored, whole once again, slapping his now-naked chest and cursing the lobsters.

    Yuren¡¯s mouth dropped open. He thought Fairy Elaine¡¯s healing was for training, and didn¡¯t have any true capabilities in combat. Truely, he had eyes, but couldn¡¯t see Mt. Tai.

    ¡°Stop staring, we¡¯ve got a job to do.¡± Cat said. ¡°I¡¯m going deep. I need you to¡­¡± She looked him up and down, appraising him. He got the sense she changed her mind halfway through.

    ¡°Stand on the wall. When I call, throw me a new set of C4.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    The Lady Quartermaster went invisible, a block vanishing off the top of the pile. Yuren kept his eyes sharp, but from where he stood on the wall, he had an unparalleled view of the battle.

    It raged back and forth, grand techniques splashing against the hardened shells of the lobsters. Ghostly fists and sword intent flew across the field, grand fireballs exploding on shells while haunting music turned lobster against lobster.

    The lobsters were winning - should be winning - except the members of the Sect appeared to be invincible. No matter what attack they took, no matter what damage they suffered, they jumped back up a moment later in the picture of perfect health, leaving behind arms, legs, and clothing. When a lobster died, it stayed dead.

    Cat briefly appeared on the field, and Yuren peerlessly threw two more blocks of C4 at her. She caught them and vanished again, a lobster¡¯s claw snapping where she¡¯d just been. Yuren narrowed his eyes, noting a small piece of the white substance appearing on a lobster¡¯s head.

    That much was enough to kill one of the tenacious beasts? Where fist and sword fell, that was a killing blow?

    Impo-

    Yuren shook his head. He¡¯d resolved not to say or think that word anymore.

    The sky darkened behind him, and he turned to see what was happening next. An enormous flying ship had launched from the Sect, Fairy Thread Seeker standing on the prow with a tricorn hat, laughing maniacally.

    ¡°You will rue the day you have run afoul of the Dread Pirate Fairy Thread Seeker, Queen of the arbitrarily high number of seas! Prepare to be tenderized! Servants! Open fire!¡±

    The cannons on the ship began to roar, smashing down at impossible speeds. Shell and pincers went flying, and Yuren dodged a large claw, only to get slapped in the face by an antenna.

    HOW DARE THEY-

    Yuren took a deep breath. Down that path lay swift death, Fairy Elaine¡¯s healing or not. Cat briefly appeared again, and Yuren tossed her some more explosives.

    Dragon Sifu-Sensei took to the field next, his immense wingspan casting a great shadow on the world below. The dragon rained down a pyroclastic hell onto the lobsters; and those he didn¡¯t burn, he poked with his mighty claw. His finger alone carried the strength of the heavens.

    ¡°Minions, get back here!¡± he roared. ¡°The food has decided to die with honor: by feeding me! Cook them at once!¡±

    The elite members of the Catering Hall flew over the wall on oversized spatulas, frying pans, knives, forks, woks, baking sheets, and whisks. Half of them were clicking tongs together menacingly. Eight of them were carrying an oversized cauldron of garlic butter between them. With deadly blows and lethal martial-cooking techniques, the members of the Catering Hall fought their way to Vainqueur, and began cooking. Half of them set up a perimeter, fighting the unending lobster legion, while the other half began slicing, dicing, and cooking.

    Fried. Boiled. Steamed. Grilled. Baked. Sauteed. Broiled. Poached. Stewed. Smoked, barbecued, pan and deep-fried, acid-cooked and more. Every way there was to prepare food, the elite members of the Catering Hall provided. Dragon Sifu-Sensei, ever the wise and patient Elder, swallowed anything unlucky to be caught within arm¡¯s reach.

    Cat showed up again, and Yuren tossed her the last of the explosives. A few moments later, she was by his side, touching her throat. Her voice boomed as Yuren clasped his hands over his ears.

    ¡°FIRE IN THE HOLE!¡± She yelled, most of the members dropping behind the wall. Yuren might¡¯ve been slow, but he wasn¡¯t quite an idiot, and he threw himself below the ramparts.

    A cataclysmic explosion ripped through the lobster hordes, launching themselves into the sky like a river dragon ripping itself from the ground. Then, like the winter rains, a bloody barrage of finger-sized pieces started to rain down on all of them. Tails and shells joined the five viscera and six bowels in a gory rain.

    ¡°UNLEASH THE PIGS!¡± Another voice yelled.

    Dread Pirate Fairy Thread Seeker screamed back from her ship.

    ¡°NOT THE PIGS YOU LOUSE-RIDDEN IDIOTS! I¡¯LL-¡±

    It was too late. The gates opened, and ten thousand flaming porcines took to the field, scything through the lobsters like a knife through melted garlic butter.

    A delayed explosive launched a grapeshot of flaming bacon up into the sky. By the divine hand of providence and author fiat, they landed beautifully on the flying ship¡¯s sails, setting them ablaze.

    The ship started to go down in a torrent of profanities.

    ¡°Vainqueur! You lazy bastard! Do I have to do your job for you!?¡± A voice - was that Fairy Elaine¡¯s? - screamed from Dread Pirate Fairy Thread Seeker¡¯s sinking ship.

    ¡°I am your job!¡± Vainqueur roared back. ¡°The purpose of life is to cater to dragons! Minions have jobs, and I have everything else!¡±

    There was a pause, and Yuren swore he heard a soft sigh on the breeze.

    Then the sky lit up as a dozen beams of pure, blinding Radiance launched from the ship, circling around the walls impossibly fast. Yuren was dozens of paces away from the beams occasionally sweeping over his head, and yet he was starting to sweat as the temperature soared.

    ¡°Lazy ass!¡± the voice shouted one last time. Yuren glanced over to Vainqueur, where a single one of his absolutely-totally-real whiskers had been cut in half, the other end slowly floating to the ground.

    A hesitant cheer came up, then quickly increased in volume as the members of the Sect picked it up and welcomed their sudden and unexpected victory.

    Maybe not too unexpected Yuren mentally amended.

    Cat grinned and punched Yuren in the arm.

    ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s how we do it here! Okay, I¡¯m going to grab Lucy and the kittens, and we¡¯re all going to have a nice little picnic. Your job is to get us some space, some lobster, and most importantly - some butter.¡±

    Yuren nodded. He could do that.

    As he secured part of the food, members of the Sect were organising a large lobster roast under the militant commands of the Catering Hall. A great amount of butter was brought out, but Yuren¡¯s face fell as he realized it was only one-one tenth of the amount needed. Lady Quartermaster exited the Sect with her mortal wife, Lucy, in tow, and quickly fought off a few other members to grab a hunk for herself.

    ¡°The rest is for Dragon Sifu-Sensei.¡± She explained at his wordless question. ¡°The catering budget is a black hole from which nothing escapes. If it runs out, the lower disciples are expected to¡­ fill in. We make sure there is always funding for it.¡±

    Yuren nodded, the statement making perfect sense to him. Dragon Sifu-Sensei obviously had a catering budget. For the rest of us, living¨Cor rather, surviving¨Cunder the glory of Sifu-Sensei was enough.

    Truly, he had been enlightened.

 Part 27

    The first thing a longer expedition would do was establish a base camp, so the raiders descended at the edge of the chasm to find a suitable spot. There was a relatively flat space on the right side, by a cliff, with a good view of the valley so that was the place they chose.

    Led by the three TKers, the rest put down their tents. Nestra¡¯s own basic sleeping bag got a few pitying looks. They were really looking down on her.

    As for Nestra, she was getting pissed off. It wasn¡¯t the others¡¯ reactions ¡ª she didn¡¯t care about them ¡ª it was all the fucking delay. This was a hunting ground, so hunt? No? She pushed a few pebbles with her foot in annoyance while Satoshi placed a proximity alarm enchantment at the center, next to a neatly dug firepit.

    It was fine. She just had to look at it from another angle. From C-rank on, expeditions took a day at the minimum. Raiders lived and died on preparation. Humans conquered earth not through physical prowess but through tools and communication, and those took work. She couldn¡¯t simply get prissy because Sereth tossed her into portals with vague instructions as a ¡®learning experience¡¯.

    Besides, she was here to study her prey. And then kill them.

    Nodding to herself, Nestra did a perimeter walk. No one stopped her so she assumed she was doing something right. Her thoughts wandered to her father as she inspected the cliffs for anomalies.

    He¡¯d briefly brushed upon camp preparations during training, but he¡¯d left the details for later. For when she ¡®came of age¡¯ as he used to joke. Back when she had potential and Ulysses dicked around with his drunk friends.

    That was a long time ago.

    Nestra frowned at bird tracks near some thorny shrubbery. There would be avian fliers here. Had to keep an eye out because the briefing didn¡¯t mention them.

    Her human dad really tried his best with her. It was just that he and mom were, well, not the most adjusted people out there. Even before the Incursion, her dad used to be a sound engineer for events and the impression she got was that he¡¯d been highly competent but¡­ not well-liked. He would still have tried to make sure she was prepared with everything before raiding while her demon side of the family preferred a much more free-range approach to spawn rearing. So now she looked like a clown, but was also deadlier than any single raider here.

    Kind of weird how that worked.

    Could she even get close to him again? He was a bit of an idiot but he¡¯d still tried his damn best. But he wasn¡¯t even her real dad. Or was he? Her human form definitely took after him.

    What a mess.

    Nestra mechanically stabbed a snake ¡ª this one had been in the briefing. It was barely a meter long and venomous. A burst of energy went towards¡­ a resistance. She felt it bubble in her veins so probably toxins. It was minor but everything helped.

    She finished the round without further incident. As she did, she spotted a small swarm of fliers in the distance, moving as black dots over the orange sky. A patrol?

    Satoshi was glaring at her when she returned, so she approached Valerian instead. Healers were usually secondary commanders because of their tendency to be the last ones standing in times of trouble. And also because they tended to be more patient and vindictive than the average alligator.

    ¡°Found thisss. Also, the guardian has flying patrols out.¡±

    ¡°Good to know. The brief said the snakes would only be out during the night so this is valuable information. Everyone, watch out if you¡¯re going to the jacks!¡± he called.

    Sheryl nodded, focused on some electronics. She looked at home in this dry world now that her helmet was off, with short dark hair and a tan skin around a pair of sad brown eyes. Nestra knew the others were listening but they didn¡¯t show it.

    ¡°But, ah, Miss Crescent¡­ why did you keep the snake?¡±

    Why else?

    ¡°Sssoup.¡±

    ¡°Soup?¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    ¡°Is¡­ the snake not poisonous also?¡±

    The brief didn¡¯t mention it. She was poison resistant anyway. She shrugged.

    ¡°Probably not.¡±

    ¡°Well, ok.¡±

    Nestra shoved the snake in an isolating bag while Satoshi gathered everyone. The base camp would act as a fallback position if things went to shit or people got separated. That was the first safety rule. The second came immediately as Sheryl handed everyone small gunmetal blobs: reinforced short-range radios.

    ¡°Right, you know the drill. Everyone tests theirs.¡±

    A mess of ¡®1 2¡¯ and ¡®hello¡¯ followed. Nestra joined it to find that yes, her radio worked fine. Technological equipment functioned in Portal Worlds, but a user had to bring it themselves and most military grade weapons wouldn¡¯t be worth the effort to bring them through most of the time. Surveillance equipment was very valuable though, especially in larger worlds. Again, something her parents had mentioned but that she¡¯d never experienced herself. She caught Strix looking at her as she was daydreaming.

    He grabbed the handle of his sword. His eyes narrowed. Nestra struggled against a powerful wave of annoyance. Her brain insisted he was a threat that needed to die but she also knew, intellectually, that he was just being a fucking jerk. Gobbet chuckled when he caught the scene.

    Nestra really thought he looked like a weasel though that was her bias talking.

    ¡°Everyone good to go?¡± Satoshi said, ¡°Then let¡¯s depart.¡±

    Led by Satoshi, the group moved into the chasm at a good pace. Nestra stayed at the rear, relaxed for now. She was confident the TKers would try to zero Valerian and her during a hard fight, not near the start. At least on the first try. The chasm descended rather sharply, and the dry, warm air soon turned cold and a bit damp. More vegetation appeared as green spots clinging to the walls. It was half thorns and half thick green leaves crawling between cracks. The stone here was old. Gravel and pebbles rolled down the slope under the metal boots of the front liners despite their enhanced grace. Nestra guessed they wouldn¡¯t take anyone off guard.

    The first attack came rather fast. Both Strix, the striker, and Gobbet, the sniper, reacted at the same time. Nestra felt mana in the distance shortly after but it took another few seconds for her to pick up the buzz of insectile wings.

    Nestra took a moment to appreciate the way the manatermitidae differed from the magical ants she¡¯d already met. They were also large insects with six ¡®feet¡¯, mandibles and the likes, but while the ants were clearly specialized, the termites varied from one individual to the other. Their coats were yellow and those that came had wings but that was about it. Out of the dozens of monsters diving between the walls of the chasm, some were large, some small, some had powerful mandibles that could probably cut her limbs clean off, others had suspiciously glowing abdomens. The leader was the size of a car and sported an extra pair of scythe-like appendages on its back, like the limbs of a mantis.

    Nestra took a second to look around while Satoshi babbled useless commands she didn¡¯t pay attention to. Obviously she had to make her role as artillerist believable if only because the others would assume she was weaker at point blank range.

    Nestra pointed at the scythe termite. A dot of potential appeared on its torso at a great distance and after a short delay. Nestra frowned as she realized that monsters could potentially dodge it if they felt it coming. Fortunately, massive shredding insects were not arcane powerhouses as well.

    A moment later, she unleashed her bolt. At this range, the energy consumption was massive but so was the explosion. The flight of termites did try to dodge, in vain. Once the dot had landed, Nestra¡¯s spell would hit. The only option was to seek cover.

    Up in the air, there were none.

    The void bolt detonated with a land bang, exploding the lead termite and two others that were simply caught by the blast. They fell and the rest spread out, shaken by the detonation. Energy filled her until her skin tingled though that was the nature of the boost. She felt a little stronger but also more resilient, though she wasn¡¯t sure to what yet.

    Satoshi turned to her with a look of disbelief.

    ¡°I said to hold? No?¡±

    Nestra shrugged.

    ¡°Optimal range.¡±

    ¡°You should have told me.¡±

    ¡°You should have asked?¡±

    ¡°Kisama wa¡­ GAH! I don¡¯t have time for this. HOLD!¡±

    Naomi brandished her staff to Nestra¡¯s left while Gobbet, to Nestra¡¯s right, nocked an arrow. They didn¡¯t seem too concerned even when a column of foot termites charged up from behind a ridge farther down. The attack was coordinated. That wasn¡¯t unexpected for eusocial monsters.

    ¡°Fire!¡±

    Nestra targeted where the land termites were most concentrated, then cast again. Just like that, half of her reserves were gone, but now that she had her own core, those would replenish fairly fast. Another burst of energy filled her along with the same resistance, as to what it was, she now had a very strong inkling.

    ¡°Might want to target the large abdomen onesss,¡± she said offhandedly.

    ¡°Shut the fuck up,¡± Gobbet replied.

    He still shot one of them which made Nestra smirk. Transparent liquid burst from the perforated membrane, drenching a nearby patch of greenery. Smoke immediately rose from it along with an acrid scent carried by the wind. Nestra could see the acid eating through the biomass with absolute accuracy. Yeah, nasty.

    ¡°Naomi!¡± Satoshi yelled.

    The mage nodded. Flame arrows flew to the designated ants with unerring accuracy. Fortunately, their nature made them easier to defeat, especially when it turned out that the outside of the creatures were not impervious to acid. That left most of the remaining termite without options except charging forward, which they did. There, the C-rank front liners showed their worth.

    Satoshi was a pillar of confident strikes, each attack of his massive saber cleaving through exoskeletons like they were made of paper. Strix charged in, cutting wings with brutal strikes of his sword which he tended to sheathe between assaults, perhaps for added speed. Sheryl and Valerian were also solid though clearly not as good as their partners, though at least Sheryl managed to send monsters flying with every hammer blow which gave her breathing room. Nestra had to agree with Satoshi on this. The team didn¡¯t need her. They would have managed just fine right until they killed her friend.

    The mop up only took a few minutes during which Nestra paid attention around her. That was how she caught a flickering of mana behind her, slightly to her right.

    There was something crawling on the cliff wall. It was getting closer slowly, patiently. Nestra looked in the direction and found yet another bug but this one was different. Its orange, mottled coat merged perfectly with the dirty ochre of the wall. An oblong thorax stayed flat against the sheer cliff while thick short legs carried it ever closer to the group with measured steps. Two antennae flickered on occasion but it was the thin spear-like thing where the moth ought to be that told Nestra what she needed to know. This was an assassin bug, and it was not supposed to show up so early in the portal world.

    Nestra considered her options. Gobbet clearly focused in front of himself which was not his role but whatever. The assassin bug was going to off him first unless Nestra did something about it.

    But it would be really convenient if, say, he were to die now.

    Nestra frowned. In the end, she wasn¡¯t absolutely sure the archer was compromised, and besides, Ragnarok had told her not to strike first. She just had to see it as a, ah, additional constraint to make the experience more challenging.

    Or was it hubris talking?

    It was hubris talking, also perhaps idealism.

    Nestra frowned.

    Fuck her orders. Her priority wasn¡¯t a perfect mission. Her priority was Valerian, a friend who counted on her.

    As the last of the termites died and the formation broke off to finish off the stragglers, the assassin bug struck. It was faster than Nestra expected. Its rostrum slammed into the archer¡¯s midsection with a dull thud. Gobbet let out a dull ¡®oof¡¯, not of pain,  not yet, of surprise and because his lungs were being compressed.

    His only saving grace was that since he¡¯d been skewered from end to end, the poison ended up spraying on the ground in front of him. The assassin bug had overkilled the strike, funnily enough.

    She tsked and struck with her sword, decapitating the beast instantly and gaining more poison resistance.  Gobbet collapsed with a scream and a head stuck in his guts. The smell of offal hit her nose just as the screams assaulted her ears. The C-ranks didn¡¯t panic but it was clear this was unexpected.

    Satoshi barked orders while the others returned, the last termites allowed to retreat. Nestra took a step back to watch out for more bugs though the brief said they were solitary hunters. Valerian was all over Gobbet in an instant.

    ¡°Get it out! Get it out!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the only thing keeping your innards in so no. Ugh, this is going to take some time. I¡¯ll start with some hemostasis.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck happened?¡± Satoshi screamed in Nestra¡¯s ears.

    It was lucky her senses were protected because the man was loud.

    ¡°He wasss attacked by an assassin bug. They¡¯re mentioned in the brief?¡±

    ¡°I can fucking see that!¡±

    ¡°Then what do you want me to sssay?¡±

    Nestra shrugged. Satoshi turned to Naomi but the pyromancer couldn¡¯t have seen the bug coming. She seemed a little nervous.

    ¡°Asshole was supposed to watch our backs,¡± the pyromancer grumbled.

    ¡°It hurts! Aaaaargh!¡± Gobbet complained.

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky the bug got you, Gobbet. You were our back watch. If that thing had hit Naomi instead I¡¯d have killed you myself,¡± Satoshi said, annoyed beyond reason.

    And Nestra could guess why. Five minutes later, they moved back to the base camp and stayed there until after lunch for Valerian to finish healing the prick. He was offered the right to leave, but refused, and Nestra could tell why.

    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    It would cost upward twenty-five thousand credits to get the insanely good treatment Valerian was giving him. That was without counting the BaiHua VIP hospital stay. In any case, she finished her soup, then they were off again after the false start with a still sore, weakened Gobbet.

    Turned out that gut wounds were a mess to close and clean with only field gear. Who¡¯d have thunk it? By the time they reached the scene of the attack again, all of the large corpses had been dragged away by scavengers.

    ¡°You owe me three fucking cores, asshole,¡± Satoshi yelled at a fuming Gobbet.

    The expedition was off to a great start.

    Fortunately, the next termite assault ended very much like the first, Nestra having fully recovered her reserves by then. She and Naomi worked on thinning the herd for the frontliners to attack, with Gobbet sniping the occasional acid bug. Those had been in the briefing, of course, but they¡¯d usually not been that far from the nest. Nestra wondered if her presence changed things. There were theories¡­

    Gobbet spotted the next assassin bug without much issue. Nestra felt it first but she let him get the kill. She had to be patient. They couldn¡¯t know her senses were better than they thought.

    As the team delved deeper, the termites changed strategy. Rather than sending heavy hitters to be obliterated, they flooded the chasm with a stream of transparent, weaker creatures. Their deaths seemed to attract more assassin bugs, so the backline was busy as well.

    Nestra saw a worker aiming for her and decided she wouldn¡¯t waste that much mana on a single target. She unsheathed her blade. A basic downward strike was all it took to kill the worker.

    She realized Gobbet was staring at her.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be covering usss?¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah get off my ass, would you?¡±

    The man was angry. Given the price of the average core and the fact he¡¯d lost them at least a few by being careless, Nestra imagined he must have felt like a right idiot. She looked around, finding no termites. The few still alive were making a run for it.

    Huh, even smart portal beings almost never made a run for it.

    She looked down. Nothing.

    To the sides. Only bare rock.

    Up, to termites gathering with stones. Many were the acid-spitting version.

    ¡°Hostiles up!¡±

    Nestra is already moving, keeping an eye on the acid sprayers. Clear liquid and darker stone fill the air above them. The team ran to the side.

    What to do?

    She stayed close to Valerian just in case. He was the slowest, with Satoshi grabbing Naomi under his muscular arm. For a moment, it looked like they would be hit but the man stomped the ground and earth covered them in a strange crust. Acid splashed on the shield with a hiss.

    Some of the acid ended up on Nestra and Valerian. With a curse, she grabbed him out of the way though she got hit for her trouble.

    It burnt.

    It was really unpleasant.

    The pain forced a hiss but no more. Soon, a refreshing feeling spread over her arm. Valerian¡¯s mana. She allowed it to spread and it did, covering her arms with new skin. Valerian strained from the effort.

    He smiles at her. So full of trust, the idiot.

    They were out.

    Most of the team had made it out without much trouble. Gobbet shot the termites with abandon, not caring about wasting arrows he would have to replace. Naomi soon joined him until the last creature was either smashed on the ground or ash.

    Satoshi swore in Japanese. Nestra refrained from commenting when the leader turned to Gobbet ¡ª again, and the archer withered under his gaze.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t in the fucking brief, okay?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your fucking job!¡±

    ¡°And Strix¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t accuse others to cover your own failings.¡±

    ¡°Will you cut that shit out?¡± Sheryl said. ¡°The sniper¡¯s right. Strix is just as guilty as Gobbet but he¡¯s your buddy, yeah? I¡¯m tired of your posturing. Keep it up and I¡¯m out.¡±

    She glared. Nestra didn¡¯t know if she was in on it and it was a warning or if Sheryl was actually not a TKer. She decided to downgrade her in terms of threats, especially compared to Strix who might be able to deliver a devastating first strike.

    ¡°Right, it seems that things are a little tense today,¡± said the asshole who¡¯d done his best to make things tense today. ¡°We¡¯ll challenge the lake sub guardian then go back to camp for the night, alright?¡±

    The lake dweller, a supposedly easy guardian.

    They might try it then.

    Everyone agreed and Nestra felt the tension mount for her. This might be it. She studied the posture of the others.

    Strix kept moving his shoulders, unlimbering them. He felt her gaze and turned, passing a hand over his handle again.

    Yeah, definitely.

    As they followed the path deeper into the chasm, the dampness intensified until condensation formed on the cliff walls, and the green mix of moss and shrubbery became ubiquitous. Things crawled in there, but they were mostly small. Not directly aggressive.

    The termite attacks stopped. Slowly, split paths emerged, leading to crumbling deadends on either side of the canyon. They grew in numbers and depths until the group could no longer see their ends from the entrance. One of them ought to lead to a secondary guardian though it was deeper in.

    Finally, at the bottom, the path flattened and split into two forks on either side of a lake filled with dark water, the surface as impenetrable as a mirror. It was strangely quiet down here. A little bit ahead, the path split into several secondary gorges. Most of those remained unexplored.

    ¡°Alright everyone, be ready,¡± Satoshi said in a tone that made Nestra¡¯s hair stand on end. ¡°I¡¯ll get its attention. Crescent, use your spells when it rears back. The rest, you know what to do.''¡±

    His voice was loud. The water shivered, just a pulse at first. The raiders took formation behind Satoshi who had raised his saber.

    ¡°Steady¡­¡±

    Something broke the surface near the shore. Nestra caught a glimpse of a dark brown shell. Spikes too. The lake sub guardian.

    Water exploded in a geyser. For an instant, beast, brackish water, and vegetation merged in a great mix of colors on a dark background, a detonation in cold colors, but soon Nestra¡¯s mind adjusted and she could see her foe for what it was: a crawfish the size of a small bus. Two thick antennae surged over a tiny mouth, the only weak points in slabs of hard, spike-covered shells. Large claws that could shear a car in half aimed straight for Satoshi who was the most obvious target. As the beast left the water, it revealed muscular short legs designed for explosive speed.

    Satoshi actually missed his attack. His sabre hit the claw at a bad angle which was barely enough to deflect it. The second claw closed around him. In a smooth movement, he slammed the blade down. Stones rose from the ground to cover his form which was enough to stop the attack. She still heard him grunt in pain.

    Strix attacked the joint by unsheathing his blade with blinding speed with little result. It was Sheryl who managed to free Satoshi with a powerful blow that cracked the base of the claw, forcing the beast to fall back. Arrows and fire spells aimed for the head to distract the creature with some good results. Somehow, Naomi¡¯s fire lingered on the beast. It let out a hiss like a boiling kettle and retreated into the water, shell turning red in spot. This was Nestra¡¯s moment. She aimed for the head.

    The dot connected.

    The guardian raised its claw at the last instant, blocking some of the damage. The rest vaporized part of the shell. One of the antennae went flying. Blue blood splurted from the wound.

    Something shifted in the group. Nestra felt it in the others¡¯ mana.

    Strix turned on Valerian.

    Naomi turned on Nestra. Fire coalesced into a dense cloak around the pyromancer until even at a distance, Nestra felt the heat like a physical wall between herself and the mage, and of course, they¡¯d waited until she had to cycle mana to strike.

    This was the strength of spells. If it were just physical abilities, Nestra would trounce Naomi like she¡¯d trounced the people during the test, but here, this was the real world and in the real world, people used all their spells.

    And now she realized her mistake. She was slightly too far from Valerian to reach him with a single momentum.

    Nestra¡¯s mind went into overdrive. To her left, Naomi was lashing at her with red flame. To her right, Gobbet let an arrow loose at a very surprised Sheryl who was front and right. Front and left were Satoshi and Strix and directly ahead of her, there was Valerian.

    Nestra sprinted forward, slashing Gobbet¡¯s thigh on her path. His arrows still struck Sheryl under the armpit at close range. Valerian turned and parried.

    Naomi¡¯s aura exploded outward. Nestra felt it as a wave of heat torching her skin. Pain pushed her to use momentum a little early, before she could fully charge it. Surprise made her stumble.

    Gobbet screamed, briefly.

    Naomi had torched her ally without a second of hesitation.

    Nestra reached Valerian just a moment too late. His arm flew, still holding a blade. She grabbed him and felt vertigo overtake her, lessened by her resistance. Strix and Satoshi stumbled with the small man moving back fast with a burst of electricity.

    Fire rose again. Valerian was bleeding heavily in Nestra¡¯s arms. Sheryl gasped, then she made a run for it.

    Nestra decided that saving Valerian was more important than killing right now. She ran as well. Still disoriented, Strix and Satoshi were just a little late, but Nestra was forced to dodge fire arrows in quick succession.

    It was a pain running without momentum. Nestra also turned to see if Sheryl was following but to her dismay, the armored woman raced down another path. As for Gobbet, he was nothing but a charred corpse at the feet of a very angry woman.

    Nestra ran. The side chasm she¡¯d picked was long and rough with plenty of loose stone but that wasn¡¯t a problem for her. She would be much faster if she could use momentum. Even then, the others didn¡¯t pursue and she eventually slowed to a jog, wary of ambushes. Valerian¡¯s hard breathing rang in her ears. She dropped him down. He was fine right?

    ¡°The bleeding?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m ok,¡± Valerian said, clearly not okay at all. He was sweating, pale. His traits were drawn and gaunt. Nestra must have looked worried even through the mask because Valeriane insisted.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious. This is nothing.¡±

    He shook the stump of his arm. It was already regrowing through the mangled remains of his armbraces. The bone practically pushed from underneath the skin. At this speed, he would regrow the entire hand in an hour or less. Nestra didn¡¯t need to be a real gleam to understand how good little Valerian was.

    ¡°Impressssive.¡±

    ¡®Yeah, well, can we find a place to hunker down?¡±

    He winced.

    ¡°I¡¯ll need food as well.¡±

    ¡°Not hunker down but¡­¡±

    She looked up, certain she¡¯d find something suitable. There, in the craggy wall. A sort of opening. She doubted there would be full caves but they just needed an alcove for a little while.

    Nestra climbed the wall with a very confused Valerian on her shoulder. It was really easy finding footholds, and she finally reached a suitable spot after only a minute or two of effort. It was spacious enough for two people to lie down. Sadly, Nestra was no longer human-sized but she could at least sit down.

    There was a nice green-colored bird there. It squawked noisily. Nestra realized it was building a nest.

    Its beak glowed silver.

    Nestra¡¯s hand struck like a snake, grabbing the creature¡¯s neck before smashing its skull against a nearby rock. She dropped Valerian near the pile of twigs in the same smooth motion.

    ¡°Hey, nice bird. Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°Focussss on healing.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡±

    ¡°We can wait here.¡±

    ¡°Right. Hmmmm.¡±

    ¡°Do you need a potion? I have one.¡±

    Valerian shook his head.

    ¡°No, the wound is already closed. It wouldn¡¯t help.¡±

    He suddenly looked very embarrassed.

    ¡°Look, regrowing flesh consumes a ton of calories, even with high efficiency and my affinity. I, errr, I had energy bars. I ate them while you were carrying me.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ did?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re bite sized but very dense. It¡¯s just¡­ an entire forearm is very large¡­¡±

    Nestra could tell where this was going. She fidgeted.

    Valerian was a friend. It was ok. And she could also cook the bird as a snack, after recovering those nice feathers. It would be fine, right? Oh, and there was the guardian as well though crawfish wasn¡¯t nearly as tasty as crab in her own humble opinion.

    With a sigh of regret, she grabbed for her backpack, removing a neatly wrapped pastrami sandwich.

    ¡°You can have thissss.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s too much of an issue¡­¡±

    ¡°I already ssssaid yes!¡± she grumbled.

    Valerian wordlessy took her food, biting down on that delicious enclave beef brisket over artisanal cheese and mana-infused rye bread.

    ¡°Hmph. Wait. A La Tourelle delivery sandwich? They¡¯re a hundred twenty a pop!¡±

    ¡°Sssso enjoy.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re bringing gourmet food into portals?¡±

    ¡°Hssss!¡±

    ¡°For which I am very grateful, but you were offering me a C-class potion freely though it¡¯s clearly more valuable in a portal and also costs thirty times as much as a sandwich. Are you¡­ alright? Food wise?¡±

    Of course she was alright food wise. She had plenty of food. Stashed everywhere.

    ¡°Did you starve in your childhood?¡±

    ¡°Of coursssse not. My family took good care of me.¡±

    And they did, the human ones that is¡­ She was just¡­

    She¡¯d just been mana starved. For most of her adult life.

    She¡¯d cannibalized her human core for it.

    Wait a minute. Waaaaaait a minute.

    Was she traumatized?

    ¡°Sorry, not important right now. First, we should get rid of our radios. They could be tracking us.¡±

    Nestra blinked. Food insecurity didn¡¯t matter, haha. She was fine.

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± she said.

    Immediate survival took precedence. She¡¯d completely forgotten about the radios. Stupid stupid. It was so strange having them in true form, even after relying on those for her entire human career. Just as they were about to toss the things, they crackled with static.

    ¡°Help? Anyone? Help?¡± a timid voice came.

    It was Sheryl.

    ¡°We¡¯re here Sheryl,¡± Valerian replied immediately. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ No I¡¯m not. Can¡¯t stop¡­ the bleeding.¡±

    Nestra wished Sheryl had stayed with them but the women had no real reason to trust anyone after the surprise attack. Running alone wasn¡¯t bad but¡­ the arrow was in her back. She, yeah, she probably couldn¡¯t even reach it.

    Fucking Gobbet.

    ¡°Ok, I need you to calm down. Take deep breaths.¡±

    ¡°What the FUCK is going on?¡±

    Valerian licked his lips, then used his intact hand to wipe the sweat off his brow.

    ¡°I think they¡¯re here to kill me. And you got caught in it. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck¡­¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s not important right now. Look, we saw which gorge you were headed in. Are you safe right now?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I found a small hiding hole.¡±

    ¡°Ok, can you apply pressure to the wound?¡±

    ¡°No, no, I can¡¯t, it¡¯s in my back. I can¡¯t reach it. It hurts!¡±

    ¡°Ok Sheryl, stay with me,¡± Valerian said in a calming voice. ¡°What I need you to do is to raise the wounded area. Don¡¯t hesitate to lie on your flank, alright? I¡¯ll get to you very soon. Your raider constitution will help you. You just need to hold unt¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, no, get away, get away. FUCK Y¡ª¡±

    The feed cut.

    ¡°Sheryl?¡± Valerian asked without much hope.

    There was silence for a while. Nestra looked down towards the valley just in case. She saw movement.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid Sheryl is indisposed,¡± Satoshi¡¯s voice came. It was calmer than before.

    Valerian licked his lips. He breathed deeply, and for the first time, Nestra saw something really dark cross the man¡¯s features. She¡¯d always considered Valerian to be a good-natured person so this flash of¡­ malice. That was a little unsettling.

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna regret this.¡±

    ¡°You know, we weren¡¯t even here to kill you. Just to capture you.¡±

    ¡°Right. Like that¡¯s much better.¡±

    ¡°If you knew then you could have ran, but you decided to bring a bodyguard, and now, two more people have died.¡±

    ¡°Oh so it¡¯s my fault now.¡±

    Nestra could see him. Strix, advancing along the canyon. He was staring dead ahead with some sort of electronic device in his hand. Probably a tracker. Damn, they were really well prepared.

    ¡°Your choice, rather. I¡¯d apologize but I don¡¯t feel sorry. It¡¯s just business. Nothing personal.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s always personal to the one who gets shafted but don¡¯t worry. I left you a little gift. You¡¯ll get the time to reconsider,¡± Valerian hissed.

    Then he tossed the radio out.

    Nestra watched it arc out into the air, then it fell with a loud click of metal on stone. Strix jumped in surprise, but then his eyes looked up, up.

    Nestra leaned back before he could spot her. She signaled to Valerian that there was one hostile down on the ground. He nodded gravely.

    He was in no position to fight. Nestra was though.

    In fact, with no one to protect and a single opponent, she could really let go now. It wasn¡¯t as if she was going to leave any witness anyway. She removed her mask, to Valerian¡¯s surprise, then she unzipped her suit.

    The poor man paled mightily, but he shook his head when he realized she wasn¡¯t naked underneath. The Skin covered her from neck to toe now.

    Ah yes.

    The wind in her hair, the damp air on her skin, her horns fully exposed, she could feel so much. She was free now. Free. And more than a little pissed off.

    She waved a baffled Valerian goodbye. He would be safe here for the two minutes this would take.

    Strix was climbing towards them. She could feel his mana.

    Nestra used passe-muraille to merge with the stone under her, traveling down until she could feel the buzzing presence of the team killer right in front of her. She released her hold on the technique. Angry, thick reality expelled her forward.

    Nestra formed a fist as she came out, pushing a little bit of void mana into it though there wasn¡¯t much time.

    She punched Strix in the face.

    Really hard.

    It was a wrathful blow, filled with much more rage than she¡¯d expected. Strix exhaled with pain and surprise. Spilled blood flew in fat droplets through the canyon. Strix fell.

    She could kill him here and now, she realized. A dot on the chest before he recovered and there would be no more Strix.

    But that wouldn¡¯t be fun.

    Something dark filled Nestra¡¯s heart. Her concern for Valerian took a backseat while a voice in her mind whispered he was fine, safe where he was. Satoshi went after Sheryl and he wouldn¡¯t leave Naomi unprotected so she obviously went with him. That meant that right now there was only Nestra, Strix, and the dry arena that was the canyon.

    Just the two of them down here.

    Nestra with a grudge and an entire day¡¯s worth of tension, and one of the assholes who¡¯d caused it. Another swordsman. One who¡¯d kept provoking her.

    Strix landed in a roll, a pretty good one. He came to his knees and made to draw.

    Nestra used momentum to appear in front of him, grabbing his fist with her hand because she knew where it was going to be. Strix was really predictable.

    Her hand crushed his bones groaning against the metal of the handle. Her face was close to his and in his eyes, she saw the terror and realization that she was here, and very much¡­ not an artillerist.

    ¡°Well?¡± she hissed. ¡°Draw?¡±

    The man struggled in vain. His knuckles cracked under her grip. Again, she could kill him here and now but instead she let him go.

    She wanted to win so badly right now.

    ¡°Sssshow me.¡±

    ¡°Shit. Crescent?!¡±

    Nestra drew her sword, slowly. Strix breathed fast. He opened and closed his hands to lessen the pain.

    ¡°You could still get money for him, you know?¡± he said.

    Nestra hissed her displeasure. Words. Disrespectful.

    Electricity arced around Strix, showing his power but lack of control. Technique incoming. Better.

    He charged faster than she could move. A trail of iridescent light followed his mad dash forward. He unsheathed his sword in the same fast movement as before, striking smoothly.

    The Scornful Crescent guided Nestra¡¯s instincts. Strix moved faster than his own mind could process, therefore, he decided where to attack beforehand. She didn¡¯t need to match him. She merely needed to predict him. observe his stance. The way his right foot stomped, the orientation of his wrist. With minimum effort, she moved her blade right side, outward.

    The blow was powerful. It landed on her blade with a resounding bang and she was forced back. The electricity coursing through Strix¡¯s body exploded outward in a ravenous wave that scoured the rock, leaving glassy scars that bled smoke. Nestra felt it tear through her but the void grabbed that power and ate it. This was electricity. Her primary stolen power.

    She twisted on herself. Strix stumbled, surprised, still recovering from his own assault.

    Nestra¡¯s blade kissed his neck in the same flowing motion.

    Power, raw and familiar, filled her. Her mana pool expanded by a significant amount as it drank deep from Strix¡¯s compatible essence. At the same time, the fake electricity core in her shifted to accommodate a new spell.

    Ah, so that was how it was done. First flood the body with mana, guiding it to muscles and nerves until the blade hit, then release it all at once. Broadly. Of course, it was damaging to humans and would probably tire her but¡­ this was a nice addition to her capabilities.

    Her first spell since the change.

    Nestra leaned back and laughed. Feeding the hubris felt so good. So damn good. Strix had deserved it so much that crushing him was just the cherry on top of a really nourishing cake. She chuckled and stretched.

    ¡°Strix?¡±

    The radio. Not hers, but Strix¡¯s. She recovered the device from a protected pocket, probably insulated to prevent the dead idiot from frying his own shit.

    ¡°Strix, do you copy?¡±

    Kind of reckless to call an infiltrator mid operation on a common radio. They really didn¡¯t think much of her. That made her next action that much more satisfying.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid Strix is indisposed,¡± she purred.

    Satoshi didn¡¯t reply but Nestra heard Naomi¡¯s gasp of grief in the background. Ah, yes. Schadenfreude.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you,¡± the warrior enunciated with deceptive calm.

    ¡°Nothing persssonal. Just business.¡±

    She gave him a moment to stew in his grief before applying a fresh layer.

    ¡°Oh, and you¡¯re missstaken. I¡¯m not a bodyguard.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°The decisions you made that led you here. Maybe it wassss for money. Maybe something else. I don¡¯t care. You are team killerssss. At a time when humanity is cornered, you ssstill manage to backstab teammates.¡±

    The memory of Bard shooting Pudding right before she awakened returned to her, unbidden. Ashholes like Gidung management could turn an entire district into a warzone to make a nice profit but it was the trigger pullers and sellouts like Satoshi, Naomi, Strix, Bard, and the rest who made it possible. Traitors. Even as an Aszhii herself, she still showed more deference to her parent race than them, who were fully human. She still respected her alliances.

    They disgusted her.

    Just like in Fifteen, she would get to the pawn, and then to the instigators. The world may be fucked, she didn¡¯t know, but those who made things worse wouldn¡¯t get to find out. So long as she was around.

    ¡°I am not here just to save Valerian. I¡¯ve come here to kill you. Ssssee you very soon.¡±

 Part 28

    Nestra felt very good with herself for all of five seconds, basking in the vindictive light of her pride. Hah! She sure showed them, etc etc. Then reality returned in the form of a light hunger, and it was time to get stock.

    She was hunted in a C-class world filled with ambush monsters and a termite army made of acid-spitting creatures whose fortress hid the exit portal. Arguably, not an ideal setup. She needed a plan, but first things first.

    The core.

    It was taboo to use human cores in most societies, or at least, it was taboo to treat it as just another piece of loot. Gleam cores came from gleams who¡¯d mostly died a violent death since you had to be C-grade to build it, therefore, they were objects of grief. A life cut short. Some weapons or home shields were powered by the core of deceased family members but normally, this was set up in a will.

    But this was a human emotion. For once, Nestra had no difficulties discarding her qualms here. It was her hunt. Strix had tried to kill her and failed, therefore, all of his stuff was hers. HERS!

    ¡°Woe to the vanquished,¡± she hissed in Aszhii.

    Her hand formed void claws, ready to bury themselves in the headless torso, but then she reconsidered.

    Why would she waste a perfectly valid chestplate?

    ¡°Wake up sleepyhead.¡±

    Her Skin symbiote stirred from its lethargy, sending a wave of annoyance up their link. It told her it was starved and therefore shouldn¡¯t be bothered.

    ¡°Well then fucking eat no?¡±

    Nestra got the impression of someone¡¯s eyes going wide at finding a bag of credit chits on the ground. She placed her hand against the chestplate for easy access.

    Space warped for teeth and spines, fractal ouroboros extending to infinity, coiled on themselves, yet not, short yet infinitely long. An endless night never broken by any star. Ravenous undoing.

    Reality hiccupped again. When Nestra looked up, the chest piece was gone. Slowly, the padding on her shoulders grew thicker and just like the rest, it didn¡¯t impede her movement or perception in the slightest.

    Really nice shit.

    ¡°Boots next?¡±

    The Skin returned an emotion that was remotely associated with happiness, so Nestra went to town. She didn¡¯t care that this was tens of thousands of creds. The only function of money was to get her stuff to grow stronger so she could fight bigger things and then eat them. A part of her wondered if all gray demons were battle maniacs like her. Maybe for some, hubris was outsmarting somebody?

    She shrugged. Not important now. She plunged her hand in Strix¡¯s exposed torso and found the core. It was tiny and yellow to mark the dead man¡¯s affinity with electricity.

    It tasted sparkly with a citrus note. Her mana reserves improved again. It was very, very nice.

    ¡°Are you, ah, done eating Strix?¡± a voice said from above.

    Oh.

    ¡°Oops, didn¡¯t mean to make a show out of it.¡±

    ¡°Riel, Nes¡ª , uh, Crescent. Seriously.¡±

    Valerian frowned from his perch, a dozen meters up. Her improved senses picked up his hesitation more than a true discomfort. He was being surprisingly tolerant, though she supposed that between outcasts, one had to be more open to strange differences.

    ¡°Do you need help to get down?¡± she offered as a gesture of apology.

    ¡°No, I can climb down on my own. Thank you,¡± he replied a bit curtly.

    Nestra frowned. Right. She had to remember not to question his abilities too much. It was clearly a sore point.

    The memory of their earlier flight brought her back to the time she was wounded, and he princess-carried her to safety, back after she¡¯d faced Cleaver. Valerian saw himself as a warrior trying to weaponize something that was meant to heal, so she had to be careful not to emasculate him, to use a term Aunt Claire had taught her. Image was super important for gleams.

    So she watched him climb down the rocky cliff with only one functional hand, the other being in the process of regrowth. It was a bit awkward but she let him finish. He jumped the last half with grace.

    ¡°Right. I have to ask now, do we go after them?¡± he asked with affected disinterest.

    ¡°Yesss. Ragnarok was clear. They mussst die.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I didn¡¯t know she cared.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t reply because she didn¡¯t think the old monster cared about him as much as she did about order and the rule of law.

    ¡°You think I¡¯m stupid,¡± he said.

    ¡°No no.¡±

    Gah. Without a mask, it was back to schooling her expressions.

    ¡°By the way and before we plan¡­¡± she said, distracting him.

    ¡°Oh, yeah. Shouldn¡¯t we run? They¡¯ll be after Strix quickly!¡±

    ¡°That may be true, but if they rush us now, I think I can beat them. Not to mention, run where? This is an unexplored branch. We could be engaged by monsters and have the TKers attack our backs at that moment. Let¡¯s stay there and talk. And besides, they have a better option.¡±

    ¡°Which is?¡±

    ¡°They can camp the entrance portal.¡±

    Valerian was about to object to her point, but then he reconsidered.

    ¡°The portal worlds only has two exits and they assume we can¡¯t clear it by ourselves.¡±

    ¡°Which they are wrong about,¡± Nestra hissed, ¡°but I would very much prefer to kill them first. They merely need to stop us from leaving to call for reinforcement. They would be near the base camp, and they could delay rescue teams simply by crossing over and saying there was a complication but everyone¡¯s fine. We would hypothetically starve unless we come to them. And the monsters tend to track intruders.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm.¡±

    Nestra was making several assumptions here, but it was objectively the best solution for them if they assumed Nestra was working alone, and not for Ragnarok.

    ¡°They could be waiting for us by the lake as well,¡± Valerian said, and Nestra nodded to mark her agreement. ¡°But it¡¯s the same thing either way. We would have to fight them head on. In an hour would be best.¡±

    Nestra frowned, remembering something.

    ¡°You did say you¡¯d left them a little gift. I assume it relates to the spell you used during our escape?¡±

    ¡°That spell was designed to mess with someone¡¯s inner ear. It fucks with their sense of balance, yes, and I¡¯m really happy it worked. But that¡¯s not what I left them with.¡±

    Valerian smiled. It wasn¡¯t pretty. The golden boy sure had a dark side to him, which Nestra understood only too well. She, too, had been pushed far and for a long time.

    ¡°Well don¡¯t keep me hanging?¡±

    ¡°Yersinia Pestis Ulaanbataar.¡±

    He smirked. It took all of three seconds for Nestra¡¯s middle school education to kick in.

    ¡°Holy sssshit you gave them the MAGICAL BLACK PLAGUE?¡±

    He shrugged.

    ¡°They¡¯re vaccinated so their immune system should eventually kick it out but it will take them a couple hours, at least.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ wait, the incubation period is too long.¡±

    ¡°Oh no no no I infected them at the gate, earthside. When I shook their hands. I merely overloaded it once they attacked.¡±

    Nestra was tempted to take a step back. That man was vicious.

    ¡°Damn. What about me?¡±

    ¡°From our spars, I know bacteria have no effect on you. If there are pathogens that work on your people, I don¡¯t have access to them.¡±

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    ¡°Yea, scary right? There¡¯s just the fact it only works on humans, takes hours to set up and then they recover by themselves. But other people can just punch you in the face with a stalactite made of obsidian. No big deal.¡±

    ¡°Hey, no need to ssssimmer in your anger. I was not impressssed by the disease, only by your¡­ ruthlessness. It shall serve you well.¡±

    ¡°You reckon?¡± he replied sarcastically but Nestra was paying close attention to his features and she knew he cared.

    So she nodded aggressively.

    ¡°Right. Hmm. By the way, I got the bird you killed. You wanna eat it? It¡¯s in my bag.¡±

    ¡°Later. For now, let¡¯s go search for our friends before they set up traps.¡±

    ¡°And the plan is¡­¡±

    ¡°With the plague in their system and assuming they¡¯re on the move, it¡¯s better to catch them now. If we don¡¯t find them immediately then we can reconsider.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ battle formation?¡±

    ¡°I take point, you cover me. Buff me if you can, then we engage together. Let me get rid of the mage since I have transitional abilities.¡±

    ¡°I need a weapon.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. You can have Strix¡¯s sword.¡±

    He glanced at the discarded weapon.

    ¡°You are¡­ not going to eat it?¡±

    ¡°Nah.¡±

    The scion of House Nephrite picked up the scabbard, removing the saber to check its condition. He scoffed. Nestra joined him but the edge seemed fine. There were Chinese characters engraved on the blade.

    ¡°Something funny?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Mandarin. It reads: you are already dead.¡±

    Valerian sighed.

    ¡°Can¡¯t believe you got crippled by an edgelord,¡± Nestra chuckled.

    ¡°Please never mention this again. Oh, and since we¡¯re there, I have another request.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°When¡­ If I die, don¡¯t eat my core.¡±

    He was dead serious.

    ¡°Of coursssse not. You¡¯re my friend.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Oh, thank you¡­ hey, first friendship between an alien and a human!¡±

    ¡°I had friends before I met you, Valerian.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. Let¡¯s go?¡±

    They ran back this time. Nestra really believed they would stand a better chance engaging soon though someone like her old squad leader Camus might have come up with an out-of-the-box tactic but he wasn¡¯t here, and Nestra didn¡¯t have a lot of flexibility in her battle techniques.

    Mostly she ran people through with her sword. It had proven surprisingly effective over the past few weeks.

    Five minutes into the run, she slowed down when she felt a rush of power. This one went directly towards her resilience. Her bones flashed with heat for a second before settling again, and the pain was intense enough she could tell what had happened.

    ¡°The guardian just died.¡±

    ¡°You felt it?¡± Valerian asked.

    She nodded. If the guardian died now, there was a good chance.

    ¡°It was badly wounded but¡­¡±

    ¡°There is a chance they finished it off on the way back. Let¡¯s hurry.¡±

    Nestra sprinted, with Valerian hot on her heels. To his credit, he could move very fast for someone with no related skill, and it only improved as time went on. The path back felt unfamiliar. All those craggy canyons looked pretty much the same to Nestra, but the droplets of congealed blood from Valerian¡¯s mood confirmed this was indeed the path she¡¯d taken. Soon, she could feel the cool, wet air that surrounded the lake, smell the slightly damp smell of its shores. They were almost there.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°I hear someone coughing,¡± Valerian warned.

    Nestra accelerated.

    There they were, near the shore, catching their breath after finishing off the giant crawfish. Its corpse waited by their side, still half submerged in water. Nestra¡¯s bolt had exposed its brain, and a precise strike had ended its life. The two looked up when they felt her approach, surprise marking their features.

    They looked like shit.

    Nestra had seen shocking photos from internet archives from the Mongolian plague back in the days, humanity¡¯s first encounter with magical bacteria. It had been a localized extinction event. Now, it was treatable and a vaccine existed, but the symptoms were still visible while the TKers¡¯ immune system struggled to fight off the aggression. They were sweating, with deep pockets under their eyes. Their breath came as wet rattles in the unnatural silence. Nestra¡¯s acute sight picked up buboes pushing against their neck pieces. It had to be quite uncomfortable. She slowed down, a little horrified despite herself. Valerian could be sweet and he was right in the sense that she could just stab someone he had to work to infect.

    But shit, Riel, that was nasty.

    Nestra discarded her horror as she charged them. Nasty or not, they had it coming. They killed Sheryl.

    ¡°What the¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡±

    Power filled her limbs when Valerian activated his buffs, the life mana eased into her body as she let it.

    Armored, saber-wielding Satoshi in front. Earth aligned.

    Robed, pyromancer Naomi at the back. Already casting.

    Nestra charged forward, easily dodging firebolts aimed her way. Satoshi made to receive her, so she veered slightly to her right to force him to block her path to Naomi. Mana surged from the two.

    Nestra stopped at the last moment rather than using momentum. Satoshi stomped the ground. Rocks erupted everywhere. Nestra used immovable at that moment.

    A fiery wave tore the air all around Satoshi. They¡¯d expected her to use momentum. She wasn¡¯t the only one who could learn from experience, obviously. Instead, she received the earthwave on her forearm, the impact cancelled by both her Skin, her defenses, and the strange skill. She parried Satoshi¡¯s follow up easily. He¡¯d clearly not expected her to tank that. Instead, she used passe-muraille to move through the raised wall, catching him in an awkward position.

    To his credit, he rotated quickly, giving Naomi a line of sight. Nestra stepped back to avoid the bolt¡­ but now, she had Satoshi to her right and Naomi in front of her, defenseless.

    If Strix had been here and alive, things would have been more complicated. But he was dead. And Nestra had Valerian.

    And the team killers had the magical bubonic plague.

    Nestra struck a vicious blow at Satoshi, forcing him back, then she sprinted towards Naomi. The Scornful Crescent guided her steps. Right, dodging the first bolt, then left, dodging the second. Bad balance forced her to let the third splash on her sword. Heat made her blink.

    The fourth bolt glanced on her shoulders. Searing pain spoke of scorched nerve endings. Nestra grit her teeth. She was there, within striking range.

    Naomi¡¯s aura exploded all around her, the fireblast melting the stone underneath her. Every piece of vegetation around was reduced to cinder. Nestra had expected it, of course. She used momentum to step back, then passe-muraille to merge into the rock below long enough for the attack to pass over her. Unfortunately, she was spat back almost immediately and the place was hot. Hot enough to hurt her. She threw a bolt at Naomi who didn¡¯t try to evade. Instead, the fire mantle surrounding her coalesced and though it clearly took a lot out of her, she still managed to stop the spell from obliterating her.

    That was fine with Nestra. It would have been better to cast at Satoshi¡¯s flank. Whatever.

    Valerian engaged Satoshi immediately anyway, and Nestra was forced immediately back into the fray. The healer was already struggling one on one. If Naomi had the time to offer support, he would get disabled. She had to get in.

    As much as she was loath to use an untested power in combat, the occasion was just too perfect. Nestra activated the electricity burst attack spell she stole from Strix. Immediately, her reserves dipped and her body felt¡­ lighter. Faster. It felt great.

    Almost natural.

    She moved in faster than ever, Naomi¡¯s expression turning to shock and horror as Nestra went in. Satoshi roared, but Valerian was sticking to him too closely.

    It was already over.

    Nestra easily dodged the barrage of firebolts, then momentum on the other side of a heat blast, into Naomi¡¯s back. The mage coughed with pain as she attempted to turn. Nestra was so close, she could see every hair strand on her prey¡¯s neck.

    The charge in her body destabilized. Hold onto it a little longer?

    No, this was a perfect test. Nestra let go, and the electricity exploded outward in a wave of searing arcs. Naomi screamed in pain as the charge coursed through her body, even with her robe catching some of it. The heat pushing on Nestra¡¯s skin faded for a moment.

    It was too perfect an opening.

    Nestra lunged. Her void-infused sword stabbed through the woman¡¯s chest like a knife through butter. Nestra pulled back and stepped away.

    Naomi tried to keep the blood and viscera in. She had blood on her face. She seemed surprised. Very surprised. Nestra caught that moment while the TKer died and felt¡­ weird.

    This was a sanctioned kill for mankind. But she wasn¡¯t human. But she felt like one of them¡­ and murder was still taboo¡­ except it wasn¡¯t. And they¡¯d tried to kill her friend. And they¡¯d killed Sheryl. But would Aunt Claire approve?

    And then the human conflict was washed away with the pleasure of a good kill. Her magic abilities improved a bit with the power influx ¡ª Naomi was a good mage ¡ª but more importantly, she¡¯d done it. That was two out of three.

    Nestra shook her head. Her hubris was talking, but the fight wasn¡¯t over yet. Satoshi keened with emotional pain, a yell that was so full of pure grief that it scared even her. He charged, taking a wound to the leg from a reactive Valerian. A wave of earth collapsed on Nestra who used passe-muraille to dodge. Satoshi¡¯s blows were powerful, but badly directed and unfocused, made awkward by poorly undirected anger. Nestra enjoyed redirecting everything, then countering. This was his fault. He¡¯d brought it on himself. And now, she¡¯d already won.

    So she stepped back and smiled at the furious, bereaved man, because there was going to be a pleasurable ending to this whole farce.

    Satoshi swore at her in Japanese. Without her visor, she didn¡¯t understand what he said but it sounded like an oath. With a finger pointed in accusation, the man let his heart out. Nestra stood at a distance. She let him vent.

    As he was about to finish, Sashimi bit his head off.

    Nestra¡¯d seen the shark emerge from the air above the battle, of course, and to his credit, Valerian had kept a perfect poker face during the whole approach. The void shark¡¯s black fangs sheared through the armor with no difficulties whatsoever. In an instant, the last of the trio was decapitated. Valerian was the last human standing in the portal world.

    Nestra chuckled when the power of a C-rank kill filled her. Celerity and mind speed, this time. She was still at the low end of C-rank, and yet those human kills were so nourishing that it might not be the case for very long. As Satoshi¡¯s body fell, Nestra approached Naomi¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°Woe to the vanquished, again I guess.¡±

    She ate the core. This one felt less compatible, though her reserves increased anyway.

    Sashimi was still munching on Satoshi¡¯s head under the horrified gaze of Valerian when she returned to the scene of the crime, so to speak. The healer didn¡¯t wait.

    ¡°So¡­ you didn¡¯t react so I didn¡¯t either¡­ Is this normal?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Sashimi, my hunting companion.¡±

    Not a pet and certainly not a friend. The void shark was eyeing the remaining human with naked curiosity. Nestra frowned.

    Valerian didn¡¯t have void magic.

    ¡°Sashimi no! This one is mine!¡± she hissed in Aszhii.

    But Sashimi wasn¡¯t hungry, or rather, she wasn¡¯t considering Valerian with just hunger. Nestra frowned. What was the seafood buffet on about this time?

    ¡°What?¡±

    The beast swam closer, maw dropping Satoshi¡¯s half-chewed head. Valerian turned his head away with disgust. Nestra, though, got a very conflicting message from the weird creature.

    It was greed. Sashimi coveted Valerian.

    ¡°You can¡¯t have him. What¡¯s so special about him anyway?¡±

    As an answer, the shark sort of squirmed, then made hacking noises. Valerian saw that and stepped back from the approaching squall, and not a minute too soon.

    Sashimi projectile vomited its stomach. And that was not a metaphor either. Nestra saw its actual gut before the void shark swallowed it back up. What remained on the ground was gastric acid and a mangled arm with a ¡®handful¡¯ of half-digested fingers. For once in her goddamn life, Nestra was actually shocked.

    ¡®What the?¡±

    ¡°Oh Riel. That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s my arm!¡± Valerian said!

    Then to her surprise, he actually grabbed the ruined appendage to remove a watch from the wrist, attaching it to his newly regrowned hand.

    Nestra shook her head, speechless. Inside of her mind, Sashimi¡¯s thoughts came like door-to-door missionaries. Extremely unwelcome.

    Infinite.

    Regrowing.

    Food.

    ¡°No. For the last damn time, hunt your own shit you lazy main dish!¡±

    Meanwhile Valerian fastened the watch on. It had to be really good to resist void shark stomach for more than a couple of minutes. The wiggling emergency snack moved away, but then she looked behind Nestra with wary curiosity before disappearing into the void.

    Nestra turned on herself, expecting to find some assassin bug at a distance. Damn things interrupting her looting.

    She was wrong.

    Walking down the incline at a leisurely pace was the last person Nestra would have imagined seeing now. Of average size, built like a fencer and striding with casual elegance was an androgynous form in armor, face hidden by a ceramic mask in the shape of a fox. A long sword rested on her back, the elaborate handle long enough to accommodate two hands. Dark brown eyes peered out from the small holes with calm interest. More tellingly, Nestra tried to feel for mana and got¡­ nothing. Even with her horns bare. The intruder was a blank, a perfectly composed silhouette that betrayed nothing except for predatory grace. Nestra knew from their previous encounter that Fox Mask was a manakinetic, but that level of control was insane.

    And it was Fox Mask. She was absolutely sure of it. The very same thief she¡¯d chased with her squad before she disappeared into the portal, the same thief Special Affairs was pursuing all over Threshold. Now that thief was here, in the flesh.

    Nestra¡¯s only prayer was that Fox Mask would merely be a C-class. Any higher and they stood zero chance.

    And what was she even doing here?

    Valerians had long realized her unease and he was now standing at a distance, Strix¡¯ weapon bare.

    Nestra slowly unsheathed her own blade but Fox Mask didn¡¯t care. She stopped at a distance with a light step and a complete lack of concern.

    ¡°Well, this is a major disappointment,¡± she started with a flat voice.

    Her gaze inspected the corpses of Satoshi, then Naomi with polite interest. Nestra now knew for sure who¡¯d ordered the hit on Valerian. Well, she didn¡¯t know, but she knew it had to be an enclave. That¡¯s what that Special Operations guy had said anyway. Fox Mask¡¯s gaze briefly went to Valerian before settling on Nestra. At this point, she tilted her head to the side.

    ¡°Well well, and who, or rather what might you be?¡±

    ¡°Rude,¡± Nestra deadpanned.

    ¡°Ah, a transformation power. Unusual. Now, time is of the essence so I believe I shall be direct. I take it that you object to me capturing the good Valerian of House Nephrite here? I promise you that he will be sedated, and that no harm will come to him.¡±

    ¡°Robbing ssssomeone of their freedom is harmful,¡± Nestra reproached. ¡°Let us go.¡±

    ¡°I cannot do that.¡±

    ¡°There isss always a choice.¡±

    Fox Mask sighed.

    ¡°You know, dear Valerian, you could do a lot of good out there.¡±

    ¡°I will not be taken as a slave to the mainland¡­ or an enclave,¡± the gleam replied with a knowing look.

    Silence spread across the clearing. When it was clear neither Nestra nor Valerian wouldn¡¯t yield, Fox Mask nodded. Once.

    ¡°Well, I suppose this is it. I am not ready to burn the village down, so I will¡­ have to insist, even though I stand on the wrong side.¡±

    She unsheathed the sword at her back. It was an old thing, an ¡®espada ropera¡¯ that predated the incursion, but the enchantments on its straight blade were definitely functional. The hilt was a delicate, fine work though dulled by age. Nestra felt a shiver crawl up her spine, her instincts screaming that this was dangerous, very dangerous. She remembered the way the woman fought, back when she¡¯d faced her as a baseline. Clean, efficient when Nestra was more vicious and aggressive.

    Then she¡¯d been so fast, there had been no contest. Nestra could only hope this wouldn¡¯t be the case this time.

    Mana warped around Fox Mask. It was the only warning Nestra got to strike as well, countering the first attack with the power of desperation. By some miracle, the blades clanged together. Fox Mask¡¯s alpha strike went wide. Nestra didn¡¯t wait to see what would happen. She struck with a roar. Fox Mask deflected the powerful strike with a precision that bordered on perfection¡­ but she hadn¡¯t accounted for Nestra¡¯s strength, and so she was pushed back.

    Only a little.

    Nestra breathed hard as the two fencers faced each other. This¡­ had been too damn close. Fox Mask was using mana to help herself move! But¡­ Nestra was fast. Barely fast enough to hold on.

    Valerian¡¯s buff filled her body with power. She felt rejuvenated.

    ¡°Oh? A fellow practitioner, I see. I apologize for the cavalier attitude.¡±

    The woman saluted. Nestra returned her own.

    ¡°Hmmm. How strange.¡±

    She attacked again.

    Nestra rotated and struck. Her blade hit only air but Fox Mask¡¯s attack was aborted, so Nestra used momentum to close the distance. Her lunge was deflected. Not caught by surprise then. Nestra pressed on anyway, using her superior strength for a flurry of blows. The Scornful Crescent warned her not to give her foe time to develop attacks because, and it was sad to say, Fox Mask was simply better. Lunge, deflected in tierce. Three stabs deflected, the last leading to a counter that Nestra countered as well. Step back, overhand blow that Fox Mask sidestepped easily. Too easily. Nestra pivoted and struck up immediately, pressing her muscles to the limit to reverse the motion. Fox Mask stepped back then countered immediately. Nestra was forced to retreat though she felt something hit her armguard. Just a glancing blow. It failed to penetrate her skin.

    Fox Mask pulled back. Seeing her blade unsullied, she hummed.

    The enchantments on the blade flared to life. Not good. Nestra aimed a bolt where she thought Fox Mask would strike.

    The woman changed course mid charge and the dot went wild. For the first time ever, Nestra missed.

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    ¡°What a strange language,¡± the fencer said offhandedly, stabbing towards Nestra¡¯s chest. Nestra somehow managed to slam the blade up so it bit in her shoulder instead. This time, her resistances were not enough to stop the sharp pain coming for her. She gritted her teeth and struck back. Horizontal slash.

    Fox Mask was forced to block. The shorter woman was pushed back though the mana surrounding her prevented her from careening away. Nestra called for lightning and charged.

    Had to use that opening.

    She engaged her enemy in a flurry of furious blows. All of them were blocked but some energy leaked from the strike, and Fox Mask was forced back with a hiss. Finally, Nestra had her. As Fox Mask veered away with mana, Nestra followed with momentum.

    She struck and released the electricity charge at the same time. Low to up. To the heart.

    Fox Mask had no way of escaping.

    And so she didn¡¯t. A massive, transparent shield took the brunt of the electricity while a desperate parry pushed Nestra¡¯s tip away from Fox Mask¡¯s torso. Rather than countering, Fox Mask disengaged.

    Nestra used the opportunity to check her wounded shoulder. It didn¡¯t hurt yet but¡­ Oh.

    It was closed. The wound was closed. A quick glance back showed a very focused Valerian. He was healing her in real time.

    Well, that changed things now didn¡¯t it?

    Nestra returned her attention to Fox Mask, who was now standing casually with her finger tapping the nose of the fox. It was so weird that Nestra stopped, wondering what was going on.

    The index finger stopped tapping. It slowly pointed towards Nestra.

    ¡°I knew you were familiar. That style¡­ Police girl.¡±

    Cold terror crawled up Nestra¡¯s spine.

    ¡°You look much better now.¡±

    The fear in Nestra¡¯s heart reached a paroxysm, that was, until she remembered a fact she had completely forgotten in the heat of the moment. It wasn¡¯t just that she was an awakened Aszhii now. That just gave her a chance to fight back.

    It was that she wasn¡¯t the only Aszhii around.

    If Sereth allowed Fox Mask to come in, that meant that Nestra had a reasonable chance to win. She wasn¡¯t just being toyed with.

    So long as Valerian kept healing her, Nestra could play the long game. Her recent growth might have made the Aszhii more awkward, but in terms of physical power and mana reserves, she was confident she could all her own.

    ¡°It would be unwisssse to share this.¡±

    ¡°Oh, our secret is safe with me. I hope I didn¡¯t share something I shouldn¡¯t have?¡±

    ¡°I know who she is,¡± Valerian growled, ¡°and by all means, try to share.¡±

    ¡°I understand your animosity, and will take your warning to heart. I know when I am outclassed. I know very well, in fact.¡±

    She moved her blade through the air. It whistled.

    ¡°But I interrupted one of the best duels I¡¯ve had in years for frivolous reasons. Do try to kill me please.¡±

    ¡°With pleassure!¡±

    Nestra went back into the fray. She barely dodged one of Fox Mask¡¯s stabs and felt a piercing pain under her ribs, but then her savage sweep crashed against the other fencer¡¯s ribs, pushing her on the ground.

    Nestra let Valerian¡¯s magic work on her, too afraid to see how hurt she was. Fox Mask used the opportunity to pick herself up. By the time she was upright, Nestra¡¯s bleeding had stopped.

    She filled her limbs with electricity and attacked again.

    The mana was hard on her nerves, but Valerian¡¯s efforts meant Nestra could just give it her all the entire time without pause. She leaned into the natural savagery that was her nature, tempered by the edge of the Scornful Crescent. Slowly, her onslaught pushed Fox Mask back until the woman¡¯s limbs shook with every strike. Nestra knew she couldn¡¯t win through skill alone. The other woman was older, better trained, more in control of her body. So Nestra used her superior strength to smash. Her. Down. Hit. After. Hit.

    Thing was, Fox Mask didn¡¯t seem bothered at all. Nestra still kept her guard up, leaving a few openings unchallenged because they felt like traps. Maybe she could have won. Maybe not. She didn¡¯t need to take a risk there.

    Nestra really thought she was winning, but Fox Mask took all of her remaining mana and blurred. Nestra¡¯s instincts screamed. She momentum back, feeling it was useless, then she used immovable and waited.

    The blade missed her heart, but it plunged in her left shoulder to the bone. Pain made her scream. Grey blood flowed, oxidizing to crimson droplets as it fell. A second wave of pain followed the first. Fox Mask was trying to rip her sword off the wound but Nestra¡¯s resilient flesh still made it a little hard.

    So Nestra leaned in. She let the blade bite deeper and struck at Fox Mask¡¯s wrist. The woman scrambled back, then she went for Valerian, but the scion of House Nephrite was ready. A subtle wave made Fox Mask stumble with perfect timing. Strix¡¯s blade pinged on a hastily raised shield.

    Then Nestra rammed her. Blood flowed from a wound on Fox Mask¡¯s leg.

    Nestra fell to the side, still bleeding heavily despite Valerian¡¯s effort. Fox Mask snapped her fingers, blade reappearing in her free hand. Her leg bled profusely on the ground.

    Just as calmly as before, Fox Mask tilted her head. She seemed to be considering her options.

    Nestra prepared a bolt, just in case, but she wasn¡¯t sure she could even land it. Not with Fox Mask¡¯s mana control getting in her way.

    Seconds ticked on until the expert fencer apparently reached a conclusion.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can get you after all, not while you are supporting each other.¡±

    She shrugged.

    ¡°I made a real effort, and I even got wounded. I declare that this is enough.¡±

    She made to sheathe her blade.

    ¡°Unless, of course, you want to fight to the death? I would rather not.¡±

    Nestra shook her head.

    She didn¡¯t want to kill Fox Mask. In fact, she wanted to face Fox Mask again after getting better. It wasn¡¯t that Fox Mask was the deadliest opponent she¡¯d ever come across. She wasn¡¯t. She was, however, a blade master. Or mistress, whatever. And Nestra still had much to learn.

    ¡°Then I shall take my leave and report my failure. Now, if you will excuse me, I bid you a good day.¡±

    The woman made to turn, hesitating one last time.

    ¡°It¡¯s the second time you ¡®thwarted¡¯ my efforts, police girl. I hope we see each other again.¡±

    ¡°Will do my damn best,¡± Nestra panted.

    She found she meant it. Without another word, Fox Mask left, slowly making her way up the slop back towards the entrance portal.

    ¡°You think they¡¯ll stop her?¡± Valerian asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m actually pretty sssure they don¡¯t know she¡¯s here,¡± Nestra replied with confidence.

    ¡°Hah.¡±

    They remained silent until Nestra was done healing, then before anything else could happen, they were forced to dispatch a small termite patrol.

    It was a frustrating waste of time with minor gains but Nestra still took it.

    ¡°So, I wanted to ask. What was it about slaves?¡± she asked Valerian as they were cleaning their weapons.

    He tsked. It was clearly not a happy thought.

    ¡°Enclaves and some mainland territories have a dearth of healers. It tends to be the case when one completely forfeits normal medicine because they¡¯re gleams and totally beyond mundane things.¡±

    ¡°Such as running water.¡±

    ¡°You understand. Healers are but one more commodity people with deadlier powers tend to peddle if they can afford it. I assume I¡¯m worth quite a bit as a healer. I am, after all, pretty good at it. I assume Fox Mask was sent to make sure my capture was going without a hitch.¡±

    ¡°I sssee,¡± Nestra replied, then after a delay because Valerian was clearly feeling down, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This is a shitty thing to do to people and I¡¯m ssssorry you were targeted.¡±

    ¡°Why, thank you Nestra, I mean, Crescent. I shouldn¡¯t get used to it or I¡¯ll call you Nestra in public. I would like to ask though¡­ what now?¡±

    Nestra looked around her.

    There were two human corpses, half a dozen termites, and a dead crawfish the size of a small bus.

    Technically, they could leave now. They already finished their task, which was to respectively survive and eliminate the TKers. Except, there was one thing missing.

    Nestra took Satoshi¡¯s core and ate it. More mana regen, which was a nice change. With this, all her abilities were in the C-rank range.

    ¡°We need to recover Sheryl¡¯s body.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re thinking what I¡¯m thinking?¡±

    ¡°If something took her, we find it, we kill it, and we recover what we can. And then, we should try to finish the world.¡±

    ¡°What, just the two of us?¡±

    ¡°Of course! You wanted to experiment? Let¡¯s experiment now. It shouldn¡¯t take more than a day.¡±

    ¡°Ooook, I guess.¡±

    ¡°But first, let¡¯s eat! I¡¯m starving.¡±

    Valerian¡¯s eyes lit up. He was obviously also in need of calories to offset all that healing. Freshly healed tissue tended to be more fragile as well so they ought to stop for a while.

    ¡°Oh, you have another sandwich?¡±

    ¡°No no no. Much better than that.¡±

    Nestra pointed at the body of the guardian.

    ¡°I knew we would kill the giant crawfish thingie. I have brought all we need to make an ¨¦touff¨¦e, Cajun style. I even got us enclave Basmati rice!¡±

    Somehow, her enthusiasm failed to reach Valerian though she wasn¡¯t sure why.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be like this every time, isn''t it?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say, I already miss showering.¡±

    Nestra eyed the lake.

    ¡°Nevermind, I¡¯ll help with mincing the onions.¡±

 Part 29

    Mana termites were really ugly from up close.

    Valerian slammed his sword against a mandible, chipping the skull as well. The creature backed up.

    An opening.

    He gathered mana in his left hand, weaving the spell with careful attention. This ought to work. He pushed the mana forward. The spell connected with the termite¡¯s central nervous system easily enough this time. Giant termites were more complex than earth ones, unsurprisingly.

    Valerian was forced to lunge to push back another assault. He activated the spell at the same time. The termite writhed, more surprised than debilitated, but it was enough. Nestra had been clear. She was not holding the creature down for him. Valerian struck and pushed through the shell, hitting the tritocerebrum at the back of the head. Immediately, the creature collapsed on itself.

    He¡¯d won his duel.

    A little in front of him, Nestra finished that strange dance of hers, moving between larger termites with easy grace. The way she fought was strange and halting, sometimes moving forward in a rush of speed, sometimes slowing an attack just to land it after the termite attempted to block. She killed another warrior with a swing that Valerian wished he could see again in slow motion, then slipped into the flank of another, beheading it an instant later as it turned. It was as if she could guess what they were going to do. Maybe she did. And she wasn¡¯t even using a single spell or ability.

    It was a little bit frustrating.

    With one last step back and a vertical strike, Nestra crushed the skull of their last foe. The termite patrol was defeated.

    Valerian caught his breath. The air tasted dry and pungent on his tongue. He took out his bottle to take a refreshing gulp of purified water, luxuriating in the brief sensation. His eyes felt crusty, his hair matted with sweat and dust. He missed a good shower so much, but he wouldn¡¯t trade this moment for the world. It was exactly what he had always wanted: fights he could win and enemies he could experiment with.

    He¡¯d had more opportunity to experiment in the past four hours than in the previous two years combined.

    It was deeply depressing how someone having his back, really having his back and not just making sure he returns intact to the Nephrites, made a difference. He pressed a button on his sleeve and micro-vibrations unstuck the layer of gunk on his gloved fingers, freeing them to recover his sword. He turned to Crescent, expecting her to push him on, but she was looking in the distance. Possibly at more hostiles. Her eyesight was insanely good.

    She was by far the least geared up raider he¡¯d ever worked with. Even at D-class. The weird ¡®Skin¡¯ stuck to her form, revealing lean muscles that would really pass as human under normal scrutiny.

    The contrast was jarring.

    Valerian was used to being surrounded by deadlier fighters. As capable as Nestra was, he was sure some C-class teams and every B-class raider he knew could take her down, and yet he never felt the same¡­ intensity of presence as with her. It was almost instinctual, a visceral warning cry that crawled in his reptilian brain, looking through his rational eyes like a bear out of its cave. A part of him felt that almost palpable pressure that came from Nestra¡¯s alien nature, visible in little bursts of weirdness. Like in the way she stopped moving. Or when she was turning her horns in some direction. Little things, but they were cracks that marred the ¡®transformed gleam¡¯ image she could technically pretend to. He¡¯d seen experienced teams do the relaxed attention thing after a fight when they recover and prepare for the next leg of the trip. They exuded competence, but it was a learned behavior. Mankind adapting to the new reality. Nestra was not adapting. This was her.

    It was like she was designed for raiding at the cellular level, and the human persona was a grafted afterthought. Something to keep her sane between raids.

    What the hell kind of species were those ¡®Cacodaimon Anthropomimesis¡¯? And¡­ on whose side were they?

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Eyes so dark they swallowed the light watched impassively. He¡¯d been staring.

    ¡°Just¡­ wondering how to improve further.¡±

    She waited a bit. Valerian let it happen. He wasn¡¯t being ignored. She did the same thing in human form anyway, just stopping while she considered her reply.

    ¡°When you cast, what are you thinking about?¡± she finally asked.

    Valerian felt himself frown. This was not what he¡¯d expected.

    ¡°What do you mean, think about? Symbols, I guess? Reverse healing spells are extremely technical.¡±

    ¡°You are very focused and afraid of failure. You cast cautiously.¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a brand new discipline as far as I understand.¡±

    She nodded.

    ¡°There is a healer¡¯s mindset.¡±

    ¡°Correct. Detachment and attention to detail. A necessity when lifelong friends are bleeding out under your fingers.¡±

    ¡°But you are not healing a friend.¡±

    She tilted her head, the horns catching a glint of the late afternoon sun.

    ¡°You are killing. You are not just doing so directly either, you are wrecking their nervous system. Turning their flesh against them.¡±

    Annoyance filled Valerian¡¯s chest. She didn¡¯t know what she was talking about.

    ¡°I know well what it is I¡¯m trying to do and how complex it can be.¡±

    She shook her head, however, and Valerian did his best to shrug off the frustration that came with not being understood.

    ¡°This is an offensive spell you are trying to cast. You see that bird there?¡±

    Valerian turned to a nearby cliff. He spotted a yellow bird, pretty, yet hard to spot against the ochre background of the old cracked stone. He wouldn¡¯t have noticed without her pointing it out.

    ¡°Yeah, I do.¡±

    Claws landed on his neck, the strength behind them so complete it stopped his jump of surprise.

    ¡°Kill it,¡± a cold voice hissed in his ear.

    ¡°Come on, haha, it¡¯s just a damn bird.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a portal beast. The only reason why it¡¯s not killing you is that it lacks an opening. You are in a portal world. You are here to raid it, and it is here to murder you. This bird is a foe. Kill it. With meaning.¡±

    ¡°I am still working on ways to optimally affect avian ¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, no time. You have pain. Wield it.¡±

    He hesitated.

    ¡°If you hesitate, if you let go, one day you¡¯ll fail at a critical moment. Then you will spend hundreds of hours in your bed replaying that moment that could have saved your friends. You will see their faces. They will not blame you because they really were your friends and they went down fighting, but you will remember, and you will wonder, night after night, what would have happened if you¡¯d been just a little bit faster, a little bit more decisive, paid a little bit more attention. You will go over every spell and every step with a regret and guilt that will hound you decade after decade after decade because your friends are dead and you are not. Because you fucked up. Now grab that pain you wield and fry the beast. Kill. That. Bird. Kill it.¡±

    The comment struck a nerve in Valerian¡¯s mind. Memories of walking in on his father after a nightmare and finding him awake, fingers clasped on the cover of the marital bed. It also echoed words he¡¯d heard so many times. That he was not a warrior, and ought not to try.

    ¡°Now.¡±

    Valerian grabbed his conditioning and broke it. His magic found the bird. It was a glorious amalgam of systems, each fulfilling a vital function. He found the nervous one immediately, then tried to isolate the nociceptor by remembering special runes associated with those lightly sheathed endings and¡ª

    ¡°Kill.¡±

    No need. He could just¡­. burn everything. Flood it. Overload every pathway.

    Wasteful but¡­

    ¡°Kill.¡±

    Simplicity. Stop thinking about efficiency. He was doing things wrong, starting with the complex. This was a new branch. He was fumbling. He could just¡­ go basic. Very basic.

    ¡°KILL.¡±

    The nerves, a tree blooming from the root of the somatosensory cortex. So pretty and fragile.

    Burn it to the ground.

    His magic lashed out like an ugly torch, a delicate instrument wielded like an improvised cudgel. Mana bled from him, far more than required, and yet, and yet¡­ the spell felt¡­ different.

    Different by essence.

    The bird jumped and thrashed. It convulsed before closing on itself like a grasped fist, a shivering ball of feathers over a hollowed husk. Valerian felt tired. His muscle lanced from the feedback, but that was¡­

    That was what he needed.

    ¡°Of course, I have been trying to go from the top down but those are experimental spells. They need to start from the bottom. I need to start from the bottom.¡±

    Nestra shrugged.

    ¡°Glad to help.¡±

    ¡°Your comment was very insightful. Ah¡­ it felt a bit¡­ personal as well?¡±

    ¡°My mother was a support and controller for the group she was part of. Most of them died, and she was by their side when they did. She is not living with it very well.¡±

    ¡°No. Like many people of her generation, I suppose.¡±

    The two remained thoughtful for a moment.

    ¡°There is a side canyon with a minor guardian over there,¡± Nestra finally said. ¡°I suggest we kill it, use its cave as dwelling for the night.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still early. I can go on.¡±

    ¡°I know but we need to run back to get our supplies from base camp.¡±

    Valerian frowned at that. There were only two now.

    ¡°Think I can take Naomi¡¯s tent? It¡¯s really nice but¡­ sleeping in it would feel a little¡­ sacrilegious.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± Nestra said.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my kill.¡±

    ¡°Aw, come on.¡±

    ***

    Valerian really spent far too much time in his head, Nestra thought. Far too intellectual for the battlefield but he was learning. She just had to cover his back while he figured out he was actually fighting and killing instead of ¡®experimenting¡¯. Whatever. He was a smart guy. He was already improving.

    Her steps carried her upward, towards the end of the canyon where the towering hive of the mana termites waited. The home base of the many patrols still towered out of sight. She guessed there were two approaches here: either methodically wipe out the patrols and arrive tired, or rush in and take down the queen before she could call back her troops. Either choice had advantages and disadvantages, but just the two of them lacked the power to blow up an armored insect. Also, Valerian was here to cast. She didn¡¯t mind taking the slow approach. The only thing was that Sheryl¡¯s body was probably in the lair¡¯s larder and there was a possibility the queen might overfeed to produce eggs quickly. The brief indicated that juveniles might swarm the hive, based on similar occurrences.

    ¡°We fight the queen tomorrow at noon,¡± she said with confidence.

    ¡°Yeah, better not to dally too much. Though I wish we could take our time.¡±

    Nestra thought as much. Many portal worlds of this size had secrets. If she were alone, she would explore some more but¡­ maybe another time.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go clear our cave.¡±

    ***

    Dry air made Nestra want to sneeze. This passage of the canyon was covered in sands, and empty except for the gnawed ends of cracked shells poking from the dune. Nestra walked with light steps across the dark desert, each monumental wall closing in on her. She could feel the strange mana coming from the jagged gash that served as a cave opening. The creature was waiting for them.

    ¡°Ssstay here,¡± she told Valerian.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°I can help.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Help, please. From here.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Nestra moved forward, each step sending ripples on the sand. Some sort of spell, no doubt. She walked as if unaware.

    The sand roiled, trying to swallow her. She dove to the side and rolled, then jumped. A muzzle broke through the surface as if through water. Serrated yellow teeth snapped at the empty air.

    Nestra aimed a bolt. The dot landed on an elongated face but the creature pivoted. Her spell landed on a thick layer of interlocked scales. They exploded. Blood flew, a red spray on the pristine ground.

    Nestra charged but her thrust failed to pierce a fleeing tail. The monster was a mammal the likes of which she¡¯d never seen. It was thin and close to the ground, with thick armor and lean muscles. It sprayed sand in her direction. She used momentum to reposition where its head was, then planted the sword down. It hit something. Claws surged towards her with blinding speed. One of them drew blood on her forearm through the thickened Skin.

    Valerian¡¯s magic connected with her. Immediately, the pain dulled while energy flooded her veins. She struck the exposed snout and saw the beady black eyes behind it flinch. She used immovable to stop the next attack, but the creature merely used the sword as a step up to jump over her. She twisted on herself and struck hard. Her attack broke a claw.

    The creature tried to get some distance, and the sand grew hot and scalding. It would scour the skin off an unarmored fighter.

    Nestra kept moving to prevent the quicksand effect from catching up to her. This was so damn fun. The beast was fast and agile, but its attacks were predictable and a smart hunter would prevail. She prepared a charged rush. Void mana masquerading as electricity filled her veins. Static made her hair rise and she felt the power rise with her horns. The beast didn¡¯t care. It burrowed under the land, ready to pop up at a distance to try and peel her skin off. She raced ahead, inside of the cavern. There. Sand sprayed as the beast jumped.

    Nestra smashed the tip of her edge of her sword against a soft belly. The blade bit deep but Nestra swore. She¡¯d messed up, used to fighting with a shorter sword now. Could have disemboweled the creature clean off. It tried to recover but she was on it, and then, she released her hold on the electricity.

    Void mana scoured the guardian. It screeched. The sound made her wince.

    And then, it spasmed and fell.

    Nestra was ready to pounce on it, but an influx of power filled her. The guardian was dead.

    That¡­ didn¡¯t make sense.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I, uh, I killed it,¡± a sheepish voice came from behind.

    Nestra turned to find Valerian standing at a distance, all the pride of a scion of a good family keeping his spine straight despite the filthy, mangled combat suit.

    ¡°You did?¡±

    ¡°I had time to set it up, and although the sub guardian was fast and strong, it lacked resistance to foreign magic so I managed to latch onto his essence and¡­¡±

    ¡°And what?¡±

    ¡°Gave it an aneurysm.¡±

    Nestra blinked.

    Sure people could fry monsters alive or freeze them in their spot or just do what she does and that was fine but¡­ bursting a blood vessel in its brain? Really?

    ¡°My other option was a spinal tumor but it was just moving so much.¡±

    ¡°For sssome reasons, this is more horrifying than plain stabbing.¡±

    Valerian shrugged. He was growing a little smug.

    ¡°This expedition has been very, very, very fruitful. Murder and kidnapping attempt notwithstanding.¡±

    ¡°Yesss. Let¡¯s clear the place, then use it as shelter for tonight. And I have a question.¡±

    ¡°No, my magic does not ruin the meat,¡± Valerian replied with an expectant sighed.

    ¡°Not what I was going to ask,¡± Nestra lied. ¡°Help me take the core out?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. Money. You need money.¡±

    ¡°Nepo baby.¡±

    ¡°Pot, kettle.¡±

    ***

    The orange sun was rising over the end of the canyon, on the far end of the entry portal. The sole passage led up, towards a small bridge leading to the uneven, organic tower of the termite hive. From closer, the mountainous structure dominated the entire portal world as it sat over the only exit. And that was just the exposed part. The colony always dug down. The curious part, as they watched the tower from the cover of a ledge, was the lack of flying specimens.

    ¡°Where are the patrols?¡± Nestra asked.

    ¡°Oh, I read about this from one of my uncles. If you eliminate enough members of a hive species, they can¡¯t replace the numbers fast enough. I believe this is what we may have achieved.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Nestra, you¡¯ve killed a LOT of them. You realize this, right?¡±

    She thought about it. They¡¯d killed large groups with the group first, then by themselves. Fifteen to twenty of them every time. That was two groups this morning and at least seven the day before.

    Yeah, that might have done it. It was just that as interesting as it had been at first, there was nothing else to gain from them. Even the variations that used acid and improved the related resistance had stopped to get her anything. Now it was just a boring slaughter since she could just tell what they would do every time. Meh. She was really ready to move on.

    Valerian was looking at her like she was an alien.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°This might be a pretty weak C-class world but you should still take things seriously, please.¡±

    ¡°I am taking things seriously. Look, we¡¯re even going to use strategy here.¡±

    ¡°You are making me feel inadequate.¡±

    Aw, poor little baby.

    ¡°If it¡¯s any comfort, you¡¯ve made huge progress and you are now moderately useful,¡± she said.

    Maybe she should pat his head while saying good job but¡­ most scions of great clans didn¡¯t appreciate unsolicited physical contact so maybe not.

    ¡°Riel. Thanks. Hmmm, what did you mean about using strategy?¡±

    ¡°Look,¡± she said, pointing at a small passage to the right of the nest.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°Side access. The briefing said it was heavily patrolled but right now it¡¯s empty. The colony must have decided to send the sentries on patrol instead. They¡¯re not that smart. They don¡¯t know how to handle a small group of powerful entities.¡±

    ¡°You want to enter by the side?¡±

    Nestra nodded.

    ¡°Even if the patrols are mostly gone, they are bound to have lookouts. Termite sight isn¡¯t that good but it¡¯s not so bad that they would miss us walking up the ramp. No, I think the side passages are better.¡±

    ¡°They will have sentries as well though.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll handle those.¡±

    ***

    It wasn¡¯t very hard to find the sentries since they had mana and they made no effort to hide. Nestra approached them from below using passe-muraille to approach undetected, then she killed them one by one. There were only three anyway. Unfortunately, Valerian had qualms.

    ¡°What the fuck is that smell?¡± he swore in a whisper.

    It was rare of him to swear so it must have been bad. Nestra¡¯s sensory resistance meant she could wade through what was basically a termite sewer without much issue. It was a bit like an uncleaned teenager¡¯s room. Eye-watering but not utterly debilitating. Valerian had to be carried up the drain, however, and even Nestra shivered when she stepped on what was essentially decomposed meat sludge. Fortunately, it ended quickly and they found themselves in a tunnel.

    A very small tunnel.

    Nestra looked around. She would have to crawl. Even Valerian could barely stand.

    ¡°I guess they get bigger deeper in?¡± he whispered.

    ¡°Probably near the center. At least, warriors shouldn¡¯t fit in easily.¡±

    As they spoke, a juvenile arrived, carrying a sticky bundle of indeterminate trash in its mouth. Nestra saw some shell poking out so at least it wasn¡¯t made of Sheryl. Still, she prepared to fight, only for the juvenile to simply walk away. She realized immediately why.

    ¡°It¡¯s blind.¡±

    ¡°Juveniles are blind and they have poor hearing as well,¡± Valerian replied.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t in the brief.¡±

    ¡°No, because most C-class raiders have studied eusocial species since they¡¯re abundant in Threshold¡¯s portal worlds. Only if they molt into warrior castes will they develop eyes. Termites evolve as they molt until the final molt which will determine their castes for the rest of their lives. You never learned about this?¡±

    He didn¡¯t seem judgmental but the reminder Nestra was taken out of the gleam curriculum at sixteen still rankled a bit, even after all those years.

    ¡°I was training to fight.¡±

    ¡°Touch¨¦. Well, what now? We should probably recover Sheryl¡¯s body first.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s find their larder. The brief said they probably had only one.¡±

    ¡°It will be near the nursery.¡±

    ¡°Ok let¡¯s find it then.¡±

    Nestra crawled after the worker and soon found herself as a crossroad of sorts. There were a lot of juveniles moving around, most avoiding them. Nestra wasn¡¯t sure why they weren¡¯t attacked ¡ª even workers were not immune to the portal monster rage ¡ª but she realized why soon.

    She stank.

    Oh well. Silver linings. Avoiding the scurrying workers, she dragged Valerian after a juvenile carrying an egg down to a larger chamber where transparent larvae waited to be fed. Nestra followed her nose to the larder where several juveniles waited.

    They found Sheryl. The juveniles had managed to peel off most of the flesh from her head, but her armor prevented them from eating the rest and the body lay discarded. It was a grotesque sight.

    Valerian respectfully grabbed the body which he placed in a large body bag, then he passed it on to Nestra. She bit down a cry of alarm but it was too late. He bumped into a worker.

    For a moment, Nestra hoped that nothing would happen but alas, the juvenile panicked. It then proceeded to grab its own head and tore it off, spilling a yellow liquid all over the floor. Thankfully, by then Nestra had grabbed Valerian out of the way. They crawled out while a commotion gathered behind them.

    The colony would know there were intruders now.

    ***

    Nestra watched a black arm strike down from a side tunnel, spearing a juvenile through the brain. The clawed appendage carefully lifted the corpse out of sight. It was a spider leg.

    It reminded her of that time a salamander had stolen her shrimp, an offense she would not soon forget. The portal worlds were illusory segments of reality that merely mimicked a real world, but here and there, remnants of nature still lingered. In this case, it was a parasitic species living inside of the colony. And hiding, somehow.

    One day, she¡¯d visit those worlds herself.

    But that wouldn¡¯t be any time soon. Not with how weak she was.

    Silently, Nestra pointed towards a side passage, and they continued.

    ***

    Finding the queen¡¯s room wasn¡¯t too difficult. They just waited for egg-carrying juveniles to show up then followed the tunnels where they came from. It took a while, but it also meant avoiding the larger tunnels where the warriors patrolled. At some point, they moved over a sort of arena where soldiers fought to the death. The survivor would immediately molt afterward, emerging with various improvements while the loser was carried off, presumably to the larder. The tunnel didn¡¯t widen after. They only figured out they were in the throne room when Nestra popped her head out and there was the queen.

    The creature was¡­ large. Its distended white body occupied most of the room towards the end where juveniles worked to recover the freshly laid eggs, but the torso and head were barely larger than that of a warrior. It was a social guardian. Its power lay in its defenders.

    That didn¡¯t mean that the queen was defenseless, however.

    ¡°Here she is. Ready?¡±

    Valerian signaled he needed a minute. Nestra let him focus. He would be the one carrying the body bag but if anything went wrong, he¡¯d have to ditch it. She noticed there was some sweat on his brow. He was a bit nervous. So was Nestra, but it was a good kind of nervous.

    ¡°Ok, go.¡±

    They dropped down. Nestra charged forward with momentum first, then all her speed. The queen reacted immediately. She let out a screech that made Nestra¡¯s balance falter for just an instant before her body adjusted. She jumped over a wave of noxious acid spat from a horrible mouth, the vapor from the attack eating at her skin. If she didn¡¯t have the resistance, attempting to go through would have been fatal. An acrid stench filled her nose.

    The queen was calling for help.

    Nestra aimed at the large head and shot a bolt. The powerful spell crashed against a hastily raised shield, something transparent and poorly made. How much pure mana did that thing even have?

    Faster, Nestra closed the distance with Valerian boosting her from behind. Her void-infused blade smashed against the shield in vain. Trampling sounds came from behind.

    ¡°Now?¡± she asked, her angry voice interrupted by Valerian¡¯s spell. It really took some time to cast, still.

    ¡°SUFFER.¡±

    Pain wracked the queen. She hissed, and the sound attack redoubled. Nestra clenched her teeth as Valerian walked by with blood falling from his ears. He dropped the body bag. Or rather, it fell from his unfeeling hand as he did his best to keep the pain spell on.

    That was all she needed.

    Nestra aimed again. This time, the bolt spell left her feeling drained and sore but the explosion, ah, that one was so satisfying. A good half of the queen¡¯s face just disappeared, replaced by a waterfall of ichor. Her hearing returned. Something screamed behind her.

    Right.

    The King Termite.

    Nestra overcharged her body with electric mana merely to dodge the colossus attempting to trample her. She picked the body and ran towards the newly opened exit portal. An altar with her prize on it opened but she didn¡¯t have the time to pick it up. The king scrambled to a halt to avoid smashing into the corpse of his mate. That was all it took for her to push a sound drunk Valerian through.

    She was really looking forward to a damn shower.

    ***

    The first thought Nestra had when stepping out of the portal was that she wouldn¡¯t be getting a shower anytime soon. There were EMTs, enough spooks to destabilize a region and the worst thing of all: white clad ¡®gleam pigs¡¯ finishing to gear up. The lot of them watched her cross the boundary like she was intruding. So many eyes fixed on her. Stressful. A short man built like a boulder approached her with an expression of contained anger. Mixed Asian and anglo, she judged. Shaven. Interestingly, out there, it was dawn. She¡¯d never spent that much time inside of a portal.

    Valerian picked himself up from the ground, brushing a few fallen leaves from his blood-soaked hands.

    ¡°What the hell were you lot doing in here?¡±

    ¡°Huh, raiding?¡± Nestra replied.

    She was already getting annoyed.

    Valerian facepalmed. Ah, authority. In the portal world, she was free but here there were tapes and egos and unfortunately, this guy was B-class and she couldn¡¯t just squarely tell him to fuck off.

    ¡°We have two magical life trackers that went off at the same time and no reports. Some sentries reported a disturbance¡­ Where are the rest of you?¡±

    Valerian yawned. He was exhausted. Nestra was ok and considering her reply, but mostly she was certain that Ragnarok would come pull her ass out of the fire once she learnt they were out, so they would be fine no matter what. There was no way the old monster would dispose of a tool like Nestra on such a shitty mission. It would be too wasteful.

    ¡°Are you ignoring me? Let me introduce myself. My name is Alden Sun, a commander of the Municipal User Response Unit, and you¡¯re not leaving until I get my answers. Now, let me ask you again. Where are Users Satoshi and Naomi?¡±

    ¡°They are dead.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I gathered that. What¡­ what¡¯s in that bag?¡±

    ¡°Sheryl,¡± Nestra replied.

    Silence descended upon the spectators. A vein popped up on Sun¡¯s forehead while a few of the spooks took a step back. Valerian groaned audibly. Nestra knew she was pissing him off but she was doing it anyway because, one, they wouldn¡¯t get out of here without extensive questioning anyway, or until Ragnarok intervened and, two, it was fun.

    ¡°Please follow me.¡±

    ***

    Nestra eyed the cooling mass of instant noodles pushed as a peace offering in front of her. It smelled kind of nice but compared to the prize waiting in her loot bag, it was a meager gesture indeed. And besides, she was wearing her mask.

    Unsurprisingly, Alden Sun had chosen to interrogate her himself. The funny part was that they¡¯d given her a short stool but she still stood almost two heads over the massively stacked gleam pig. Could she call another cop a pig?

    She decided that since she was sitting in the interrogation room of a trailer, yeah, sure. Not that she¡¯d let Claire find out.

    ¡°Once again, I¡¯d like you to go over the events. In your own words,¡± Alden said between gritted teeth.

    It was a classic trick, asking people to repeat themselves and look for inaccuracies as lying people tended to forget details. Nestra didn¡¯t feel like indulging. She¡¯d been courteous enough telling the gleam what happened the first time.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to do that.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re gonna do what I tell you to do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a Mask,¡± Nestra said.

    Alden glared, his temper rising. A wave of mana pushed against Nestra¡¯s own but her void just swallowed it all. She didn¡¯t think he was even doing it on purpose. He was B-class. If he let his mana out fully, it would be enough to make baselines collapse.

    ¡°Masks are subject to the law too, and we¡¯re talking about murder.¡±

    ¡°Am I accused of murder?¡±

    Alden fumed. He wasn¡¯t a very experienced talker, she noticed. Probably just coasted on his rugged looks and awesome power.

    ¡°You will be if you fail to explain yourself.¡±

    ¡°Then I suppose you should contact the army.¡±

    She inspected her hands. They were dirty.

    ¡°There are structures and then there are people, and some people keep pushing on the structure to see what they can get. Like you do. I¡¯m a Mask. You have no power over me. Even stepping in here is a courtesy I¡¯m doing you, so back off.¡±

    ¡°I have every right to ask you questions.¡±

    ¡°And I have every right to ignore you until my hierarchy showssss up, which shouldn¡¯t take very long now.¡±

    ¡°Satoshi was a strong C-class raider¡­ and you killed him and his wife just like that. I find it¡­ difficult to believe. Would you mind telling me how you did it?¡± Alden said, switching gear in a second.

    ¡°I would,¡± Nestra replied.

    Alden glared.

    ¡°It would go a long way towards making your story credible.¡±

    Nestra remained quiet. She was getting really good at that. This was yet another breach of conduct, of the gleam etiquette this time. Alden Sun was asking her to unveil her technique. This just wasn¡¯t done. In this case, the secret technique was having a void shark frequent snacker on hand to bite people¡¯s head off when they weren¡¯t looking. She wasn¡¯t going to reveal that. He would just have to accept she had won, not like the method mattered at all from a legal perspective. Either she had cause to kill him or she didn¡¯t. The method didn¡¯t matter when it came to raiders.

    They didn¡¯t talk for a while which suited Nestra just fine. Pressure mounted, coming from the barely contained gleam pig. It tasted like a mountain to her senses but it was also hot. The brown ring around Alden¡¯s eyes took on a molten appearance to match his temper. A lava warrior, a rarity, Nestra thought. Still she didn¡¯t move. Eventually, the police officer broke first.

    ¡°Listen, Crescent. You came out of nowhere and I can tell you¡¯re C-class, but even if you¡¯re a big hotshot from far away, killing three C-class members of a serious team then completing the portal by yourself just feels ridiculous. You can give me some explanations or I can get them from your file.¡±

    Nestra chuckled, a low sound that put the B-class gleam on guard.

    ¡°Go ahead. Ask Shinran for accesssss. I¡¯d love to watch.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really cocky.¡±

    Nestra chuckled even more. She couldn¡¯t help it.

    ¡°We both know who¡¯s overextended here, trying to learn as much as he can while he can. Is that not ssso?¡±

    ¡°You must be coming from a place where manners are not enforced. Be careful.¡±

    Somebody knocked. Nestra had felt the coming mana through the thin trailer door so neither were surprised.

    ¡°Boss?¡± a worried voice said.

    ¡°Looks like your time is up.¡±

    ¡°You stay here.¡±

    She did but only for a minute. A soldier in full battle gear soon opened the trailer door ¡ª a bad sign. A red-faced Ragnhild gave her a tight smile from a corner of the park, right next to a military transport hovercraft filled with army gleams in full gear. Ragnarok didn¡¯t like someone borrowing her toy and she was making her displeasure known in no uncertain way. Discomfited, Alden Sun stood with a few subordinates at his back much like a chastised student being yelled at in front of the class.

    ¡°Ah, Crescent. You did very well, just as I expected. You may rest for now and I will call upon you very soon.¡±

    She sniffed the air.

    ¡°And a good shower too. A House Nephrite limo is parked near the entrance with young Valerian. I¡¯m sure he will be happy to bring you to¡­ a convenient spot of your choosing. Once again, well done. Enjoy the rest of your day.¡±

    The false smile grew strained so Nestra hurried away. It was very strange seeing Ragnhild herself smile. In fact, it felt completely unnatural. She must have been quite annoyed.

    A steel aura rose at her back to confirm that the old monster was going to remind Sun about who she was. Nestra was aware she was using politics to shield herself but she couldn¡¯t find the heart to care. In Threshold, ignoring power structures was the privilege of the strong. She wasn¡¯t strong so she would use every tool at her disposal to be left the fuck alone. That was it.

    ***

    ¡°What will you do now?¡±

    Valerian reclined in his seat. He felt so relaxed now that they were in private, out of sight of most people.

    ¡°I need time to recover. I imagine there is going to be a debriefing from several agencies, however when this is done, I have a proposal, ¡®Crescent¡¯.¡±

    ¡°We can raid together. I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    He smiled.

    ¡°Glad to hear it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll raid without you as well though. I need to polish my sword skills. This new height and reach are forcing me to adjust. I feel awkward.¡±

    ¡°Are you telling me that you¡¯re weak?¡± Valerian blurted.

    ¡°Weaker than I should be. Much weaker. All those years of training¡­ meant for little Nestra.¡±

    She shook her head. What a waste. Well no, it wasn¡¯t wasted but it would need adjustment. Riel, she even had trouble with her balance sometimes.

    ¡°Alright then,¡± Valerian mumbled to himself.

    He might have whispered something about it being unfair. Nestra thought it was bullshit. Starving for a decade, now that was unfair.

    ***

    Nestra wanted nothing better than to take a shower and fall asleep, but there was something unexpected waiting for her at the entrance of her house.

    A drone had left a white envelope with an invitation addressed to her in person, with a promise to pick her up. It was for an art exhibition.

    No one invited her to art exhibitions. Hell, she didn¡¯t even like paintings that much anyway.

    Unless¡­

    ¡°Nah, it couldn¡¯t be.¡±

    A chill crawled up her spine.

    ¡°I hope.¡±

 Part 30

    Nestra was now facing an unexpected issue. In the past weeks, she¡¯d been living her best life as her demon self, with human Nestra taking a backseat, only leaving the house for the occasional social outing. And pastries. She¡¯d driven her pink roadster around but that was just to meet friends and family. Human Nestra was professionally on leave until the heat of the Gidung debacle died down. She hadn¡¯t contacted anybody. Well, not anybody new anyway.

    A quick text to Claire confirmed that her aunt wasn¡¯t responsible for the offer.

    ¡°Is it a date? Is someone mistaken? It could also be work-related. ¡¥\_ (¥Ä)_/¡¥ .¡±

    Nestra rolled her eyes behind her visor. Of course it wasn¡¯t job related. Officer Kim wouldn¡¯t forget to send her a file, not with how anal she was about preparations, not to mention the invitation wasn¡¯t just any invitation. It was the VIP of all VIP invitations that came with a hover limo ride and even complimentary Champagne. Not bubbly. Champagne. From Riel-damned France. This was the kind of offer one sent out to guild officers of upper management from an actual megacorp, not some idiot failure working as a grunt for the police rat squad.

    The only recent link she had with art was with the fucking serial killer.

    Surely it wasn¡¯t that.

    Out of ideas, Nestra called the fancy private art gallery where the exhibition was to take place. They confirmed the invitation.

    ¡°The Collective¡¯s yearly gala is such a great occasion. I am certain you will have a fantastic time,¡± the mellifluous voice of the receptionist cooed in her ear. ¡°Only Threshold¡¯s best artists convene for the occasion.¡±

    Damn.

    Damn damn damn.

    ¡°What should I do? What should I dooooo?¡± she asked her ceiling.

    Nestra¡¯s current life was perfect. She was having fun raiding with Helena, getting a ton of money by raiding as Crescent, eating, sparring, and just chilling overall. Why were people trying to complicate matters? Why disturb the perfect circle of life (fighting, looting, eating, and sleeping) with unnecessary garbage?

    Another call to Seth yielded more questions than answers.

    ¡°It¡¯s not associated with any direct danger to your life that you could not fend off yourself,¡± the man said.

    ¡°Oh, uh, okay.¡±

    ¡°Please note that it means there could be danger, just none that you would be hopeless against.¡±

    ¡°TELL ME THE TRUTH ALREADY.¡±

    ¡°Nope! Attend or not, it¡¯s your choice. Oh! My choux a la cr¨¨me is ready. Bye!¡±

    ¡°Screw you, you sweet-toothed ¡ª¡±

    He hung up.

    ¡°Arg!¡±

    Nestra finally jumped into the shower, her pleasure now partly ruined by the recent development. Once she was in her clean, warm, safe bed, it was finally time to ask herself the real question.

    Should she even attend?

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be full of gleams.¡±

    But they would have Champagne. She¡¯d never had Champagne. Her dad thought it was a frivolous expenditure when Kiwi and Aussie vintages already pleased the palate well enough.

    ¡°I will be looked down upon and stared at.¡±

    Finger food for gleams.

    ¡°It will be dangerous for sure.¡±

    And exciting.

    ¡°I¡¯m just too damn curious. GAH! Ok, fine, you got me.¡±

    Had to prepare a bit though. She couldn¡¯t let hubris get in the way of a good evening.

    ***

    ¡°You have done as I asked,¡± Ragnarok stated.

    Nestra thought her habit of calling people to her office and facing the window with her hands clasped behind her back screamed ¡®evil overlord¡¯ in an annoying way. There was also the transit time. An hour and a half both ways for what could have been a call. She supposed the woman was old-fashioned like that.

    ¡°I have disciplined Alden, of course. That man presumed too much, though I applaud his enthusiasm. Issued warrants found correspondence and suspicious payments made to Satoshi, Naomi, and Strix. Just as I expected.¡±

    It was so nice to be Crescent because she wasn¡¯t compelled to answer. She could just let people ramble. Very relaxing.

    ¡°The presence of the Kitsune came as a surprise. Have you ever heard of her?¡±

    Well, technically, she had heard of Fox Mask. Not ¡®the Kitsune¡¯. So it wasn¡¯t exactly a lie.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Oh, right. The Kitsune is an operative we suspect is working for one or several enclaves. It would be¡­ foolish for any enclave on the continent to dare abduct the scion of a megacorp, but it would not be inconceivable for them to be working for traffickers. You don¡¯t need to worry about her. She is purely a mercenary, though a slippery one. This is, in fact, the first time someone managed to fend her off.¡±

    ¡°She leavessss witnesses often?¡±

    ¡°Yes. She only kills criminal elements. Or she has, so far. Otherwise the city would have dedicated more resources to stopping her. Are you interested in knowing more?¡±

    Ragnarok¡¯s expression remained carefully neutral. This, of course, made alarms ring in Nestra¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Great fighter,¡± she replied noncommittally.

    ¡°I see. Well, you should take two days to rest, then I have another portal raid for you. Dismissed.¡±

    ¡°I have a quessstion.¡±

    This time, Ragnarok sat in her chair. Nestra found her expression to be unreadable.

    ¡°What was it?¡±

    ¡°How did they plan to take Valerian of House Nephrite out?¡±

    ¡°Well, the original plan was to wait before facing the guardian so harvesters could get to work on this world, remember?¡±

    Ragnarok gave Nestra a pointed look. It was true that by rushing to save Sheryl¡¯s remains, the two of them had sacrificed quite a bit of money. All of the money that came with clearing up a portal world but leaving the last guardian alive so the local resources could be harvested. It was a massive loss, especially since it would have been split two ways. But Nestra had no regrets. Killing the boss had made her much stronger and the task had felt¡­ right. A good challenge for a noble cause.

    ¡°One of the harvesters was an accomplice of the fated trio. He would have picked Valerian¡¯s restrained body from a designated spot before hiding him in a crate, which would have been shipped immediately while the surviving raiders claimed young Nephrite had been dragged off by some monster. With no bodies to be found and Valerian¡¯s¡­ known tendencies to put himself at risk, no one would have found anything strange. The trio¡¯s subsequent departure from the city would have made perfect sense since BaiHua blacklists those who allow their scions to be killed. No one works with corpo pariahs unless they¡¯re really valuable.¡±

    ¡°Well prepared,¡± Nestra allowed.

    ¡°The Kitsune is nothing if not dedicated. Was there anything else?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then go and rest. I will transfer a bonus to your account for service rendered. Oh, and your share of your victims¡¯ belongings, of course. Assassination and kidnapping attempt are class three felonies. We have confiscated everything.¡±

    Asset forfeiture was a bitch.

    ***

    Since this was going to be a black tie event, and it was clearly advertised as such, Nestra needed a cocktail dress that didn¡¯t look like it came out of an outlet¡¯s bargain bin. That meant an actual fitting, and Claire was only too happy to drag her to a baseline shop she favored herself. Nestra ended up falling for a gray dress with a scale pattern that left her shoulders bare, revealing a few faint scars. It reminded her of the kind of high-tech mail armor fast gleams favored since it was flexible. It was a statement, as were her exposed muscles, and maybe people would stop assuming she was somebody¡¯s sidepiece. She raided on the day of the exhibition on Ragnarok¡¯s suggestion though it was a D-class world filled with ents and she barely got any benefit from it. A stylist did her hair in the afternoon, then she enjoyed the ride in a luxury hover limo.

    Watching Threshold flash below her was a spectacle she couldn¡¯t get tired of. The walls and the hints of green behind them always added to the grandeur of the arrogant megapolis. The city didn¡¯t just thrive, it did so on the world¡¯s most hostile and monster-infested continent. The afternoon sun reflected on the steel and glass of towering skyscrapers and arcologies rising in defiance of the new reality of the planet, works of technology and cooperation powerful gleams could never hope to match alone. The smooth journey ended with a slow, downward slope towards a flat rooftop half-covered in greeneries. The limo doors opened without a sound. A pleasant chime confirmed she had arrived.

    Nestra stood up ready for social battle. She walked out with grace, on flats she¡¯d bought for the occasion and were specifically designed for comfort. A pair of gleams in tailored suits approached her at a sedate pace. D-class but well-trained, she judged. The left one was a manakinetic like Fox Mask which made her blink. He touched his visor and smiled at her.

    ¡°Good evening Miss Palladian. Please take the steps down, someone will be waiting for you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank you.¡±

    The rooftop doors opened smoothly, white stairs leading down to a zen landing showing a single, breath-taking mural of massive proportions. The handmade painting depicted a collection of towering trees dominating a colorful forest, each one a titan with its own structure, leaf pattern, and unique hue. The arrangement felt very familiar, and it took her only a few seconds to realize this was the Threshold cityscape as seen from the sea, with each arcology and major structure replaced by a colossal growth. The Baihua dome now spread as a willow bearing white flowers while the Gidung megastructure stood like the pillar it had chosen as a symbol. After watching the fascinating work for all of thirty seconds, Nestra¡¯s gaze finally moved to the side, where letters painted on the wall with reflective paint announced the name of the collection.

    ¡°The Metropolitan Gallery of Arts presents

    Threshold: Between Two Worlds

    A Collective exhibit¡±

    Oscillating between green and gray through some low mana bullshit, the message shimmered in the air like a promise. It was, she had to admit, a very nice touch.

    ¡°Impressive, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°AH!¡±

    Nestra almost jumped out of her skin. She¡¯d been so captivated by the work and its many intricacies down to the tiniest detail that she had failed to see that there was someone in the room. The short, black-haired anglo stood in Nestra¡¯s blind spot on her right, next to a door. The woman raised both hands to show she was harmless. Mostly, she was smiling very smugly, yet also quite warmly.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to surprise you.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I¡­ Sorry. Just not used to people managing to sneak up on me.¡±

    Goddamn stupid. Why worry about an elaborate trap? Someone could just put a nice painting and a bowl of stew on a chair and Nestra would just rush forward like a damn lemming.

    ¡°To my defense, I was just standing still. And I can hardly blame you! This amazing mural is a pivotal piece of this collection. I am delighted that it would speak to you like this. You are a visual appreciator, are you not?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ guess?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, well, allow me to offer you a belated welcome, Miss Palladian. My name is Lucille Harrington. I am the assistant curator for our gallery. It is my great pleasure to welcome you here tonight.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I apologize for the poor showing.¡±

    ¡°No harm done and as I said, I am pleased that it would speak to you so, for is it not art¡¯s very purpose? Ah, I digress. Would you allow me to give you a quick tour?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that, actually.¡±

    The two moved through the glass door to a larger room of minimalist design. The subdued yet warm notes of white and brown allowed each work of art to shine. Lights centered on the exhibits and nothing else so that the rest of the room was plunged in semi-darkness. A gleam couple in exquisite matching clothes walked hand in hand. They both tasted of wood and growth. Nestra averted her eyes when the woman gave her a cold glance.

    Nature and metal merged in the various works according to different visions, but Nestra had to admit that they looked great. She leaned in, seeing a price tag near a magnificent statue.

    Ouch.

    ¡°Over here are the contributions of the Collective¡¯s most prolific artist, such as this living lamp by Dolores Concepcion.¡±

    A mana-altered bonzai grew fruits that shone in the penumbra. It was fancy as hell. Unfortunately, Nestra regularly failed to keep cacti alive.

    ¡°The third floor hosts the most unique exhibits. On the second floor, you will find the hall of the applicants where the finalists will battle for the right to call themselves members of the Collective. You will find our handpicked permanent collections on the first floor.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I had a question if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Not at all!¡±

    ¡°Do you, I mean, is it possible to find out¡­ who invited me?¡±

    Curator Harrington blinked, clearly not expecting the question.

    ¡°Oh, you were not contacted? Hmm. I¡¯m afraid I cannot tell you because the Collective handles their own free VIP invitations, however, if someone did invite you without revealing themselves, then perhaps they will contact you here?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunate.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the Collective counts many anonymous contributors. I simply cannot help you in this regard, but perhaps you would like some Champagne? As consolation.¡±

    ¡°Yes please.¡±

    With a smile, the curator guided Nestra to a secluded room in a corner of the third floor. Groups of gleams watched her come in like a bunch of sharks but their mana didn¡¯t even ripple. A smile from Harrington was enough to make them return to their conversations.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    There were a few powerful raiders here, but mostly the mood was one of discussion and comments. The groups were tight and mobile, indicating that those people knew each other well. There were no baseline guests here. The room smelled of expensive cologne and exclusivity. Nestra felt a wall of indifference slam all around her.

    That was probably better than hostility. And the best she could hope for.

    A waiter approached, a baseline this time. He solemnly offered her a cup of fizzling alcohol. Nestra had a sip.

    Sweet, a little bit acidic. Very fruity. The bubbles tickled her nose. It was nice, but definitely not worth the pain of carrying it across Eurasia.

    ¡°Is this your first time attending such an event?¡± Curator Harrington nicely asked.

    Obviously the canny woman knew the answer, but she still pulled Nestra to the side near a table filled with finger food. The woman happily talked about the collection for around fifteen minutes, dazzling Nestra with explanations peppered with funny anecdotes. It was clear the curator loved her job and her passion was communicative, so communicative that Nestra forgot to eat. Unfortunately, all good things had to come to an end.

    ¡°Oh, another VIP is landing. I¡¯m afraid I must take my leave, but please feel free to roam the grounds! Let me send you a data package I brought together so you can appreciate and understand each work. Or don¡¯t use it and take the art in raw, as you prefer. Goodbye, Miss Palladian.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Curator Harrington. Take care.¡±

    The short woman departed with some pep in her step, a sure sign that she belonged to the rare subspecies of homo sapiens who enjoyed gleam parties and meeting a ton of new people. Somehow. Nestra could also read between the lines: she was an outsider here and would probably be enjoying her evening more if she let her visor guide her through the exhibition. She was about to do that when a bubbly voice drew her away from her funk.

    ¡°Miss Palladian, what a pleasant surprise to see you here! This is the last place I expected to meet you.¡±

    The owner of the voice was a brown-eyed gleam in a colorful dress, her hair hidden under a wide-brimmed hat. Nestra knew she¡¯d met her before but couldn¡¯t place her for all of two seconds during which the woman strutted forward, lips twitching with amusement. She wiggled her eyebrows.

    ¡°Oh, we met at my brother¡¯s party.¡±

    ¡°Yeeees! Well done, well done.¡±

    ¡°You are Miss. Teneru. An artist.¡±

    ¡°Good memory! Indeed, you have found me in my den.¡±

    Of course it must have been her, not some serial killer thing. Just someone she¡¯d met before trying to draw her out for¡­ some reason or the other. Maybe she needed a favor. Or she was just being contrarian by inviting a reject to the cool kids haven.

    ¡°Sorry to ask but¡­ are you the one who invited me here?¡±

    ¡°Meeee?¡± the woman replied with high-pitched, and what sounded genuine, surprise.

    The boisterous interaction was gathering some attention, and what started as cold disinterest slowly turned into predatory curiosity. Nestra spotted a few people activating their visors. Possibly scanning her face to find out who she was. The lack of reaction told her little about what to expect.

    ¡°No, no! I gave my free spot to a nice Touhei fellow, against a box of Akamaru whiskey. Twelve years old. His loss! I was just thinking that whoever invited you made a good judgment. After all, you¡¯re between two worlds as well¡­¡±

    Shit shit shit Nestra thought, how does everybody know I¡¯m an Aszhii?

    ¡°¡­ Baseline and user, civilian and military, the poverty of the outskirts and the wealth of the Palladians.¡±

    Nevermind. Also, the mystery was still complete as to who brought her here.

    ¡°Ah, but I digress. No. Are you sure they didn¡¯t leave a message?¡±

    ¡°Pretty sure.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Curious. But how could I judge my brethren for originality here, in this home of the muses?¡±

    ¡°I am just happy to be here, and grateful for the Champagne. I¡¯ve only been on the third floor so far but I have to admit, it¡¯s rather impressive.¡±

    It made Nestra really tempted to steal.

    ¡°Oh yes, did you come in through the roof? You saw the Treescape?¡±

    ¡°The mural? It was fascinating. I really enjoyed the arcologies translated as trees.¡±

    ¡°I painted it!¡±

    ¡°Then you¡¯re a damn genius,¡± Nestra admitted.

    ¡°Ah, genuine, truthful appreciation. How rare. How refreshing! Come, let¡¯s go walk around a bit. Have you been to the second floor yet?¡±

    ¡°I just arrived.¡±

    ¡°As a gesture of welcome, please let me show you what our young candidates have brought for us in the hope of joining our hallowed ranks.¡±

    The woman carefully grabbed Nestra¡¯s elbow, guiding her to the door once it was clear Nestra was ok with being touched. She babbled all the way down to a much more crowded second floor. There were also a lot more baselines. Security guards marked the third floor as exclusive without invitation.

    ¡°And over here is the globe as wood and steel intertwined.¡±

    Teneru¡¯s explanation fell on deaf ears. The only thing Nestra could do was watch a certain painting standing in a corner, gathering a lot of attention despite its unfavorable placement.

    It was an eye surveying an oniric, sometimes nightmarish landscape made of scraps and bones. The wild color palette made the work a dizzying fantasmagoria, but it was truly the eye that drew Nestra¡¯s attention. It was that of a human, plain, not even gleaming, yet it was the most vibrant part of the arrangement.

    Nestra was absolutely certain she¡¯d seen that style before. The same wild colors. The same focus on eyes.

    In the mausoleum where she¡¯d found the dead pyromancer. The serial killer¡¯s first site.

    It was them. Her instincts told her this was the killer¡¯s work.

    ¡°Who¡­ made this?¡±

    Teneru blinked, caught off guard by the non sequitur. She moved past to peek at Nestra¡¯s object of attention.

    ¡°Oh, that? Sorry darling, this one comes from an anonymous contender. How mysterious! How exciting, I know. The unknown artist only joined the list of candidates this year, I believe.¡±

    ¡°Are they not anonymous?¡±

    ¡°Darling, I can recognize someone by their style and this person? It¡¯s the first time they have joined the race.¡±

    Teneru¡¯s eyes narrowed, though she was still smiling.

    ¡°Dreamy, but with something fundamentally disturbing. It¡¯s the eye, I think. The baseline eye, separate from the magical chaos. Hmm. Do you like it?¡±

    ¡°I, errrr, dunno. It¡¯s certainly remarkable. Are pictures okay?¡±

    ¡°Probably not, but as long as you don¡¯t post them somewhere then it should be fine. Is something the matter?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    Nestra paused.

    What the hell was she even doing? Her knowledge of art was so rudimentary, she had no reasons to be sure the painters were even the same. Ah, but then, who had invited her? Was it the killer? It would be unfathomably cheeky.

    In the end, signaling the eerie similitudes was still easy. Let the brass decide what to do. Nestra selected a screenshot, wrote a short message to Kim and then left off. The worst that could happen would be her boss thinking she was too bored.

    Teneru led Nestra through a few more rooms, but she found it difficult to focus. If the person who had invited her was indeed the killer, then she was deep in shit. Super deep in shit. The last thing she needed was the attention of a serial killer capable of taking out C-rank raiders. Why even target her at all? She wasn¡¯t a gleam! Was this about her finding the first body? Wait, no, maybe she was just imagining things, really, and just trying to find connections at all costs. She wasn¡¯t the universe¡¯s main character and everything didn¡¯t revolver around her. But then, who invited her? Aaaaargh!

    She apologized before deciding to take an early leave. Anxiety was ruining her mood.

    ¡°I can tell you are spooked, friend. I understand,¡± her new guide allowed.

    ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± Nestra said on a hunch.

    ¡°Why, yes. Several even!¡±

    ¡°Why are you being nice to me?¡±

    Teneru nodded, unsurprised.

    ¡°Aaaah but that is the thing. Am I being nice to you? Or can it not be expected, as an acquaintance of your clan, that I would welcome you here after seeing you arrive alone?¡±

    ¡°Ah, ehm, I had never considered the question.¡±

    ¡°If you were a gleam like me there would not be a question, but you are not, and somehow everyone is making it a problem. It is not fair to you. It is also a stark reminder of the sort of society we live in. Discrimination and an increasingly rigid social structure, even among us gleams. I, as an artist, am weak. If I were not rich and famous, those people would not give me the time of the day. I am merely treating you how I would wish to be treated.¡±

    A part of Nestra cynically noted that they only knew each other because Nestra was from a rich family. The worst thing was, Teneru was still being nice and open compared to the others, just by being willing to be seen with her and by guiding her around. That was the state of things. Drabs ought to be grateful if treated as equals.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Nestra said half-heartedly.

    ¡°There is no need for gratitude. I hope you find your peace of mind soon.¡±

    They split then, Teneru moving to speak to a journalist who had hailed her earlier.

    Nestra made her lonely way back to the third floor. The guards didn¡¯t stop her once more, and she was soon near the rooftop exit before remembering she had to call the limo before it could come pick her up. Curses. For the next fifteen minutes, she trawled through the collection.

    The VIP social gathering had spread throughout the floor by then. High gleams and their entourage moved in small groups, exchanging words in hush whispers. They moved around Nestra like fishes swimming around a rock. For all intents and purposes, she didn¡¯t exist, except as a vague obstacle. They didn¡¯t even look at her. Now, the fancy gray dress felt like a silly and unnecessary expense because no amount of nice fabric would ever make her anything but a drab.

    A beep in her visor grabbed her attention. It was Kim, with a one-line message.

    ¡°I ran the painting through a predictive AI. There is a plausible chance for a match. Be careful.¡±

    FUCK.

    The last two minutes before the limo arrived were some of the longest of her life. Finally, she jumped into the hover car and only breathed a sigh of relief after the doors closed. No weird mana constructs around. No presence. She was fine, for now.

    Maybe she needed some sort of protection detail?

    The limo rose through the night air. It was dark now, and though human Nestra¡¯s night vision was decent for a human, the city was still an ocean of darkness dotted with tiny islands of light as the limo flew away from the center and towards the¡ª

    BEEP BEEP BEEP

    Nestra¡¯s heart jumped against her ribcage. A screen lit in the flat pane in front of her.

    CONNECTION LOST. Emergency landing initiated.

    She checked her visor.

    ¡®No signal¡¯

    Oh. Oh no.

    She pressed on her ¡®oh shit¡¯ button on the spot, but she was mid-flight and knew help would take some time to come. Gah! She¡¯d probably been hit by some sort of jammer, and whatever it was, it was not good.

    Quick, think.

    Ok, if a hovercar with no driver lost connection with Threshold¡¯s ground control for any reasons, it would always be forced to land for safety reasons. Midair collisions were often fatal, even to gleams. But someone wanted her down and the timing was suspicious. She needed time. Time and distance.

    ¡°Passenger request. I am requisitioning this vehicle as Nestra Palladian, Officer with the Threshold Police Internal Affairs.¡±

    CONNECTION LOST. Request logged. Opening control panel. Impersonation of a police officer is a class one felony.

    The panel slid open to reveal an extremely basic joystick control thing a child could use. A screen showed the ground and the front of the car in black and white because of the basic night vision. Her attempt to go up failed. She was restricted by both speed and altitude. The car was still steadily going to land, the only choice she had was where. Right now, the projected landing spot was in a small green spot in the middle of mid-sized office buildings.

    There was an unmarked van parked there.

    ¡°Fuck that.¡±

    Nestra smashed the buttons, managing to curve the trajectory. The only building she could reach was a vertical parking lot with big empty spaces where windows ought to be. It was mostly deserted now in the evening. Warnings and proximity alerts screeched in her ears but she managed to stop on the concrete roof without scratching the paint.

    ¡°Passenger request. Open the fucking door.¡±

    Suggestion: stay until help

    ¡°NOW!¡±

    The door obliged, and Nestra was out and sprinting in an instant. She ran parallel to green space, looking down to street level.

    Four figures were running there under the pale blue light of the streetlamps. Augs from the speed and relative lack of grace.

    What the fuck?

    Nestra didn¡¯t even try the elevator. They would be here before she reached ground level. What to do? She raced along the edge of the roof, searching for solutions. Seconds ticked.

    There, two floors below. A covered passage between this building and the next.

    Nestra crashed against the nearest stairs thankfully open. She considered activating the fire alarm but it might lock stuff. Her visor went back online. She immediately shared her location and her feed.

    Just needed to stay ahead. Riel, they might even give up. And who the hell were they anyway? She raced down, hearing the distant pangs of metal soles battering concrete. In front of her, the lift turned on.

    No time.

    Nestra breathed deep. Augs could climb very fast with the right tools. She didn¡¯t have the time to wait. Veering left, she approached the edge of the building. The thick windows in front of her were dark and foreboding. The evening air burnt in her lungs.

    Nestra jumped, first on the ledge, then over the passage. Her feet landed heavily on the roof. She rolled to offset the shock, thanking past Nestra for buying good shoes. A maintenance access beckoned in the distance. She tried it.

    Locked.

    Nestra looked around for a solution. Rungs lodged in the outer walls of the passage allowed her to lower herself just as an aug raced along the slope of the parking building, back where she came from. She saw chrome shimmering from under a ratty hoodie. The leg model was familiar. Military grade but¡­ ancient?

    The aug disappeared out of sight. Nestra didn¡¯t wait. She lowered herself to the side of the passage and found an unlocked window, which she pushed open with her fingers and enough swear words to make a sailor blush. Inside, the temperature was colder. The next door led to the inside of the office building. Bright neon letters announced that this was the headquarters of TianWu Avionics. A huge drone took half of the lobby. There was no one behind the welcome desk.

    Behind her, she heard a bang. Like a locked door being slammed open. An alarm started to ring.

    How did they find her? Whatever, no time. She rushed towards the nearest door, finding it locked. Another one led to a back office filled with supplies. There was a fire extinguisher there, which she grabbed.

    If only she¡¯d taken her car, dammit! She could have stashed her Window Maker and shot the assholes. Another door, leading to stairs. Noise in the room she¡¯d just left. She heard a click click she could recognize anywhere. A DNA tracker.

    That shit cost at least forty thousand cred a unit. Someone really, really wanted her. She raced up, but she knew it would be over soon.

    An aug jumped on the landing she¡¯d just left, tracker exposed. He was holding a stun baton in his other hand. Their eyes met. He was wearing an actual balaclava like it was 2030, dark skin visible in the holes. Military augments peeked from behind his clothes. Ancient Kang actuators and a Gidung mesh from two decades ago merged in some sort of unholy matrimony of intellectual property violations. Nestra pulled the pin and sprayed him with fire-retardant foam. He swore. She threw the extinguisher in his face for good measure, but his raised arm blocked most of the impact. A resounding bong reverberated in the narrow staircase. The man fell with a yelp.

    Nestra raced up. A bang made her flinch. Firearm? No, not loud enough. Fluttering conversations in a language she didn¡¯t know fused. Her visor struggled, jammed once again.

    Another bang. A hit in her leg, like being slapped. She fell to the side. Her eyes searched the wound with panic but there was only a bruise there. Soft rubber bullet then? They really wanted her alive, but why?

    Two of the four augs stopped in front of her. They were short, she decided, and professional, but not used to kidnapping or they would know how ridiculous they were being.

    ¡°You guys are idiots.¡±

    The left aug, the leader, grabbed her arm. He placed manacles on them.

    ¡°Shut up,¡± he replied in broken English.

    They dragged her down.

    ¡°Took too long,¡± she said. ¡°Now you won¡¯t escape. You should have run when you could.¡±

    ¡°Quiet! You keep quiet. Or else.¡±

    ¡°Or else what. I hope you were well paid to get me. Do you even know who I am?¡±

    ¡°You are target, and you quiet or you die.¡±

    They pushed her through the lobby. The alarm was still ringing. Not that the police would be there on time anyway.

    ¡°Nu-uh, you were told to capture me alive. Or else you wouldn¡¯t have bothered.¡±

    ¡°You very expensive girl, but your legs not.¡±

    The second man warned off the first and Nestra¡¯s next barb didn¡¯t get her an answer. Too bad because she was sure she could get some answers while they felt in control.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m a Palladian, right? You know what it means? It means you¡¯re already fucked.¡±

    They were back in the passage. The man slapped her. Not too strongly. She still felt that sting very keenly, probably because no one had dared to do it in a decade.

    Her demon self growled beneath the surface. Nestra kept herself in check with a reminder this was a game, and if she came out of this free with her Mask intact, then it was her victory.

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna regret this in three seconds.¡±

    ¡°Shut up. You are jammed. You have no hope.¡±

    But they had not jammed magic. And Nestra¡¯s beacon, lit by her oh-shit button, that one was magic.

    Mana rose. Earth mana, specifically. The end of the passage was right here.

    Then it was not.

    The wall folded like a flower and a woman in dragon-decorated scale armor stepped in through the petals. Magic like a wave crashed against the two augs like a hammer. It froze them in their tracks. Two orbs like boulder-tossing hurricanes found the poor fuckers. The high gleam breathed in, a hiss that promised violence. Her seething rage made Nestra gasp. It was so powerful, so raw and intense it was almost solid. There was now more mana in the enclosed space than human Nestra had ever experienced.

    Aunt Claire punched the nearest aug¡¯s head clean off. One moment, she was standing there, the next there was a ghastly crunch and bits of brains on the wall. The B-class raider was already pulling the second aug¡¯s arms off their metal sockets before Nestra could even speak. The shriek of tortured metal drilled her ears.

    ¡°Claire. Aunt Clecle!¡±

    ¡°WHAT!¡±

    ¡°We need to interrogate them! We need them alive! Riel dammit.¡±

    The aug was babbling incoherently by now. Nestra checked her dress. No brain bits, at least, or the evening would have been ruined for good.

    Claire snarled. She tossed the mangled, but still breathing, aug away. The body bounced on the ground once before coming to a rest.

    ¡°Did you get the others?¡± Nestra asked in a hurry.

    ¡°There are more?¡± Claire replied with the face of a child being promised a second Christmas.

    ¡°At least two. Please keep¡ª¡±

    A woosh and Claire was gone.

    ¡°Keep your temper in check,¡± Nestra finished telling the wall. ¡°Riel dammit, Clecle.¡±

    ¡°I got them!¡±

    ¡°Ok great. Seriously though, what took you so long! You were just a minute away.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ got lost.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not supposed to run through the damn walls in a straight line and my flying license is suspended due to¡­ a certain incident. But whatever, you¡¯re ok. Oh, those brutes slapped you! I¡¯m going to tear them apart.¡±

    ¡°Noooo let my colleagues handle it, please?¡±

    ¡°Oh fine. My distrust of cops notwithstanding, I want answers just as much as you do.¡±

 Part 31

    ¡°It just doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Nestra complained.

    Nestra brushed her leg, which smarted something fierce, but a regen patch and good coffee were already helping her salvage her evening. Or at least it was trying.

    She eyed the person sitting in front of her warily. It was the gleam who¡¯d first interrogated her after she¡¯d found the mausoleum, a gray-eyed woman with short dark hair. Her name was Ashjay. Perhaps she¡¯d introduced herself the last time and Nestra had forgotten, or she hadn¡¯t because she was being a bitch. Ashjay was with the Special Crimes division; the department that dealt with users who¡¯d gone bad. Really bad.

    She was also a fairly strong C-rank metal mage, from her aura. Probably with raiding experience.

    The last time they¡¯d faced each other, the haughty gleam had complained she wasn¡¯t showing enough respect, but for now the gleam was just being weirdly helpful. It set Nestra¡¯s teeth on edge.

    ¡°I agree, it doesn¡¯t make sense. Their chances of success were simply too low.¡±

    ¡°Right? Between the plethora of cameras and the vicinity of, what, three guild headquarters?¡±

    ¡°Only one around, actually. I agree with the logic, however. Even with their obvious preparations, a successful escape would have required the sort of gear and abilities only powerful users backed by technology could have achieved. When you managed to steer the limo away, they should have known their attempt would have been doomed. The fact they were pinched by your aunt¡­ well, it was certainly more timely than the squad that was en-route, but it only accelerated the inevitable.¡±

    ¡°So rescue was already on the way, right?¡±

    The gleam stared at her for a second, though Nestra wasn¡¯t sure why. It felt like impatience.

    ¡°Yes, yes. Of course. Losing contact with a limo and several cameras on a beam trajectory is the sort of thing our monitoring AIs really dislike, and when TianWu Avionics reported an intrusion¡­ well, let¡¯s just say that our augmented squad was coming in hot and loaded. As you said, the attempt was doomed from the start.¡±

    ¡°Then why¡­¡±

    The gleam rummaged in her bag, drawing an old-school tablet. The rigid kind. It looked really tough.

    ¡°Why even try, right? I was wondering the same thing. Look, you¡¯re clearly tired so we can do this another day¡­¡±

    The gleam looked up to give Nestra a moment to agree. When it was clear curiosity still had the upper hand over exhaustion, she shrugged.

    ¡°If not then please have a look at this.¡±

    Four files were open on the tablet. Two she recognized ¡ª those were the kidnappers wearing balaclavas, sans the balaclava. She could easily recognize them from the eyes, mouth, and general shape of the face. The other two she didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get to see those two, at least not from up close.¡±

    ¡°One sentry, one driver. Notice anything?¡±

    Three men, one woman, South East Asian though that was the most she could say. They were all middle-aged with the deeply set eyes and gaunt faces she¡¯d come to associate with burnt out veterans. They were also heavily augged. Two had the sort of face alterations that people just avoided in general because it was basically disfigurement. One of the pictures was blurry and distant. She frowned.

    ¡°The one your aunt decapitated. We had to pick a UN database picture for that one. Do they look familiar?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not. Who are they? Are they even local?¡±

    Ashjay tapped on the glass. More details appeared, including parts of the perps¡¯ known profiles. They were drawn from a database Nestra had never heard about, so probably the UN thing previously mentioned. Those were far above Nestra¡¯s paygrade and access level.

    ¡°No, indeed not. Well spotted. Those are veterans of the Jakartan enclave.¡±

    Nestra frowned. She¡¯d heard about that one.

    ¡°Heavily augged, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The Jakartan enclave has the highest ratio of augs to baselines anywhere on the planet. They print their own parts using stolen blueprints, like those you can see here. Most of them would be considered antiques but they are still deadly. The team that attacked you were enforcers for a local user warlord, whose faction just lost a turf war for a segment of the sunken city.¡±

    Nestra frowned, confused.

    ¡°The partially flooded alluvial plain where the old Jakarta used to stand. They are exiles, a new mercenary team.¡±

    ¡°So what, they didn¡¯t know there are cameras everywhere here?¡±

    ¡°I suspect so, yet they were competent enough to track you down despite a rather inspired reaction on your part. Oh, you were cleared for using the requisition order, by the way. Your reasons were recognized as valid by the brass.¡±

    ¡°No shit. This doesn¡¯t explain why anyone would spend what must be a decent amount of money to, what, bring them here? Over the fucking ocean?¡±

    ¡°It is not so complicated. We keep a stable trade route with Jakarta. They have an abundance of mana food items that cannot be found anywhere else, while they rely on us for sophisticated manufactured products. Smuggling people in isn¡¯t that difficult considering the size of armored tankers and, well, corruption.¡±

    ¡°Still a very expensive failure. And a predictable one. Were they paid first,  then brought here?¡±

    ¡°We are still interrogating them for now, however it appears they came first of their own accord before being recruited. We are still working through the exact way they were compensated.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡°We will try to find out why they were after you specifically.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Do you think it might be related to your relationship with the gleam killer?¡± the user calmly said.

    Nestra blinked several times, then tilted her head to the side.

    This was a trap. A classical one. Start a talk like a normal conversation, put the suspect at ease, then ask an incriminating question out of the blue to get an answer before the suspect could slow down and think.

    This wasn¡¯t a debrief. It was an interrogation. Not an official one, of course, because even gleam cops wouldn¡¯t dare to cross Internal Affairs so easily, but still a test. Nestra¡¯s surprise was more directed at the fact they fucking dared than anything else, but confusion was a good answer to such questions. The fact she was also innocent definitely helped.

    In a way, they were right. It was possible that the killer had somehow invited her to the party, then used the opportunity to send goons after her. Their painting was there and she couldn¡¯t think of anyone else. There were certainly ways to find where, approximately, the limo would fly, then it was only a matter of driving the van to a suitable spot to trigger the ambush. Again, she couldn¡¯t think of anyone but the killer. Her dear crafty colleague didn¡¯t know about the painting though. She¡¯d only told Kim. She doubted Kim had hurried to share what were so far only AI-backed assumptions with a completely different branch. Ashjay, therefore, had no way of coming to that conclusion by himself.

    ¡°My relationship?¡± she asked, not hiding her confusion.

    Ashjay waited for a moment. An uncomfortable silence filled the room. Nestra was the first to break it, this time. She was running out of patience.

    ¡°Would you mind explaining?¡±

    The gleam chuckled. Once.

    ¡°Sorry, I had to be sure. I assume you¡¯re not familiar with this then.¡±

    The gleam placed the tablet between them again. This time, the screen showed something she¡¯d never seen before. The background was a stone mausoleum of the same style as the one she¡¯d found the first victim in. A tapestry of eyes looked down and center, towards a really nice, realistic portrait drawn free hand with a black pen. The portrait was Nestra¡¯s.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡±

    It was her, seen from profile, turning a little towards the painter but without seeing him. Sublime artistry left her no quarter in the way it depicted the small imperfections that made her human, or at least the mask human, down to the fading scar on her cheek. Whoever had drawn that, they¡¯d rendered her resting bitch face to perfection. And yet, there was something magnetic in the presentation. Some sort of vivacious energy she couldn''t exactly describe. The monochrome hinted at her true nature without revealing anything concrete. It was teasing, not in a sexual way, or at least she didn¡¯t think so, but in a more mysterious manner. Three letters drawn with wild strokes named the artwork.

    ¡®HOW¡¯

    ¡°How?¡± Nestra asked. ¡°How what?¡±

    The gleam shrugged.

    ¡°Perhaps it was because you found the first grave by chance while we had to resort to systematic AI roof searches to find more sites. Even our trackers admitted that your nose equaled theirs.¡±

    ¡°My nose isn¡¯t even that good,¡± Nestra grumbled.

    The gleam reclined in her seat, fingers tapping the armrests.

    ¡°Hm hm.¡±

    ¡°Damn,¡± Nestra said.

    The killer routinely assassinated powerful C-class raiders. She gulped. Human Nestra was absolutely no match.

    ¡°Damn damn damn.¡±

    There was only one way tonight was going to end.

    ¡°Do you have any idea why the killer might be interested in you?¡±

    ¡°No, and I believe you have taken enough liberties for tonight,¡± a cold voice said.

    Officer Kim strutted into the room with all the disdainful grace her position afforded her. Aunt Claire walked behind her, a powerful raider in full armor. There it was. There it waaaas.

    ¡°My subordinate has already collaborated with your inquiry without leave, a¡­ favor I shall remember. Hm?¡±

    ¡°We were just having a pleasant discussion,¡± Ashjay said with a wan smile and eyes that spoke of instinctive anger. Gleams didn¡¯t like being called out by baselines, especially not ones in a position of authority.

    ¡°But of course,¡± Kim said in a tone that said ¡®bullshit¡¯ but in a work-environment appropriate sort of way.

    ¡°We would need to make sure our witness is safe,¡± Ashjay continued, undeterred.

    ¡°That is why my subordinate will now retire and spend a few days with her family.¡±

    Aunt Claire nodded energetically.

    ¡°Noooooooooooooooooo¡± Nestra screamed in the privacy of her heart, but it was too late. Her fate was sealed.

    The only way for Aunt Claire to agree so readily to something said by a high-level police admin would be that it was her own idea to begin with.

    Ashjay made to object, but the truth remained that the Palladians might not be the most influential clan around but they sure as shit knew how to fight, and good luck assassinating Hector Palladian. That was it.

    Nestra subjected Aunt Claire to her best pleading eyes, but the goofy aunt was now a cerberus of scale and fury, a guardian undaunted, a fucking jailor, and Nestra might as well  just argue with a wall at this point.

    ¡°Riel dammit.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s for your own safety.¡±

    ¡°At least let me go home first.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll come with you,¡± Aunt Claire said in a voice that brooked no arguments.

    Nestra nodded. That much was ok, especially with some weird killer suddenly interested in her.

    ***

    ¡°I want a quick debrief,¡± Officer Kim told Nestra as soon as they were out. ¡°You can tell me while I drive us to your house so you can pick up your belongings. If that is agreeable?¡± she added a bit belatedly.

    Aunt Claire nodded. She was clearly distracted, her eyes searching the nearby high-rises. Nestra could feel Aunt Claire¡¯s aura like howling wind shaking the mountains, the ground vibrating with each one of her steps. Even Kim was feeling it. It was as if the raider¡¯s presence had suddenly become larger than life. She was impossible to ignore and even averting her eyes could not force Nestra to ignore the quiet pressure.

    It made the following conversation awkward. Officer Kim drove herself rather than letting the onboard AI pick a path. She randomly changed course on occasion. It didn¡¯t make her questions any less sharp. Once Nestra was done, Kim frowned at the sky.

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    ¡°Strange and concerning. I find that killer awfully confident to so brazenly murder in one of the world¡¯s most secure cities. I agree with your aunt¡¯s assessment. You need to hide for a while.¡±

    ¡°It would be nice to find the perp instead, no? I picked up a bit from what Ashjay was saying, or rather, not saying.¡±

    ¡°And what would that be?¡±

    ¡°The money, and the money,¡± Nestra said as they drove off the outer circle.

    ¡°Elaborate,¡± Kim replied curtly.

    ¡°The mercs must have been paid in advance to afford their gear. Not the augmentations but at least the van and some of their unattached tech. The credits are probably unmarked, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But at least we will know if they are foolish. Yes, I was already on it. Anything else?¡±

    ¡°Well, they had to know where I would be. And they did. They knew where the limo would land when scrambled. It¡¯s not difficult to do provided you have the exact path, and there is an easy way to get it. The limo company shows the trajectory of the hovercar in real time to anyone who ordered one provided they log in on their website. That¡¯s a spending that wasn¡¯t done by the mercs, or at least I don¡¯t think so because ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Jakartan enforcers wouldn¡¯t know that, or be familiar with the interface.¡±

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s a long shot, but¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I agree, not because determined mercs could not have done that, but because the killer¡¯s profile indicates a strong need to watch and be watched. Therefore, they must have been monitoring your progress. I will get a warrant for the company records. Good, fast thinking. Was there anything else?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s also a long shot but¡­ if that person is interested in me, it¡¯s possible that they would have surveillance devices around my place. Or they moved around in person.¡±

    She doubted Sereth would have allowed someone to break and enter for obvious reasons, but he would have totally allowed some twat to install cameras around or roamed with a knife because it was ¡®a learning experience¡¯. Ugh. Actually, maybe Sereth would have only intervened if the killer was on the verge of discovering her identity.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave this task to our good friend Ashjay. Anything else?¡±

    ¡°Not at the moment.¡±

    ¡°Those were good ideas, Palladian. Maybe there is a brain under all that fencing obsession.¡±

    ¡°Hey! I got excellent grades at the police academy.¡±

    The elite civil servant gave her a pitying look.

    Aunt Claire gave her a pitying look.

    ¡°Ok fine, the bar isn¡¯t that high but still! Oh, we¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± aunt Claire said.

    She stopped at the door.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t leave your underwear on the ground again, right?¡±

    ¡°Look it¡¯s my house, I do whatever I want. Also no. I¡¯m not a savage.¡±

    Well, not anymore.

    The car smoothly parked in front of the entrance. Aunt Claire stepped out with confidence. She stopped as she neared the entrance.

    Nestra knew something was wrong. She headed out and when no one stopped her, she approached her front door.

    A pair of eyes were drawn on her door. She was sure they weren¡¯t there when she¡¯d left. The two eyes were very human, dark, and they conveyed a sense of confusion and annoyance that was so poignant that Nestra didn¡¯t need the rest of the facial features to feel the emotions drawn there. Interestingly, the choice of the door was meaningful.

    Nestra¡¯s house wasn¡¯t secure against gleam intrusions. Someone capable of building the mausoleum would be able to open her walls without difficulties. They didn¡¯t even need to know she had turned off all cameras inside. It was common knowledge that people didn¡¯t want to be filmed in their bedrooms or bathrooms out of a feeling of violation of privacy. It didn¡¯t matter that only security AIs and cops with hard-to-get warrants would access the files. The fact they existed was enough to discourage any cameras. The intruder could have just snuck in from the upper wall to leave their drawing on her mirror, for example. That would have been deeply intrusive. A power move. And it wouldn¡¯t have taken much more time.

    Nestra stood in front of her door, considering the situation.

    She wasn¡¯t prey, not yet, not to the killer. She could feel it. She was more¡­ an interrogation. Then the mercs were a test. And she¡¯d failed that test in a way the killer hadn¡¯t expected, hence the visible confusion.

    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Aunt Claire asked with clear worry.

    The old raider was outraged.

    ¡°How dare they? On your own fucking door. Just wait until I get my hands or their grubby little fingers¡­¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t feel like her personal space had been violated. Well, not yet. Maybe she was getting ahead of herself.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get in.¡±

    ¡°I get in. You stay here.¡±

    It took five minutes for Aunt Claire to finish checking everything, and it must have been thorough because a B-class could move and perceive at absurd speeds.

    ¡°No signs of, well, anything,¡± Claire reported.

    She was still wearing her armor and she was still on full alert, but Nestra breathed a sigh of relief. If the killer had gone in, had touched her stuff, she would have never felt safe in this place again.

    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll go grab my stuff.¡±

    ¡°Hurry.¡±

    Nestra did hurry. When she walked down with a small suitcase, Aunt Claire was standing at the landing. Her eyes shone weirdly in the dim light. Nestra couldn¡¯t read her expressions very well. Worry, perhaps. Doubt.

    ¡°Nestra, you have¡­ a lot of food. Mana food. Are you okay? Should I be worried?¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine. Mana food is how I got around my cravings. I just have to eat more than the average D-class.¡±

    ¡°Aaaand how do you¡­ get it?¡±

    Nestra hesitated. In the end, she decided to go for truthful but not exhaustive. It worked best with old monsters like her.

    ¡°I buy it, I swear. I can afford it, partly thanks to my severance pay and the Gidung thing. So, the guy I¡¯m buying from might not be the most¡­ on the level, but the quality is ok.¡±

    ¡°You buy smuggled food?!¡±

    ¡°Not smuggled, more like stored goods that should have been disposed of or are written off rather than sold. You¡¯d be surprised, the amount of stuff people waste. Even mana food isn¡¯t exempt. Discontinued items that didn¡¯t sell, raw material reserved for parties that ended up unused etc etc.¡±

    ¡°How very¡­ illegal of you.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s illegal and then there¡¯s unethical. Besides, I¡¯m just buying. What do I know?¡± Nestra asked, shrugging.

    That would be her legal position anyway.

    ¡°I have no valid reasons to doubt their credentials.¡±

    ¡°You are wilder than I expected, niece of mine. Alright, enough dallying, this open space is making me nervous.¡±

    ¡°Open space?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s not fortified with brown mana, it¡¯s an open space dearie. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Wait, I want to drive my own car.¡±

    ¡°Nuh huh. Absolutely not.¡±

    Nestra groaned. Caught in the compound with no way to leave? Well, there were automated taxis but fuck that, she had a damn pink cool car.

    ¡°Then at least let me set it up so she follows us, ok?¡±

    ¡°She, hmmm? I already inspected your ride, Nestra. Fine then. I¡¯m coming with you to the garage.¡±

    It took only a minute for Nestra to find the right option in the AI menu, during which Aunt Claire kept complaining about Nestra¡¯s choice in color. She was still salty about the whole affair. Once this was done, they walked out in the comfortable night air and Nestra locked the entire house down.

    Kim picked them up without issue. Nestra tried to ignore the car¡¯s sway when Claire climbed in. Kim drove a large black spook SUV, probably given by her job. It still couldn¡¯t handle the weight of Claire¡¯s armor without tilting.

    ¡°To the Palladian compound,¡± Kim declared.

    The ride was mostly silent but Nestra had to ask.

    ¡°Is there any way for me to get involved in the case? Get access to the information?¡±

    ¡°Only as a witness. You are Internal Affairs and on the bench after, arguably, an excellent performance. This is a high profile Special Crime Division case. You are neither qualified nor authorized to follow it.¡±

    ¡°Ok? And?¡±

    ¡°And what, Officer Palladian?¡± Kim asked, suddenly all business.

    ¡°What are the chances I could at least have access to evidences such as interview transcripts in case there are elements I had not recognized at that time that might ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop,¡± Kim said.

    Nestra did. The officer sighed, then she turned a little abruptly. Nestra could practically hear her teeth grinding.

    ¡°I will get you a curated selection of evidence that you might have a valuable opinion on in a secure, confidential location, under the provision that they remain strictly confidential. You will not be able to take anything with you.¡±

    ¡°Works for me,¡± Nestra said,

    The rest of the ride was quiet. The gravel creaked under their tires when the two cars turned into the Palladian compound, gates opening in silence. Mana blossomed on the walls after they crossed the boundaries. It carried the scent of winter on it, with arctic blue mana floating down like a pale veil.

    ¡°Mom¡¯s work?¡± Nestra asked, though it wasn¡¯t a question.

    ¡°Powerful these days. Deborah¡¯s getting back into it,¡± Claire mumbled.

    She sounded appreciative.

    Nestra bid farewell to Kim who promised to arrange things ¡®within a couple of days¡¯. The person waiting for them was not who she expected. He stood aloof, wearing a nice polo. One of the sleeves was empty, however, and bandages covered half of his face.

    ¡°Ulysses? Riel, are you ok?¡± Nestra asked despite herself.

    Her brother gave half a smirk. He didn¡¯t seem to be in pain.

    ¡°It¡¯s being regrown. Fei Alkan comes every day to fix it. She was my classmate, if you remember her.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s, errr, been a while,¡± Nestra replied.

    Ulysses felt distant but not overtly hostile. More cold and calculating. But that might have just been her bias talking.

    ¡°I¡¯ve activated the barrier. All our security systems are active. I¡¯ll stay there, and we have a couple reliable folks coming over.¡±

    ¡°Have you contacted Debo and the old man?¡± Claire asked without warmth.

    She was looking around again, clearly eager to go out and seek prey.

    ¡°Yes, of course. They are leaving the raid.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to bother them,¡± Nestra sullenly replied.

    ¡°Maybe visit your mother more than once every decade?¡± Ulysses sweetly suggested.

    ¡°Not like they were eager to see me. There is no rush now,¡± Nestra replied defensively.

    ¡°Nestra, a gleam killer painted eyes on your fucking front door. Hector would have my molars on a platter if I didn¡¯t warn him. Your mom would have been worse. Get in, settle in, and for the love of all that is holy, stay put or I¡¯ll break a tibia,¡± Claire declared.

    Then she was gone. Disappeared with the wind.

    ¡°Looks like I¡¯m the guide now,¡± Ulysses said with a shrug.

    ¡°I know how to find my way, thank you very much. I lived here? Remember?¡±

    ¡°Oh so you know where you¡¯re sleeping tonight?¡± Ulysses sweetly replied.

    Nestra fumed in her shoes.

    ¡°Follow me. It happens to be your bedroom.¡±

    Nestra shook her head while Ulysses walked on with a spry step despite his injuries. He only turned once to give her stern glare.

    ¡°Mom kept it mostly intact. Even changed the sheets herself, in case you returned.¡±

    ¡°Yeah ok I¡¯m feeling like an asshole, thanks. The kidnapping attempt wasn¡¯t enough for you?¡±

    ¡°Poor dear. I am more surprised that you would attract enough attention to make an actual enemy.¡±

    ¡°I seem to get under the skin of major assholes, somehow.¡±

    The next glare told her she¡¯d won that particular exchange. The duel was interrupted by an unexpected arbiter in the form of a squealing mass: Helena.

    ¡°You¡¯re back! You¡¯re back! Is it for good?¡±

    ¡°No, I just have a serial killer on my ass. Maybe.¡±

    Her little sister blinked.

    ¡°That is sooooo wired.¡±

    ¡°Is your history essay wired as well?¡± Achilles warned.

    ¡°Bleh.¡±

    ¡°Back to your room. It¡¯s due tomorrow. If mom and dad arrive before it¡¯s done, your weekend is done for.¡±

    ¡°Traitor!¡± Helena bemoaned as she retreated to her room.

    Nestra had a quick look. It seemed cleaner than last time. A good sign.

    ¡°You are back for a few minutes and already so popular,¡± Achilles noted. ¡°Well, I need to patrol a bit seeing as tonight has suddenly become very interesting. There are leftovers in the freezer, if needed. Help yourself.¡±

    He left. The last sentence almost sounded like concern.

    Nestra walked into her room with a feeling of surrealism. It was almost like the way she¡¯d left it but¡­ wrong. It smelled disused. The colors of her posters had faded. Her old paper books had yellowed. The mass of electronics piled in the corner had probably been dead for a long while, otherwise they were so completely out of date they as to be unusable.

    Her bed felt smaller, somehow. Too small. The worst was the smell. It wasn¡¯t bad per se, only slightly dusty but¡­ it wasn¡¯t her. This was an old nest now, deserted for so long it had lost her imprint.

    Nestra dropped her bag on the bed, then sat down heavily. She was ready to sleep but first, there was some planning required.

    Now finally alone in the privacy of her old domain, she considered the three urgent tasks in front of her. It looked like her chill days of just raiding were over, and human Nestra was going to come out of retirement.

    The first and most obvious task was to find the killer and eliminate them. The first thing she did was call Sereth, who took a long time to pick up. She had to be sure of a few things first.

    ¡°Sorry I was spending time with your friend Siobhan.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re back together? I didn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°She only said she wanted some space, not that it was over between us. She¡¯s decided that she didn¡¯t care that I had horns so long as I was faithful. We have kissed while I was in my true form. It was a very novel experience!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m genuinely glad for you two,¡± Nestra said, and found that she meant it. ¡°So¡­ am I bothering you right now?¡±

    ¡°Oh no, she¡¯s resting while I am preparing tomorrow¡¯s slow roast. What was this about?¡±

    ¡°Do you know the killer who¡¯s after me?¡±

    There was a pause while Seth switched from goofy brother to ¡®I will let you die if you do not perform¡¯ brother. The compartmentalization was rather impressive.

    ¡°Yes, though the term is misleading.¡±

    ¡°Do they know what I am?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°But they might suspect?¡±

    ¡°They do not know.¡±

    ¡°Can you at least tell me if it¡¯s one or several people?¡±

    ¡°I will not.¡±

    ¡°So I do have a chance against them?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And if they figure out what I am¡­¡±

    ¡°As I told you before, my terms are clear. If I judge you were identified through your own carelessness, you will be forced to depart Threshold and lose your civilian identity. I will add that I am having a great time and I would love not to have to run as well, so you¡¯d better not act in a manner unbefitting of an Aszhii. Yes?¡±

    ¡°Ok, fine. I¡¯m on their case then.¡±

    ¡°Good luck, little Nezhra.¡±

    Nestra dropped her visor on her bed. Ok, so she did stand a chance, so it really was up to her. She would have to either direct the police to the killer, or killers for that matter, or slay them herself.

    The second option was looking quite attractive. What a good hunt that would be¡­ Yes. Kim said she would keep her appraised so there was that. The rest would be up to demon detective Nestra. And demon detective Nestra could do things the police were not allowed to do, such as setting her human form up as bait¡­ an idea to explore. She could also try to interrogate Teneru. Nestra doubted the extravagant artist would be the culprit ¡ª she simply didn¡¯t have the manners of a killer. The way she moved was also too meek, too free. She didn¡¯t breathe danger at all. It remained that she had a stone affinity, and the mausoleums were works of an artistic stone gleam. Perhaps they were working together. If not, Teneru might at least be her way into finding out the true identity of anonymous artists vying for Collective membership. It was a good lead, at least, and one the cops wouldn¡¯t be all over for at least a while, so it was worth pursuing.

    So yeah, find the killer, kill them. Clear. Simple.

    The second issue was that she needed to be out to do that. Right now, House Palladian was closed like a clam and Aunt Claire patrolled the grounds. Nestra needed a way to leave. The issue was that she didn¡¯t even know the extent of Aunt Claire¡¯s abilities, not to mention that her mom would be even more competent at detecting stuff. Nestra was a prisoner. That would have to change.

    Perhaps Seth could help. Otherwise, she could wait a few days and try to get Ragnarok to help her. She knew masked gleams could get some goodies.

    The alternative was being shut in with her family. The horror. She didn¡¯t even have her own kitchen. Hell, she didn¡¯t even have her own bathroom! Unacceptable.

    The last issue was¡­ actually it was maybe better if she stayed there for a while.

    Ashjay was going to dig into her recent past, try to find where she¡¯d been and so on. Camera records of Nestra riding all over the city in her putacycleta would emerge and that was going to be problematic. Kim¡­ wasn¡¯t going to be happy.

    But at least the plausible deniability she¡¯d built would help her this time.

    Yeah, her life was a mess now.

    ¡°Alright, Killer dear. You¡¯re between me and my fun.¡±

    Nestra shook herself in the confines of her human form. She felt the need to change back to her demon self like an itch crawling under her skin. There was a mirror near her old makeup table. It was still cracked after she¡¯d smashed it the night she¡¯d fled home. A pale face, split in two, glared back under split gray eyes.

    ¡°You now have my full attention.¡±

 Part 32

    Nestra woke up to a deep feeling of wrongness. Long ago, her dad glued fluorescent stars to the ceiling so she could fall asleep with a nice view ¡ª one of those awkward gestures he would do at random when he remembered he loved her. They were still there, almost twenty years after. Faded, but there. They shouldn¡¯t be. This wasn¡¯t her room anymore.

    It was so weird she needed a few seconds to remember what had led her here. Shit.

    Her parents had to have returned by now.

    Nestra checked the time on her visor. Eight. She was back to human schedule, somehow, and that was so weird. The path to the bathroom was deserted. The room itself had those minor, uncanny changes that made it like a dream version of itself. They had a fancy new shower with a rainfall effect. Other elements were just like they¡¯d always been. There was her mom¡¯s cup in which she kept her toothbrush, even if the toothbrush ought to be on a charger. An old habit. An old cup, so old it predated the incursion.

    Once presentable, Nestra ran out of excuses not to confront her family. It wasn¡¯t even that bad, just a little awkward. Why was it so hard? She breathed deep. It was just her family. It would be fine.

    After a last check that she was indeed presentable, Nestra walked down the stairs past a cleaning robot. The clinks of cutlery echoed from the kitchen¡¯s open door.

    It was quiet otherwise.

    The thing she was only realizing now was how much effort high gleams spent acting like normal humans. There was absolutely no way anyone here would hit their plate hard enough with a fork to produce a sound, unless they absolutely meant to do so. Their control was simply too good for awkwardness.  There was also no way they¡¯d forget to close the door unless they meant to leave it open. Nestra couldn¡¯t sneeze in this house without at least three ¡ª no four now ¡ª four relatives being aware of it. This meant that the gleams were significantly more aware of you than you were of them. It also meant that they were waiting for her.

    Nestra sighed one last time. She walked in with a confidence she didn¡¯t feel. It was¡­ her fault. She¡¯d left in a huff and now she was back with her tail between her legs, forcibly carried back by an overbearing aunt.

    The kitchen had been renovated. Nice. Five pairs of eyes landed on her as soon as she walked in before returning to their plates or looking away with varying speed. Her dad¡¯s, gunmetal and worried. Her mom¡¯s icy, and even more worried. Her aunt¡¯s, apologetic. Helena was so giddy she was practically bouncing while Ulysses looked bored to tears.

    Nestra sat down at her spot. Scrambled eggs with toast and a glass of orange juice waited for her, with sliced cucumbers on the side. One of the classics back when she was a teen.

    ¡°Well this is awkward. Thanks for the food,¡± she said.

    The three high gleams breathed a sigh of relief. The fourth¡­ damn he was technically a high gleam now, wasn¡¯t he? Ulysses grabbed his empty plate.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be in the living room preparing for my regrowth session, if anyone needs me.¡±

    He left but without a huff which Nestra took as an indication of truce.

    Nestra attacked the eggs. They were mana-charged, somehow, and definitely not from a hen.

    ¡°Hmm. Good.¡±

    ¡°You are safe here,¡± her father told her with a soothing voice.

    Or at least a good try at it.

    ¡°You can always return,¡± her mom said in a voice that felt incredibly brittle.

    Nestra sighed. Claire studiously poked her radishes while Helena grabbed the table in a death grip, eyes pleading. And it was tempting.

    There were a lot of unresolved conflicts between them. This was just a first step. This would be a first step. Except it was impossible. They wanted to turn back the clock on a situation that was more than half a decade old and it would never happen. Nestra was confident she could give their shared traumas a go. Talk. Reforge links in the familial chain. But she could never join them again because this wasn¡¯t about her starving pains anymore, or her place in society. Those issues she¡¯d worked through. It was about her being a lie.

    That Nestra that grabbed the glass of orange juice was only the mask. Its bonds were deceitfully woven to give her the life of an impostor. The father who looked at her now, strong, stern, with a lost expression that said he expected things to work out and somehow they didn¡¯t, he was technically not her real father. She was an Aszhii and they were her human family and¡­

    They didn¡¯t know. And she didn¡¯t know how to tell them without hurting them. She wasn¡¯t even sure they would let her live. High gleams of their generation were monster slayers to the bone. They¡¯d seen their world die in a tide of teeth and claws. They had waded in an ocean of blood and guts to bring humanity back from the brink, fighting desperate odds again and again. They had grown into killers, traumatized killers, every last one of them. She was just another invader. The only difference was that she¡¯d cheated her way into survival.

    ¡°I won¡¯t move in but¡­ I¡¯ll come visit. How about it?¡± she asked with a wan smile.

    ¡°Oh, of course you are a grown girl, no, woman. You are a grown woman now. Yes,¡± her father said.

    Her mom nodded to herself.

    ¡°You need your own space. We got your brother a small apartment in District Twenty-one. Near the sea. For¡­ you know.¡±

    ¡°Bringing girls home without everyone hearing?¡± Helena said with a scowl of disgust.

    Guess she¡¯d heard unfortunate things.

    ¡°Young adults need their personal space, and you will get yours as well. With the privilege of not having to save or borrow for it, I may add¡­¡± Mom said in her ¡®listen young lady¡¯ voice.

    ¡°I know, I knoooooow. Can¡¯t wait.¡±

    ¡°Provided you show me you can¡­¡±

    Mom gave Nestra a concerned look. And there it was.

    She was a stranger, and gleam etiquette was to never scold a fellow gleam in front of a baseline. Oh, nobody said it but Nestra knew it worked that way. Mom realized what she¡¯d done, and shame marred her features. But Helena just bounced.

    ¡°Yeah yeah I cleaned my room yesterday. I can be very clean, right Nes?¡± Helena said with a winning smile.

    On this though, Nestra had her mom¡¯s back.

    ¡°Last time I entered your room it smelled like a skunk frat house.¡±

    ¡°TRAITOR! Aughhh. I¡¯m off to class. Gotta catch the bus.¡±

    ¡°I could drive her,¡± Nestra offered, but three voices immediately put a stop to that.

    ¡° ¡ª not safe yet ¡ª¡±

    ¡° ¡ª perimeter search before ¡ª ¡°

    ¡° ¡ª until we know mo ¡ª ¡°

    ¡°Okay! Okay! Riel¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry dear. It¡¯s for your own safety,¡± her mom said.

    Helena shrugged, then left. She didn¡¯t seem too perturbed.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to do that perimeter sweep now,¡± Aunt Claire said. ¡°then I¡¯ll go prepare. Raid starts at dusk.¡±

    She was gone before Nestra could blink.

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± Nestra remembered. ¡°I interrupted your raid, right?¡±

    ¡°Nothing to worry about, dear. We had House associates replace us.¡±

    ¡°A dangerous C-class raid to get your mother back in shape, so to speak,¡± her father said with a smile. ¡°She was the damage dealer this time.¡±

    ¡°I still think I prefer a control role but I agree that this was a great experience. It had been a while since I last froze monsters solid. I will admit that I missed it. Oh, but I digress. Of course, we would return to protect our daughter. Better to interrupt training than risk you, and Aunt Claire has been raiding hard the past couple of years.¡±

    ¡°Dangerous raids too. At this rate, she might overtake me. If she doesn¡¯t bite more than she can chew,¡± her father said.

    He seemed worried.

    ¡°Is there a reason for her drive?¡± Nestra asked.

    ¡°She is saving a lot of money and trading quite a bit. She might be looking into starting her own house. Of course, she still needs a¡­ partner,¡± her father answered.

    ¡°Love, you know that is not a prerequisite,¡± her mom chided him.

    That seemed like an old argument. As soon as Nestra expressed disinterest in the technicalities though, her parents immediately switched topic.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell us more about your problem then?¡±

    They gave her their undivided attention and Nestra knew she wasn¡¯t getting out of explaining what had happened for the, what, third time?

    ¡°Well, sure. So one day, I was doing police things when we came across a blood trail. A mana blood trail¡­¡±

    Nestra explained the whole situation uninterrupted. Her parents listened quietly before admitting this wasn¡¯t their area of expertise. Not that it mattered. They were around for her safety. There were few creatures on the planet who could go through both of them without a major fight. After an awkward discussion, Nestra excused herself to the home¡¯s office where she could make calls unmonitored. It was a small place with actual paper files, which gave it a stuffy feeling. She liked the smell though, and it was insulated.

    Right, time to get herself out of here.

    The first call was to Ragnarok. Nestra used the embedded mask phone¡¯s voice modulator for that one since she didn¡¯t dare to pull the mask off. Her parents might perceive it, somehow. Ragnarok picked up and she sounded amused when Nestra expressed her problem, but the answer came quickly and without appeal.

    ¡°I cannot and will not provide you with stealth tools to escape your predicament. Those are proprietary designs of the military. As a contractor, you simply do not have the clearance to use them. You will need to find a way to leave by yourself.¡±

    ¡°That might take some time,¡± Nestra grumbled.

    ¡°Then it will. Good luck!¡±

    So that was a bust. But she needed, absolutely, to find a way to leave the compound. She couldn¡¯t just stay put for weeks until they found the culprit, if they ever did.

    Nestra had a sneaking suspicion the killer might try to bait her if they grew bored enough. That meant getting at Helena. or Stibbs. Well, maybe not those two, but certainly others.

    Her next attempt was directed at Seth. He listened carefully.

    ¡°If it were not for technology, it would be easier for me to leave,¡± Nestra argued.

    ¡°That is simply not true, little Nezhra. Someone as strong as your human family can hear your heartbeat. If I were to compare it with my own youth, it would be like me trying to leave the imperial palace after my carriage was intercepted by hired assassins. Technology is not the cause of your issues here. However¡­ I am willing to help anyway.¡±

    ¡°Ah? Why?¡±

    ¡°Because I need you out and about so we can seriously start on your resistance training. And because I am facilitating an interesting hunt. The covens would never object to this.¡±

    It made kind of sense to Nestra. The Aszhii clearly wanted her to grow fast, so they would allow some shortcuts so long as those put her in harm¡¯s way.

    ¡°We will do it tonight,¡± Seth said.

    ¡°Ok.¡±

    ¡°In your room, around midnight. See you there.¡±

    Nestra sat on a couch in the office. Now what? She checked her messages. Officer Kim had arranged access to evidence for her.

    That woman sure worked fast.

    ***

    Nestra drove her mom to the precinct in her own pink car, providing a light topic for conversation. That was when Nestra forgot she hadn¡¯t told her mom someone had tried to kill her via drone crash. She was forced to spend the rest of the trip calming the woman down.

    Kim¡¯s appointment was in central, so Nestra fought through the morning rush to Threshold¡¯s trinity, specifically the colossal town hall this time. It was a beautiful early fall day. The sun shone, the cars honked. Nature was healing.

    Nestra grumbled while they parked in one of the dedicated areas ¡ª ten credits an hour. A robbery! Her mother categorically refused to leave her side and the lines near the elevator were packed, so they used the stairs like savages. At the Special Crime level, the lobby let them through without issue.  Her mom just had this calming, cool aura that set people at ease. Only when they came across Officer Kim in the corridor did her mom relinquish the role of guardian. And that was because she couldn¡¯t go further without fighting guards.

    ¡°She will be safe here, near the heart of our government,¡± Officer Kim insisted with a fake smile.

    Mom settled in to wait in a nearby seat. Meanwhile, the pair continued. The gazes changed as soon as Deborah Palladian was out of sight. This was a gleam den populated by people capable of taking on dangerous gleams, many of them retired raiders themselves. Nestra and Kim were clearly pencil pushers of the nosy variety. The change was drastic but in a way, it was back to business as usual for Nestra. Riel, she almost felt at home.

    ¡°It¡¯s over here, behind this door. By regulation, you are not to be left alone so I will stay with you¡­¡± Kim said apologetically.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    The room itself was a cleared out storage space with no windows, only a single table with a datasheet set on it in ¡®read only¡¯ mode. Nestra picked it up. Time to see what the others had found out.

    ***

    Nestra checked the interview transcripts first, confirming that the mercenaries had no idea who they were working for. Comms revealed nothing: all of the messages came through a VPN that didn¡¯t store any of the data it transferred. The trace was simply gone. Of course, this would have been too easy.

    Financials were a bust too. The advance received by the mercenaries was not insignificant ¡ª fifty thousand credits ¡ª but it was delivered via an extra-territorial account from the Chinese mainland. The Shenzhen. They never cooperated with foreign law enforcement.

    At least, whoever had set that up was rich and meticulous. Nestra could be sure of that.

    This left the limo service login, and there she hit the jackpot. Not only had someone connected to the limo tracking from inside the gallery, but they¡¯d also connected to parking cameras via the same unsecured connection. That one could be traced to a public use terminal situated inside of the gallery. There were apparently no cameras inside of the room where it had happened, but maybe there was something there. Credentials. She had to find that terminal.

    The Special Crime division was currently in the process of obtaining a warrant for the gallery.

    ¡°What are the chances of that warrant succeeding?¡± Nestra asked Kim.

    ¡°I am not sure. The event attracted a lot of high gleams who will be displeased with interference. On the other hand, the gleam killer case attracts the attention of the media. It will be successful, however obtaining it might take some time.¡±

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Guess Nestra was burglarizing a museum tonight.

    A part of her wondered if she could steal that nice living lamp she¡¯d seen. Probably not the best idea.

    In any case, the museum had her two best leads: traces of the person who¡¯d followed the interception, and hints about the identity of the anonymous applicant who¡¯d submitted the eye painting. She would need help, however. Nestra was confident as a field operative but she would need some heavy tech support on that one.

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose I can get access to any data on the killer¡¯s other victims?¡±

    ¡°The department refused. I cannot justify it either. We should be grateful they even allowed us this much¡­¡± Kim said, trailing off into silence at the end.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I think they have ulterior motives.¡±

    ¡°They want me to either betray that I know more than I let on, or I act as bait to a killer they are struggling to capture,¡± Nestra said.

    ¡°Why, yes, exactly. You are more perceptive than I expected.¡±

    ¡°Riel. Thanks.¡±

    ¡°None of this between us, Palladian-hubae. I would defer to you if we were to breach a house or kill dokkaebis but from my experience, your diplomacy and politics could use some more work, no? Not to mention¡­ I kept everyone¡¯s attention at bay because you are under me, but I didn¡¯t appreciate finding out about your little¡­ secret outings.¡±

    Kim¡¯s eyes narrowed. Nestra shrugged. She really didn¡¯t want to talk about it too much.

    ¡°I¡¯m not the best at people but I understand the hunt.¡±

    ¡°So it would seem. Are we done here?¡±

    ¡°For now, yes.¡±

    ¡°There is no ¡®for now¡¯ Miss Palladian. Once we leave this room, we will not return.¡±

    ¡°For now as in I can¡¯t think of anything else right now, alright? I know my job,¡± Nestra snapped, before hissing with displeasure.

    At least they were in a private setting or Kim might have lost face. To Nestra¡¯s surprise, however, the older woman breathed to calm herself down.

    ¡°You are correct. You have proven yourself often enough, and my earlier comment was¡­ untimely. It is just that your¡­ nightly sorties are reflecting badly upon me. Not that any of it is illegal but it certainly looks suspicious. You¡¯ve not been doing hits or anything of the sort, right?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Nestra said decisively.

    She knew what it looked like. A part of her wanted to let Kim believe what she wanted as it was safer, but she also didn¡¯t want to be seen as a prostitute. Or rather, an officer moonlighting as a prostitute which was significantly worse in terms of trust.

    Kim sighed.

    ¡°You cannot do this anymore, Nestra. I¡¯m sorry to tell you this since I have no legal or moral imperative to tell you how to live your life, but the world being as it is¡­¡±

    ¡°I know. I¡¯m done,¡± Nestra said.

    And she was. Now that Crescent existed, she was much more mobile.

    Riel, she should get herself a badass motorcycle with a slot for her sword. Maybe a fridge at the back.

    ¡°Good. Good. There might still be repercussions down the line, however¡­¡±

    Nestra shrugged. As expected, people had jumped to conclusions in a way that benefited her.

    ¡°Out of curiosity¡­ I know you¡­ I mean, this is being extremely unprofessional of me¡­¡±

    It was clear the good officer was dying with curiosity.

    ¡°Food,¡± Nestra replied.

    ¡°Oh. Oh! Of course, your medical file is sealed but your colleagues mentioned mana starvation. Is this how you afford to keep hunger at bay?¡±

    Nestra nodded. Let it not be said she was incapable of deception. She was merely horrible at it. As such, nobody ever expected it from her.

    Truly devious of Nestra.

    Nestra pushed back the smile threatening to bloom on her lips. It wasn¡¯t a raid, but outplaying the competent always felt great to her, even if it was really nothing.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head back then. Your mother will be waiting.¡±

    By the time they found Deborah Palladian, the woman had collected three veteran gleams and a cup of cold brew. Nestra realized that she was on the verge of looking as old as her mom. That would be¡­ weird when that happened. If that happened. She didn''t think the mask aged anymore. She would have to see.

    ¡°Are you ready to head back, darling?¡±

    The men¡¯s faces fell when they realized Nestra was a drab. To their credit, they recovered pretty quickly, excusing themselves soon after.

    The ride home was spent catching up.

    ***

    ¡°Stibs!¡±

    ¡°Nestra. Nice of you to call. I¡­ I guess I should have called you earlier but¡­ I felt guilty about leaving you to hang after you opened yourself to me. And after everything I said about loyalty.¡±

    ¡°Oh I figured you had moved on since you spent the night at my bro¡¯s.¡±

    Silence.

    ¡°Oh, hm, was it bad for me to point it out?¡±

    ¡°Way to ruin my heartfelt contrition, asshole. Ok, yeah. I guess you¡¯re people. That¡¯s what matters to me. You¡¯re still who you are and Sereth is still Seth. And I was being an ass for holding your species against you. To be honest, I kind of feel dumb for not figuring Seth out. He¡¯s like¡­ the perfect prince from those cheesy romances, you know? Innocent in some ways, wise and badass beyond his age in others. And the sex! Out of this world. And he finds me special. And calls me his small Anaksi.¡±

    ¡°Err.. that means void flower.¡±

    ¡°Awwww.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me what it looks like, I know it¡¯s a thing, I just don¡¯t know what that thing is.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably rare and exquisite and it smells great all the time. But enough about me. What did you call me for?¡±

    ¡°I need your help to stop a serial killer that may be after me.¡±

    There was a long pause, which was expected after all.

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding?¡±

    ¡°Nope, the gleam killer. They left painted eyes on my front door.¡±

    ¡°Holy SHIT! Riel¡¯s balls is that true?¡±

    ¡°Aunt Claire forcefully repatriated my ass to the family mansion so yes, very much true.¡±

    ¡°Do they know?¡±

    ¡°They do not and you know how old gleams are¡­¡±

    ¡°As a matter of fact, I do not.¡±

    ¡°They saw their families and friends get slaughtered by monsters during the incursion. They are also skilled killers with flash fuses.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I see how that could be a problem.¡±

    ¡°A very final problem; so let¡¯s keep this between us, ok? The Special Crime division is on it, but there are tools that only I can use.¡±

    ¡°Ooooh your special alien powers!¡±

    ¡°No, crime.¡±

    There was another pregnant pause.

    ¡°Alright, I am intrigued. What are you suggesting?¡±

    Nestra briefly explained her plan which wasn¡¯t much of a plan at all. Use demon wall-striding bullshittery to barge in, find terminals and local data points while avoiding security systems, and finally use Stibs¡¯ skills to get what she wanted.

    ¡°So basically I stay tuned in and do a little bit of piracy. You¡¯re aware it¡¯s actually super hard to find vulnerabilities, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m hoping the gallery will be a bit more lax with data safety than the average megacorp.¡±

    ¡°That might be true. Any chance I get some of that sweet gleam credit for it?¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t have to hesitate.

    ¡°Sure, five thousand creds?¡±

    ¡°Holy Riel I am so in. Isn¡¯t that too much?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. The portal gig pays well and I don¡¯t really spend that much. Might as well spread the love.¡±

    ¡°Well, whatever. We¡¯ll get you what you¡¯re looking for. Anything to catch that serial killer, honestly. Alright. I need to do some prep work. What about leaving home? You got a solution for that?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, Seth said he would assist.¡±

    ¡°Aw, that¡¯s why he canceled for tonight. You¡¯re lucky I like you.¡±

    ¡°You can reclaim your perfect demon prince if you help me with this horrible killer. Consider this your quest, young hero,¡± Nestra said with a solemn voice.

    ¡°Awesome. It¡¯s like an old video game intro, except victory comes with a side of orgasm. I¡¯m in. I assume you can¡¯t really research stuff where you are?¡±

    ¡°This is my burner phone. All my coms must be monitored by Special Crime by now.¡±

    ¡°Right. Will send you all the details I got. Don¡¯t research anything or they might get suspicious. I¡¯ll prepare a package and give it to Seth. Would that work?¡±

    ¡°I knew I could count on you.¡±

    ***

    Nestra spent the entire day working out, relaxing, and just generally avoiding the rest of the family. Only when Helena returned did she drag Nestra into a game of VI sword fighting which the younger girl won handily, simply because she was more familiar with the controls. Nestra vowed revenge and then joined everyone for an early dinner.

    It was an awkward experience with Ulysses flatly refusing to engage. He didn¡¯t provoke her though, so Nestra was more than happy to let that dog lie.

    A very early sleep meant she was up around midnight, sitting on her ass and wondering what Sereth planned to do. She didn¡¯t have to wait for long.

    The air shimmered. Mana vibrated. Nestra looked on at the unfamiliar sight of an opening portal inside of the awfully familiar sight of her old room, alien light filtering in through the semi-darkness. Then there was a fist. A massive, obsidian-colored gauntlet punching through reality. Mana exploded, yet remained contained in a small sphere around Nestra. She felt the violation of space with her senses. She knew it was wrong. Too brutish. A complete lack of subtlety. She couldn¡¯t do better yet. Not enough power to initiate the breach but¡­ it was there, coalescing in the chest of her true form.

    The fist was soon replaced by a hand, as if unwrapping itself from the inside. The sight was alien and incomprehensible to her human eyes. It made her brain hiccup, made her want to watch it again until she got it. It was a mask coming out, she realized. Those long fingers were Seth¡¯s human shape.

    They melded. The shape grew smoother, more refined. The skin changed to a paler tone. Some of the hair was reabsorbed. As Nestra watched, the hand settled into a stable form. It now belonged to a shorter person, seen from this angle.

    The portal opened wider and a man stepped out, dressed in Seth¡¯s frequent shirt and cargo pants combo. He was¡­

    ¡°What the fuck?¡±

    ¡°Hello,¡± male Nestra replied in a slightly lower pitch than her own.

    It was as if she had a near identical twin, only male. He was very androgynous with narrow hips and soft features, an effect reinforced by hair that reached to his shoulders. The blond and gray heavenly combo could have made Michaelangelo weep, but the effect was immediately ruined by a crooked smile ¡ª the Seth special. From angel to temptor in a heartbeat.

    ¡°Hello hello, little Nezhra! Sorry about this but this is the best way to fool your parents whenever they check up on you. Which they won¡¯t fail to do in less than five minutes so we gotta keep this short. There is another portal at the opposite end of this micro world. I left your gear at the exit, can¡¯t miss it!¡±

    ¡°Wait, you can just change your Mask like that?¡±

    ¡°Of course! I already told you. We males can adopt many forms while you are limited to your own and one per species.¡±

    ¡°One per species?¡±

    ¡°Oh, hmmm. I was perhaps not supposed to say it? Ah, no matter. We can switch shapes at will while you female Aszhii can only form¡­ that is, you can only have one appearance per species you meld into. You will be able to create your own in a while, but you need to come across a member of the target species first.¡±

    ¡°And murder them?¡±

    ¡°Observation is required. Murder is not. Can still be fun though.¡±

    ¡°Sooooo you can only adopt male appearances?¡±

    Seth winced, as if the very idea was painful.

    ¡°I can adopt a¡­ female-adjacent body-shape. It is extremely uncomfortable, however, hence why I shall be your male mirror for now. Everything will be close enough to fool your parents¡¯ perception.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    ¡°Stibbons has left some equipment for you. I will let you arrange your own transportation.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the help, brother.¡±

    ¡°Aaaaah I am happy you get to experience a good killer hunt. I always loved those.¡±

    He looked around with naked curiosity.

    ¡°Your young den! I shall be respectful. Off you go now, maintaining the portal open is extremely draining.¡±

    ¡°How do I get back?¡±

    ¡°Just come to the same place. The tunnel should be mostly stable for a day.¡±

    ¡°Ok! See ya.¡±

    Nestra shed her human mask, then stepped in.

    ***

    The ¡®portal¡¯ didn¡¯t feel so much like a world as the antechamber of one, like seeing the back of a theater set with all its tethers and paraphernalia. The air smelled stale and the light was dim. Blurry shapes that looked like stunted trees emerged from the distance but Nestra knew they were not here. This was more of a globule nestled between folds of reality than a structured world.

    She found the exit right in front of her, only a few steps away. It looked as if Sereth had clawed a gap between worlds. A tear had formed, bleeding mana. She tsked.

    Those males were so sloppy.

    ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s not my thought.¡±

    The Aszhii part of her brain wasn¡¯t content just dropping an entire language on her psyche, now she was getting the intrusive thoughts as well. It wasn¡¯t right to criticize Sereth when she couldn¡¯t open the way by herself. Nestra slipped through the tear into Threshold¡¯s more pleasant air. She was now standing in some deserted street in a rather nice part of the city, with small apartment buildings and a convenience store manned by a sleepy clerk.

    There was a bag on a wall by her side. Stibbs¡¯ goodies. Nestra didn¡¯t feel anyone and her intuition was silent, so she took the opportunity given to her to take stock.

    The bag contained a heavily altered pair of goggles, a datasheet, and a blocky box with an antenna. That was it. She moved to an alley and opened the datasheet first. There was only one file on it. She started with the ¡®read me¡¯.

    ¡®Ok, here is what I found about the gallery, its layout, and its security system! Read it, then go there. Put the goggles on when you¡¯re nearby to call me, I¡¯ll guide you through everything.¡¯

    Nestra browsed through the rest. The gallery had a pretty complex layout with three floors that compartmentalized the exhibits and the private spaces rather tightly. An extensive basement for storage added to the mix. Stibbs had also found online that North Star Security claimed the gallery as one of its customers, meaning there could be a gleam guard on site.

    ¡°How do I even get to the gallery?¡± Nestra asked nobody in particular.

    There was a bicycle left on the curb. It was locked.

    Tempting, but she wouldn¡¯t steal someone¡¯s bike for the sake of convenience.

    ¡°Whelp. Running it is.¡±

    Stretching her legs after being cooped up in her mask felt great. She kept to parks and roofs, places where cameras were fewer ¡ª no need to alarm a monitoring AI with a pattern of anomalies. Fortunately, Threshold was easy to navigate, the trinity always present as landmarks. It still took her twenty minutes at a good speed just to get there.

    From the ground, the gallery looked more like a select retreat that mere mortals ought not dare visit. The welcoming roof almost felt like a distant memory. High hedges blocked the view of all entrances, leaving only the stern facade of a brutalist structure. Only the large windows gave a hint that this was not just a blockhouse.

    This was it. Nestra put the goggles on. A few seconds later, a voice rang in her ears.

    ¡°Hello. It¡¯s me, S. Do you copy?¡±

    ¡°The agile fox slips into the dragon¡¯s den.¡±

    ¡°Damn glitchy thing. Hello? Nestra?¡±

    Oh yeah, she had to focus on her voice or the thing wouldn¡¯t pick it up.

    ¡°A shadow lurks in the murky darkness of Thressshold City, where dreams come to die¡­¡±

    ¡°Ha ha. So look, I don¡¯t know what their security is like so you¡¯ll have to be careful. First, let¡¯s get you to the security room. You remember the layout?¡±

    ¡°You gave two security rooms.¡±

    ¡°So there are two possible options. I can¡¯t tell you more without seeing the electrical layout, which we won¡¯t, so you¡¯ll have to check both.¡±

    ¡°Then it will be the one that¡¯s underground.¡±

    ¡°If you say so. There should still be a lot of safeties in place, so be careful.¡±

    Nestra considered her options. Cameras wouldn¡¯t pick her up but glitches got investigated. After a moment of consideration, she made her way to the employees entrance off to the side. There was a changing room next to the lobby according to the plan. Rushing forward, she slipped through the walls into a dark room.

    Her intuition remained silent.

    ¡°Wow, that was trippy as hell,¡± Stibbs whispered.

    ¡°You got a feed?¡±

    ¡°Visual, yes. I wasn¡¯t sure it would work with your weird alien aura. Alright, your approach makes sense. There¡¯s probably much less security on the staff side of things.¡±

    Nestra was now standing inside a locker room for safety and janitorial staff. It was fairly small. She slipped through the wall again, this time more slowly to look left and right. The wall didn¡¯t immediately push her out.

    She was getting better at this.

    She should burglarize more places as practice.

    ¡°I¡¯m just going to close my eyes from now on when you do that,¡± Stibbs said with a weak voice.

    Right. Work first.

    Nestra moved through a deserted corridor deeper into the gallery. She came across a few offices, a staff room, and a storage space. Her intuition faintly warned her of cameras of which there were only two. A faint smell of ice mana lingered in the air.

    ¡°Gleam passed here earlier,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°Probably a guard. They must have short rounds.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    Nestra finally found herself directly over the security room, or at least the place she assumed was a security room. There were two mana signatures below her: an icy one, and a light one. Those were serious gleams if they¡¯d unlocked their affinities, but the overall weak power indicated they were probably just not very gifted. She sat down.

    ¡°Nestra?¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    They did, in silence. After five minutes or so, one of the mana signatures grew more distant.

    Nestra passed her head through the floor, catching sight of a closing door and the beep of a lock. The security room was small and filled with servers around a comfortable double desk. Monitors covered one of the walls, a waste of space when visors were a thing but some people preferred it that way. The remaining gleam sat back in an ergonomic chair, fingers playing with a weird toy.

    Nestra slipped through, with Stibbs providing commentary.

    ¡°Shit, I didn¡¯t think there would be two of them. I need you to connect the black box to the local computing unit. That¡¯s¡­ the one right in front of the guard.¡±

    Nestra could see it too. The local unit was just a solid black rectangle in what looked like an EMP-resistant shell. Old but reliable. As Stibbs said, it sat in front of the guard, near his constantly moving right hand. No way he would miss something as obvious as a massive demon girl playing IT.

    Nestra looked around. A can of steaming coffee stood dangerously close to the edge on the other gleam¡¯s side of the desk. Nestra wordlessly approached until she was so close she could smell the guard¡¯s shampoo under the uniform¡¯s hat.

    His head turned up and to the right to look at a distant screen. Quick as a snake, she poked the coffee cup. It fell with a clink, spilling foam all over the concrete floor.

    ¡°Riel fucking dammit.¡±

    The man turned. Nestra plugged the thing in record time.

    The gleam stood with a sigh, Nestra at his back. He leaned down to pick up the fallen cup.

    ¡°Oh shit! On it!¡± Stibbs said.

    On the main screen, an installation bar opened. Several windows opened and shut, then a new program switched to full screen, showing the exact same camera feed as before. It had taken less than half a second. By then, the D-class gleam had finished wiping the foam, and was halfway to the trash bin.

    ¡°Remove the¡ª¡±

    Nestra unplugged the box. The gleam was turning.

    She used momentum to teleport to his back.

    He tilted his head, icy iris inspecting his seat. Nestra took a few step backs until her back was to the wall.

    ¡°Huh,¡± the gleam said. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Just your cup falling on the ground you daft fucker. Yeah yeah.¡±

    ¡°Oh he¡¯s talking to the other guard,¡± Stibbs said.

    Nestra walked through the wall. She was in a brightly lit corridor with steps leading up. A locked security gate to her left led to the art storage if her map was accurate.

    ¡°Riel dammit Nestra you¡¯re an artist. Never seen anything like that, even on vids! You have a bright career ahead of you, haha. Ok, I¡¯m just getting admin rights aaaaaand we¡¯re good. I have access to their feed. Damn, the exhibition rooms have lasers and motion sensors. Ok, first thing first, let me explore their systems a bit.¡±

    Nestra moved up the stairs, dodging a camera and walking through two walls until she was in the staff room again. Interestingly, it didn¡¯t have any cameras.

    ¡°Ok,¡± Stibbs said after a good twenty minutes. ¡°I found the guest list, camera footage of the night of the exhibition, and information on the ¡®anonymous donors¡¯ who contributed their work. If you can, you need to head up to the director¡¯s office because I can¡¯t access her files from the security network.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get started then.¡±

 Part 33

    Nestra still struggled with wall slip going up. There was a trick to it, which was to jump and activate the skill with perfect timing. Unfortunately, she had not mastered it yet, and since face-planting then screaming obscenities in Aszhii wasn¡¯t conducive to stealth, she hauled her demon ass through the stairs like a pedestrian. Fortunately, the staff side had a dearth of cameras, and the patrolling gleam made no effort to hide his steps. She just followed in his wake at a careful distance and all went well.

    Stibbs quietly guided her to the director¡¯s office, which was suitably nestled on the last floor, with windows overlooking the nearby streets. Nestra plugged the black box into its computer, then Stibbs booted the thing and basically copied the entire local hard drive onto an isolated unit.

    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m done. You can leave if you want, or stay in case there is something more we need to find.¡±

    Nestra¡¯s intuition told her there was something wrong about one of the paintings. A quick inspection confirmed there was a safe hidden there, but she didn¡¯t think there would be anything of interest to her specifically.

    She decided to sit down on the comfortable couch nearby.

    ¡°Right. We can have a look at what we already have.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s start with the identity of the anonymous contestants. There¡¯s three, one for each anonymous work. Which one did you want to check?¡±

    ¡°I, errr.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t remember the name of the killer¡¯s painting.

    ¡°Fuck. Hsss, it has this big eye¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t see the painting on a damn spreadsheet, dumbass. What¡¯s its name?¡±

    ¡°I forgot.¡±

    ¡°Ok, well, I have one by a certain Ivan Tennison? Name¡¯s ¡®leaves and returns¡¯. If only I could check his file¡­ I don¡¯t have access to the police database anymore. Maybe I can ask around.¡±

    ¡°Use my ID? Hello? Still a cop?¡± Nestra said.

    ¡°Oooh yeah sorry. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Sending it to you now.¡±

    ¡°Riiiight. Ok. Tennison, wow, he has quite a few cases of petty theft. An art student from Central. Damn, he¡¯s good. Many prizes.¡±

    ¡°Baseline?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Unlikely.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, you¡¯re right. He¡¯s not auged either. Well, nothing beyond a smartlink. No current affiliation with a corp or anything either. Bit of a wild one. Looks like he¡¯ll get the materials he wants by stealing them if he can¡¯t afford them.¡±

    ¡°No. Next?¡±

    ¡°Ok, well, I got a Liu Moli. Also a baseline. Wow, she¡¯s a janitor for the Museum of Modern Art! Over forty as well.¡±

    Nestra considered it. It could be someone using her identity since a janitor was vulnerable yet had access to many places.

    ¡°Tell me more?¡±

    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s taking night classes for sculpture.¡±

    ¡°Sculpture? Is her piece a sculpture?¡±

    ¡°Errr, the name is ¡®etudes, bronze, steel, and jade¡¯.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a sssculpture. Last one?¡±

    ¡°The Sight by Carmelita Cortez. Hmmm.¡±

    ¡°That is definitely the one.¡±

    Stibbs sighed. Nestra knew she¡¯d found something but she waited a bit more.

    ¡°The real Carmelita died last year at the ripe age of 87.¡±

    ¡°Is everything in the profile fake?¡±

    ¡°Yep. Even the linked bank account to receive a cash prize is fake. Damn, the killer really doesn¡¯t give a shit about money.¡±

    ¡°So, a bust.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Maybe we can interrogate the Head of the Gallery?¡±

    ¡°Special Crime will do it. Demon Nestra will not. Too risky. If the fine Special Crime folks find ssssomething valuable, then good for them. We don¡¯t have the authority and I don¡¯t want to resort to kidnapping.¡±

    ¡°You think Special Crime might succeed?¡± Stibbs asked.

    She sounded genuinely curious.

    ¡°They could, but it will not be on time. I will need to¡­. lure it.¡±

    ¡°It?¡±

    ¡°Them. The prey. Hsss. Playing with my house. All my food stuck in freezerssss.¡±

    ¡°Errr okay. Well. I think we¡¯re done here? I wouldn¡¯t know what else to look for.¡±

    Nestra had a good idea about something she could do here but first, there was the terminal where the login had been made. Unfortunately, that proved to be a bust. It was a free access terminal used by guests that didn¡¯t keep any data between sessions. Nestra shrugged. It had been a long shot anyway.

    ¡°Ok, I will head back. We have the security camera footage to check out.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯d like to help if possible.¡±

    ¡°This issss an illegal task force. Are you alright with it?¡±

    Stibbs didn¡¯t hesitate a single second.

    ¡°We¡¯re going after a serial killer. I think I already made it clear I wasn¡¯t a fan of procedures that got in the way of safety or justice.¡±

    ¡°Fair.¡±

    Nestra headed out, then back the same way she¡¯d come from, leaving her gear in the same spot she¡¯d found it in. The tunnel through the false world was already closing, but she managed to push her way through anyway, slipping back into her room face first. She ended up nose to nose with her human male Nestra twin. It was as disturbing now as it had been the first time.

    ¡°I am jealous of you women, sometimes. How do you touch the fabric of the world with such ease?¡± Seth asked in a voice with familiar intonations.

    ¡°Stop it, you¡¯re freaking me out.¡±

    His form morphed in a mind-defying move that eventually left her facing Seth¡¯s default human form.

    ¡°Ah, I apologize. It must be traumatic, and remind you of the possibility of having one¡¯s identity stolen. I assume it would be worse if you were male.¡±

    ¡°Probably yeah. But hmmm. Thanks for the help tonight.¡±

    ¡°Your mother came by but she didn¡¯t intrude, and she didn¡¯t feel anything off. Her perception is amazing though! I pretended to wake up and she noticed through the door. Our fa ¡ª hmmm.¡±

    ¡°Our father chose well?¡± Nestra said, unamused.

    She could imagine the ears of his true form drooping sadly.

    ¡°I apologize. It was callous of me.¡±

    ¡°Bah. Thanks for the help. You should leave now or Stibbs will complain.¡±

    ¡°Right! I hope you had fun. We can do this again if you need to get out.¡±

    ¡°Probably. I¡¯ll let you know.¡±

    Nestra yawned. It was getting quite late so she went to sleep, finally back to a demon schedule.

    ***

    The kitchen was deserted and her eggs were cold but that was ok. Nestra ate, then it was time for the normal part of detective work she¡¯d managed to avoid so far by virtue of being a bonehead (by vocation). Well not really, but MaxSec people by and large were not the intellectual sort.

    She had to find every last person who¡¯d have access to the terminal used to watch her limo, and ID them. She settled in the office with a large cup of coffee then got to work with some nice background music to cover the swearing. Thankfully, there was software she could use to help her but it still took Stibbs and her the better part of the morning to sort through all of the footage. The issue was that she wasn¡¯t the only one who could get through walls and locked doors. Only gleams who were visible on camera at the time of the attack could be reasonably cleared.

    To Nestra¡¯s relief, Miss Teneru was having an animated conversation with young baselines at the right moment. The gleam artist was busying herself with an improvised guided visit to the delight of excited socialites, which didn¡¯t completely erase her as a suspect but¡­ yeah probably unlikely. The Sight Killer was a bit of a voyeur, so she expected they would want to watch on the spot. And she couldn¡¯t picture the bubbly Teneru killing people either.

    There were quite a few potential suspects so Nestra narrowed the list further. There were no ways to check alibis since gleams had only one answer for private detectives who came to ask about their business and that answer was ¡®fuck off¡¯. She ended with a short list of people who were gleams, not on camera during the incident, not B-class since the Sight killer was unlikely to hunt much weaker gleams, not low D-class since those couldn¡¯t have killed several experienced raiders, and of a matching affinity. The shortlist only had two names. Both were pretty promising.

    The first one was a raider, a recently promoted C-class shadow gleam going by Ji-Ah. Nestra checked her profile: Korean, short black hair, guarded in every picture she was in. The police file mentioned she¡¯d had a difficult childhood as a daughter of poor immigrants from ravaged Changang, bordering China. She might have something to prove. Nestra made a note.

    The other suspect was an architect, John Stonegrave of the eponymous House. He¡¯d started a promising career as a raider before converting to architecture. Nestra immediately checked his website, hoping for a gotcha moment, but Stonegrave favored the streamlined, minimalistic steel and glass structures that had remained the mainstream since the Incursion. The neo-classical grandeur of the mausoleum was the kind of shit even rich gleams tried to avoid. They preferred their wealth understated. He was still an interesting prospect.

    ¡°Ok, we got two good candidates. Now what?¡± Stibbons asked.

    ¡°Hmmm.¡±

    Nestra checked if Miss Teneru had any background in architecture ¡ª she didn¡¯t.

    Well, Nestra needed an in. Teneru was looking less and less like a person of interest, and she clearly knew a ton about art, the people living from it, and also she was willing to talk to Nestra.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to recruit some help.¡±

    ***

    Nestra did have Teneru¡¯s contact information, and the gleam sounded pleasantly surprised to have her on the visor.

    ¡°Why yes, darling. That is an exciting proposition. A killer hidden among the artists? How delightfully shocking.¡±

    ¡°You believe me? Just like that?¡±

    ¡°You are making compelling arguments. I will also say that I heard from a little birdie that our dear Director Shizuna was under pressure. Now I know why. Poor dear must want to avoid getting the high ones splattered by the mud of this serial killer scandal. My oh my, but that will certainly make the winter season one to remember. Ah, but why are you asking me?¡±

    ¡°I am making inquiries on my end.¡±

    ¡°On your end? On the down low? All sneaky like?¡± Teneru said with a distinct mirth in her voice.

    ¡°You got it. And I thought we could meet if you¡¯re alright with it. I have many questions that only an insider like you could answer.¡±

    ¡°I am intrigued, of course, but first I want to ask: why are you looking for this dangerous person? It sounds incredibly foolish.¡±

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°That person is likely the one who tried to have me captured, so now it¡¯s personal. And they might try again.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm this makes a lot of sense, however, I will now lead to the next important question: why do you believe it would be a good idea for you to find them? My understanding is that they pick raiders as victims. Surely, that would mean they might kill you easily, no?¡±

    ¡°I will be carrying¡­ countermeasures. A safety net, if you will.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm. Well, if anything, I can help you with the explaining part. And I want to hear everything, of course! I assume there is no secrecy around the ¡®case¡¯ if you are doing it¡­ on the sly. Oh, darling, how exciting! I will send you my address. Come whenever you can!¡±

    ¡°Alright. One moment please.¡±

    Nestra came down to find a parent, so she wouldn¡¯t be stopped at the gate like a thief.

    ¡°MOOOOM!¡±

    ¡°Yes dear?¡±

    ¡°I need to go out.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ride with you!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I figured.¡±

    Nestra took off in her pink convertible with her mom in the passenger seat. The ice mage of the Palladians was fidgeting. Nestra let her stew in her anxiety for a couple of minutes before giving up.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You know, you could ask your father to accompany you, sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Oh I can already tell how it will go. You should do this. You should do that. You will now join our house as third wheel accountant so we can protect you from existence.¡±

    ¡°Clytemnestra.¡±

    ¡°Oops, I¡¯m in trouble.¡±

    Mom sighed. Deeply.

    ¡°Your father cares about you.¡±

    ¡°I know. He¡¯s just not capable of listening.¡±

    ¡°People change. We have changed as well. Your departure left a painful wound that took a long time to stop hurting.¡±

    ¡°But it was necessary since you were desperately looking for the wrong answers to an unsolvable problem. And don¡¯t tell me you were not relieved to see the back of me.¡±

    ¡°We just¡­ had trouble accepting.¡±

    ¡°Poor you,¡± Nestra said, this time looking her mother in her eyes. In her gleam eyes. ¡°Looks like Ulysses hasn¡¯t accepted at all, yet.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s worked very hard.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure. As did absolutely everyone else. He just wasn¡¯t used to it.¡±

    ¡°Clytemnestra please. Be kind.¡±

    Nestra took off on the connective highway perhaps a little too fast.

    The car remained quiet for almost five minutes before Mom gave it another go.

    ¡°You could work with us. It¡¯s not so bad.¡±

    ¡°You still don¡¯t get it,¡± Nestra spat. ¡°I didn¡¯t leave because you threw me out. I left because you were going to shelve me. I still want to fight and do things and exist as a person, not be a failed gleam in a family of real gleams where I¡¯d be the freak show all my damn life. I wanted to be Nestra and not that misbegotten Palladian chick who can¡¯t catch a break.¡±

    ¡°No one would dare say that in our House.¡±

    Nestra was struck with disbelief.

    ¡°Surely you can¡¯t be that naive?¡±

    ¡°Clytemnestra! Wait¡­ Did you feel that?¡±

    Mana surged in a wave, ebbing and flowing in a moment. It tasted raw and unfiltered, with a nauseating aftertaste like something burnt and rotten at the same time. Nestra had never felt it herself from this close but she recognized it from documentaries. It could only be one thing.

    A portal break. Left side. Now? Now of all damn times?

    ¡°Nestra!¡±

    ¡°Go! I¡¯ll take the next exit and help with evacuation. Go!¡±

    ¡°You be careful!¡±

    ¡°Of course. Got the beacon if I¡¯m in trouble.¡±

    Nestra swerved into the nearest off ramp, then she felt a pang of stress when her mom opened the door mid-ride. It was for nothing, of course. The High gleam stepped out of the speeding car like it was nothing. Right, focus on the road. But first¡­

    ¡°This is Officer Clytemnestra Palladian. Got a portal break in district Twenty-six, south of¡­ Busan road and fifty-seventh. I repeat, breach breach breach.¡±

    ¡°Copy that. Mana echo confirmed. Alarm triggered. Sending you the coordinates of the nearest shelter. Nearest rescue team will be there in four minutes.¡±

    Tires screeching, Nestra parked her car on the curb within view of the shelter. This place was a residential hub with plenty of small shops selling stuff anyone could get from drones anyway. No building taller than three floors. The quaint and peaceful aura was already broken as children and elderlies raced past, visors beeping insistently. Sirens were already blaring. She rushed to open her trunk.

    Her fingers found the familiar handle of the Window Maker.

    ¡°Old buddy, it¡¯s time to make new openings.¡±

    Nestra pocketed four spare bullets and a standard issue ¡®emotional support knife¡¯, so called because they wouldn¡¯t save anyone. Bemoaning her choice of fashionable attire, she raced towards the breach, corralling civilians as she went. Fortunately, the viscera laden educational videos they aired in school did a great job convincing most people that a full break was no joke.

    At least Nestra wasn¡¯t wearing heels this time.

    ¡°Officer Palladian?¡± the operator asked in her visor.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Are you armed, willing and able?¡±

    ¡°Yes. To all three.¡±

    ¡°Then on a volunteer basis, you may assist with the evacuation of the Perry Center for Reeducation. Sending you the coordinates now. A team of junior raiders will join you in¡­ two minutes.¡±

    A new mana wave expanded, making Nestra¡¯s world lurch. The pulse was very close now and Nestra judged it had to be fairly strong. A second later, a blue radiance emerged from a few blocks away. The temperature dropped a few degrees.

    Her mom would slaughter anything that came through that opening. Unfortunately, the first wave of monsters was already out, and she doubted her mom had gotten them all. Nestra sprinted forward. The center was only a block away. The nearest alarm cut off to an audible hiss.

    ¡°That can¡¯t be good.¡±

    Nestra turned the street at a dead sprint, spooking a pair of nurses loading unconscious patients into an antique ambulance. Others, wearing scrubs, waited by the gates. The tallest nurse waved at her. He was doing his best to remain calm, but Nestra could see the tension in his shoulders.

    ¡°Police,¡± she summarily said.

    ¡°Oh thank Riel. We can¡¯t take them all at once. Can you guard ¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, can¡¯t split up. Never split up unless you¡¯re already overwhelmed,¡± Nestra said.

    This was the damn SOP for portal breaks. Did these people know nothing?

    ¡°Is that everyone?¡± Nestra asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re still waiting on Doctor Phang. One of our patients needed immediate care¡­¡±

    ¡°Make sure everyone is ready.¡±

    Another blue flash in the distance. A wave of ice mana brushed against her skin, so strong she could feel it as if it were just under her fingers. That meant her mom was really going wild now that most of the portal¡¯s surroundings were either empty or¡­ emptied. Nestra checked to make sure the Window Maker¡¯s safety was off. An old habit.

    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± a tiny old woman yelped.

    She was pushing a wheelchair holding a barely conscious girl with a prosthetic leg. A mana tool was strapped toit¡¯s back.

    ¡°Ok, start moving straight down the street while I cover our backs,¡± Nestra ordered.

    ¡°The shelter is this way?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to turn right anyway, so first let¡¯s get away from the portal and¡­¡±

    Movement. Nestra felt sickly mana before she could clearly see it. Something was hanging from a nearby roof.

    ¡°Leg it,¡± she ordered.

    ¡°What the ¡ª¡±

    Monster. Low D-class, she judged. More than enough to turn the entire staff to minced meat within the next six seconds if it wasn¡¯t stopped. It was a bipedal creature with a thick torso, seemingly covered in kelp and shells. Black eyes lodged deep into its misshapen skull watched her without emotion. It clung to the wall with arm-long claws that dug into the fucking concrete like it was styrofoam. Its lamprey mouth contracted, teeth glistening in the morning sun. The creature howled. It was like an angry wind roaring through broken windows.

    Nestra lined up the shot while the beast called for its brethren.

    BOOM.

    She winced. The monster fell, chest pulped clean through.

    ¡°Ow, my fucking ears.¡±

    Riel dammit, being caught off guard like this. No muffler. No sword. Shit, she needed a human sword for human Nestra. Nest time she¡¯d pack a fucking 10mm short rifle with explosive bullets. Might help with the traffic too.

    ¡°DAMMIT.¡±

    The other monsters were definitely on their way now. Manahominid something. Crustaceus maybe. She turned around, finding the civvies stuck with their mouths open like a bunch of cardboard cutouts.

    ¡°What are you waiting for? The rest of the pack? FUCKING MOVE!¡±

    They did, and quickly as well. The ambulance led the pack at a serious walking speed while the nurses and doctors did their best to push the non-motorized wheelchairs forward. A patient with a brand new auged arm was dragging another with bandaged eyes. To their credit, no one panicked. They stayed to help each other.

    Nestra quickly replaced the spent cartridge just as a trio of monsters barreled in from a side street. One of them had bloodied claws with pieces of some unfortunate person stuck in them. Another mana wave made Nestra wince but the blue radiance returned with a vengeance. This was a bad break, dammit. She thought those no longer happened.

    The first monster veered towards her. They were as fast as cars, despite their lumbering gait. Damn mana.

    She laid them out one by one. Center mass, no bullshit. Those creatures clearly had spines.

    BOOM.

    Wince, line up again.

    BOOM.

    So fast. A screech but the creature fell. the last one was upon her. A wave of iodine and rot like the sea at low tide washed over her. The creature hissed or breathed audibly. Claws extended towards her.

    BOOM.

    Nestra blew its head off. She didn¡¯t wait, replacing the three spent cartridges and burning her fingertips.

    ¡°Aaaah,¡± she complained to no one in particular.

    Slow humans and medical mana tools. They had to smell like a damn open buffet to anything around.

    Right. Four rounds left, then it was demon Nestra or bust.

    ¡°Coming in hot!¡± someone screamed from behind loud enough for Nestra to hear over her ringing ears.

    Damn Mazingwe was going to do ear repair and testing for an entire morning.

    Three gleams raced in from behind. Young ones. They still had the very light blue eyes of those who¡¯d not yet unlocked any affinity. D-class but well-trained from their steady mana signatures, they couldn¡¯t be a day over eighteen. One boy and two girls. The boy was a mage in armor while the girls both used spears. The lead girl approached with a frown, black ponytail swaying with every step.

    ¡°Civilians must stick together! Please rejoin the ¡ª¡±

    Only then did she see the body. Nestra waved her ID in the gleam¡¯s nose.

    ¡°Nestra Palladian, with Internal Affairs.¡±

    ¡°You should still return with the other baselines please. let us do our job without interference.¡±

    Another howl. Nestra heard heavy stomps. Something was coming.

    ¡°Need to screen for the civvies. I¡¯ll cover you,¡± she said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your cover, I need you to get out of my way.¡±

    ¡°Less talking, more preparing; Here they are.¡±

    Another four hominid things turned the corner onto the street. Those all had bloody claws, so Nestra assumed they¡¯d gone the other way and found prey, probably before her mom parked herself in front of the portal to flash freeze everything that came out. The stomping turned out to be some sort of stone colossus half again as tall as Nestra¡¯s true form, its surface made of coral and littered with slavering mouths. This one she didn¡¯t recognize, but the young gleams did.

    ¡°Shit, coral titan!¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the core?¡± Nestra asked.

    The smaller creatures stuck around the tall one in a loose formation, giving the defending forces a small window. Nestra thought she sensed mana concentrated in the titan¡¯s chest, but the air was saturated by the waves, and her human senses were duller than the true ones. Better to be sure.

    ¡°Monsters of this level don¡¯t have a physical ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Torso, dead center. Slightly above the larger mouth,¡± the mage said, interrupting his leader.

    ¡°Right,¡± Nestra replied.

    Said mouth opened wide as the titan¡¯s escorts accelerated. Nestra stepped to the side for a clear shot, making sure not to cross the mage¡¯s line of fire.

    BOOM.

    An eruption of stone and viscera but no breakthrough. Damn, this had to be a seriously resilient D-class creature.

    The trio of gleams valiantly engaged the four monsters. With the mage¡¯s supporting bolts, they held on but one of the beasts still made it towards Nestra.

    BOOM.

    Damn waste of time. Aim for the colossus again.

    BOOM.

    It lurched and the shot went a bit too high, to the left. A massive flow of putrid blood spilled out onto the concrete.

    BOOM.

    Finally got the core. Nestra dropped the blisteringly hot Window Maker. The mage managed to take down one of the creatures attacking the lead girl while the second spearwoman pinned her monster to the ground, but the lead woman still fell on her back, shaft blocking eight ravenous claws. The lamprey mouth closed in. Another bolt slammed into the monster¡¯s shoulder, causing it to bleed a little.

    As it reeled, Nestra threw the emotional support knife. The useless thing almost hit the eye but it failed to penetrate even the facial skin.

    It still gave the lead girl the opening she needed. Bracing against the beast, she pushed with both feet and managed to send it stumbling with a cry. She rammed her spear in its mouth before it could recover.

    The entire group was left breathing hard, bloody, yet victorious.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± the leader whispered.

    ¡°WHAT?¡±

    ¡°I said, thank you,¡± she repeated with a glare made heavy with hurt pride.

    ¡°OH SORRY. LET ME GRAB A REGEN PATCH.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s deafened,¡± the mage explained.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Nestra sulked. She wasn¡¯t deaf. Just half deaf. The regen patches went on her neck and the pain and ringing in her eardrums lessened in moments. That wouldn¡¯t stop Mazingwe from nagging her during her next checkup, of course.

    ¡°That¡¯s some nice gun you got there,¡± the second girl said after checking that the civvies were ok.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the gun, it¡¯s the bullets. Crushed crystal. I just shot four thousand creds worth of ammo,¡± Nestra grumbled.

    ¡°Ouch,¡± the mage allowed.

    ¡°Cheaper than a memorial,¡± the lead girl added.

    Which was true enough.

    Fortunately, that seemed to be the last of it. There were no new mana pulses, which meant that either her mom or someone else had closed the portal.

    ¡°There¡¯s going to be more of them! Do you have more bullets?¡± the lead girl asked.

    Nestra waved the girl¡¯s concerns away.

    ¡°My mo¡ª¡±

    Nestra hesitated. She didn¡¯t have the patience or inclination to explain.

    ¡°I was driving with a gleam. She¡¯s gone ahead. There could be stragglers but I think we¡¯re good for large groups.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± the leader asked.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m pretty fucking sure. The pulses stopped and it¡¯s quiet. Surely you¡¯ve felt the ice mana, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, we did,¡± the lead girl said with annoyance.

    They trotted back towards the shuffling column of nurses and patients.

    ¡°You can certainly defend yourself,¡± lead girl admitted in the awkward silence.

    ¡°Ex MaxSec.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a max sex?¡± the male mage asked with a forced chuckle.

    He blushed when nobody smiled.

    ¡°Maximum Security,¡± Nestra explained when it was clear the gleams didn¡¯t know what she was talking about. ¡°We used to be called against dangerous criminals, dokkaebi, terrorists. That sort of thing. We¡¯re phased out now.¡±

    ¡°Damn you¡¯re pretty young to be a fossil,¡± the mage said.

    There was another awkward silence.

    ¡°Thanks. Oh, there¡¯s the shelter.¡±

    As per protocol and because she didn¡¯t have anything left, Nestra accompanied the civilians into the shelter. A brief call with dispatch later, Nestra was left with Officer Kim on the line.

    ¡°Well, you certainly seem to find yourself at the wrong place and wrong time rather often,¡± the amused woman told her.

    ¡°First time I¡¯m caught in a break in¡­ forever. Unlucky, I guess. I just got the feeling they¡¯re increasing in frequency.¡±

    ¡°They are,¡± a voice said from behind, nevermind that her visor was almost quiet.

    ¡°Mom!¡±

    Deborah Palladian walked down the steps to Nestra¡¯s current spot near the control room with all the grace of a dancer. She didn¡¯t have a scratch, of course, but there were a few crystals of frozen blood clinging to her designer shoes. A few people watched her go by with the sort of blank look reserved for unexpected high gleams.

    ¡°Threshold has the greatest concentration of portals on the planet. We have a great advanced warning system but alas, human error is often to blame for tragedies. This portal was in a temporarily closed building project. I don¡¯t know why the cameras didn¡¯t pick it up.¡±

    ¡°Hold on,¡± Officer Kim said.

    Nestra patiently waited until the officer¡¯s furious voice returned.

    ¡°The construction company declined to pay the electricity bill. I expect this error will cost them significantly more. Unacceptable,¡± she grumbled.

    ¡°I heard you saved a group of people,¡± Nestra¡¯s mom said, grabbing her by the shoulder. ¡°You did well.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I like to do that. You know, win.¡±

    ¡°By your own merit,¡± Mom said.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Mom hummed softly.

    ¡°I always assumed that since you could not be a raider, then it would be better if you left the path of violence but¡­ I suppose it was foolish. You may not have a core but that doesn¡¯t change how you feel about fighting. I apologize for not seeing that.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Thanks, mom.¡±

    ¡°Maybe Hector and I are to blame. If we hadn¡¯t pushed you so hard¡­¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have changed anything!¡± Nestra complained. ¡°I love swords because I just do.¡±

    ¡°Right. Good.¡±

    ¡°I hate to interrupt,¡± Officer Kim said. ¡°However, I would like to know if you believe this could be linked to our current case.¡±

    Mom frowned.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see how it could be? Sometimes, there are just coincidences. I don¡¯t think even Central can predict the timing of a breach.¡±

    ¡°I agree, but I wanted the opinion of an experienced raider as well. That was all I wanted to check. Miss Palladian, Doctor Phang and her staff reported that they owe you their lives, and Iris Dian of the Rising Stars Guild commended you for your actions during the crisis. You have done very well. I am pleased to say that it will reflect very positively on your report.¡±

    ¡°Oh good.¡±

    Nestra stole a glance towards her oblivious mother. Better not let her know about her current little problems.

    ¡°And now I will let you get back to your day.¡±

    ¡°We will, thanks.¡±

    Nestra hung up.

    ¡°Does your superior know you have taken the case?¡± Mom asked with a fake innocent smile that sent shivers down Nestra¡¯s spine.

    Mom used to have the same smile when she asked who¡¯d bought a concert ticket using her account.

    ¡°Errr.¡±

    ¡°Clytemnestra Palladian.¡±

    ¡°Pleaaaaaase I just can¡¯t stay home twiddling my thumbs.¡±

    ¡°We could practice together,¡± her mom offered.

    Exhilaration filled Nestra¡¯s chest, but she fell back a step immediately. Stilling her heart, she addressed the terrible temptress.

    ¡°You almost got me. And no, later. I want to ask questions and I can¡¯t rely on the cops to find out about the killer, ok? They¡¯ve got nothing to show for their efforts so far.¡±

    ¡°That you know of.¡±

    ¡°If I get slapped on the wrist, I¡¯ll stop.¡±

    Mom sighed, but she knew she couldn¡¯t really stop Nestra.

    ***

    It didn¡¯t take very long for Nestra to be let out. Technically, the shelter could force her to stay for up to a day for safety reasons, but her mom¡¯s presence just made everything easy. Deborah Palladian had single-handedly held the gate until a fast response team arrived, then she¡¯d moved in while they watched the entrance, mowing down the opposition including the guardian in record time before flying around to hunt down errant monsters. She was the hero of the moment.

    It must feel nice to be a high gleam, Nestra thought. But not as nice as having a Kero nut crunching under her teeth.

    ¡°What did you mean, the occurrence of breaks is increasing?¡± Nestra asked as they drove up the ramp.

    Police officers removed the blockade to let them through. Truly, her mother¡¯s smile could open any gate.

    ¡°Oh it¡¯s just natural. The number of portals is increasing, as is the number of raiders. Threshold was built here for a reason. The danger is high, but the opportunities¡­¡±

    There was something her mom wasn¡¯t telling her.

    ¡°What sort of opportunities?¡±

    ¡°All the wealth the portals contain, dear. Now enough of this. Focus on the road.¡±

    Nestra knew a redirection when she heard one, but further questions all hit the wall of smiles her mom used when she had decided enough was enough. Nestra gave up. They were almost at Teneru¡¯s anyway.

    ***

    Miss Teneru defied Nestra¡¯s expectation by not living in a manor with gargoyles and a room full of fancy hats. The painter¡¯s studio was sober and tastefully decorated, but also clearly lived in. Priceless paintings and statues shared the space with old handbags, dirty mugs, and an impressive collection of teas. Miss Teneru looked much less dramatic in a simple summer dress that made Nestra overdressed by comparison. She listened carefully to Nestra¡¯s explanation as to why she was late.

    ¡°That¡¯s perfectly acceptable darling, glad that you didn¡¯t get mangled. Now; shall we talk about murder?¡±

 Part 34

    Miss Teneru was more than eager to talk about the exhibit since she¡¯d stayed there until it closed. Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t much to learn that seemed relevant at the time. The rumors and gossip of the artistic gleam world hardly felt relevant, not when the suspect was an outsider who used the event as a way to show off. She still offered to accompany Nestra for a little bit after confirming she had a gleam protector.

    ¡°Unless you prefer to go with your bodyguard.¡±

    ¡°I would rather not. She doesn¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing, exactly. It would only worry her.¡±

    ¡°Hiding things from a B-class?¡±

    ¡°B-class tend to make people scared. It¡¯s going to be difficult to fish for reactions on someone who is constantly afraid. I would rather keep the discussions casual so I can catch some reactions. Your presence might help, although I¡¯m skirting so many rules¡­¡±

    ¡°Then what¡¯s one more!¡±

    Nestra thought about it. She was already bullshitting her way through something she wasn¡¯t trained to do. At least, having two people including one gleam asking questions would look more natural than a single baseline going around looking for her own death.

    Also, Nestra hadn¡¯t had a partner since Shinoda. Felt weird to go it alone.

    Damn it would have been much easier with the old bastard leading the dance.

    Unfortunately, Nestra had to rely on her own wit and experience leading a police investigation. It wasn¡¯t looking too good. Having an extra pair of eyes might help.

    ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll go to see Stonegrave first.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know him! Cold, handsome, very quiet about his retirement. Who¡¯s the other one?¡±

    ¡°A raider called Ji-Ah.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t had the pleasure.¡±

    By then, they were at the car and Teneru laughed when she saw Nestra¡¯s mom.

    ¡°Your bodyguard is your mother? Now that is so precious.¡±

    Nestra felt like she was eight again.

    ***

    John Stonegrave didn¡¯t have an office. Instead, he worked from his home, renting a meeting room in a nearby high-rise if he needed to meet with customers. His home reflected his style of architecture: streamlined, aerial, minimalistic, with plenty of glass. It looked pleasant at first glance, almost exposed, but the glass was mostly mirrors and the subtle touch of earth mana spoke of secrets and hidden protections. Nestra met him with Teneru, with her mom staying in the car. It was the safest pick.

    Stonegrave had not answered their call, so Nestra showed up in person. He opened the door  after some delay. He didn¡¯t look pleased.

    John Stonegrave was a tall man with lean muscles he¡¯d kept from his raiding days. With aristocratic features and graying temples, he bore an aura of sophisticated elegance reinforced by a cotton shirt and gray slacks. He frowned when he met Nestra¡¯s eyes. It was rare for a gleam like him to pay attention to the dreg while ignoring an obvious user, but he did.

    ¡°Who are you and to what do I owe the pleasure?¡±

    ¡°I am Nestra Palladian, with Threshold¡¯s Internal Affairs. This is Miss Teneru, who¡¯s acting as a consultant for this case. Would you mind answering some questions?¡±

    ¡°What is this about?¡± he replied in a bored voice.

    ¡°Your presence at the Collective¡¯s event a couple of days ago. We could use your help with some questions. Won¡¯t take long.¡±

    A minute change came over Stonegrave¡¯s face, so fleeting Nestra might have missed it if she hadn¡¯t been looking for it. Surprise. Fear. She¡¯d hit¡­ something.

    ¡°Yes I would absolutely mind answering questions. Unless you are charging me with something, or bringing me in for questioning, then I have nothing to tell you. What did you say your name was again?¡±

    ¡°Clyetemnestra Palladian, Internal Affairs.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s Internal Affairs doing investigating an art event?¡± he asked with naked suspicion.

    ¡°I would love to tell you. May we come in?¡±

    ¡°No. No, no. I am very busy. If we must talk, go through my lawyer. Good day.¡±

    He pretty much slammed the door into their face.

    ¡°Well, that went well,¡± Teneru chirped. ¡°He didn¡¯t even acknowledge me.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s going to call around,¡± Nestra complained. ¡°Ugh, better get to Ji-Ah quickly.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m having entirely too much fun, darling. I wouldn¡¯t want your getting disciplined to get in the way of our investigation.¡±

    ***

    Nestra and Teneru caught Ji-Ah in front of her home as she was returning from a raid, courtesy of the police Database. It was a bit of a low blow and if the gleam¡¯s reaction was any indication, she was tired and vulnerable. Ji-Ah was a short woman with clear muscles visible under a rather conservative dress that didn¡¯t fit her at all. It was white and a little baggy. Bandages currently covered her left cheek and most of her left forearm, leaving pale skin exposed. A bag hung from the gleam¡¯s shoulder.

    From up close, Ji-Ah felt even more guarded than in her pictures. Her posture was tense despite the lack of obvious threats. Her irises shone a deep green, not the jade of Valerian but a deeper color, with shards of black sometimes piercing through, like thunderbolts over cloudy skies. Her file said she was shadow, but clearly another affinity had gained ascendency.

    ¡°Hello Raider Ji-Ah. I am Nestra Palladian with Threshold¡¯s Internal Affairs, and this is Miss Teneru who acts as a consultant. Would you mind answering a few questions? It will only take a moment of your time,¡± Nestra said with a winning smile.

    During the conversation, Ji-Ah¡¯s tension had ballooned into pure panic though she was doing a good job of controlling herself. The reaction was so extreme that Nestra was tempted to reach for her gun, but that probably wouldn¡¯t be a good idea. Her mom was fast, but not that fast, and the dark-haired gleam would probably see it coming.

    ¡°What is this about?¡± the woman squeaked.

    ¡°Oh, you are not in trouble. We need your help getting some details straight regarding one of the events you attended. The Collective gala?¡±

    Surprise. Confusion.

    ¡°The Collective¡­ Ah, the art exhibition. In that gallery?¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Fine.¡±

    Ji-Ah was clearly scared so Nestra took the initiative. Obviously, terror didn¡¯t fit the bill for a gleam killer, at least in Nestra¡¯s opinion, but there was no reason not to be thorough.

    ¡°May we come in?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±

    Ji-Ah¡¯s apartment turned out to be surprisingly small for someone who ought to be affluent: one floor, a balcony, and a large open space. Despite not having been aired in days, the room smelled amazing thanks to a vast collection of plants, brilliant colors clashing with an otherwise Spartan design. This confirmed Nestra¡¯s suspicions that Ji-Ah used nature magic with a minor affinity in shadow mana. Nature mana was an unusual type in Threshold though it was nowhere near rare. While not as flashy as fire or wind, nature mana was versatile and powerful in its own right. Nestra could think of several ways someone with that combination could approach a gleam undetected, then kill them with a trap. Nevertheless, it was difficult for Nestra to watch that stooped, cornered woman and acknowledge her as the killer.

    ¡°Hmm. Tea?¡±

    ¡°Oh no thank you, I just had one, but don¡¯t mind me if you want one for yourself.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d love barley or jujube tea if you have some, darling,¡± Teneru asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The would-be interrogators waited until the gleam placed a stone cup in front of Teneru. She was shaking a bit. In the distance, some of the appartment¡¯s plants grew taller. Some of them were showing thorns.

    ¡°Raid went well?¡± Nestra asked.

    ¡°Yes. Well, I got hurt. Diamond scale lizard.¡±

    Nestra asked a few more innocent questions. In theory, it was the part of the interview she was supposed to use to establish a baseline of behavior. Not that she was doing a real interrogation since she would have needed proof of guilt. The problem was that Ji-Ah was just terrified from the beginning to the end. At no point did she calm down, or exhibit any other emotions.

    It was just weird.

    ¡°You are from Changang, correct?¡± Teneru eventually asked.

    ¡°Hmmm, yes. My family was. I moved here when I was young. We crossed into China when I was a child. My father¡­¡±

    The rest was left unfinished. Crossing borders illegally had been a risky endeavor before the Incursion. Now, it was pretty much suicide. She must have traveled during the fall of the last North Korean enclaves.

    ¡°It must have been very difficult, especially with other gleam children from well-established families,¡± Teneru continued.

    Ji-Ah nodded, though she was still closed.

    ¡°I had some trouble as well. Skin problems that didn¡¯t just disappear when I awakened. As a teenager, it was a little difficult but obviously nothing compared to what you must have been through.¡±

    ¡°It was alright. Really. It would have been much worse anywhere else. I am very grateful,¡± Ji-Ah quickly replied.

    ¡°And given your background, we understand that it might be difficult to trust the police.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, I do. I do,¡± Ji-Ah clearly lied.

    Right, that was enough of that. Nestra took back the initiative.

    ¡°So before we begin, we were wondering why you attended the event? Don¡¯t take this the wrong way of course, but you don¡¯t seem very interested in art.¡±

    The studio itself was bare besides plants and one single weird pot holding pens and sundries on a desk.

    ¡°Ah, hm. Interested in art. Recently.¡±

    She twisted her hands.

    ¡°Interested in art?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Yeah.¡±

    ¡°What kind of art?¡±

    ¡°Hm. Painting. And sculpture. Mostly sculpture. For now.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why you attended the exhibition?¡±

    ¡°Hm. Yes.¡±

    ¡°Have you been taking any classes?¡±

    All of the studio¡¯s plants had thorns by now. Nestra subtly placed her hands near her visible holster.

    ¡°Hm. No. Not yet.¡±

    Ji-Ah sort of melted into her couch. Nestra wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it. As she was considering another approach, a beep came from the entrance behind Nestra. Someone who had the key.

    ¡°Ji-Aaaaaaaaah,¡± a female voice happily said.

    The change on the raider¡¯s expression was remarkable. From stunted and terrified, she grew panicked yet ready to act. For the first time, Nestra was facing a raider, breath slow and controlled, eyes searching, hands by her side.

    If Ji-Ah wanted to kill Nestra now, there was nothing she could do to stop it. Well, human Nestra in any case.

    ¡°Is something the matter? Who are you people?¡±

    The voice was high-pitched yet confident. Nestra turned to see who it belonged to. The young auburn twig of a woman who replied strode decisively to the couch. She wore a stained coverall decorated with patches and clinky jewelry. Her large eyes were a deep blue Nestra had rarely seen in a baseline. They narrowed suspiciously.

    ¡°We¡¯re with Threshold¡¯s police. My name is Nestra ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Is that so? And what could you be doing here?¡± the newcomer asked, lodging herself against Ji-Ah¡¯s anxious form. A tiny white hand grabbed the raider¡¯s calloused fingers.

    ¡°Raider Ji-Ah was kindly helping us with an investigation into events that happened during the Collective¡¯s gala.¡±

    Ji-Ah nodded mutely, face suddenly red as a tulip.

    ¡°But of course, Ji-Ah dear was here with me! All the time!¡±

    That could be true. Nestra couldn¡¯t remember. She hadn¡¯t paid much attention to what people were doing, only checking if they were in view during the attack or not.

    ¡°And you are, darling?¡± Teneru asked with a pleasant smile.

    ¡°Allison Dale. I¡¯m an art student and artist. My work was exposed on the first floor! Oh, I want to be collective too but I¡¯m not there yet.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you have to tell me what you painted. Was it in the university collection?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I did an impressionist rendition of the last Kaiju attack ¡ª not very original, I know.¡±

    ¡°A deep bleeding green on a black and red background? Was that you?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Oh, you noticed?¡±

    ¡°Of course darling, I AM a member of the Collective.¡±

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I didn¡¯t recognize your name!¡±

    Nestra let the two women rant for a good ten minutes, during which neither she nor Ji-Ah uttered a single word. The raider met her eyes, then she shrugged helplessly. At no point did she release the younger woman¡¯s hand though. Her own grabbed it like a lifeline, and they refused to let go.

    At this point, Nestra didn¡¯t believe Ji-Ah was a suspect anymore. She still asked a few questions since they were here anyway. Did the gleam feel anyone use shadow mana? No, but some of the artifacts held traces. What about nature? The same thing. Where was she when the attack occurred? The two weren¡¯t sure, but they¡¯d gone to the lavatories and then outside to ¡®have a quick talk¡¯. Both blushed so Nestra assumed they¡¯d been doing couple things. Whatever.

    They left soon afterward. Teneru was laughing before they even hit the curb.

    ¡°Well, I think we can exonerate the lesbian couple?¡±

    ¡°Very likely yes. Stonegrave is a more serious prospect.¡±

    ¡°And since he¡¯s being recalcitrant and you don¡¯t seem to have the authority to bring him in, what are your plans?¡±

    ¡°I will let you know in a couple of days.¡±

    ¡°Oh so you do have a plan.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And you can¡¯t tell me because it¡¯s illegal?¡±

    ¡°No comment. Come, I¡¯ll drive you home.¡±

    ***

    ¡°So what¡¯s next?¡± Mom asked.

    Nestra stopped by a curb. She needed something before heading home.

    ¡°Wellll I need to rearm.¡±

    The high gleam clearly didn¡¯t expect that. She hummed softly under her breath.

    ¡°I can get Hector to join us.¡±

    ¡°Not like that, and you can¡¯t always be by my side for the next eighty years. Look, I need my own weapons. The human ones.¡±

    To her credit, mom didn¡¯t object this time. Nestra smiled when she realized her need to exist was actually being taken seriously.

    ¡°Alright. You have an armory?¡±

    ¡°I have a legal supplier. Old colleague. He¡¯s a dealer in various goods now.¡±

    ¡°Clytemnestra, there better not be anything illegal going on.¡±

    ¡°I assure you he has all the licenses. And I¡¯m allowed to purchase his goodies provided I keep them safely stored. Hell, mom, I can even use military gear, no worries. Let me give him a call.¡±

    Gorge was exceptionally polite on the phone, even before learning Nestra¡¯s mom would be around. This made Nestra suspicious. What had crawled up Gorge¡¯s ass that he was suddenly acting like a decent human being? Something smelled fishy.

    ¡°Yeah, why don¡¯t you show up to my legit workshop? Since we¡¯re all above ground and so on now.¡±

    ¡°That sounds good.¡±

    The retired twat gave her an address. Nestra and her mom caught a nice lunch first, then they drove to the edge of the city, one one of those semi-disaffected districts that saw little traffic now that so much of the population lived in arcologies. Gorge¡¯s workshop was in a semi-closed inner courtyard between low walls. Nestra recognized old warehouses and temporary barracks from the founding of the city, back before the tunnels had been finished. To her surprise, there was a small vegetable garden nestled between the concrete walls. The workshop itself occupied a hangar, with a widely opened loading bay harboring the grumpy ex-cop¡¯s antique truck. One of his sons was working on it.

    ¡°You should really buy yourself a new ride,¡± Nestra said as her greeting.

    Her mom left the car, deciding to have a look at the garden instead. It would give her some privacy.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be around, sweetie. Just¡­ looking at you handling weapons stresses me out. Don¡¯t mind me.¡±

    And Nestra tried not to mind Gorge¡¯s decidedly nervous expression. His fake smile creeped her to fuck.

    ¡°Haha, well, I paid for new intestines so I need to save again.¡±

    Only then did Nestra realize that bald asshole looked good. Much better than last time to be sure. He was also toned again, some of the belly fat mysteriously reabsorbed. No colostomy bag in sight. With a shirt on, he almost looked respectable.

    ¡°Ok, enough. You¡¯re not fooling me. What the fuck is this about? Why are you so damn anxious?¡±

    She could tell he considered lying.

    ¡°No bullshit. Riel!¡±

    ¡°Alright alright, don¡¯t get your knickers in a twist. Look. You know I won¡¯t tell about your transformation power, right? There is no need to¡­ impress upon me¡­ what will happen.¡±

    Nestra forced herself to keep her resting bitch face on. What the fuck was he on about?

    He gave her mom an insistent look. She was now talking to his youngest son, who was bashfully replying.

    ¡°Gorge, you¡¯re a cunt but you¡¯re solid. What the fuck caused this kind of reaction?¡±

    ¡°I know what happened to Rangi. Just¡­ I won¡¯t fuck with you. Not now, not ever.¡±

    What the hell was he talking about? Rangi? Oh, the triad guy she¡¯d sold her first looted artifact to. The cursed spear. The one whose refund request she¡¯d shoved up his ass. Strange. She¡¯d not heard about him since then.

    ¡°I know, I know,¡± she said.

    ¡°Ok good. Good. Just stating it, is all. Right! So, weapons. I got three major things and some nice accessories, including flashbangs. You¡¯re after a gleam, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep. I mean, I hope not. C-class.¡±

    Gorge clicked his tongue.

    ¡°Yeah, well, if you shoot first and so on, you can take one down but¡­ Nestra, between their armor and your squishy innards, nothing I can sell you will save your life. I don¡¯t peddle battle walkers.¡±

    ¡°Hey I¡¯m not asking for a miracle. Besides, I expect I¡¯ll need weapons sooner or later. Consider this an investment.¡±

    ¡°Right! Then first thing first, you still have the revolver, right?¡±

    ¡°The Window Maker.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t take you for a pun person.¡±

    ¡°Never wanted to make you laugh.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t take you for someone who named her gear either.¡±

    ¡°If it can tear through walls, it deserves some attention.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough. Well! I got ya some nice things. First, we need to manage recoil better.¡±

    Nestra thought she was doing well but there was nothing wrong with better gear.

    ¡°To be honest, the Window Maker is performing well. It¡¯s other things I¡¯m more interested in.¡±

    ¡°Patience, woman,¡± Gorge replied, suddenly much more energetic. ¡°Stop whining and watch me improve upon a masterpiece. You¡¯re gonna need it if you want to stop anything close to C. Can¡¯t punch three levels up without a bit of help.¡±

    The bald fucker dragged her to the inner part of his workshop. Shelves packed with rigorously labeled boxes overlooked several specialized machines. Gorge was apparently doing a lot of custom work as evidenced by the carefully labeled prototypes lining the shelves. Some of it emitted faint traces of mana.

    ¡°Right. First the grip. Trust me, you¡¯ll need this.¡±

    Gorge took a mold of her fingers, then used a printer to forge a rubber grip with indents where her digits ought to grab. A counterweight at the bottom of the handle gave the gun a sort of big butt. Made it heavier too. It fit snugly and she found it was much more comfortable.

    ¡°Not bad.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re just getting started. Next: a muzzle brake. Fair warning, it will make the gun loud.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving home without dampeners nowadays.¡±

    ¡°Good because if you fire that thing without them, you won¡¯t need dampeners anymore.¡±

    The muzzle brake Gorge picked was a short black tube that screwed itself into the end of the barrel. The Window Maker was now longer and heavier.

    ¡°That will affect my speed.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll need to practice drawing, yes, but I¡¯ll make it worth your while. Speaking of, I got you a custom holster. You won¡¯t be able to hide the gun that easily. Just wear it on your hip.¡±

    Nestra sighed. It was a tradeoff, but hopefully a good one.

    ¡°Ok. So the recoil was manageable before. Can you explain why I need to accessorize?¡±

    ¡°Bullets!¡± Gorge replied, suspiciously giddy. ¡°Got you two models. Well, three, but the third one¡¯s special.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Gorge opened a locker, then ceremoniously picked out a box. Nestra could feel hints of mana coming from inside.

    ¡°Come over here.¡±

    Nestra found that they¡¯d set up a range in a separate hangar. It was well done with multiple targets and a concrete wall at the back. Someone had painted a propaganda image of the mayor dead center. The head and chest parts were already chipped.

    ¡°Not a good look, Gorge.¡±

    ¡°My political affiliations are no secret, girl. I call this my cathartic moment.¡±

    ¡°And I call this ¡®exhibit A¡¯ in a criminal conspiracy case.¡±

    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s like you were meant to be rat squad or something. A bitch through and through.¡±

    Nestra rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Finally. You were being too nice; I was weirded out.¡±

    ¡°Right. Bullets! First, the bullets you¡¯ve used so far are kinda shit.¡±

    Nestra scoffed.

    ¡°What the fuck? You¡¯ve been selling me garbage at half a brick per unit?¡±

    ¡°Hold on. That was the best I could do at the time. Here. This one is your new and improved ¡®basic¡¯ bullet.¡±

    Nestra picked one from the box. She recognized the flattish tip with a small depression in the middle.

    ¡°Hollow point?¡±

    ¡°With a crushed mana crystal layer. If you want to avoid overpenetration or just need some massive flesh damage on a large D-class, that thing will do wonders. Seven hundred a pop because I need to cast portal world lead and copper.¡±

    ¡°Damn inflation is robbing me dry.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t put a price on life, Nestra. And here is the armor piercing version.¡±

    Nestra picked it up. The tip was really pointy. And painted blue. It looked nasty.

    ¡°Portal-sourced tungsten carbide. Got a slightly deficient batch from the army and let me tell you, this will put a hole in a kaiju. Well, maybe not, but it will definitely skewer a golem like a roast pig.¡±

    ¡°Nice.¡±

    ¡°And finally, for all your C-class needs.¡±

    With religious care, Gorge removed a single bullet from the edge of the box. This one was different, Nestra could tell. It contained so much mana that it might as well be a single-use artifact.

    ¡°This will stop a C-class gleam. Actually, no, it will kill them. The head is made of frangible magical lead with finely powdered mana crystals underneath, but that¡¯s not the important part. The important part¡­ is the powder.¡±

    Gorge slotted the cartridge in the Window Maker¡¯s cylinder, then clicked it back in. He handed the revolver back to a wary Nestra.

    ¡°Consistent burn pattern powder, made with the help of a pyromancer. It will provide a smooth combustion that will triple the power of the bullet. That means¡­¡±

    ¡°Nine times the kinetic energy.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°And nine times the recoil. What the hell will happen to my wrists?¡±

    ¡°Look, you¡¯re clearly at quirkie level, power-wise. I think you should try. You got regen patches?¡±

    ¡°You know we¡¯re not supposed to abuse those.¡±

    ¡°Just once. See if it works. Trust me, if you shoot this at a C-class they¡¯ll feel it. And who knows? They might be underestimating you enough to try and block it.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll feel the mana.¡±

    Gorge gave her a condescending look.

    ¡°Nestra. Untransformed, you¡¯re not a killer with an artifact. You¡¯re dreg with a last resort mana tool. Got it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah. Alright, let¡¯s give it a try.¡±

    ¡°Before you do, let me tell you something. This is my pride and joy.¡±

    ¡°Uhu?¡±

    ¡°I named it, the demon bullet.¡±

    He waggled his eyebrows.

    ¡°Very subtle.¡±

    ¡°It costs three and a half thousand bucks per unit.¡±

    ¡°Motherfucker,¡± Nestra spat.

    ¡°Buuuut since this is a proof of concept and your first, experimental shot, you can fire one for free. By the way, we tested it in the lab. The gun will hold. The question is your wrist. Or wrists.¡±

    Nestra grumbled but she did step forward. She lined up the shot. The dented form of Mayor Kim waved affably at her at the back of the range, which incidentally smelled of campaign promises. She frowned and changed for a nice shape about ten meters downrange. Impossible to miss with her training. Two hands grip. Stable posture.

    BOOM.

    Nestra almost fell on her ass but she managed to hold on by some miracle. The gun had bucked in her hand so hard, she¡¯d almost dropped it. Only her index finger on the trigger still held the thing. The sound made her ears hurt through the sound dampener she wore.

    She¡¯d missed. The bullet had veered slightly off course, leaving a fist-sized hole in the reinforced concrete. A blue glow shimmered from the deep point of impact.

    ¡°Holy shit. I think that might actually put a hole in a battle walker.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, what were you saying?¡±

    The man removed earplugs with casual smugness, his smile reminiscent of a fat, happy cat.

    ¡°I am convinced. I¡¯ll buy two.¡±

    Gorge feigned outrage.

    ¡°What? After such a demonstration?¡±

    ¡°You want money, sell that shit to the military. My banker is already going to blow a gasket when he sees how much I¡¯m spending on military-grade hardware.¡±

    ¡°Oh well. If you kill something fun, I¡¯ll use it as an advertisement. Oh, I have a wrapped loader for the revolver ammo. It fits snugly in a pocket until you snap it. Now, what next?¡±

    ¡°I need a gun for when I¡¯ve time to prepare.¡±

    ¡°How do you feel about a shotgun? It chambers shells that use the same payload.¡±

    ¡°You just want me to bulk purchase your damn things.¡±

    But she did purchase the damn thing and it was good. The shotgun was a semi-automatic, ancient design with a custom stock. Thus equipped, Nestra felt more like some movie bounty hunter than an actual officer, especially a rat squad spook. At least the holsters complimented her dress.

    ¡°You mentioned flashbangs?¡±

    ¡°You bet I did. I got small ones that fit in a pocket, courtesy of the Stockholm enclave design team.¡±

    In the end, Nestra bought several of those as well as enough ammo for both weapons. The grand total neared twenty-thousand credits. There was another complication when her bank refused the transfer.

    ¡°I¡¯m probably raising all kinds of flags right now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. All of my customers have the same problem. We¡¯re not in the system properly just yet.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    Threshold¡¯s AIs were nothing if not thorough. After a little while, a visor identity check let her pay the sum. It was a reminder of the kind of grip surveillance had over everything here.

    As she walked towards her car, Nestra considered that she hadn¡¯t bought anything in the way of passive defenses. Her Wellington armored suit was still serviceable after its repair but that wasn¡¯t the main point. The main point was, unless she caught the killer off guard or at a distance, she would get splattered before it mattered. Even Max-Sec armor would break like wet paper. C-class killers were not the same as augs like Cleaver who were still subject to the laws of physics. They were in a league of their own. Her only real hope was that the killer apparently liked to play.

    Of that, she was pretty sure.

    ¡°Nestra dear? Are you done? Oh my, how much metal do you even need?¡±

    Deborah Palladian walked back to the car while holding three freshly picked eggplants in her arms. Gorge¡¯s child was left blushing in the field, waving a goodbye with the stupid face of a lovestruck goon; Poor kid.

    ¡°Hey we can¡¯t all have arctic magic. Alright, let¡¯s go home.¡±

    ¡°Of course dear. Bye everyone!¡±

    ¡°Goodbye Miss Palladian. Come again.¡±

    Nestra frowned. Almost nobody called her Miss Palladian unless she was in trouble. Not fair.

    ***

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Little Nezhra! I am always happy to hear from you.¡±

    ¡°I, hmmm, listen. You remember that some assholes tried to get me to pay for a spear I had them fence for me? Rings any bells?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, your first true portal world artifact! I actually expected you to keep it for sentimental value. We had a tradition, back home¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±

    Seth talking spontaneously about his childhood? Now she was curious.

    ¡°The first looted treasure would be paraded and exposed to society. Some claimed they were prophetic, the magic of the world bending to speak to the young raider. Ah, but those are distant times. Yes, I remember the people you mentioned. I remember them well¡­¡±

    His tone shifted to a darker tone.

    ¡°My first human kills.¡±

    ¡°What the hell happened?¡±

    ¡°I expected they might become an issue so I bugged Rangi¡¯s office! With technology!¡±

    ¡°Seth, focus please.¡±

    ¡°I am very proud. As for Rangi, he had the misfortune of seeing a picture of Crescent on his datasheet, in an article about team killers. The incident with Valerian.¡±

    Nestra thought for a while.

    ¡°Wait. Someone wrote a piece on that?¡±

    ¡°Your guise as Crescent has been mentioned in several forums as well. There are speculations. Few of them concerning, however Rangi recognized you and he was preparing to attempt blackmail.¡±

    ¡°Because I sold him stuff before I got legal?¡±

    ¡°And Threshold¡¯s law on unauthorized raids can be quite stringent. I judged that giving Ragnhild a better understanding of what you were doing before you came here was unwelcome. And he was starting to annoy me. And I am but one Aszhii. I cannot possibly keep track of the ever increasing number of people who know too much about you.¡±

    ¡°So you killed him?¡±

    ¡°Him and his entourage.¡±

    He was really calm about it. He sounded thoroughly uncaring.

    ¡°Sereth¡­¡±

    ¡°My duty is still to the covens. This scum did not appreciate the first favor you did him. I was disinclined to give him another opportunity to make my life more complicated. I am sorry if you are angry, little Nezhra, but in this case, I am tightening my grip.¡±

    Nestra debated arguing over it. Instead, she chose a calmer approach. There was something hard in his voice she didn¡¯t quite like.

    ¡°You can¡¯t just kill people as an easy solution.¡±

    ¡°Life is not as sacred to me as it is to you, Nezhra. If it comforts you, consider this my decision. You had nothing to do with it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to kill someone I¡­ appreciate¡­ just because it¡¯s convenient.¡±

    ¡°You will notice that I left Mazingwe and Valerian alive. And Helena. And Stibbs. I am already¡­ stretching the terms of my oath for the sake of your happiness. And mine, I suppose. I will not stretch them further.¡±

    Nestra sighed. What could she do? Certainly not force him.

    ¡°Can you at least check with me before doing that? I might have easier solutions.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, true. You could see them as prey. I agree. You may involve yourself in covering your own mistake next time.¡±

    ¡°Do you think this was a mistake? Helping Gorge, I mean.¡±

    ¡°If it were me, I would have gone to the meeting to kill them all. Including Gorge and his children.¡±

    ¡°Holy shit.¡±

    Sereth sighed. She could almost see the long ears drooping.

    ¡°Your world is still kind, despite everything your people have gone through. I find the dedication of many users to the common good rather touching. Please be aware that it remains an exception, on Earth, and nowhere else. For many, self-preservation and the ascension of their clan to the detriment of all others remains the norm. Ah, but listen to me ruining the mood, little Nezhra. How goes your hunt?¡±

    Sereth¡¯s childhood sounded like a dog eat dog kind of deal.

    ¡°I found something. Doing research.¡±

    ¡°Then what is next for you?¡±

    ¡°Bait and traps.¡±

    Sereth chuckled.

    ¡°Wonderful. I will be watching with attention. Do try not to die please.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°And one last thing. You do realize that hubris is guiding your actions right now. Yes?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Nestra asked.

    She was pretty sure she was playing it safe.

    ¡°You could let the human police deal with the killer by helping them. By sharing what you¡¯ve found. I know anonymous tips are possible. Instead, you are doing your best to catch the prey first. This is as expected of an Aszhii, but it is not the safest path. You need to recognize the pull of our madness, little Nezhra, even if you do not act on it. You must realize when pride and the promise of a challenge affect your decisions, otherwise, one day you will take it too far and die. This is our curse.¡±

    ¡°I will risk my identity but not my life.¡±

    ¡°It does not matter what you are willing to sacrifice. What matters is that you develop a habit of taking a step back to consider your choices. Hubris is what kills us all in the end. The more aware you are of it, and the less grasp it will have on your soul. Do not forget it.¡±

    ¡°I will not.¡±

    ¡°I do not wish for you to die quickly, little Nezhra. There is yet much for you to see. Good luck.¡±

 Part 35

    ¡°I think we need to find a better way to do this,¡± Nestra said.

    Sereth smiled that goofy smile that made her want to smack him over the head and remind him he was supposed to be older and wiser.

    ¡°I showed it to Siobhan by the way. She said if you were a man you¡¯d be very hot!¡±

    Nestra glared.

    ¡°I am sure you were not supposed to tell me that.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Maybe you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°Because she¡¯s my best friend.¡±

    ¡°Is it really awkward even though you are both close and she knows you¡¯re not interested?¡±

    Where was he getting this sort of idea?

    ¡°Look. In my experience, it¡¯s better to avoid saying what goes through your mind if it doesn¡¯t serve an immediate purpose.¡±

    Sereth nodded. It was freaky watching male Nestra appearing all thoughtful. Also, she had a resting bitch face but he did not. How did that even work?

    ¡°Of course, I know that! And if you say something weird it¡¯s better to look confident rather than apologize. That way, you¡¯re just eccentric! Well, I can do it because I¡¯m handsome.¡±

    Damn that¡­ damn that actually sounded like a good observation.

    ¡°Between the two of us, we¡¯ll soon be smooth butterflies fleeting through social encounters with grace and seduction,¡± Sereth added dreamily.

    ¡°Ok Mr. Queen Bee. Now get out of the way, I¡¯ve got a lot of work to do tonight.¡±

    ¡°May I ask why you¡¯re taking¡­ this?¡± he said, pointing at her framed portrait of Valentina Vezzali, one of the best pre-incursion female fencers ever.

    ¡°Training,¡± Nestra replied.

    She just hoped she wouldn¡¯t break it.

    Nestra crawled out of her bedroom through a semi-formed portal bubble that felt like it was at the bottom of a deep ocean, with fluorescent lights shining near the ground. The passage felt more stable but it was also longer, and at some point she thought it might break. It was a massive relief when she pushed her way into some deserted office.

    There was a password stuck to the monitor in front of her. She shook her head. People didn¡¯t understand the point of security, dammit. A few wall shifts and she was out.

    It took only a moment for her to orient herself. Her visor placed her in Five, one of the fanciest districts at the edge of the Touhei arcology. There, corpo execs and gleams could enjoy the best restaurants and private sports facilities the city could offer along with a good view of one of Touhei¡¯s many industrial parks. That meant that Nestra had to be extra careful not to get spotted.

    Once she was back in safer waters, she checked her gear.

    Her research had confirmed a few suspicions. It had been difficult to get the financials and personal files of gleams but Kim had signed on it, perhaps eager to put this whole affair to rest since the media were starting to catch on. Financials were always the sticking point. It was difficult to track monetary sums going from the crime upward, but if she already knew where to look, there were some signs that didn¡¯t lie. With Stib¡¯s help, Nestra had found what she was looking for.

    Now she could have gone to Ashjay of Special Crimes with this, but there were three problems. One, he would probably tell her to fuck off. Two, if he didn¡¯t, he¡¯d ask her how she got everything, and three, she wasn¡¯t going to let the Sight Killer face justice.

    They may know too much. Sereth had made it clear he wouldn¡¯t cover for anything that was a result of what he believed to be stupidity. She couldn¡¯t afford to be careless.

    So instead, she needed to kill them. But not via a simple assassination, oh no. The opposition was crafty so they probably had measures in place at least to help with their escape. Moreover, Nestra couldn¡¯t afford to miss or they might disappear, striking later at a terrible time. She wasn¡¯t even sure how capable they were.

    No. She needed to outplay them. Get a sure kill.

    Which led to reason four: it was going to be fun and exciting.

    So ok, Sereth was right. She really, really, really needed to kill the killer herself. It wasn¡¯t just the absolute need to prove she was the best. She also needed to get their power. Yes. She felt that it was important. That it would match her. The killer could obviously sneak up on people and Nestra needed to sneak better. It would open so many doors¡­ or walls, whatever.

    But first she needed a lure, and a trap. And that was what tonight was about.

    For the first three hours, Nestra ran around the city doing reconnaissance and placing cameras in strategic places. The city and some corpos occasionally did sweeps with specialized drones to remove them but she only needed them for a day or two so it should be fine. Once she was done, she hung her framed picture on the wall of a demonstration room in some fancy office, and prepared for practice.

    The natural skills that came with her spheres were stupidly strong. She knew this. She just wasn¡¯t using them to their full potential yet. The fault mostly lay with her lack of time. She was overstretched and that was it. She¡¯d only been awakened for a couple of months and nothing, absolutely nothing, replaced repetition and effort. Even for tall demon girls. In a way, practice was a welcome comfort. It was something she¡¯d gotten used to and that was still with her now, as an Aszhii. It was also a constant among two of the two species she¡¯d come across. There might be some dangerous stuff out there, but everyone needed work to use their abilities properly. So far.

    Anyway; Had to nab something, and it would be easier if her wall crossing were a bit more¡­ flexible. Sereth had hinted it was possible so she just needed to work at it really.

    ¡°I hope I don¡¯t break that thing.¡±

    Nestra placed her hands above the framed picture, breathed deeply, then willed herself to slip through the wall. She felt the solid frame against her fingers, almost felt it come with her, but then it bounced back and fell on the carpet with a dull thud while she stepped into the nearby office.

    A failure.

    Well, it was to be expected. Nestra grunted in annoyance anyway, grabbing something to place on the ground so the frame wouldn¡¯t break. Then she was back at it.

    In the next attempt, she messed up, ending on the floor below. She cursed and went to look for some stairs. This was going to be a long night.

    ***

    With a couple of breaks in between, Nestra managed to snatch the frame and go through the wall with enough reliability that it would be ¡®good enough¡¯. The key was to go slowly. There was an opportunity to use passe-muraille in combat, in heavily cluttered terrain, but that would require more training.

    It was interesting to see that passe-muraille was usually super easy but as long as she tried to get fancy, it became instantly more tiring. It wasn¡¯t a question of mana or stamina but rather focus. So Mazingwe had been right after all about the results of her trials. Mental fortitude was some sort of resource she hadn¡¯t contemplated thus far. It meant that using many skills in quick succession would muddy her mind. It hadn¡¯t happened yet but she needed to remember it was a possibility.

    With her preparations complete, it was time for the next part of her plan.

    ***

    The guard resumed his patrol, the third one tonight. It was a boring and repetitive task but he accomplished it religiously. His salary was on the line.

    Light swept over windows, doors, any access point that might have been breached. He checked each one with attention, both with mundane and mana senses. The full collection was estimated at over three hundred and fifty MILLION credits. The building was exposed. It would only take one insane ¡ª

    BEEP BEEP BEEP.

    ¡°Yui?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Room four, go go! Initiating lockdown!¡±

    The guard ran ahead, turning into the Collective¡¯s candidates exhibition. The outer shutters had already slammed in position as they would have on every opening leading outside. The glare of his torchlight bathed luminous statues and paintings. They remained unmoving, a complete immobility to echo the cacophony of the alarm¡¯s blaring call.

    There was no one here he could see. No mana he could feel.

    ¡°Window 6. The Sight, by Carmelita Cortez,¡± Yui whispered in his earpiece.

    The guard walked forward. Protocol dictated that the loss had to be confirmed by sight before calling in for reinforcement since that cost a lot of money, and nevermind that the vigil could be taken hostage or killed¡­ He felt anxiety like a cold blade hovering over his back. A powerful shadow gleam would¡­

    ¡°Huh,¡± he said, losing focus.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s gone.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re shitting me. I got nothing on cams.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s gone.¡±

    The case was empty. On the glass panel, a thin carving made with something very, very sharp mocked him. It represented a pair of closed eyes, as if asleep.

    ¡°I am very sure. Call it in.¡±

    Fuck. There went his career.

    ***

    Nestra chuckled a hissing laugh as she ran into the night, trophy in tow.

    The bait was set.

    Maybe she could stash the painting with Seth until things settled down a bit. Her Nestra cave was mostly empty now because it was compromised. Well, she still had three sirloin steaks, two smoked sausages (manaless), three stalks of celery, five bell peppers, white onions, mana flour, the legs of some magical fowl, and a bag of mana-infused basmati she hadn¡¯t managed to pull out yet. But that¡­ could be replaced. She would let the killer have it. It would only make her revenge sweeter.

    ¡°Your move now, hssss.¡±

    ***

    Nestra headed home, almost expecting to find a new eye on her door or something, but nothing of the sort happened. After she woke up late again, a summary check of her belongings revealed nothing. That meant that either she was completely wrong ¡ª lots of assumptions in a row made it a possibility ¡ª or the Sight Killer was taking their time. In any case, there was little to do but wait. She ruminated on several points of failure as she did so, nursing a large mug of coffee in her socks like some discount villain. The house was empty. Well, it looked empty.

    Kim called her around noon.

    ¡°The mayor¡¯s office intervened in the case ¡ª they want it closed. Anything on your end?¡±

    ¡°Nothing new,¡± Nestra lied. ¡°I¡¯m just waiting at this point.¡±

    ¡°That is very unusual of you, Miss Palladian.¡±

    Nestra huffed and sipped more coffee. Tried to. The mug was empty. Curses.

    ¡°It¡¯s a C-class gleam killer. I got a better gun just in case but I don¡¯t expect it will be of much use.¡±

    ¡°Miss Palladian, someone stole the Sight.¡±

    Nestra paused. Should she say something?

    ¡°Killer recovered their belongings or¡­¡±

    ¡°It could be one of the many disgruntled parties. There were a total of six victims so far, most of them from good families. The city is under pressure¡­ Officer Ashjay does not share your opinion on the painting, by the way. He now believes it to be an ineffective obsession.¡±

    Nestra frowned.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t an AI confirm it could be the same painter?¡±

    ¡°Could be, but eyes are more common in art than you might think, and the killer has left so many eyes in various styles that, well, essentially, everything can resemble their work. Instead, he believes that it could be an attempt at some ritual magic.¡±

    ¡°What? Like, summoning a demon?¡± Nestra blurted.

    Ridiculous. Demons could be summoned with good food, no magic required. She¡¯d know.

    ¡°Perhaps. You laugh, but our understanding of magic is still very low in this domain, especially because human sacrifices are completely forbidden in Threshold. We queried other enclaves but those sort of things take time. Miss Palladian. Be careful.¡±

    ¡°You can call me Nestra when on call, you know?¡±

    ¡°I am currently in the Special Crime office, yes. As a liaison.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±

    ¡°Very well. Stay safe, Miss Palladian.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    Shortly after hanging up, Nestra noticed a high priority message on her Crescent phone. It came from Ragnarok.

    ¡®I have an urgent mission for you. It should only take three hours or so. I also have a way for you to escape your¡­ current situation. I can dispatch a ¡®solid state¡¯ limo for your use. It is a special hover car that does not keep track of where it is going. It also comes with an optic camo and flying priority over the city. The mayor¡¯s vehicle of choice.¡¯

    Damn. High gleams had the best stuff. No traffic if you¡¯re important enough huh.

    ¡®I can send you a one time activation code if you accept the mission. I will also send a summons from the army itself using your hidden identity. Don¡¯t worry, it will be generated by an AI. No one else will know. Reply before 1PM.¡¯

    ¡°What¡¯s the mission?¡± Nestra typed, a little curious.

    To her surprise, Ragnarok answered almost immediately. By calling. It spooked Nestra until she remembered the phone came with a scrambler that altered her voice. The masked gleams technicians thought of everything.

    ¡°Do you have a minute, Crescent?¡± Ragnarok asked, expecting the answer to be yes.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Better not piss off the old monster.

    ¡°Good. I need you to chaperone two groups of raiders contesting for the electrum portal. Are you familiar with it?¡±

    Nestra almost gasped. The electrum portal? That was the stuff of local legends! Well, used to be.

    Sometimes, portal worlds brought a wealth of useless shit. For example, the infinite war raid she¡¯d closed had enough steam guns and ammo to arm maybe two, three hundred fighters for a prolonged battle in the armory. That was great for smaller enclaves that needed some sort of gear for low gleams that would help them a bit. Or maybe less technologically advanced civilizations provided there were no high gleams around. Situationally, it was a cool portal but for Threshold? Absolutely pointless.

    Then there was the electrum portal, a portal that regularly yielded entire shipments of magically active electrum alloy ready for processing, an alloy of perfect purity, optimal for enchanting. It used to be the most insanely profitable portal and it contributed to Touhei¡¯s ascension to one of Threshold¡¯s first megacorps. That was before others managed to reproduce the mix. Now, the portal was only worth a fraction of what it used to be, but it was still, what, fifty times more valuable than most worlds of its grade?

    Problem was, the town hall had regained control of the portal six or seven years before ¡ª it was in the news ¡ª which meant that guilds could bid for it. That reduced the profitability further.

    It was still worth fighting for.

    And as Ragnarok confirmed, that was exactly what had happened. Two competing guilds had equally valid claims on the raid. Sargon¡¯s Scimitar had won the bidding war and thus first rights for twenty raids, but Sargon himself had signed a contract to the Golden Seekers for a favor some months past, and now the seekers were coming for their due.

    ¡°Their contract leaves much to be desired, in terms of clarity. Our lawyers are split on the issue as there is no precedent, therefore I decided that the rights would go with the group that performs the most adequately in the raid, pending judgment¡­ by you.¡±

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°How do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You will join the raid. The electrum portal is somewhere between D and C-class with the guardian being a solid C. The two groups will alternate fighting their way through the portal. At random, one of them will face the guardian while the other stops reinforcements from coming in. You are to keep an eye on them and ostensibly judge them. In reality, your presence will be a red herring for a highly sophisticated surveillance drone that will share its feed with a visor we will lend you. Keep an eye on them and record any breach of terms. Oh, yes, the terms. All loot will be placed into bags and shared at the end. No sabotage. No attacks.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a recipe for disaster,¡± Nestra honestly said. ¡°Too many egos in a fight for life.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be frank with you, Crescent. I don¡¯t give a shit. Sargon is an arrogant jerk who tried to name dropping his way into getting what he wanted with me. The seekers are money-grubbing little bitches who care only for profit at any cost. If they die, it¡¯s no big loss for the city. I have already wasted enough time on those idiots. Your judgment will be definitive¡­ if I like it. The raid should take all of three hours, maximum. Are you in? The pay¡¯s one hundred and fifty thousand creds.¡±

    Very nice sum for three hours of work. And Nestra was waiting for the killer to react anyway.

    And she was feeling anxious, not having killed anything for so long.

    ¡°I can¡¯t kill monsters?¡±

    ¡°Not your role, but you can kill those that attack you, of course.¡±

    ¡°Then yes, I am in, though one last thing¡­¡±

    ¡°Hurry. I have work.¡±

    ¡°You are turning me into your attack dog,¡± Nestra accused.

    She was dead serious too. Ragnarok wasn¡¯t making any secret of it. Nestra was a bit curious as to how the old woman would react. What she hadn¡¯t expected was a chuckle.

    ¡°Yes. I am. We can¡¯t really reach the corpo elites. That¡¯s Shinran¡¯s job. But the small fry? I want them to remember that it¡¯s the common good of Threshold that takes precedence, not their own petty interests, and if I have to give that fear a mask so that they will remember, then so be it. Up to you, of course, but something tells me you dislike shifty raiders about as much as I do.¡±

    Nestra flinched. Did Ragnarok know something?

    No, probably not. The mask system was solid. She was just being paranoid.

    ¡°Very well. If it is three hours¡­¡±

    ¡°If it lasts longer, feel free to finish the portal in their stead and then go home.¡±

    ¡°We have a deal.¡±

    ***

    Sargon was a tall, swarthy man of indeterminate origin. He wore expensive and shiny scale armor while the three other members of his team brought second-hand and second-rate gear that didn¡¯t fit them. The youngest person was a scout type East-Asian young man, and obviously low D-rank. He didn¡¯t belong here. It was too risky. The team felt so mismatched it might as well have been Sargon and his cheerleaders.

    The Golden Seekers had brought a trio of women in dull matching armor with golden accents. Their leader was low C while the other two were on the verge of it. Those were decent teams for a raid like this.

    If they cooperated.

    From the way they sneered at each other, separated by five meters and a uniformed agent, that wasn¡¯t going to be the case. Nestra knew from the file each team had left some of their members at home, probably so they wouldn¡¯t have to pay them. This wasn¡¯t looking good.

    Nestra sighed from her vantage point on top of a nearby building, then she just jumped down to the curb below. The electrum portal stood inside of a glass rotunda since it was a bit of a tourist spot. The glass structure was picked because that way, no one could sneak in. Well, no humans in any case. She walked confidently through the gate to the naked, immense relief of the government spook.

    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± Sargon spat.

    Nestra checked her visor. She was, in fact, two minutes early. She tilted her head, then decided to ignore him. He bristled. One of the seekers chuckled.

    ¡°I am Cresssscent. You know the rules. I will now decide who goes first.¡±

    Nestra placed her massive sword vertically on the ground, then she lifted her finger. The sword vacillated. As it seemed that the tip would end up facing Sargon, a subtle burst of earth mana made it shiver ever so slightly.

    Nestra grabbed the sword immediately before glaring at the seeker who¡¯d tried to mess up the draw. Such a stupid thing to do. The woman had the decency of looking embarrassed, but the other two were clearly pissed off.

    ¡°Can¡¯t spend a minute without cheating?¡± Sargon growled.

    ¡°Enough,¡± Nestra replied. ¡°The Scimitars will go first. Don¡¯t try me again.¡±

    With a grumble, the scimitars took the lead, Sargon throwing a bag at the young scout.

    ¡°Decha. Make yourself useful.¡±

    Nestra recognized the official loot bag where everything would be collected for valuation by the town hall. The Scimitars used him as a dedicated porter? Such a waste of a raider. Why even bring him then?

    The Scimitars were first through the gate, then it was Nestra¡¯s turn. In that short moment, she opened her bag to release the drone, grabbing a small reinforced datasheet as an excuse. It wasn¡¯t necessary. The Scimitars paid her no mind, having spread in a defensive formation with Sargon at the tip. A moment later, multiple feeds filled Nestra¡¯s visor, small until she glanced at them. One for each raider. Nestra resisted the urge to look up but damn, that was a powerful drone. She couldn¡¯t even hear it over the tweets and grunts of the local wildlife.

    This world was a jungle mixed with plains, as if they stood at the edge of a forest. Smooth dark grass that looked almost blue alternated with bulbous trees, their rotund trunks sweating water in the bright light. The temperature was pleasantly warm and the air smelled of soil. Alien songs emerged from the canopies, hinting at unseen birds. It made Nestra a bit peckish since she hadn¡¯t eaten lunch.

    Behind them, the Seekers arrived in tight formation.

    ¡°You may begin when ready,¡± Nestra said.

    Sargon was strutting ahead before Nestra was done talking. He followed a ruined stone path that led to a flat expanse of grass in the distance. His followers rushed after him with Nestra in the middle and the seekers behind.

    They walked in the relative quiet of nature for a minute before the first incident occurred. Decha, the scout, pointed a finger towards a form rustling in the tall grass to the left of the formation.

    ¡°Hmm. Contact?¡±

    Sargon¡¯s second threw his spear at the form. There was a small hiss of pain, then the raider pulled out a transparent snake with a shimmering skin. Nestra could see the organs underneath.

    ¡°Into the bag,¡± the spearman said.

    Decha shoved the dead thing in before rushing after Sargon. The man had barely slowed down. Shortly after, the stone path widened into a large clearing, revealing a flattened pyramid. Six statues guarded a sunken entrance, their armor shining brightly. That was the main source of pure electrum. Nestra noted that they had elephantine faces if elephants could be carnivorous with downward facing tusks. Nestra didn¡¯t feel any mana coming from them right now but she¡¯d seen pictures, of course. Those were golems.

    ¡°Battle formation,¡± Sargon announced, then without waiting, he charged ahead.

    The golems activated when he accelerated. The mana was a little strange, with life, metal, and something more exotic surging from some construct in their torsos. Sargon smashed into the first one just as it removed a saber from its sheath. The C-class¡¯ attack cleaved through the creature¡¯s chest, hitting something important because it deactivated on the spot. Shards of electrum mixed with inner components clattered on the eroded stone. The other golems engaged, with the spearman and a mud mage providing cover for the whirling form of Sargon.

    He was a wind user, a good one too. His mobility was excellent but his penetration powers were not ideal. Nestra watched him hack the D-class creatures apart rather than cutting efficiently through them. Maybe he needed to let off some steam. It was just dangerous for his people. As she watched, one of the golems made for Decha.

    The Seekers at her back made a move.

    Nestra pivoted, making sure she was in position to help Decha if he got overwhelmed. The young man used a short bow to unleash arrow after arrow at the approaching golem with no result, even when he hit where the eyes ought to be. The mud user noticed it and slowed the golem down though Sargon yelled when two golems cornered him.

    Behind Nestra, one of the seekers was picking pieces of golem from the ground at her back. The electrum armor fragments disappeared in pockets and bags through graceful sleight of hand that made it feel so natural, it couldn¡¯t have been their first time. Sargon reacted just as Nestra unsheathed her sword. The scimitar wielder flew through the air to stab the golem in the back, stopping it. With one last venomous glance at the scout, he was back to it.

    It didn¡¯t take too long for Sargon to dispatch the remaining golems. They were too slow to be a danger to him so long as he was able to pierce their armor. Golems never tired but they relied on their defenses a lot.

    ¡°And that¡¯s how it¡¯s done,¡± Sargon said triumphantly as the last foe collapsed, defeated.

    He frowned at the lack of cheers.

    ¡°Get to it,¡± he told Decha, before surveying the entrance.

    All three remaining scimitars picked the electrum pieces with as much speed as they could, the seekers deliberately not helping. Nestra pretended to look at her datasheet while the three women exchanged smirks on camera. One of them had the audacity to pocket one more chunk while Decha passed her by.

    Nestra didn¡¯t say anything. It took some effort not to blow up in their face here and now, but she wanted to see how far they would dare to go.

    At some point, the weight of the loot became too much. Decha patiently operated some interface and the bag inflated, gaining some hover element to accommodate the half ton of dense metal in its bulging innards. Nifty. The city had really kept the best toys.

    ¡°The Golden Seekers will now take point,¡± she said once they were done.

    The Seeker head woman advanced with a short hammer and tower shield combo, backed by a mage that smelled faintly of solid heat ¡ª lava maybe. The last one used a spear with a strange flat end.

    They descended through the now open gate and into a mausoleum. With eerie coordination, all the human users activated lights and torches fixed on their armor so they could keep their hands free. The corridor inside was covered in eroded frescoes of abstract designs. It was barely enough for three people, certainly not if they had to fight, but the two Seekers just stood behind their leader in tight formation.

    ¡°Traps,¡± the mage said. ¡°I¡¯ll mark them.¡±

    Using the expedient means of spray paint, the obvious triggers were circled and crossed. Nestra only felt the barest hint of mana when she was close. Clearly the mage had come prepared. As she watched, she caught a reflection, just a little anomaly over her head where the surveillance drone was.

    ¡°Hold!¡±

    The lead Seeker held her fist high. The two others prepared while Nestra and the others came to a stop. Clanking sounds came from the darkness ahead, like bells sounding a ghastly dirge. Ok, it wasn¡¯t dark to Nestra so she could clearly see the golems stepping out from alcoves, but the effect was rather cool.

    Honestly the place would be better with hidden alcoves setting golems on raider¡¯s backs but no one ever asked for her opinion on portal world design. The golems, walking two by two, charged the seekers with mechanical coordination.

    The seekers were ready though. The golem¡¯s faultless formation was countered by three determined fighters. While the leader blocked blows and countered with heavy hammer blows, the lava mage coated the construct¡¯s articulations with thick, melting blobs of incandescent rock. As for the spearwoman, every strike resonated against the golem¡¯s armor, breaking it in shards. Soon, delicate joints were exposed and demolished.

    As soon as a golem fell, it was replaced by another. The strategy might have tired unprepared raiders but the seekers dispatched them too quickly for it to matter. It looked like the fight would be over in under a minute, then Nestra caught movement at her back.

    Sargon brought his hand back as she watched, expression carefully neutral. Mana pulsed in the wall, then openings clicked at the back of the seekers.

    No time.

    Nestra used momentum to shift forward, pushing the lava mage out of the way. She pulled back just in time for the openings to belch fire. The spear wielder was on the way but as Nestra expected, the swift warrior managed to dodge forward. This still bundled the formation. The leader was forced to parry two blows while the lava mage recovered. Another golem stabbed down with a thick saber.

    Nestra threw her sword, infused with void. The thick sword pinned the golem like a butterfly into the one behind, sending them both tumbling on the ground.

    That was all the opening the Seekers needed. The remaining golems were dealt with, then once the flames faded, Nestra walked to recover her sword in an embarrassed silence. She¡¯d barely gained anything from them. They were too weak. Only by killing all six would she have gained something.

    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± the spearwoman said, looking at her lava mage friend who merely shook his head. The leader¡¯s cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

    ¡°I¡­ I thought I had them all¡­¡±

    In theory, Nestra wasn¡¯t here to judge if but rather how well they would do¡­ but now things had changed. In their eyes.

    Nestra was just wondering if she should call it in now. The portal needed to be cleared though. That was her job. So they would clear it.

    ¡°We¡¯ll continue in this formation until the guardian chamber. The Golden Seekers will rush ahead to block reinforcements while the Scimitars engage the guardian as planned.¡±

    Sargon huffed and Nestra refrained from killing him. The group continued in awkward silence until they reached a barely lit hall overgrown with vines digging from an opening in the ceiling. Soft light bathed the tall statue of an elephantine warrior, its belly bulging forward. Precious metal covered the chest and arms.

    Besides the statue, the room was empty save for an opening to the left.

    ¡°Go,¡± Nestra whispered.

    The Golden Seekers rushed for the opening with decent coordination. They stopped at the threshold. Nestra knew she could count on the drone to keep an eye out so she refocused on the trampling form of the awakening guardian, as it stepped down from its pedestal.

    Sargon engaged immediately. His scimitar found the creature¡¯s knee and¡­ failed to achieve anything of note. Nestra scowled.

    This was a C-class monster. Not exactly the most dangerous one but it was famously resilient. Surely, Sargon had come with some sort of plan? She kept watching, and quickly came to the conclusion that no, he had not. Thirty seconds into the fight, the guardian blared something that sounded a bit like an audio amplifier thrown into a mixer. In response, golems tried to come from the opening to reinforce their master. The Golden Seekers answered with violence but the golems kept reconstructing. They were drawing mana from the guardian.

    Fortunately, that seemed to weaken it enough that Sargon¡¯s scimitar was scoring some hits, but the battle was still an uneven one.

    Also, the golem kept going for Nestra instead. She had to constantly sidestep it. Decha was kindly trying to distract it with shots which served no purposes as the golems didn¡¯t even register them. Eventually, the golem went for Sargon instead.

    This was taking entirely too much time. The Golden Seekers were clearly tiring while Sargon was no closer to taking that thing down. As for his helpers, they were mildly useful in slowing it but just like Decha, they didn¡¯t have the gear to pierce through.

    Tired, Sargon took some distance from the golem¡­ behind Decha.

    Nestra saw the golem step towards the scout. She used momentum to grab him and get him out of the way. The distraction allowed Sargon to finally land a perfect blow on the golem. Its knee articulation crumbled. The ground shook when it fell.

    Without waiting for recovery, Sargon attacked its elbows. It took much less time to split it open now that the golem had lost what little mobility it possessed. When Sargon finally lodged his blade into something important, all the golems deactivated at the same time.

    The nearby altar now shone with a small pile of treasure. Very small, in fact. The lowest end of rewards for such a world. Decha wordlessly shoved them in the loot, well, coffer now, before picking up golem pieces. All the others soon joined with various degrees of annoyance. Except Sargon. Physical labor was apparently beneath him.

    The two groups were left sweating and glaring at either end of the room.

    Nestra checked the time. Two minutes thirty-seven to clear the guardian. An abysmal performance, and Sargon had to know it too, but cleared the world he had, and the Golden Seekers were none too happy about it.

    ¡°The Scimitars will cross the exit portal first. I¡¯ll follow. Do not keep me waiting.¡±

    Just as Nestra left, she caught a glint of yet another chunk of electrum disappearing in the Seeker¡¯s pockets.

    Unbelievable.

    ***

    Nestra was the second to leave, recovering the drone as she emerged from the cave while the Scimitars were not looking. She pulled two key recordings on her data sheet. Anger smoldered in her chest.

    One of the town hall spooks in black suit approached her.

    ¡°Hmm. Miss Crescent?¡±

    She looked. He paled.

    ¡°Commander Lidstrom would like you to call her to share your judgment as soon as you make it.¡±

    ¡°I have made it,¡± she hissed as the Seekers emerged behind her.

    ¡°Finally, let¡¯s end this farce,¡± Sargon complained.

    Ragnhild picked up as soon as Nestra made the call.

    ¡°Tell me,¡± she just said.

    Nestra grabbed her datasheet.

    ¡°The Golden Seekers lose access to the portal.¡±

    The spear wielder bowed her head in shame.

    ¡°For theft.¡±

    Nestra showed a slow motion of the girls pocketing electrum. Several instances.

    ¡°You thieving whores,¡± Sargon spat.

    ¡°Quiet,¡± Nestra hissed.

    She glared at the Seekers, their expressions one of children caught red-handed. Morons.

    ¡°As a reminder, the loot was property of the township until equitably split. That means you¡¯ve stolen from Threshold.¡±

    Stealing loot from Threshold carried a very heavy monetary penalty. For first time offenders. Second time offenders were rare. The leader knew this. She paled. This would set her back months, at the very least. And she deserved it.

    A part of Nestra realized she was being hypocritical because she was stealing from Threshold too when she wasn¡¯t raiding as Crescent. But that was different. She was a demon who would be killed on sight by high gleams if found. She was supposed to work in the shadows. This was more¡­ her being an infiltrator currently working with a foreign government, in a way, while they were straight up thieves.

    ¡°We will be in touch.¡±

    She turned to Sargon.

    His victorious smile faded.

    ¡°Sargon¡¯s Scimitars lose access to the portal.¡±

    Sargon gasped in anger.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°For attempted murder.¡±

    A slow motion of Sargon smashing his fist in a trigger to activate the trap was replayed.

    ¡°You ASSHOLE,¡± the spear wielder blurted.

    ¡°So what? It¡¯s a raid! You¡¯re supposed to be ready.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡±

    The Seeker leader held back the spear girl. Nestra dropped the datasheet when Sargon reached for his scimitar.

    It almost cleared the sheath.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to see you ¡ª¡±

    Nestra appeared in front of him. Grabbed him by the collar. Lifted him. Smashed him against a steel pillar. It groaned. His anger melted like snow, replaced by sheer, utter terror. Her fingers dug into the small gorget of his armor. It groaned. The enchanted armor groaned under her strength. She was so angry.

    ¡°Miss Crescent, please,¡± someone said.

    Sargon hyperventilated.

    ¡°Give. Me. One. Reasssson.¡±

    He did not. He just coughed until Nestra dropped him.

    She was craving his core but¡­ not here. Here, she was working with humans. She still liked humans. Just¡­ not these.

    Behind her, the entire room had frozen in terror. She walked to the datasheet and returned it to one of the spooks. He grabbed it between shaking hands.

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± the lava mage said. ¡°Is she really C-class?¡±

    In Nestra¡¯s visor, Ragnarok chuckled.

    ¡°Excellent. I fully back your decision. You have performed to my complete satisfaction. You may leave whenever you want. Payment is on the way.¡±

    ¡°Take him in,¡± she ordered the spook.

    Sargon didn¡¯t resist, but as she was about to leave, she realized there was one thing to salvage.

    Nestra turned to Decha.

    ¡°You are wasssted here.¡±

    ¡°You know what?¡± the scout replied. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. I quit. Fuck this bullshit.¡±

    ***

    Nestra returned home tired and annoyed. She dropped her bag on the counter with a sigh before landing her ass on the nearby couch. A quick visor search showed no intrusion at her house, no breach of the condemned Nestra cave. Nothing.

    She was sure the killer was fast and also impulsive. So why had they done nothing? Maybe her assessment was wrong. Maybe she¡¯d overlooked something¡­

    ¡°Hey¡­¡± Helena mumbled from the side.

    ¡°Hey yourself.¡±

    Helena plopped herself on the larger seat. She breathed deep.

    ¡°Ok, what¡¯s going on? And don¡¯t nothing me please.¡±

    ¡°Nah, mom will tell everyone anyway. Probably. Got into trouble at school.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Hmmm. Anger?¡±

    ¡°No, not like that. I was doing better. Well, I think I am doing better. But you know I was always sort of¡­ isolated. No one is actively bullying me, ya know? I just can feel the stares. And group work is always a reminder that I don¡¯t really have friends. I mean¡­ some of the girls are nice. Fuck this is annoying.¡±

    ¡°Out with it.¡±

    ¡°So someone went rabid on my stuff. First time. They got into my sports locker and completely savaged it. Fucking asshole.¡±

    Nestra breathed in and out, very slowly.

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s nothing I even care about. Just some shorts, shoes, ya know. It¡¯s just¡­. fuuuuuck. I¡¯m taking it hard.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    ¡°Not your fault. But seriously. Look at this shit.¡±

    Helena transferred a picture of her locker on Nestra¡¯s visor.

    It was ravaged. Someone had cut her stuff to ribbons, and on the side, half hidden behind a cut up picture of her family, was an eye. Open.

    Helena kept complaining but Nestra couldn¡¯t hear her.

    ¡°Ooooh you¡¯re a salty little fuck¡±, she thought in the intimacy of her burning fury. ¡°A sore fucking loser. But that¡¯s ok. I think I¡¯m done with this little dance.¡±

 Part 36

    Stib checked the electrical setup one last time. She was thorough, Nestra thought. Wait, no. She was nervous.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Nestra said.

    ¡°The Sight Killer murders powerful C-class like it¡¯s nothing, Nes. You might be a big scary demon girl but you¡¯re still low C-class. It won¡¯t be as easy as you think.¡±

    ¡°If I thought it was easy, I wouldn¡¯t prepare so thoroughly.¡±

    Stib remained silent as every light on her datasheet turned green.

    ¡°You¡¯re just so bullheaded. And doing Ashjay¡¯s job.¡±

    Nestra growled.

    ¡°Ashjay is doing the city¡¯s job. I¡¯m defending myself and my family. It¡¯s personal now, and besides, the less attention I get, the better.¡±

    Stib nodded after a while.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll¡­ ask Seth to look after you, ok?¡±

    ¡°Not how it works. My hunt. If I die, I die.¡±

    ¡°Dammit! You could have lied so I¡¯d be less worried.¡±

    ¡°If I do get killed, don¡¯t blame Seth. He¡¯s following the rules of our kind. We stand alone. This is our nature.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re standing with me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, for the preparation. And I am very grateful.¡±

    Stib sighed; deeply.

    ¡°Just please don¡¯t get killed. I don¡¯t care about the rest.¡±

    ¡°I promise to do my best.¡±

    ¡°Right. Everything is ready on the technological end. I¡¯ll now bow out and wish you murderhobos the best of times.¡±

    ***

    Miss Teneru did that little foot dance that nervous people do when they¡¯re not paying attention. For once, she¡¯d forfeited her wide brimmed hat and sundress combo for a more sensible attire, though there was still a dress. She touched the hat that obscured her features.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure there are no security cameras over there?¡±

    ¡°I swept the place first,¡± Nestra said, shaking the black  box Gorge had sold her a long time ago. ¡°There¡¯s one on the street corner but I deactivated it. It will be fixed fast since this is a posh area, but we have a couple of hours at least.¡±

    ¡°Unless your family finds out you are gone.¡±

    Nestra shook her head. Sereth was there, though Teneru didn¡¯t know the specifics.

    ¡°Not until tomorrow morning at the earliest. We have the limelight all to ourselves.¡±

    ¡°I just hope this isn¡¯t a big mistake¡­¡± Teneru whispered.

    It was dark, and Nestra¡¯s sabotage couldn¡¯t just be fixed with a cheap repair drone. She parked the car in a deserted building that was undergoing deep renovations, basically emptied of everything except its walls. Her rental car would still attract the attention of the monitoring AI but that was why it was registered under a false name. As a cop herself, she¡¯d made sure nothing could be easily tracked back to her.

    Nestra checked her gear one last time. For this op, she would be wearing technician overalls along with a heavy bag of tools. Only idiots dressed in all black to burglarize a city home. A ninja wasn¡¯t inconspicuous. Janitors and maintenance people were inconspicuous.

    ¡°Remember, I only need you to get me through the wards.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Yes, of course. Oh dear, this is all making me rather nervous.¡±

    She chuckled.

    ¡°The baseline goes boldly into the lion¡¯s den while the gleam remains behind. Ironic.¡±

    ¡°It will be fine.¡±

    Teneru gave her a long glance, as if she was looking at her for the first time.

    ¡°You know, ever since I met you at your brother¡¯s celebration, I knew you were wasted as a civilian. You belong in the portals, dear. Sorry you couldn¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°It is what it is,¡± Nestra said, repeating her mother¡¯s old adage.

    ¡°Right. Shall we? Before I lose my nerve.¡±

    ¡°No. We wait for Stonegrave to leave first.¡±

    ¡°Oh dear me, yes. That is quite important.¡±

    The lure had been simple. The day after Nestra had stolen the Sight painting, Ji Ah was raiding and most of the other suspects were either away or busy themselves. There had been only one person who had the opportunity to commit the crime, one person who had no alibi: John Stonegrave. Her cameras had confirmed it.

    That wouldn¡¯t hold in court, of course. Stonegrave frequently left his home office for the gym or to visit buildings. She needed something concrete. And she knew how to get it. As usual, the solution was crime. Specifically, burglary.

    Stonegrave left his home at eight PM, sharp. Fortunately for Nestra, the entire street contained high-end houses designed for privacy, so the chances of someone coming exactly at this moment were low. Teneru and her got to the garden gate in record time. Nestra checked once again that there were no surprise cameras ¡ª not here anyway. She used one of Stib¡¯s MaxSec gizmos to open the lock without touching it. As far as the door was concerned, it was still closed.

    Another tool blurred the front camera without damaging it. It was Teneru¡¯s turn now. Nestra felt a pulse of earth mana when the nervous artist located the wards.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do anything about the door. I am not an infiltrator. The walls should be fine, if you don¡¯t mind entering from the side?¡±

    ¡°I do not.¡±

    They skulked along a flowerbed towards the corner of the glass house where a large AC unit occupied part of the space, hidden from view.

    ¡°There is a weakness here. I can, ah, peel off the ward a little. If you can climb on this awful machinery¡­¡±

    ¡°Do it, then go. I¡¯ll take it from here.¡±

    Nestra¡¯s senses were dull in this coreless form, but she didn¡¯t feel anything when she sprayed the reinforced glass with foam, then cracked it in relative silence. MaxSec intrusion tools were still the best, courtesy of the city¡¯s military research. She crawled into a cramped laundry room that smelled pleasantly of soap.

    The door was unlocked, as expected. Nestra stopped before she entered the corridor, resisting the urge to shift to her demon form and just use the easy method. Patience. Patience would be rewarded here. A brief blackbox check confirmed that the entrance hall was under the surveillance of a movement detector. She scrambled it as well. Hopefully, this wouldn¡¯t be picked up too soon.

    She walked out into a tastefully sober alley, her shoes leaving dirt tracks on the caramel wood flooring. Riel, this plan was the most complex she¡¯d come up with. So many points of failure. She hoped it would be fine.

    Her steps carried her next to an American-style kitchen complete with some of the most advanced coffee machines she¡¯d ever seen. The house was messy but mostly clean and it smelled of Cologne and detergent. She moved up the glass stairs in silence to reach the home office. A locked door barred her way, but it was a simple magnetic lock and she had it open in seconds. Inside, there was a computer and a large table with an integrated 3D display showing a rather ambitious 8-floor building. The fact it was unlocked was an unexpected boon. She quickly browsed through various files dating back to a few years ago when Stonegrave had retired as a raider. A cursory search showed no dubious folders, and all the projects were for fancy homes, not mausoleums for serial killers.

    Well, that was fine. Nestra checked the time. Only five minutes had passed.

    If the architect had damning evidence, it would probably be stored separately, just in case someone touched the wrong key. She eyed a nearby computer. Possible, but¡­

    Her eyes traveled to the room¡¯s only painting. It depicted a Nature Morte of the most boring variety, literally just a basket of flowers. All the other paintings had shown a preference for artistic depictions of historical architectural wonders.

    Surely, it couldn¡¯t be that easy? Except, the demon intuition was seeping through the pores of its pocket dimension to whisper that yes, there was something there.

    Nestra touched the painting with gloved fingers. It was sealed up. Her fingers traveled up and down to a hidden button, which she pressed.

    The painting rotated to reveal a safe.

    ¡°How very old school of you,¡± she whispered.

    A summary inspection showed that it was an extremely old model with no shielding against imagery, probably more of a symbolic barrier than a real defense. Stonegrave probably didn¡¯t expect anyone to reach that point. Nestra¡¯s eyes dropped to the side where a light shimmer announced the presence of a small ward.

    Perfect. She was wondering which alarm she ought to trigger and that was decidedly the best to provoke some urgency. And also a feeling of violation. She used another tool from her bag to open the safe, struggling more than she should have simply because she¡¯d never done this before. The safe might have been old, but it required the associated lever to be pulled three times for some reason. She messed up the process twice before finally hearing that satisfactory click.

    The ward broke when she opened the safe. She checked the time. Eight minutes since its owner had left.

    Inside, there were documents and a gauntlet artifact, another tacky detail. She checked the papers. The first stack were bonds complete with QR codes. Probably about a hundred and fifty thousand credits worth of liquid assets. Not too shabby. The second stack showed pictures of two people she didn¡¯t know having rather passionate sex. She ignored it. Who kept blackmail material in paper format nowadays?

    The third stack contained paper plans for the mausoleums. The actual blueprints.

    Nestra froze in her tracks.

    Holy shit, she hadn¡¯t actually expected to find them here, so easily, but it was perfect. Dear Stonegrave had to know he was deep in it if someone found those. He would drive back at full speed now.

    She had what she needed. Curiosity needled her, but she refrained from visiting more of the place. Nestra left and returned to the main hall, only to stop in wonder. The main ward on the gate was broken, and the ground was covered in a very thin layer of dark dust shimmering with mana. It would have been almost unnoticeable to someone who wasn¡¯t very good at feeling mana. Tracking powder, no doubt, a staple of earth mana users who worked in security. That would make things simpler.

    She checked her visor. Ten minutes since he left. If she raced out now, she could be in the car before he returned¡­ but that wouldn¡¯t do at all. She checked the cameras she¡¯d placed at the end of the street. No signs of him yet.

    Two minutes. She would give herself two minutes and then she¡¯d leave. That would make it eight minutes to intrusion and then six minutes after that. The wait was agonizing. When the timer hit zero, she deliberately walked across the tracking powder then back out of the window even if the wards were already broken. Nestra¡¯s nervousness picked up every flower on the way, every blade of grass of this affluent but unused garden. This was the main point of failure. She expected Stonegrave to come at full speed, but what if he had accomplices? Or corrupt cops at his beck and call? She hoped not, or at least that the timing would be too short for him to do anything but race home in the hopes of finding her before she was gone.

    When she neared the renovated building, Stonegrave¡¯s SUV careened down the nearby street on her visor. He bounced on the curb with a sound of protesting dampers before screeching to a halt before his building.

    Nestra ran to Teneru, waiting inside the building in an alcove that was barely more than a concrete bunker with two openings.

    ¡°I just felt a pulse, darling. I think we¡¯d better leave.¡±

    They didn¡¯t take three steps before something broke through the nearby gate. C-class speed. Nestra pulled out her gun. If he just killed her human form here, things would be a little more complicated but¡­ she expected him to want to find out what they knew.

    It was going well so far.

    A loud noise crashed above her. A window. A sweaty Teneru whispered in a panic.

    ¡°He¡¯s tracking us. I¡¯m trying to muddle the mana but¡­¡±

    And then the inevitable happened. Stonegrave must have peered over a parapet, somewhere, because his armored form smashed down in front of them by the obviously suspicious rented car. When he turned, Nestra got a good glance at the last sight many monsters had seen: glass and black stone melding into the geometrical shapes of an armor spell backlit by the city¡¯s ambient lights.

    It spoke of practice and of focus, of a very tidy mind. The face above was anything but. A vicious sneer marred the man¡¯s aristocratic features while Nestra could see the white of his bare teeth. It was an absolutely savage expression, completely at odds with what she¡¯d seen before.

    ¡°You! And you too?¡± he said, glaring at the two women. ¡°You will regret messing with me!¡±

    That was it. Now, Nestra only had to hope her assessment of the man was accurate enough.

    ¡°We need to defend ourselves!¡± Teneru screeched with panic.

    Nestra raised the Window Maker. She made sure to convey panic, and her foe, blinded as he was by his fury, walked to it like a shark smelling blood.

    She¡¯d even prepared the perfect bait.

    ¡°Stop, or I¡¯ll shoot!¡± she bleated.

    A ghost of doubt crossed her opponent¡¯s eyes but his certainty returned with a vengeance. She was a baseline. He was C-rank, with powerful defensive magic. She could not hope to defeat him no matter what. He wanted answers, and he wanted her terrified. Defenseless. So he kept going.

    He still lifted a gauntlet up to intercept the bullet. That was the only thing that saved him.

    Nestra adjusted her posture ever so slightly with the speed of a quirky. It was just fast enough that he didn¡¯t have the time to react. Then, she pulled the trigger.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    The detonation was so loud that the windows shook. Her earplugs widened to dampen the effect but by her side, Teneru winced.

    The Demon Slayer bullet pinged its way through the gleam¡¯s hand, and parts of his chest. The armor broke and blood poured from the ravaged tissue. Rage turned to surprise, but it never reached pain. Stonegrave simply fell to one knee with his armor crumbling around him. A spike of earth darted from the ground towards his face just as he leaned forward. Like a coincidence. A perfect timing of a D-class¡¯s piddling spell catching a C-class warrior off-guard. The spike dug into Stonegrave¡¯s mouth just as he opened it.

    A lot of blood poured out. Power fed into Nestra soon after. Her mana expanded as her core drank the fleeing essence.

    It felt really strange having the human form act as a conduit for the demon one.

    Panting, Teneru stumbled to the side, her face a mask of horror.

    ¡°Shit, I¡­ I think I¡ª¡±

    Nestra shot her too.

    And missed.

    Teneru didn¡¯t have the time to dodge. She¡¯d been looking forward, but something, probably instincts, still let her react in time so as not to get her intestines unspooled like a long spaghetti. Her form became vaporous. It was one moment flesh and the next liquid mana. The enchanted bullet left a ripple behind it before punching into a cinder block.

    Nestra followed a sinister laugh back into the building, leaving the corpse in its puddle. The inside of the renovated building was dark for now. Teneru waited there as a silhouette as wispy as the night. Nestra couldn¡¯t even tell if it was the woman¡¯s mana or the very rare darkness of a city that feared it like the plague.

    Her voice hadn¡¯t changed either.

    ¡°For a moment, I was afraid you¡¯d just offered yourself to us but of course, my first instincts were right, darling. You wanted to kill us, didn''t you? Hence the weird setup. Otherwise you could have just called for reinforcements, and then¡­¡±

    She shrugged, then stepped forward and the light of a nearby window fell on her face, the same face, which Nestra found abhorrent. The Sight Killer was still wearing her mask.

    ¡°I would have fled. Or died! One or the other. Come on, before you show me what you¡¯ve prepared. Tell me how you figured out it was me.¡±

    She touched her flank. The sensible dress had a hole in it now, but the wound Nestra could see through the opening was weird, more a second degree burn of the skin than an actual hole.

    ¡°I¡¯m bleeding a bit and it won¡¯t close by itself. Surely, time is on your side? Come on. I am dying to know.¡±

    Nestra wanted to tell her because it felt like it would fit nicely with the cathartic death. The fact Teneru was weakening was only a distant concern. The Aszhii wanted to cherish the moment, make it memorable for eons if she lived that long. It was special, after all. Her first assassination. Technically. Teneru was the first person whose death was the absolute end goal, or so that was how she felt.

    ¡°The presence of powerful earth and shadow magic with a minor in blood hinted that there were at least two people involved, and that¡¯s how I approached the problem. Of course, it turned out I was wrong and it was all your doing but you did have an accomplice, at least to design your unique mausoleum.¡±

    ¡°Not an architect, I¡¯m afraid. Couldn¡¯t have all this work collapsing on itself.¡±

    ¡°As to how I got convinced it was you, two things. You masked your money movements well on the mercenary side, but there were three rapid transfers from your bank to an overseas account labeled as ¡®art supplies¡¯ that amounted to the total of the advance the mercenaries received to kidnap me. Very obvious in retrospect. I want to ask though, before I continue. How did you convince Stonegrave to go along with your little outings?¡±

    Teneru scoffed, as if that was obvious.

    ¡°He¡¯s a sociopath, darling. Well, was. He wanted to be part of the Collective¡¯s entourage for monetary reasons. I requested a little, shall we say, proof of ability. A nice resting place rather than the dreadfully cold designs he favored. He delivered, and I invited him to our little after parties as my partner. Once he figured out the plans I asked of him were used as part of a series of murders, he didn¡¯t go to the police, as I expected. He tried to blackmail me instead. Naturally, I told him we would both end up in the Red House or worse should he talk since I could make a convincing case that we were accomplices, so he wisely decided to assist me instead. I had him retrieve the video of your kidnapping for my later, private enjoyment ¡ª or so I had hoped until you decided to play it smart. My turn now. You said you knew for two reasons. What¡¯s the second one?¡±

    ¡°Medical files.¡±

    Teneru stepped a little closer, the move fluid and predatory. A burst of mana revealed the power of a mighty C-class raider both in amount and control, but it also disappeared into thin air in the same moment rather than lingering as mana was wont to do. It was as if she¡¯d swallowed back all of that energy.

    ¡°Oooooh. Naughty naughty. Those are confidential!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not considered a priority, so the clearance level required was not all that high.¡±

    ¡°Devious. Tell me what you found. I want to hear it from your mouth.¡±

    ¡°You had mentioned having skin problems as a child and I checked them out. I recognized them. Heterochromia. Blaschko¡¯s lines. Swirls of skin affected by a darker pigmentation. Yours was especially heavy and affected even your face with a straight line heading down to your navel. You are a chimera.¡±

    Teneru¡¯s smile turned vicious and slightly lopsided. Gone was the goofy artist, or to be more precise, it was still there in half of her face like a crumbling mask while the shadow illusion that had made the rest poured down like smoky ink. It revealed white skin, unnaturally pale and iris as black as Nestra¡¯s own. The hair on that part of her scalp was straighter and darker as well. The swirls and stripes of mixed skin formed a hypnotic pattern that disappeared under the woman¡¯s clothes. In her medical file, Teneru was practically disfigured but gleam vitality had smoothed those angry lines into mere color differences, like permanent body paint. Even smoothed out, there were subtle differences between the various parts that lent her an asymmetrical appearance that made her exotic and uncanny in equal measure.

    ¡°Yes, I believe the first person I killed was my dear sister in the womb! Ate the poor thing, I¡¯m afraid. Or I was the one who got eaten. Hard to tell, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°You have two cores.¡±

    ¡°Not quite. More of a¡­ bicolored fused one with two prime affinities. But the distinction is academic. I simply am.¡±

    Teneru walked to the wall, passing stained fingers over the dry concrete. Her nails grated on the surface like metal screws.

    ¡°Is this the moment you ask me about my motives? Ooooh poor little Teneru, bullied as a kid.¡±

    Nestra shook her head.

    ¡°Nope, you¡¯re just a psycho.¡±

    And Teneru chuckled, the familiar laugh now gaining a subtle edge.

    ¡°Yes! Yes, thank you. Finally. It¡¯s always: ¡®oh but why are you doing this? Is this about a magic ritual, or punishment? You can get help!¡¯ But I don¡¯t want to get help. I just want to kill gleams and take their wonderful eyes! So pretty and full of life until the moment I rip them out of their mighty skulls.¡±

    As she spoke, the darkness of the room coalesced on her fingertips, forming uneven talons that changed with each of her breaths.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need a sociological or psychological or criminal or medical or educational motive¡­ or any other such bullshit. I just love to kill them when they feel invincible. That¡¯s it. That¡¯s all there is. Aaaaah so refreshing. Somehow, I knew you¡¯d get it.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether I got it or not. You set us on a collision course. I was always going to come for you.¡±

    She stretched her shoulders a bit, even though the human form would soon be subsumed. Habit.

    ¡°You¡¯re getting in the way of my hunts.¡±

    Teneru leaned lazily against a nearby wall. She was really enjoying the moment.

    ¡°And now, my turn to wonder what you have prepared. You went through a lot of pain to make our meeting secluded. Surely you have some plan that goes beyond dragging me to a place of stone and darkness just so I can mince you in peace, right?¡±

    ¡°I just wanted you to be as interested in me as I was in you. So one of us dies here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, obviously. To be honest, you merely had to ask. Like you, I was just waiting for a good chance. Tonight, actually, ever since you said you didn¡¯t have a chaperone. Well,   I hope your plan to kill me is really good, otherwise, I¡¯ll go after Helena next.¡±

    For a moment, Teneru regained the mask of the socialite in the way she moved and talked, though the appearance of the chimera remained.

    ¡°Followed her a little bit that day just to see what she was up to. She¡¯s a bit of a pariah, the poor dear. Can¡¯t really spar well because she has trouble holding back. Not the most social bird around. Why, after the death of her sister, I might just try to get close to comfort her. She seems to be a bit in pain at moments. I think that strange affinity is hurting her body, you see?¡±

    Nestra paled, suddenly taken off guard.

    Shit. Void ate through her sword. Would it eat through Helena¡¯s marrow, her organs? Her muscles? She was a human, not designed to withstand Aszhii mana.

    ¡°Hit a nerve? Well, don¡¯t worry. I am confident she won¡¯t die from mana erosion. Now show your hand or, you know¡­¡±

    Two blades of pure darkness manifested in Teneru¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Or just die. I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Nestra pulled her mask. Immediately, the world became smaller and so did Teneru. The room, so far dim, returned in all its monochrome sobriety. Nestra used immovable to stop the first strike of Teneru¡¯s blades but hissed when they still bit into her skin. The woman¡¯s mana was aggressive. Ravenous, even. Nestra¡¯s swordsmanship faced the torrent of shadow blades while the ground rebelled against her feet.

    Nestra had thought that the Sight Killer had won by catching her prey off guard. She could have. She didn¡¯t have to.

    For the first time since Fox Mask, Nestra was losing. Completely losing. It wasn¡¯t technique, really, or even battle instincts. Teneru was simply a genius at using both shadow and earth at the same time, and Nestra could not stand against her.

    It was sobering, and as the blades found her flesh but failed to find much purchase, she felt a tinge of fear peppered with excitement.

    Teneru was going to kill her if she didn¡¯t up her game. And then it would be Helena¡¯s turn.

    Nestra extended a finger and folded space, calling one of her human form¡¯s weapons. A tiny capsule flew in the air, almost swallowed by the laughing vortex that was the killer. It exploded at the right moment. The flashbang turned the room white and the hail of blades pulled back, tendrils dispersed by the sudden light. Teneru yelped in pain, deafened for the second time. Nestra pulled electric mana and struck with everything she had. Void masquerading as a thunderbolt melted the naked concrete. Her sword broke through barbs of materialized shadows held as a shield. Blood spurted from somewhere. She¡¯d gotten a hit in.

    The room exploded into shadows. It was not an absence of light, this time, but darkness made manifest, a presence that stole air from her lungs. Nestra saw Teneru peer from her cloak of darkness. She used momentum to get away from that voracious smile.

    ¡°So enticing,¡± her voice whispered. ¡°More?¡±

    Blades filled the air. Nestra slipped through the nearest wall as it turned into a spike trap. She couldn¡¯t tell if Teneru was surprised but she didn¡¯t wait. She struck through the wall. Her sword smashed through the melting concrete, but found nothing.

    ¡°Hah!¡±

    Teneru opened the wall like one pulls a curtain aside. She stepped in, regal. Nestra used a button prepared by Stibs.

    The industrial power lights lodged at the corners of the room flooded the darkness with the presence of the sun. The contrast was enough for Nestra to land another good hit, though it felt more like hitting shadows and getting a glancing blow. Still, blood poured down her blade.

    The counter-attack was immediate. The room itself smashed the lamps. Stones surged at Nestra from every direction, one hitting the back of her head despite her best efforts. Shadows bit into her armguards. Her instincts screamed at her. Get out. NOW. She slipped down to another room, activated another set of flood lights. Teneru was a blur of power and Nestra pointed, sending a void bolt into that pit of nothingness. No damage.

    ¡°Nice tricks, honey.¡±

    Nestra moved to a staircase. They fought here, up, floor by floor where the space was little and Nestra¡¯s experience helped. Teneru was adapting fast but it was clear she was lacking experience fighting someone as slippery as Nestra.

    ¡°You¡¯re a dancer, darling. Wait. hear that? Hush!¡±

    Despite her misgivings, Nestra froze. She spared a quick look out of the nearest window, Teneru taking a few steps back as she did. Mana faded as Teneru settled.

    ¡°Your gunshots gathered some attention,¡± Teneru idly remarked.

    There were drones outside. Surveillance drone scanning the place. One of them found the damaged door where Stonegrave had a short-lived burst of anger. They loitered for a bit longer.

    ¡°A transformation power. Very unusual, but I do like the demonic aesthetics. The eyes are a nice touch, though I might be biased.¡±

    Teneru was back to her pleasant self, though Nestra could smell the acrid perfume of her sweat over the tangy taste of the mixture of both of their blood. Adrenaline, or at least the Aszhii equivalent, was keeping her upright for now but she was going to feel it in the morning, assuming she managed to survive. Teneru wasn¡¯t doing much better. Both of them were offensive types. The battle would be over soon.

    It took a minute for the drones to leave, but it felt like much longer. Teneru was the first to move. She pulled darkness to herself, flooding the place in an instant. Again, Nestra used momentum to teleport away from the cloud of impenetrable darkness. She dove down, near the entrance. Teneru rushed after her needled by fear that she might escape and Nestra scored one more hit on her, though as usual, this felt more like hitting water.

    She just needed one good strike. Teneru couldn¡¯t remain vaporous and strike her with hardened magic all the time. It had to be mentally exhausting. Nestra appeared in a ground floor room and waited, lights on.

    Teneru arrived through the wall, holding the corpse of Stonegrave in her clawed hands, the darkness itself turned into a glove of spines and hooks without form. It didn¡¯t feel like a spell anymore, just raw intent and skill so deeply ingrained that they became free form, liberated from the stumbling steps of humanity¡¯s first foray into the arcane. Teneru was a natural. She was not a human thrown into the merciless hell this world had become, after the Incursion. She flourished from it. It was her playground.

    Nestra breathed deep, pushing back the pain. This was the end. Blood pooled under the murderous gleam as it pooled under her, crimson and so very alive, for both of them, because they were still both living so very intensely, and in a minute, one of them wouldn¡¯t be.

    ¡°Just need to make this moment special,¡± Teneru said, still completely calm.

    Her claws slithered organically on the dead man¡¯s face, pulling eyelids out of the way. His vivid brown iris were revealed as shiny beacons in the artificial glare of the industrial lamp.

    ¡°You know, the gleaming effect remains after death. The mana does not desert us. Not even if our soul does. A wonderful thing, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    With a soft, wet squelch, the extended claws pulled the eyeballs from the dead man¡¯s skull. Part of the nerve stalk was still attached, a gory contrast to the enduring beauty of the shiny eyes. Teneru brought them to her own, uneven pair.

    ¡°Gleam eyes. Such a powerful symbol, always watching, always judging whether their owner wants to or not. Biased. Imperfect, yet so very, very pretty. Hmmm, I don¡¯t think I can take yours. They don¡¯t seem to be quite fully there, but if you do manage to kill me, collect mine! Let me keep my eyes on you. Hehe.¡±

    She carefully placed the trophies on the ground. Nestra let her. She was catching her breath.

    ¡°Right. Where were we? Oh yes.¡±

    Teneru charged. Nestra placed her sword to the side for a sweep, That only made Teneru laugh, again. Wait for it¡­

    A brick extended like a spike, crushing all the lamps at the same time. The room turned immediately dark.

    Nestra took a step back while Teneru accelerated, her eyes searching the darkness for potential spots where Nestra would reappear.

    Nestra didn¡¯t use momentum.

    With a perfect gesture, the one she¡¯s rehearsed day after day after day all her life, she stepped forward and struck.

    It was a very simple move. Pretty much part of all the training sequences in existence. Her body twisted with the blurry memories of a body that was not quite her demon self, but close enough for embers of that perfection to flash at this precise moment. Her sword sang through the air, and that simplicity turned the blade into a void cut of the finest precision.

    The claymore caught a very surprised Teneru under the rib. Nestra barely felt resistance when the blade struck up to the extent that she thought she was dealing with some sort of decoy, but the sound? That was unmistakable. The sound of flesh tearing, of bones giving. Teneru gasped. She fell. She stopped falling. The blade was holding her in place¡­ but not her blood. It left her body through the gaping ruin that used to be her torso. The wound was fatal.

    ¡°You¡­ could see¡­¡±

    ¡°In the dark. Yesss,¡± Nestra finished. ¡°From the start. Human pattern recognition¡­ sssuch a trap, sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Heh. Vicious. Child.¡±

    She died.

    Nestra felt her die. Power flooded into her core, the physical one warming in her chest. A ravenous need to ascertain her victory burnt inside of her mind. She had done it. That challenge was completed. She had overcome, and now she was reaping the fruits of her trap, of her superiority. Her fingers dug into the unresisting meat of Teneru¡¯s sternum, rooting for it. It was here. It called to her, still warm, still flush with all that potential that was now hers. She touched it. She grasped it. She bit down onto the core.

    It tasted like triumph.

    Nestra hissed with pleasure, breaking that core under her teeth. It was the perfect core for her. It was what she had wanted all along, the ability to find more without risk of being caught. In the confines of her mind palace, a second false orb lit up next to the electric one. This one was dark by nature.

    She lifted a hand. Liquid black covered her blood-soaked fingers like a second, smoky skin.

    She had done it.

    It felt so, so good. So good. Fuck hubris. How could it be arrogance when she had done it? She was the best. The very best. She¡¯d killed the killer. She¡¯d outsmarted the canny thing. It was her moment.

    ¡°Aaaaaaah. YESSSS.¡±

    It took some time for her to stop enjoying the pure felicity that came with a good fight won at high cost. When she did, she placed the bodies in a way that indicated they might have killed each other. Once that was done, she returned to her unbattered human form to let the dull ache of her wounds fade into the background. It was a simple matter of seconds to place the mausoleum plans to the side. There. A quarrel between associates. She slowly, methodically picked up every piece of equipment she¡¯d left including the two bullets she¡¯d fired which were now embedded in the walls, then went after every place she¡¯d bled with bleach.

    That would be weird, but bleach in a building undergoing renovation wasn¡¯t unheard of. No officer worth their salt would think that this was normal; but that was fine. She only needed to give them a way out. A plausible explanation so they could officially close the case.

    If they were smart, they¡¯d take it.

 Part 37

    ¡°I got something,¡± the young intern said.

    He proudly lifted a small vial. In it, his superior spotted the cut head of a cotton swab. Thick congealed blood stained the white material.

    ¡°I knew the killer would have missed something.¡±

    ¡°Great job,¡± his superior said.

    She picked the vial. It was properly labeled and everything.

    ¡°I found it on the ceiling. In a corner. It¡¯s as you said, ma¡¯am. The devil¡¯s in the details.¡±

    ¡°And you have the focus required to notice them, though I¡¯m not sure the boss will do anything about it.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± the intern asked, his joy melting away.

    His superior had the grace to be embarrassed. Her intern was doing a great job, but he was still a little naive. Every high profile case was a political one.

    ¡°Look, it¡¯s probably better if I let Mr. Ashjay tell you in person. I¡¯m not good at this.¡±

    She left the bare room behind. Her intern followed her with hesitant steps until they found Mr Ashjay on the ground floor. The man was not ecstatic for what had to be the biggest breakthrough since that Internal Affair weirdo had found the first mausoleum. His gleam eyes looked up from a datasheet. The intern knew gleams couldn¡¯t get implants but some old school folks didn¡¯t even like visors.

    ¡°My young apprentice found some suspicious blood that hasn¡¯t been wiped by bleach. Here,¡± the superior said.

    Ashjay looked at the vial without a trace of triumph. He picked it up reluctantly.

    ¡°Sir? This could belong to the Raider Killer!¡± the intern argued.

    ¡°No. The Raider Killer is in the morgue right now. Both of them. We have confirmed¡­ a variety of things. Things that could not have been planted. Banking records. Sealed safes.¡±

    ¡°What? The victims are our culprits? But then¡­ what?¡±

    Ashjay looked up. He seemed to consider the question for a while. The intern waited patiently for Ashjay¡¯s wisdom. The B-class had been at it for a while and he was still there, which meant he was motivated.

    ¡°Would you say this crime scene is not two people killing each other?¡±

    The intern hesitated.

    Suddenly, he had a possibility to impress the boss. He wasn¡¯t prepared for it. Stress made his heart beat. Maybe that was the breakthrough that would land him a coveted job. Panic constricted his heart.

    ¡°I mean, this is a joke, right? This whole thing stinks to high heaven. Two bullet impacts but no bullets, non-consistent wounds on both bodies, unexplained lighting equipment with no ID numbers¡­¡±

    ¡°That last one could have been brought in by the victims,¡± Ashjay corrected.

    The intern sweated.

    ¡°But for the rest, you are entirely correct. We were given a semi-convenient scene that we could accept, knowing it¡¯s all bullshit. We were also given ample proof that those two were, together, the Raider Killer. Now who would have any interest in killing them?¡±

    ¡°Hm, err, more accomplices?¡±

    ¡°I believe those would have simply tried to make them disappear in a way that doesn¡¯t attract the attention, just in case the others had incriminatory evidence at their disposal.¡±

    A lightbulb lit in the intern¡¯s mind. Of course. There was a reason why this was a high profile case.

    ¡°The families of the victims?¡±

    ¡°Two powerful C-class gleams slain without the entire building blowing up? Or the entire street, for that matter? Either they were doing their best not to attract attention, or they were killed by someone who was significantly more powerful than they were.¡±

    ¡°Like a B-class relative¡­¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter in the end,¡± Ashjay said.

    He hesitated. The intern knew he would receive more wisdom now that would change his outlook, or be thanked and dismissed for the afternoon.

    In the end, Ashjay sighed, and the intern started to believe he¡¯d be hired. Why else waste so much time on an aug like him?

    ¡°We can dig the little info we have, perhaps the blood, and fight an uphill battle against a tacit alliance of Houses who were seeking vengeance against those who¡¯d killed their children. We can perhaps prosecute the guilty if by some miracle we find out who it was despite our inability to detect mana that doesn¡¯t belong to those two. Then, after a long and humiliating legal battle where our inability to find the killer will be explained at length, the guilty will be absolved of their crime by a jury of their peers.¡±

    His eyes wandered before returning to the intern.

    ¡°Or we can claim that the two killed each other and put an affair that has embarrassed the unit and the city to rest, thus moving on to more immediate concerns.¡±

    The rational part of the intern knew what would happen. Riel, if it were him in charge, he¡¯d probably take the easy way out but¡­ there was something in him that felt like it was dying. A vague pain in his heart.

    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Ashjay said, and it sounded like he meant it. ¡°It¡¯s probably not what you were hoping to hear.¡±

    ¡°No. I understand. I just hope¡­ bah.¡±

    ¡°We will find another battle. There will always be more of those. That, I can promise.¡±

    Ashjay raised the vial, then he hesitated.

    The intern thought they could still save it as evidence, and maybe use it later? Just in case.

    The room darkened.

    There was immense pressure. Everything became tighter. It was very hard to breathe. It was important, very important, to keep breathing. He could see his shoes, covered in plastic, and the isolant suit over it. The shoes were very important.

    Something really large came walking around but that was not as important as breathing, and breathing required focus. On the shoes. His eyes perceived a bone-clad armored foot, though his mind did not.

    Then it was over.

    ¡°Hmmm.¡±

    Ashjay blinked.

    ¡°Guess we can call it a day,¡± he said a little sullenly. ¡°You¡¯ve done really well. Let¡¯s just tie this up and go home for this afternoon. It¡¯s been a very long week.¡±

    ¡°Thanks chief.¡±

    ¡°You guys pack and go as soon as you¡¯re ready. I guess I¡¯m having a word with the mayor¡¯s office to see how we can turn this around. See you guys at the office on Monday.¡±

    The intern left. Too bad the vial would lead to nothing at all but that was fine. He¡¯d been noticed for his hard work, and that mattered. He just hoped they would find the next culprit before something else got to them.

    ***

    Sereth pocketed the vial. He would have it tested. Blood of the People tended to lose potency too quickly for most spells but those humans had DNA tests ¡ª how exciting! ¡ª and he wanted to know if it would lead them back to Nestra.

    There was also a chance that this was Teneru¡¯s blood, but he wouldn¡¯t risk it.

    Sereth sighed as he swam through another pocket, reappearing closer to his den. Younglings were so damn sloppy, sometimes.

    He thought about his youth. Would an instigator call a bloodhound construct over a single drop of blood?

    To track a vigilante?

    Absolutely not.

    Now that no one could see, he allowed his ears to twitch to relieve the stress. The rules of the covens were not very strict. He was supposed to let her fall if she did something ¡®stupid¡¯, but what was stupidity and what was merely carelessness born from inexperience? The girl was too hasty to kill¡­ as were all younglings.

    Aaaah, so complicated.

    In the end, Sereth huffed. As far as he was concerned, she¡¯d killed a much stronger, very talented user. And got away with most of it. That was good enough for that little drakespawn. He would just scold her next time to remind her she could have done a better prep job. Personally, he would have killed them separately in a more secluded place but¡­ that was experience talking. Hubris made the younglings impatient when they couldn¡¯t hunt for extended periods of time¡­

    Maybe he could scold her AND bake her a celebratory cake. That would dull the edge of the criticism.

    ***

    ¡°Raaah!¡±

    Human Nestra stabbed the target with all the strength her quirkie muscles could manage. Her blade sank an impressive centimeter before slipping from her tired fingers. It almost fell to the ground but she managed to grab the hilt through sheer annoyance. At herself, mostly. Letting a blade fall was disrespectful. And lazy. She¡¯d been lazy enough, recently.

    ¡°Fuuuuuck.¡±

    Riel-accursed hubris. She¡¯d left the scene happy as a clam, riding on the ecstasy of self-aggrandizement, only to realize as she lay in her small bed that she¡¯d left Gravestone¡¯s core behind.

    A C-class core of an experienced raider.

    Delicious, delicious human core. Hers by right because she¡¯d gotten power from his death so it meant she deserved it, even if it was by proxy. And she¡¯d lost it. Lost it forever! It was enough to drive a girl mad. And hungry. So hungryyyyy. She wanted to hunt so bad and yet even assuming she could do that, she wouldn¡¯t be able to because demon Nestra was currently bleeding pain through their connection in a way that told her that swapping out now would come with shrieks and more regrets.

    She¡¯d eaten two breakfasts worth of mana food. Running around last night drunk on power probably made things worse just through the blood loss. Stupidity upon foolishness upon bone-headed idiocy.

    Nestra returned to her starting point at the edge of the family gym. It was usually deserted since it had become obsolete. Even Helena had outgrown it, requiring more space to practice her craft. That was why Nestra was surprised when she spotted her brother waiting by the entrance.

    The two glared at each other. her brother, handsome and almost ethereal in his cotton shirt with short sleeves, lounging like the B-class apex predator he was.

    Human Nestra, imperfect, sweaty, tired and grumpy. Sore as hell. Having worked hard for hours and supremely talented with a blade, yet incapable of bridging that gap between a baseline and a mana user. It didn¡¯t matter that she was at the Olympic level. Nobody gave a shit anymore. Not even reality.

    He could just cross the distance between them faster than she could process and stab his hand through her brain.

    Nestra caught her reflection. It wasn¡¯t just that. He looked younger than her. No, he looked out of time, a perfection that couldn¡¯t even be captured by a painting because it lacked the sheer presence he had. At his level, gleams might just as well be another species.

    And here she was, looking the same age as her mother. If the mask wasn¡¯t frozen in time, as she thought it might be, she would grow gray hair while they remained hale and hearty. She would slow down too.

    Nestra shook her head. The pain and distress were making her cranky. She just wanted out, but first the city needed to give the all clear. They were probably making sure the Sight Killer was really dead. It might even take a couple of days.

    ¡°I have news for you, great news,¡± her brother finally said as he ran out of patience.

    Nothing in his face betrayed any sign of joy though.

    ¡°It looks like they finally caught the killer. You can go home now.¡±

    ¡°So eager to see the back of me, ey?¡± Nestra replied before she could remember she was trying to avoid conflict.

    His snarky tone was just getting on her nerves.

    ¡°Yes, as a matter of fact, I am.¡±

    Nestra stopped. It was the first time he¡¯d been anything but coldly cordial.

    ¡°Is it time for me to hear your many complaints?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I thought you¡¯d run back again with your tail between your legs, just like last time, but you stayed. I assume you did eventually grow some preservation instinct.¡±

    ¡°Just get to the point and spare me the whining.¡±

    She grabbed a towel while Ulysses altered his posture. Little mana leaked, but he had a presence that could be felt by some animal instinct in her brain. She thought she could feel him now, even if she closed her eyes. Like a weight on her soul.

    ¡°When you left, everyone else wallowed in their misery for, what, a couple of years? I wish I were exaggerating but I¡¯m not. The number of times I complained during training and I heard ¡®Your sister this, your sister that¡¯. Frustrating.¡±

    ¡°You could try¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut the fuck up.¡±

    ¡°Complaining less,¡± Nestra finished between clenched teeth.

    Ulysses clicked his tongue, but he didn¡¯t act. Nestra knew he wouldn¡¯t. If he did, the rest of the family would not let that go and he wanted her gone, not vindicated. It would prove nothing either. Not with the world of difference between them.

    ¡°But that¡¯s between me and dad, I guess. What concerns you is that you amputated yourself away from us, which might have been good for you but certainly not for everyone else, especially Helena and Mom. It was a painful and long recovery. Like you were dead. You could have visited, you know?¡±

    ¡°Then we would have had this discussion sooner?¡±

    ¡°And now that finally, things are somewhat good with even mom returning to her old self, who the fuck comes back with an awkward smile? You.¡±

    ¡°Still waiting for the point.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just going to do it again. Come and leave and not just make us a toxic pit of pity, but also rip the bandage off every time we could have healed.¡±

    ¡°All I¡¯m hearing is that the decision we have taken, and by we I mean everyone but you, are leaving you somewhat inconvenienced.¡±

    ¡°It was your decision to leave, Nestra.¡±

    ¡°And now that I¡¯m back feeling like I¡¯m no longer dying or need to prove myself, you¡¯re being a prissy bitch. Is there any particular reason why you should care?¡±

    ¡°It was your decision to leave, Nestra!¡±

    ¡°And my decision to come back? How is that your fucking problem? Just avoid me like you¡¯ve been doing.¡±

    ¡°Like I can avoid someone in my own home?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my own home too, unless you¡¯ve forgotten.¡±

    ¡°You LEFT!¡±

    ¡°And I was invited back. What¡¯s the real problem, Ulysses? Pissed because your precious connections might get ruined by my inferior genes?¡±

    ¡°That is not it. You¡¯re just a toxic spikeball in a very delicate basket.¡±

    ¡°Please explain to me how you were all doing so well and I ruined everything. And your party doesn¡¯t count.¡±

    He threw his hands up. His anger was getting the best of him and mana now leaked from his core in furious pulses.

    ¡°You never even cared about your own well-being, you selfish prick.¡±

    ¡°Says the lazy wanker.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°FUCK YOU.¡±

    Nestra was pushed backed by sheer anger. Mana buffeted her, and Ulysses was now only a handspan away. She met his eyes.

    ¡°Do it, if you dare.¡±

    He pulled back without hesitation. He suddenly felt like he was far away.

    ¡°You¡¯ll do what you want but you¡¯ll feel awkward all the time, and it will get worse when you¡¯ll come with crow feet and gray hair. But whatever. In the end, I won¡¯t be the one to suffer.¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t be the one to whinge. Just ignore me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±

    He left.

    Nestra waited a full minute before smashing her practice sword into the nearest target.

    ***

    The ride home was silent. Mom had insisted on coming even though she had a raid planned the next day. Nestra did her best to ignore the teasing voice in her head that said she ought to listen, that her brother was right. Her presence would only hurt them. Maybe not Helena, but at least her mom.

    It wasn¡¯t about her being a dreg. It was also about her being an Aszhii. She wasn¡¯t even truly related to her dad. Only her mask was. And it was a lie.

    It would only hurt them.

    But if she left now, it would not just hurt them, they wouldn¡¯t understand why. Her first flight had been a gesture of desperation. Like cutting off a limb to run away. This one would be an act of betrayal.

    It was a betrayal either way. If she stayed, at least she could help Helena. Maybe not the others, but Helena.

    Fuck, Helena. Was the void mana really hurting her? Nestra had to do something.

    Something beeped in her visor. She put it on to read her messages, leaving the autopilot in charge.

    ¡°Dammit, really?¡± she blurted.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, honey?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m asked to vacate my Nestra cave immediately. Those fuckers.¡±

    ¡°Nestra cave?¡± Mom asked with a knowing smile.

    Nestra blushed, but only long enough for her anger to resurface.

    ¡°I rented a separate space for food and training. Storage space. Added a few benches. Anyway, it got searched by the Special Crime Division while I was away and the company didn¡¯t like that. They¡¯re evicting me.¡±

    Mom seemed shocked. That gave Nestra a bittersweet feeling. Her mom just wasn¡¯t aware of what being a high gleam entailed. Maybe she didn¡¯t remember her childhood? Or maybe she just thought things were different now.

    ¡°They can¡¯t do that? They have to give you advance notice.¡±

    Nestra just chuckled.

    ¡°That¡¯s a courtesy. By contract, they don¡¯t have to. They say I¡¯m out, I got 24 hours to clear out. I¡¯m not a House gleam, mom. I don¡¯t get preferential treatment.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    Nestra changed course on her GPS. She arrived at the storage space only to realize her pass had been canceled. The guard at the door let her in manually.

    ¡°Yes, I remember you. Sorry about that, by the way. Management¡¯s orders,¡± the bearded man told her with an apologetic tone.

    Nestra¡¯s simmering anger wasn¡¯t strong enough for her to scream at a minimum wage guy looking after himself. When she parked in front of her box, there were two employees piling her belongings on the pavement.

    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to get a day of grace. What the fuck do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± she said, jumping out of her car.

    They¡¯d unplugged the damn freezer. She would have to eat everything quickly now. Ugh.

    ¡°Um. Sorry. Management¡¯s orders.¡±

    Someone was out to test her patience.

    ¡°Get the fuck out of here. I have one day. You are trespassing.¡±

    The two employees were looking at each other. It took them exactly half a second to decide it wasn¡¯t their problem and that they were not paid enough to deal with this shit. Nestra cursed as she pulled out her visor to call Gorge just as the pair left.

    ¡°Not so fast,¡± her mom said.

    Or rather, Deborah Palladian, B-class frost mage.

    Nestra felt the wave of cold spread throughout the concrete lot as the two men stopped, turning in terror.

    Gone was the patient mother. Nestra instinctively took a couple of step backs. This wasn¡¯t for show. Her mom was genuinely angry.

    She approached Nestra¡¯s freezer, opened it, and the cold outside turned icy. Streaks of frost climbed up its sides like spiderwebs.

    ¡°There is something very cold in your sidebag, young man,¡± Deborah said in a voice that could quench a star.

    Seeing her mom like that smothered Nestra¡¯s anger. Why be angry? There were demigods walking among them wearing a human mask. One of them was supposed to be her mother.

    What was a little frustration compared to this?

    Nestra had never felt so lonely.

    One of the men cried as he reached for his side, pulling one of Nestra¡¯s beef tomahawk out of a small bag. Nestra was almost amazed it had fit in there. The fucking food thief.

    ¡°Sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    The tomahawk was pulled out of his hands. He hissed as he pulled back, fingertips singed.

    ¡°Leave,¡± Deborah ordered.

    A moment later, all of Nestra¡¯s belongings danced a blinding fast waltz, held aloft by crystalline blue globes. They ended up piled in a neat square. Mom was nothing if not good at packing.

    ¡°You should call a mover, darling. I don¡¯t think your roadster can handle this. Unless you want me to¡­ convince the owners to give you another chance?¡±

    ¡°No no, it¡¯s ok.¡±

    The value of the Nestra cave was that it was out of sight. Now that she had the spotlight on her, as well as Seth¡¯s help, it no longer had a reason to exist. Gorge had replied. He was busy but promised to send his boys. As Nestra settled in to wait, her mom leaned against her car.

    ¡°Say, if you want to complain for breach of contract, it¡¯s going to be hard, right?¡±

    ¡°I will send a letter to corporate. Sometimes, the execs who fucked up get a slap on the wrist because the directors don¡¯t like bad reviews. I don¡¯t have the time, resources, or energy to sue them for a few hundred creds worth of damage.¡±

    Her mom shrugged.

    There was a sound of an exploding pipe. Water pipe, probably. A puddle formed under one of the nearby shutters.

    ¡°Oops.¡±

    ¡°Or they could accidentally get five thousand creds of plumber fees plus insurance markup. And someone will definitely get a slap on the wrist,¡± Nestra admitted.

    The two women smiled. Nestra was left wondering if she should feel sorry for using her nepo baby superpowers to get revenge. In the end, she decided she didn¡¯t give a shit.

    ***

    Helena looked suspiciously from one person to another in Mazingwe¡¯s deserted office. Nestra didn¡¯t blame her sister for being circumspect.

    ¡°Is this some sort of intervention?¡±

    ¡°Look,¡± Nestra said, ¡°the void mana is hurting you, right?¡±

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s hard on my body. But I¡¯m managing. The school doctor gave me something for the pain.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re still in pain,¡± Nestra insisted.

    Helena looked annoyed. After a while, she averted her eyes before giving a noncommittal shrug.

    ¡°That means yes.¡±

    Mazingwe shook his head. He offered a cup of hot chocolate which Helena took. A sip, and the girl was immediately hooked. Sneaky Mazingwe. Growing on people like that.

    ¡°Pain management is very often affected by bias,¡± he gently explained. ¡°I cannot overstate how frequently practitioners underestimate chronic pain in women. This becomes even more pronounced for raiders who are expected to heal from damage. We will conduct a full scan of your body. Is there any specific place that hurts more?¡±

    Helena hesitated. She gave Valerian a side glance.

    ¡°Are you really a Nephrite?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Wow. You know some bigwigs, sis.¡±

    Valerian preened until Nestra gave him a glare.

    ¡°And you¡­ you smell like a spearman,¡± Helena told Mazingwe.

    ¡°Axe girl brain.¡±

    They both chuckled.

    ¡°It¡¯s a meme,¡± Helena explained at Nestra¡¯s look of incomprehension.

    ¡°Wait, the old gleam has a better grasp on meme culture than I do?¡±

    Mazingwe gave Nestra a look of pity.

    ¡°You are so unwired,¡± he dared say.

    ¡°Alright. Enough, the both of you. Doctor, please fix my sister.¡±

    They had the audacity to laugh at her for a bit longer, then Helena grew serious.

    ¡°Yeah, my arms hurt more,¡± she confirmed.

    Mazingwe nodded.

    ¡°Additional channeling for close quarter combatants. Anymore and the pain would have spread to your torso. If you would follow me?¡±

    The two stepped into a testing room. Left outside, Valerian tried some small talk with Nestra but she was too anxious. She did congratulate him on mastering his first major spell. They would have to test it in a raid soon.

    Helena returned with a downward anxious expression with Mazingwe in tow. She was holding some scan images rather tightly.

    ¡°My patient has agreed to share the details with you so I will explain what is happening. Potential void mana is necrotizing tissue of the younger Miss Palladian. The damage extends to every organ on its path, and when the nerves are hit, that is when pain spikes occur. Helena¡¯s natural regeneration struggles to keep up with the exposure.¡±

    He sounded very calm.

    ¡°Damage seems to be more extensive than acid mage lesions. Unfortunately, some scarring has already occurred.¡±

    All because the school doctor dismissed her.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill that fucking fraud,¡± Nestra growled.

    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it,¡± Helena said.

    Her tone showed she wouldn¡¯t listen to objections. Nestra backed down but¡­ fuck!

    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it. I got a report from Doctor Mazingwe here. I¡¯ll send it to him alongside the board. I trusted him. Not letting that go.¡±

    ¡°If I may continue?¡± Mazingwe calmly asked.

    The two sisters muttered quiet apologies.

    ¡°The scarring remains light and unlikely to hamper Helena Palladian in the long run. I recommend a regular intake of basic healing potions to help natural regeneration along during raids or periods of intense activity. You are starting to raid this semester, right?¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah yeah.¡±

    Mazingwe¡¯s datasheet snapped in half. Both sisters studied the ceiling and a nearby potted plant with rare intensity.

    ¡°If I learned that you are massively increasing your power by raiding illegally without giving your body time to mature and adapt to your aggressive mana, I would be very annoyed.¡±

    ¡°It really helped me,¡± Helena said.

    The snitch.

    ¡°Hmmm.¡±

    Mazingwe tapped his chin with a long, thin finger.

    ¡°As a matter of fact, I seem to remember that regular use in a controlled environment helped cases of non raiders. Hm!¡±

    The doctor moved away to his old-school desk. He recovered a data sheet from one of the top drawers. Nestra leaned forward. The drawer was filled with spare datasheets.

    ¡°Yes. Recent study from the University of Vancouver. I might recommend more regular activity then. In the meanwhile, if House Nephrite could assist?¡±

    ¡°I have a spell for deep fatigue and radioactive damage.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what? Radioactive?¡± Helena gasped.

    ¡°It repairs damage at the cellular level. It should work in your case, even if the origin of the damage is different. Here, let me try.¡±

    Valerian placed his hand on Helena¡¯s shoulder. His serene expression turned focused. Time went on. Helena sighed, choked, then sobbed. It took two minutes for him to finish and by the time he was done, he was noticeably paler.

    ¡°Next treatments should not take ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh my Riel. Thank you! Thank you!¡±

    She was crying now. Nestra gave her a hug.

    Mazingwe patted her shoulder as well. Valerian went to grab more chocolate.

    ¡°It¡¯s been so long, so long. I forgot what it was like to live without it? How? It¡­ doesn¡¯t hurt anymore! Riel!¡±

    ¡°There there.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s temporary,¡± Valerian said as he offered the second cup, which Helena picked with trembling fingers. ¡°We are treating the symptoms, not the cause, but if what you need is time then I¡¯ll be happy to help you along.¡±

    Helena nodded. She was in shock, in a way. Mazingwe eventually offered to talk to her in private, leaving Nestra alone with Valerian again.

    ¡°Thanks. I really appreciate it,¡± Nestra said honestly after the two had left the room.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I look after my friends.¡±

    He clearly wanted to say something more so Nestra encouraged him.

    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t take it the wrong way, but seeing you caring for your sister? it makes me feel like you¡¯re much more, I don¡¯t know, approachable? A person? You¡¯re still that giant demoness with the huge sword that can trounce entire squads but you¡¯re also Nestra, Helena¡¯s sister. It suits you.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I feel like I am finding my place now. Not completely, not yet, but I think I¡¯m getting there. It¡¯s a pretty good feeling.¡±

    She sighed.

    ¡°Sometimes I feel like it took me ten years to get to a point that others process in their teenage years. Like I lost a decade in limbo, and now I have to play catch up. And repair the damage. What can be repaired, at least.¡±

    ¡°Hey if it¡¯s any comfort, some people never grow past their teenage years.¡±

    Nestra chuckled.

    ¡°Not sure if I should measure myself to the lowest possible bar.¡±

    Valerian patted her hand. It was a friendly gesture and it was okay.

    ¡°Half of Threshold¡¯s population needs therapy and we¡¯re one of the better enclaves on the planet, mental health wise. So take it easy.¡±

    ¡°The world has gone to shit and I need perspective, got it,¡± Nestra said with a smile to show she didn¡¯t mean it.

    ¡°I think I know what you need. More raiding!¡±

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Nestra replied. ¡°But before¡­ I need to find a way to help Helena.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Kero Nuts.¡±

    Nestra had never been more certain of anything in her life.

    Sereth looked up from his simmering pot, brows furrowing. His ears did that little dance they did when he was thinking hard.

    ¡°Little Nezhra, the kero nut is the fruit of the ¡ª of back home. It is a void infused food staple that is anathema to all life that is not of the People.¡±

    ¡°But it is very nourishing!¡±

    Nestra couldn''t contain her excitement.

    ¡°The fruit uses the void as nourishment. Helena is already using void so clearly her body has adapted to a degree, or any channel would kill her. What she needs is a little push.¡±

    ¡°For all you know, it might as well kill her.¡±

    She pointed an accusatory finger.

    ¡°For all YOU know, mister kero thief, it might not. You said it yourself: it had never happened before. Helena is the first.¡±

    He slowly nodded.

    ¡°Human technology is very impressive.¡±

    ¡°So maybe this is what she needs. It would definitely help her. Otherwise¡­ I fear she might be on a timer.¡±

    Sereth winced.

    ¡°That might be true. Unfortunately, I have run out.¡±

    ¡°So go seek more! You did it once.¡±

    ¡°It is not that simple.¡±

    Satisfied with his preparations, Sereth closed the lid before reducing the fire. He grabbed a glass of red wine and sat next to Nestra, who was waiting by the couch. On the wall next to her, the Sight Killer¡¯s last painting hung like a trophy.

    Teneru did get what she wanted. Nestra would allow her to keep an eye out. But just the one.

    ¡°I told you that I cannot travel as female Aszhii do. I am old enough to breach through nearby portal or pseudo-portal worlds, and find my way back eventually. By the time I succeed, years, nay, decades will have passed for you. Last time, I had help from one of the wanderers, a precaution to report on your health immediately. This time, I will not have a way back until you have matured, little Nezhra. There are no more Kero Nuts to be found until you reach the third sphere.¡±

    ¡°NoOoOo.¡±

    Sereth frowned.

    ¡°I thought they were for your sister?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, just¡­ an emotional response.¡±

    ¡°If you want to hasten your progress, you could come with me tomorrow. It is high time you worked on your resistances. Resilience is one of the Aszhii¡¯s strongest points, and you have yet to make much progress in this aspect.¡±

    He tilted his head to the side.

    ¡°Though your technique and grasp of the Scornful Crescent remain very impressive.¡±

    ¡°So what, a day out?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If your work allows it. And by that I mean, quit if you have to.¡±

    Nestra frowned. Officer Kim had been exceptionally quiet these past few days, besides a message to confirm the Sight Killer was dead. Technically, Nestra was still on indefinite paid leave pending the resolution of the District Fifteen fiasco. It had only been a few weeks.

    ¡°Sure. let¡¯s go hunt some stuff.¡±

    ***

    Nestra reached the top of the incline with gleam speed. A child-like curiosity needled her forward, and when the forest expanded like a green curtain below her, the view rewarded her anticipation.

    ¡°Wow,¡± she said.

    Sereth came to stand by her side. There was sympathy in his expression as well as kindness mixed with a bit of pity.

    The near forest was larger and thicker than any park she¡¯d ever been to. It was also so messy. The air smelled of life, but also death and a thousand other perfumes she didn''t recognize. Her eyes searched the chaos for traces of humanity and she did find them. Deep glassed craters formed circles of glittering reflection where Threshold¡¯s artillery had turned the horde into so much glass, and in the distance, of course, was the wall.

    It was even more impressive from outside. Tall, pristine, unyielding, the battlements and towers bristling with weapons, the wall extended left and right in a continuous and unbroken line for kilometers, and beyond it, the three titanic skyscrapers that formed the trinity of Threshold¡¯s skyline stood proudly.

    Beyond, still, was the shimmering sapphire of the Pacific Ocean. It was barely visible.

    ¡°I have seen pictures and movies, of course, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Is this really the first time you have left Threshold?¡± Sereth asked.

    Nestra nodded. She was a little embarrassed.

    ¡°We were supposed to fly to Berlin for my eighteenth birthday, on air force transport. I wanted to attend the European fencing championship. That dream evaporated along with my damn core.¡±

    ¡°So, first time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Sereth grabbed her shoulder. His hand was heavy, powerful, yet safe. Nestra was getting touched a lot recently, by people she loved. It was kind of nice. She¡¯d been missing it.

    ¡°This is just the beginning! Portal worlds are false. You can feel it as well as I do¡­ but the true worlds beyond? An infinity of possibility.¡±

    He gave her an encouraging smile.

    ¡°A lot of it is edible!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem,¡± Nestra replied a little too quickly.

    ¡°No no no, of course not. In any case, should we go? The portal in question is a little farther.¡±

    They ran through the forest, and fast too, with Sereth setting the speed at the upper limit of what Nestra could manage. She tripped a few times over slippery roots and exposed boulders. The forest here was a jungle, completely untamed and so dense her human self would have had to cut her way through with a machete. As it was, she just barreled on through bushes and brambles. The scent of loam and leaves was strong.

    ¡°You need to get used to it, city bird!¡± her brother mocked from ahead.

    ¡°Yeah yeah. Ouch!¡±

    They ran for an hour before Nestra had to beg for a pause. Her Aszhii muscles were sore. It was the first time it happened without a fight. It left her to wonder.

    ¡°Can we grow stronger through training? Like humans?¡±

    ¡°Of course! In fact, techniques and instincts are honed through repetition.¡±

    ¡°No, I meant¡­ muscles.¡±

    He gave her a knowing smile that screamed ¡®muscle head¡¯.

    ¡°Ah, I see. Hmm. I suppose, yes, but combat itself is generally all the workout we Aszhii need after we have gone beyond the second sphere. Hmmm.¡±

    He considered the question for a while.

    ¡°You are probably correct. I would just like to say that it is much more useful to punch a monster in a portal world than it is to lift iron. Are you ready to go? We are almost there.¡±

    Nestra stretched a bit more. She felt a little tired, like after a good workout.

    ¡°I need to run more.¡±

    ¡°We will work on that as well.¡±

    ¡°Before we go, are you stopping monsters from hunting us right now? We haven¡¯t seen anything so far.¡±

    ¡°Ah, no. The local monster population hasn¡¯t recovered since the kaiju attack. The forest remains sadly empty.¡±

    He shrugged.

    ¡°Less competition for the best fruits, I suppose. You also need to remember that monsters that escape a portal breach and their offspring eventually revert to animalistic instincts. That includes self-preservation.¡±

    ¡°Uh?¡±

    ¡°So two apex predators smashing their way through the undergrowth will only be intercepted by the most confident of local alphas, yes?¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Nestra stretched one last time. She sniffed the air.

    ¡°Is it me or is the mana here thinner, somehow?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Sereth replied, then he smiled.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ¡°Are you not going to tell me why there is less mana here, in the wilderness, than in the deforested Threshold? How can it be?¡±

    ¡°You know why.¡±

    ¡°More portals? But¡­ they are closed without breaking. I thought breaches led to the most mana infused in the local area. Wait, I think I remember that the number of portals inside of Threshold is pretty high.¡±

    ¡°So it is. Shall we?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re hiding something. You are smiling and your ears are twitching.¡±

    ¡°Of course I am, but I don¡¯t want to ruin the surprise. The humans will probably show you at some point. Shall we?¡±

    ¡°I might torture the information out of you.¡±

    ¡°You wish. Less talking, more running.¡±

    ***

    After two hours like this, Nestra judged they had to be more than a hundred kilometers away from the city, heading west towards the interior of the new continent. Life returned with strange birds she¡¯d never seen watching them race from the sky. And insects. A lot of insects, but little else. Animal life was much more spread out there than in portal worlds.

    It was the first time Nestra moved so much through wilderness without being attacked, or seeing anything to interact with, really. Just trees, trees, trees, rocks, grass, all in a big mess without any structure or any point really, and there was so much of it. The dead things mixed with the living, rotten tree trunks leaning against healthy ones. Now that she thought of it, very few of the trees seemed to be thriving. Not like they would in her family¡¯s garden.

    Really felt weird, not getting attacked.

    They had crossed two Thresholds worth of land without encountering anything of note beyond a couple of D-class portals. Even the fruits had been eaten by now.

    It was all very disconcerting.

    ¡°You will need to learn how to orient and feed yourself, little Nezhra, but that is not a priority.¡±

    ¡°I can just enter those portals and eat what¡¯s in there.¡±

    Sereth shook his head.

    ¡°If you are seriously wounded, even a D-class guardian can be a threat. An Aszhii stands alone. You must learn how to survive by yourself, eventually, for when things inevitably go bad. Ah, we are nearly there.¡±

    Emerging from the treeline, Nestra found herself facing a colossal lone mountain erupting from the green cover. Naked patches of land revealed the stone underneath, like a rash on the fur of a sick animal. A thick column of black smoke emerged from its summit.

    ¡°Volcano,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°Always an impressive sight. The second sphere portal is over there, halfway up the slope. It¡¯s the closest one I could find that matches your needs.¡±

    ¡°Ok. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Off you go now,¡± Sereth said with a wave. ¡°I will be waiting here.¡±

    Nestra jogged up the slope, easily jumping from one rock to another to avoid the crumbly gravel. Soon, the telltale glow of a portal warmed her skin. C-class for sure. The radiation just welcomed her home even before she could spot the entrance.

    Nestra considered slipping into the portal world then and there, however she glanced up and spotted something interesting. There, a little bit above her and to the side, was what looked like a lode of something black and shiny.

    She¡¯d heard of new resources sometimes being found out of portal worlds but those were rare and often quickly harvested. This place was isolated though, far away from any minor enclave. Maybe she¡¯d get lucky.

    She could sell this ¡ª or at least its location ¡ª and buy more armor to feed the Skin. A vague sense of heat emanated from the deposit. Lava mana, with some exotic form of stone as well. It might be worth a lot.

    Nestra approached. She would need a sample.

    The deposit moved.

    Beady red eyes opened in the crystalline mass. Red flesh. No, a mouth, opening. A gland under a forked tongue. Red mana.

    Nestra sidestepped with momentum just an instant too late. Blazing pain scoured her left arm up to the shoulder.

    Agony.

    The spray of fire followed her to the side. Nestra rolled low and aimed. A bolt touched the body of her foe but the heat and pain made her overshoot the eye. The bolt exploded in a spray of blood and broken scales.

    ¡°FUCK.¡±

    Nestra rushed forward, blade brandished. Smoke made everything blurry but she saw more obsidian scales shifting to reveal saurian legs. She knew the damn species, a monitor-like beast that soaked in mana to build its shell. It was in every show as the creature that needed to be killed to forge a good set of armor, the rarest and most powerful being the ¡®diamond tail¡¯. This one was an obsidian tail, and it was angry. Nestra needed to kill it fast.

    She charged in an arch and used momentum. Her speed placed her behind the beast. She jumped over the expected tail whip the movies always showed. She let the Crescent guide her hand. Her claymore smashed into the base of the tail between two scales thanks to precision. Black stone and blood flew.

    The creature screeched. Momentum carried Nestra next to its head as it pivoted. Claws grasped for her. Her intuition screamed danger and she blocked. The strength was monstrous. She was pushed back.

    Nestra had grit her teeth when her burnt arm flared with the shock. The creature attempted to bite her. It followed her down the slope in a torrent of chipped rock, talons, and rage. Her sword deflected every blow but the beast¡¯s speed could not be underestimated. A counter finally cut off two of the creature¡¯s fingers. It screeched and collapsed, unbalanced. It was all the opening she needed. Nestra hit the throat. The first strike cut a deep groove that silenced the creature¡¯s cries. The second revealed the spine. The last one finished decapitating it.

    Power flooded Nestra. Speed, but also something else. Something red and spicy infusing into her skin. She looked at the damage.

    Her left arm was covered in blisters seeping red blood, the burnt out Skin crawling back like ink on a piece of paper. Of burnt paper.

    With the furor of battle leaving her, the pain returned in all its glory. She grabbed a healing and cleaning spray she¡¯d picked specifically for that. It was just a bit frustrating that she had to use it before even entering the portal world.

    ¡°Training against elements also means learning how to dodge them,¡± Sereth remarked from afar.

    ¡°FUCK YOU!¡±

    She didn¡¯t even tell him he could have warned her. He had been very clear, and she was being very stupid. Careless. This was an uncleared section near a portal that might be a repeating one. Of course, it could have some monsters around. She was just being so damn stupid. A city girl naively stepping out for the first time except she was past twenty with zero excuses.

    ¡°I¡¯m so fucking stupid.¡±

    Ok, ok, it was fine. Fine! Just recover and¡­ actually loot the damn thing? It had to be worth a lot. Too bad she couldn¡¯t bring most of it back.

    She would collect the best meat and armor, wait for her arm to mend, and then work on that heat resistance.

    ***

    Nestra breathed in sulfur and overheated gas. It smelled rather bad but her lungs processed all of that without issue. Her human self would be choking, unable to breathe right now.

    The vista in front of her was a dreadful one. A painter asked to depict hell would not have done better. The floor was magma, literally, while basaltic islands jutted from that red, incandescent sea like so many mushrooms. The sky was a forest of serrated stalactites. Heat made the air hazy. A low rumble covered any other sounds.

    She spotted a few more obsidian tails patrolling in the distance.

    ¡°Holy Riel, what manner of horrid creatures am I gonna find in this devilish pit?¡±

    As if summoned, a form emerged from the nearest lake. First, the dorsal fin, then the maw, even now crunching on some sort of chitinous black snake that bled molten stone. Sashimi lazily finished her meal before hovering over Nestra to wait for the inevitable carnage snack bar.

    ¡°Of fucking course.¡±

 Part 38

    Several Obsidian Tails slept on the shores of the many islands like dark obelisks covered in serrated edges. There were a handful of them and they were rather large. From her vantage point, Nestra could see a meandering path edging their resting grounds as it snaked across the apocalyptic landscape. It disappeared near a forest of reddish crystals populated by bobbing ruby lights ¡ª probably some sort of environmental challenge.

    One of the reasons old religions had survived the Incursion was the overwhelming evidence of intelligent design. Portal Worlds told a story. They were journeys, first basic ones, then increasingly complex challenges that taught the raiders how to adapt. They gave the local users a chance as well as at least one, and sometimes several ways forward. She could guess from the layout that the lesson today was that not all fights were wise, and that she was supposed to dodge the obsidian tails so she could reach the Guardian unscathed. Probably in a way that would ambush it. This was a valuable lesson for normal, human raiders.

    There was a certain irony about the obsidian tail she¡¯d killed outside lying in ambush for potential groups who were supposed to learn how to avoid it. Portals might be schools, but outside? C-class breach monsters would happily eat D-class trainees on their way to learn. That was why smaller enclaves struggled a lot with keeping casualties to a minimum.

    So yeah, fuck that hidden trail. She wasn¡¯t here to learn how to be sneaky. She was here to kill shit.

    Nestra frowned. In the distance, one of the giant lizards stood to allow its other flank to bask in the nourishing heat of the magma.

    She was, in fact, also here to learn how to be sneaky. Sereth couldn¡¯t help her with shadow training because she was ¡®too weak and awkward for him to tell if she would be strong enough to fool a monster¡¯.

    That damn A-class asshole.

    So yeah, trying her budding shadow powers on the closest Obsidian Tail would help her improve the most basic of abilities: cloaking. It was tricky to use because cloaking was a skill she had never trained before.

    Nestra raised her hand, calling shadows forth. They pooled from her core alongside her limbs in large, oily strands. It was a far cry from the living darkness Teneru had managed. She knew the current issue, and forced the mana to cycle faster, more lightly. The shadows crawled over her wrist, then her fingers like wispy nimbi, but they left behind patches of unprotected Skin, like moonlight visible behind a thin cloud cover. Had to work on it more.

    The issue was the flow.

    Flow was an indication of the magical viscosity of various mana types, the term ¡®flow¡¯ itself chosen just because human languages didn¡¯t have words for that metaphysical concept, so as usual, people picked an approximate and rolled with it. Heavy flow mana types could manifest solid objects and were usually more defensive, like lava, or metal, while lighter flows were faster and more precise which made them better for offensive styles. That was more a rule of thumb than anything, really. Her dad focused on heaviness for metal, leading to a steel juggernaut with regenerating armor while Ragnarok improved her flow¡¯s speed so she could be an ever-changing werewolf. Both were metal users, yet they had trained themselves to use completely different styles. Nestra¡­ had not trained at all. Void and the electric facsimile were both instantaneous flows so there was never any issue with shaping. By comparison, shadow had a very light flow. It wasn¡¯t too different, but it was difficult enough that she struggled with it.

    She just needed practice and experience.

    Damn, she always needed more practice and experience, but there was always more to work on. She felt rushed all the time, and despite her misgivings, Sereth kept throwing her into the thick of it. Maybe it was just the Aszhii default method.

    Alright, enough dallying. She just had to get to it. Testing her sneakiness on the nearest Obsidian Tail would be fine. After all, had she not already defeated one of them? And that was with them getting the jump on her. This time, it would be even easier and ¡ª

    The searing memory of the lost core returned to cool her enthusiasm. This was hubris speaking.

    She sat down heavily.

    ¡°I¡¯m kind of an idiot.¡±

    Above, Sashimi flipped her tail in a way that felt like a condescendingly raised eyebrow. Damn fish. Nestra knew she wasn¡¯t really stupid, she was just¡­ not all that smart compared to some people in her surroundings. Her dad had an engineering degree from a good uni, back when it hadn¡¯t been smashed by a kaiju. Camus, her old Max-Sec team leader, had a PhD in Philosophy of all things. Nestra had a high school degree. And the Police Academy, which was a bit of a joke. No prize for poor Nerstra.That didn¡¯t mean she had to face every danger like a bone-headed battle junkie. There had to be a way to do things smarter ¡ª somehow.

    She sat down on a jutting piece of basalt.

    It was really uncomfortable.

    And that stupid seafood ¡ª wait that was it! A training partner at her level!

    ¡°Practice,¡± she hissed at Sashimi.

    No, she wouldn¡¯t get it.

    ¡°Play fighting?¡± she suggested. ¡°Catch?¡±

    Sashimi wiggled excitedly in what was probably the first expression of cooperation she¡¯d ever expressed towards Nestra. Ok, great news. That section of the portal world was still kind of big, so there was plenty of space to move without attracting hostile attention. It was perfect.

    Nestra sank low to the ground, losing sight of the shark. The game was on. Once she popped back up from behind a basalt fang jutting from the hot ash, the shark was gone.

    She covered herself in shadows and stalked, moving very slowly, paying attention to her surroundings. The shark was nowhere to be found.

    Nestra froze. She was hunting her prey now, and being hunted in turn. The portal world turned quiet. As she focused on her surroundings, the shadows smoothed out on her skin. They merged and melded more harmoniously, like a sea, still resisting her control but much less so.

    Of course. Shadows were one of the more volatile elements. She¡¯d always heard her dad speak about bending steel to his will but that approach wouldn¡¯t work with such a fickle mana type. Interestingly, she had no trouble whatsoever with electricity. Maybe an issue of compatibility?

    A shift in the world on her right. She pivoted, drawing her brand new claymore and striking where the shark was with the flat of the blade. Sashimi appeared, but her form blurred and suddenly, she was behind Nestra. A teleport!

    Panic and outrage warred in the Aszhii¡¯s heart. That was her trick! Too late. The shark dove and bit. Pain radiated from Nestra¡¯s left buttcheek. She yelped. By the time she recovered, Sashimi was gone again.

    Nestra touched her poor posterior. There were barely a few droplets of blood and she was already more sore than in pain. So, Sashimi really did understand the concept of a game. Good to know. Regrowing her ass would have been painful, and worse, humiliating.

    ¡°Right, you damn emergency ration. Let¡¯s dance.¡±

    ***

    Nestra lost a lot more than she won, though she was quick enough to anticipate Sashimi¡¯s next teleportation. It appeared the void soup stock was learning alongside Nestra. She ought to be with how much she was eating! In any case, Nestra realized that shadow mana worked best if she didn¡¯t think about it too much. It was as if it had a life of its own, and preferred to react to her subconscious, avoiding any deliberate attempt to direct it. Nestra was more than happy to let it do its thing.

    Truly one of the weirder elements out there.

    Nestra spent around three hours of portal time playing that game before hitting a ceiling that only experience could surpass. Satisfied, she decided to push her luck.

    ¡°Hey, see that thing over there?¡±

    Sashimi swam away. Nestra sighed, and instead concentrated on sending images.

    Obsidian Tail resting on the shore of the magma lake.

    Stalk, distract.

    Kill.

    Share the feast.

    Sashimi sent back an extremely disorienting vision in a much larger field of view than what Nestra was used to, with what she understood were space lines where the shark could cross. The ghost of an intense heat on her skin let her understand the shark¡¯s meaning: her companion would approach from the sea of magma.

    Nestra decided it was probably a smart option. With this decided, she finally moved back to the portal, then slowly made her way down the slope, cloaked in shadows. The nearest obsidian scale was in view.

    Nestra took it really slowly. She remembered that the obsidian scale on the outside had been dangerous but more importantly, magma was a subset of earth. It would feel her feet hitting the ground if she wasn¡¯t careful. It would probably also feel her walk through the wall. She had to play it gingerly. Merge with the shadows to erase her presence.

    What came next was a game of patience in the suffocating heat of this hellish world. Nestra approached the scaly dark mass, and to her mounting surprise, it seemed to be working. She spotted a slightly extended leg revealing the more tender flesh underneath, thickness sacrificed for flexibility. The beast was large.

    Closer now.

    The creature stirred. Nestra lowered herself, the cloak of darkness flattening like the ears of a cat as it reacted to her fear. A serrated head rose but the eyes faced away from her, towards the expanse of magma. Nestra spotted a dark fin piercing the edge of the bubbling surface. It was now or never. She struck.

    Her void-infused blade penetrated the leg, spearing it from end to end. The obsidian tail shrieked horribly. It reared up.

    It was just too good an opening. Nestra extended two fingers and aimed. An instant later, a dark bolt crossed the shimmering air. Blood and stone exploded from the point of impact.

    Nestra caught a tail in the ribs.

    ¡°Oof!¡±

    Floor. Rock. Floor. The tumble came to a stop and she blinked back into focus. Rolling to her feet proved a necessary mistake.

    ¡°Ooow.¡±

    Punished. She should have fired while moving. Stupid. Stupid! The monster turned but as it ripped its leg away from the planted blade, arterial blood flew in a molten geyser.

    Nestra dodged the spray of fire aimed at her by rolling, then shifting forward with momentum. She kept her distance away from the severely wounded creature as she wondered if she should attack it, or if it was dead but didn¡¯t know it yet. Decisions decisions.

    The beast screamed again. Nestra wasn¡¯t sure why, until a slick shape swam away with what looked like a piece of belly. Another opening. Nestra raced to her sword before shifting away from yet another fiery breath. Almost there now.

    The beast stumbled. Nestra charged in. Momentum carried her to its wounded head, to the side, where it was blinded. She thrust into its open skull. It was hard, but not hard enough to withstand the void.

    The beast fell.

    Power rushed into her. It was almost as pleasurable as the first time. Rather than allowing herself to bask in the reward, Nestra looked around.

    Clear.

    Maybe just a little basking then. Once that was done and she felt very proud of herself, it was time to dig for the treasure. Sashimi waited patiently for her to crack open the ribs. Even with the creature dead, it took some effort, but eventually she held the gory trophy in her hands. A core. A crimson glowing core of, well, very modest size. But hey! A snack. Her dark teeth crunched on the thing with a satisfying crack. A refreshing burst of savory energy filled her soul and her stomach, dulling the pain from her tender ribs. So good. Just what she needed after a fight. Riel, she hoped it would never get old.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    With Sashimi munching on weird organs, Nestra considered her next option.

    There was another Obsidian Tail in the distance, on the next island, past a dune of scoriae.

    Nestra wasn¡¯t here to close the portal. She was here to strip-mine it for all the power inside. The next step was obvious.

    ***

    Nestra dodged the tail¡¯s desperate attempt to fend her off. Even grievously wounded, it was still pretty fast but she was used to its aggression by now. She deflected its next claw attack before countering; precision and the art of the Crescent guiding her hand. The pleasant crunch of soft flesh told her she had succeeded, yet Nestra ducked the inevitable counter before moving to the side. She was used to the tails now. She knew them and their reactions. They were dancing her dance.

    When she ate its core, the gains were much less significant, but that was fine. The loss of efficacy came with a side of satisfaction at having conquered an enemy. The first Obsidian Tail almost killed her. Now, she could defeat one without being hit provided she took it by surprise. It felt so nice. It wasn¡¯t raw strength either, but skill. Experience. She felt so chuffed! And there was the fire resistance, of course. What had been a stifling heat now only felt like a nice warm summer sun on her skin. She approached the magma and hovered her hand over the incandescent surface. It really was too thick to be like water, yet it wasn¡¯t solid either¡­

    Nope, still felt like placing her hand over a stove. Oh well. At least, it would help.

    Sashimi picked that moment to swim away ponderously, her lithe body now inflated until she was more of a tub; that glutton. The void shark still held a piece of lizard in her mouth, which probably meant that she couldn¡¯t swallow another gobbet without exploding. The outrageous creature disappeared with a light pop after some struggle to shift through space, leaving Nestra alone again.

    She considered her options. There was one last sleeping drake at some distance, before the path led up to some sort of cavern. After that would be the guardian. It was a relatively small world, though Nestra knew the tails would have challenged a basic +C-class team with its powerful attacks. It really paid off to have both mobility and resistance. Hmmm.

    Nestra wondered if she could still improve her resistances with D-class victims now. She assumed that yes, likely so, but there would be a qualitative difference with the gains she would get from C-class adversaries.

    Either way she would have fun. There was probably an almost infinite variety of new creatures to discover, fight, kill, and eat all over the multiverse. Damn. She couldn¡¯t wait¡­

    Then she thought about Seth and how he didn¡¯t seem to have an urge to raid. Actually, he would probably be bored hunting for weakling creatures. Huh. So maybe finding challenges and true novelty would eventually prove difficult.

    Was Sereth channeling his frustration into white chocolate eclairs?

    ¡°Maybe I should stop thinking about dessert and finish this world instead.¡±

    ***

    Nestra managed to sneak up on the last Obsidian Tail without Sashimi providing a distraction. The fight was easy but exciting, and Nestra caught herself cutting it a bit too close several times ¡ª another effect of Hubris that pushed her to fight the perfect fight. She took more risks towards the end by telling herself it was practice. Practice! Practice was important.

    Now, finding herself at the edge of a foreboding tunnel leading into the abyssal depth of that infernal place, Nestra was faced with two choices. She could engage the guardian¡­ or¡­

    The hidden path called to her, not least because it could presumably give her a better approach to the final foe, but also because she was having fun so far and it was a pretty unique environment. Might as well explore it. Ah, but for best experience, she ought to start from the beginning!

    Nestra ran back to the entrance to take the hidden path instead. It twisted up, giving her a commanding view of the magma lake, the islands¡¯ shores, and the rock bridges in between. Up ahead, crimson mineral growths clung to basalt land like shrubs. Strange lights bobbed between them.

    Nestra approached. Her intuition screamed when a ledge crumbled under her feet. Curious, she stomped on it without much force.

    The ledge collapsed entirely. Gravel and stones formed a local avalanche ending on the shore, with the roundest debris rolling to the feet of the Obsidian Tail¡¯s carcass. Interesting trap. The next hurdle proved to be the lights themselves.

    Those were the strangest insects she¡¯d ever seen, part stone and part locust, but with a fluorescent abdomen like a light bug. She got a good view when the swarm charged her like an angry cloud.

    Nestra charged herself with electricity, then she rushed into the midst of the creatures and detonated the charge. Black bolts formed a dome of destruction around her. The ensuing boom scattered the few survivors. The others fell, their light dying with them. Easy. She had been anticipating swarms for some time now.

    She didn¡¯t get more than a trickle of power from it, unfortunately. The insects were probably too small. She guessed they might be edible in a weird way but¡­ nah, her backpack was already full with lizard meat and she wasn¡¯t a fan of crunchy exoskeletons. That left her in the middle of the shimmering forest.

    A brief inspection of the red crystals revealed nothing. Her database was useless at this point. Hell, they might be valuable and she wouldn¡¯t know it, but that was ok. She wasn¡¯t strapped for cash right now even when eating the most valuable loot, which was cores.

    The path continued, always dangerous and always near the sleeping forms of the Obsidian Tails ¡ª or it would have been were it not for the fact Nestra had already minced the fuckers. Many of the traps were more environmental hazards than deliberate setups, yet the way they were arranged hinted at the hidden design behind the portal worlds¡¯ very nature. Knowing she had already defeated the main threats made Nestra more detached and removed most of the fun she would have derived from exploration. After the third crystal forest, things had grown a little repetitive, so it was with relief she found that the hidden path skirted the lower tunnel to lead her to a camouflaged entrance. She would have missed it if not for the obvious way the path led her there. At least, her intuition was getting a work out.

    The secret entrance led to a platform overlooking an enormous cave in which a larger obsidian tail slept near a clutch of appetizing eggs. Heat rose from the cracked ground, hinting at the thin crust underneath. This was an arena that heavily favored the ruling champion. The beast was asleep for now.

    Nestra studied the land and came to the conclusion that she could drop a massive stalactite on the creature¡¯s head. It probably wouldn¡¯t kill it but it would certainly leave a mark.

    ¡°Ah, whatever.¡±

    BOOM.

    The crystalline spike fell on the confused mother Obsidian Tail as she woke up, dazed by the sudden noise. With unerring accuracy, the projectile slammed into the creature¡¯s neck, shattering on impact. Debris collapsed on the fragile clutch like the hand of god.

    Splat.

    Both Aszhii and monster screamed at the loss of their eggs. Nestra jumped down with the belated realization that she didn¡¯t need a geological feature to kill a monster when she was the deadliest projectile around. Her first strike hit the guardian¡¯s neck, then it was an all out battle. The matriarch was a hail of claws and fangs which forced Nestra to use everything she learned of the species¡¯ pattern. Sometimes, the large monster would stomp on the ground, and pillars of lava rose treacherously under her feet, or more stalactites fell from on high. Meanwhile, it kept getting warmer, and warmer, to the extent that even Nestra was suffering. It was not enough to stop her. The creature was hurt, half-blinded, and mad with pain. Nestra abused this mercilessly with every strike adding more pain to the tally. Fury was helpless in front of her scorn. Before too long, she landed another decapitating strike.

    As soon as the rush of victory faded, Nestra inspected the clutch to confirm that yes, indeed, they were done for. Smushed, as it were. She threw her hands up in frustration.

    So annoying.

    Well, one could not make an omelet etc etc. Nevertheless, it was yet another learning experience. The offered path wasn¡¯t necessarily the best one, even when the world was designed around a gimmick. She had to remember she was an Aszhii, an intruder on this planet. The portal world stories were not meant for her. They were for humans. She needed to think as an Aszhii for the sake of culinary salvation.

    Well, at least she could get the core. It tasted like closing the Obsidian Tail chapter of her life. Her Skin devoured the prize ¡ª a pair of volcanic-themed gauntlets ¡ª before she could even inspect it. The armor over her knees and elbows grew as a result.

    Nestra wondered what it would take to get a proper helmet. Surely, this was more important than protecting an elbow? She had two of those. But the Skin remained unfazed by her protests, and the exit portal beckoned.

    ¡°Oh well.¡±

    Nestra returned to the much colder air of Earth. The thin mana made her feel like she was choking before she got used to it again. She was already missing the comforting radiation of the portals but all desire to complain died on her lips when she saw a few Aszhii runes carved into a nearby rock. Her intuition screamed that something was wrong.

    The writing said: ¡®mask on¡¯. Her brother had carved a smiling emoji next to the dire warning, signifying she was not in mortal danger, and therefore completely on her own. She took her mask and sighed when the uncomfortable layer settled on her skin. Even that ergonomic, high-tech one felt like manacles. She didn¡¯t like it. She liked the alternative even less.

    Mostly, she knew what to expect. That was because of the smell. Her own sense of smell wasn¡¯t that good but even with skill, she could tell if a sweaty person stood downhill.

    Especially if they didn¡¯t contain their mana very well.

    She could always run, but to be honest, she was a little curious. And also a little frustrated.

    ¡°Come on out, or I ssseek you.¡±

    Five men and women emerged from rocks and boulders, with a sixth staying hidden farther up the flank of the volcano, at Nestra¡¯s back. Only two of them were C-class and they were clearly not the best. In fact, the entire squad had seen better days. Their leader, a rather beautiful woman with sharp features, wore a ratty body armor with its patch stripped out. It looked like entry-level gear for a small guild. The rest wasn¡¯t much better. Only the other C-class sported a mishmash of decent protection while their only archer stood in a fucking hoodie.

    That could only mean one thing.

    ¡°Enclavers.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you must be a Threshold corpo slave. A bit far from home, you are.¡±

    The mix of black hair and the red irises of a fire user gave her a slightly demonic bent, one reinforced by a ghastly smile. She looked confident.

    Nestra ignored her. She turned to the short-sword wielder at her back. The woman had been peeking over a ledge when she was caught, and her embarrassment turned to fury.

    ¡°How did you know we were here?¡± the second C-class asked.

    Compared to the fire woman, this one had the green irises of a nature mage. He was calmer too, more composed.

    ¡°New rocksss,¡± Nestra explained. They hadn¡¯t been here when she arrived. One of their users must have placed them because the slope was otherwise devoid of good hiding spots.

    ¡°Also, bad mana control.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°Sorry to disturb you ladies but I think we¡¯re getting off-track. See, there¡¯s a problem.¡±

    The fire woman took a step forward. Nestra drew her blade. The fire woman stopped. The others drew as well, at least those who were not already holding theirs.

    ¡°Do tell,¡± Nestra said, tilting her head to the side.

    ¡°See, looks to me like you¡¯ve been poaching on our territory. That nice portal behind you had a lot of magical obsidian in it, but now it¡¯s closed, and it¡¯s probably not a repeating one.¡±

    She shrugged.

    ¡°I can¡¯t even begin to imagine how much money we lost on this. Has to be two million credits at the very least.¡±

    Nestra smelled the air. Nothing new there, and no abnormal mana signature either. Weird. She moved forward, only for one of the D-class flankers to try and follow. A pointed sword at his chest stopped him.

    ¡°You are bazaar. This is not the territory of the bazaar enclave.¡±

    The fire woman took a step to the side. This started a little dance that Nestra found funny.

    ¡°You are a patrol. Come to check on the wild Obsidian Tail here, perhaps,¡± Nestra continued.

    The gleams exchanged glances.

    ¡°No, come becausssse of the noise. Curious. Found it dead. Asssssumed portal presence. Stayed because¡­ why?¡±

    ¡°You say it¡¯s not bazaar territory. I say it is,¡± the red lady insisted.

    She was not very wise.

    ¡°I think you will leave this bag here along with that nifty sword of yours and we will consider the offense repaid, otherwise, maybe you¡¯ll come with us and we will see what the bazaar decides.¡±

    ¡°Ssso you laid in ambush. Curious. You are too weak to take on the Obsidian Tail,¡± Nestra said with confidence, especially with a fire and nature C-class. Terrible matchups. ¡°And now you try to extort the one that killed it.¡±

    Behind her, the portal closed.

    ¡°And its mother.¡±

    Nestra took another step. This time, only the fire gleam stood her ground.

    ¡°Enclave gleams look down upon Thresholdersss because we like lattes and not having to wipe our asses with leavesss, but you are not better at killing. Especially not you. I don¡¯t see lone wolves here. I see jackals. Bottom feeders.¡±

    She chuckled. The nature mage took another step back. Smart.

    ¡°You fucking bitch, I was trying to be nice and this is how you want to do it?¡± the fire gleam spat.

    Her aura pulsed erratically. Loss of control.

    ¡°Rosa. Don¡¯t,¡± the nature mage whispered.

    ¡°Fuck off. And you, keep acting high and mighty and I¡¯ll ¡ª¡±

    ¡°No. I give you one chance,¡± Nestra warned.

    The fire gleam huffed. Her blade ignited.

    Nestra grabbed it.

    Even with her immensely boosted resistance, it still hurt her to do so, but watching the fire gleam¡¯s expression of pure dismay as she pushed it to the side made it all worth it. The fire failed to sear her skin while the blade didn¡¯t penetrate.

    ¡°Weakling.¡±

    Nestra tossed the woman aside like a ragdoll. She recovered immediately but her aura didn¡¯t. It burned like a blaze. Fire erupted from the gleam¡¯s body; its many tongues burning holes in the shitty gambeson. The gleam growled. It did so in defiance. Nestra chuckled, eager to see what it would do. It was not understanding its position. It was no predator. Not to her. It had been warned. It still wanted to fight.

    Nestra waited. The human thing lost its temper. Nestra saw the moment it snapped, disregarding warnings from others. It had emotions, so many emotions boiling over until it could not think. Such a brilliant light full of anger and nonsense, yet enough power to reach the second sphere. Curious. Arrogant. Mad.

    Nestra snuffed that flame.

    ¡°You¡­ you killed her!¡±

    The nature mage whined while Nestra sheathed her claymore. It was already showing signs of damage. She would have to buy a new one. Fire gleam¡¯s head came to a stop on one of the boulders. Nestra wondered if someone would pick it up. So far, all her ¡®friends¡¯ could do was look on in horror.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to kill her! You were strong enough to stop her without doing that. Dammit! Rosa had anger issues, but she didn¡¯t deserve to die, you insane bitch!¡±

    ¡°You were happy with the trap, and with the extortion, and with her striking first¡­ but it¡¯s now that you¡¯re faced with consequences that the blaming commencesss,¡± Nestra growled. ¡°If I were weak, you would have seen no problem with what she would have done to me. You were not even willing to stop her. You just called her name half hoping she would calm down. When she did not¡­¡±

    Nestra lowered herself to his face even as guilt replaced outrage.

    ¡°You let her go. And now, you know you do not ssstand a chance, so you are letting me go, too. That was the extent of your sense of justice. This is the extent of your loyalty. Willing to crush the weak so long as there are no repercussions, to fight for your ally so long as there are no risks. And now you whine like the dog you are. Get away from me.¡±

    Nestra left, even angrier than before.

    ¡°I¡¯ll report you to Threshold,¡± he said at her back.

    So Nestra laughed. Just laughed.

    It was kind of funny.

    ¡°You can. You can even bring your allies as witnesses. Feel free to camp in front of the embassy, also, but no one will do anything because your friend had a minor guild gambessson with its patch stripped off. I asssssume her temper got the better of her at a bad time, hm? An exile. I know what the force says every time one of you enclavers come to complain: have you tried to rape and steal less? Report all you like. It will lead nowhere.¡±

    Nestra walked away at a sedate pace just to see if they would try anything, but they made no effort to do so. She was still walking ten minutes later when Sereth appeared at her side.

    ¡°Did the hunt go badly?¡±

    ¡°I wrecked the eggs by accident.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I am sorry. And the murder?¡±

    Nestra sighed. Maybe that had been a mistake.

    ¡°Bazaar assholes. I cannot stand them.¡±

    ¡°It is unlike you to leave witnesses.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t need to kill them. There is nothing preventing Threshold gleams from raiding outside the walls so long as it¡¯s not in a controlled region. And they were going to rob me, I think. Not kill me. This does not carry the death penalty, in my own opinion.¡±

    ¡°In my world, any drifter who raised their hands against a scion of a noble family would face their death and that of their entire entourage. It was common sense. I find your culture disturbingly merciful.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s when the hand of justice serves itself and not the ruling class that a civilization can truly call itself just. Or so my old ethics professor used to say. And I was defending myself. Ugh, I fucking hate enclavers. They¡¯ve completely reverted to tribalism. They have honor between themselves but anyone else is fair game. It¡¯s like we¡¯re not people.¡±

    ¡°You seem to despise those who abuse their powers to inflict pain upon those they see as inferior.¡±

    ¡°Duh.¡±

    ¡°But that is the norm everywhere, is it not?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, you tell me.¡±

    ¡°It is the norm in most of the civilizations I have infiltrated.¡±

    Nestra spread her hands out in annoyance.

    ¡°Then I can hate all of them equally, each in their own special way. Was there anything else?¡±

    Sereth remained silent for a while, and Nestra immediately felt like shit.

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°You are angry. I understand and accept it. Most Aszhii your age would have fully given up on idealism, yet you have not. I cannot decide if it makes you driven, or a fool.¡±

    ¡°Guess it depends on whether or not I can back my beliefs with a sword.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see. If your vision becomes the truth, then you were the wise one, yes? But let us change the subject. What is this bazaar enclave?¡±

    ¡°Oh you may have bought some of the stuff they sell us. Errr, how should I put it? Threshold heavily limits access to enclavers due to a variety of reasons. Most of those relate to the fact many enclavers don¡¯t see baselines as people.¡±

    ¡°There are few non-users outside of the wall?.¡±

    ¡°They are dead outside of the wall, Seth. Well, not here since this is a brand new continent, but elsewhere. Threshold has agreements with the most powerful enclaves but when smaller ones want to buy toothpaste, they can come to the bazaar. It filters everything. It also filters rejects and exiles. You have seen what kind of people they can be.¡±

    ¡°Ah, do I detect a hint of prejudice, little Nezhra?¡±

    Nestra sniffed.

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    ¡°By the way, little Nezhra, what took you so long?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. I was playing hide and seek with Sashimi to practice my shadow cloaking. Very useful. I feel like I make faster progress when I am under pressure.¡±

    ¡°Yes, although that is a training game that you will never win.¡±

    Nestra pouted.

    ¡°What a terrible lack of faith in your sibling. Of course I can beat that stupid fish.¡±

    ¡°I doubt it. A void shark that bites its prey marks it forever. Yours always knows where you are because she¡¯s tasted your blood, so now she can track you down until either she or you die. Why, how did you think she could always find you; By happenstance?¡±

    ¡°Gah! That cheating little¡­¡±

    ***

 Part 39

    Nestra aspired to some respite after having been cooked to medium-rare by the dungeon and its denizens, but that hope was soon shattered. Her visor screeched in alarm the moment her human self returned to the world. Sereth was more than happy to leave her frantically going through her notifications on her way home since he had things to bake.

    Nestra walked into her living room in a state of panic. Seven different calls mostly from the same person using an Internal Affair extension. And it wasn¡¯t Officer Kim. The only message he¡¯d left was ¡®call me¡¯.She still took ten minutes to check the news, her other messages, and her mailbox in case there was something she¡¯d better find out on her own. There was just a speeding ticket. And two parking tickets.

    ¡°Riel dammit. My precious money.¡±

    Otherwise, some good news. Helena had sent her a copy of her school¡¯s newsletter. The doctor in charge had been suspended for medical malpractice. He was probably going to be fired after that. Helena also said her classmates had heard about her chronic pain. Since then, she had managed to slither into the good graces of one of the more raid-oriented groups.

    ¡°I was probably a bit spiky as well. It helps my mood not being constantly in pain, you know?¡±

    Poor Helena.

    ¡°Also, is there any way for Sashimi to find me in portal worlds? I don¡¯t think I can feed her when I¡¯m raiding with the school, but I¡¯d love for her buoyancy to look after me.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely the fuck not,¡± Nestra typed back. ¡°If you raid with a team and they¡¯re not void users, they¡¯re prey. Sashimi will just bite their arms off. That¡¯s what she tried to do to me!¡±

    ¡°Aw she¡¯s so precious!¡±

    Nestra decided to ignore that.

    With nothing about to explode, Nestra decided to bite the bullet. She sat down in her living room with a cup of coffee.

    The person picked up in seconds. His voice was deep and soft.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Hello, this is Officer Clytemnestra Palladian, detached with IA. You wanted to talk to me?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Detective Baatar, also with the rat squad, haha. Is everything alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes yes, sorry, I had shit signal. Didn¡¯t get your call. What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better if we talk face to face. It concerns your superior, Officer Kim.¡±

    ¡°Officer Kim? What happened to her? Is she alright?¡± Nestra said with shock.

    ¡°She is safe, yes.¡±

    ¡°Oh, good. Then what is this about?¡±

    ¡°As I said, I would prefer it if we talked face to face. Could you come to our offices in Central? Otherwise, we can meet at your home. I was on my way to check on you, as a matter of fact.¡±

    ¡°Oh? I don¡¯t mind my place.¡±

    Nestra was tired and didn¡¯t want to deal with rush hour.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there in ten. See you.¡±

    ***

    Detective Baatar was a heavyset Asian man with the largest shoulders she¡¯d ever seen on a quirkie. He wore a mustache and beard, and his hair long, a rather unusual choice for Internal Affairs. She wasn¡¯t sure why but he just felt solid. The mana from his quirk hovered around his head. She wasn¡¯t exactly sure what his speciality was, but it had to relate to his mind, somehow.

    It could also be his sense of smell but then he¡¯d probably work with customs.

    ¡°Hello. Thanks for having me,¡± he greeted her warmly.

    His handshake was warm and firm, but not crushing. She let him in. He accepted coffee.

    ¡°It might be a long night.¡±

    ¡°Stop with the suspense. Tell me about Officer Kim,¡± Nestra demanded.

    ¡°After we¡¯re seated. I don¡¯t want us to be interrupted.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    And it was a good thing too. As soon as they were settled, Detective Baatar revealed the real reason why he was here.

    ¡°As of today, Officer Kim Soo-Young has been arrested on charges of aggravated embezzlement.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I am serious.¡±

    Nestra shook her head.

    ¡°Nah, you¡¯re joking. Not Kim. Definitely not her.¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°I thought you might believe that but, unfortunately, the proof is damning.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t believe it.¡±

    Nestra frowned.

    ¡°So you are here to interrogate me.¡±

    ¡°As a potential witness. Incriminating documents go back over two years ago. You were not involved in any steps that we could identify, so I personally believe you are not involved¡­¡±

    Nestra sipped her coffee. It was cold now.

    Fuck.

    So that was why Kim had been so quiet for a week or so. She¡¯d been under suspicion and then arrested of all things. What to do? There was no way Nestra would be left alone after that, not with how unsavory her profile was. The existence of the ¡®putasikleta¡¯ was common knowledge, and it was justification enough to fire her. Kim had kept her because Nestra was skilful enough to justify the embarrassment. Whoever had gotten rid of her boss would have no such qualms. And besides, that wasn¡¯t relevant.

    There was no way in hell that officer Kim was corrupt. Absolutely no way. It wasn¡¯t just that Nestra trusted her. The obvious drive the woman had in hunting down signs of corpo corruption showed a mind dedicated to justice, or at the very least to a certain commitment. The amount of dissociation required to go after Gidung with the determination of a hound all while being mired in money crime just didn¡¯t make any sense. It was possible, of course, just so damn unlikely.

    No, Kim had to be innocent. She was so straight-laced it had caused her grief during Shinoda¡¯s burial. She had to have enemies who had reasons to frame her.

    Nestra had to help. She wouldn¡¯t just drop Kim like a stone. It wouldn¡¯t be right. That left her with exactly one, extremely annoying option.

    ¡°Holy shit. I¡¯m going to have to do some detective work.¡±

    The humanity. The Aszhiity, even. Could Nestra even manage? Probably not alone. Beyond just a matter of skill and training, Internal Affairs were known for compartmentalizing and also for purging their members without mercy. Those who watched the watchers had no tolerance for compromised agents. Officer Kim would stay in the Red House for the next two decades unless Nestra managed to find irrefutable evidence of a mistake. To do so would require access to data only a select few people had clearance for, a precaution so that a rotten apple couldn¡¯t contaminate the whole basket. Riel, even Nestra wasn¡¯t sure what Kim was working on most of the time. She only knew that her focus was on financial crimes. It was just that Nestra had never been involved: she was only detached to the rat squad because of what happened in Fifteen.

    Hmm.

    ¡°There has to be something we can do,¡± she idly remarked.

    ¡°There is something you could do, I suppose. We can go to the Red House together. Talk to her.¡±

    Nestra frowned.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound right. Would they even let me in? You don¡¯t have that sort of authority.¡±

    ¡°I told you, you are not a suspect. I can certainly bring in a witness to see one of the prisoners if I can justify it, and I can. Officer Kim trusts you, and has trusted you for the District Fifteen case.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t really have to think about it. She wanted to see Kim. She needed to see Kim so she could get direction. She was about sixty percent sure the dear detective was lying out of his ass and Nestra was absolutely a suspect, but her secrets were of another nature, and she needed to find out more. Maybe she could help Kim, but certainly not by herself.

    ¡°When can we go?¡±

    ¡°Now, actually. If we hurry, we can probably get there before 5PM.¡±

    ¡°When are the visiting hours?¡±

    The detective gave her a look of pity.

    ¡°This is the Red House, Officer Palladian. There are no visiting hours.¡±

    ***

    ¡°So, you¡¯re a quirkie?¡± Nestra asked once they were in the car.

    Baatar smiled, though it wasn¡¯t a nice one.

    ¡°Yeah, visual with a focus on micro-displays of emotions. I can even catch some B-class raiders, sometimes. You?¡±

    ¡°Not really a quirkie since I lack the localized focus. I got a little bit of everything. Full circuit but no core.¡±

    ¡°Never heard of that one before.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s rare, apparently. So, is interrogation why you joined the rat squad?¡±

    ¡°Nope. You?¡±

    ¡°I was picked up when they shut down my unit. Max-Sec.¡±

    Baatar nodded. he looked impressed.

    ¡°Impressive. And yeah, I was picked up as well.¡±

    Nestra gave him a moment. He seemed reluctant to continue, only opening up after some hesitation.

    ¡°I turned on my old squad. What else? They were using the database to racketeer the families of imprisoned perps.¡±

    ¡°Nasty. I turned on a teammate too. To be fair, he started it.¡±

    That damn Bard.

    ¡°What did he do?¡±

    ¡°Kill two members of my squad. So I blew a hole through his chest.¡±

    ¡°Wow. You Max-Sec cowboys don¡¯t do things halfway.¡±

    Nestra fought off a couple of bad memories. Damn, how did all those gleams manage? They had to have enough bad memories to traumatize a bus.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem surprised that I was Max-Sec,¡± she said after a while.

    ¡°It was in your file.¡±

    ¡°Or that I killed a teammate.¡±

    ¡°If he did betray you, he had it coming. And you wouldn¡¯t lie about somethign like that..¡±

    ¡°You got my measure back at my home, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve established a baseline and ascertained that your reaction to the news of Kim¡¯s arrest was genuine. You showed no fear, only outrage and disbelief.¡±

    Nestra nodded to herself. She¡¯d been profiled and interrogated before after all.

    ¡°Most people get mad at this stage of the conversation,¡± Baatar chuckled.

    ¡°Oh no, I just assumed you¡¯d do it at the prison.¡±

    ¡°I prefer to be prepared.¡±

    Nestra smiled. A glance at Baatar showed that the man was markedly more relaxed now.

    ¡°So, tell me about the case?¡± she continued.

    ¡°Sure. What do you know of criminal forfeiture?¡±

    ¡°Errr, when people get arrested, the city seizes their belongings and if they are found guilty, the fine will be levied from the collected assets?¡±

    ¡°Yes, barring some accommodation for the family. Internal Affairs does the same thing with the belongings of our rotten colleagues, but the valuation is difficult because a lot of goods are illegal: drugs, outlawed augs, restricted weapons, contraband; the works. There is no real market, therefore they get valued according to, well, it¡¯s complicated. That¡¯s where Officer Kim comes in. Her specialty is financial crime. Criminal forfeiture asset valuation falls under her umbrella.¡±

    ¡°So, she, what, misrepresented their values?¡±

    ¡°Allegedly yes. Apparently, she also valued certain high-risk stocks and options at a fraction of their true values then pocketed the difference when the positions closed. This has been going on for a while.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    ¡°Illegal asset valuation is an insanely complicated topic that requires a deep understanding of both high-level finance and financial law. There are few people in Threshold who can manage it. It is no wonder that it took so long for her to be found out.¡±

    ¡°Allegedly,¡± Nestra grumbled.

    Baatar conceded the point with a grunt. This one was virile speech for: okay sure. Nestra was very good at interpreting grunts. It was an efficient form of communication.

    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°What about monitoring AIs?¡±

    ¡°There is a limit to what they can achieve. If an agent marks a volatile asset portfolio as a full loss, the AI will accept it. There are no AIs capable of predicting market trends just yet.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Nestra retreated to her bubble while she considered the problem. If the crime was so complicated that only a handful of people could even understand it, what chance did she have? She really needed to talk to Kim to get some direction.

    Nestra felt her anxiety mounting as the detective¡¯s car drove up the inner ring towards the Red House.

    The damn Red House. It was a legendary place, mentioned even in foreign vids as THE prison for dangerous gleams who had been taken alive. It was defended by some of the most sophisticated systems on earth. There were rumors that a gleam attempt to break in had ended up with the culprits choking to death under several tons of soil. It was the kind of place where the inmates could have made Teneru flinch. It was also the kind of place where trying anything would result in immediate termination. The Red House was not the worst option. The worst option was death. The Red House was the last humane barrier on the path to summary execution, and that mercy was all the kindness post-Incursion mankind could spare, which wasn¡¯t much. And now, Kim was stuck in there with the degenerates. And Nestra was going in voluntarily. Fuck!

    The detective''s car followed an off-ramp then turned right towards a circle of tall hedges dominated by the concrete dome of the House, painted red, naturally. It was encircled by a barren stone plaza. Nestra knew the city had left the buried turret emplacements visible just to give people ideas about the sheer size of the defenses ¡ª and how anything short of a main battle tank would get shredded in seconds. If there was a place that illustrated that even C-grade monsters were not immune to technology, this was it. An answer would be provided with buried mines and 1200 tungsten rounds a minute. It was all irrelevant to Nestra. She was constantly surrounded by people who could kill her with a slap, some of them were even nice, therefore this was just another session of ¡®I can die any moment and it¡¯s all outside of my control¡¯.

    Maybe she was turning into a Stoic.

    ¡°Always a sight,¡± detective Baatar mumbled.

    Nestra wasn¡¯t sure. The hedges prevented anything from being seen. It was there that they were stopped for the first time. The car went through a gate, then metal rods popped up in front and behind them to lock them in. They were scanned for a solid minute before a voice sounded from a machine next to the driver. Nestra hadn¡¯t spotted a single person yet. It was all just chrome, glass, and intimidation.

    ¡°Detective Baatar, Officer Palladian, please state the reason for your visit,¡± a disembodied voice said.

    Nestra let Baatar take the lead.

    ¡°I¡¯m in charge of case file EG13715, Kim Soo-Young. I would like to talk to the suspect. Officer Palladian is with me.¡±

    ¡°Accreditation accepted. Weaponry detected: a class 2 restricted handgun on your person, a class 2 restricted shotgun in your trunk. You may not carry any weapon inside. Please deposit both weapons and their ammunition in the provided receptacle. They will be returned once you depart.¡±

    ¡°Uh, sure. I need to get out of the car to get the shotgun.¡±

    ¡°You may freely move within the boundary of the cage.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡±

    It didn¡¯t take too long for Baatar to comply. Just long enough for Nestra to spot the barrel pointed at her. It was coming from a semi-concealed turret above her head. There were also suspicious extensions that smelled faintly of electrical mana. Yeah, they weren¡¯t joking.

    ¡°I¡¯m done,¡± Baatar said.

    ¡°Acknowledged. Before you are granted entry, please be notified that Officer Palladian rates as a D+ threat.¡±

    Baatar gave her a shocked look.

    ¡°What? Why?¡± Nestra asked, but the voice ignored her.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Baatar asked.

    There was a pause during which the two detectives exchanged a confused glance.

    ¡°I will clarify. Officer Palladian is considered a threat equal to that of a D-class raider.¡±

    ¡°I got that.¡±

    ¡°Any attempt at violence within the vicinity of the Red House will be met with immediate and maximal prejudice. We notify you of her status and remind you that she is here under your responsibility. Should you perish because of her actions, your next of kin may not pursue the Red House for negligence.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°This is merely a legal precaution. You may proceed. Follow the green arrows.¡±

    The cage opened, freeing the vehicle. Baatar continued on though he was obviously flustered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should be flattered or annoyed,¡± Nestra commented.

    ¡°I think we should have come tomorrow instead to account for all the security bullshit. At least they haven¡¯t done any cavity searches.¡±

    He shivered.

    ¡®Yet,¡± Nestra added to make the detective squirm a little.

    It worked. A sinking path led to an underground parking garage of modest size. It was mostly empty at the time. Interestingly, shutters covered the few occupied spots.

    ¡°More security?¡±

    ¡°It prevents visitors from identifying each other,¡± Baatar explained. ¡°Is this your first time here?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We were more on the arresting side and less on the interrogating side.¡±

    ¡°They are anal about security. You have no idea.¡±

    They followed the green arrows to a parking spot, then back to yet another set of doors where they were, once again, scanned. So far, they hadn¡¯t met a single living person.

    ¡°I expected more goons,¡± Nestra admitted.

    ¡°The vids love their muscle heads but the Red House is mostly automatized. More people means more fault points. Besides gleams, people here are mostly IT and medical. And they wear masks.¡±

    ¡°Masks? Real masks?¡±

    ¡°Yep. They don¡¯t even know each other. Cerberus does though. It¡¯s the local AI.¡±

    Baatar was right. It wasn¡¯t like in the vids, with heavily armed guards and mysterious high gleams. Instead, all she could see was slick steel and concrete barriers with the occasional piece of glass. It even smelled a bit stale. There were hidden turrets though, for a certain definition of hidden. Traces of mana hinted at additional magical defenses. If anything, the Red House was designed to delay rather than kill.

    Delay old monsters, that is. Even demon Nestra would get pasted here.

    The fact all corrupt IA officers ended up here was more a symbol than a necessity. This was a prison designed for gleams, by gleams. Hell, even implants could be deactivated and removed. But not gleam powers. This was a place for the most dangerous criminals, and for those who deserved to be in the same spot.

    And Officer Kim, also. Nestra sighed after the first airlock, when finally they ended up in a spacious, square room furnished with designer seats, a vending machine, and a coffee machine. A short corridor on the side led to toilets.

    This screamed: ¡®you¡¯ll be here for a while¡¯ which was a shame because Nestra was already getting hungry. And tired. Fate had other plans, fortunately.

    A man in a mask entered the quiet room from the opposite side. He was slight, wearing a white suit and shirt combo that put him at odds with the sterile environment. His steps were that of a dancer, and his eyes, visible through the slits, were those of a gleam, a mesmerizing light blue and pure black mix that showed shadow and manakinesis mastery. He was B-class, maybe not as powerful as Nestra¡¯s mom, but close.

    She had no idea what sort of stuff shadow and pure mana could achieve when combined but she wasn¡¯t eager to find out.

    ¡°Welcome,¡± the man said. ¡°I am the warden. I came to see you in person as a gesture of¡­ respect given the circumstances.¡±

    Nestra frowned.

    ¡°Hmm, good evening. What do you mean?¡± Baatar asked.

    ¡°Your request to see prisoner Kim Soo-Young has been denied by your hierarchy.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Baatar sputtered. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m in charge of her case?¡±

    The gleam tilted his head. Nestra felt his gaze on her, heavy like a vise across her temples, even as he answered her colleague.

    ¡°It would be more accurate to say you are in charge of completing the investigation. Your hierarchy considered that there was enough evidence to imprison Miss Kim in anticipation of her trial. Nevertheless, I am not the one who approves access, or rather, I can deny it out of security concerns, but that wasn¡¯t the case here. I¡¯m afraid I cannot let you see her until your superiors agree to it.¡±

    He waited a bit, perhaps for their reaction. Nestra was just more and more confused. What was going on? Was it a cover up of some sort?

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Baatar stuttered.

    ¡°You are welcome to return after having obtained the proper clearance. Until then, I must regretfully ask you to leave, although you may linger here for up to an hour if you desire. Out of sympathy for your plight.¡±

    Nestra¡¯s stomach grumbled. She forced back a yawn.

    ¡°I think we should go,¡± she told Baatar, who grunted in approval.

    ¡°If there is nothing else, I will depart. Have a good evening,¡± the warden said.

    ¡°You too,¡± Nestra mechanically replied.

    What the fuck was going on?

    ***

    ¡°I think I want more details,¡± Nestra said back in the car. ¡°What is your role, exactly?¡±

    Baatar grunted in annoyance. While Nestra was merely frustrated, Baatar was livid. She gave him a moment.

    ¡°Novsh min. That guy fucked me over.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°This is my first case, Officer Palladian. I was just transferred.¡±

    Nestra calmed down because it sounded familiar.

    ¡°Who¡¯s your boss?¡±

    ¡°Our boss,¡± Baatar corrected, ¡°is Captain Ito. He is Kim¡¯s superior. Kim is our superior.¡±

    Nestra appreciated what went unsaid. She was a MaxSec officer, basically a grunt who had never been promoted mostly due to a lack of funds and open positions but also perhaps maybe possibly due to her personality. A mystery. Baatar was a detective. He was one rank above her on the food chain.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°As per protocol, internal inquiries must receive the stamp of approval of two different people. I am the second one.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s the first?¡±

    ¡°That would be Ito himself, the same one who asked me to validate his findings.¡±

    ¡°Uh oh.¡±

    ¡°I still need to retrieve part of the case file from the archives in central. I need to show up in person.¡±

    He checked the time. It was almost seven.

    ¡°It will have to be tomorrow. Threshold never sleeps but I¡¯ve been at this since 6AM.¡±

    Nestra yawned. She needed to sleep the raid off as well.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a burning case. Can I come with you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it will help.¡±

    ¡°Detective.¡±

    ¡°Just call me Baatar and I will call you Nestra? Your file said you preferred that.¡±

    ¡°Do they also list my favorite food?¡± Nestra grumbled.

    That would be amazing since a full list of the stuff she liked would need to be displayed on a spreadsheet.

    ¡°It is quite comprehensive, but your medical and psychological records are sealed. As for what you asked¡­ yes, you can come, but I fear this would only lead to disappointment.¡±

    ¡°I know, but I will go anyway..¡±

    ¡°Sure then.¡±

    ***

    Nestra woke up at 3AM, half rested and craving some of the ice plant salad with sesame sauce she had in the fridge. She was now eating a good amount of veggies, which showed she was definitely getting better. And also that she was an adult Aszhii with a balanced diet who ate her broccoli, provided it wasn¡¯t boiled. Boiled broccoli was a disgrace.

    Also, she had a message. It had been sent at 11PM which counted as office closing time for the city¡¯s workaholics. It came from a certain Mr. Ilar.

    Nestra searched her memory. Ilar, Ilar. That name was familiar. Hmmm. He was with Special Affairs, Enclave Management Section.

    ¡°Wait, I remember him.¡±

    He was the guy who¡¯d debriefed her after her first, one-sided meeting with Fox Mask! Not like that other time when Nestra had shown her she wasn¡¯t a pushover. She remembered Ilar had an interest in grand theft committed by gleams and specifically, by suspected enclavers. What did he want with her? She checked the message¡¯s content.

    She was summoned the next day at 2PM in the¡­ that couldn¡¯t be right.

    The zoo?

    The zoo was a small patch of wilderness right outside the walls that was left unchecked for training purposes. All of the local portals were allowed to breach. Most of the walls¡¯ surroundings were flat terrain, especially with Threshold Army¡¯s preferred herbicide being white phosphorus. The zoo was designed for raiders who intended to operate beyond the wall, as well as the army. It was full of monsters.

    It was also used to test foreign raiders who wanted to immigrate.

    Aunt Claire had mentioned a lot of people had sex there, though Nestra wasn¡¯t sure what made a fenced off patch of forest with Spartan barracks a good place to engage in coitus.

    The ways of the allosexuals remained a mystery.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the stress?¡±

    More importantly, even MaxSec hadn¡¯t trained there. Why did they want her? The message told her to grab her gear and weapons. It wasn¡¯t a request.

    She double checked that it was addressed to Nestra¡¯s civilian identity and not a glitched message to Crescent. Nope. It was for human Nestra.

    ¡°Weird as hell but ok,¡± she said while chewing on a crunchy leaf.

    ***

    The archives occupied an underground section at the periphery of central. The building¡¯s atrium was the very definition of ¡®this should have been an email¡¯: gray and boring, with nary a decoration. It smelled like cheap coffee and bureaucracy. Nestra felt a headache just looking at the leaflets.

    ¡®How to make your data management system ISO-9001 compliant in seven easy steps: a guide¡¯.

    She would rather sit on a trash spider eggsack with her buttcheeks slathered in honey.

    There were open terminals, displays showing how to connect to the database and only two bored employees at a desk in a maximum attempt to get people to do their business online. The young man at the desk still welcomed them with an open smile. Nestra deducted he could only be an intern since his enthusiasm hadn¡¯t been sucked out just yet.

    ¡°Hello! Welcome to the Threshold Archives. My name is Xun. How may I assist you today?¡±

    ¡°Good day to you as well,¡± Baatar greeted. ¡°I¡¯m Detective Baatar and this is my colleague, Officer Palladian. We would like to access all files related to case EG13715. Here are my credentials.¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course. I will retrieve everything and you can consult them on the secured terminal in that room over there. You said the number was EG¡­¡±

    ¡°One three seven one five.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Here I am. Hmmm.¡±

    He frowned.

    ¡°Terribly sorry sir. You seem to have access to the register itself, but the files appear to be locked.¡±

    Baatar sighed. It was as they had expected.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do anything on this end.¡±

    ¡°Well, I think things couldn¡¯t be more clear,¡± Baatar grunted. ¡°Shall we?¡±

    ¡°Give me a minute,¡± Nestra said.

    Baatar shrugged before making his way to the coffee machine for what would undoubtedly be some terrible arabica.

    Nestra returned her full attention to Xun, who smiled awkwardly. She didn¡¯t know how to charm people, but she sure as hell knew how to move an intern.

    By making them believe they mattered, because their employers would never do that.

    ¡°Maybe you could help me out.¡±

    ¡°I really can¡¯t let you access those files. I don¡¯t even have clearance.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know that, but what I¡¯m interested in is who locked it. Could it possibly be found out?¡±

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s in the file¡¯s metadata but¡­ I can¡¯t let you see that.¡±

    ¡°No, naturally. Actually, the case file is about a friend of mine who I believe is innocent, and now the cop in charge of the case is locked out of the case. Kind of weird, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    She could pretty much see the stars shining in the young man¡¯s eyes. A worthy cause.

    ¡°Shame you can¡¯t let me see the metadata you mentioned, because I¡¯m pretty sure the person who locked those files has something to hide.¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Xun replied with a smile. ¡°I will just do a routine check of the files¡­ yep, seems like they were all locked by the same person. No anomalies there. Whelp! I suddenly feel an urge to go to the lavatories. If you will excuse me?¡±

    ¡°But of course,¡± Nestra replied with a knowing smile.

    The young man stretched, turned the monitor sideways, then left with a hum. The other employee gave him a curious smile before returning to her business. As soon as he was gone, Nestra leaned forward over the counter. The open window showed the properties of the locked file: date of creation, last modified etc. More importantly, there was the ID of the person who had encrypted it.

    Locked by order of Ito Junpei, captain.

    She turned the monitor back.

    Yep, no mystery here. Kim¡¯s own boss was the one who didn¡¯t want anyone looking into stuff. The thing was, why be so heavy-handed about it? She returned to Baatar.

    He had the answer.

    ¡°You must be very, very new to high level office politics.¡±

    ¡°I actually avoid office politics like the plague.¡±

    ¡°How in the name of Riel did you manage until now?¡±

    ¡°By being competent in a dead end job where nobody gave a shit?¡± Nestra replied.

    Baatar grunted. This one meant ¡®fair point¡¯.

    ¡°Are you going to explain why the guy who put Kim in prison is also getting away with preventing anybody else from looking into it? Because that¡¯s just insane.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can. Let me explain. You are tier 1. That means, you¡¯re a mosquito. A cog. I am tier 2. That means I¡¯m a slightly larger cog who can be trusted with other, smaller cogs such as patrollers or drone specialists or you. Kim Soo-Young is tier 3. That means she¡¯s in the game. If she needs a small ad hoc team, she can make a request and she¡¯ll get it. She can convoke small guild managers and they¡¯d better listen. She matters in Threshold. Ito is tier 4. Tier 4s do politics, that means they¡¯re dealing with budget, development, workforce; the works. Most tier 4s in this administration handle 300 people or more. Ito is worse. He handles all aspects of the rat squad¡¯s finance division. That means he¡¯s the only person in Threshold who understands what he¡¯s doing.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t authorize him to throw anyone he wants in the can.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s going to stop him? Do you know how many people get purged from their positions every week because of something they might have no idea they¡¯ve done?¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s just another asshole abusing his power. And being really obvious about it.¡±

    ¡°Of course, he¡¯s obvious about it,¡± Baatar said,

    He looked at his half-drunk cup, then dumped the rest in the trash bin.

    ¡°It¡¯s a polite way to tell me to drop it. He¡¯s being direct about it too.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not right. IA is supposed to ¡ª¡±

    ¡°I KNOW!¡±

    Baatar winced.

    ¡°I know. Sorry. I¡­ I hoped things would be different in the rat squad, but it¡¯s not. Ito is entrenched. He¡¯s unassailable.¡±

    ¡°You could bypass him?¡±

    The detective massaged the bridge of his nose, and Nestra understood she¡¯d lost him. He had given up. It was over for him.

    She wasn¡¯t even angry. She understood. She¡¯d been at the business end of the administration before, and that was with her being sheltered and not really replaceable. For him who¡¯d just be transferred, it would be a death warrant to go after Ito and fail.

    ¡°Ito¡¯s boss plays golf with the mayor. As far as we¡¯re concerned, he¡¯s the Emperor. I wouldn¡¯t get a foot in, then Ito would be notified and I¡¯d spend the rest of my natural lifespan clearing fatbergs in the sewers. By hand. Look, let me explain.¡±

    ¡°I got it. We don¡¯t got shit. Ito is the only one who understands what Ito does. Kim is inconsequential and you are being offered a way out.¡±

    ¡°I have a wife. We¡¯re expecting our second.¡±

    Baatar lowered his gaze.

    ¡°I¡¯m no hero. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯d say it¡¯s Kim or me but it wouldn¡¯t be accurate. If I speak up, it will be Kim AND me. I don¡¯t stand a chance.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    He blinked.

    ¡°I really do,¡± she insisted

    ¡°But you¡¯re not giving up.¡±

    ¡°Not without trying a bit. Kim is innocent. If I don¡¯t try anything, she¡¯ll spend the next twenty years behind bars. I¡¯m not leaving her out to dry like that.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re gonna come after you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± Nestra said. ¡°I¡¯m a nepo baby with a short-fused aunt. If anyone can stick their neck out, it¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re more courageous than me. Drive you back?¡±

    ¡°To my home, yeah.¡±

    And by Riel was that an awkward ride.

    ***

    It was back to square zero. Kim was fucked. Nestra had no obvious way to help her, no leads, and even if she did, no one to show it to. She needed advice. Advice from someone in IA, perhaps. A quick search of her hierarchy on the internal subnet showed that there were only half a dozen people at Ito¡¯s level. She gave Baatar a call. He picked up. His voice was slurred. He¡¯d been drinking.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Listen, there¡¯s one last thing you could do. Please?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±

    ¡°Just, hypothetically, who would be Ito¡¯s rivals?¡±

    Baatar sighed. Nestra could guess what he thought about her idea.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask around, but¡­ I¡¯ll just ask around.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°You should let it go.¡±

    ¡°Not until they fire my ass. Enjoy your day.¡±

    Nestra had lunch, then she climbed in her pink roadster. It was time to see what Mr. Ilar wanted from her.

    ***

    Threshold¡¯s gate was one of the oldest structures in the city, and that was fine, because three hundred tons of enchanted steel between what¡¯s trying to kill you and you would never be a bad idea. The queue to get out was short and by short, Nestra meant that it was one military convoy and that was it. The head guard at the gate ¡ª a grizzled auged sergeant ¡ª ogled her with complete disbelief when she presented her fresh pass.

    ¡°You¡¯re aware that the road outside isn¡¯t secure, right?¡±

    Nestra was wearing her Wellington armor, but she was still a lone woman in a civvie car.

    ¡°I got a monster killing weapon and I know how to use it,¡± she replied, showing the Windowmaker. ¡°Incidents are rare, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but¡­ do you have anything more?¡±

    ¡°A shotgun in the trunk.¡±

    The guard thought for a second.

    ¡°Go get it while I approve the transfer. Just keep in mind that you are on your own if something comes up. Don¡¯t stop for anything and keep the emergency line on fast dial.¡±

    Nestra grabbed the shotgun, which got a huff of approval by the sergeant, then she was past the gate. The horizon opened in front of her. The plain, the forest, the mountains beyond, it was just so weird looking at all of that land with her human eyes and there wasn¡¯t a wall in view.

    It was the first time she¡¯d left the confines of the city as a human, second time as a demon if one didn¡¯t include the trans-dimensional escapades. It was¡­ a little disappointing. Just an asphalt path heading out in a straight line through a cratered wasteland of cracked stones upon which yellow grass clung for dear life, the result of decades of bombardment. There was nothing to see but desolation for kilometers upon kilometers.

    Reality seldom lived up to hopes.

    Nestra accelerated. She wanted to be back by nightfall.

    ***

    Base camp was a sad affair. It was the bare minimum, if that, and she would have spent two hours going through security if a mook in a suit hadn¡¯t come to pick her up. Even then, the gleam guard¡¯s condescending disbelief grated her nerves.

    Ilar waited for her in a borrowed office. He greeted her warmly.

    ¡°Officer Palladian, please take a seat.¡±

    She did so. He offered coffee which she accepted. It sucked.

    ¡°You must be curious as to what you¡¯re doing here,¡± he finally said.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Straight to it then. I intend to test your physical fitness in anticipation of a possible trip to the Sword King Enclave.¡±

    Nestra nearly did a spit take.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I am very serious.¡±

    ¡°The poster enclave for aggressive eugenics? The super arrogant enclave that embodies gleam supremacism? The hardcore isolationists? Those sword saints?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He sat with his fingers interlocked.

    ¡°May I ask why?¡± she insisted.

    ¡°The Sword King enclave is requesting a trade agreement. A delegation will go meet them, and it was decided that you would take part.¡±

    ¡°Why me specifically? I''m not a diplomat.¡±

    ¡°Three reasons. One, their lands are extremely dangerous, and it was established that you were the baseline with the highest chance of survival. Or close to a baseline, in any case.¡±

    ¡°But why? They hate non-gleams.¡±

    ¡°Precisely because they hate non gleams and we want to rub it in their faces.¡±

    Nestra waited to see if the man was joking. He was not.

    ¡°You specifically want to piss them off?¡±

    ¡°We specifically want to humiliate them and remind them of our mutual standings during the negotiations. We are confident your behavior will help us in this regard.¡±

    ¡°You are sending me because I¡¯m a rabid bitch?¡±

    ¡°Your words, not mine, and that would count as the second reason.¡±

    ¡°And if I refuse? Because it will be dangerous as hell.¡±

    ¡°Threshold will blacklist you like every law enforcement agent who refuses an assignment.¡±

    Fuck.

    ¡°And the third reason?¡±

    ¡°We are counting on you to identify the person of interest whom we have recently located there. I believe you were referring to her as Fox Mask.¡±

    ¡°Oh so that¡¯s why you¡¯re out for blood.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, they¡¯ve been robbing us for months. We are¡­. rather displeased.¡±

    And Nestra knew what happened when Threshold got ¡®displeased¡¯.

 Part 40

    Nestra changed in a nicely provided changing room that smelled of old sweat, under the baffled gaze of a couple of army gleams. Her Wellington suit was nice and familiar, even after some time out of it. She felt protected in it. Funny how the human Nestra loved armor but her Aszhii self disliked anything touching her skin that wasn¡¯t some eldritch symbiote out of hell. She next walked to the ¡®antechamber¡¯, a vast bunker with medical and storage facilities designed as an airlock between the base and the monster-infested wilds. There were plenty of auged and gleam soldiers here; most of them very young. They made no secrets about their curiosity.

    She found Ilar near the gate arguing with a NCO, and by arguing, she meant that the NCO talked in a glacially polite tone and Ilar was quite obviously ignoring him. The old man still tried his best.

    ¡°And although the path you picked should not have C-class creatures, it does not mean there won¡¯t be C-class creatures. Those travel. I don¡¯t care how good your crunchie is, the odds just aren¡¯t good. Hell, I wouldn¡¯t send a full squad there without backup.¡±

    ¡°Your objections are duly noted, sergeant. As I said before, you are absolved from any responsibility should a problem occur.¡±

    The sergeant¡¯s dark mustache bristled with anger. He found Nestra, focusing his attention on her with laser focus.

    ¡°You are putting yourself at major risk,¡± he said.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    He glared. She shrugged.

    ¡°Dammit woman, you¡¯re not some green idiot. Don¡¯t do this.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s already decided,¡± Ilar insisted.

    ¡°By you,¡± the sergeant grumbled, but he gestured anyway. The large, enchanted steel door nearby opened with the slow clunk of heavy machinery.

    ¡°Please enter the airlock, check your gear one last time, then give the signal and we will let you out. Your goal is the nearby Zhongdian elevation, three and a half kilometers due north-west. You will travel here, enter your name in the computer at the base of the flag, then return before nightfall. Should you need extraction, just send a signal to¡­ ah what the fuck am I saying? You¡¯ll be dead before we get a grav out of the base.¡±

    ¡°Sergeant¡­¡± Ilar growled.

    ¡°Yeah yeah whatever. Good luck lady. You¡¯re going to need it. We¡¯ll monitor your progress by drone so if you¡¯re really hurt, we¡¯ll try to help. Just hold on, ok?¡±

    Nestra nodded. She entered the antechamber¡¯s antechamber, as it were, to finish her prep.

    Nestra pulled her suit¡¯s hood over her head. It sealed with a light hiss and a click. The entire front lit up until she had a perfect field of view. Temperature regulation cooled her stressed body while the ear protection cycled to her favorite mode: amplifying surrounding sounds while muffling gunshots. The smell of damp concrete filtered through the rebreather, unfiltered since it wasn¡¯t toxic. Wellington believed that the sense of smell was a good warning so their suits reflected that. She shivered when several of her senses were amplified.

    The map overlay activated, showing her the distant peak through the wall. She tested thermal and night vision sights. No issue. A last check of the Windowmaker followed. Safety on, and into the holster. She attached her tactical shotgun to the suit-provided sling, then carefully loaded her mana shells. Six in the magazine, one in the chamber. The bolt slid back with a satisfying click. The holo-slight activated. Her Wellington had a shooting assist but she didn¡¯t like it.

    Safety off.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±

    The gates opened. Ilar whispered a last good luck, then she was through.

    ***

    The first two minutes were just more of the pitted hellscape that surrounded Threshold¡¯s walls. Nestra assumed the military cleared the place regularly just so squads of greenhorns wouldn¡¯t get jumped the moment they stepped foot outside. She still checked all around, including up. There were flying things out here.

    Just beyond that no-monster¡¯s-land, the jungle spread out like a green curtain, with the tiniest gaps where beast and infantry trails snaked into the vegetation. She picked one at random.

    The forest closed around her like the jaws of a trap. Immediately, light dimmed to a semi-darkness punctuated by bright rays piercing through the dense canopy. It smelled very strongly of sap. Fresh tracks on the wet dirt showed a group had gone through there a mere few hours before. She paused at the entrance to let her helmet and eyes get accustomed to the strange light conditions. Demon Nestra didn¡¯t have to contend with this but whatever.

    Now what was the walk again? High steps, then toes first to test the ground and push twigs aside, then slowly to the balls of her feet. Slowly at first, then with more ease as she grew used to that strange gait, Nestra moved deeper into the death trap. Visibility was terrible here since grass climbed above her head on both sides. She had to rely more on her ears and nose. Fortunately, the Wellington visor helped with that. There was even a function to show her destination in the distance.

    For now, Nestra followed the path, forcing herself to relax her shoulders. Her fingers still gripped the handguard of her shotgun. Maybe she wouldn¡¯t get to use it.

    Oh, who was she kidding? Better be ready.

    ***

    Spiders climbed on half-rotten trunks. Above, birds tweeted or chirped with every step she took. Nestra was forced to stop with every bush rustling in the distance just in case something tried to jump her. Her suit had already proved itself useful by pinging dangerous flora, including a leafy plant that sprayed the armor with a sap that created a powerful allergic reaction for up to seven days after contact. She¡¯d avoided those. There were also a few suspiciously mana-rich growths that were not in the database. She had avoided those as well in case they tried to grab her with lianas or something. It happens.

    Once again, the path was blocked by a fallen tree. It was the third time, but this one was very recent and she didn¡¯t see a path through that someone had already cut. With a sigh, Nestra let her shotgun hang from its sling while she carved a path with her combat knife. It was the emotional support knife from MaxSec, the one you held while a monster ate you if you ran out of bullets. At least, it was useful to cut branches. With one last muttered curse, Nestra pushed through, stopping immediately after.

    There was movement in the distance. She heard it in her helmet. One thing. Two things, at least, far in front, left and right. She brought her shotgun up, moved to the balls of her feet. The holographic sight provided a red dot dancing across the foliage with the promise of crushed mana stones at muzzle velocity. She switched to thermal with a click of her tongue. Nothing. She waited.

    A flash to her right, but the sound on the left was closer so she aimed there instead. There, a flash of heat.

    In the city, MaxSec were forbidden from taking shots at hidden targets in case the exposed piece of flesh was a scared kid hiding under a desk. Here? Everything went.

    If it was someone trying to ambush her, they had it coming anyway. Nestra tensed. She aligned the sight.

    She pulled the trigger. The shotgun pushed against her chest. Thump! Something screeched. Loud. She relaxed, letting the gun return to firing position. Another shot. Missed?

    Nothing moved.

    Nestra reached for her side pocket which Wellington called a ¡®tactical pouch¡¯ which sounded better than ¡®integrated fanny pack¡¯. She grabbed shells and pushed them into the magazine, keeping the gun ready. One in.

    Movement. From every side. Her thermal caught the one on the left more clearly thanks to a wide streak of what had to be blood. She shot it, dropping the shells on the ground to grab the barrel. Another screech ending in a terrible gurgle. She swiveled to her right. Movement in front as well. Thump. Something concealed screeched again. Another thump and it fell in a crash of breaking twigs. The one in front was racing ahead. She saw scales, a crest, mostly green mixed with a haze of other colors. Neosaurs, the same monsters who¡¯d killed Shinoda. It dodged the first shot, but not the second, which almost tore its arm off. It kept going. She shot it again. Last shell. Movement on the right from the wounded creature. Noise at her back. Nestra dropped and rolled just as something crashed through the branches over her head. Claws scratched the edge of her armor. She rolled and dropped her gun, pulling her Window Maker in the same fluid motion. The massive blast caught the neosaur in the back before it could recover from its jump. It fell, dead on the spot.

    The last neosaur crawled from the underbrush with piteous cries. Fresh portal monsters then, or they would have retreated. She shot it in the head.

    No more movement, but something up ahead. Something massive. She grabbed her shotgun back from the sling and reloaded as fast as she could. A creature emerged from the path at a distance. It looked like a cross between a tortoise and a dinosaur the size of a SUV, probably a powerful D-class creature. Dark beady eyes fell on her from within a scarred shell. Not good. She finished reloading without breaking eye contact.

    Slowly, the creature grabbed the corpse of the farthest neosaur before retreating. Each of its steps echoed Nestra¡¯s thundering heart.

    Only after a full minute of quiet did she allow herself a moment of calm. That beast had probably been earth-born to act rationally instead of like a rabid idiot. Lucky.

    Well, it looked like it was over. Time to pack up. She reloaded her Windowmaker before returning to the spot where she¡¯d dropped her shells. At four hundred creds a pop, might as well recover them all. As she bent down, she caught a whiff of mana. Human this one. Too exotic to be a local monster.

    It might have been Ilar. She wasn¡¯t sure. Maybe he was keeping an eye on her to make sure she didn¡¯t die? Whatever.

    With one last disappointed sigh that she couldn¡¯t loot the neosaur for their skin, Nestra set off.

    ***

    Nestra kept walking, eating a Seth-made energy bar to make up for the adrenaline dump. The fantastic taste buoyed her spirits, and she was almost whistling by the time she started climbing. A large predatory bird tried to dive at her but a shot turned it into a feathered red mist. Nothing else attacked her afterward. She proudly added her name to the long list of cadets who¡¯d made it to Zhongdian summit. Maybe it was a rite of passage? The trip back was considerably easier because she found a trail that led right back to base. In total, it took her barely over four hours to complete the course.

    The sergeant welcomed her back with a smile of relief.

    ¡°Well paint my ass blue and call me a grape, you made it. And you killed some neosaurs too. Not bad, crunchie, not bad at all.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, sarge,¡± Nestra replied before her brain could react.

    ¡°You military?¡±

    ¡°MaxSec. Retired.¡±

    ¡°Well you can always sign up if you get tired of trash spiders. Now get out of here, and don¡¯t forget to go by the armory to clean up your shit. Some plants spray you with irritants. You don¡¯t want your face to look like a three-day old scarlet balloon. Trust me.¡±

    ¡°Will do.¡±

    ***

    ¡°You did well. We are suitably impressed,¡± Ilar said.

    He frowned. Nestra might have been a tad more impressive than what would be plausible for a mana-juiced baseline. Was she making a mistake by being too cool?

    Well, it beat getting bitten.

    ¡°I will immediately request a transfer from IA to my division, although it will be months before we leave. Such things take time. You will be our first and only baseline field agent. You should be honored.¡±

    ¡°Before you do that, and because I know they will agree..¡±

    ¡°Indeed since you have been on leave for weeks,¡± Ilar noted with a pointed glance.

    ¡°There is one last thing I need to do as part of IA. My superior was wrongfully arrested and I intend to get her out of there.¡±

    ¡°This is not a negotiation,¡± Ilar stated.

    Nestra stood up, so did Ilar. He wasn¡¯t amused.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    Slowly, she grabbed her ID.

    ¡°It definitely is.¡±

    ¡°I warned you what would happen if you made things difficult.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re blacklisting me for employment, right? Now look at me. Look at me well. Do you think I give a shit?¡±

    Ilar stopped himself before he could say more. For the first time, Nestra could tell he had stopped and was actually thinking.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need the city to give me a job. Riel, I don¡¯t even need a job. I¡¯m loaded. My family is immensely more loaded and they won¡¯t let me down, especially if some cunt¡¯s trying to strong arm me into traveling to a fucking enclave.¡±

    Ilar didn¡¯t react, so Nestra waited.

    ¡°Perhaps your contribution isn¡¯t required after all,¡± Ilar whispered in what might have been a dangerous tone.

    ¡°Good! Then I¡¯m off. See you.¡±

    ¡°Hold!¡± he said as she turned. ¡°I think you don¡¯t quite realize the importance of our work, or the situation you risk putting yourself in if¡ª¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have leverage,¡± Nestra said, and she meant it. ¡°I don¡¯t need money, I don¡¯t need influence, I don¡¯t value my career and I don¡¯t give a shit about your opinion. I don¡¯t have kids who need to go to a good school. I don¡¯t see gleams as all that superior. You have nothing on me.¡±

    Well, there was physical violence but that was the thing with violence, it only worked so long as you were the strongest.

    Ilar wasn¡¯t the strongest.

    ¡°I see. Hmm. I believe I owe you an apology for being cavalier. It is as you said. Perhaps spending too much time with users has led me to see baselines as too¡­ accommodating.¡±

    Ilar sat back but he wasn¡¯t looking at Nestra. Curious, she sat as well. He was looking for words.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he finally admitted, ¡°I am doing what I abhor the enclave for committing: considering people who are not users as lesser people.¡±

    ¡°Wow, never thought you¡¯d actually admit it.¡±

    ¡°In private, of course. If we were in public I would have had to send you to go through the disciplinary committee on your way out just to keep my image.¡±

    ¡°Charming.¡±

    ¡°Out of curiosity, tell me about this ¡®wrongful imprisonment¡¯ of yours?¡±

    Finally, someone to bounce ideas off. Someone who was obviously savvy. Nestra had shared half a story before realizing Ilar might be looking for the leverage she said he didn¡¯t have, but it was too late by then. Instead of being coy, Ilar seemed¡­ sympathetic. In a bad way.

    ¡°And I assume you will want to conduct a counter investigation? Contest the findings?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Ilar was speechless. Nestra felt a certain doubt in her ability, which pissed her off even more. Ok, she was out of her depth¡­ but people should be helping instead of giving her the ¡®oh you poor thing you¡¯ll hurt your widdle head¡¯ looks, dammit.

    ¡°Look, I want to give it a good try, at least. If it were you, would you not want a work friend to stand up for you?¡±

    ¡°In ¡®work friends¡¯, the operative term is ¡®work¡¯. Otherwise they would just be friends,¡± Ilar replied in a soft voice.

    ¡°Thanks for the nice quote, I''ll put it on my mug.¡±

    ¡°I see you have made up your mind,¡± Ilar sighed. ¡°That is fine. I will be sure to keep an eye on things and contact you in two weeks, when things will have come to a head one way or another. As I said, it will take months before we are ready to depart due to red tape, ongoing negotiations, and the enclave¡¯s tendency to go back on the deal just before signing. They do it every time to get one last concession.¡±

    ¡°Right. Was there anything else?¡±

    ¡°You may leave at your convenience.¡±

    That meant now.

    ***

    Nestra checked her messages on the way back. There was one from Baatar with a name and address alongside the expected warnings that all her endeavors were futile yadda yadda. Nestra didn¡¯t care because, one, she had no other options at the moment and two, she¡¯d gotten a ton of stuff by just being too obnoxious to ignore. It was much easier to throw her a bone than to argue with her for hours. Case in point: her incoming transfer to Special Affairs.

    She hoped they would give her a raise. And a promotion! Being obnoxious made promotions impossible without some bullshit anyway.

    Nestra hurried to the office of a certain Yun Sangah, someone so above her grade she might be a god. She was an Internal Affair high officer on par with Deputy Chief Ito, though her domain was corruption. Nestra understood there was some overlap between the two departments which explained some friction. A brief check of IA¡¯s organigram showed Yun¡¯s department was significantly larger than Ito¡¯s own. She wondered if it counted for something.

    Nestra had no way to play this smart, mostly because she had zero cards in hand right now. She needed to force it. Yun could take the bait or she could see it as Nestra reaching out far above her station, thus threatening hierarchy and order. Some people preferred peace over justice. Nestra had no way to know in advance and she didn¡¯t care that much anyway. Might as well go for it.

    In person.

    It was past seven when she arrived at the bottom of the Beacon, in central. The building was so massive she almost parked in the wrong parking, and the trip up to IA¡¯s floor took another ten minutes. Office hours had officially finished more than an hour before but that didn¡¯t mean shit in the beating heart of Threshold. The government was jam-packed with ambitious overachievers. There would be meetings running until 1AM every day. Nestra found the lobby empty however; the secretary having gone for the night. Her ID let her get in anyway.

    ¡°Should have stopped for dinner,¡± Nestra grumbled. She was hungry. And angry. And hangry to boot. What a day.

    Nestra almost erred making her way through the labyrinthine corridors but fortunately, she still had enough of a brain to pull out a map and find Yun Sangah¡¯s office. It was one floor above her. The Beacon was not just a maze, it was absolutely massive.

    She came across quite a few people in the standard uniform of government drones in Threshold: black suits for the men, black tailleurs for the women, white shirts, makeup, plastic surgery. Nestra stood out like a sore thumb. It didn¡¯t help that East Asian people formed the overwhelming majority of the staff. Eventually, she found the proper corridor. It was obviously the right one because there was only one door. It was locked. No one answered her knocks.

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    What if Yun wasn¡¯t here tonight? That would be bloody stupid. On a hunch, she retreated to the nearest open office, easily finding several people working late on large monitors.

    ¡°Excuse me? I¡¯m looking for Deputy Chief Yun Sangah. Would you happen to know if she will be around tonight?¡±

    The employee went through several stages of disbelief, first checking her face, then her clothes, then her badge, before kind of doing a full reset. It was like she¡¯d asked him to calculate a satellite¡¯s orbit.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Oh, ah, yes, Yun sunbae-nim. She might be here tonight? Who is asking?¡±

    ¡°Clytemnestra Palladian, with the Financial Crime Division. I am in need of¡­ guidance.¡±

    He looked at another employee who eyed him with the measuring look of someone watching someone else make a mistake that would erase them from the rat race.

    ¡°I am not certain.¡±

    ¡°I see. I will wait a bit longer then.¡±

    She returned to the office¡¯s door. The drone would definitely phone his boss first thing, and Nestra would soon have her answer one way or another. People moved quickly here. The stone had successfully been tossed into the pond. Now she would see those ripples.

    It didn¡¯t take long.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid Yun Sunbae-nim is unavailable tonight. Could you leave your contact information please? She will call you as soon as she is available.¡±

    Darn. That meant a soft no, at the very least. Nestra gave her number just in case, not that they needed it, and left, but there was someone waiting for her near the entrance.

    ¡°Miss Palladian?¡± a smooth woman asked with a smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes.

    Nestra noted the intentional omission of her title.

    ¡°Mr. Ito would like to see you.¡±

    ¡°Lead the way then,¡± Nestra said.

    The woman walked, turning back several times to look at Nestra like she wasn¡¯t believing what she was seeing. Or not. Maybe Nestra was projecting a little, and also running out of patience.

    Nestra¡¯s guide knocked and let Nestra in. She took a moment to look at her surroundings. Her nominal boss¡¯ office was an oasis of serenity in a desert of office decorations provided by the lowest bidder. Blue light fell from the ceiling over mushroom terrariums ¡ª or whatever those were called. Some were fluorescent and came with faint traces of mana. Paintings on the wall depicted underground caverns and the likes. It was pretty nice, cozy even.

    ¡°Take a seat.¡±

    Ito was a tall, lean man of middle age with an intelligent face. Graying hair at his temple gave him a look of respectability. His suit was deep blue and as spotless as the rest of his person. He looked thoroughly unamused. He leaned back in his seat with quiet annoyance on plain display. Nestra did so. It was a necessary step to get out of here.

    He studied her in silence for a while. Nestra knew what he wanted to do. Most people hated silence, but she didn¡¯t. She enjoyed silence very much. Especially when it was going to be filled with an annoying voice any time soon. There was an ephemeral beauty to silence.

    Some of those mushrooms looked really weird.

    ¡°Officer Clytemnestra Palladian, officially attached to my unit, though we both know that is a convenience.¡±

    Nestra returned her attention to the man, though she didn¡¯t reply. He hadn¡¯t asked questions yet. The way he talked was slow and deliberate to the point he was even marking the commas and periods with a small pause.

    ¡°You know why I have called you here.¡±

    ¡°I can hazard a guess,¡± Nestra replied.

    Again, silence returned to the room.

    Sometimes, she felt like there was a script to human interactions or human confrontations she was supposed to follow, like a sheet with directions everyone else had that let the conversation flow forward, and every time she talked, the person with the direction had to check again because they were lost. Sometimes it was annoying. Other times, there was some sort of vindication to it.

    ¡°You have come here out of sympathy for your superior Kim Soo-Young.¡±

    Something in the way he watched her reaction told her he was fishing. He might have just learnt she was working against him. That meant that Baatar might not have thrown her to the wolves which was a good thing to know.

    ¡°You have never been truly punished for your conduct. You believe your family will protect you. That is why you came here to find someone to champion your efforts to overturn my judgment. You believe the worst you risk is to be fired.¡±

    He glanced at his screen. It was short but enough for her to guess her file was displayed there. She really wondered what it said.

    ¡°You are wrong. There are many things a police officer in your position will do to secure an edge, especially in the challenging environment of District Fifteen. I am getting more and more curious as to what those measures were.¡±

    He leaned forward, placing both hands on the desk. It felt like she had his full attention now.

    Nestra had to admit, he was really good at conveying messages through posture. It was fascinating, really.

    ¡°There is a due process. A way of things. You are hitting your head against the walls, Miss Palladian. Your skull will crack first.¡±

    ¡°Just to clarify, the due process to look into Kim¡¯s imprisonment is to check with you?¡±

    Ito remained silent.

    ¡°Because you sent her there, then you sealed all records so people couldn¡¯t get a better look into things sooooo¡­ that sounds like a waste of time.¡±

    ¡°You are hereby suspended pending disciplinary action. Leave your badge and your gun here. You should have known better than to test me.¡±

    ¡°You can have the badge but the gun¡¯s mine. MaxSec license.¡±

    ¡°You are no longer MaxSec.¡±

    ¡°Still got the license though,¡± Nestra said, knowing this was one of the things he couldn¡¯t touch. Gun licenses were extremely hard to revoke in Threshold.

    ¡°Here,¡± she said, leaving her ID on the table. ¡°Was there anything else?¡±

    ¡°I do not want to waste another minute of my time talk¡ª¡±

    ¡°You know there is one thing you didn¡¯t even mention,¡± Nestra interrupted.

    It was so obvious Ito hadn¡¯t been cut off in a while, because anger prevented him from reacting.

    ¡°You never insisted Kim was guilty. Didn¡¯t even cross your mind.¡±

    ¡°Get out.¡±

    Nestra gave him one last look, but he wouldn¡¯t be provoked further. Not like she could catch that snake incriminating himself even if she could record him without him knowing. None of this mattered in the grand scheme of things. It was all posturing, but there was one thing that she knew for sure now. Kim was innocent. Someone as angry as Ito would have been outraged that someone like her could question his methods of investigation. The fact he hadn¡¯t even mentioned it was a sign, and she was under the impression he hadn¡¯t tried to act innocent to throw her off because she was too insignificant to matter. Not worth the effort. She showed herself out. She seethed all the way to the parking lot, having to ask a guard to let her out on two occasions since her credentials were already revoked.

    Just at the entrance, she came across a familiar figure. Well, it ought to be familiar but Nestra couldn¡¯t quite place her. The East Asian woman strode past in a beautiful white kimono that would look at home in a gala. Strands of mana clung to it, making it shine from a ghostly inner light. She gave Nestra a knowing smirk.

    Nestra blinked. That felt¡­ no, it was personal. Her instincts told her it was on purpose. It was a message. A really weird one. What?

    Nestra turned to the elevator as its doors closed, but the woman had her back turned.

    Familiar but not too much. Who was that? Someone she¡¯d met recently. Someone rich. Japanese, probably. A rich Japanese woman who could have something against her. There was only one who could fit the bill and even then¡­

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Nestra gasped. She knew who this was. She remembered, though last time, the woman had been wearing black. This was¡­. Shinoda¡¯s widow.

    The person who had a burning hatred of Kim. Nestra blinked. That sounded like a ridiculous conspiracy but¡­ that timing, that smile¡­ Holy shit. It couldn¡¯t be¡­ could it?

    Ito and Shinoda¡¯s widow working together to fuck up Kim¡¯s life?

    Nestra breathed down on her anger. Sending someone to the Red House for two decades because you were shown up at a funeral? Who the hell did that? No, it was simply too obvious. No one could be that ridiculously petty. No, she refused to believe it. This was just¡­. too many assumptions in a row.

    But then what was that bitch doing here? Nestra scratched her head. Better not to dwell on it too much.

    ¡°I¡¯m going crazy, seeing schemes everywhere.¡±

    What if it were true, though? What if Shinoda¡¯s widow goaded Nestra because she knew Nestra was powerless to help Kim? The poisonous thought seeped into her mind, stoking her anger. Her heart raced until she was in her car and her visor rang to hopefully provide a distraction. Unknown number. Nestra picked up immediately.

    ¡°You have courage, child, I will grant you that. And integrity. But not much else,¡± a mature woman said.

    There was no visual. Nestra didn¡¯t need it though. She knew who she was talking to.

    ¡°Should I call you sunbae-nim even though I¡¯m pretty much fired?¡± Nestra asked Deputy Director Yun.

    ¡°No need. This is an informal discussion. As I said, I am as impressed by your loyalty as I am by your lack of foresight.¡±

    ¡°Look, I got nothing, ok?¡± Nestra snapped. ¡°No proof, no lead, and the only person with access to everything also happens to be the culprit. You tell me what I¡¯m supposed to do.¡±

    ¡°Lie low?¡±

    ¡°Very funny. What is Kim looking at? Twenty years in the Red House? Thirty?¡±

    The person on the other side sighed, a heavy sound filled with regret.

    ¡°It¡¯s not unusual for high management to clean house on occasion, though I agree, this seems rather¡­ excessive.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Nestra hissed. ¡°Excessive? Ruining someone¡¯s retirement plan is excessive. This is destroying someone¡¯s life, dammit!¡±

    ¡°I get your point, Miss Palladian. It appears your reputation is well-deserved.¡±

    ¡°I have a reputation?¡±

    ¡°One does not take Gidung down a peg without earning some attention. You also tend to be¡­ loud. I shall cut to the chase then. I cannot help you in a meaningful amount of time.¡±

    ¡°Ito is rotten.¡±

    ¡°I have my suspicions, yes, but I cannot prove it in any significant manner. Now that Kim has been arrested, he might be able to pin everything on her.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re saying he actually stole stuff? I was assuming he¡¯d drummed up false numbers just to get Kim arrested, but that it was false.¡±

    ¡°No, he is rotten. Unfortunately, only he knows what he¡¯s doing and I suspect he merely skimmed off the top. His department is the only one that does not cost money to the taxpayer because he salvages and reemploys so much of what he seizes. As far as the director is concerned, he¡¯s an important asset.¡±

    ¡°I see. Untouchable, is what you¡¯re saying?¡±

    ¡°You, as Clytemnestra Palladian, have no way to touch him.¡±

    ¡°But you do.¡±

    ¡°I will not jeopardize my career for such a slim chance of success. As I said, he has access to, and is the only one who understands, all of the evidence. Your only chance of success is to go even higher.¡±

    ¡°You just said that talking to you was a lack of foresight. The director is even higher. What am I supposed to do, crash down his gates and set myself on fire?¡±

    ¡°Your family, Miss Palladian. Your only hope is to find someone influential enough to make a request, as unlikely as it is. That would be just to get the case open, not even solving it. Your father is not popular but he is respected. He might have the ear of some of the more righteous members of the government. Who knows? I certainly don¡¯t see another way.¡±

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m being thrown from a desperate gambit to just grasping at straws.¡±

    ¡°This is your doing, Miss Palladian. Most other people would have given up long ago. Should you fail, you will most likely be blacklisted and likely expelled from civil service, but I will continue to look into Ito¡¯s wrongdoings and when I do, I will make sure Kim is freed.¡±

    ¡°When will that happen?¡±

    ¡°I do not know. People like him believe they are so smart and above the rest of mankind that nothing can ever affect them. He will keep committing crimes until he is caught.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not waiting.¡±

    ¡°And I shall not stop you, Miss Palladian. As I said, if you want to free Kim now, you need the word of God. Good luck.¡±

    She hung up. Nestra sat back into her seat, giving herself a minute so the anger would fade away.

    She knew what she ought to do. It was time to choose but¡­ was there really a choice? Seth was going to be so mad.

    Fuck it.

    ***

    ¡°Crescent,¡± Ragnarok said.

    As usual, the old woman faced the window away from Nestra. The light of dawn cast the city in a favorable light, but all Nestra could think about was corruption.

    ¡°Ragnarok,¡± Nestra hissed.

    ¡°I am curious as to what you want. My secretary mentioned a favor?¡±

    ¡°It relatesss¡­ to my civilian identity.¡±

    Ragnarok turned. Her cold eyes bore into Nestra¡¯s own, a measuring look. Nestra hadn¡¯t been sure but, for some reason, Seth had not objected to Ragnarok linking her demon and human self. That still expanded the list by one.

    Ragnarok waved her hand. Shutters locked over the windows, then a background sound made Nestra¡¯s ears buzz. A very high privacy screen then.

    ¡°You are aware that the many measures in place to protect your identity are of no use if you voluntarily share this information, right?¡±

    ¡°I know. Only you. Worth it¡­. I think.¡±

    ¡°What could possibly justify you lowering your mask?¡±

    ¡°There is an innocent in the Red House. I need help saving her.¡±

    Ragnarok turned to fully face Nestra. The old monster had to look up towards her large demon form, yet it was Nestra who felt judged.

    ¡°Does this relate to Kim Soo-Young?¡±

    ¡°How did you know?¡± Nestra gasped.

    ¡°It is my turn to be honest with you. I already guessed you were Clytemnestra Palladian.¡±

    ¡®WHAT?¡±

 Part 41

    The next morning, Nestra walked into the Beacon¡¯s archives with a team of mooks and Stibbs who had been hired for the occasion. It felt good showing her temporary ID to a baffled worker.

    ¡°I will need unrestricted access to Internal Affairs¡¯ servers.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Now,¡± Nestra insisted.

    The office drone hesitated, undoubtedly because Nestra didn¡¯t fit the bill for high level management. Too many scars, not enough plastic surgery, and clothes that didn¡¯t cost eight thousand creds. That hesitation lasted only long enough for her credentials to appear in the man¡¯s implants.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, the Internal Affair network is fully isolated.¡±

    ¡°Yes, which is why I need physical access. You will guide me.¡±

    ¡°Right away.¡±

    Nestra led her goon convoy through austere alleys, passing several security gates with all the speed of a motivated social climber. The Internal Affair data access point was in a secure box, but Nestra¡¯s codes unlocked everything and Stibbs had no difficulty pulling the data.

    ¡°What do we need?¡± she asked in a subdued voice.

    This was the holy sanctum for a born cop like her, even if she¡¯d left the force.

    ¡°Everything Ito altered over the past 4 years. We¡¯ll also need all relevant files that belong to Kim. I also want the backups. There is a backup, right?¡±

    ¡°Several¡­¡± Stibbs said after a while. ¡°Let me check the archived files as well.¡±

    It didn¡¯t take very long to get everything. Although Nestra had requested a ton of stuff, the size of the files wasn¡¯t that massive. It was mostly sheets and the occasional image. Understanding the data would be the real issue.

    ¡°I have everything,¡± Stibbs said.

    ¡°Good, then we move to the security center.¡±

    Once again, Nestra marched through the bowels of the Beacon but this time, people stepped out of her way with the lowered gaze of people who knew someone was going to have a bad day and they didn¡¯t want to be caught in the crossfire. The main security office issued her with a badge with unlimited access after a lot of triple-checking and, as far as she could tell, at least two phone calls. The second one was extremely brief and ended up with dozens of officers scrambling to get her what she wanted.

    Ito arrived five minutes later with his secretary, so the first call might have been to Internal Affairs.

    ¡°YOU!¡± he bellowed.

    Nestra barely spared him a glance. A concerned auged guard in an armored vest did his best to ignore him.

    ¡°What the fuck do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    ¡°Now and for the next five days, exactly as I please. Sergeant?¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Captain Ito Junpei is hereby suspended. His access is revoked.¡±

    ¡°Fuzakeru na! This woman is mad!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir. She has executive privileges over your division. Her word is law.¡±

    ¡°This is impossible. By whose order?¡±

    The security guard gulped before answering in a subdued voice.

    ¡°General Ragnhild Lidstrom, sir. Countersigned by Shinran.¡±

    It was as if the local temperature had suddenly dropped to freezing. A deathly silence spread throughout the office as those who knew they ought to obey but not why suddenly realized Nestra might as well have been sent by God almighty for what it implied for them and their careers.

    ¡°Escort Captain Ito out, please,¡± Nestra said in the ensuing silence, trying her best to be only mildly smug about it.

    ¡°Wait a moment. You said five days. Five days is all you have,¡± Ito said.

    His aristocratic demeanor devolved into animalistic rage. He was barely in control.

    ¡°That is correct.¡±

    ¡°After five days, I¡¯m coming for you. I will make you pay for this¡­ this humiliation!¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a threat to a temporarily superior officer,¡± Nestra calmly stated. ¡°Sergeant, lead Captain Ito out. He is not to return to his office.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare! Wait¡­ wait, at least let me get my car keys.¡±

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re taking the subway. Goodbye.¡±

    Nestra had seldom watched someone being escorted out with this much satisfaction.

    ¡°Holy Riel, Nes, did you have to?¡± Stibbs whispered with a mix of terror and awe.

    ¡°Yeah I mean what kind of car can¡¯t be opened with visor access? It was obviously a lie.¡±

    ***

    The mook group visited Ito¡¯s office next. It was just as neat as Nestra remembered. She walked around, breathing slowly as she did.

    Her true self was just there, beneath the surface. her instincts were muted but¡­

    There, near a painting, fingerprints made of ink. Spilled, probably. Ito was so old school.

    ¡°There is a safe here,¡± she declared. ¡°You,¡± she told Ito¡¯s secretary. ¡°Do you know how to open it?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°Get a safecracker here,¡± Nestra said, and one of her helpers left to make the call.

    Nestra sat in Ito¡¯s chair just because she knew the secretary would tell him she¡¯d done it, and that would send him over the edge. She wasn¡¯t above a bit of pettiness.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re going¡­ too far?¡± the secretary blurted with clear disbelief.

    She was loyal to Ito. Interesting.

    ¡°Ito thinks he¡¯s Riel¡¯s gift to everyone else. It doesn¡¯t matter what I do now. He will come after me with everything he has no matter what,¡± Nestra explained for Stibbs¡¯ benefit.

    ¡°What about basic decency?¡± the secretary insisted.

    ¡°That went out of the window the moment an innocent woman was sent to prison. I don¡¯t abide people who do the nastiest shit before hiding back under ¡®decorum¡¯ and ¡®prestige¡¯ once the boomerang of consequences returns unlubed. Maybe don¡¯t be a slimy piece of shit from the start and I won¡¯t stoop to your level, right?¡±

    Nestra let the secretary choke on her outrage. The safecracker arrived an instant later. It was a drone, actually, and it opened the safe with a beep.

    ¡°The safe came with the building, ma¡¯am,¡± the mook explained. ¡°Security can open them all.¡±

    ¡°Good to know. Now what¡¯s this?¡±

    Nestra foraged through piles of paper and other mementos. There were medals and other shiny awards she set aside, some printed e-mail related to promotion and internal politics, but it was the contents of a red file that attracted her interest the most. There were printed copies of hotel reservations and a fundraiser voucher.

    Now why would he keep this?

    Nestra wished she could search Ito¡¯s apartment but the special warrant she had didn¡¯t cover that. An oversight, in her opinion, but whatever.

    Still, this had to mean something.

    ¡°What next?¡± Stibbs asked.

    ¡°Now we start unpacking.¡±

    ***

    The Beacon kindly provided Nestra with a crisis response suite. Those were temporary headquarters that could be activated in times of emergency so ad hoc teams could gather and have everything ready to proceed. They were fully equipped with computers, coms; the works. They¡¯d been designed in case of major catastrophes so resources could be redirected from other departments in an instant. Floods, breaches, earthquakes; if it existed, Threshold had a contingency for it.

    While many city fortresses had associated enclaves that could absorb some disasters, Threshold was the lone true city on an otherwise wild subcontinent. Local enclaves were too small and sparsely spread out to matter. There was no strategic depth to the land. Monsters only had to cross fifty meters to find the nearest civilian, and things would go downhill from there. That was why such facilities existed.

    It was just a shame it wasn¡¯t aired out more often.

    ¡°Smells like rank air and old coffee,¡± Stibbs complained. ¡°Someone spilled their java on the desk.¡±

    ¡°Right. Let¡¯s just unpack, then I have to leave for the Red House.¡±

    ¡°Nestra?¡± Stibbs asked as the helpful mooks spread out to get started. ¡°What happens if you don¡¯t find what you need within five days?¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll never work in Threshold legally ever again, and I¡¯ll possibly get a stint in jail depending on what Ito gets his hands on. Don¡¯t think about it. Think about what we can do. I need to get a better read on the situation.¡±

    ¡°Nestra, you know I¡¯m on your side but¡­ this is foolish. Even for you.¡±

    ¡°Oh ye of little faith. Alright, what have we got?¡±

    It turned out to be a lot. The specific files on Kim¡¯s case consisted of one legal brief and a ton of transactions validated by Kim. The team read through it and it was as Ito had warned: they didn¡¯t get it. The presentation was airtight, the laws that were broken were meticulously quoted, and the documents all appeared genuine. Checking them against backups showed no obvious alterations. It was completely beyond Nestra, but that was ok. She didn¡¯t need to prove Kim was innocent if she managed to show that Ito was guilty, and she was pretty sure he was.

    Next came Ito¡¯s files. Nestra started by discarding all management, HR, and admin-related stuff but even then, they had gigabytes of data to work through. The financial stuff consisted of balance sheets, risk assessment analysis, bills of sale¡­ the list was exhaustive. It wasn¡¯t difficult to understand what was done but it proved impossible to determine why. All of the notes pertaining to decision-making used shorthand and sometimes even just codes that didn¡¯t link back to anything Nestra or Stibbs were familiar with. Essentially, they could see when Ito sold something but not why, or why at that specific price. Or how things were valued.

    ¡°We expected that much. If there is any crime, it will probably be linked to real world money flow so get me a list of all actual transfers, for how much, and to whom if possible.¡±

    Next, Nestra did some research on the contents of the safe.

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s important?¡± Stibbs asked.

    ¡°Ito is meticulous. He wouldn¡¯t just keep receipts for no reason.¡±

    ¡°But a hotel? And a fundraiser?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s not the event. It¡¯s who went there.¡±

    It only took an hour for Nestra to get access to security footage thanks to Threshold¡¯s complete disrespect for privacy. In both cases, Ito had gone alongside a beautiful woman wearing sunglasses and what looked like a wig.

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely Shinoda¡¯s widow,¡± Nestra said.

    ¡°You can recognize her? She¡¯s wearing a lot of makeup.¡±

    ¡°Run it through the AI. The gait and bone structure will match.¡±

    It did.

    ¡°It really is her. With a 99.7% accuracy rate.¡±

    ¡°Yep. So she¡¯s involved, somehow, and Ito kept those to make sure she would be nailed if something happened to him¡­ but how?¡±

    ¡°You should interrogate him.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t get anywhere,¡± Nestra said. ¡°He¡¯s simply smoother and a better conversationalist than I am. And I don¡¯t have anything on him. He¡¯ll just send me packing. No, I think it¡¯s time for me to see Kim. I''ll go alone. I don¡¯t think I can get clearance for anybody else.¡±

    ***

    There was someone waiting by Nestra¡¯s roadster. Several someones, in fact. Shinoda¡¯s widow leaned with a ghastly smile in an elegant blue cocktail dress alongside a pair of auged bodyguards who looked like rentals. Nestra barely slowed down because intimidating her was one thing, but what that bitch was doing was unconscionable.

    ¡°Unglue your ass from my passenger door right this instant,¡± she threatened.

    When Shinoda smiled, Nestra used the remote parking AI to move the car forward by ten centimeters before stopping. It was enough to make the woman slip.

    For one instant, her face turned into an expression of devilish rage, features twisted by a burning hatred too intense to make sense. She regained control so fast, anyone slower could have imagined it.

    ¡°Say what you want to say then sod off. I¡¯m busy,¡± Nestra huffed.

    She was ready to leave then and there, even if it meant driving over a bodyguard.

    ¡°I see that you¡¯ve managed to make yourself the empress for a limited time. Five days. That¡¯s all you have to prove that Ito Junpei, your T+3, committed fraud.¡±

    She smiled. It wasn¡¯t nice. Nestra was losing patience.

    ¡°Why are you really here? If it does concern you, it would be wiser for you to hide, no?¡±

    ¡°Because you imply you have a chance of changing something. I¡¯m here for the satisfaction of telling you that you do not. There is a certain order to things that most people understand; yet you have repeatedly failed to do so. Kim also failed to do so. The rule is, when you are at the bottom, you ought to be quiet. If you are not quiet, then you ought to be backed by your betters. If you are not the mouthpiece for a better, then you are the nail that sticks out, yes? I always find it entertaining when a nail is hammered down, and the nail next to it decides to stand out as well. It is as if people like you could not believe they could be slammed down as easily as the rest until it happens. It is like watching a herd of beasts fall off a cliff. You see the warning, yet your mind cannot grasp that the warning is for you, and so you are next. I have come to see you now just as you have begun to stand, and you somehow got a small window that will last only long enough for you to realize how large the world is. How full of bigger, better people. I have come to tell you good luck though it will make no difference. If you do not present proof of fraud in five days, you will be expelled and quite possibly sued. I will return then and see what you have accomplished. I honestly cannot wait.¡±

    ¡°See you there, then,¡± Nestra replied.

    She wasn¡¯t willing to engage. Kim was waiting.

    ¡°I will come to find you. Goodbye.¡±

    The woman left with a graceful walk that didn¡¯t belong in an indoor parking lot but whatever. Nestra checked her car for bugs and explosives just in case. When nothing popped up, she sat on the driver¡¯s seat and replayed the meeting on her visor. She paused the recording just as Shinoda¡¯s face broke into an expression of unbidden fury. She leaned back into her seat.

    ¡°Am I attracting all the female nutcases of the city? Seriously, this is so statistically improbable.¡±

    There weren¡¯t even that many female psychopaths. Maybe it was bad luck. Or her attitude. Probably bad luck.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ***

    This time, Nestra was alone and this time, the Warden granted her access on the spot. His mask tilted to the side.

    ¡°You are a persistent person, Miss Palladian.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    He approached her in the receiving room while her gaze was drawn to the vending machine. She kind of wanted chocolate. It was only just 10AM.

    ¡°There is also something odd about you. I have a very, very good instinct for danger.¡±

    She returned her attention to him, all thoughts of energy bars evaporating. He was suddenly standing very close. Space around her warped in her perception, and the pocket where her real body hid shifted like a ship bobbing on a wave. She could swear he was sniffing her from behind his elaborate mask.

    ¡°Something very curious indeed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m definitely above baseline but I am confident I cannot beat you, if that¡¯s any comfort,¡± she joked.

    And rightly so because he was a B-class, albeit a new one, not to mention he felt like a very experienced fighter to her instincts. His affinities and the home advantage meant she absolutely didn¡¯t stand a chance.

    ¡°And you believe it as well, it seems. Just a warning. Do not try to free Miss Kim.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t, unless it¡¯s done legally.¡±

    ¡°Because,¡± the man continued, ¡°I will kill her myself before I let her escape.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Nestra protested.

    ¡°Red House rule, my dear. No one escapes, one way or another. But enough unpleasantries. I will have one of my colleagues show you the way while I attend to other visitors. Please excuse my absence. Unfortunately, I have other guests ¡ª the temporary kind ¡ª and visiting raiders take priority.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm I don¡¯t mind. Thanks for seeing me.¡±

    He nodded. Nestra was left wondering if perhaps the Warden had something akin to space mana, and if yes, then perhaps he was sensing that something was wrong with her. A larger imprint than she should have, maybe? Riel couldn¡¯t be the only human with a space affinity.

    It was interesting but not immediately relevant, so she followed a drone through thick corridors.

    ¡°Are you the warden¡¯s colleague?¡± Nestra asked the drone as a joke.

    To her surprise, a modulated voice emerged from the machine.

    ¡°Due to security reasons, we do not physically approach visitors, ma¡¯am, but the Warden decided that a human guide would help answer relevant questions.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m honestly surprised it¡¯s not all done by an AI.¡±

    ¡°It was decided during the creation of the Red House to mix human and AI elements, in case users ended up with mana affinities that could defeat programming, somehow. The redundancy allows us not to depend too much on a single set of defenses.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±

    ¡°The Warden also believes that humanity should not be fully stripped out of a prison. Ah, here we are.¡±

    They paused in front of a fortified door that could probably stop a combat walker.

    ¡°Prisoner Kim Soo-Young has been brought here. Since she is considered a low-risk asset, she will not be quarantined. You are not authorized to give her anything.¡±

    ¡°Oh shit I should have brought her a bagel or something,¡± Nestra belatedly realized.

    The drone operator waited a few seconds before continuing.

    ¡°The meeting will last for up to thirty minutes. It will be fully recorded, and its contents can be used in a court of law should a request be made and accepted. Please be aware of safety blah blah blaaaaaah blablabla¡ª¡±

    Nestra barely paid attention to the long list of disclaimers designed to absolve the Red House of any legal responsibility should an eager journalist interrogate a cannibalistic serial killer and stay for dinner, as it were, for example. Nestra wasn¡¯t in any danger here. She was the cannibalistic monster for Riel¡¯s sake.

    ¡°Do you understand?¡± the drone finally repeated.

    ¡°Oh? Yeah yeah.¡±

    ¡°... Very well. I will open the door for you. Knock or just say you are done when you are ready to depart.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Inside, she found a bare room with just a table and two stools designed for maximum discomfort. They were bolted to the ground. Kim was already sitting. She was looking frightful.

    Gone was the confident elite civil servant. In her stead was a tired, broken woman with hunched shoulders and deep pockets under eyes reddened by tears and a deep, crushing despair. Even after seeing Nestra, her expression only went from despondent to surprised, ashamed, then desperate once again.

    Honestly, it was a little bit annoying.

    ¡°Oh no. No no no tell me you didn¡¯t get involved in this.¡±

    ¡°Too late. I have five days to prove you¡¯re innocent, so let¡¯s get started.¡±

    ¡°Aaaaa. AAAAAAAAAAAH.¡±

    Kim gently bumped her head against the desk. She breathed hard.

    ¡°Palladian. Nestra. Nestra Nestra Nestra. You fool. Now we shall both end up here.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t get it.

    ¡°I would really appreciate it if you spent less time treating me like I¡¯m a fucking moron and more time on helping me solve the problem. We have a small window, so unless you fancy looking at paint fade for the next two decades¡­¡±

    ¡°Miss Palladian, this has been a very long week for me. Please give me some time.¡±

    She gulped some water while Nestra checked for messages. Stibbs was moving forward with tracking money transfers. Ito¡¯s financials had also come and from the mook¡¯s analysis, the man was clean. Incredibly so. He even kept receipts for his coffee. His wealth came from a high income and some wise investments. He had been audited every year, apparently, and quite seriously too. That was perhaps why he was so trusted.

    If Ito had stolen money, he¡¯d either stashed it, or used it in a way that couldn¡¯t be detected. Of course, things wouldn¡¯t be that easy¡­

    ¡°Miss Palladian,¡± Kim said. ¡°The truth is that¡­ I do not know what crime Ito is guilty of, exactly.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Nestra said, appalled. ¡°I thought you were onto him and he threw you into the tide?¡±

    ¡°No, the real world is not a vid. I was not ¡®onto¡¯ him, though I did notice he was spending a lot of time out at prestigious functions. The condemnation fell like thunder from cloudless heavens. I was as surprised as you no doubt were.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ then what did he accuse you of? And why target you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m accused of fraud. He claims I sold stocks and options at reduced costs and then, I pocketed the difference. It is a lie, of course, but he doesn¡¯t need to prove I have the money, only that I may have stolen it, and since he is the lead expert for this sort of crime¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm, then it¡¯s back to square one.¡±

    Nestra still shared what she¡¯d found so far, including the connection to Shinoda¡¯s widow.

    ¡°That bitch¡­¡±

    For the first time since seeing her again, something of the old Kim breathed back into the tired woman¡¯s demeanor. Her shoulders straightened. Her gaze, which had been full of hesitation, now burnt with a singular focus.

    ¡°Yes. Ok. I get it. So. Shinoda is a politician and like most politicians, she offers power and asks for money. That is our angle. It is also likely that Ito threw me under the bus for a dual purpose: to please Shinoda¡­¡±

    ¡°Is she really that spiteful?¡±

    ¡°You have no idea. She is infamous city-wide. Her reputation is such that few people dare to cross her outright.¡±

    ¡°But that makes no sense,¡± Nestra protested. ¡°Why would Ito associate himself with a known snake? He seems risk averse, and a control freak to boot. I don¡¯t get it.¡±

    Kim¡¯s mouth opened and closed a few times before she finally managed to enunciate what was on her mind.

    ¡°She is¡­ widely considered to be very attractive.¡±

    Nestra blinked.

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°It is quite possible he has been seduced.¡±

    ¡°Ooooooooh.¡±

    Damn, those unfortunate allosexual people falling for the old honey pot. Sex ruined their judgment, obviously, the poor things. Nestra had to shake her head here. Ito really wasn¡¯t as smart as he thought he was.

    ¡°Moving on, the second reason would be to muddy the waters for similar operations he would have conducted. I can¡¯t get out of here or access confidential information, but here is what you can do¡­¡±

    ***

    ¡°Stibbs, is there a record of the times Ito overrode the monitoring AI?¡±

    ¡°Yes, overrode or reprogrammed. Actually, I can pull it rather easily. Hmmm, those are mostly volatile assets sold at less than the official market value. Why?¡±

    Nestra clenched her fists. This felt like muddying the water.

    ¡°Have any of those sales been made to a third party, rather than on the stock market?¡±

    ¡°Let me check. Hmmm. Yes, quite a few. To various funds.¡±

    ¡°Alright, here is what we¡¯re going to do¡­¡±

    ***

    The rest of the day passed quickly. Shinoda¡¯s finances were surprisingly easy to access considering she was rich, however Threshold¡¯s citizens voted and they valued transparency, so most of it was public record. The rest wasn¡¯t large enough to bother. Like Ito, Shinoda was rich and didn¡¯t spend much thanks to the advantages that came with a public office. An agent of the Integrity Bureau that kept an eye on politicians confirmed she didn¡¯t have piles of money stashed away that they suspected. So if they really had stolen so much, where had it gone?

    ¡°Any info on those third party groups that purchased the volatile assets below market price?¡± Nestra asked.

    ¡°On it!¡±

    By then, it was quite late but Nestra intended to work until midnight, for once. This would be a marathon.

    Just then her visor beeped.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°This is District Twenty-Three¡¯s fire department, ma¡¯am. I¡¯m terribly sorry to inform you that there was a fire at your house.¡±

    ¡°Oh no they wouldn¡¯t,¡± Nestra whispered.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am? Are you alright?¡±

    ***

    Night had fallen over the city, and Nestra contemplated the melted hole where her kitchen used to be. She could see her living room¡¯s couch through the gap of scorched, foam-covered furniture. Even her damn pots had melted.

    Of the oven area, there was nothing left.

    She felt numb.

    ¡°Miss, I gotta ask you something. Sorry, the timing is a bit iffy, but¡­¡±

    She turned her attention to the firefighter, a tall anglo with an impressive eye aug.

    ¡°Yeah. Sorry, distracted.¡±

    ¡°Understandable. So, do you happen to have enemies?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Why?¡±

    ¡°Ok so don¡¯t take it as a court-valid expert opinion, right? But you don¡¯t get this sort of damage without an accelerant. Hell, we had the first drone here in less than a minute, and the truck in five so the damage was fairly contained¡­¡±

    It really was. Nothing had been lost except the kitchen. It was just so¡­ weird.

    ¡°But the way the fire blazed? Look, if it melted your cutlery to puddles like that, it had to be burning off something. I think someone may have started it. I already notified the police.¡±

    ¡°Damn.¡±

    Shinoda was a real piece of work.

    Oh, there was no way it wasn¡¯t her, though Nestra doubted they would find any definite proof. It was more a psychological attack than a real murder attempt anyway, something to distract her while also taking revenge for the slight. It would remind her she wasn¡¯t out of danger just because she was still within her grace period. Nestra wondered what pushed someone to take so many risks just to be that much of an asshole. It wasn¡¯t fear, that was for sure. her arrogance oozed from every pore.

    ¡°Also, sorry to say but the house¡¯s structural integrity is compromised so I¡¯m declaring it a hazardous location. You can¡¯t stay here. It might collapse.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Will you be fine?¡±

    ¡°If you ask if I have a place to stay then yes. If you ask if I¡¯m alright with someone trying to burn down my house, the answer is no. I mean, technically it belongs to my aunt¡­¡±

    ¡°Who should make a police report and insurance claim as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell her. And I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s been my place for so long. I just don''t know.¡±

    Nestra felt like she should feel furious, or violated, yet it was difficult to do so because the house was a lie.

    She would need to deal with this later but damn, did the consequences of her actions come to roost at supersonic speeds.

    She needed a place to stay. Who would she call now? If she tried her mom, Nestra was pretty sure it would lead to some sort of accident ¡ª like Shinoda mysteriously falling on a frozen puddle onto a stack of sharpened metal stakes. With a sigh, she called Sereth.

    That place wasn¡¯t getting burnt down any time soon.

    ***

    The work continued. Nestra mentioned the house incident to her colleagues but otherwise didn¡¯t dwell on it. The local criminal police had taken the case and that was it. Maybe she could let it go because it had never been her den at all, or perhaps it was associated with only one part of her. Nestra decided that after this was done, she would get herself a real cave. The priority was still to corner those two assholes before they put their filthy hands on any more of her belongings.

    It was Stibbs who found the next piece of interest.

    ¡°Shinoda is running for mayor.¡±

    The group paused. Nestra could scarcely believe her eyes.

    ¡°Wait. Is she in the opposition?¡±

    ¡°She is. They¡¯re running primaries in three weeks, and she is a strong contender.¡±

    ¡°This might be related. Politicians need a ton of money to run. That could be it.¡±

    There was a knock on the door. Everyone looked up from their work towards Nestra. A quick check of the security camera revealed a familiar face. She opened it.

    ¡°Detective Baatar?¡±

    The bearded man stood in the alley alongside a group of spooked detectives of various ages. They all looked extremely uncomfortable.

    ¡°Hello, Officer Palladian. Or do you have a temporary title as well?¡±

    ¡°Nope!¡±

    ¡°Well then¡­ I¡¯ll be brief. I heard about your house. I am sorry.¡±

    He introduced the other detectives, who were all members of the Contraband and Property Damage Bureau which handled anything from illegal augs to arson.

    ¡°That¡¯s nice but¡­ what¡¯re you doing here?¡±

    ¡°On the public level, I went to them as a member of the rat squad to inform them that their case and yours might be linked. I think we both know you¡¯re being targeted on purpose. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t have the authority to act as a liaison but it so happens that my boss has been suspended for a couple of days and that gave me some leeway¡­¡±

    He wiggled his brow.

    ¡°And on the personal level?¡± Nestra asked, a bit suspicious about the change of heart.

    ¡°On the personal level, I¡¯ve been a coward and can¡¯t stand myself. My wife also gave me an earful so it is with my family¡¯s blessing that I shall sabotage my career in the name of justice.¡±

    ¡°He is exaggerating,¡± a no-nonsense man said nearby. ¡°Should the good detective be fired for doing his job, we will gladly offer him a transfer. Please let us in and let¡¯s work together, Officer Palladian. We of the CPB don¡¯t like being taken for idiots.¡±

    ¡°It was really sloppy work!¡± a short woman with scarred hands added with a slightly concerning smile.

    ¡°I understand if you want me out,¡± Baatar added. ¡°But at least work with the CPB. They mean business.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding? Welcome aboard.¡±

    ***

    The CPB team worked fast. They fully agreed with Nestra¡¯s opinion that Shinoda could have done it by proxy, and a brief search of the monitoring AI¡¯s records pinged the suspicious death of a political militant, found with a broken neck and traces of accelerant on his fingers. It matched the molecule found in Nestra¡¯s house. Then, it was merely a matter of minutes before the AI found the militant and Shinoda in the same general area, proving a meeting had taken place. It happened near a dingy mall complex really out of the way.

    ¡°Lots of folks think meeting in person is safer than using a phone because calls can be monitored but that¡¯s not the case, especially in Threshold with all the cameras. You¡¯d be surprised at the number of people who realize when someone doesn¡¯t fit,¡± The CPB captain said.

    ¡°Some people don¡¯t talk to the police though,¡± Nestra said.

    ¡°Not about locals, but corrupt rich women? That is a different story.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s still not enough to nail her.¡±

    ¡°Not by itself, but it¡¯s enough to call the Bureau of Integrity.¡±

    Nestra blinked. Was she going to collect more goons? Damn, this wasn¡¯t a squad anymore. It was a TASK FORCE.

    ¡°Can you call me task force leader?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Aw.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯ll call you boss for¡­¡± he checked his visor. ¡°Three days, nineteen hours.¡±

    ¡°Yesss.¡±

    ***

    Over thirty people now labored in the overcrowded emergency response unit. Nestra¡¯s main role was to talk to everybody to get updates and give her credentials when they needed access to something or someone special. It felt weird and fun to walk the cubicles with a cup of cappuccino while people kept her up to speed, and three days into the work, the finance section finally identified who owned the company that had bought the volatile assets at a steep discount.

    A few hours later, the Bureau of Integrity recovered the dead militant¡¯s phone record, and then it was time to decide.

    ¡°We have enough for a solid case, but I¡¯m not confident we can pull it off,¡± the CPB representative said.

    The other team leaders discussed the case for a little while. Most of it went above Nestra¡¯s head since it wasn¡¯t her specialty. It was mostly about case law, what judges had decided before. Unfortunately, Threshold was a recent city with a recent justice system and very few, if any, similar cases. This made the others nervous about their chances.

    Nestra knew that anyone else would already be looking at an interrogation chair and three life sentences in this situation, but arresting an opposition politician was an extremely risky, high-profile decision with plenty of implications so she couldn¡¯t blame them.

    ¡°How about offering Ito a deal?¡± she suggested.

    The others paused to look at her. They¡¯d been focusing solely on Shinoda earlier, mostly because she was the big fish to catch, but Nestra was here for Ito and, by extension, for Kim.

    ¡°He might be confident about the financial stuff but if you add the arson, and considering it¡¯s a conspiracy¡­¡±

    ¡°Then under the Threshold mob law, all participants would be considered guilty of all crimes. Yes, that¡¯s a great idea. Let¡¯s flip him.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s¡± Nestra added with a smile.

    She was so smart!

    ***

    It was the sixth day, and Nestra sat on a park bench below the imposing form of the Beacon waiting for the inevitable. The air smelled crisp and clean with a bit of the nearby Pacific Ocean spicing it with iodine. It was a beautiful, sunny day. The only thing missing was a good meal.

    Shinoda approached her from a long winding path, mostly devoid of runners at this time. The nearby leaves had barely started to turn yellow. Her bodyguards arrayed themselves at some distance while the regally dressed woman sat next to Nestra ¡ª without invitation, of course.

    ¡°Here, I got you something for the trip¡­ if you decide to leave the city, of course,¡± the elegant woman told Nestra in lieu of greetings.

    It was a take away bag from one of Threshold¡¯s most exclusive steak restaurants: the Burning House.

    ¡°Oh, thanks,¡± Nestra replied without anger.

    ¡°It looks like five days have elapsed. You have failed to report a financial crime so I suppose this is it. Ito will be reinstated within minutes. It is all downhill from there, ne?¡±

    Nestra savored the moment as she placed the bag at her feet. Shinoda was so confident. It was a little bit cute. The time had come, however, so Nestra served her her best condescending expression.

    ¡°You are correct that I did not fill out a financial crime report on time. That is because there was no need. You see, I know that Ito overrode the monitoring AI to sell confiscated volatile assets at a steep discount to third party shell companies controlled by you. Those companies then liquidated the assets and pocketed the difference, which they sent to your party. You may have used an intermediary to set them up but that intermediary needs to record the name of the person who authorized the transfer if it¡¯s a donation to a Threshold political entity¡­ like your party. An unfortunate oversight on your part.¡±

    It was really hilarious to watch Shinoda go from cocksure to concerned, then to horrified.

    ¡°So Ito filled your electoral war chest in exchange for¡­ your favor, and future benefits.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that!¡±

    ¡°I do, because he talked.¡±

    Nestra let her smile fully bloom this time.

    ¡°And we have recordings of you going to the same fundraisers and hotels together, which corroborates his story. That would have been enough for the financial crime. Unfortunately for you, committing fraud related to elections in Threshold falls under the purview of the Integrity Bureau¡­¡±

    The way her face fell meant Shinoda knew exactly how deep in it she was. the Integrity Bureau didn¡¯t fuck around. Their usual fare was gleam-related power grabs. By comparison, dealing with Shinoda would be punching down.

    ¡°They were obviously very interested in knowing you donated yourself quite a few million credits in illegal funds, and that would have been it¡­ except you asked someone to burn down my house¡­ and may have had him assassinated later but that case is still ongoing. You were smart enough to contact him via a burner phone, but you see the issue is that his phone was not secured. Kind of pointless to take all those precautions when the other side does not, don¡¯t you think? If you had waited for two weeks before being a petty bitch, then the call recordings would have been erased from the servers, but of course you had to get your revenge immediately. You used a voice modulator but you gave enough detail for him to identify you, and then we have the both of you at the same spot four days ago: in the Europe Spring mall. That means that the Contraband and Property damage Bureau is also involved¡­ and that means you are the head of a conspiracy. Very ambitious of you.¡±

    ¡°You have nothing. You have nothing and you¡¯re bluffing.¡±

    ¡°The funny thing is, if you¡¯d simply laid low, I may not have had the time to find everything I needed before the deadline.¡±

    ¡°I am leaving and you are going to jail.¡±

    Nestra signaled. Groups of men in police uniform including white-clad city gleams moved in from the nearby paths, blocking every access point. Shinoda snarled like a trapped tigress.

    ¡°You are going nowhere except the Red House, and you¡¯re going there for a very, very long time. Don¡¯t worry, Ito is already waiting for you. I suppose this is farewell, Miss Shinoda. I¡¯ve got to say, I really preferred your ex.¡±

    Nestra thought she could use some popcorn to watch her nemesis fall from haughty lady to screaming victim. Her bodyguards hesitated, but not for long. Threshold¡¯s law enforcement was notoriously short on patience, as Nestra knew very well, having been the person with no patience at all. She leaned back comfortably while Shinoda was dragged out.

    ¡°I¡¯m the next mayor! You can¡¯t do this! Help!¡±

    The birds sang, the sun shone, and Nestra had concluded her hunt without even having to change into her true self. What a wonderful time to be alive. She stayed there a good twenty minutes, watching the screaming harridan get shoved into a hover truck, then studying the two despondent bodyguards moving around like lost dobermans wondering what to do with their lives. After five minutes, she opened the food bag.

    It was a salad.

    ¡°That bitch. Joke¡¯s on you, I¡¯ve started to eat more healthily.¡±

    ***

    The morning was bright. Nestra stopped her pink roadster in front of the Red House¡¯s entrance with a smile. She made sure her leather jacket and sunglasses were in position to give her the perfect old-school road bandit look. She resisted the urge to grab her coffee.

    The doors opened right on time.

    Kim came out with a blank hoodie, hands clutching the plastic bag containing her meager belongings. She blinked owlishly in the bright light. Her hair was held in a tight ponytail that revealed her angular features.

    As soon as she spotted Nestra, she hurried towards her.

    ¡°Welcome back from the slammer,¡± Nestra drawled in her best thug voice. ¡°I got ya¡ª¡±

    Kim slammed into her. The shorter woman pushed her head against Nestra¡¯s shoulders with muffled sobs. Nestra awkwardly patted her back for the minute it took for Kim to find her voice again. Oh yeah, maybe the perspective of spending a lifetime behind bars had scared the poor girl so much she wouldn¡¯t appreciate Nestra¡¯s specific kind of humor. She should have guessed.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Kim sniffed so Nestra handed her a clean tissue.

    ¡°I really thought I was done for,¡± Kim confessed. ¡°I thought I was going to spend my life in prison for something I didn¡¯t commit, after everything I¡¯ve done for the city. I thought my life was over. I looked back and I saw no real friends, no lovers, just work and the belief I had made a difference and then it had all turned to ash and¡­ and¡­¡±

    ¡°Shh it¡¯s ok, I get it. I would have been terrified as well. Hey, let¡¯s not stay here. I got you coffee and a bagel. I assume you wanna go home?¡±

    ¡°Home? No. I¡¯m alone there. I want to get out and drink.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s 9 AM.¡±

    ¡°Soju. And barbecue.¡±

    ¡°Aye, now you¡¯re speaking my language. Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ***

    ¡°And you should have seen her face when the Integrity Bureau nabbed her!¡±

    ¡°Uhu.¡±

    ¡°Like she couldn¡¯t believe I did it!¡±

    ¡°Uhu.¡±

    ¡°Second best after Ito¡¯s resigned mug.¡±

    ¡°Uhu. Pass me the sauce please.¡±

    ¡°Here. I¡¯m telling you¡ª¡±

    ***

    ¡°¡ª people keep underestimating my intelligence but see? See? I got them anyway! Hah!¡±

    ¡°Way to show them!¡± Aunt Claire enthusiastically said through her bandages. ¡°Stick it to the man.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. People assume I can¡¯t do shit because I¡¯m a muscle head. Well, who¡¯s laughing now?¡±

    ¡°I always knew you could do it!¡±

    ***

    ¡°Well of course I know I can do it, but do the others? No! It¡¯s always Nestra¡¯s too wild, she doesn¡¯t show respect and so on yadda yadda like I can¡¯t do it. I just can¡¯t stand assholes, is all.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m aware, girl,¡± Stibbs insisted as she grabbed some more coffee. ¡°I was there the whole time.¡±

    ¡°But you see what I mean? It¡¯s not because I¡¯m not the most social bird around that I¡¯m dumb.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯re a battle maniac with no interest in anything else except for food?¡±

    ¡°But it takes intelligence to be good at fighting! Well, a certain form of intelligence, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Should we order cake again?¡±

    ¡°Naturally. Anyway, they will remember the day¡ª¡±

    ***

    ¡°They thought they could underesssstimate me,¡± Crescent told Ragnarok.

    The general was impassive in her chair.

    ¡°I am delighted that you triumphed. I admit that I thought you might have difficulties and I was ready to step in, but you have proven me, and everyone else, wrong. Congratulations.¡±

    ¡°Yessss!¡±

    ¡°And I am going to assume you have been absolutely insufferable over it?¡±

    ¡°...No?¡±

    ¡°Your inflated ego has not compelled you to proclaim your victory to absolutely everyone?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Not even my secretary while you were waiting for me?¡±

    ¡°Errr.¡±

    ¡°Then if everything has returned to normal, I assume you are now free to compensate me for the favor I have provided.¡±

    ¡°Ugggggghhh.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a clear yes.¡±

    ***

    The Threshold Guild Fair took place in a large conference center where the new generation¡¯s best and brightest found out which guild recruited and at what cost. The guilds, conversely, did their best to find high-potential sheep they could shear for years with dubious contracts. Even in this age of flowing information, everyone still preferred that personal touch of awkward handshakes in crowded booths. It was one of the few events where both sides of the recruiting table stressed out. As a result, the air smelled of rancid sweat, deodorant that failed to mask the rancid sweat, fear, shit coffee, and anxiety. There were more moist armpits than empty coffee cups on display and that was saying something. Nestra pushed back the urge to scream.

    Acting as a chaperone for young prospective raiders sucked.

    ¡°Booth 76,¡± a voice in her visor said. ¡°Abusive contract. The Blue Dancers guild is trying to get two recruits into servitude via predatory loans, according to the AI. You are clear to escort them out of the building.¡±

    ¡°On it,¡± she growled.

    At last, she would make someone else suffer for her woes.

 Part 42

    The recruiter smelled the blood in the water. It was that pivotal instant when the fear of the unknown overwhelmed the hope for the future. The young man in front of her didn¡¯t have perfect grades. His track record in the raider exam hadn¡¯t been too good ¡ª half of it because of another outshining him, half of it due to bad luck. He was good but not that good, and the poor performance had sunk his confidence.

    He wasn¡¯t prime raider material but he could be part of the solid core of support that made them shine, and she would be getting it for peanuts. Every A-profile striker needed competent line-holders like him. It would be up to the guild to grow his confidence again.

    ¡°It might not be the best offer you could get here,¡± she said softly, a kind smile conveying her concern.

    She was an aug, but with minimal implants, and they were non invasive. She was beautiful and more mature, a guide, someone harmless yet full of wisdom. He could definitely get a better offer, especially from larger guilds. He wouldn¡¯t do too badly as a freelancer either, but there were already seventeen guilds that had closed applications and it was barely 11AM. He knew it. Time was not on his side.

    ¡°You can always have a look around, it¡¯s just that I can¡¯t guarantee we won¡¯t take someone in the meanwhile.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know, it¡¯s just¡­¡±

    He winced.

    ¡°It¡¯s really not much.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This is just the standard salary scale for someone of your profile. As I said before, our guild offers very competitive raises after only three months¡­¡±

    To A-profile raiders, not him.

    She sat back to let him stew, fiddling with a half-filled coffee cup. She knew she already had him. Some people just needed a moment to digest their own expectations. That was fine. She just wanted him to hurry a little. She needed another support mage at all costs to offset letting that pink-haired girl going to Bright Security instead. The guildmaster would have her head otherwise. Maybe she could get ¡ª

    A commotion outside made her frown. What was going on? The booth was partly soundproof for the calm it offered, so she shouldn¡¯t have been bothered.

    The door slammed open.

    ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± a voice said.

    But the person could. The woman who entered was the most obvious gleam the recruiter had ever seen. She was more than two meters high, the horns on her stylized mask scraping the ceiling while two abyssal eyes glared at her. It was even more impressive because those windows into the void had no iris and yet the recruiter could still tell they were aimed at her. Animalistic instincts told her to run but she silenced them. It wouldn¡¯t help.

    The only reason the recruiter didn¡¯t go into full panic was the Threshold-made bodysuit and the very obvious ID pinned to it. Otherwise, she might have believed this was a monster.

    ¡°Thissss interview is over. The Blue Dancers license is hereby revoked. You will vacate the booth within the next ten minutessss.¡±

    It didn¡¯t sound like a suggestion.

    ¡°What?¡± the young man said.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± the recruiter replied.

    ¡°Hey!¡± the guard interjected.

    The security gleam made for the tall woman¡¯s forearm. The next instant, he was pinned against the wall by the throat. The woman wasn¡¯t even looking at him.

    He was C-class.

    ¡°Asssaulting a law enforcement officer in the line of duty. Misdemeanor. Up to one year in prison. Up to 15,000 credits in fine,¡± she hissed.

    The security guard raised both hands in surrender. She dropped him.

    ¡°Contractual breach: Threshold labor law, section six: a guild may not offer contractual terms that pushes compensation below the city¡¯s Raider Sustainability Index.¡±

    ¡°It does not,¡± the recruiter insisted through her fear. Cold sweat made her shirt clammy. This could cost her her job.

    ¡°Monitoring AI¡¯s checked your terms and the subject¡¯s student debts. The city¡­¡±

    She leaned forward until their eyes were level. It was a vertiginous drop.

    ¡°...disagreessss.¡±

    The giant raider pushed a finger in her chest. It was painful, like being poked with a crowbar.

    ¡°Out. Now.¡±

    ¡°We will object to this arbitrary decision!¡±

    ¡°Feel free. Out. I will not¡­ asssssk again.¡±

    This time, the recruiter knew the stress on ¡®ask¡¯ was intentional. With all the dignity she could muster, she gathered her coat to depart.

    Now she had to call her boss to explain his recruiting team had been chased out of the convention. They might not be allowed inside again. She had nobody to deflect the blame to since it was her project from beginning to end. It might be her looking for a job soon.

    ***

    Back in the room, the giant raider faced the young recruit. He looked a little lost.

    ¡°Those who don¡¯t know their worth are prey,¡± she said. ¡°Raiders are not prey. We are hunterssss.¡±

    The young man breathed deep. He slammed the rest of his coffee, then stood up, grabbing his printed resume back.

    ¡°Well, back to it, I guess.¡±

    ***

    Nestra felt better after having manhandled that low rung goon who thought he could intimidate an agent of the mighty government, and also an Aszhii. The fool! She almost wanted someone to try her for real. She hadn¡¯t pushed anyone through a wall yet, but the day was young. After all, one could not spell defenestrate without Nestra!

    She still kind of wanted a real fight. And she was getting hungry, in the mana hunger kind of way. Just mana food wasn¡¯t cutting it. She needed the real deal. A week without hunting was far too long!

    A whiff of something familiar got her attention. Her eyes widened. She moved through the vapors of mana left by nervous raiders with a lack of control to find a large group of teenagers who looked like they wanted to be anywhere else but here. They walked from booth to booth under the supervision of a gleam teacher with a stern attitude who, incidentally, also looked like she¡¯d rather be anywhere else. Nestra walked by. One of the students spun, revealing Helena¡¯s dark eyes. Nestra winked.

    Helena smiled which made her the class¡¯ only happy person. Nestra wondered what she was doing here. Probably some school outing to impart the importance of good preparation and instill that lingering existential dread the teens might not have gotten from the state of the world so they could contemplate their young adult years of job hunting and shiver in fright. Nestra winced under the mask. It was behind her now, and besides, it had lasted only long enough for her to get accepted in the police academy.

    ¡°Booth 36. A negotiation is getting heated. Can you go have a look?¡±

    Nestra turned and shook her shoulders. Maybe this time she¡¯d get to fight.

    ***

    ¡°SUFFER!¡± Valerian screamed.

    The snail creatures wriggled in agony. Electrical arcs scoured the rocky ground, leaving glassy tracks behind. Nestra waited for the monsters to exhaust their attacks before moving in. She easily sliced through their heads while smaller arcs sought her flesh. It barely even tingled.

    The battle was over in a moment. Valerian breathed hard. It was still difficult for him to cast the spell, though Nestra had to admit that for a control spell at that level, a new one at that, it was remarkably effective. She let Valerian know.

    ¡°Thanks. I think I got it now. It took a while for me to get into the right mindset when casting it so it would work at full power. I mean, the glyphs themselves were easy to arrange.¡±

    ¡°I thought they would be complex?¡±

    ¡°Not really. Pain receptor activation is easy. It¡¯s the pain management side that¡¯s complicated. We¡¯ve had a lot of time to research body magic over the years so we can actually do a lot. You don¡¯t use sigils?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Wow. Free form. Pretty impressive. Soooo¡­¡±

    He waved at the dead thunder snails.

    ¡°Wanna eat those? I know French people do.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the consistency they seek. Otherwise it just tastesssss like garlic butter. The antennae are valuable, and so are the shells. I¡¯ll harvest those and we can sell them.¡±

    ¡°Ok. We should get a porter company to do the harvesting for us.¡±

    ¡°This world is not valuable enough.¡±

    She waved at the cavern they were in.

    ¡°No ore. The water is amazingly pure but nothing Threshold¡¯s filtration can¡¯t achieve. That¡¯s why this repeating world is in low demand.¡±

    ¡°Any specific reason why you picked it?¡±

    Nestra wanted to say electricity resistance but she preferred to keep that one secret.

    ¡°The guardian has a core. I want it.¡±

    ¡°It would be valuable indeed.¡±

    It would mostly be a long overdue snack.

    ¡°There is one more thing,¡± Valerian said. ¡°I¡¯m making tremendous progress recently. My family has noticed.¡±

    Nestra nodded. Honestly, Valerian was a little late considering the family he was in, but perhaps it was related to the fact he hadn¡¯t found his path until recently. The art of progression for raiders wasn¡¯t fully understood yet. It was generally agreed, for example, that in order to progress to C-class and form a physical core, a user had to have unlocked at least one of their affinities and worked hard but as far as how it worked exactly, nobody was sure. Humans grew stronger with time and practice, faster if they raided. The rest varied from person to person. Mana types could play a role. Talent and hard work definitely did. Mankind¡¯s understanding of mana was still in its infancy.

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Congratulations,¡± Nestra said with conviction.

    She was glad to see that other people were progressing fast as well. Helena was the prime example but others were moving forward. She was pretty sure her dad was approaching A-class quickly as well.

    And Sashimi too. She was so big already. More food for Nestra!

    ***

    Nestra remained very proud about her success against Shinoda. She categorically refused to come down from her pedestal for a grand total of four days. By then, some of her so-called friends were trying to drag her down kicking and screaming with completely irrational arguments such as ¡®You already told me¡¯ or ¡®I was there¡¯ or ¡®yes yes okay can we move on¡¯ and some other trite bullshit. Only Sereth showed understanding, and he recounted a few other times he¡¯d outwitted someone without removing his disguise. The way he did it was with little people he¡¯d made out of cookie dough (they ended up very tasty) who played roles that were recognizable from history books. Nestra got the impression Sereth had grown up in some sort of Imperial court with a great number of children, and where competition for survival matched that of the fiercest jungle. Her boasting streak ended when her mom found her in Aunt Claire¡¯s hotel lobby.

    ¡°Mom! I did a thing!¡±

    Nestra was glad she¡¯d found a new person to share her glory, but her hopes were dashed when she saw the face of her mother, and in there, she found only fury.

    ¡°Someone blew up your house? And you didn¡¯t deem it important to tell me?!¡±

    ¡°Uh oh.¡±

    ¡°CLYTEMNESTRA PALLADIAN.¡±

    Nestra¡¯s flight was immediately interrupted. She didn¡¯t really want to run away in the middle of a stunned fancy hall but the prey and small child part of her brain had taken over. Curse her refined instincts.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine! I wasn¡¯t there!¡±

    ¡°An assassination attempt on my child!¡±

    ¡°Intimidation only! I swear it¡¯s fine! I only lost a Home-Chef BaiHua Deluxe cooking robot of the latest model and my knives. And some mana-rich Mexican beans. Dammit.¡±

    ¡°Our homes, burnt! Our territory, violated! My daughter¡­ SILENT!¡±

    ¡°I am so sorry awwww...¡±

    Deborah Palladian was the most angry Nestra had ever seen her. The temperature dropped to freezing and she was handily dragged out to a waiting car.

    The ride home was very awkward.

    ***

    Mom grounded Nestra. It was difficult grounding a mature adult, Nestra thought, but the fact remained that Deborah Palladian didn¡¯t need to be influential, or a powerful raider, or indeed have the law on her side to be obeyed. It was sufficient that Deborah Palladian was Nestra¡¯s mom and quite angry. Fortunately, Nestra found herself between positions at the moment according to her visor.

    It came as an email from Kim herself, along with a personal promise to talk about it over dinner. Essentially, Kim had been unofficially placed in charge of Ito¡¯s position which Nestra gathered was unusual. Standard practice when a department went through a shitstorm was to get a talented outsider ¡ª usually a dedicated problem solver ¡ª to clean house, then get moved after two years. The fact the finance department was a sanctum of hermetic financial knowledge was probably a factor. Sliding the imminent promotion onto Kim¡¯s lap was another. The mayor was up for reelection soon, and though it looked like he would snatch a fourth mandate, this fiasco was best left forgotten. Along with the promotion came a reshuffling of the department. Kim had approved Nestra¡¯s reassignment to Special Affairs under Ilar, not that she had much of a choice. Nestra being part of IA was a temporary assignment anyway.

    Now, Nestra was a special agent! It sounded fancy and it was. The job came with a higher salary as well as a slew of benefits including an interesting clearance. Training would be arranged very soon. In the meanwhile, Nestra had some time she intended to dedicate to raiding. There were three major resistances she hadn¡¯t managed to develop at all yet: sensory, toxins, and cold. Sereth knew and he was looking for a cold portal, but for toxins, Nestra already knew where to go. It would be another illegal raid. The resistance situation led her to a realization, however.

    The Aszhii had no weakness.

    Most monsters could be defeated with specific strategies, or they were specifically sensitive to a type of mana. Not so for her. The only real issue she had was that she was an alien and alone, so she could always be swarmed or identified and tracked down, but otherwise the only way to defeat an Aszhii was to pile on and hope teamwork could defeat incredible martial might and a drive for excellence and constant battle. It was¡­ a daunting prospect. As far as she could tell, Aszhii were loners and possibly eccentric as well, if Sereth was any indication. What happened if they got pissed off though, as a species? If they could create their own passages as Sereth claimed, did it mean no place was safe from an Aszhii war party?

    What if they found Earth worth playing with? A team of Aszhii could land and kill every A-class raider on the planet as a threat before leaving, rendering mankind bereft of its best fighters.

    She had to learn more about the Aszhii. Right now, the only people she cared about were all on Earth so seeing the place thrashed didn¡¯t sound appealing at all.

    ¡°Nestraaaaa!¡±

    Helena rushed in the room with a mischievous smile.

    ¡°Come to see the prisoner?¡± Nestra drawled in her best bandit queen voice.

    ¡°Mother has come to inform you that dinner shall be ready forthwith, and that father has prepared his best Tajine.¡±

    ¡°Oooh! And speaking of slow cooking, how was the job circus?¡±

    ¡°Meh!¡±

    Helena shrugged.

    ¡°Not wired?¡±

    ¡°We just say limp. It¡¯s mostly for people who don¡¯t have connections yet. Or to scare us, maybe? I don¡¯t need to worry too much about it but it¡¯s good to make contact with other guilds anyway. What were you doing there?¡±

    ¡°I was a glorified bouncer. It was heaps of fun. I got to escort two guilds to the door for shitty contracts.¡±

    ¡°Outrageous. I wish I could have seen it.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s school otherwise?¡±

    ¡°Good! I got a lot more popular since people figured out I¡¯m an absolute beast in the portal worlds. Like no shit, I don¡¯t have to hold back in there so what did they expect? I still can remember the team looking in awe when I dismembered our first guardian. Hah!¡±

    Nestra nodded. Helena looked better. Now that her chronic pain was managed, she¡¯d filled out a bit too since her appetite had recovered.

    ¡°I think one of my teachers kind of guessed this wasn¡¯t my first time, but with our family, it could have been anyone bringing me as an extra for a low level raid. Anyways. We sneaky raiding more?¡±

    ¡°Actually, Crescent is legit now so I can just legally raid a place and secretly bring you. I think it¡¯s possible. I¡¯m going to ask my boss. She knows who I am¡­¡±

    ¡°What? Really? Are you in danger?¡± Helena erupted, alarmed.

    ¡°Hey, she doesn¡¯t know what I am. She thinks I¡¯m some kind of secret gleam that uses transformation powers.¡±

    ¡°Oh, oh good¡­¡± Helena said.

    Nestra could tell she had more to say, but Helena was hesitating.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°So¡­ could you tell mom and dad?¡±

    ¡°Helena¡­¡±

    ¡°Why not? We could raid like a family! Brother dear could even get off your ass!¡±

    ¡°Ragnarok doesn¡¯t know what I am, probably because she¡¯s not aware gray demons are a thing¡­¡±

    Nestra moved forward to explain. It was a bit complicated.

    ¡°Ragnarok hasn¡¯t seen me without a mask. People who don¡¯t know me haven¡¯t seen my skin, because if they do, and if one of them has access to the Pandora database, they can figure out what I am. I¡¯m already taking huge risks having so many people aware of my identity. The only reason knowledge about the gray demons isn¡¯t more spread is because the thought of having a monster randomly showing up in portal worlds and thrashing the world¡¯s best team is not just scary: we, I mean, humans can¡¯t do shit about it. I can¡¯t take the risk, Helena. I can¡¯t have mom figure it out. They¡¯re first gen. Just imagine¡­¡±

    ¡°Yea¡­ yeah, ok.¡±

    ¡°Maybe when I¡¯m strong enough to leave the planet. I¡¯ll tell them before I go.¡±

    ¡°But then it will be too late! Also you¡¯re leaving? When?¡±

    ¡°Not any time soon you little twerp, relax. And I¡¯ll return. I care about all of you.¡±

    ¡°Fiiiiine.¡±

    Mom picked this moment to ask them why they were still out. Nestra didn¡¯t have the heart to tell Helena that with void mana eating her, Nestra had to find a way to save her. Even if it meant sharing her precious Kero Nuts.

    ***

    With her boasting spree doused, the next important item on Nestra¡¯s list was to find a new home.

    There wasn¡¯t any real problem with the previous one. It was just that her lack of outrage at its partial destruction only went to show she didn¡¯t care about the place that much, and now that she¡¯d figured it out, it bothered her on a fundamental level. Aunt Claire owned the place. She¡¯d left it for Nestra to use as a favor, and Nestra was so buried in her pain and resentment that she¡¯d never really asked herself what she wanted from life. The home was a place to sleep and hide in, and her stuff was there, but it wasn¡¯t hers. Not in the visceral way she now realized she wanted.

    Also, she could afford it. Crescent money plus the settlement meant she could at least get a down payment for an okay place. A call with Aunt Claire sorted everything out.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, dearie. I needed a break anyway. Renovating that posh den will provide a nice distraction. Hell, I might keep it for myself after all. I¡¯m getting tired of sleeping in the compound.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you spend so much time at hotels?¡± Nestra asked. ¡°Finding the presence of the others a bit stifling?¡±

    ¡°No, I just love to have sex in a luxurious setting.¡±

    ¡°Forget I asked.¡±

    The thing was, when Nestra thought about her ideal spot, the only thing she could think of was Sereth¡¯s place.

    It was weird, but it made her feel¡­ at home. Cozy. The very tall ceiling, the open space, yet all of this secure in a single contained domain just resonated with her on a fundamental level. Luckily, she knew how to get it and not just easily, but at rock bottom prices too. The city also didn¡¯t care where people lived so long as it was up to norms.

    She bought a warehouse slightly out of the way for roughly 120,000 credits. It was slightly smaller than Sereth¡¯s own. The lack of large drone bays and the distance from major transport hubs made the place undesirable. The real estate company didn¡¯t even bother to check her profile; they were just delighted to see that asset go. Threshold¡¯s population was still converging into arcologies with the birth rate too low to compensate for now, so the edge of the city remained cheap. Once this was done, Nestra dished out another fifty thousand credits for renovation and security, plus a little bit more for furniture. It took two weeks to finish everything, mostly the security aspect. Threshold companies worked fast. Corpo competition meant that productivity and efficiency were pushed to the max.

    Nestra had a security console and a host of sensors and alarm systems on the outside. On the inside, there were no cameras for obvious reasons but there was a last defensive measure. On top of that, she got cleaning bots and a sound-activated reactive AI. The kitchen and bathroom covered the back side of the warehouse. She had her resting and storage space on the right, couches and her coffee machine on the left, and the front had workout equipment as well as an armory. Having piled on all of her belongings, Nestra decided that she needed something more: some decorations. The place lacked some life.

    It took her a long time browsing the internet to find something suitable: wall panels with vines growing on them. The good thing was that they barely required anything, so she could leave them for days and nothing would happen. The bad thing was that they required sunlight to survive, but that was easily fixed with special lighting.

    Add a few swords and her weapon lockers and there, she was done. The warehouse was vast and a little empty but that just made her feel more relaxed. It was well lit. There were vine paths crawling to the ceiling. She had her food and weapons and quite a few pillows as well. There was a TV if she didn¡¯t want to use her visor. There was a reading alcove. All that she liked doing alone was there.

    Sereth was the first to be invited. She wasn¡¯t sure why she¡¯d picked him. Probably because she wanted an Aszhii opinion. It was obviously a strong opinion because he froze in the doorway.

    Nestra waited, then waited as his gaze went to the vines. He smiled wistfully.

    ¡°Seth?¡±

    ¡°It is nothing. Just¡­ impressive. The vines are a very nice touch. How did you get them?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll send you a link. Is everything alright? Is there a problem with my place?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. Very cozy, I like it. You will understand my feelings much later. If you were looking for my approval, you have it. This is a very nice den.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°I have to ask though, what is that strange robot on the pillar in the center? What a strange dome and is that¡­ a gun?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Gorge found it for me! It¡¯s a decommissioned navy point defense robot.¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡±

    ¡°So I can use my visor and the external cameras to fire at intruders really quickly, either inside or outside! It can aim well and pierce through walls. It would even give a B-class pause. The theoretical range is 2km, easy, but I reckon it won¡¯t get through more than two other warehouses before getting stopped.¡±

    ¡°You have a naval gun in your living room?¡±

    ¡°Well no it was performance locked for civilian use so the rate of fire is only 600 20mm tungsten rounds per minute but hey, anything it can¡¯t pulp would probably be something I can¡¯t stop anyway. I think I can chew through a combat walker, at least.¡±

    Seth kept quiet for a little while, which was frustrating because Nestra¡¯s chicken soup was done and she wanted him to sit down at her table.

    ¡°I wonder if all human-born Aszhii will be like you.¡±

    ¡°That didn¡¯t sound like a compliment. No soup for you.¡±

    ¡°I recant.¡±

    ***

    Nestra entered her mind palace for the first time in a while. The main hall still looked like a castle¡¯s reception room but it was darker in a more soothing way, with a high lunar light descending on the pedestal where her human core ought to be. It remained desperately empty. She made for the planetarium.

    Where once there were a few small orbs, now globes as large as she was danced an intricate waltz around the ignited sun of her true core, over the lake of her mana reserves. They¡¯d all grown tremendously since she¡¯d last been here, yet she still remained at the lower end of her class, or at least that is the impression she got. That was fine for now since she needed some time to get used to her progress. Her priorities lie elsewhere.

    The tethers between the orbs were ethereal bonds that represented her innate Aszhii abilities. She didn¡¯t think that she had the power to add more yet. She still had momentum to teleport, precision to strike true, passe-muraille to go through walls, immovable to block blows, and danger sense. Her picks were that of a warrior and infiltrator, or maybe even an assassin though she wasn¡¯t that. The fact it took so long to develop those tethers made her wonder exactly how much those early choices determined how an Aszhii would grow. She didn¡¯t regret her path. It was mere curiosity.

    Maybe Sereth could tell her more.

    Nestra left that room without worry. She had just gotten to C-rank. There was no rush since she was merely discovering some of her abilities. The false cores were next, one for electricity, one for shadows. The shadow one remained atrophic despite her best efforts which wasn¡¯t unexpected. Interestingly, the electricity core looked like a pulsating steel ball bearing scoured by sparks while the shadow core was a slightly tattered yarn ball made of a material that swallowed the light. She wondered if she would get the third soon.

    The final room was that of resistances, and there were a lot more now, with room for more exotic expansions at the back. Nestra¡¯s mind showed them as shields and armor sets. Shields were for elemental mana resistance, and armor represented physical resistance. The bone and blunt damage armor was pretty elaborate in an old knight sort of way, but scale armor representing her skin was basic and the sensory armor, a helmet, remained minimal. Those would need some work. The electricity and heat shields hung on the wall like mighty slabs, one showing plasma arcs and the other glowing softly red. Interestingly, there were no radiation or mental mana shields and there would never be, according to Sereth. The reason was that radiation fed the Aszhii. Even flossing with uranium wouldn¡¯t do anything to her. As for the mental resistance, the Aszhii mind apparently read very alien to those rare users who worked with their brains, or at least they did when the mask came down. Sereth had indicated it was almost always fatal.

    Nestra remembered how her Skin broke geometry every time it fed. If that could make people uncomfortable, then a deep dive in an Aszhii mind might make things considerably worse.

    Nestra thought it was weird. She felt perfectly normal, so why would touching her mind cause anguish? She was a very relaxed person.

    Sereth¡¯s revelation hinted that humans also had mental users, yet Nestra had never heard of them. That meant they were either extraordinarily rare or government-controlled. Or controlling the government. Now that was a thought.

    Nah Shinran would never tolerate it. But maybe in some smaller enclaves¡­

    Nestra recentered, and her mind focused on the greenish shield dripping with violet liquid. Very clear image. This was her resistance to toxins and it was garbage, which she was going to remedy next.

    A part of her felt under pressure. She absolutely needed to get stronger just in case something happened, maybe not her identity revealed but Helena getting into trouble or something that would require more strength than just that of a C-class. It was bound to happen at some point. Another part remembered that she¡¯d only be a user for a bit over three months? Fuck, time had gone by fast and she¡¯d done so much, always feeling under pressure. Her need to grow strong quickly conflicted with her desire to explore everything, fight everything, taste everything. It was frustrating.

    Well, at least she could start with toxins.

    ***

    Giant ants congregated over the fallen form of a scout. Its powerful pheromones screamed at them that there was an intruder to kill, something that they needed to hunt. The trail led deeper under the thick canopy of the primeval forest, below massive boughs covered in creeping vines and colorful fruits. Smaller insects skittered when they moved through, the only sound that of scraping legs.

    A shadow fell among them.

    The foe was fast, and it killed a warrior on the spot. The rest of the group converged on the invader, but it slipped away from them. The ants were not very inventive in the way they fought: corner, bite, overwhelm. They were, however, very good at working together. The foe was equally good at fighting groups. One by one and once with a burst of electricity, the intruder dispatched all of the warriors as they faced it, and the acid spitter as they tried to get some ground. There were no wounded ants left behind to spread the smell of an enemy, because it left nothing alive. Once it was done killing them the outsider used a clean wipe to remove ichor from its blade, then it was gone, and so was the scent. An instant later, a small vial shattered near the pile of corpses, spreading a sickeningly strong stench of peppermint.

    The next patrol didn¡¯t fare much better.

    She was learning.

 Part 43

    Nestra reveled in the slaughter. She tore through soldier ants while they were stuck maneuvering to box her in. She knew how they fought. If the foe was fast, they would first try to position themselves better to come on from all directions. She knew it, and played with it, but they didn¡¯t. They couldn¡¯t learn. They lacked the reason that made fights with Fox Mask so fun. It was the second patrol now that didn¡¯t require her to use momentum because they were just that predictable. The next acid ant aborted its attack rather than hitting its comrade, which let Nestra close in for the kill. She dodged the charge of a bulldozer ant before striking its abdomen. Blueish lymph exploded from the wound.

    She wasn¡¯t sure what to call those. They were the size of a minibus and armored at the front. Charger ants? Siege ants? Brute ants? Maybe charger ant was okay. She dodged its awkward mandible strike as she killed the last two warriors. Chargers really struggled with lateral attacks.

    She dropped under another strike, then jumped on the beast''s head. A downward execution destroyed its brain.

    It fell dead with a loud thud. Once again, victory was hers. It wasn¡¯t a very good one but that was fine. Delayed gratification!

    ¡°Now where was that scout?¡±

    The deep jungle of Varang guild¡¯s portal world buzzed with activity. The smells were all over the place, but at least the stifling heat didn¡¯t bother her at all anymore. She batted a large red wasp to focus on her quest.

    She needed herself some of that stinky pheromone for her master plan.

    ***

    The hive was under attack. The ants knew it because of the many trails carrying the scent of alarm. Scents were their speech, and the words carried by many trails spoke of death. Many deaths. A few subtle touches spoke of a bipedal intruder with a very sharp tooth, who wielded magic. Other details were scarce.

    Like a single entity, the ants left their tunnels to wage war upon the invaders. They gathered in legions of warriors protecting squads of acid throwers, in turn supporting mighty chargers. Their paths carried them out of the dense forest and into the ancient section, where the sun could almost be seen above the giant boughs of ancient trees. The light gained a grayish quality. Sometimes, the bark of those titanic trunks bore deep claw marks.

    Still, the stench of scout hemolymph nudged them forward. Eventually, they came across a strange shape covered in thick air. Snores made the ground vibrate. It was huge, several times as high as a large charger while still lying on its side. Humans knew that creature as Deathpaw, one of the city¡¯s deadliest sub-guardians.

    The pheromones led here.

    The ants attacked.

    ***

    Nestra watched the battle unfold from her hiding spot far above ground. Chargers managed to catch the massive owl bear creature in the small of the back, and the cataclysmic shock made her think it might have been rendered paralyzed. It was not. The creature, though in pain, bounced to its feet. With a roar of fury that could be heard across the portal world, it lay into its attackers. Limbs flew. White ichor covered the ground as the creature carved a path of devastation across the open ground.

    Nestra wasn¡¯t getting any energy despite being the instigator here. That was fine. She¡¯d been maxed out after the fourth patrol anyway, though interestingly, each ant subspecies had brought something different. Awareness for the scouts, acid resistance for the acid ants, power and physical resistance for the chargers, all of the ants also provided some measure of toxin resistance as she¡¯d been expecting. This part of the jungle had a lot of poisonous stuff in so she¡¯d been hoping they were poison related. If not, she would have just looked for another species.

    But not the whip scorpion. Fuck that thing. Ambushes were fine, but throwing its babies at her face? Gross. Rude. They weren¡¯t even cooked yet.

    Speaking of sub-guardians, the owl bear was absolutely wrecking the ant army. Nestra judged it was a very weak B-class, yet even covered in foes and bleeding through its resilient fur, she knew it could just squish her down with a hand. She wasn¡¯t fast enough to reliably avoid it yet.

    It was kind of exciting. She really wanted to kill it, though she was taking a big risk sneaking into portals nowadays. She would return here though, one day. Maybe even legally if the guild accepted. They tended to be very protective of their portals, but it was the second time in a row both of those sub guardians had been ignored. Maybe there was a possibility here.

    Nestra turned and raced towards the nest. She already had her target for this raid.

    ***

    Finding the nest wasn¡¯t that hard considering it was a massive earth mound in the middle of a gap in the forest, all the nearby trees having been reduced to dry, mangled trunks. The sky above was blue-gray. Its strong light had baked the packed earth into a cracked mountain covered in strange excretions. It was half a daunting, gothic citadel and half a huge pile of shit.

    Now to get inside. From her vantage point near a ruined branch, Nestra could spot several monumental entrances even now swarming with workers and various combat models. If the entrance portal was south west of this here and the exit far to the east, then the anthill¡¯s main entrance aimed south while the eastern gates saw the most activity, as that was the direction of the owl bear¡¯s lair.

    Meanwhile, the north and western sides had much less traffic and Nestra knew why: that was where the boundaries of the world made foraging more difficult. Maybe. She wasn¡¯t sure about portal ant ecology. In any case, that was as good an entrance path as any.

    Nestra cloaked herself in shadows, her Skin growing a diaphanous cloak to blur her form. It would help but not much. Ants relied too much on their sense of smell. According to manuals she¡¯d found online, there were only two ways to assault a hive: the turtle mode with an earth mage as support, or the sudden strike option. That was practically Nestra¡¯s middle name. Nestra Sudden Strike Palladian, the top-level financial auditor and ant hunter extraordinaire.

    Very pleased with herself, Nestra slowly moved across the clearing, making sure to stay high to avoid being spotted. She progressively moved lower across desolate branches. Fortunately, the ants didn¡¯t seem to have good eyes, or at least they didn¡¯t react to her presence. They lacked flying predators, for sure, or they¡¯d be more careful.

    Nestra found the entrance she wanted. Even though the traffic was as slow as it would get, there was still a regular stream of creatures heading in and out, carrying anything from fruit and carcasses to large leaves. This was it. As good a spot as any.

    Nestra jumped. She hit the dirt at a dead sprint, pushing forward past the stream of workers. Most of them seemed to ignore her but she didn¡¯t stay to check. This world¡¯s sun beat on her back like a physical weight until she dove into the cavern. Immediately, darkness returned, and the air smelled of the pungent musk of ants rather than dry dust. The walls were wet dirt covered in secretions that adhered to it like glue, solidifying into an organic mortar. It was mildly disgusting. She didn¡¯t slow down. There were warriors in the next chamber, but she was past them before they could react, down a path that led down.

    She just kept running. Eventually, there was some sort of alarm with workers scrambling here and there, but by then she¡¯d found what she was looking for: an egg.

    A large, bacille-shaped transparent orb as large as her arm. A shadow rested in its crystalline depths. It was carried by a worker emerging from a downward tunnel. This was it: the grand prize of her resistance-grinding expedition.

    The path to the queen.

    Nestra rushed ahead. The tunnel she was following descended in a slow spiral into the bowels of this world. It was narrow enough that she only came across workers and the odd surprised warrior, but soon a new problem emerged: a green mist that covered everything. It left a sour film on her tongue. Strangely, the shadows seem to grow deeper. Her stomach lurched.

    Poison, for sure. She soon came across a chamber filled with workers waving their abdomen in the air. A greenish liquid emerged from a gland situated near the butt. What an interesting defense mechanism! Wouldn¡¯t help them, though, Nestra thought as she blitzed past the gathering and into the deeper tunnels. It was completely dark now, but that wasn¡¯t an issue for her. Narrow paths meant that larger specimens like the chargers couldn¡¯t get in. She only stopped when she came across a butt.

    A large butt.

    Technically on ants, it was called an abdomen but whatever. That butt was glowing and pointing in her direction. It was also so large it covered almost the entire tunnel. She ran back just as the thing lit up like a Christmas tree, all in greens and reds.

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    With a massive pop, the ant sprayed the tunnel with incandescent goo for several meters. A wave of intense heat washed over Nestra, who rolled and stayed near the ground. The hot wind and an acrid stench washed over her. Her eyes teared up.

    Then she was back again. The heat was nothing, really, and her body actively fought the toxins. It made her a little nauseous though, so it was time to get this thing moving. Nestra jumped between puddles of foul-smelling liquid before using momentum, reappearing beyond the blockade.

    The body of the ant was rather small. She killed it with one blow, feeling a fresh influx of power fill her. Toxin resistance and sensory resistance. A very nice haul. She kept going.

    Raiding high C-class worlds was amazing! She wished she could bring Helena here so they could fight back to back against the horde, collecting power and possibly large cores as prizes. Another bombardier ant met the same fate as the previous one, though this time, Nestra didn¡¯t wait for it to fire. She used momentum to move past it before delivering another swift death.. Her steps carried her deeper and deeper, past panicked workers carrying eggs to branching paths. She was on the right track! Excitement filled her chest. This was it. Many of the defenders had been driven away thanks to the lure, and now she was going to kill another powerful sub-guardian. A near or at B-class creature that would make her stronger. This was the life.

    The tunnel widened so she slowed down and coated herself in shadows. It opened onto a massive, artificial cavern of packed earth. Bioluminescent mushrooms bathed the large space in a deep blue glow. Workers clung to the walls and ceiling, moving food in and carrying eggs out. The hatchery; finally.

    The queen occupied a large section of the room. Her abdomen was a large, distended white sack of grotesque proportions plopped like a fat pillow but the thorax and head were more menacing. Tendrils emerged from the back of her skull, an indication of mental power. It was pretty rare around here. It was also useless against her. Truly a good matchup.

    Unfortunately, the queen¡¯s compound eyes immediately landed on her. She wasn¡¯t fooled by the shadows. That was okay. Her bodyguards looked interesting. They were black, thin, and upright on their four hind legs with scythe-like extensions instead of forearms. There were three of them.

    They charged her on the spot. They were pretty fast too.

    ¡°Hah! A challenge!¡± she said in Aszhii.

    Nestra blocked the first one. The shock of the blades made her drift back in a shower of dirt. Strong! A wave of something crossed the cavern then. It felt like someone was screaming inside of her head. The bodyguard stopped moving.

    Nestra beheaded it. The other creatures had stopped moving as well, if only for an instant. She¡¯d most likely been targeted by a psychic attack. The queen screeched in rage. Did she expect Nestra to be debilitated by mind magic?

    ¡°If yes, you¡¯ll have to do better.¡±

    She was catapulted against the wall by an invisible force.

    ¡°Ooof!¡±

    Her back smashed against hardened earth with a resounding smack. The power was so intense it crushed her in. She couldn¡¯t breathe.

    Then the queen¡¯s psychokinesis released her. She dropped down.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Nestra wheezed.

    The two other bodyguards charged her. They relied on their speed to try and catch her in a hail of blades. She had to avoid them and counter with violent blows in order to not to be caught by their speed. It was fun! Well, fun for a little while but it was clear they weren¡¯t really fencing with her. Instead, they were using one of three patterns they could perform very fast at random. It was a familiar technique for primitive creatures. Kinda boring.

    The air shook in front of her. Nestra used immovable to dig in, the wave of energy failed to pin her to the wall this time. She pointed her fingers at an attacking guard, triggering a void bolt.

    The dot of potential energy was swallowed, or rather, dispersed until it was nullified. Magic resistance? Huh. The air shook with another mental screech.

    Nestra infused herself with void electricity. Her brief burst of speed let her back one of the bodyguards into a corner while the other made for her back. She released the electricity just as it tried to strike, paralyzing it. Not negation then, more an ability to avoid directed spells? The brief opening was all she needed to cut a second bodyguard in two. Not super resilient, those.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    The third managed to slice her calf, using the strike as an opening. Nestra retreated with a hiss of pain. Smothering the bodyguard¡¯s head with shadows did nothing. Not reliant on sight? Interesting. Now that it was alone, though, she fought it fairly a little more. She was interested in the patterns. Blocking those ultra fast strikes by remembering them herself and countering afterward was thrilling. Soon, the last one¡¯s carapace showed several gashes leaking blue hemolymph. As it started pattern three again, Nestra countered,severing both forearms in one, masterful stroke.

    The thing tried to bite her. She punched it by reflex. Hah! A wide strike later, and it was cut in two. Just in time to be sent tumbling by another mental attack.

    Nestra stood back up under the murderous glare of the queen.

    ¡°What next?¡± she goaded.

    The sybillant Aszhii words resounded over the quiet cavern, and now Nestra could hear a deep rumble. It was coming from, well¡­

    Everywhere.

    ¡°Uh oh.¡±

    A torrent of flesh and chitin burst out from every tunnel. Workers. Warriors. Spitters. Chargers. Even those weird bombardiers. Every ant variant flooded the cavern, going straight for her. The tapestry of squirming flesh was so dense she couldn¡¯t even see the queen anymore.

    ¡°Right.¡±

    Nestra legged it the way she¡¯d come. A bolt killed a charger blocking her path, then she bounced from side to side to avoid others as they smashed across the cavern, uncaring of anything in their way. The carnage was absolutely wild.

    Some of the workers tried to stop her by grabbing a limb and pulling to allow larger things to take a bite but it was easy to twist and send them crashing against other insects instead. Nestra used momentum to cross the last few meters and then it was a complex dance to carve through weak specimens while watching her back. Nestra fought like a whirlwind, each strike killing or maiming C-class monsters, leaving behind mangled corpses. Ahead, a bombardier killed a dozen workers to block her path. She dodged the initial spray then pushed through the acid-covered path. Her Skin let her know its displeasure by wriggling a bit.

    She was where she wanted to be anyway. Nestra activated pass-muraille. Her body slipped through the walls of the tunnel down and back into the queen¡¯s chamber.

    Right on top of the queen.

    As before, the beast felt her. Nestra was smashed against the ceiling, but the furious attack also squished all the warriors and workers around her.

    But that left the acid ants. Terror spiked in Nestra¡¯s mind when the dangerous liquid arched through the air. It, too, was subjected to gravity, however, and it immediately sprayed the edges of the attack¡¯s area of effect, hissing against the carapaces of the trapped ants. A void bolt was dispersed as well. They were in a stalemate.

    Nestra struggled against the queen¡¯s will. She peered into those beady compound eyes with delight. The queen would tire soon. She couldn¡¯t keep that sort of pressure forever, and then¡­ even the mass of workers and warriors crawling over her form wouldn¡¯t save her.

    Sashimi picked that moment to portal in and bite one of the queen¡¯s brain tendrils off.

    ¡°Sashimi!¡±

    For once, Nestra was actually pleased to see the backup steak larder swimming through the eddies of reality. Good timing!

    The queen¡¯s surprise and pain sent the ants into a frenzy. They started attacking everything, including each other and, curiously, the queen who seemed disabled by the unexpected blow. Nestra fell on top of the beast. It took only one strike to carve the head in two. Power filled her, that of a sub-guardian.

    It was extraordinary. Nestra felt her mana control grow more refined from killing a magic-using monster. An excellent pick.

    Now for the celebratory meal.

    The ants turned on each other in an orgy of violence. Nestra enjoyed the following chaos, picking the most dangerous ones as targets while dodging the others. As for Sashimi, she hovered mid-air to take bites off the nutritious egg sac. The glutton.

    Soon, it was finished. Nestra returned to the queen¡¯s body, finding a core in its thorax. It tasted like nutty meat and ¡®having a good idea¡¯ which was a weird and exotic experience.

    Sashimi floated away. She¡¯d grown even further! She was definitely C-class now, and leaner than before. Nestra felt like being lean was her more natural shape but every time she returned back to the void, she was so full that it turned her predatory grace into a chonky waddle. Not that Nestra could blame her. It wasn¡¯t nice to waste food.

    Nestra decided to pick a chunk of a bodyguard¡¯s back leg. Those would be nice cooked like crab, she was sure. She¡¯d gotten food, improved speed and the resistance she wanted, as well as a few other benefits. All in all, an excellent raid. Now it was time to go back and celebrate.

    Sashimi stayed. She was just getting started.

    ***

    There were human patrols at the southern edge of the ant¡¯s territory, near the entrance portal. They were checking the corpses of the ants. Those, Nestra hadn¡¯t killed. They¡¯d torn into each other with feral voracity.

    Nestra didn¡¯t have her visor on her, so she wasn¡¯t sure what they were saying. Her Chinese was rudimentary at best. Maybe she should take language lessons instead of relying on translation software. She picked up the words for ¡®cannot be¡¯ and ¡®queen¡¯. As she moved around them in the thick brambles of the deep jungle, she heard them call base.

    Hmmm yeah, so obviously they would find out someone had killed the guardian soon enough. Fortunately, void mana dispersed very quickly so there shouldn¡¯t be signs that would identify her in person, but the wounds on the queen and its bodyguards would show the use of a blade, then it would only be a matter of time before someone came for her. Not good. Nestra was about to leg it to the portal when she spotted something weird: the wind had picked up. Air mana increased. Around her, the leaves fluttered.

    Trees and branches creaked in the distance. She heard a faraway howl.

    She remembered the leader of tonight¡¯s expedition: Varang guild¡¯s Yunlong, a B-class wind specialist.

    Really not good.

    Nestra threw all cautions to the metaphorical winds. Yunlong was a close quarter combat specialist, a striker. His style was close to hers. He was by no means a mage but he was a B-class and a B-class could do anything. Worse though, wind specialists often had fantastic perception. The wind somehow found her. It blew in her hair, whistled between her horns. She could hear it whisper in the air. Her intuition chimed in alarm. Something was looking for her, something diffuse yet unshakeable. Her speed redoubled. The light breeze intensified.

    In the distance, wild animals screamed.

    She couldn¡¯t get to the portal in time. The high gleam was tracking her and there was no way in hell she could outrun him. He couldn¡¯t find her yet, but if her memories were correct, wind specialists sense and track their targets by following the breeze. She had to hide, but where? The wind knew her now. It wouldn¡¯t let go. She had to trick it. Passe-Muraille? Maybe, but the wind covered a wide area. She needed a cavern. That might work. Maybe a burrow?

    Nestra rushed. Thick leaves and shiny lightbugs didn¡¯t stop the wind hounding her. She crashed to ground level and kept going. She was getting away from the ant territory by now. Was it good? Was it bad? Fear needled her. If that B-class caught her, she was in a world of trouble. He might even just plain kill her! The longer this lasted and the closer he would get, and not even void mana¡¯s elusive nature would save her.

    She stopped by the remains of an ant patrol. One of them had its entire carapace peeled off, revealing the flesh underneath. There was a very small spot between it and a dead charger.

    She suddenly had an insane idea. If the wind could vaguely follow her shape and mana, then¡­

    Insane but¡­

    Nestra grabbed the carapace, set it as a door and then put her Mask on.

    Human Nestra was in the portal world for the first time in her life. Warm, pungent air filled air lungs, making her want to gag. The stench was abominable. It was as hot as a damn sauna and nowhere near as pleasant. Sweat immediately covered her skin. Dirt stained her city clothes, and the sounds of the jungle turned into a warbled mess. She could see nothing but a tiny spot of tree beyond the carapace. Her hidey hole was a foreboding dark.

    The wind died down. The leaves stopped shivering.

    She stayed there.

    Nothing moved. It was so damn hot but to be found now would be the end of her. At some point, she thought she might have heard footsteps, but that might have been her imagination.

    She slapped a millipede away from her face. Damn it. The longer she stayed and the more likely scavengers would come for a feast. A portal world of this complexity definitely had a whole ecosystem. She had to stay put. The portal was far from being clear. The B-class would likely go back to completing it. How long would it take? She had no idea.

    She stayed still. Soon, she was soaked in sweat. Thirsty too.

    After what felt like hours, she switched back to her true form. The world returned to normal around her. She immediately cloaked herself in shadows before moving on, then up a tree. Higher she went, to the upper layer of the forest where the intense light made the animals rarer. Nothing seemed to be coming at her.

    She made for the entrance portal. As soon as she was in range, she slipped back into the real world, appearing inside of a cubicle. It was deserted at this time.

    She escaped the Varang building soon after.

    ¡°Holy Riel, that was close, but hey, I think I lost a B-class!¡±

    No more illegal expeditions for a while though. Not inside the walls, at least. This had been too close.

    ***

    Nestra¡¯s elation lasted just long enough for her to check her messages. There were a few, starting with a very official one telling her to get a physical checkup before training could start. The five others were from a certain doctor Mazingwe.

    He hated having to call twice.

    Despite the late hour, Nestra called him. He picked up after three rings. If a powerful B-rank like Mazingwe didn¡¯t pick up quickly, it was definitely on purpose.

    ¡°Good evening doctor,¡± Nestra said to placate him, ¡°I see you called me several times. Sorry, I was, hmmm¡­¡±

    ¡°I can perfectly understand why you would be ¡®incommunicado¡¯, Miss Palladian,¡± Mazingwe replied, his voice velvety smooth.

    He pronounced incommunicado like it was a treasure he was sharing. Nestra liked it. She could understand collecting pretty things although for her that was just food for now.

    ¡°I admit that I expected you to be still working, but I soon realized you were¡­ working instead. Please do not be alarmed by my attempts. As for why I called, I have received a rather peculiar request from Special Affairs.¡±

    ¡°I am being transferred.¡±

    ¡°And I will congratulate you on your promotion to special agent. Now, how about we meet tomorrow morning at 9AM? My office.¡±

    ¡°On a Sunday again?¡±

    ¡°Miss Palladian, you know I prefer to have the building empty when we measure your metrics.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to throw knives at me this time too?¡±

    ¡°Of course, but that will not be part of the more¡­ mundane examination. Will I see you there?¡±

    ¡°There should be laws against Sunday morning appointments.¡±

    ¡°Spoken like a true civil servant, Miss Palladian. A good evening to you.¡±

    ***

    Nestra¡¯s human examination didn¡¯t last very long considering her body was the same as it had been when she awakened, down to the scars. She was curious if she could get new ones. The leg wound she¡¯d gotten from Cleaver had faded, but that could have been Valerian¡¯s fantastic healing. Despite her physical appearance remaining unchanged, her capabilities were growing.

    ¡°You are more or less at a low D-class level, Miss Palladian, and I would add that low D-class users usually focus on one or two abilities such as strength and reflexes, or perception, yet you are a bit of a generalist. If you had a core, you would be quite terrifying for your rank indeed.¡±

    That made Nestra curious.

    ¡°Could it ever be fixed?¡± she asked. ¡°My human core, I mean. Apparently, it was there at some point. Maybe it¡¯s easier to fix or replace than it is to turn a baseline into a user.¡±

    ¡°I have researched the question, and indeed, there might be a possibility.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Nestra asked, suddenly very interested.

    ¡°A specialized European hospital in the Zurich Fortress has been researching core repair. Some B-class monster can apparently damage them, and there has been a growing need to find a better solution than ¡®just wait¡¯. Unfortunately, replies to my inquiry have been inconclusive. You would need a core transfer. It would be prohibitively expensive just to research whether or not it can be done.¡±

    ¡°How much is prohibitive?¡±

    ¡°Miss Palladian, you are a unique case. Literally so, I¡¯m afraid. I was given a figure of ten to twelve million credits.¡±

    Nestra¡¯s hopes were flung into a freezer.

    ¡°Ok yeah so nah.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. That said, if you work on your identity as Crescent for another decade, you may get started, at least. The estimate they gave me includes the ritual required to rekindle your core. It will apparently require a human core with a high compatibility. Very likely ice, or electricity for you.¡±

    ¡°Wait, how do they know that?¡±

    ¡°By inferring from their core-repair research, I assume? In any case, it is a distant prospect. Now, let¡¯s see how your Aszhii self is progressing.¡±

    ¡°By the way have you cooked with my brother?¡±

    ¡°Baked, and yes, and delaying the knife-throwing will not save you.¡±

    ¡°Aw.¡±

    ***

    Mazingwe didn¡¯t spar with Nestra since it would have devastated the building, but he did push her to her limits. Reflexes with knife throws, mana perception, repeated uses of her skill, bench pressing and arm wrestling, the tests lasted for an hour and by the end, Nestra felt ragged.

    It was only okay because Mazingwe didn¡¯t look like he was enjoying himself.

    ¡°Please¡­ no more!¡±

    ¡°Perhaps a few more uses of precision? Try to hit my corneas.¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°And here I had a maple syrup-glazed doughnut with real Canadian maple syrup.¡±

    Hot damn.

    ¡°Three times and not one more,¡± Nestra offered.

    ¡°Agreed.¡±

    She had her prize with some really nice coffee. Mazingwe served it with milk, cardamom, and cinnamon. He called in Qahwe. It was very nice.

    ¡°Normally, I would add sugar, however the light bitterness of the unsweetened Qahwe offers a better match to the glazed doughnut. In my own modest opinion, of course,¡± Mazingwe said.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Nestra replied with much enthusiasm.

    ¡°I notice that you seem more comfortable in your demon form than in your human one. Have you grown more used to it?¡±

    Nestra took a moment to reply since she didn¡¯t want to speak with a mouth full. Mazingwe was patient anyway.

    ¡°It is my true body. The human skin is nice, and I¡¯m used to it, but it¡¯ssss not me.¡±

    ¡°Your diction has improved a bit.¡±

    ¡°Yes. The teeth are very sharp. It took some getting used to.¡±

    ¡°Do you often stay in your true form then?¡±

    ¡°When I am with you, on a lone raid, or when I am with Sereth or my sister.¡±

    ¡®Hmmm. I see,¡± Mazingwe said, making a note on his datasheet. ¡°It appears your mental health has drastically improved following your awakening. We will keep monitoring it, of course. Raiders are typically under a significant amount of stress while the loss of friends always taxes the heart. It is no weakness to ask for help when it becomes too much. The battle of the mind is just as important as the battle of the bodies, yet it is often neglected. Your family and I are here for you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Mazingwe, it means a lot coming from a first gen.¡±

    The doctor nodded, swiping something on his datasheet.

    ¡°You may not be human, Miss Palladian, but you are my patient. Now that you are in a good mood, let me quickly go over your test results. You are at the very top of C-class¡­ in every category according to human standards..¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°More than good, considering you are still in the early stages of C-class if I understand correctly. It makes your people truly terrifying. Most humans specialize but you won¡¯t have to. You can play any role, even that of a tank.¡±

    ¡°Well there aren''t a lot of us so I guess it offsets our abilities?¡±

    Once again, Nazingwe nodded.

    ¡°I have the impression from Sereth that gray demons can be loners, however I have also noticed that you cooperate well with Valerian and your sister. It could imply that human-born gray demons conserve our species¡¯ pack bonding tendencies.¡±

    He leaned forward until Nestra felt the full weight of his attention on her.

    ¡°There might come a day when it matters, for both of your species. You are the only one for now, Miss Palladian.¡±

    ¡°Sereth also likes humanity.¡±

    Mazingwe marked a pause, and Nestra got the impression he was searching for the correct words.

    ¡°Sereth is¡­ not unlike a tourist. He likes mankind. He clearly holds great affection for his girlfriend, yet he remains¡­ a very old warrior. You do realize he¡¯s older than any human alive, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°Warriors like him can compartmentalize their emotions, and as sad as it would make him to leave in a rush or¡­ other options, he would probably do it. He is here for you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°It might be up to you to represent mankind in the future. I am sorry for placing this burden upon your shoulders¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok. I like it here. All my friends are on this planet.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, and now for the second unpleasant thing¡­¡±

    Nestra felt blindsided. Bad news? With my doughnut?

    ¡°As you may recall, I have full access to the Pandora database, the repository of all known monsters and all the information available on them.¡±

    He hesitated.

    ¡°Except for the market rate or edibility of their body parts.¡±

    ¡°Bah. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m always up for testing edibility.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm yes, perhaps you should improve your toxin resistance first. But I digress. The Pandora database records who¡¯s accessed specific pages for the sake of helping team coordination. For confidentiality reasons, the option to check it is left only to those with the highest levels of clearance. I am one such person.¡±

    ¡°I knew you were famous as Dawn Spear but not that famous.¡±

    ¡°I fought alongside Riel, Miss Palladian. In the evacuation of Mogadishu.¡±

    ¡°Damn¡­¡±

    It was like talking to a living legend.

    ¡°If you will stop interrupting me¡­ I wanted to inform you that another person recently consulted the ¡®cacodaimon anthropomimesis¡¯ page. Yours, if you recall.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Shinran.¡±

    Nestra dropped her half-eaten doughnut. Thankfully, it landed on her plate.

    ¡°I must commend you for keeping your mask and full body suit on at all times, however I suspect Shinran has identified Crescent as a gray demon. My understanding is that Seth made the cost of messing with you quite clear, but I would strongly advise you to expect some form of interference. Keep an eye out and expect him to do something.¡±

    ¡°Damn.¡±

    ¡°Do not be alarmed. Shinran strictly respects his own rules¡­¡±

    Mazingwe frowned, which pushed Nestra to ask the burning question that had been on her mind for a long time.

    ¡°Why are all high gleams so scared of Shinran when he¡¯s a damn bonze that heals people for free?¡±

    ¡°Let us just say that while Shinran is a calm and contained person, nobody who ever saw him fight would believe that is all he is.¡±

    ¡°So he fights like a monster?¡±

    Mazingwe flinched.

    ¡°His¡­ brutality¡­ is something to behold. Hopefully, you won¡¯t. Not for a very long time. That was all, Miss Palladian. Do not be afraid, but remain vigilant.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡±

 Part 44

    The fateful time had come. Nestra was summoned to attend preparatory training for the Sword King enclave mission, and the first and most important one would be survival training.

    Well, summoning was perhaps pushing it. She could do some remote learning in a training center for military augs, or she could stay at home. Let¡¯s see.

    Remote training center:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Have to travel.</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Shit food.</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Strangers who might initiate small talk.</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Uncomfortable.</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Protected by augs of dubious motivation.</li>

    </ul>

    Her home:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">No need to move or, indeed, put on makeup or a bra.</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Stellar food.</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Only the people she likes can come and they have to message her first.</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Over fourteen pillows per Aszhii and climbing.</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Protected by a point defense naval gun designed to take down small ships and cruise missiles.</li>

    </ul>

    Yeah that wasn¡¯t even a choice, so wearing clean pajamas and with a cup of nice Qahwe within her grasp, Nestra set out to learn the basics of survival. It would definitely be more exciting than negotiation and cultural sensitivity training, also on the program. She wasn¡¯t a negotiator. When would that ever be useful? And the cultural sensitivity training was just designed to make her hate the enclavers less. The same guys who justified her participation by being so prejudiced against baselines that her existence offended them.

    Anyway, survival. Survival came first. Those lessons would likely help her beyond the scope of the enclave expedition, especially with raids taking longer and longer.

    Some of the content was pretty obvious. The same basic precautions that were taught in MaxSec also applied in the wilderness, unsurprisingly. Others were more specific, like camping and orientation. Those would be expanded upon during the in person training, which would happen after she completed all the online classes.

    During the first day, Nestra studied the basics. To her surprise, there was a lot of emphasis on mental preparedness, on how to stay calm and so on. It felt like a critical part of the program, though she was barely concerned. It helped to have a backup monstrous self if a problem arose. The rest covered shelter, navigation, water, fire, and food, with nice questionnaires and tests designed to help identify flaws in her understanding. Nestra grew bored at 6PM, had an Aszhii nap, and then went raiding as Crescent in a rare low C-class cold biome. The enemies here were weird creatures that were really good at blending into the environment, which would be more annoying if Nestra couldn¡¯t see their beady eyes following her as she approached. At least she got some cold resistance out of that.

    The next day, Nestra validated the safety and mental preparedness modules before moving onto fire, which she also validated before lunch. It wasn¡¯t very difficult considering all modern gear came with multiple ways of lighting fire. The difficulty was in building a safe fireplace that wouldn¡¯t block sight or send all the smoke into her eyes. Or attract predators. Water was quickly completed as well, considering their new continent was rife with fresh water sources, which could easily be filtered even if they were not boiled or chemically purified. She worked on the shelter module before her nap, then it was time to meet Sereth.

    ***

    Nestra pushed through the B-class world¡¯s heavy atmosphere in her desperate bid to stab her brother in the groin. That fucker had finally managed to adjust his strength and speed to match hers so he could punch her in the face without killing her, and now he was going to pay for it. He was the Face of the Mountain: direct, powerful, overwhelming. She was the Scornful Crescent: vicious, precise, relentless. They knew each other well. It was an even match. Their dance carried them across the pitted surface of an alien world, past shiny crystals and the strange remains of monsters Sereth had killed before Nestra¡¯s arrival. Her feints and counters adapted to her foe just as he grew used to them while careful redirects dissipated the immense strength behind the older Aszhii¡¯s strikes. Two gray demons of vastly different styles locked in a hail of blade and punches. Nestra accelerated, charging herself with electricity before releasing it into a single burst. A wall of obsidian stopped the assault, but her next strike came with an unpredictable teleport.

    With a roar of triumph, she smacked her sword in the annoying man¡¯s thigh, missing the vitals by a finger despite the use of precision. His backswing sent her tumbling face first into a wall.

    ¡°Aiming for my genitals only makes you more predictable,¡± Sereth calmly said.

    ¡°FUCK YOU!¡±

    ¡°Do not let your anger drive you. The Scornful Crescent is the school of the laughing predator. Again.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll do better.¡±

    They fought some more. Sereth must have been frustrated because he never let her win, instead facing her with the full extent of his trickery. He was over two hundred years old, earth time equivalent, and he¡¯d been fighting for most of it. She was just a child by comparison. At least this time, it wasn¡¯t her acting badly, but him simply being better.

    ¡°Uuhghgh.¡±

    ¡°Do not lose heart, little Nezhra. You are doing fairly well! Your drive is admirable, and not one we often see in the myriad worlds.¡±

    She shrugged. She was feeling a bit sore. And so was her pride.

    ¡°Is it a human thing, or a me thing?¡± she asked with curiosity.

    His ears wiggled a bit, which they did when he was considering a complex question. Nestra knew he felt self-conscious about it ¡ª apparently it was considered immature in his host species to do so ¡ª but it was also kind of cute and she didn¡¯t want him to stop.

    ¡°Human drive is singular, perhaps as a consequence of individualism and your short lifespans. You are driven, even for a human.¡±

    ¡°Really? But I also waste time doing human stuff like survival training and law enforcement stuff.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Sereth huffed. ¡°Who decides what is time wasted? You are living your human life. The first life is important for every Aszhii. Those who have a miserable one¡­¡±

    He frowned, perhaps remembering something unpleasant.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go home?¡± Nestra asked.

    ¡°Actually, no. I¡¯m having fun here. I will return so long as Stibbs tolerates me. We could even have¡­ children!¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡±

    Somehow, the thought of the two of them having kids scared her. She was afraid of things moving too fast.

    ¡°Oh, are there other human traits that qualify¡­ us? Or should I say them?¡±

    ¡°Both, since you inherited many of their traits. I would say¡­ pack bonding and fine motor control.¡±

    ¡°Fine motor control?¡± Nestra asked, flabbergasted.

    ¡°Yes. Your muscles are not very powerful compared to other species, but your finger dexterity is amazing! Very versatile too. Do you know how hard it is to wield a blade with three large fingers designed to crush vertebrae? Very hard. In case you were wondering.¡±

    She looked down at his fingers. He still had five.

    ¡°My species is relatively close to yours but even we are not that good. We were naturally good at magic though.¡±

    ¡°But you are a warrior.¡±

    ¡°And I am good at magic, but I prefer to punch things in the face. And I¡¯m good at that too!¡±

    ¡°That makes a lot of sense.¡±

    Nestra decided to clean her blade in the comfortable silence that followed. It was already cracking. She would need to change soon. Five thousand credits down the drain for this one, and she was going through them faster as her powers grew.

    ¡°Say, I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m making much progress, style wise. I unlocked two steps of the Scornful Crescent: Interruption and Counter, but the next one eludes me.¡±

    ¡°Two steps is the work of a genius at your age. You are also integrating human and Aszhii fighting styles. We focus less on form and more on, errr, concepts. You will get used to it. You need to get used to it, in fact, for the next step is considerably more abstract. You just need more experience! You are already working very hard, don''t worry.¡±

    ¡°I miss Fox Mask¡­ Can you capture her for me?¡±

    ¡°Nope. Chase your own perfect prey,¡± he replied, black needles showing with his smirk.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to kill her. She¡¯s too fun.¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t!¡±

    He shrugged. Nestra wondered if all Aszhii were that serious about staying relaxed.

    ***

    Nestra spent the entire next day studying how to shelter oneself. It wasn¡¯t just finding a good, protected spot with water around to establish a camp, there were also plenty of safety precautions to take. She¡¯d never guessed a supposedly good place could get flooded. She had also never guessed she was supposed to prepare and store food at least a hundred meters away from where she was sleeping, preferably in an airtight container on a tree. No enticing scents could be allowed near her shelter lest monsters find both.

    And also add her to the snack list.

    It didn¡¯t feel right. It didn¡¯t feel right! The food should be stored where she was, in case she got stuck in the shelter because of the rain. Or got wounded. It made sense; it just pissed her off.

    ¡°I fear NOTHING! HISSS!¡±

    Human Nestra ought to be afraid though. Ugh. And she would be tested. Whatever. Against her heart, she completed the module by admitting she wouldn¡¯t keep any food where she slept.

    ¡°Alright, what¡¯s next?¡±

    It was food. There was a comprehensive list of all of the edible stuff that had ever been found on the Threshold sub-continent as well as another comprehensive list of all things that would kill her if ingested, with clear instructions on how to keep an updated database in one¡¯s visor before leaving for an expedition. Threshold had very little coverage because sending satellites up was harder than it used to be.

    ¡°Wait, there is Sichuan pepper out there?¡±

    Not just that apparently, but also a wild variety of earth and portal plants that had no business spreading so fast. The place had ginger, garlic, scallions, some alien spices, even cinnamon. Tubers and fruits were abundant, and many of them were still in season for now. The continent had many rivers and secluded lakes hidden across the rocky landscape. It was a treasure trove of tasty stuff. Nestra was suddenly super interested, and that was before it came to wildland cooking. She could use a buried fire pit with an air intake under some cover  to hide the smoke and also for efficiency. This would be super useful in so many of her raids! She had ideas on how to cook inside of them rather than dragging the food out to eat it at home.

    She validated the food module with a full score before taking optional classes in it. Hey, it was free. Unfortunately, the navigation module¡¯s final test was completely stupid. Not only was she supposed to get a perfect grade on over 100 problems, but the questions were also ambiguous and the answers almost identical. Never had she wished she could strangle someone through a screen with more ardor.

    ***

    It was Monday again. Nestra experienced that special Threshold rush hour with all the baffled horror of someone who had never had to cross the entire city by car. If the driving AI hadn¡¯t taken over, she would have feared for her sanity. Thankfully, the traffic lightened as she approached the eastern gate that led to the Pacific Ocean and Threshold¡¯s lone port. The early morning light bathed the blue water and the titanic fortress ships in red, blurring the people until she faced a tapestry of lumbering leviathans attended by skeletal cranes.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    The car then moved north towards a small peninsula. The road was carefully maintained but all around was wilderness, barely contained by barriers and fences. Private resorts lined the shore despite the risk of kaijus, probably built by people who didn¡¯t mind the cost. She spotted a few manors of painted concrete and stucco, and once, parasols lining a black sand beach. Gleam resorts, for only they could risk it.

    The farther she went and the more the concrete road felt like a shiny black wound across a pristine world that fought it like an infection. She took back control of the wheel for the sheer pleasure of driving the speeding pink roadster on an empty road. Crossing the lowland to the peninsula was an experience in itself, and the gawping armored car drivers passing her by only made it funnier. She soon arrived at a military checkpoint beyond which a fortified field camp waited. There were enough gun emplacements and sandbags to stop a monster herd, but as to why they would build it somewhere a kaiju could easily reach, she wasn¡¯t sure. Maybe for territory control? The sentries barely checked her ID before letting her through. She was expected.

    Or rather, they were expected. Nestra was directed to a bungalow only to find an entire class waiting for her. Those were augs, and not pushovers either but military augs with eye implants. Nestra decided to be polite and smiled at the lot since they didn¡¯t look like they knew what to do with her.

    ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Nestra Palladian, with Special Affairs.¡±

    Poker faces all around.

    ¡°Previously with MaxSec.¡±

    ¡°Really? I got a cousin who joined MaxSec. Where?¡± a muscular woman asked

    ¡°Twenty-First. We were dealing with mercenaries and dokkaebi, mostly.¡±

    ¡°Really? From portal breaches?¡± another asked.

    ¡°Only for mopups but we got the occasional trash spiders as well. Leave a few eggs in a food warehouse and¡­¡±

    They collectively winced.

    ¡°Gooed up in six hours tops. Yeah. I made that face as well. What about you guys?¡± Nestra asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re Armored Infantry.¡±

    ¡°Walker pilots? Which model?¡± Nestra asked, suddenly interested. ¡°Rangers? Engineering?¡±

    ¡°Dragoons, actually,¡± a muscular man said.

    ¡°I love flamethrowers,¡± Nestra confessed.

    To Nestra¡¯s surprise, they had a very nice conversation and the group overall seemed to accept her. They belonged to the rare class of muscle nerds, and when Nestra explained she was a kind of quirkie, they all accepted it to explain her own lack of augmentations. She managed to snatch some coffee from a nearby pot before the instructor arrived. He was a scarred pinoy who had to be at least 50% military augs. The rest was brutal efficiency.

    ¡°I¡¯m Major Cortez, your wildland survival instructor. It is my job to train you on how to survive should you get stranded. You will listen and you will listen well or you will repeat this course until you do. Now, I¡¯d like to know why you ladies are not in your suits yet? What is this, a picnic? Last one in line will help me with viscera disposal.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Palladian, what¡¯s missing from this gear?¡±

    ¡°A shovel and regulation tarp, sir!¡±

    ¡°Could there be a brain between those ears? We¡¯ll find out soon enough!¡±

    ***

    ¡°Palladian, build me a fire that can work on muddy ground.¡±

    ¡°Right away, sir!¡±

    ***

    ¡°Palladian, can this mushroom be eaten?¡±

    ¡°Only once, sir!¡±

    ¡°For all of you blockheads, this is a blue dream amanite, and eating it will be the last mistake you¡¯ll ever make.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Palladian, where is a good place to shelter around those parts?¡±

    ¡°Under the stump of that upended tree, sir, but only for a while and not if it¡¯s raining.¡±

    ¡°And why is that?¡±

    ¡°Flooding risk.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. If it¡¯s raining, you can seek elevation in trees too. Now, for weapons training.¡±

    ***

    ¡°If you ladies get stranded, you¡¯d better hope you don¡¯t come across a D-class monster or above. If you do, may your end be swift and may you enter the afterlife of your choice. If it¡¯s a dokkaebi, you¡¯d better be ready to send that thing back to hell. Today, I¡¯ll teach you how to do maintenance in muddy conditions¡­ Palladian, what the hell is that thing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my shotgun, sir.¡±

    ¡°I can tell it¡¯s a goddamn shotgun, you damn blockhead. Where is your regulation gun?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my gun per MaxSec clearance, sir.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to carry that thing all the way through the exam?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir. Because it can, in fact, kill D-class monsters.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±

    ¡°Very sure.¡±

    ***

    Nestra had an unexpected amount of fun during training. The dragoon riders were a kind bunch who were more than eager to nerd out about their own gear. Major Cortez proved delightfully easy to deal with: if she knew the answers, he was happy. If she didn¡¯t, he was less happy and she learned. There were no games and no tip toeing around topics of conversation. It was kind of relaxing, not to mention Cortez had a few ways of preparing plantain bananas in the wilds by wrapping them with special leaves.

    ¡°You can also add meat. Use the fattiest parts, white girl.¡±

    ¡°What about spice?¡±

    ¡°Whatever you can get your hands on. Aya, I told you you couldn''t bring your spice rack.¡±

    The two looked at each other in silence.

    ¡°It¡¯s very small,¡± Nestra stated.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to smuggle it in even if I tell you no, di ba?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather have salt than a pair of socks. I¡¯m a strong girl. Really.¡±

    The major left, swearing in tagalog the whole time but mostly Nestra was doing very well and he had other people to handle. Some of the dragoons were city birds to the core. They found guts icky. They could always find other stuff to eat but if Nestra had to be honest, it was a bit weird that people who drove flame-spitting combat walkers could find entrails revolting. Maybe because they were supposed to char things to death first? Whatever.

    Finally, the fateful day of the exam arrived. In order to test their skills, the trainees would be dropped in the jungle alone for seven days, with gear but only three days worth of food and half a day of water. It was their goal to stay alive until evacuation. It meant surveillance drones so Nestra would be limited to her human form for a longer time than what she was used to, but such was the price of good knowledge. It would be fine. Most likely.

    ***

    Nestra watched the thick jungle trail behind the gunship through its open back bay. Thick trees, gnarled and twisted to drink as much sunlight as they could, fought for every centimeter of soil and still, crags emerged between the canopies, showing the dark bones of the Threshold continent still uncovered after all of these decades. It was an endless tapestry, never the same but always so similar it didn¡¯t really matter. The place smelled of damp air and the pungent scent of green things both living and dead, so overwhelming it reached even here. Half of the team was already on the ground, somewhere. She was next.

    The Silent Horn was a rather mysterious territory to Threshold¡¯s northwest, so called because it had very few portals to speak of. Even the air felt thin to Nestra¡¯s senses, the mana sluggish and sleepy. It didn¡¯t mean there were no monsters, of course, just that there were few and barely D-class. The rest preferred to stay in livelier pastures. That was where the test would take place to avoid unnecessary deaths. She looked at the drone that would monitor her life signs and possibly send a rescue request if she were in serious danger. It was a slow thing with solar panels at the back, designed for autonomy and not much else. It would stay afloat above her unless she gave up. She had no intention of doing so.

    ¡°You¡¯re up next, Palladian!¡± the major yelled.

    She fastened her suit to the rope as the gunship slowed down. A quick look around showed her where the nearest vantage point was while she rappelled down. That would be useful later.

    Her boots hit the ground and she released the rope. A moment later, the gunship flew off.

    The drone lazily followed. Her Wellington suit beeped as she turned on the cooling and life support systems, then another beep confirmed she had no signal. She was alone.

    She took a deep breath. The smell here was just pungent, overwhelming her with its diversity. Trees fought for space alongside lianas, bushes, and even mushrooms here and there. Insects buzzed loudly. Nothing was really thriving here, not like in the carefully manicured parks of the city. Dead leaves, rotting wood, fading plants, the sickly and the dead mixed with the living and the strong to form a whole devoid of any reason or purpose beyond its own survival. There was so much to see, to feel, though for now, the Wellington suit offered a nice layer of safety against the outside world.

    Right.

    No immediate danger. She checked her shotgun one last time before setting out to the elevated outcropping, taking her time to do so. Effort consumed calories and water. She would need three liters a day to function optimally. Food was less important but still a factor. Everything cost calories. Now, they would be in shorter supply.

    Nestra climbed with measured steps. She stopped to drink at the base of the hillock even though she wasn¡¯t thirsty yet. Easy footholds led her atop flat volcanic rock. A single tree struggled to take root in a shallow crack, roots seeking nourishment like grasping hands. The wind had turned it gnarly and starved, so fragile Nestra didn¡¯t dare use it for support. She surveyed the place.

    She couldn¡¯t even see the gunship anymore. The wind brushed against the skin of her face, and the little hair that fell from her hood. Far in the distance, she spotted the shimmering azure of the sea. Birds flew low over the canopies now that the strange steel predator had left, and their cries echoed each other in high-pitched arguments. She looked for water and, at first, didn¡¯t find much.

    Pulling down the hood, she turned on the optics. The onboard AI found patterns consistent with rivers. A careful study showed a small brook nearby, but it was rather exposed. A larger river in the distance attracted her gaze. She carefully studied it. She found a bend where the water would flow more slowly, just what she needed. It would still be a trek of a few kilometers, but this was the first day. She had to pick a good spot.

    Using the Wellington¡¯s navigation made keeping track trivial. Unfortunately nothing would help her cross several kilometers of untamed jungle. Brambles got in the way. Trees got in the way, their branches jealously spreading to catch rays of sunlight. Rocks got in the way, some of them impassable. A distance that would have been a fifteen minutes walk in the city turned into an hours-long trek, forcing her to take out her emotional support knife just so she could cut a path through some of the denser patches. Even with the Wellington cooling her body, she was sweating heavily halfway through, and considering giving up on preventing mosquitoes from landing on her nose.

    Her mind wandered, even as she kept looking around. Her weight seemed fixed now, but it ought to fluctuate just from water loss. Was the human mask drawing moisture and nutrients from her true self? Could she even get dehydrated? Sereth had said that even if the human mask were destroyed, her true self would progressively rebuild it. That didn¡¯t mean she would slack off now. Pain was still pain. Also, her pride wouldn¡¯t allow it.

    Nestra missed her destination by a hundred meters due to the vagaries of the place, but it was fine. On the way, she¡¯d spotted and noted down a few promising foraging points. There were even mushrooms, though she wasn¡¯t super confident about identifying them. The promising bend of the river she¡¯d picked proved to be just as good as she¡¯d hoped. The river widened and slowed over a rare piece of flat ground, gurgling happily as it moved downstream. Boulders cut through the placid surface at regular intervals. The water was surprisingly clear and she could spot fat fishes following the eddies. It was perfect.

    Her quest for a resting spot proved more challenging. The nearest rock was steep and smooth, offering no shelter. She lucked out by finding an overhanging rock a short distance away. Tufts of hair showed it had been used for shelter before.

    ¡°This will do.¡±

    Nestra cleared some debris, picked her shovel, and got to work.

    ***

    It took Nestra a whole morning to clear and prepare her shelter, but it would be worth it. Moss and Liana would make for a nice nest to supplement the comfort of the armor. For water, she used a large gravity filter bag she hung next to her hidey hole. It was a nice piece of gear that took almost no space when folded, yet could filter five liters at a time. All the while, she kept her eye out for predators. This was a good spot to drink. If she thought so, then others certainly did, but nothing came to bite her ass.

    The weirdest part of it all wasn¡¯t the survival, because she¡¯d been drilled by the major. The weird part was being alone with her thoughts. She wasn¡¯t raiding or training, so the sensation of urgency was different. Here, she was just, well, surviving? No connection, just herself and her own mind. There were some basic media stored in the Wellington, mostly music, but she refrained from using them as it would needlessly drain the battery. It was just¡­ quiet here, and she wanted to experience that for a while.

    Nestra ate energy bars and had some fresh water for lunch, then she started her first project: building a fish trap. By using one of the boulders near the edge and quite a few rocks, she slowly built a sort of pool that fishes could swim into, but not easily leave without fighting against the current. It was a nice trick she¡¯d learnt from Major Cortez and she was looking forward to making it work.

    Next she built small snares.

    That carried her into the late afternoon. The sun set quickly in this mountainous region, even in the late summer. She would forage for those tubers she¡¯d spotted the next day. There was no rush.

    Even though she was tired, it took a long time for her to fall asleep. The next morning, she washed herself with fresh water then climbed down to check on her fish farm. As soon as she approached, she knew something had gone wrong. Blood and scattered gore stained a rock by the shore, the remains of a nightly buffet. Of her fish.

    ¡°WHO THE FUCK STOLE MY DAMN FISH!¡±

    First that stupid void squall thief, and now another? This would not stand.

    ¡°You¡¯re so dead. No one steals from Nestra. I¡¯ll find you, and I¡¯ll eat you.¡±

    ***

    Seven days later.

    Major Cortez and his second dropped down from the gunship with some measure of apprehension. The girl wasn¡¯t at her sleeping spot, which wasn¡¯t unusual since the pick up was ¡®sometime during the seventh day¡¯, but still¡­ Most people just waited there. He climbed the gentle slope to her encampment with care. Some people didn¡¯t come out because predators were around. His artificial fingers tightened over the handle of his rifle. His optics searched for heat bleeding through the dense vegetation.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be,¡± the lieutenant whispered.

    The girl¡¯s base was¡­ something. A well-trodden path led to a rudimentary fence decorated with bleached bone totems, and beyond that, a garden of carefully dug up aromatic herbs waited. Despite his advice, a tightly packed food container hung from a nearby branch. He could see a lot of meat there. Sichuan pepper dried on nearby leaves while a smoking pit lay quiescent to the side. He spotted her sleeping spot under a rock, past another layer of wooden fences. Moss and flower formed a thick bedding though it was more a den than a true bed. Of the girl, there were no signs.

    ¡°Signal says she¡¯s father north.¡±

    ¡°Hunting, maybe.¡±

    They had a look at the food. It was a stupid thing to do to keep meat around like that. Damn, that was a lot of meat. She had to have depopulated the entire grid coordinate.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. The gunship can¡¯t stick around forever.¡±

    They picked up the pace, using the ping provided by the surveillance drone. The jungle was thick but they plowed through without much care, until they came upon a tiny clearing nestled between two sheer cliffs. There, a pile of steaming entrails greeted them, already buzzing with flies and all manner of insects.

    ¡°What the ¡ª¡±

    A noise. A roar. Angry fur and slavering teeth emerged from the nearby patch, aiming straight for her. Major Cortez recognized a lesser mana ursus just as his gun automatically jumped up to acquire the target. A magical bear, dangerous, resilient¡ª

    BOOM

    Its head exploded in a shower of brains and skull fragments.

    ¡°GOT YOU!¡±

    The girl surged from behind a bush, screaming in triumph. She was wearing a sort of homemade ghillie suit that had made detection difficult. Only her furious eyes peered out from behind her hood. Fierce sigils were drawn in mud across the Wellington¡¯s camo, making his mind skip a beat. He averted his eyes. Probably just a glitch.

    ¡°That fucking thing kept eating my damn fish. Who¡¯s meat now, huh? Well played, idiot.¡±

    ¡°Miss Palladian, the gunship¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry, yeah, sorry. Gotta go. No time to skin it, I suppose. We¡¯ll just swing by home to get my meat.¡±

    ¡°Palladian¡­¡±

    The lieutenant¡¯s voice came in private convo.

    ¡°Sir, I think it would be faster and wiser just to play along.¡±

    The girl frowned, aware of something. Cortez got the feeling he was right.

    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s hurry then.¡±

    ¡°Good! Oh, major, I got smoked river fish with fresh local pepper and salt. It¡¯s such a good snack. I got garlic and scallion rabbit liver skewers as well. And mangoes. I would kill for a beer though.¡±

    The major chuckled. He might just accept.

    Unfortunately for Nestra, the quarantine department seized her entire stash due to contamination risks, and it was destroyed at the base camp.

    ***

    The same evening, in a C-class portal world.

    ¡°MY FUCKING MEAT,¡± a voice roared in Aszhii.

    Limbs flew through the air. Despite the portal lizards¡¯ programmed aggression, their primitive brains could not help but flinch before the onslaught. The intruder was a storm of blade and magic tearing through them with vicious precision, and impeccable timing.

    ¡°MY FISH!¡±

    The largest of them spat bolts of cobalt light. The intruder merely powered through as if it were merely an inconvenience. The beast fell from a devious thrust that caught it in its blind spot. Like a demon, the irate being tore through the last of the resistance with unbidden fury.

    ¡°THREE DAYS I SMOKED IT. THREE. FUCKING. DAYS!¡±

    Her bloodthirst still unquenched, Nestra raced up a volcanic path towards the arid plateau where the guardian waited, under a sky as thunderous as her heart.

    Suddenly, a shift in space made her flinch. She turned, surprised. Something had just come through the entrance portal behind her, back into the pine forest. Surely, that wasn¡¯t right. The portal was reserved for Crescent and Crescent alone. An intruder? A cop? As a precaution, she reached for her mask.

    She didn¡¯t make it. The intruder was already here.

    He was a Japanese man of medium height, completely shaved all over. A kind smile on his gentle face gave him a fatherly appearance, though the green and silvery eyes of a high gleam said otherwise. Muscular shoulders hid under an humble orange robe. In his hand, he held a staff. He was one of the only people on the planet who would never need to introduce himself.

    ¡°Oh shit,¡± Nestra squeaked.

    Shinran¡¯s response never began. His mouth, which had opened, closed shut. An immense pressure crushed Nestra then and there, forcing her to her knees. She couldn¡¯t stand. She couldn¡¯t even breathe. It took all her will to remember she existed. The ground shook with strange tremors like a breath, like a heartbeat, moaning with fear and anticipation.

    Something pierced space like a dagger pushed through thin paper. Nestra screamed from sympathetic pain when the world was gutted. A fist emerged from the breach, though she couldn¡¯t see it, couldn¡¯t even look up. She knew it because she felt the fist like one felt a mountain at one¡¯s back without a need to look. The thing that walked through the breach might have been Sereth, once, but now it was the mountain. Not the Face of the Mountain, as was its path, but the mountain, moving. A titan of hardened armor as unstoppable as time itself. The colossus¡¯ sheer presence warped reality around it. Nestra forgot to even fight for that missing breath.

    A-rank.

    Azshii.

    Warrior.

    Might, incarnate.

    The deadliest entity on earth by an order of magnitude.

    ¡°I warned you,¡± the mountain said.

    Its punch cracked the world like an egg.

 Part 45

    No time to run. The membrane that was this portal world exploded, spilling its contents where there was no room to spill them. Space bent in mind-defying geometries. Her mind reeled from the experience, but then she recovered almost immediately.

    This was just space. She knew space. Well, not her mind, but her body, her instincts did. Synesthesia merged space and sight to present rivers of glass melding and splitting in a tightly packed whole. She was¡­ not existing at the moment. Both her mask and true self folded together in the same personal space.

    It was weird. And fascinating. She didn¡¯t have the time to enjoy it though. There was the rather important matter of preventing a trans-dimension apex predator from slaying earth¡¯s most powerful raider and dooming the city. Her city.

    ¡°Riel dammit, Sereth.¡±

    He wouldn¡¯t have endangered her. That meant that she was safe, or more likely, capable of saving herself. Through the depth of the worlds, she recognized each glass vein as a layer of existence. Small bubbles represented portals, stuck to their home dimensions like soap bubbles to the skin. The largest and most imposing of them all showed skyscrapers and a sky of red. it also¡­ tasted¡­ familiar. Others were more distant. She almost opened her cocoon now so she could exist in space again, but felt flung into the real world. Images blurred in front of her. She saw a jungle.

    ¡°That¡¯s not right.¡±

    She couldn¡¯t allow herself to reappear out there in the fucking boonies. Her mind focused, sharpening her instincts. She redirected her cocoon towards the shiniest beacon, the most mana-rich place of her native plane. There, again, the skyscrapers. She forced the bubble to close in with the glass vein. She merged both membranes. It was so easy. They wanted to merge.

    Nestra stepped in front of Riel¡¯s Beacon: Threshold¡¯s official town hall. Air filled her lungs. Noise saturated her ears. She could see again, smell the asphalt and taste the ambient mana. She could feel their air on her skin.

    Wait, fuck.

    ¡°My mask!¡±

    Nestra put it on, but not before a strident scream rose behind her. She tapped her Skin.

    ¡°Quick! Make us inconspicuous!¡±

    The symbiote growled with annoyance, but it complied. the veil-like shoulders and armor melted into a nondescript bodysuit.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me!¡±

    Nestra turned at the unusual request. There was a corpo drone in a suit sitting on his ass, looking very scared.

    ¡°Crescent, with the army.¡±

    Nestra waved her ID in front of the man¡¯s face. It was really convenient to be able to store small items with her mask. Maybe one day she¡¯d be able to store an entire fridge.

    ¡°Oh, sorry.¡±

    Alarms blared in the background. There were shattered pieces of windows littering the ground at her feet. Threshold was on lockdown.

    ¡°Get to a shelter instead of asssking monsters not to kill you. They won¡¯t listen.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. You were just on the way.¡±

    Nestra glared, which was enough to get the corpo out of her hair. Things were bad. The streets were empty. Some of the concrete had cracked. Hover cars lay unattended, doors still open, and the light, the light was so red.

    She looked up. The sky was bleeding. Angry, roiling clouds moved like waves over her head. Indigo bolts coursed through the heavens with thundering reverberations that caused rows of windows to explode in a crystal rain. A loud, booming noise tore through the abused city, and the ground shook. She almost expected to see shockwaves and the mana signs of massive spells, but all she could see was army gunships and, a bit later, a trio of fighter jets roaring through the hellscape, and she understood.

    Sereth and Shinran were not fighting here. This was merely a bleedthrough.

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    Where were they? She had to stop them. If she even could. It looked like just being around might be fatal. Quickly, she raced towards the closest B-class world she knew of: the one where she sparred with Sereth on occasion. The entrance wasn¡¯t too far and it felt like a good candidate since Sereth liked the place.

    The color of the sky didn¡¯t match, though. She pushed back the fear of what could happen if she got it wrong. Her feet pushed against the shivering concrete. She ran faster. Sereth, what the fuck are you doing?

    He just wanted to talk. It was clear as day. He wanted to talk, or she would have had her throat between his fingers!

    The ground shook again. A patrol of gleams in techno armor moved past her. They immediately latched onto her presence, but she shook her ID in front of them and it destabilized them enough for her to continue. The headquarters of the Tiger guild was in sight. She placed her hands in front of her. This was the B-class world. Heat. She felt heat. Good news was that they were fighting here. Bad news was that the spot she wanted to port into was probably destroyed, or damaged, at least. Nestra rushed along the street, feeling the world as she went. Something fell, crashing against a nearby building: a spot of superheated basalt. The remnants of a red crystal were still embedded into it.

    Better hurry.

    Nestra pushed where she felt it was safe, hoping she wasn¡¯t making a mistake.

    She appeared in the air over a massive chasm.

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    Dangerous. Dangerous. Behind her, only rock. A panicked momentum sent her against it. It was the bottom of a floating island. The basalt dug into her back when she hit it. Turning, she managed to grasp the rocks before she could fall.

    Stupid. Stupid. But she had no choice. She HAD to stop them. Sereth couldn¡¯t be that serious or the fight would have ended earlier.

    She crawled up until she reached the top of the floating island, or rather what was left of it. The low bowl of the island¡¯s natural shape was cut in half. Debris and shattered crystals were all that remained of the other half. In the distance, other islands were smashed to pieces. The skies were on fire, under the accretion disk of the distant black hole.

    Literally. The world was on fire. The heat that fell onto Nestra was enough to make her uncomfortable. A monstrous shockwave thundered through this portal world, but it looked like it was strong enough to withstand the blow. Nestra caught two after-images rushing above. They were gone again before she could process them.

    One, a colossus in blood-red armor and a mask reminding her of a demon, wielding a weapon she recognized as a naginata, a polearm with a sabre blade at the tip. The second was Sereth. Only the buddhist demon¡¯s armor showed cracks.

    They appeared again, the buddhist demon flying.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Nestra screamed. ¡°HEY! HEEEEEEY!¡±

    It was like yelling at the clouds. How could they even hear her?

    ¡°One moment,¡± Sereth whispered in her mind. ¡°I¡¯m almost done.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill him!¡± Nestra yelled.

    ¡°Of course not. I am not stupid.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    It sure looked to Nestra like he was trying to kill the man. She huddled behind a rock while the apocalypse unfolded above her in a hell of falling fire striated by two dark shapes, each monstrous in their own way. What she got from the fight, she saw as afterimages because it never, ever slowed down. It would never slow down so long as Sereth was one of the combatants. She was aware of rank differences but she¡¯d never realized how large it grew the higher one climbed. The A-rank raiders hurled themselves through the air, smashed islands apart with their strikes, and moved so fast she couldn¡¯t process it. The entirety of the heavens above her were still burning for some reason. They were like adult fighters smashing through a toddler¡¯s playpen. On one side, Shinran in the demonic armor she¡¯d first spotted. On the other, Sereth, in his bone-like plate. As the combat progressed and Nestra could somewhat pay attention, she noticed his armor was regenerating. It was a mixed blessing considering what Sereth was putting it, and its owner, through, for the titan was winning. There were no doubts about that. No, not winning, Sereth was crushing him. Every fragment of the fight she could see implied it.

    Despite the cataclysmic battle playing out before her, Nestra allowed herself to relax. Sereth wasn¡¯t going to kill Shinran. The rest was entirely out of her hands. That meant she could just watch the storm unfold. Two A-class raiders pummeling each other? This was a show like no other, and she was in the VIP lodge. It was just a shame that there wasn¡¯t much to see beyond pyrotechnics and the occasional shockwave. She could taste it though, at the tip of her tongue. Sereth¡¯s mana, void and space mimicking other hues as grisly imitations of the original, but there was also Shinran¡¯s solid presence.

    Actually, he wasn¡¯t using any life mana, yet Nestra could tell he was healing very fast. And Shinran was not known to use any fire? What was going on? She would find out soon enough because the combat was coming to an end.

    Something told her the confrontation had gone on for an exceptionally long duration considering both combatants were A-class, but as soon as Sereth landed on her half island, she knew why. He had taken his time.

    The pile of meat the Aszhii dropped on the ground might have been a person once. Now, she had no idea how it could still live.

    ¡°You were foolish to come here,¡± Sereth growled in Aszhii. ¡°Either of us could have killed you by accident.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t believe it for a single second. Sereth could feel space.

    ¡°I am serious. It was dangerous.¡±

    ¡°I trusted you to be careful.¡±

    ¡°And it was a mistake. Never trust a hunting Aszhii, not even your own brother.¡±

    He hissed. He seemed¡­ off. Pissed off. Nestra suddenly felt like she was walking on eggshells.

    ¡°Errr, ok, sorry, I suppose I let my fear govern my actions.¡±

    ¡°Nothing is worth more than your life. If you had died, Threshold would have paid the price so I could have fun before the covens skinned me alive.¡±

    She was pretty sure he wasn¡¯t joking.

    ¡°Hssss. We shall stop here. I need a moment.¡±

    He disappeared, and seconds later; something huge and distant roared in pain.

    Nestra returned her attention to the pile of meat. It was already looking more like a person. As she watched, several broken bones straightened with a strange, dull sound. One puffy eye looked at her over a toothless jaw. It was hard to gauge his emotions with so few facial features left to express them, but he looked surprisingly calm. That, or his lid wasn¡¯t working anymore.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°Errr. Lookssss painful,¡± she commented.

    Nevermind. He could still glare.

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    Damn, it was Shinran. Shinran! And now her silly goose of a brother had beaten the shit out of him. He was her boss¡¯ boss. She was going to get her holiday request canceled. Or worse. They might seize her freezers out of spite.

    Damn.

    ¡°Errr, can I help?¡±

    More bones snapped. The maxillary somehow reconnected to the jaw. Teeth reappeared. They didn¡¯t grow back, they reformed out of nothing.

    ¡°Right, you can¡¯t talk yet.¡±

    ¡°The ¡ª¡± Shinran began, then stopped. The healing focused on his face until he looked like himself again ¡ª albeit covered in blood.

    ¡°The physical pain does not measure with my shame. It was a poor display of skill.¡±

    ¡°Well, Sereth caught you off guard, I guess? Or did he? It sounds like he warned you.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    A pause.

    ¡°And I should have taken more care.¡±

    ¡°You wanted to talk?¡±

    ¡°Yes, as a matter of fact. I wanted to talk to you. ¡®Do not approach her under any circumstances¡¯ he said. I always assumed he meant to touch you or confront you, but it appears he meant approach.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to approach me, though.¡±

    ¡°I deemed it necessary.¡±

    ¡°No, ugh, I mean¡­¡±

    She tapped her temple.

    ¡°A vid call? No? You could just have called me.¡±

    He blustered, and Nestra thought she might have gone too far.

    ¡°I am sure calling and presenting myself as Shinran would be a good way to get hung up on considering my AI-imitated voice is the second most common scam approach in the city.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t get robocalls on army phones and visors.¡±

    She wanted to shake that idiot. And he was an idiot. His blush said everything.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°I admit that my old-fashioned approach was counter-intuitive.¡±

    ¡°You just wanted to corner and impress me.¡±

    ¡°...Sou kamo ne?¡±

    ¡°How is it working out for you?¡± Nestra asked, irate now that she could see someone had almost ruined her life, and probably caused a fight that would cost tens of millions of credits of repairs and definitely some wounded people. And all for what? This could have been a fucking email.

    ¡°After our previous meeting, I trained very hard to face Sereth again. It was rather¡­ optimistic of me.¡±

    ¡°You thought you could face Sereth after a couple of months of training?¡± Nestra asked with total disbelief.

    ¡°It was a very special and difficult training.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, he¡¯s done the same for the past two centuries so¡­ got to catch up first, huh?¡±

    ¡°There is no need to hammer the blow, Crescent. I am well aware of my failings,¡± he said, sitting up himself.

    The ruins of his armor still clung to his mauled form. A glove of drying blood clung to it, so Nestra wasn¡¯t even sure if he was wearing anything.

    ¡°Crescent? You don¡¯t know my name?¡±

    ¡°That would have been a violation of your privacy. Our common friend, doctor Mazingwe, mentioned your existence along with Sereth¡¯s warning. He is very protective of his patients so I would have had to fight him to get your real name. That, or violate my word by accessing your private records. It would be dishonorable of me to treat a potential ally like this.¡±

    ¡°Potential ally? Wait, you¡¯re serious? You¡¯re not here to threaten me?¡±

    ¡°Most of the time, the fact that I¡¯m still earth¡¯s most dangerous A-rank raider suffices.¡±

    His gleam eyes, both of them by now, peered into her soul. Ok, so yeah. Even battered and bruised, that was still Shinran.

    ¡°Does this refer to the fact that the point under the Beacon is the most concentrated mana source on earth?¡± Nestra asked, eager to dig now that she¡¯d realized something weird was going on.

    Shinran shook his head.

    ¡°No, that is a different matter. My offer relates to the peculiar nature of my mana. I believe a demonstration is in order, but I would rather wait for Sereth¡¯s return before pulling you away. I do not want to be beaten again.¡±

    It suddenly occurred to Nestra that Shinran had no idea that his second-in-command had already hired her to kill him. Or learn how to, at least.

    Damn. Would she have to pick sides? Well, it didn¡¯t matter for now. The both of them were clearly far out of her league, and would remain so for  the next decade or so. At the very least.

    While Shinran picked himself back up, quite literally, Nestra decided to get some confirmation.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m honored that you would talk to me and so on. Do you really not know who I am? My civilian identity, that is.¡±

    ¡°From your tone and accent, I can tell that you are a Threshold citizen. Mazingwe hinted that you had grown as a human.¡±

    He finally stood. The layer of congealed blood peeled off like a glove, leaving behind a fresh and expanding suit of armor. Nestra had seen healing before, and this wasn¡¯t it. At least not with life mana.

    ¡°What sort of magic is this?¡± she muttered, curious.

    She wondered if she could absorb it.

    ¡°It is unique,¡± Shinran said.

    ¡°Not so unique,¡± Sereth replied, softly landing on the broken island.

    His armor had resorbed until it was more full plate and less screwed-on battle walker armor. He still looked a bit grumpy. Nestra felt a pang of anxiety.

    ¡°Sereth? Are you alright?¡± she hissed in Aszhii.

    His ears drooped down miserably.

    ¡°Do not mind me, little Nezhra. I am merely upset because it has been a long while since I had a worthy hunt. All I do here is hold back. And I have no one to blame but myself for this decision.¡±

    ¡°And he provoked you by ignoring your warnings.¡±

    ¡°I am usually happy when people ignore my warning. It means I can¡­. let go.¡±

    He turned away from her in the most obvious sign he was hiding something she¡¯d ever seen outside of a school ground.

    ¡°Something else is bothering you.¡±

    ¡°And also, perhaps, Siobhan and I are having an unresolved argument.¡±

    ¡°You beat Threshold¡¯s best raider to an inch of his life because you¡¯re having a lover¡¯s quarrel?¡±

    ¡°It is more serious than that! She wants us to move in together. And I want that too! But I don¡¯t want to live in a human house!¡±

    Nestra was speechless.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you find two houses side by side, a human one and then one you can use as your den?¡±

    ¡°Have you any idea of the cost? The Sunflour is doing well but not that well. The real estate market¡­¡±

    ¡°Sereth,¡± she said with disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re a fucking Aszhii.¡±

    ¡°Contrary to you, I am staying undercover. That means avoiding the black market and anything else that might harm Siobhan Stibbons in the long run.¡±

    ¡°Damn, if only you had one of the planet¡¯s richest men right here and owing you an apology.¡±

    ¡°I, errrr.¡±

    His ears perked up.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t break my cover to get a donation, right? Unless he uses it to harm Siobhan.¡±

    ¡°You just opened him and crumpled him like a can of peas. I think he will be reasonable.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    Sereth turned to Shinran who was now meditating in orange robes again. It was as if the armored demon form had never existed.

    ¡°You, human. I require¡­ compensation. I need to buy a house.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°District Fourteen. It needs to be flat and at least three hundred square meters. And if you use my human identity to harm the people close to me, I will eat you.¡±

    ¡°Should I accept, will we be even?¡±

    Sereth shook with excitement.

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Good. Excellent. You two have a good talk. I need to make a call. Don¡¯t wait on me.¡±

    And he was gone.

    ¡°I believe I have conducted the first successful high level human-alien negotiation! A round of applause,¡± Nestra exulted.

    Shinran smiled, though it was not a warm one.

    ¡°Not quite.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Congratulations are still due. Now, can I tell you why I wanted to contact you to begin with?¡±

    ¡°Uh, sure. Sorry. It¡¯s just¡­ you¡¯re Shinran and you are there. I cannot believe we¡¯re having a conversation. I mean, I can, but it¡¯s still strange.¡±

    He was famous! The raider didn¡¯t mind her babbling. With his shaven head and kind expression, he was back to the peaceful and popular person she¡¯d grown used to seeing on vids. She¡¯d met him before, once, but seeing him again now made her feel all fuzzy, even though he¡¯d gotten his ass handed to him. It was Shinran!

    ¡°I am fairly approachable, just usually quite busy.¡±

    ¡°Raiding?¡±

    ¡°Yes, in a way.¡±

    ¡°In a way?¡±

    ¡°It would be better to show you. My kind of mana is unique on earth, though it appears your Sereth has seen it before elsewhere. if I were to describe it, I would call it¡­ divine mana.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t reply.

    ¡°I know it sounds pretentious. Seeker mana would work as well. It allows me to find what I need ¡ª within limits ¡ª and acquire conceptual powers that go beyond what wielders of normal mana have access to.¡±

    ¡°Like that fire rain?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I would not be able to cast firebolts, for example, but this specific spell is something I can cast without understanding it. I discovered how it could be used long after the Incursion, sadly, or I would have helped more.¡±

    His eyes grow dark.

    ¡°Perhaps saved Riel. I was not within his inner circle at the time but we did fight side by side. He was something.¡±

    ¡°What was he like?¡± Nestra asked.

    ¡°You must have seen the vids and studied the history of the Incursion. When they say he was charismatic, that is an understatement. When he was around, we felt like¡­ like we had a chance. He fought like a hero. The way he bent space to reflect blows, protect people, scatter the enemy. It was like¡­ like watching an orchestra director at work.¡±

    He paused.

    ¡°Things were grim then. We were losing a war. A war for subjugation.¡±

    ¡°Not extinction? That¡¯s what the books say,¡± Nestra replied, confused.

    Shinran waved her observation away.

    ¡°Either or. A slave cannot truly live, merely survive, and that is a crime almost as bad as murder. Enough reminiscing. My mana gives me access to a very specific, shall we say, service. And I would like you to use it as well.¡±

    Nestra blinked.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°It is a tool to perfect one¡¯s craft. It would be better if I showed you.¡±

    He stood there smiling as if he¡¯d not offered her the perfect bait for an Aszhii. Well, besides good food.

    ¡°Why would you ever do that? I¡¯m an alien.¡±

    ¡°Three reasons. One, I am a good judge of character.¡±

    ¡°That is not immediately obvious¡­¡±

    ¡°That does not mean I do not make mistakes. I do not think it is a mistake to think you will protect humans against monsters, is it?¡±

    ¡°No, I would protect people.¡±

    Shinran nodded to himself.

    ¡°That is the second reason. Threshold needs more protectors, and you have much potential.¡±

    ¡°What about Ragnarok?¡±

    ¡°That is so. The third reason. Ragnarok has also used this¡­ service. Right now, she is in the process of ascending¡­ although she is taking her time, hm? She would prefer to clean house first. In any case, I have extended this offer to several promising warriors.¡±

    Nestra suspected there was a lot left unsaid there. She was curious though.

    ¡°Okay. Can you show me then?¡±

    ¡°First, we must return to our plane. May I hold your shoulders?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ guess?¡±

    Nestra was now flying at the speed of a jet. The strange air of this world forced her to blink. She was above a fractured palace, the rotting ribcage of white pillars encircling the abominable form of a tentacled being nestling here like a fat rat sleeping inside of the carcass, except the fat rat was dying. Someone had ripped its tentacles and pulped its flesh. Now it breathed laboriously though a broken beak. White vitreous leaked from the ruins of its many eyes.

    The next moment, the beast was dead. The moment after, Nestra was in a spacious bunker at the heart of the Tiger guild¡¯s headquarters. The next, she was outside under a mercifully blue sky. Shinran froze, aghast. The damage to faraway buildings was obvious, though thanks to Threshold¡¯s stringent building code, only windows had suffered. A patrol of gunships crossed the sky in front of Riel¡¯s Beacon.

    ¡°Nante koto da?¡±

    ¡°Your fight bled through,¡± Nestra explained.

    Shinran stepped away from her. A few C-rank guild guards gasped when they noticed the pair, but Shinran¡¯s familiar figure meant they stayed back.

    ¡°I¡­ I am terribly sorry, Crescent-san. I must leave now. I must¡­¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Nestra replied, and he was gone.

    Which left her standing in the middle of the curb in front of a very alert and rather curious group of raiders, having come out of what was their territory without having been seen entering it. She decided to leave at a brisk pace, nodding at the nearest guard. He didn¡¯t return it. Thankfully, bureaucratic inertia was once again on her side. The guards didn¡¯t dare nab one of Shinran¡¯s pals. She was at the corner of the street before they could call their boss.

    Nestra recovered her masked gleam phone just to see what was going on.

    ¡°EMERGENCY BROADCAST: Return to yellow alert. Please remain mindful of your surroundings. Avoid traveling unless strictly necessary.¡±

    The train and buses were on lockdown for now so she guessed she would be jogging home. Her personal visor showed several messages from Mom, Helena, even one from dad. Stib and Gorge had also called. Damn. She needed to answer or she¡¯d get an earful. Better do it now rather than later.

    ***

    Nestra returned to her den to wait. A terrible shock was coursing through a city that had thought itself invincible for a long time, and although the material damage was minimal for something of this magnitude, the psychological effect was much greater. Riel, they were even making international news! Shinran took the front and center by admitting that the red skies were the consequence of one of his abilities used in a ¡®thin¡¯ portal world. Nestra suspected Sereth¡¯s violence had weakened the membrane between that portal world and the home plane. He personally paid damage to everyone who¡¯d been wounded in the event.

    Nestra thought it was a foolish thing to do. He was setting a precedent where raiders had to pay for the damage incurred by battles. He was Shinran though, so she couldn¡¯t do anything. One of his messages said that he would contact her soon, so Nestra refocused on her next task while she waited: preparing for the Sword King Enclave visit. The next module would focus on history and culture.

    It was saturated with warnings against being pretentious Threshold elitists. It pissed Nestra off. ¡®Oh sure, let me be open minded about people who say baselines have no place in the modern world!¡¯.

    She got it. It was all for the sake of staying polite and respectful but¡­ some of the things she¡¯d heard¡­ And she was being brought just to piss them off, which meant her very presence as a failed gleam was an insult to them.

    Nestra didn¡¯t get into the course in a good mood, but soon her interest was rekindled. Enclaves were a gleam to gleam issue, only experienced by baselines like her via the lens of vids and their ¡®artistic license¡¯. It was interesting seeing how they really worked in real life. The course explained how the Sword King Enclave had managed to be more successful than many other smaller groups. First, the ruling Nguyen clan boasted some of the deadlier duelists on the continent, a fact they were really proud and loud about. It led to silly decisions such as calling themselves Sword King, as well as a slew of other egregious choices that the course said ¡®reflected a tradition of chivalry inspired by the Song dynasty scholar warrior, Japanese Bushido, and the land-based tenacity of Dai Viet¡¯. It was just a pretentious way of saying they were selective blade idiots who only valued martial prowess while being clever enough to scout very well. She just wanted to get there and smack every last of their D-class upstarts just to make their little heads melt. Fortunately, the next chapter was more interesting.

    The Sword Kings had picked a perfect place to set up: a trio of sharp peaks surrounding a deep valley blessed with rich volcanic soil, with the tallest elevation overlooking a river. It provided a safe haven to harvest stuff without a neosaur chomping on your ass every time you bend to pick a tomato. The river meant small boats could trade with other enclaves, and they apparently just installed a heliport as well. The Sword King enclave was a success story, and many promising scions of nearby places tried to join. Nestra was pretty sure they were going to be immensely obnoxious.

    The list of resources they controlled was impressive, including several rare types of ore they harvested from nearby mountain portals. They made their own weapons which they never hesitated to use. A rival enclave disputing a newly opened portal had been slaughtered seven years prior to set an example. It was gruesome. Exactly what one might expect from enclaves, Nestra thought.

    The last part of the class covered the main factions vying for power within the Nguyen clan. Although it had started as an ethnic Vietnamese family, they had brought plenty of fresh blood from the most gifted blade masters they came across, so now it was more of a melting pot. The current head was a powerful B-rank user.

    Nestra wondered if Fox Mask would show herself. She hoped they would.

    Nestra validated the course with no issues except for an essay that was graded B- on account of ¡®lacking the expected emotional detachment¡¯. And here she hadn¡¯t called them cunts even once. This world was unfair.

    Nestra spent the next day figuring out maintenance on her naval gun. Some nosy asshole had apparently launched an inquiry on whether or not she really needed that thing for home defense. A masked gleam cease and desist notice had barely been enough to fend off their uncalled for and totally abusive attempt to curtail her right to shoot tungsten rounds at unwanted visitors. The gall. Fortunately, that was that, and on the third day, Shinran sent her a message.

    On her gleam phone. Progress! It was time to look into that training thing.

 Part 46

    An air limo picked Nestra up near one of Threshold¡¯s rare hotels. When she stepped in, she realized there were more levels of luxuries in life than she¡¯d been expecting. This wasn¡¯t a fancy means of transportation designed to give corpo execs a sense of superiority for working ninety hours a week. No. Those were entirely too pedestrian. This was Shinran¡¯s personal car. It even had custom made interior design, athmo, rare leather upholstery¡­ The works.

    ¡°Riel, is this Champagne?¡±

    It was Champagne from the Champagne region of France. There was also caviar from the Black Sea. Shit, Nestra didn¡¯t even know they still made some! She had gobbled the small pot by the time the limo flew over the eastern district.

    She remembered going there a few times as a kid, back when she was an up and coming striker prospect. The richest and most affluent gleams kept their compounds here, secluded from the hoi polloi and each other by tall hedges barded with enchantments and security cameras. It was a place of privilege, but mostly, it was a place of exclusivity. Those who stayed there valued their privacy at the cost of money. A ton of money. It wasn¡¯t a surprise that here is where Shinran would have his own domain.

    Damn, it was weird how he managed to keep his ascetic persona with all the obscene luxury he had on display. Maybe he used the city¡¯s wealth? She could see the top of his manor from here: it looked like a multi-floor pagoda. Or a temple. Orange pillars emerged from the canopies of old ginkgo trees. Very nice.

    This place didn¡¯t even have roads that she could see. Either you flew in or you were too poor, she guessed. Or too weak.

    ¡°I can jusssst swim through the walls anyway,¡± she grumbled.

    The hover limo descended a separate spot near the main house, one of the few visible concessions to modernity. She spotted the steel cylinders she associated with hidden gun emplacements, which made sense. Shinran wasn¡¯t always here, and he was bound to have fancy guests. Also, it wouldn¡¯t look good if Threshold¡¯s protector couldn¡¯t even protect his own home, even when he was away.

    Nestra nodded to herself. Obviously she was justified in having a naval gun at home. Even Shinran agreed with her. She stood when the limo landed without a sound, the door opening to the scent of osmanthus flowers. Incidentally, osmanthus syrup was delicious with alcohol.

    Shinran was missing, then he was here, stepping outside of his temple den through a wooden panel.

    ¡°Welcome! Welcome. Come in, please.¡±

    The interior was much more sober than she expected with how deceptive appearances were with this man. Minimalist and zen furniture gave the large rooms a neat appearance. The mood was contemplative. Shinran wasn¡¯t. He had ditched his usual monk regalia in favor of a sensible cargo shorts and shirt combo that showed the wiry build of fast raiders.

    ¡°Do you want something to eat before we begin?¡±

    ¡°No. I have waited for too long,¡± Nestra replied eagerly. ¡°Ssshow me.¡±

    ¡°Then follow me. Technically, I could do this anywhere but I don¡¯t want people to learn.¡±

    The two stepped down several sets of stairs to a basement of concrete and electronics. This was the heart of the mansion, and also its safe haven given the thickness of the security doors. Shinran led her into a completely empty gray room.

    ¡°This is where I usually start.¡±

    He waved his hand, and a portal appeared in mid air. Nestra felt the world split in a violation of everything she knew about portal worlds. Reality didn¡¯t merge. Instead, a ¡­ something¡­ some kind of tool? Something dug a cylinder through the many worlds, splitting them without harming them. If she was an artist operating through osmosis, this was more of a highly precise surgery.

    ¡°Huh!¡±

    As an Aszhii, Nestra saw the opening as a perfect circle shimmering with silvery mana. A human would see a pulsating flower, its edges thick and ebbing like the sea at low tide. Reddish light painted the naked room in bloody swathes. Nestra made to touch the magnificent yet horrid thing.

    The amount of power required to keep that thing open¡­

    ¡°My personal portal,¡± Shinran commented far too casually for having broken the rules of the world. ¡°The power to open it appeared when I asked for ways to grow stronger. That was some time ago.¡±

    ¡°Not a portal. Incision¡­ A door. It is¡­ you do not understand.¡±

    ¡°I admit this is a rather unique look.¡±

    ¡°You do not understand,¡± Nestra said.

    She changed back to her human form, but kept her mask on. The advanced ceramic thing didn¡¯t fit so she was forced to keep it up with her hand. She stepped through the portal with casual ease. Beyond was a short corridor made of some sort of metal, dimly lit by red lights. Her human eyes couldn¡¯t see much more than that.

    ¡°See?¡± she asked before changing back.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    The patient man waited for Nestra to elaborate, but she had nothing to add.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it means, really. I just think¡­ portals are natural occurrences and this¡­ isn''t?¡±

    ¡°You are right, this opening is not natural, although there are still debates as to the origin of portals.¡±

    Nestra wished she could have asked Seth but like with most information on other worlds, her goofy brother was surprisingly serious when it came to keeping those secrets. Nestra didn¡¯t wait though, she stepped into the corridor, in her true form this time.

    It was made of some sort of steel. Sober writing on the wall, in white letters, looked like directions. They shifted from one script to another when she looked away. Some letters were vertical blobs, others were like a series of blade strikes. The red light came from bulbs placed near the ceiling. She could barely feel any mana and what she felt was weird, more complex. As if fire and light were ingredients and this was the cooked version. She shook her head.

    ¡°Forward. This place is safe,¡± Shinran said, his voice muffled. ¡°You have no problem breathing rarefied air, yes?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Nestra replied.

    There was air here, it just wasn¡¯t earth air. A slight draft cooled her back. The corridor led to a massive lobby, empty except for dust. Lines etched the metal. On the side, a strange contraption had burst from the ground like a desiccated flower with branches bearing tatters of fossilized fabric. Nestra realized it was a seat. A seat for a small creature with four arms.

    ¡°Damn. Is this the realm of another species?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Shinran replied. ¡°I have yet to really explore this place thoroughly.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    ¡°Follow me.¡±

    Other corridors led here, signs of other portal sites. The two walked to a gate that opened in complete silence. All was metal here, unadorned beyond white letters blinking from one shape to another. A wave of light covered her A-rank guide. Since he didn¡¯t seem alarmed, Nestra stood still.

    A series of harmonics filled the tubular platform they found themselves in. It sounded like AI-rendered voices and organ parts forming a complex melody. A moment later, Nestra felt movement. Metal sheets slid down: windows that revealed a narrow tunnel on both sides.

    Nestra felt movement.

    ¡°A subway?¡±

    Shinran shrugged.

    ¡°Or a train. It will lead us to the training center, and nowhere else. I never found any sort of control panel I could understand.¡±

    He was right. There was nothing to interface with from either mundane or magical means. With the lightest hiss, energy fields flashed to life on the windows, just in time to show space.

    Space, and kilometers upon kilometers of light gray metal extending to ¡ª

    The tunnel again.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Nestra called.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t know what this place is, only that it¡¯s large. Very large.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t tried to find out more?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Shinran said somberly. ¡°I am¡­ very concerned about security measures. This place looks entirely automated. When you see what they can do¡­¡±

    Nestra thought that if an A-rank was concerned the security could dust him, she should probably refrain from moving through the walls. This place was weird in her space sight anyway. It felt too structured to be natural, as if realities had been layered here by design. It was scary to think about.

    It took about ten minutes for the tram to arrive. Gauging the speed, she believed they might have traveled about 40 kilometers. The arrival lobby was as large as a delivery warehouse, though just like the previous spot, it was mostly empty.

    ¡°You can return by yourself, by the way. We tested it with a friend,¡± Shinran said in a low voice.

    Nestra wasn¡¯t sure why he whispered but she, too, didn¡¯t feel like raising her voice in this place. His words drifted through her brain without impact anyway, because one of the walls was moving, or rather, a vid was playing on it. Nestra was sure it was one although it gave the perfect illusion of depth, but her sight told her it was wrong. An illusion. Writings in shimmering script flashed on a loop while the previous choir and organ mix played in the background. She got a feeling this wasn¡¯t normal. Were all the walls supposed to be like this? It would explain why the surroundings were so plain. They weren¡¯t supposed to be seen anyway.

    ¡°Some sort of error message?¡± she hazarded.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The writings here, some sort of error message?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Crescent. Looking at them makes my head hurt. The music as well, if I listen for too long.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not music,¡± she objected. ¡°It¡¯s a language.¡±

    She could almost feel it, but her mind was missing a key element. Strange meanings pulled on her Mask even as it was hidden in her dimensional shadow. Unfortunately, the mask was too basic for now. It didn''t understand. She didn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°If you say so. Perhaps your species is more adapted to this place than I am.¡±

    Another shape on the ground made her shake her head. Another floor panel was partly broken and inside, there were metal shapes and tattered fabric of another piece of furniture, this one much wider.

    ¡°No, this is a, errr, modular space. There were various scripts flickering in the corridor when we arrived, and see? There are seats for different sizes and physiognomies hidden under the floor. We¡¯re in a facility designed for multiple species, and the choir song thing is the main language.¡±

    Yes, Nestra was pretty sure she had it.

    ¡°Maybe some sort of training center?¡±

    ¡°A fully automated training center catering to different species? Sugoi desu ne¡­ Hmm. So. I think you must be right. That said, where are the other people?¡±

    ¡°This place looks mothballed. Or it¡¯s functioning at a basic level.¡±

    ¡°I shall leave this question to you. Now follow. We must grow stronger, Crescent. For mankind.¡±

    Nestra shrugged. A training center? With this level of tech, it ought to be pretty solid. She couldn¡¯t wait.

    That left a ton of questions as she walked deeper into the complex, through corridors and hallways in the same gunmetal. Who had built this place? How did it power itself? Were they really in space, or in some weird sub planet thingie? That wouldn¡¯t be surprising considering the only B-class world she¡¯d visited moved around a black hole. Mostly, she was curious and concerned about the tech.

    So far, all the worlds they¡¯d visited showed very low levels of technology compared to mankind. That gave Nestra some hope, because Threshold and quite a few other major enclaves were in the process of melding magic and science to give human raiders an edge. In her mind, mankind had the advantage when it came to applying technology to raiding, but a brief visit in this abandoned facility just proved her wrong. It wasn¡¯t just that it had made Shinran stronger, though that in itself had immense value.

    It was doing it at scale. The multiple corridors, the vast waiting room. Technology was never about having one wunderwaffe. It was about mass production, logistics, systems and so on. One exo armor was ok. An army of raiders wearing exo armor? That would be something else.

    This place was apparently meant to manufacture A-rank raiders like Shinran, and they¡¯d only visited a small part of it. Forget the petty projects Threshold could manage as a single city state in a recovering world. Some civilizations could train a person to be the strongest of their race in a matter of years? And do huge batches as well?

    She just prayed the Gray Demons were unique in the way they could travel between planes, but seeing as Shinran had casually punctured several dimensions to reach this place, she wasn¡¯t sure anymore.

    What was the Incursion, really? Could those lizard things that had almost taken over return? Now, Shinran¡¯s decision to include her made a lot more sense. If invaders attacked earth, what would she choose to do?

    That wasn¡¯t even a question. She kind of liked humans. All her best friends were humans.

    Invaders though?

    Free range hunting. She licked her lips. Wait, no. An invasion would be bad.

    Did Shinran know something she didn¡¯t? Nestra shook her head. She should stop seeing conspiracies everywhere.

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±

    While the path had been linear so far, now they entered a large atrium with several floors reaching to a well-lit ceiling. The gray was still present, but there were what looked like planters near the wall that might have contained living vegetation a very long time before. Only cracked earth remained now. Despite the abandoned and empty feeling of the whole place, Nestra still felt serenity in the slick lines, the pleasant lighting and the way the sounds of their footsteps echoed across the place. Whoever designed this gave a subtle yet present attention to making it welcoming. It made Nestra wonder about the Spartan surroundings they had experienced so far. Something told her it wasn¡¯t supposed to look like this. It was as if she was seeing the back of a theater production, all cheap wood and paint and racks of disguises rather than the pleasant lie of the show itself. The thought comforted her. Although Shinran and his friends were (probably) the only humans to ever step foot there, it still bled humanity through its design choices. Not the species. The attitude.

    ¡°Over there,¡± Shinran said. ¡°That counter. I¡¯ll talk aloud and they will set up a course for you.¡±

    ¡°They?¡± Nestra asked.

    ¡°I have to call the local AI something, yes? The first time I came here, the lights on the counter blinked after I aimlessly ambled for a minute. I believe we are being monitored. Hello! Sorry, I usually ask in Japanese but I think it works with every human language. Anyway. Hello, I would like to set a course for my friend here.¡±

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    A choir song answered. It didn¡¯t sound very positive.

    ¡°Yes, I would like to confirm that she is with me. Please set up the course.¡±

    A wave of light washed over Nestra, who yelped from the intrusion. Suddenly, the lights in the lobby turned red. Alien songs turned into a low, dangerous hum.

    ¡°Wait, wait! She is with me! Yes, I know she¡¯s not human! Please?¡±

    Fuck, if that place wanted Nestra dead¡­

    BEEP.

    The lights returned to normal. Nestra didn¡¯t allow herself a sigh of relief just yet. She was merely surprised to still be in one piece and, say, not evaporated by some mind-boggling security measure. Meanwhile, Shinran was arguing with an organ.

    ¡°I take responsibility for her. My species needs us to be strong. Please let her through.¡±

    Behind the counter, a wall slid open to reveal a pedestal upon which an orb sat. It sounded like a yes to Nestra. To her relief.

    ¡°Good, good. Aaaaaah shimatta. I am sorry, Crescent-san. I think I may have made a mistake here. The machine has not reacted like this with anyone else so far!¡±

    ¡°Well, they were human.¡±

    ¡°In any case, ah, sorry, please go in. I will conduct my own practice, and be ready for when you return.¡±

    Despite her misgivings, Nestra still entered the room. The door panel slid shut behind her. She placed her hand on the pedestal while feeling very silly.

    Why had the facility not reacted to her before? She thought she knew why: it wasn¡¯t looking for her, and so it didn¡¯t see her. The Aszhii resistance to mechanical observation worked even on advanced systems, but it didn¡¯t work well enough to fool the machines: they¡¯d still detected her when scanning her. It was a warning, but also an invitation. If she were smart¡­ but no, no. It was far too soon for her to explore around. let them teach her first.

    Runes appeared in the air in front of Nestra. Once again, she gasped. They were in Aszhii.

    ¡°Emergency sector commander override accepted.

    Invasive species training order accepted.

    Subject: Monochrome Reaver.

    Base capabilities assessment: ERROR, scanning inconclusive.

    Please place a non-destructive appendage on the console.¡±

    Nestra forced herself to exist more so she could give the base a read. It was probably fine. She didn¡¯t think an automated training AI counted as a dangerous leak. If it did, well, fuck it. She wanted to grow stronger.

    A part of her was annoyed it understood Aszhii. This was the language of the People. Only the People may speak it. Blasphemy!

    ¡°Base capabilities assessment: ERROR, no reference.

    Assessment required.

    Building training course¡­ built.

    Please step in when ready.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing I brought my sword,¡± Nestra thought.

    She stepped in. The world blurred around her.

    Mana, lots of it. The scent of wet earth and exotic flowers. A garden of purple blooms shining in the dark warm night. Tall humanoids standing all around her, many taller than she was, with long thin ears bobbing in surprise. The sight made her mind blank for an instant, but not too long. Shrill cries erupted all around her. In front, a temple-like structure stood proud. Delicate statues adorned every pillar. Two spearmen turned at the commotion.

    A voice shouted inside of her head. It was a song, half Aszhii, half delicate harmonics turned harsh and vicious.

    KILL

    Nestra was surging forward before the echoes could fade from her consciousness. Momentum carried her past the pointed tips and she struck, once, twice. Blood stained the flower bed. Crimson on court dresses. She was past the column. Other guards. D-class, trained.

    She was feeling power. Was she killing real people? Was she? Fuck! But no, it couldn¡¯t be. The space hadn¡¯t twisted to send her to another dimension. It felt hazy, unclear around her, not real. probably. A spear tip brushed against her shoulder.

    Ow. Real enough. But not¡­ underserved murder.

    KILL

    Nestra tore through the guards. There was a room at the heart of the temple, with guards forming a spear line. She jumped through a wall instead. Inside, she saw other revelers. Three powerful ones, a woman and two men. The older one surged towards her with a long, sharp sword. The younger took off a saber and the woman called for lightning. Nestra tried to bat the old one¡¯s blade aside but he flipped it to avoid contact. He wasn¡¯t too strong but he was good. Real good! She narrowed her attacks to force him to deflect, using less of her strength and her full speed. Crimson lifeforce stained the man¡¯s green doublet. He was pushed back.

    A saber went for her head. She kicked the man instead. Electricity hit her, coursing through her body like a tickle. She pretended to be stunned.

    The men went for her heart and head. Very clean. At the last second, Nestra parried the sword to her chest. Her armguard blocked the saber. It still hurt. Lots of power behind those swings.

    She thrust her blade in the old man¡¯s chest. The other two screamed. Another saber slice. Block. Use her strength to unbalance. Move in. Kill. The woman screamed, all the mana in her budding spell turning into a wave of power that smashed chairs, scoured the ground. Her rage and grief hit Nestra like a slap. Two fingers pointed forward and Nestra managed to land a dot of potential on the woman¡¯s chest.

    Void met undirected electricity. Void won. The woman¡¯s ribcage burst open.

    The world faded around Nestra.

    Good mana. Light, crisp, that of the morning. A blue sky painted through by rays of gold. A forest in the distance. Flat-topped pyramids forming a metropolis challenging the encroaching jungle. The smell of blood. The cry of a woman. Or¡­ a female thing, in any case. She looked very very thin and short, almost malnourished with bat-like features. Gray skin. A coarse shift covered most of her body.

    RUN

    Nestra didn¡¯t wait. An alarm blared behind her, well, at least Nestra thought it might be one. Trills erupted as warriors emerged from everywhere, wearing red armor of woven leather strips. Javelins whistled past her ears. She jumped on a rope linking the ziggurat she was on with the next one, bypassing a group of spearmen who trilled with fury. Her balance was good enough to let her run, but soon her instincts screamed in alarm. She dove just in time to avoid a wave of projectiles. Something hit her arm though it failed to pierce the Skin.

    To the side, one of the guards gave her a venomous glare as he loaded a bright-feathered dart into a blowpipe.

    ¡°Ffft!¡±

    Nestra twisted midair. The shot went high. She hit the ground at a dead sprint. The blowpipe guy was C-rank, and not a pushover. She¡¯d landed in the middle of the next pyramid. A dark entrance waited invitingly.

    It was probably a maze inside that thing. Better not to try. She rushed up, past a yelping assembly of other creatures wearing feathered headbands. She sprinted across the flat top before loading herself with electricity. Her burst of speed came just in time to dodge another blow dart. More C-rank creatures were failing to keep pace with her but they had things to throw. Nestra was forced to veer unpredictably so she could dodge most of those. A javelin nicked her shoulder despite her high resistance. It stung.

    RUN

    She went over a third ziggurat. Beyond lay a ring of smaller stone structures and a shanty. From the greatest pyramid, a horrible trill pierced through the morning air. It carried grief, rage, outrage, and pain without equal. Others echoed it. Nestra stole a glance back to see a tall creature holding above it the smaller form of a dead one, its blue blood dripping down muscular arms. The cry was so strong that for an instant, the city held its breath, and Nestra took a few triumphant steps towards the jungle and the haven it offered.

    And then the city roared. Just as Nestra rushed down the last steps, all the creatures around her rushed her with fanatic rage. A mass of the beings surged from every doorsteps in a mass of clawing flesh eager to rush at her. Their warcries made the stone under her feet buzz. She dodged a mob of reaching creatures and dove through the walls of the first wood structure.

    It smelled bad inside. She was in and out, but they found her. They were everywhere. She ran through alleys, over roofs where javelins followed, through a stone structure standing empty and into a group of people she bowled over. She used momentum to teleport past a group of soldiers, who shot at her back, hitting the civilians grabbing for her. Darts hit old people. A javelin skewered a woman who still grabbed at her with bloodied hands, a bloodied mouth, eyes full of murder. Nestra dodged and released electricity into the next group of soldiers to give herself a window. She moved right, she moved left. She walked through more walls into more squirming, grasping, biting hordes of maddened creatures. Some of the C-rank had managed to corner her now that she was slowing down. They came at her with knives, so she killed them with her sword. They came at her with spears next. She was almost there. It was¡­ exhilarating. Standing alone against the world and winning.

    A wall of soldiers made for her, with a second line behind for after she¡¯d teleported.

    Nestra released a burst of shadow-aspected mana. The void version was dark and hungry. It spread through the crowd like an angry cloud, scaring them for a second before fading under the vengeful sun. It was enough. She was past the first line. She was past the second line, then over a cesspit of stinking refuse and into the jungle.

    The world faded again.

    Strong mana. Heat. The smell of heated metal and beyond that, the pungent stench of giant insect blood. A creature in heavy black armor grabbed Nestra. It was squat and weird, with long limbs. Nestra spotted mandibles moving under the heavy helmet. An acrid smell assailed her nose. She didn¡¯t hear anything but clicks, but she could guess what it wanted.

    She was surrounded by wounded creatures bearing the same dark armor. In front of her, a thick line of similar warriors fought a pitched battle against similar entities in red armor at the foot of some active volcano. Nestra wasn¡¯t a general but even she could tell the black armor dudes were fucked. They were cornered, outnumbered, and she could see a mage working behind enemy lines to heal wounded red warriors. The opposing force also boasted a powerful C-rank commander who killed soldiers on her side with methodical strikes using a hooked hammer. She took it all in with a glance.

    VANQUISH

    Could she rally her side?

    Absolutely the fuck not.

    Nestra was a disruptor, not a commander, and she knew exactly what to do to win this. With powerful strides, she sprinted towards the thick of the battle. Soldiers on her side looked back with alarm.

    She used momentum to bypass most of the frontlines. Red armor soldiers jumped her as she reappeared, but powerful strikes of her void-infused sword cleaved through their armor like butter. Yellow ichor sprayed her Skin, which complained a bit.

    The wound in her shoulder stung. It wasn¡¯t closed yet. She was still¡­ wait, she was still wounded? From the previous simulation?

    VANQUISH

    The mage noticed her. It raised a shield made of life mana, a very curious construct. She would mention it to Valerian. It was useless. Even as soldiers rushed her, and the commander fell back with a hiss, she charged herself with electricity. A bolt thundered on the shield but didn¡¯t pierce through. Wounded warriors formed a wall to block her.

    She used momentum again. The electricity blast raged through the assembled warriors. The shield cracked. Using precision, she stabbed through the narrowest chink, perforating the healer from end to end. Void mana poisoned his innards. His healing magic failed to repel it.

    The shield failed.

    Nestra opened the armored healer like a can. Her blade hit the ground, then she was a whirlwind, cutting soldiers where they stood. Many of them were on the weaker side of C-rank but they were absolutely no match for her. Too bland and predictable. More power filled her. It was¡­ weird power. Mostly undirected. But it was power nonetheless.

    This told her the creatures were probably fake, but the mana wasn¡¯t. Her painful shoulder confirmed much of it was real.

    The commander struck, a powerful overhead blow that she deflected down and to the side. Basalt shards showered them both. He was very strong. Her counter ripped on the side of a magically reinforced pauldron. A skill? probably a skill. She wished she could loot his corpse to feed the Skin but it didn¡¯t seem like it was an option.

    Nestra grinned. That was fine. She was having fun. She was learning.

    The commander tried to dig his weapon into her flank. She blocked, feet digging grooves into the blackened stone. She ducked under a second strike in the same spot, finding the edge of its shield. Her strike pushed him back but his armor held. He¡¯d moved at the last moment.

    Her abyssal eyes met his compound ones, deep under the helmet.

    ¡°Ah, I love defensive fighters. So fun to peel open!¡±

    It spat a cloud of pheromones in her direction. It smelled like blood. Nestra didn¡¯t teleport, didn¡¯t use her spell.

    She was going to carve it up the old fashioned way.

    ***

    Weak mana. The familiar smell of charred meat and offal. A strange, animal sweat. Dim light. Gray sky visible through broken windows. Nestra was tired. The commander''s fight had been long and tiring, and by the time she was done, her side had managed to claim victory by enduring the assault. A painful gash on her thigh was still knitting itself back together.

    She was in a ruined building made of large bricks. Shapes squatted around her, stocky humanoids with bone ridges where the hair ought to be. They had almost flat faces. Padded armor clung to their muscular shapes. their eyes were flat, round, and worried. They were waiting on her. Helmets waited on the ground. They were sweating. It smelled of fear.

    LEAD.

    One of the strange creatures pointed at a nearby tower, out the gash that used to be a window. A flag was there.

    Nestra looked at the quiet, resigned bunch. They were not real but¡­ their model definitely was. There was something intense and desperate in the posture of people doomed to die, yet unable to avoid it. They gripped their weapons like lifelines. Those were repeater crossbows, really nice ones with pulleys and everything. She realized she had one as well. And a tower shield. And some sort of small metal pineapple. She had a pretty good idea about what those were.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try something.¡±

    Nestra signed for the squad to gather. They stood with varying degrees of enthusiasm, fastening their helmets as they went. She signed that she would take point. With natural ease, they gathered in a circle at her back. All their shields pointed towards the side where the tower was.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    How did those weird aliens know MaxSec signs? Probably part of the exercise. She led her merry band out into a devastated city. Smoke emerged from distant buildings. The retort of strange guns came and in the distance, there were flames.

    Corpses wearing her side¡¯s uniform were strewn about, among the debris of the nearest street. They taught her that the flimsy armor her allies wore was completely useless, and the helmet as well since the bodies had sprouted feather shafts. The shields looked like they could take a beating though. She studied the distant shape of the tower, searching a way through the ravaged urban hellscape.

    There was a good path a little to the side that would give them cover for most of the approach. She assumed the tower¡¯s immediate surroundings were heavily populated.

    Nestra moved again, only for her intuition to scream. She pivoted and lowered her shoulder at the same time. With a sound of breaking wood, something punched through her shield. It didn¡¯t manage to get through the skin underneath, fortunately.

    Still stung a bit.

    Nestra lifted her crossbow before the squad could react. She gauged where the quarrel had come from, and found a glint of metal in a nearby window. She shot before the next bolt could land. She missed. She was just a bit low.

    Crossbows didn¡¯t have recoil, dammit!

    Her squad reacted though. Together, they lodged enough quarrels through that opening to silence it. Nestra wasn¡¯t sure they¡¯d gotten the unlucky sniper and she didn¡¯t overly care. With a gesture, her squad rushed towards a nearby building to take cover.

    There were charred corpses inside. Enemy combatants, judging from the melted crossbows they held. They didn¡¯t wear a uniform.

    Nestra didn¡¯t like that. She still led her soldiers farther in, past a demolished building and along the broad facade of a collapsed structure. It might have been a church, or a very large factory. She couldn¡¯t tell. Nothing was left of the architecture but rubble.

    As they walked along a low wall, Nestra saw movement on the tower side. She gestured for the squad to take cover just as the first bolts smashed into the wall and their raised shields.

    ¡°Move up,¡± she said.

    Slowly, the squad crawled forward under a rain of projectiles, and this time, they were not very precise. The cover was excellent anyway. She stole a glance up.

    A group of five or six creatures were pushing a stubby mortar thing towards them, above and to the side. A small railing provided cover to a group of fighters in drab cloaks. Nestra waited a bit, even as her squad moved up.

    ¡°On my mark, provide cover,¡± she said.

    They put the mortar down. A young creature approached with a large ball in its strained arms.

    ¡°Mark.¡±

    Nestra surged up and shot, soon followed by her soldiers. The foes yelped and panicked. The young one dropped the ball as he reached for his chest, which now sported a serrated quarrel.

    Nestra pulled the pin on her alien grenade, throwing it immediately. The soldiers kept exchanging bolts even as the canon servants screeched in alarm. One of Nestra¡¯s men fell dead with a bolt through the skull.

    The grenade exploded. A fiery conflagration engulfed the canon and all those who had ignored the warning. Torched figures dancing a macabre waltz fell from the railings. Others died away.

    The path was clear. Several soldiers kneeled by their fallen comrade. Even though this wasn¡¯t real, there was something poignant about their quiet pain, something uncomfortably familiar.

    ¡°We can¡¯t help. We¡¯ve got to keep going.¡±

    They didn¡¯t object, but one of them closed the eyes of the dead one. Maybe it was a universal gesture.

    Again, her immersion in the sim was broken because it was just a little too realistic. It hit just a little too close to home.

    She signed to move on. The squad followed her along desolate piles of rubble. They came across fresh corpses from both sides soon after. Nestra knew there was a war going, but the use of crossbows made the battlefield disturbingly quiet. Finally, they reached the edge of what appeared to be a fortified area. There were barricades on every street, and the fallen buildings were reinforced with stones when they threatened to open a gap. Nestra noticed sentries at the top of a nearby building, one of the more intact ones. It appeared quite solid. The creatures there looked the other way, towards the shortest route she could have picked, and where fires roared incessantly. The loud retort of mortars became more prevalent.

    Nestra made the sign to wait. Clad in shadows, she sprinted across the open ground and to the base of the sentry building. Scaling the sheer walls was easy: damage offered all the footholds she needed.

    There were three sentries on top. She dispatched them and then looked beyond to a fierce battle fought without words and without guns. Bolts whistled through the air as her side attempted to scale the high walls of the flag compound. Mortars and militia defended it with determination, peppering shield formations as they approached. It was a battle of attrition, bloody and merciless. Nestra found an accessway to the flag tower at the center of the main building, past a flight of stairs.

    Now she just had to get her squad up. Fortunately, one of them had a rope he sent her using a hooked bolt. They slowly climbed with a wariness that told her they were exhausted. Finally, they gathered at the edge of the sentry tower¡¯s walls.

    Nestra made the sign for grenades, then for aim, and then for ammo. They treated theirs with reverence and quite a bit of fear.

    She signed to throw.

    To her dismay, one of the grenades exploded mid-air. So that was why! The rest of them hit true though. Mortar shell stockpiles went up in flames in a great conflagration. Chaos spread through the militiamen. In the following screams, smoke, and confusion, Nestra led her squad through the enemy ranks and to the flag tower, shooting down anyone who blocked their path.

    The flag was only defended by a grizzled old creature with a knife. Nestra dispatched him easily. She touched the shaft.

    The world faded.

    ***

    Light. Good mana. Perfume, and lots of it. Nestra blinked. She was sitting in a tall chair, in a tent, facing an incredibly tall and thin humanoid with large liquid brown eyes. The creature was probably female. She wore exquisite maid robes that covered her lithe shape in a long, flowing waterfall of pink fabric. A strangely shaped pot waited on a table between the both of them.

    ¡°And to what do I owe this visit?¡± the creature asked in a melodious voice that Nestra somehow understood.

    MANIPULATE

    Nestra needed to convince the creature to leave the tent with her.

    ¡°Hm. Hello?¡± she replied.

    Something in Nestra¡¯s hesitant tone alarmed the creature. She reached for a bell.

    ¡°Ah, fuck it.¡±

    Nestra stood on the table, grabbed the creature by the throat and tossed her through the nearby fabric.

    The world faded.

    ***

    This time, there was nothing but gray space around Nestra, yet she was still standing. Space was bending in a weird way all around her though she wasn¡¯t alarmed. It had been doing so for the whole test.

    Primary assessment complete.

    Combat potential: immense.

    Infiltration potential: immense.

    Magic potential: great.

    Leadership potential: average.

    Social potential: none.

    ¡°Hey, someone said I have some leadership potential!¡±

    It was the first time it happened! Nestra was so chuffed.

    Recommendation: Assassin/Reaver training. Arcane training.

    Limit testing assessment beginning.

    ***

    Fire mana. A dusty plain swept by the winds under a merciless sun, bathing the world in a deathly embrace. A man, tall, thin, covered in bandages that dance like so many hair strands. Only his eyes were visible, and the pupils were slit like those of a cat. It removed two hand scythes from its back. They locked in front of him.

    KILL

    Nestra charged. She thrust with great power, but the twin scythes rose and locked the blade, stopping it clean.

    Which was when Nestra stepped in, pivoted, and socked him in the ribs with an uppercut that sent him flying. The shock elicited a grunt of pain. Fire flew from his fingers, bathing Nestra who charged herself with electricity. She countered, and both combatants fell back, she, covered in flames, he, scoured by shadowy arcs.

    ¡°That tickled,¡± Nestra said, and she used momentum to teleport behind him.

    ***

    Nestra killed the mage first, then her blade found the throat of the assassin. She blasted the archer mid air while its arrow pinged on one of her horns.

    ¡°Ow! HEY!¡±

    Those were really sensitive.

    Nestra caught the knight¡¯s blade, deflected it and used momentum to avoid a spear. A veil of shadow covered her retreat, then she went back in.

    Squads of C-rank fighters were pretty easy. She needed¡­ more. The lone duelists were the best. She was learning so much!

    ***

    Very high mana. A bedroom. A woman, waking up with a gasp, reaching for her sword. She was standing before Nestra could react.

    KILL

    Fencer. B-rank.

    B-rank.

    Nestra engaged her in a whirlwind of blows that devastated the chamber in moments. The female creature with long ears and a delicate frame battled her, grace and discipline versus power and unpredictability. Every feint, every trick Nestra knew flowed into each other in an unrelenting attack that prevented her foe from recovering. The air already cut at her exposed skin as they ravaged their way throughout a luxurious mansion. Charged electricity kept the woman¡¯s growing storm at bay but Nestra was falling behind. Time for a desperate gambit! Nestra rushed. She let the woman¡¯s sword dig into her arm. She grit her teeth through the pain.

    A blast at point blank range surprised the woman. Blood seeped from a deep wound in her torso, but it wasn¡¯t enough to kill her. Damn B-rank resilience. Still, an opening! Nestra struck, batting the woman¡¯s sword aside.

    She thrust. The woman tried to parry, although it wouldn¡¯t be enough. Nestra¡¯s sword cut into her throat.

    And then, the sword burst in tiny, void-corrupted fragments.

    The woman stabbed Nestra in the heart.

    The world faded.

    Test completed.

    Calibration process suspended.

    Healing candidate.

    Sending candidate back to the lobby.

    ***

    ¡°No! Noooo! That piece of shit. Send me back! I¡¯ll kill her!¡±

    Calibration interrupted by user: Emergency Sector Commander.

    Test will resume once the candidate returns.

    ¡°Crescent,¡± a polite voice said.

    ¡°Send me back, Shinran!¡±

    He looked worried. Nestra realized she¡¯d screamed at him in Aszhii. ARG! She was having so much fun but now she¡¯d lost. LOST! Fucking shit gear that couldn¡¯t take a fucking decent fight without falling to fucking pieces. This was bullshit.

    ¡°I cannot.¡±

    ¡°The fuck you can,¡± she replied in English, ¡°you have clearance.¡±

    ¡°I do?¡±

    ¡°The machine says you do. It speaks my language.¡±

    Shinran paused for a second, which was a really long time for an A-rank.

    Please enter an identifier to create a user profile.

    ¡°NEZHRA!¡±

    Candidate ID entered: NEZHRA!

    Identity accepted.

    Unique user profile created.

    ¡°Well, maybe you can have a conversation next time. For now, we must return,¡± Shinran said.

    ¡°But I¡¯m not tired!¡±

    ¡°We have been here for over eight hours. Neither of us can afford to disappear for very long, Crescent.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. Right. I can¡¯t disappear or my family will have my ass. This place is amazing though!¡±

    ¡°We can raid again tomorrow, if you wish,¡± Shinran said with a smile.

    He seemed very satisfied with the situation.

    ¡°Did you enjoy yourself?¡±

    ¡°It was FANTASTIC! Even more fun than raiding.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I have been waiting for this for so long,¡± he said with obvious pleasure.

    ¡®For what?¡±

    His smile widened. It was not a nice one. The quiet priestly persona cracked and now, she spotted the red demon armor emerging from his skin under the casual shirt. There was a hint of madness in his gaze. Nestra realized he was a mirror of her, but she recognized something she didn¡¯t particularly like: her own hubris.

    ¡°A kindred spirit,¡± he replied.

 Part 47

    It was perhaps for the best that Shinran had other engagements the following day, or nobody could have dragged Nestra away from the other battle maniac¡¯s mansion. She wanted more. She was desperate for more. The missions were fun and interesting and more importantly, they were perfectly adjusted to her level. Well, maybe except for the social missions. Portal worlds were definitely more raw. Mostly, they told someone to go from point A to point B in a relatively smart way, and that was it. The one advantage they had was that they were real with real monsters, and as such her essence could eagerly swallow that of its monsters, which provided her with improvements and resistances.

    Nestra found herself drawn in three different directions. She wanted to work with the city, because she was curious about Fox Mask and, well, she had a chip on her shoulder if she had to be honest. Another part of her wanted the carefully curated lessons offered by Shinran: a way to hone her techniques. It was something she had loved since she¡¯d started to practice with a sword, that exhilarating feeling of making real progress. The third direction was purely Aszhii. This one wanted to raid, again and again, become so strong and resilient that an army couldn¡¯t stop her, feed off the cores of the vanquished. All three reflected various aspects of her personality. All three were within her grasp. She merely had to choose.

    Time felt like her greatest enemy.

    Ok so she had to choose but there was a schedule, so since Shinran was out, raiding and training it was. She spent half a day reviewing security protocol, then pulled the public files of the people who were going to be on the expedition. It wasn¡¯t complete because some of the candidates were still being picked. She still learned a lot. Ilar wasn¡¯t just bringing good negotiators. He was also bringing quite a few heavy hitters. If things got¡­ complicated, there was a good chance the Threshold delegation could turn the entire mountain summit to slag before being taken down. The Enclavers would know it. They would understand the message behind it: we don¡¯t trust you and we¡¯re not impressed by you.

    It was weird how this diplomatic meeting was set up to be as undiplomatic as humanly possible. Nestra wondered how much of Ragnarok¡¯s influence was at play here. Mayor Kim¡¯s party was pretty neutral, enclaves-wise. The government was focusing on resurrecting international trade at the moment. Old Steel She-Wolf though? She¡¯d made her opinion of gleam mob bosses pretty clear.

    Nestra wondered if her mask would survive the expedition unscathed. It made things pretty exciting, to be honest. She should still use the time she had to grow as strong as possible. As her Dad always said: Those who quote ¡®Fortune favors the bold¡¯ have the shortest life expectancy. Fortune favored the prepared mind, and the prepared body. Nestra might not be the sharpest broadsword in the arsenal, but she was pretty good at consistent efforts. It was time to put it to good use.

    ***

    Three months later.

    The shadow core pulsed idly in the chamber of Nestra¡¯s mind palace, mirroring her improved control. She called power, the mana coiling around her arm like a snake. This shadow wasn¡¯t the hungry beast Tenneru had wielded like a living thing. Nestra had no need for more offensive power. Instead, her shadows were a prowling, hungry thing. They envied. They hid. They stole.

    She wondered what a therapist would have to say about that, not that she¡¯d ever ask. What mattered was that her arcane training bore fruit. Shinran¡¯s training center had a weird way of making her practice. It placed her into the remembered consciousness of someone who¡¯d mastered the spell, then had her repeat it to try and remember the sensation. It had worked surprisingly well considering she wasn¡¯t exactly a mage. Those shadows would serve her well during the expedition. After all, Crescent wasn¡¯t invited.

    It would be really stupid to get caught in her true form.

    Nestra inspected her Hall of Resistances next. She¡¯d been focusing on her skin recently, with some good results. Her sensory and cold resistances lagged behind. This wasn¡¯t exactly a problem she could solve easily, simply because she hadn¡¯t been traveling.

    In a way, portals reflected the reality outside of them. Nestra believed the pocket dimensions latched onto a related and similar stretch of reality. If she wanted to face cold beasts, Nestra would have to travel to a cold place. She had already gathered as much as she could from the handful of portal worlds connected to refrigerated warehouses. The life of an Aszhii was one of travels. She was merely¡­ belaying her departure from the nest. It didn¡¯t help that only novelty provided benefits. She had tried doing the same dungeon twice but with different parameters, like using a spear or using only magic. It didn¡¯t work. She got raw progress from a kind of monster only once. After that, they were old news, and her essence rejected them.

    Humans really were the only exception.

    She still wasn¡¯t sure what to think about that.

    Shaking her imaginary head, Nestra checked the planetarium next. There were no new links to be made between her ¡®stats¡¯, but those had progressed nicely. Power and celerity dominated the false sky. She judged she was past the mid-range for C-rank Aszhii abilities. Resilience, awareness, and mind speed were decent but her magical stats lagged behind. This was due to a combination of monster availability and opportunity costs. Nestra¡¯s way of disposing of her enemies was to whack them with a sword, therefore she needed strength and speed. If her favored method was fireball to the head, she would have gone out of her way to improve mana control, power, and regeneration.

    Satisfied with her progress, Nestra opened her eyes. The gloomy light of November greeted her from behind her den¡¯s windows. A light drizzle drummed pleasantly on the roof while the fresh scent of orange pulp tickled her nose from the kitchen area. It was a bit after ten, so an Aszhii early morning.

    Today was going to be a busy day.

    ***

    ¡°You¡¯ve changed, Nestra.¡±

    Aunt Claire seemed happy enough, but there was something guarded in her eyes when she poked a slice of mozzarella. Nestra didn¡¯t like that. Not at all. Aunt Claire was never closed.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked, suddenly worried.

    ¡°Look, huh, I don¡¯t know how to say it. Oh, don¡¯t look at me with that puppy face, Nes. You¡¯re just¡­ more dangerous. Are you training for the diplomatic mission?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Nestra replied, feeling a chill run up her spine. ¡°Err, I¡¯ve actually killed monsters in the jungle.¡±

    ¡°The Playground? That¡¯s what we call the place where the army gleams go to experience real life.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm. Yeah. That. I bagged a couple neosaurs.¡±

    Aunt Claire nodded appreciatively.

    ¡°I think I remember those are weak D-class right? I don¡¯t remember for sure.¡±

    ¡°Claire, it¡¯s in the basic test.¡±

    ¡°So what? I never had to take it.¡±

    She shrugged.

    ¡°Your parents and I came here with the first cargo ships back when this place was just a monster-infested harbor. Neosaurs were never a threat to me. Only those big fucking pterodactyl thingies were a bother. Anyway, well done. It sounds very impressive. You, uh, is your core back? Since you are killing creatures?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Nestra blinked. ¡°No! The mana leaves my body after I kill something. Well, most of it does. You reckon my core could come back?¡±

    ¡°I suppose not. You just have more mana in your body, so I was wondering if it could somehow grow. Maybe it¡¯s the food?¡±

    ¡°Probably¡­¡±

    ¡°Some sort of¡­ raider adjacent mechanism. I wonder if it will affect¡­ no, probably not. It can only be beneficial¡­¡±

    The powerful raider muttered to herself like some deranged lunatic. She released her grip on her aura, and a scarred veteran a few tables away turned with a frown. He might have recognized Claire because he merely shook his head.

    ¡°Claire?¡±

    ¡°What? Oh, sorry. I was getting distracted.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, beneficial?¡±

    ¡°Your health, dearie. I am a bit concerned. Your case is unique. It could affect you in many ways. I do not believe that finally having some mana in your system would be a bad thing. The quirkies do it and they¡¯re fine. Do you still have cravings?¡±

    ¡°Not so long as I eat properly.¡±

    ¡°Good. Great. Actually, killing monsters might help you further¡­ Maybe I should help¡­¡±

    Nestra felt a rush of excitement. It would be kind of fun to hunt monsters in the jungle alongside Aunt Claire, even with her own packed schedule.

    ¡°No wait, Debbie would freeze all my digits off if I dragged you off into the wilderness.¡±

    ¡°Aw, come on.¡±

    ¡°No, I will not be swayed. Wait, you are distracting me! Why do you need to kill Neosaurs for a goddamn diplomatic mission? Hmmm?¡±

    ¡°I, errr, safety training? Just to be sure. It¡¯s all part of survival training in the jungles, just in case. I think it¡¯s standard operation protocol for everyone who stays out of the walls for any extended period of time.¡±

    ¡°That is nonsense, dearie. Do you imagine those stuffy corpo drones trudging their way through the mud before visiting the Bazaar? Come on. Where is that mission?¡±

    ¡°The Sword King Enclave.¡±

    ¡°Those cunts? They¡¯re sending you out there? Who¡¯s your superior?¡±

    ¡°Clecleeeeee!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t Clecle me. Who¡¯s bringing a bonehead like you to sweet talk a bunch of glorified gang bosses?¡±

    ¡°Me, a bone head? Pot? Meet kettle.¡±

    ¡°I know what I am. I don¡¯t go on diplomatic missions. I get fined for hurling insults at important people during meetings. Why are they bringing you? I find this all very fishy, dearie.¡±

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m here for reasons I can¡¯t discuss. I¡¯ll be safe.¡±

    Aunt Claire didn¡¯t seem convinced. She interrogated Nestra in an indirect way by asking about her gear, a good attempt to learn more though Nestra was used to those tactics by now. Nestra couldn¡¯t chase a shadow of fear from crawling through her mind, infecting it with the seeds of hopelessness. Beyond the expedition business, Aunt Claire could tell something was unusual about Nestra. The bullshit excuses that she¡¯d made up would serve to explain what was wrong, but it would only last for a time. Her true self was changing her human mask in subtle ways. Sereth was the same. Although his human mask was designed to be a drab, he possessed a natural magnetism that explained part of his commercial success and most of his dating success (before he met Stibbs). Sereth was just charming in a happy-go-lucky sort of way. Her true self was starting to seep through her mask, a phenomenon that would have been fine if she¡¯d been an exceptional gleam raider. Unfortunately, she was not. People who knew her well would start to wonder what was going on. Especially her mom.

    One day, they would find out. Helena was cool with it because she was young and ¡®wired¡¯. Her parents, though? Nestra wasn¡¯t really sure. Maybe they would buy the transformation power lie. Maybe not. probably not.

    Fuck.

    Maybe one day it would be her dad¡¯s metal arm going through her chest.

    ¡°Are you alright, dearie?¡±

    ¡°I think I need some dessert.¡±

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Yes, enjoy the moment while you can. Those Sword King assholes probably slice a mango and call it a delicacy. Not that there¡¯s anything wrong with mangoes, mind you¡­¡±

    Nestra let Aunt Claire ramble on while she pushed down the feeling that those precious moments might one day be lost to her.

    Could she even do anything about it? She didn¡¯t know. Mazingwe had been cool with it but he was a doctor¡­

    Dammit.

    ***

    ¡°Welcome to the final briefing.¡±

    A dozen people filed into the bland meeting room with all the enthusiasm of unpaid interns. It smelled of coffee and soap. Nestra recognized the cheap, ubiquitous ¡®Threshold chair¡¯ under her ass, that familiar wooden discomfort she¡¯d been experiencing even at the police academy. Seventeen credits a pop. Delivered by Touhei drones in under one hour. She checked the corners out of habit. Yep. The floor area rugs didn¡¯t correctly stick to the walls. Ah, Threshold contractors paid minimum wage, providing minimum service in return. Her heart went out to them.

    It was in this familiar public service setting that an eclectic bunch of gleams and augs sat around, doing their best to ignore each other before the compulsory introduction. Nestra recognized them anyway. Derek Clint and Cai Weiwei, augs, their pilots and tech security specialist. Chandra Satya, the stunningly beautiful economic attache, a trade deal veteran. The stern Watanabe who had more scars than most gleams she knew, and was a renowned B-class duelist. She knew their profiles and that of their aides like the back of her hand. She¡¯d been reading through them for quite some time now. This expedition had taken longer than planned to take off. Maybe the Sword Kings had preferred to clean house first.

    Once everyone was uncomfortably seated, Ilar spoke with the ease of the experienced manager.

    ¡°Hello everyone. As I just said, this is the last briefing we will be holding before the start of the expedition proper. I have brought everyone up to speed on their respective roles, so the goal for today is just for you to meet and familiarize with each other. I will also be going over the overarching purposes of this expedition. The township is placing a lot of expectations on this trip. It¡¯s going to be a challenging task in a challenging environment, so keep that in mind during the proceedings. Now first thing first, let¡¯s introduce each other¡­¡±

    Nestra turned her brain off while everyone ¡®said a few things about themselves¡¯, a dreadful task but also a familiar one. There were no bright eyed juniors here. Everyone had a rehearsed sentence for this sort of affair, and Nestra was no different. It was interesting to see how Chandra could be so convincing when she said she was excited to be here. It was a fat lie, of course, but Nestra respected the hustle. The ass sniffing part of meeting a new team used to be torture to her. Now, it was more like¡­. like a bowel movement. Just a necessary part of government job life. And she was paid to do it anyway.

    ¡°Right, now that we¡¯re all introduced, let¡¯s get started. We have two goals and one condition for this trip. Our first goal, the official one, is to enter a business relationship with the Sword King Enclave, which will allow Threshold to extend its network of influence over the center of the subcontinent with minimal costs. This will be the role of the diplomatic team.¡±

    He nodded towards the neatly dressed folks who nodded in return. They didn¡¯t look like they expected it would be fun.

    ¡°Our second role is to inform the Sword King Enclave, in no uncertain terms, that we are not impressed by them, their values, or their relentless attempts to steal from us. This will be achieved by showing they are a medium-sized fish in a tiny pond. Some of you will support this goal with words, some with actions, and a few others by merely existing.¡±

    He spared a glance towards Nestra and the augs before continuing.

    ¡°The last thing I want to talk about is safety. The necessary condition for Threshold to succeed is that we all return alive. I will repeat in case this wasn¡¯t clear. We must all return alive and well. Do you understand?¡±

    There were a few nods around the room. Nestra didn¡¯t react. She¡¯d been to enough briefings to tell Ilar wasn¡¯t done.

    ¡°Even if you say you do, I¡¯ll remind you of the situation. We will no longer be in Threshold. That means no fast army support, no hospital, no advanced surveillance system, no food quality standards, no logistics, no transports, and the local law enforcement is not on your side. You will be overly cautious to the point of paranoia. If one of the fine ladies or gents of the enclave show a sudden and burning interest in you, congratulations, you have been deemed vulnerable to a honeypot scheme. They¡¯re here to get something out of you.¡±

    Luckily for Nestra, she was immune.

    ¡°If something looks too good to be true, it is. If a group of surprise friends invite you to go out and drink in the jungle, don¡¯t go. In fact, never go out alone. You will meet nice enclavers and you will be tempted to strike friendships. By all means, do, but remember something.¡±

    Ilar breathed in deep, and under the outward persona of a well-groomed gleam, Nestra saw something incredibly human, incredibly intense.

    ¡°I am not telling you this as your superior. I am telling you this as a student of history. The way you view the world and the way they view it is fundamentally different. Enclavers have reverted to feudalism and the rule of the strongest. The only reason¡­ Let me repeat myself. The only reason why modern civilization has survived in fortress cities is because there have been enough powerful users who¡¯ve agreed to hold themselves back for the sake of humanity. Shinran, the guild leaders, the Chaebol founding families, you might have strong opinions about them. I don¡¯t care. What you need to understand is that they all agreed to curtail their own power for the sake of a higher order, something the enclavers elected not to do. What makes modern civilization isn¡¯t hover cars, advanced armies, technology, none of it. The enclavers can procure them too. Those benefits are a consequence of a belief in a higher order, in a greater purpose. Our justice exists for its own sake, while their justice is an instrument of repression.¡±

    Nestra knew it wasn''t exactly true but she got the point. Real justice was an ideal to strive for. In reality, poor people were always going to be shafted. The point was to be shafted less.

    ¡°Our government works for the common good, not the continuation of its own existence. Our economy gives a chance to everyone, not just the select few,¡± he continued with a burning passion.

    It was clear his audience wasn¡¯t really buying it. Feeling it, the gleam decided to change gears.

    ¡°Those are ideals we strive for, of course, not realities. The difference is that enclaves will not even try. To them, who you know is more important than what you do. It is fine to steal from a stranger. It is wrong to punish an ally for a crime they inflicted upon another city. I am not telling you this just to discuss philosophy. I am telling you this because I need you to understand that Enclavers. Do. Not. See. The. World. Like. You. Do. They will never see anything wrong with killing you if it benefits their clan, if they are sure they can get away with it. They have no higher cause than themselves and their tribe. They will see you as naive daydreamers for believing in ethics and the rule of law. The tribe is all, because the tribe is the only thing they can count on when shit hits the fan, so you will approach them accordingly. Do not trust them to act out of an ideal. They have none, and they will think you stupid for believing there are. Do you understand?¡±

    Nestra nodded. She didn¡¯t think she could be friends with an Enclaver anyway, considering their opinions of drabs in general. Or quirkies. More of the same, really.

    ¡°Alright. I suppose it¡¯s time for some refreshments. Miss Palladian, if I could have a moment of your time?¡±

    Nestra waited while everyone else filed out, discussing between themselves in low voices. It was the first meeting for many of them. She wasn¡¯t surprised to see the augs stick together, ignored by the rest.

    ¡°Miss Palladian, I should share with you that there is a third goal to this expedition.¡±

    ¡°You want me to find Fox Mask?¡± Nestra asked.

    Ilar gave her a considering look. In reality, there were probably a ton of secondary objectives he hadn¡¯t shared yet.

    ¡°I assume you¡¯ll also find out where the stolen goods ended up?¡±

    ¡°It would be best if you didn¡¯t think about it too much, though I applaud your foresight. Yes, your role concerns Fox Mask, however I would recommend against actively seeking her. You are ill-suited to an infiltration role.¡±

    Nestra agreed it was true enough as the lone anglo drab in this snake pit.

    ¡°Instead, I would like you to be¡­ visible. I believe there is a non-zero chance Fox Mask will recognize you and attempt contact in her unmasked form, just to discover if you are here for her.¡±

    Oh, she would know it for sure. Fox Mask knew Nestra was Crescent. Nestra was relatively sure the gleam hadn¡¯t betrayed her secret because she¡¯d said she wouldn¡¯t. It was their dirty little fencer secret. Oh, they would cross blades again for sure. Nestra couldn¡¯t wait.

    ¡°Miss Palladian.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°You are NOT to find or engage her. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure. What would poor baseline me even do?¡±

    ¡°You will not walk around the compound with a loaded shotgun.¡±

    ¡°I promise.¡±

    ¡°Good, and one last thing. Please tell your aunt that I will be very careful.¡±

    ¡°How did she find out?¡± Nestra blurted.

    ¡°Do not underestimate her investigative skill when it comes to ruining someone¡¯s day,¡± Ilar muttered.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you knew each other.¡±

    ¡°Most police users have heard of her, Miss Palladian. She has a reputation. One cannot paint slurs on Touhei¡¯s CEO¡¯s hover car without repercussions, especially not mid-flight.¡±

    ¡°Is that why she¡¯s forbidden from using the city¡¯s airspace?¡±

    ¡°No, I believe it is due to the pickles incident.¡±

    Damn. Maybe Aunt Claire was raiding so hard just to pay her fines.

    ***

    The gunship hummed around Nestra like a metal coffin. It was cold and uncomfortable because it had never been designed as a transport, but the jungle was the jungle, and Threshold wouldn¡¯t send a limo. Nestra spared a glance towards the attache who even now wore safety helmets. There was a quiet tension in the air, but no fear. Nestra herself didn¡¯t conduct a last check of her files because she was confident she hadn¡¯t forgotten anything. Ilar met her gaze.

    Nestra was bored. She turned the music on. They were almost there after three hours of low-altitude flight. She used her visor to sync with the gunship¡¯s camera. The jungle turned into a forest of stone peaks emerging from dense thickets. She spotted the far off glow of an active portal at the top of a distant rock. Time stamps estimated that they were still twenty minutes away, This could be the edge of the Sword King territory. Most of the subcontinent''s western side was still like that: uncharted expanses of wilderness, with portals vomiting hordes of monsters and mana with every breach. She watched the ground pass by. Soon, the gunship crossed over a large river. A serpentine head breached the surface for a moment, quickly disappearing back into the murky depths. The overlay pointed it as tr?n tinh, or Python River, the same that flowed at the foot of the enclave. A little while later, the first signs of civilization appeared: an orchard, half overgrown and casually tended to. A watch tower on the top of a peak. A fortified village on the bend of the river with walls made of rusty containers tied together with chains.

    They really looked like shit. She guessed that the outer villages must have some high casualty rates. Soon enough, the gunship approached the dominating lone mountain of the Sword King Enclave. She¡¯d read the description but she had to admit they didn¡¯t do the place justice. Sheer cliffs surrounded a lone entrance defended by a sturdy stone and brick rampart topped with blue tiles. Each of the three peaks displayed tightly packed structures harmoniously integrated with the environment, with narrow trails linking them together. One of them was the heliport where most of the modern structures stood but the largest one was dominated by a palace-like building, or perhaps fortress-like was a better word; massive stones and arched doorways provided a stern basis for elaborate statues of dragons and phoenixes, roosters, foxes, and a garden that had to be beautiful in spring. The center of the valley covered several kilometers and the large majority of it consisted of fields: rice paddies, barley, wheat but also green vegetables she couldn¡¯t identify from up high. Shapes in gray robes labored in the fields, barely larger than ants for now. There were quite a few of them. As she watched, a convoy approached the gate with goods strapped to what looked like large buffaloes. The gunship approached the heliport at slow speed. The camera centered on the welcome delegation without prompt.

    ¡°No visible weapons,¡± Ilar said. ¡°Leave your own with the luggage, Watanabe.¡±

    ¡°Hai.¡±

    Nestra had no idea if it was a good sign or not. The people waiting for them sure didn¡¯t look friendly despite the lack of visible weaponry. They were mostly men with tight black hats and long robes that stopped below their knees, all of them red and simple. The few women also wore red though their dresses were carefully embroidered. All of them were gleams, naturally, and a few of them shared enough features that they looked related. The grim assembly stood like statues while the gunship landed.

    Ilar unbuckled and stood first. Nestra and the handful of other women readjusted their hair as soon as the helmets came off. The Thresholders formed up with quiet efficiency while the ramp lowered at the back of the cramped gunship. They walked off.

    It was amazing how some of the members of the group transformed as soon as the light of the day hit them. Despite hours on the seat and the gloomy light of an early winter, Chandra Satya walked with the pep of a CEO entering a conference room. The Thresholders were pristine in their professional dress suits. Even Nestra looked great, if she said so herself.

    The man at the head of the delegation stepped forward to welcome them. Like the rest, he was clean-shaven with a pleasant appearance though the polite smile didn¡¯t reach his eyes. His quiet aura firmly placed him at the height of B-rank, possibly at the same level as some of Threshold¡¯s powerful guild leaders. A few others were also B-rank though much lower. She met the eye of a very new B-rank, who had to be only slightly older than she was. His mouth twisted in disgust.

    Nestra had been consciously placed between the two aug pilots. She waited while her visor translated the B-class¡¯ opening speech.

    ¡°Xin Ch¨¤o! Hello, and welcome to our guests from Threshold! I am Patriarch Nguyen, and I lead the Council of Elders of the Sword King Enclave. We are honored and happy to receive you today. May it be the beginning of a fruitful friendship.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Patriarch,¡± Ilar replied in fluent Vietnamese.

    ¡°I am eager to talk, of course, but this place is a little windy,¡± the Patriarch said over the dying roar of the gunship¡¯s engines.

    Nestra joined the polite chuckle, then the Council of Elders were the first to climb down the stairs of the heliport and then down into the valley.

    ***

    Nestra was grateful to her past self for being fit because the trek down was fucking hard on the calves. The Council of Elders wasn¡¯t fond of waiting. They had raced down the steep stones like their asses were on fire. Only Ilar¡¯s calm stride forced them to wait at every landing for the slow Thresholders to catch up. Nestra knew her own gleams would have no trouble following. They were deliberately slowing down to prevent Nestra and the two augs from getting distanced just like the Council of Elders was going quickly to make a point. At least, her augs were military and they had no trouble following either, even with the added weight of some of their augments. Nestra split her attention between where she was going and her surroundings.

    It was both better and worse than she¡¯d expected. The enclave possessed a genuine charm to it, with many carvings that only served to embellish the natural walls. Beautiful red flowers bloomed even in this weather to provide the visitors with a pastoral and perfumed experience. While the buildings they came across looked like they¡¯d come out of a fairy tale, there were cracks in the visible concrete, splatters in the paint, and a host of other issues that proved that the efforts didn¡¯t quite match the vision. This was what happened when the path of the sword was too highly regarded, and manual labor got left to wankers. As the group reached the base of the peak and the fields there, she realized that the gray-wearing figures were mostly children and teenagers.

    ¡°Our youth is hard at work forming their bodies for the training ahead!¡± the patriarch proudly boomed.

    Nestra doubted the patriarch¡¯s kid was among them. The few gray-wearing adults bowed like the rest of them once the council passed through. They had the beaten dog expression of those who no longer expected anything out of life, and quite a few scars to show they¡¯d tried.

    Nestra knew about the caste system, of course. The Sword King enclave wasn¡¯t the only group that used color codes to enforce their specific brand of social Darwinism. Gray was the color of those who¡¯d failed to prove themselves in any way. The way they were treated was supposed to push young adults into striving for better, which worked, except better only meant martial prowess here. The way they scrambled to bow made Nestra¡¯s skin crawl.

    After that, the veil was off and she could no longer enjoy the visit. Cheap plastic and poorly handled repairs jumped to her attention. The lingering smell of shit floated to her nostrils from the various compost bins. This wasn¡¯t an idyllic fortress built in defiance of monsters, but a besieged prison. Even as the gray robes bowed, their unlit eyes still followed her and the two augs with a mix of horror and disbelief. Yes, Nestra thought. Feast your eyes on the freaks still hiding behind Threshold¡¯s cyclopean walls in defiance of the laws of nature your masters so willingly promote.

    Riel, tension was making her all melodramatic.

    The trip ended near the base of the palace, in a sheltered villa built around a nice pond, a sort of receiving spot apparently. It still smelled unpleasantly of fresh paint. Their guests led them into a banquet hall so soberly decorated it was three drapes away from nudity. Only a few members of the council stayed, so there was ample room at the bottom of the table for Nestra and the augs. They were quickly served fresh tea in nice white ceramic cups (imported resilient Touhei ceramics at seven creds a pop. Nestra recognized them from a recent shopping spree). It was green tea.

    She hated green tea.

    It was probably of high grade from the mana, at least. She forced the bitter infusion down with measured sips. She ignored most of the introduction except for the guy who was so visibly disgusted by her and who happened to be Patriarch Nguyen¡¯s nephew. He was named Manh. Manh the man, in Nestra¡¯s unfortunately wired brain. His eyes smoldered with a low heat Nestra associated with something denser than just fire. Lava, perhaps. After the council was done presenting each member, their age, their roles, and their school of fencing, it was the Thresholders¡¯ turn to introduce themselves. They¡¯d rehearsed, of course.

    ¡°I am Clytemnestra Palladian, an officer with Special Affairs. I am twenty-five years old.¡±

    Determining someone¡¯s age was super important in Vietnamese because the ¡®you¡¯ pronoun was age-dependent, as far as she understood. Not that the elder translating for her side seemed to care very much.

    ¡°My role is to compare our legal systems to find out if there are differences we need to address before we cooperate.¡±

    Technically, it wasn¡¯t illegal to be a baseline or an aug here because none were expected to ever show up. According to the Sword King credo, they were relics of the past or abominations that would be cleansed with the coming of a new world. That left a certain legal void that might lead to some regretful events, such as murder.

    ¡°Miss Palladian has a broad experience when it comes to law enforcement, specifically MaxSec, Vice, Internal Affairs, and Special Affairs.¡±

    Vice was a bit of a stretch since she¡¯d been detached with Internal Affairs at the time, but she wasn¡¯t the one who¡¯d decided to bullshit on her resume.

    ¡°She¡¯d been instrumental in several high profile arrests, such as a dangerous gang, a corporate criminal, a corrupt officer, and a mana using serial killer.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Manh said in English, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

    The room grew tense. Something told Nestra this wasn¡¯t planned.

    ¡°Well, for the Cleaver gang, I actually killed most of them,¡± she confessed.

    Ilar jumped on the occasion to propose a delicious bait.

    ¡°Our Clytemnestra is a close quarter specialist. She is quite the fencer.¡±

    The elder translated in a dispassionate voice.

    ¡°Is that so? Perhaps we will see what Threshold teaches its children then,¡± Patriarch Nguyen replied with a benevolent smile.

    Nestra accepted with a smile of her own. The introduction of the two augs went swimmingly, mostly because the elders did their best to pretend they didn¡¯t exist. After a short discussion, the group split up for preparatory work with Nestra making her way to the ¡®archives¡¯, guided by one of the elders. She looked out at a group of gawping students in yellow robes, then farther, towards the distant peak they hadn¡¯t visited yet.

    Fox Mask. Where are you?

 Part 48

    Since the Elder was very deliberately ignoring Nestra, she used the opportunity to stare. It was only fair play. After all, the enclavers were doing the same to her, and without shame either. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of her clothes, her ethnicity, or her dreg status. Most of the attention felt neutral in a ¡®brand new BaiHua animal exhibition¡¯ kind of way, but some of the gray robes were openly hostile. A few spat when she walked by. The fact that the Elder let it happen spoke volumes about their priorities.

    Her path led her closer to the Sword King Enclave¡¯s living quarters. The smell of laundry and food soon covered that of wet earth. Some of the younger children squealed when she arrived, with other menial workers clearing the path in front of her after bowing to her guide. Nestra climbed down a set of stairs to a cooler part of the compound. She spotted rudimentary classrooms on the side through half-open doors. Those guys were still using blackboards and chalk.

    Everywhere gave her the same feeling of concrete impersonality. The interior design favored one, and only one material: bare concrete. Efforts had been made to adorn it with well woven tapestries, stickers, the occasional paintings, but it all remained very barebones in a sad sort of way. Obvious cracks and smudges also gave the building an unfinished appearance. It smelled musty, dusty, with hints of cheap soap, and then there was the light.

    Mana light, fed by a mana stone, inside of a cheap tin casing. One thousand two hundred creds of energy used as a fucking light bulb.

    They didn¡¯t even use glass to make the light, well blue or whatever. Pretty. Instead it was the ¡®morgue corridor yellow¡¯ variety. Nestra shook her head. She wasn¡¯t sure what to think about it, but it was just miserable making one¡¯s lair so dry and functional. What was the fun in tearing through monsters if one didn¡¯t have a den to bring the meat back to? A safe place to collect trophies and other pretty things? It made her miss her Nestracave. It had a huge freezer, a kitchen robot, vines, a pile of pillows, and a naval gun. This marked her as an Aszhii woman of the world. What the enclavers had was just sad.

    A furious glare from the Elder reminded Nestra that she was surrounded by superhuman twats with short fuses who could easily hear her tsk. She had reached her destination anyway: a nondescript door with a label on top that her visor translated as ¡®The Archives¡¯. The Elder wordlessly turned and left.

    It was always such a treat when assholes gave Nestra the silent treatment, as if it wasn¡¯t what she was hoping for all along.

    Nestra knocked on the door because she was polite like that. No one replied but she went in anyway, only seeing a gleam woman with an expression of naked curiosity on her face.

    ¡°Oh, I was wondering who could be knocking,¡± the woman said in perfect English.

    She felt old but a bit weak, a common feature of civilian gleams with no raiding experience. Her eyes revealed an affinity with earth though, so she was trained. It made Nestra wonder what the woman was doing here until she realized her baggy blue dress was showing a distinct lack of a left arm.

    Noticing her gaze, the woman lifted a short stump.

    ¡°Welcome to the archives, Thresholder.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. My name is Nestra Palladian. I am here to learn about your legal system.¡±

    ¡°Pah! Legal system!¡±

    The gleam chuckled, the sound warm and acid at the same time.

    ¡°Well, come on in then!¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°My, how polite. I should be the one thanking you for letting me practice my English. A dreg, eh? Oh, sorry, this is an insult, isn¡¯t it? The proper term is baseline right?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°I always get those two confused. I didn¡¯t mean to insult you.¡±

    ¡°No harm done. Some of our gleams use them interchangeably anyway. I didn¡¯t catch your name?¡±

    ¡°Oh, where are my manners? Call me Sa.¡±

    Nestra surveyed the room as she entered. Dim light filtered in from cliffside windows, showing the outlines of a great many shelves filled with physical books of various sizes. The place smelled of something musty yet not together unpleasant ¡ª old paper, she realized. She¡¯d read about the smell before, but it was her first time actually experiencing it. Many of the titles showed technical manuals and teaching books, but there were a few old fictions as well, like Moby Dick and ¡®Picked Wife¡¯, apparently a famous Vietnamese book she¡¯d never read before. Many of the fictions referred to hardships and overwhelming odds. It had to be by design.

    It didn¡¯t surprise Nestra that most of those were tragedies too. The most horrific of them, however, was what poor Sa had to work with.

    It was a desktop computer. The archives had a bona fide, genuine desktop computer, its fan laboring in the dusty air with the roar of a jetliner. Shit, Nestra had never seen one in real life. It belonged in a museum.

    ¡°Ah, I can see judgment clearly painted on your face, dear guest.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I had just never seen one of those work before.¡±

    ¡°They are very reliable! It is directly connected to our servers, so our knowledge is safe.¡±

    The gleam gently patted her ancient beast¡¯s tower. Her eyes twinkled with amusement.

    ¡°So how can we two rejects keep each other entertained?¡± the woman added.

    Nestra knew she was trying to build a rapport so she didn¡¯t take offense. Not to mention, there was a brittle edge in the woman¡¯s deprecating humor.

    ¡°How come you haven¡¯t regrown it yet?¡± she asked in return.

    ¡°Regrow! As if it were easy. No, I am still ¡ª what was it? ¡ª D-class. Fundamental realm as we call it here. Our healers are not capable of easily regrowing limbs from acid wounds.¡±

    She flinched, perhaps remembering the event. That had to have hurt a lot.

    ¡°And since I have withdrawn from raiding, my contribution points are too low for a solution. I prefer to use them to give my children a future. Ah, you Thresholders must have it so easy. You pop into a clinic and, bam! The arm is back.¡±

    She sighed wistfully. It wasn¡¯t that easy, of course, but raiders were always at the top of the priority queue, even the bad ones. Valerian could probably heal the woman in a day of intensive efforts, despite the fact this wound looked so old. Another perk of having social security instead of predatory merit-based healing.

    ¡°Well, not me, but yes. If the deal goes through, you can probably receive medical treatment.¡±

    ¡°My raiding days are behind me now,¡± the woman lied.

    So transparent. Her longing mirrored Nestra¡¯s own back when she hadn¡¯t awakened yet. It brought back ancient memories of envy and powerlessness, the difference being, this woman had a family to look after. Nestra¡¯s family didn¡¯t need her. Or at least that¡¯s what she¡¯d thought at the time.

    ¡°Anyway, Miss Sa. The rules?¡±

    ¡°Ah yes. I¡¯m surprised you haven¡¯t received them.¡±

    ¡°A collection of judgements would be useful too. Case law is just as important as the regulations themselves.¡±

    The woman gave Nestra a guarded look. Neither of them were stupid. Laws tended to work horizontally and from the top down, and enclaves only accentuated that. Nestra doubted a single Elder had ever been disciplined for, say, maiming or abusing one of their subordinates.

    ¡°Of course. I can print the summaries. We do not keep detailed minutes here, only the conclusions.¡±

    Sa led her guest into a dark room occupied by an antique printer and enough reams of cheap paper to cover every wall in the compound. Precious ink cartridges were kept in a locked container next to the door. Someone had placed lucky charms on the dusty machine, possibly fearing it might break down and bring the entire enclave¡¯s bureaucracy to a grinding halt. Nestra retreated to a cheap table with a pen and a burgeoning headache. Her drip coffee pouches were still in her luggage. Curses.

    Sa didn¡¯t offer her any tea. It would probably have been green anyway.

    It took only an hour for Nestra to go over the entire book of law, mostly because they were basic and literally ripped off the Threshold and Hanoi Fortress cities codes. As expected, baselines and augs were outlaws in the truest sense of the word: they existed outside of its constraints, and so it didn¡¯t protect them. At best they might be considered ¡®unawakened¡¯ as a stretch though it was clear the term was meant for children who hadn¡¯t gleamed up yet.

    Nestra made a note of it. The rest was fairly simple, essentially just noting that trade laws were anemic at best, and that many of the punishments were unconstitutional under Threshold¡¯s law.

    Her dear city preferred its torture to be purely psychological.

    The case summaries were depressing. The overwhelming majority related to bodily harm and whether or not that harm had been intentional or even real. The lack of sexual abuse accusations were also telling. She didn¡¯t believe for a single moment that horny teenage raiders growing up in a darwinist society would always behave. It just meant that violence to women was swept under the rug, In fact, women suing men was barely ¡ª she checked ¡ª seven cases out of the one hundred and eighty-three trials over the past two years.

    She stole a glance towards the archivist. The woman was playing a solitary card game instead of working. Maybe she just didn¡¯t have much to do with her day. In fact, nobody had come here since Nestra¡¯s arrival.

    Maybe she should strike up a conversation.

    ¡°Miss Sa, Do you have a moment?¡±

    The woman used well-practiced gestures to open a data software before turning to Nestra. She was good at covering her tracks.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°I could use a short break. Would you care to tell me about your raiding days?¡±

    ¡°Oh, there isn¡¯t much to tell,¡± the woman said.

    And then she proceeded to tell Nestra about them for over twenty minutes.

    ***

    Sa painted a bleak picture of childhood on the frontier. It wasn¡¯t so much that everything was shit ¡ª there were fleeting moments of happiness ¡ª but more that the entire enclave was dedicated to two things and two things only: raiding, and the blade. Even a battle maniac like Nestra would find the strictly regimented life choking. The enclave did care for the life of its members but only to a point. Strict expectations whittled the number of valued gleams by age and achievements, funneling the chosen few to the valued positions of Elders. Those who failed did¡­ what they could. They weren¡¯t banned or exterminated. It was just that more menial jobs and outer bases needed guards and workers. Naturally, the pay reflected one¡¯s usefulness to the colony in the form of contribution points that acted as a currency that only the Sword Kings recognized. Saving for goods meant for the betters was strongly discouraged by way of expiration timers. Nestra subtly nudged Sa towards the topic of tournaments, which the Sword Kings obviously loved to bits. Sa proudly led Nestra to a back wall, where the winners of the previous seasons were immortalized as photographs. Sa¡¯s daughter was very good with a spear, which was considered a follower¡¯s weapon. It was good enough for Sa who just wanted her daughter to perform well, be noticed, and hopefully join the retinue of some scion.

    As the discussion petered out, Nestra moved to the left to check older pictures. The robes switched to a more basic design the farther back she traveled in time. Let¡¯s see, seven to eight years ago ought to do it. Patiently, she searched, going from portrait to portrait with casual attention. Eventually, she found what she was searching for.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Hello, Fox Mask.

    ***

    Nguyen. That was the name of Fox Mask. As for¡­ their¡­ gender, it was hard to say. Fox Mask possessed a certain androgynous grace that left the question unanswered with broad shoulders yet a thin build, soft wavy hair yet a square chin, full lips, and long lashes. They were clearly of mixed descent, likely Vietnamese and white if the Nguyen dynasty name was any indication. Without surprise, Fox Mask was present in multiple pictures. They had probably bested their seniors to win the competition year on year for three years straight ¡ª quite an achievement considering gleam powers increased quickly at first. The other contestants made a point to stay as far away from the victor as possible without it becoming outwardly rude.

    Nestra wondered what had caused this pariah status. It was certainly not an issue of skill. Sa, who had been standing by her side, froze when she noticed where Nestra¡¯s attention had been going, so Nestra made a show of looking at the oldest pictures.

    ¡°That is a lot of tournaments in a very short time,¡± she remarked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Sa said, relaxing ever so slightly.

    Nestra¡¯s mind wandered while her host shuffled from foot to foot, unwilling to leave her unsupervised. Fox Mask was such a fun combatant. Maybe they could meet in some secluded portal world to fight it out, a blur of blades that would cut at each other and the monsters in their path. Then Nestra would eat her core. No! No, that wouldn¡¯t be fun. Fox Mask had so much potential. They should meet again, and again, and again. Nestra wouldn¡¯t eat Fox Mask¡¯s core if they could become eternal rivals instead. That would be so much fun. She longed to remove her mask, don her true form, claw her way through the compound. Maybe choke the truth out of the fearful little raider by her side¡­

    Patience! Patience¡­ She wouldn¡¯t endanger the expedition for something that she believed she would eventually get.

    Maybe Fox Mask would make contact. It was hard to say. They were clearly¡­ a conflicted person.

    ¡°There are duels, team tournaments, support tournaments, dedicated tournaments for each secondary weapon ¡ª anything that isn¡¯t a sword. You have seen robes, yes? The gray ones are those who have yet to find their path¡­ or have found none. The red are the swordsmen. I used to wear brown ¡ª like my husband. Defense specialists are an important part of any group.¡±

    She sounded a bit defensive.

    ¡°Absolutely, although, I imagine that it must be hard to get a proper shield around here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well, no, the workshops produce great weapons,¡± Sa replied defensively.

    Her right arm reached for her stump.

    ¡°Back in the days, we didn¡¯t have¡­ enough of them yet. Now, specialists are encouraged to use spells instead.¡±

    That would imply that Sa¡¯s training had been rendered obsolete by a change of doctrine. That woman had some seriously bad luck. Nestra felt a pang of sympathy before remembering that she wasn¡¯t supposed to fraternize.

    ¡°We have yellow robes as well. Archers, mostly. They play an important role.¡±

    Sa¡¯s voice faltered and for a moment, she was no longer an enclaver, or even a gleam, but simply a woman who¡¯d gotten the short hand of fate¡¯s stick, and still defended her home clan because there was still hope for her child.

    ¡°Those pesky flyers, am I right?¡±

    ¡°Yes! And other important foes, of course.¡±

    She frowned.

    ¡°You seem well informed.¡±

    ¡°My family has many raiders. I am the odd one out,¡± Nestra allowed.

    Sa might have continued the discussion, and someone smoother than Nestra might have extracted useful info. Unfortunately, the conversation was cut short by heavy footsteps. A thin man in a more elaborate blue dress entered the room. He didn¡¯t have an affinity, but he was C-class, a sign of someone who probably progressed through meditation. His acerbic voice came in fast bursts like the staccato of an automatic weapon.

    ¡°What are you doing with her?¡±

    ¡°We were looking at pictures,¡± Sa replied with deference tinged with fear.

    ¡°You are to assist the guest in understanding our ways, and nothing more. You will receive a mark on your report for this transgression.¡±

    His dark gaze fell on Nestra. He had a pencil thin mustache, the only thing of interest on an austere face.

    ¡°Your presence is requested at the Training Hall,¡± he informed her in clipped English.

    His mouth twisted with disgust, but there was a hint of satisfaction there too.

    ¡°The Elders were informed you are, ah, trained with a sword? It appears they would like a demonstration.¡±

    ***

    The path to the Training Hall was a long one. As far as Nestra understood from the briefing, the enclave rotated training groups to surrounding villages because it took a lot of space and standing stones to tank days upon days of flying spells and stone-shattering strikes. It also helped with fending off wandering monsters to keep them away from crops. The Training Hall was only used for demonstrations, tournaments, and advanced classes. Going there was a big deal.

    Maybe they expected her to just go through forms. She could do that with no problem, and they would get familiar with Threshold¡¯s traditional school with a Palladian twist. It would be smarter than dueling her with a gleam. Either the gleam won and they would be seen as punching down, or she surprised them and broke their pride. It would be so stupid of them to do so.

    Nah, what was she even thinking? Of course they would want to beat the shit out of her. Enclaves didn¡¯t care about fairness, or punching down. They would want to send a message: you brought baselines, and shit happened to them because they¡¯re weak. Nodding to herself, Nestra walked past rows of working gray robes. Those guys were not invited.

    The Training Hall was the largest and nicest building in all of the compound, occupying the entire top of the largest mountain. Two wings and a main body encircled a vast, empty courtyard. The walls were made of thick stone with a green tinge while above, orange-tiled roofs provided a much needed shadow. As Nestra approached, she realized the ambient mana shimmered over the structure. It was made entirely out of portal material.

    Pretty neat, she had to admit. It would also be very reliant. A monster could claw at it for minutes before they could break in, buying defenders precious time. She watched as a few latecomers in basic red robes hurried ahead of her. She took her time climbing the stairs. No need to get winded before things could begin in earnest. Around her, the hall was the roughest and most ancient building and yet it also felt like the best. It was like stepping into living history. Here, humanity had been forced to build from the ground up.

    The same female elder who had translated for her now stood waiting, her expression as unreadable as before.

    ¡°Welcome. Before we proceed, you will need to get changed. Please, follow me.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t want to get separated but¡­whatever. The elder led her into a side room with wooden lockers. The air smelled of soap. The hanzi for ¡®ladies¡¯ was written on the door. There, a Threshold-made sports kimono waited on a simple table. It was colored white. Nestra wasn¡¯t sure what the symbolism was.

    It was just a little too large for her but that was fine.

    Once she was changed with her hair gathered in a tight ponytail, the elder led her into the quiet center room through a side door. Nestra was shocked at how silent the place was considering there were close to three hundred students of various ages sitting there, dressed in red, all waiting for her. She felt their attention like a physical weight. The Aszhii in her wanted to get out, but the human stood proud and indifferent.

    Ilar sat on the side with the rest of the Threshold gleams, right next to the council itself. The central area had been left free. An elevated platform would act as a ring. Racks of training weapons covered the wall, displaying stuff as varied as chains ending in blades. The variety of swords was remarkable. All of those were blunt, yet well made training tools.

    ¡°This is Clytemnestra Palladian. She is trained in the Threshold Palladian style,¡± the Nguyen Patriarch intoned.

    Nestra stood at attention while the Patriarch detailed her role. In front of her, the crowd of reb-robed warriors waited patiently. Some of them were clearly junior students who had never conducted a raid, but some were above twenty and clearly experienced. Most of the seniors were in front, quite a few of them C-class and scarred. The older ones were the most hostile.

    ¡°She will now offer a demonstration,¡± her visor translated.

    Nestra spared a glance towards Ilar, who merely nodded. She just wished he¡¯d cleared things with her in advance, but in a way he was also trusting her, and that was comforting in itself.

    It wasn¡¯t the first time Nestra had demonstrated her mastery over the form in front of the crowd, and not the first time the crowd had half a dozen B-class raiders among their ranks. She grabbed a suitable arming form from the racks, saluted the Elders, and then she was in her element.

    The first form was simple, and also meant as a warmup. Muscle memory guided her smoothly from one stance to another, the blade wooshing through the air at a sedate pace. There was no need to rush. This was a familiar dance, one both her forms knew intimately. As her muscles warmed up, Nestra moved into the second sequence, then the third, which had the first flying attacks. Her first ¡®hah!¡¯ rang in the silent room. The fourth sequence followed. By then, she was striking as fast as humans could manage.

    The pseudo-combat woke her Aszhii instincts. She wanted out of the mask but not now. Now, there were too many eyes on her. The fifth sequence ended in a flurry of fast, precise strikes. The sixth sequence was the first truly modified Palladian variant of the more standard tradition Threshold school. It incorporated a few techniques meant to be used with heavy flow mana. There were whispers near the back, quickly shushed. The sixth was a purely defensive run which made her stop at the edge of the rack while the seventh pushed her to the side of the room after a series of lunges. The eighth was extremely technical and considered one of the most difficult sequences to perform flawlessly, which she did. The ninth was the apotheosis, all showy techniques including the skyward Wing Clipper, an extremely situational but nevertheless spectacular technique she had only ever used in her true form.

    With perfect control, Nestra fell back on her feet. The real world returned into focus with a deafening quiet that belied the number of attendees. Nestra saluted the council whose faces were unreadable. Ilar didn¡¯t react either, but his bodyguard, the blade master Watanabe, gave her a firm nod.

    ¡°Thank you for this demonstration of one of Threshold¡¯s many styles,¡± the Patriarch said. ¡°I look forward to the exchange of ideas and techniques.¡±

    Silence returned to the room. For a solid second, nothing happened.

    That¡­ that was it? Nestra made for the rack with slow steps. It looked like she¡¯d been badmouthing the enclavers, after all. Patriarch Nguyen didn¡¯t want to humiliate the delegation. Instead, he had used her to showcase Threshold¡¯s capabilities to his own people.

    ¡°The true test of a blade is battle.¡±

    Nestra¡¯s visor translated Manh Nguyen¡¯s cold voice as best as it could. Suddenly, it looked like everyone had frozen.

    This was probably off script. Interesting. There were dynamics here that Nestra didn¡¯t get, mostly some political infighting within the enclave. Or maybe it was a bluff? Whatever. Let someone else figure it out. Nestra was here to stab people, and it looked like someone had thrown the gauntlet.

    She waited, hand still holding the blade.

    ¡°Perhaps the Threshold dweller will show her skill in a friendly spar?¡± Manh added, voice dripping with venom.

    Ilar glanced at Nestra. She shrugged. She was good to go, personally, but she¡¯d belatedly remembered that this was supposed to be a diplomatic mission.

    ¡°I believe Miss Palladian has no objection. With that said, who would offer a proper demonstration? The use of mana would be a poor showcase of technique,¡± Threshold¡¯s diplomat said.

    Nestra agreed that getting skewered by an Elder would not make for a good show.

    ¡°Then we need someone fairly new. A fundamental realm person, perhaps, with good technique. Truong?¡±

    A short woman with black hair stood from one of the back ranks. All the other students around her suddenly glanced up like they were suddenly noticing a venomous snake in their midst. Some of them physically recoiled from the woman. Nestra¡¯s gaze met the woman¡¯s. Her gleam eyes showed no specific affinity yet, but there was a sheen in them that reminded her of Helena. Probably a rare strength affinity.

    It was a nice setup. Nestra would face a much younger, apparently inexperienced fencer and get demolished, thus proving that threshold¡¯s fencing is just pretty to look at but otherwise toothless. She was eager to see what the young gleam had in store for her, but otherwise, she found Manh¡¯s plot a little insulting. He was clearly underestimating her.

    Sure, D-class raiders had some advantages, like enhanced reaction speeds, but fencing at her level was also about strategy, precision, and muscle memory. A tight-lipped patriarch and unctuous Ilar organized the details: best of three, any hit counts. Watanabe and the elder responsible for training would act as the referees, stopping the match before either of the contestants got bloodied. It wouldn¡¯t be difficult for those experienced B-class warriors.

    Nestra waited for the short woman to face her. She was beautiful, like most gleams, but there was something detached about her that made Nestra¡¯s skin crawl.

    ¡°Begin.¡±

    Nestra lunged at the same time as her opponent, but her reach was longer and so Truong was forced to pull back. With tight footwork, Nestra followed with explosive speed before landing a very light tap on the woman¡¯s arm, which she¡¯d raised in defense.

    Those were monster-killing and surviving techniques. Useful, but not immediately relevant. Nestra was fighting this like a sports match, which it was.

    And she¡¯d won the first bout.

    ¡°Touche,¡± Watanabe said, closing the first round.

    The elder reluctantly nodded. Nestra returned to her starting position while Truong displayed the very first emotion Nestra had witnessed: it was outrage.

    ¡°What? It wasn¡¯t even a real blow?¡±

    ¡°By the rules of the contest, she has won,¡± Watanabe said in heavily accented Thai.

    Truong¡¯s face took a distinctly red tinge. Rage made her shake. Nestra had her.

    The second bout started with a furious attack, which Nestra tried to take advantage of with quick, conservative counters, but here the gleam¡¯s speed came into play. Nestra was also forced to avoid crossing blades with the obviously stronger girl. She could hear the way her sword whistled when she used broad strikes. The back and forth was intense, patience and viciousness on one side, speed and ferocity on the other. Nestra¡¯s quirk physiology helped her, and her Aszhii instincts whispered of Scornful Crescent moves her human body couldn¡¯t follow, but it was enough, just enough, and she was pushing the girl back. All her power wasn¡¯t enough to overwhelm Nestra because Nestra wasn¡¯t there. There was no body to smash into, no defenses to swat away, only the wasp of Nestra¡¯s sword tip dancing before her eyes.

    Truong had a pattern where she would try to swap the blade twice then lunge. Nestra waited, seeing it repeated again after a particularly fierce exchange. It happened again. She lunged, catching the girl squarely in the ribs.

    Something stopped her hand. Not impact, something else. Watanabe¡¯s rough hands on her kimono¡¯s sleeve.

    ¡°Touche,¡± he laconically said.

    Truong was on the verge of explosion. Nestra was tempted to tease her just for the psychological warfare element but her dad disapproved of this sort of thing. ¡®Be remorseless on the piste and polite outside¡¯ was more his ethos. Besides, it would be punching down. Nestra was almost twenty-six. The girl had to be eighteen. The gap in experience wasn¡¯t something she could easily bridge, especially now that Nestra had gotten under her skin.

    The third bout began with a hiss of fury. The girl¡¯s skin was now dark with flushed blood, her rage bubbling beneath the surface. Shame. Disbelief. Terror. The heady cocktail made Nestra want to play with the thing a little more, but she was her human self, and it was¡­ risky. Poking her defenses with lightning fast thrusts now caused exaggerated reactions. Nestra slowly cornered her like a beast, never taking any risks, and once the girl did the pattern again, she had her. Quick footwork, a lunge¡­ and the impact of a blade swatted aside.

    A mana burst.

    Nestra struck out out of sheer instinct born from countless duels against her father, and Sereth as well. A ping spoke of metal hitting metal. The two referees appeared between them in a flash, the elder holding Truong back while Watanabe stood in front of Nestra.

    ¡°The use of mana is against the rules,¡± Watanabe announced.

    ¡°Perhaps it would be best to stop now,¡± Ilar added in a smooth transition. ¡°A round of applause for our contestants!¡±

    He clapped, the sound loud and awkward. The patriarch joined soon after, and the room erupted in voiceless congratulations. It was over. Nestra had won.

    She was a bit annoyed, having faced a teen like that. Fox Mask would quench her thirst for a challenge. She just had to find the elusive genius.

    Watanabe had Nestra stand on the side while Ilar and Patriarch Nguyen went with the pantomime of pretending this was a pleasant exchange, and not a power play Threshold had won by a landslide. The old Japanese master stood with placid attention while Nestra surveyed the room. The mood was somber and subdued, as befitted people whose team just got thrashed in a surprise upset. Truong was on the verge of apoplexy. Her rage practically radiated through the room.

    Yeah, Nestra would need to keep her eyes open. And that might be fun.

    ¡°Let me walk you back to your room, Palladian,¡± Watanabe said.

    It didn¡¯t sound like a suggestion. Nestra left the room, finally allowing herself a smirk.

    It wasn¡¯t just that she¡¯d won by two victories and one disqualification. That last attack?

    She¡¯d parried it.

    And all the stronger raiders would know.

    ***

    Nestra changed back in a hurry and with some amount of displeasure. The duel had left her sweaty despite the clement weather, and having spent hours in a cramped helicopter had done nothing for her fragrance. A shower would be nice.

    She hoped they had running water. Surely they had running water for their guests.

    Watanabe was waiting for her outside of the changing spot. He pointed at a small group of houses down the slope.

    ¡°This is where we will sleep. From now on, you will not travel alone for safety reasons. I will have one of our augs come with you at all times since they have¡­ certain advantages in seeing danger coming.¡±

    He probably meant they had surveillance equipment.

    ¡°You fight like a demon, Palladian. You are more subtle than Hector, yet you two share the same savagery. I would hate to cross blades with you.¡±

    Nestra gave him a glance, which he misinterpreted.

    ¡°I do not mean to mock your condition.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just flattered that you would think that. You fought against my dad?¡±

    ¡°With him, side by side. It was some time ago.¡±

    The stern warrior¡¯s fingers caressed the handle of his own sword.

    ¡°We old ones know each other well, but I digress. It is truly a shame that you are not one of our kind. You may take pride in your skill and in your training, for I have rarely seen its match.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, I try.¡±

    Watanabe fell silent and Nestra used the respite to center herself. She was feeling uncomfortable by now, and she found herself missing her den, or at least a good raid. Long operations with other humans and such teasing encounters were hard on her true self. It wanted out. She wanted out. Eventually though, Watanabe left her in front of her door. Nestra¡¯s room was simple but well furnished, reminiscent of old hab block units back in the old days. The only thing out of the ordinary was a gray origami carefully folded into the semblance of a fox head. It had been left on her bed.

    ¡°Well well well.¡±

 Part 49

    Fox Mask! Fox Mask had made contact. Nestra couldn¡¯t wait. She would get to meet her again, and then they¡¯d fight! Oh, this was going to be grand. Nestra was so looking forward to it. She unfolded the origami with a smile of barely contained excitement.

    ¡°Tomorrow 3AM, inside the Steel Realm. Sneak in.

    C.¡±

    The note was in English, which was a nice touch. Nestra wondered what the C. referred to though. According to her picture, Fox Mask was called T. Nguyen. Maybe the message was from someone else? No, that made no sense. The Steel Realm was the name the Sword King Enclave used for their most coveted portal: a world with rich sources of magical iron they used to forge their many weapons. It was valuable enough that Threshold was ready to buy their excess stock at a premium. Nobody else would know she could sneak into portal worlds since she had the appearance of a dreg. It was definitely Fox Mask, so C. was perhaps how they referred to themselves.

    ¡°So is Fox Mask a boy or a girl? Hmmm.¡±

    She still couldn¡¯t tell for sure. Maybe she¡¯d just ask.

    Nestra¡¯s enthusiasm bubbled for another good five minutes during which she resisted the urge to change into her true form, in case someone was keeping an eye on her. Arg! She wanted to get out of here so she could practice the Scornful Crescent on some unsuspecting monsters. Or enclavers. Either would do. Soon, however, her thoughts returned to the match. She was still a bit jittery from the excitement.

    ¡°Might use the opportunity to take a shower!¡±

    It turned out that the Sword King Enclave did have running water to a degree. The flow was too small to take a proper shower. Instead, the bath was structured in a more Japanese fashion with a small rock tub and a large basin used for ablutions. It wasn¡¯t bad, and Nestra was happy enough to soap up and then let the mana-rich water drip over her body. Meanwhile her mind wandered.

    So yes, the fight had been pretty cool, and she¡¯d defended Threshold and her family¡¯s honor by thrashing the Sword King¡¯s champions¡­ and that was good to a degree, but now that she thought about it, her heart filled with relief at not having lost rather than joy at having won, because it hadn¡¯t been a fair fight.

    For her opponent, that is.

    Nestra looked like a baseline, and she¡¯d been representing them in that fight, but just like most of her existence, it was a lie. An illusion. She had the full circuit and enough passively-regenerating mana to match a low D-class raider in pure might, so she didn¡¯t have much of a disadvantage in combat. Truong had only been physically stronger. In the kind of match where everything ends with a single touch, it was of very little help. No, the reality was that they¡¯d pitched a talented eighteen something against Nestra.

    They¡¯d thrown the poor girl to the dingos. Not to toot her own horn, but Nestra was really, really fucking good at fencing. It had been the only thing keeping her sane through the Dark Times. Even with the cravings, Nestra had kept in her heart that she was so good that she could be a CQC specialist in the city¡¯s most physically demanding police force when she was competing with quirkies and augs. From her youth, Nestra had been a fencing genius, and she¡¯d worked hard every damn day of her dog life to make sure she reached the top. Nestra wasn¡¯t excellent. She was world class, and experienced against human opponents.

    And that wasn¡¯t even counting the Scornful Crescent.

    And they¡¯d sent someone seven years her junior against her. The poor fuckers. The sad thing was, Truong was pretty good, probably considered a promising prospect among the new generation of Sword King raiders. Her public humiliation after being picked as champion would hound her for the rest of her days while the instigator, that cunt Manh, would get away scot free. It was infuriating how the top players kept sacrificing pawns and then having tea shortly afterward.

    Nestra sighed. There was the baseline lie as well.

    The purpose of her existence here was to prove that being a baseline was not an indication of a lack of talent, only a lack of mana. To see baselines as inferior was not just despicable, it was false. Mana access didn¡¯t make one a demigod deserving of all honor.

    Only, that was bullshit.

    First, Truong had been D-class. Gleams kept improving so long as they worked hard, and the gap between them and baselines kept growing accordingly. There was a qualitative difference between a fifty-year old baseline with skill and experience, and a fifty-year old gleam who¡¯s reached C-class and can work sixteen hours per day six days a week for months at the top of their game in case of emergency. Just the ability to focus for longer periods of time made gleams better. That was the first lie. Nestra¡¯s victory didn¡¯t prove anything.

    The second lie was that Nestra was simply not a baseline. She was an Aszhii in sheep¡¯s clothing. All of her victories were a travesty ¡ª to an extent. She¡¯d won with quirky-level powers but she was, in essence, not a baseline human. She was only pretending to be one.

    And that sucked.

    ¡°There goes my good mood,¡± Nestra said, having successfully ruined her own enjoyment.

    She rinsed herself then lamented the lack of a hair dryer in this Riel-forsaken hole on earth. If only she had Riel¡¯s teleportation magic, then she could use it to spend every evening eating ice cream in the shadow of her naval gun instead of being stuck here in toxic culture land watching her back. Nestra wrapped a towel around her head. Alas, her powerful grumbling and incendiary comments failed to dry her hair faster.

    Since the mood was ruined, she might as well write her report.

    Nestra spent most of the afternoon poring over her notes, then she used the data sheet in her luggage to write a report. With that, her official role in the mission would officially be complete and she¡¯d be able to play offline games on her visor for the rest of the trip, guilt-free. She still did her best to give an accurate list of observations and recommendations. Her first and obvious one was that non-users ought to have equal rights. Obvious, but she had to spell it out. The common law stuff was brief, the only caveat being that Thresholders found guilty by Sword King authorities ought to be given the opportunity to choose imprisonment in Threshold instead of, say, being flogged fifteen times on the main plaza. That was kind of important. The trade law stuff was short as well since the enclave had almost zero laws for trading, so she recommended using Threshold¡¯s framework instead. She hesitated with the last of her recommendations, but eventually decided to include it in her report anyway. Fuck politics.

    ¡°Finally, I would recommend that specific attention be given to crimes committed by more privileged individuals against more vulnerable members of the community. Case law and recent records show a lack of upward accusations, such as from gray robes to Elders, or women to men. Rather than a clerical error or exemplary behavior in the enclave, I suspect that the discrepancy might be due to systemic elitism and corruption that makes standing against one¡¯s betters undesirable.¡±

    It was as direct as she could make it while using Threshold¡¯s civil servant bullshit lingo. Maybe she should add ¡®those cunts use the law as a tool of oppression and control¡¯ in the margin, but well, anyone who didn¡¯t already know that couldn¡¯t be smart enough to have reached a managerial position anyway.

    Just to be sure, Nestra used her writing software¡¯s AI assistant to check for issues. She corrected a few typos, rephrased a few words, refrained from smashing the datasheet after the AI called her style ¡®verbose¡¯, and then she was done.

    That left her with little to do. She rummaged through her room for supplies and found a stove and a few bags of tea ¡ª locally sourced by the look of it. There was a sort of barley infusion, probably less fancy than green tea. It was pretty good! She heard a knock on her door as she was finishing her cup.

    Nestra focused on her mana sense. She didn¡¯t pick up anything from the other side, so it was either a master user or one of the augs. Either way, she carefully opened it. It was one of the two augs pilots, the man in this case. An anglo, with short black hair and two very obviously auged eyes. Most people preferred an imitation real ball in their sockets, but Derek Clint had gone for the naked implant which gave him the appearance of a cyborg. The smile was genuine though, and so were the muscles visible under his pilot jumpsuit.

    ¡°Mr Clint. Hello,¡± she greeted

    ¡°How about you call me Derek and I¡¯ll call you Nestra? It¡¯s the name you prefer, right?¡±

    ¡°Deal,¡± she replied with a smile.

    ¡°Great. Weiwei is touring the compound¡¯s production workshops with Chandra, so that leaves me with no choice but to bother you. I need a partner to cover my back while I return to the gunship ¡ª sorry, our ¡®armored shuttle¡¯. Ilar wants us to communicate more easily so I¡¯m going to use the ship¡¯s systems to give us a closed internet.¡±

    ¡°Neat. Does it link to the real internet?¡±

    ¡°Nope. I hope you downloaded your favorite vids in advance.¡±

    Nestra shrugged. She had enough to entertain herself but she was hoping for more.

    ¡°Just wanted to make some enclave memes. It¡¯s ok.¡±

    Derek laughed, a pure sound of joy that boomed through the drab corridor.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that would be very diplomatic, but what do I know? Anyway, are you alright to go now? Or later? Or not at all? I can wait.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, let¡¯s leave.¡±

    She locked the door out of habit. Derek was waiting for her so she saw his skull plates while his back was turned. Like most pilots, the majority of his implants were sensory-based. His steps were light enough.

    ¡°You got any combat implants besides the pilot suite?¡± she asked as they moved out of the guest quarters.

    ¡°Straight to the point huh? No. We¡¯re discouraged from getting them since there can be interference. There¡¯s also the theory that the more borged up you get, the more likely you are to end up with psychosis. It¡¯s more or less an urban legend at this stage but¡­ you know. And it costs money.¡±

    ¡°The army won¡¯t spring for it?¡±

    ¡°You get the job-related surgery for free. The rest is out of your own pockets. Pilot pay is good but it¡¯s not military-grade combat implants good.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough.¡±

    Just as before, the gray robes were doing their best to ignore them, though a few still stole glances towards Derek¡¯s shiny chrome. It looked like their day was over as they returned to various sheds to drop their tools. She checked the time. It was nearing five in the afternoon.

    ¡°Have they been at it since dawn?¡± Nestra whispered to herself.

    ¡°It¡¯s harvest season for some cereal crops so they work especially hard right now. Peasantry is seasonal. Don¡¯t you know?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a city girl to the core.¡±

    ¡°Hah. Well, I assume they train harder in the off months. They must have been at it since dawn.¡±

    It was that kind of place, Nestra had to agree. They soon arrived at the gunship, an anachronistic creature of sharp angles overlooking the compound like some steel beetle god, an intruder in many ways. The door opened to welcome the pair in without prompt. Nestra knew Derek must have just sent some signal but from the outside, it felt like being allowed into the sanctum of some forbidden cult. The interior still smelled faintly of sweat. Nestra winced.

    ¡°Yeah you should smell it after we¡¯ve picked up tired raiders. It¡¯s like shoving your nose over a slaughterhouse¡¯s dumpster.¡±

    ¡°No thanks.¡±

    ¡°By the way, would you be okay with helping or would you prefer to wait outside?¡±

    ¡°Please show me the gunship¡¯s secrets, oh prophet of doom.¡±

    ¡°With pleasure. Here, let me just get this out¡­¡±

    A server rack popped out from behind the pilot¡¯s seats. It looked too small to achieve much, which meant it was probably some high tech stuff. Nestra suspected Derek didn¡¯t really need any help and was just acting nice by giving her something to do together. She plugged cables and pushed buttons whenever he asked.

    ¡°By the way, I regret not being here for the duel. Heard you gave them a good demonstration?¡±

    ¡°I won, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Nice¡­¡± he replied with a vicious smile. ¡°Not that I want to throw shade at our dear hosts, but I already heard borg half a dozen times and those fuckers don¡¯t even speak English.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. To be fair, they had me face a kid. She was barely eighteen.¡±

    Derek gave her a measured look.

    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°You reckon they weren¡¯t being fair to her?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Heh.¡±

    Derek shook his head. Nestra frowned, not sure how to express her feelings on the matter.

    ¡°It¡¯s like this. I¡¯m experienced and good at what I do partly because of my dad¡¯s training. I was born in a raider¡¯s family, you see? So it¡¯s like me using gleam tricks without really being a gleam, and I also have experience on my side,¡± she finally said.

    It wasn¡¯t all of the truth but it was close enough to convey how she was feeling.

    ¡°You want my opinion?¡± he asked.

    ¡®Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Press the green¡­ there we go. So, yeah, there ain¡¯t anything like fair in this world. It¡¯s bullshit to expect fairness, no harm intended. They were trying to screw you over anyway.¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­ but¡­¡±

    He gave her a look she couldn¡¯t decipher. His augs seemed focused on her, giving him an uncanny appearance. He sounded dead serious too.

    ¡°Look, as I said, it¡¯s not about fairness. I can list half a dozen other reasons why it¡¯s not fair one way or the other and I wasn¡¯t even there to see the show. It¡¯s about what you represent. For them, the girl you faced was some kind of harbinger meant to give you, and us, a lesson. I¡¯m not up to speed on gleam speciality but it must have looked like you had a chance but not really?¡±

    ¡°It could be interpreted like that, yeah.¡±

    ¡°So she stood for giving you a lesson, and you stood for hard work, for Threshold, and for us¡­ mana-challenged folks, yeah?¡±

    ¡°I guess.¡±

    ¡°Your role could have been filled by some high-level security augs, the kind that can take down a C-class raider just with their speed and monofilament blades and whatnot. It doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is that we proved to those fuckers we¡¯re not out yet. It¡¯s not about fairness, see? It¡¯s about who you¡¯re protecting, whose honor you defended.¡±

    ¡°Huh. Didn¡¯t see it like that.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t realize you were the city¡¯s champion there?¡±

    ¡°I did, I did.¡±

    ¡°So take pride. You stood for us, and we¡¯re grateful. We¡¯re especially grateful because you won, haha. Oh, here it is. Should be fine now.¡±

    ¡°Will you need to keep the gunship powered?¡± Nestra asked, not sure if she should change the topic just yet.

    ¡°Nah, minimum power is fine. It will also prevent the battery from draining too fast. We don¡¯t want the gunship to look like it¡¯s five seconds away from taking off because it might scare the bogans. They might shoot arrows at the propellers or something. Can¡¯t risk it.¡±

    ¡°They probably know about gunships, Derek.¡±

    ¡°If they did, they''d be more scared. Anyway, shall we head back?¡±

    ¡°Sure and¡­ thanks. I guess I was too focused on myself.¡±

    ¡°If it were me wrecking those arrogant twats, you couldn¡¯t stop me from boasting for a year. At least!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saving it for home,¡± Nestra joked.

    ¡°Very diplomatic, Miss Palladian.¡±

    ¡°Oi.¡±

    Nestra smiled, feeling a bit better. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure how she felt about the duel anymore, but at least the people on her side were happy so there was that, right? And there was something else: she had been placed in a difficult situation and managed to win. It wasn¡¯t her decision setting a kid against her, so she had nothing to feel sorry about. Nodding resolutely, Nestra left the gunship behind Derek. He paused near the entrance. She stopped behind him.

    ¡°I¡¯m plugged into the gunship¡¯s sensors. Just making sure there isn¡¯t anything suspicious waiting for us. Looks like we¡¯re good.¡±

    Just then, Nestra¡¯s visor dinged. It was a message from Ilar.

    ¡°We now have a secure connection, people. I will still urge everyone not to post any confidential information. Please see me if you have any questions. Dinner will be served in the Elders¡¯ compound in fifteen minutes.¡±

    ***

    Night was falling by then. The crimson light bathed the compound in colors until even the gray robes took on a red hue as they engaged in late practice, wooden swords striking targets with familiar clacks. The smell of food came from everywhere, and the smoke of cooking fires rose in a light fog over many of the buildings. Magical lanterns came to life on the stairs and paths of the compound. Blue and yellow dominated, but there were also orange and purple streaks to provide a pleasant variety. With the dim light masking most of its flaws, the compound took on a new appearance that was almost dream-like. Now, history was being resurrected in front of Nestra. She forgot about the stares as they approached the dining hall from where pleasant scents emerged. She found that the Sword King Elders had spared no expense on their hospitality. They had laid out a feast.

    While the Elders and other selected guests sat at round tables in raucous enjoyment, servants drifted from group to group to provide fresh dishes and drinks. It reminded Nestra of a Chinese party: for now, everyone stayed put but as the night went on, they would move from table to table with glasses of strong liquor to cheer each other up. A special table had been reserved for the Thresholder guests. Most of the delegation was busy eating after a long day though Chandra and Ilar were already making the rounds. Nestra took her seat next to Weiwei, the other aug. She and Derek immediately went over security measures. Nestra decided to let them be, not like she could understand half of their jargon anyway.

    The food was delicious though. It wasn¡¯t maybe as properly seasoned as what she¡¯d get in Threshold, but that was nitpicking. The ingredients were mana-rich, fresh, and prepared to perfection. At last she¡¯d found something else the enclaves were good at! She had another bowl of pho just because the broth was so damn perfect.

    ¡°He¡¯s saying mana food is wasted on you,¡± Derek abruptly said.

    ¡°Mpff?¡±

    The aug discreetly pointed in the direction of a far table where Manh sat among a gathering of red robed raiders. He was glaring at her. Nestra hadn¡¯t noticed. She decided to reply after swallowing another sliced meatball.

    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s against my religion to pay attention to idiots when I¡¯m having good food.¡±

    ¡°Riel. How do I convert?¡±

    ¡°Easy, just don¡¯t mind assholes. Anyway, thanks for letting me know. Not that there are manaless dishes here anyway. He¡¯s just being an ass.¡±

    ¡°I will still report him as a security risk if that¡¯s ok with you.¡±

    ¡°Sure. I just hope he doesn¡¯t send another teenager for me to crush.¡±

    ¡°Good evening,¡± a new voice said.

    Ilar was standing behind her. Maybe she should start paying attention to her surroundings when she was eating.

    Or maybe people should just get off her case or she¡¯d start hitting them with a sword.

    ¡°Belated congratulations on your victory. You have demonstrated Threshold¡¯s discipline and skill beyond what I expected.¡±

    ¡°Hope I didn¡¯t ruin your plan with this little stunt,¡± Nestra joked.

    ¡°Not at all! Not at all,¡± Ilar replied, and she spotted a hint of viciousness in his smile.

    He waved his hand. The rapid fire of Vietnamese died down around them. Raiders talked fast. They could also do that while eavesdropping on everyone¡¯s business, especially the B ranks, so she assumed Ilar wanted some privacy.

    The enclaves would detect the mana barrier though. Nestra wondered if it breached etiquette. Ilar either knew, or he didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just consider this an appetizer of the messages to come. Considering Manh, that little twat, is pushing the Council of Elders to reject us wholesale so yes, he is a security risk. It will have implications for the rest of the trip. We will travel out to the Steel Realm portal world tomorrow for an inspection. The purpose is to assess how many resources we can pull out of it with proper mining equipment.¡±

    ¡°Will we be taking the ship?¡± Derek interrupted.

    ¡°No, our guests will be guiding us on foot. It isn¡¯t too far.¡±

    Derek nodded before returning to his plate.

    ¡°Chandra and her team will be going in with us. Watanabe and the enclavers will clear the world and provide security. I have full confidence that we will be more than enough to make that place secure. Unfortunately, it means you three will be left out.¡±

    Ah yes, none of them could get in.

    ¡°You will spend the night there. The Patriarch will make the rest tent available to you for the duration of your stay. You will use this opportunity to conduct a survey of the available equipment while you wait.¡±

    So that was what Fox Mask¡¯s message had been about. They must have known.

    ¡°Wouldn''t it be safer for us to wait at the compound?¡± Derek asked.

    Nestra had to agree.

    ¡°We will also slow you down,¡± she added.

    ¡°Yes, however Manh will be confined to the compound by order of the patriarch. He is being disciplined. You will be safer with us, not to mention the negotiation team isn¡¯t that fast.¡±

    He chuckled.

    ¡°They¡¯re not raiders.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Ilar was being awfully polite by justifying his choices. Things had to be going well.

    ¡°It looks like Chandra could use some back up. Enjoy the meal and be sure to get some rest. We leave at dawn tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Can we bring our weapons?¡± Nestra remembered to ask.

    ¡°Of course. Full gear. And by the way, be sure to return to your quarters together, just in case.¡±

    He gave Nestra a lingering look like she was some kind of naughty rebel and not someone who had worked in one of Threshold¡¯s most disciplined forces for years.

    ¡°That includes you, Miss Palladian.¡±

    ¡°I am not my aunt,¡± she reminded him.

    ¡°Yes, that is correct. I should have guessed from the professional report you¡¯ve given me.¡±

    He gave her an assessing look.

    ¡°We already had a team of legal experts weigh on the Sword King¡¯s laws. Your opinion aligns with theirs, although they went into more detail. Your statistical approach to case law does you credit. Well done. If you want a recommendation for cadre training, I would consider giving you a recommendation.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like it could lead to a desk job. I¡¯m a stabby girl.¡±

    ¡°Hah! For now, but perhaps you will want a calmer environment¡­ eventually.¡±

    He meant when her body failed her as age set in.

    ¡°Well, enjoy the rest of your evening!¡±

    He was gone. Nestra reluctantly refused one of the glasses of liquor despite their intriguing smell. She couldn¡¯t risk it. Desserts were offered soon after while the various groups started to mingle. She was ready to go when, to her surprise, Patriarch Nguyen himself came to her with two elders staying at a respectable distance.

    The mood shifted in the room. The susurrus of conversations lowered in a way even she noticed, which meant that everyone was trying to listen on. The patriarch wouldn¡¯t have it though. With a wave of his hand, mana formed a blur around them, distorting sounds as if they were under water. It was a different technique from what Ilar had used.

    ¡°Good evening. You are¡­ Miss Palladian, yes? You are the daughter of Hector Palladian.¡±

    It didn¡¯t sound like a question. The patriarch gave her a polite smile which dulled the edge of his question. He was telling the entire room that this was a friendly meeting.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Are you here representing your house?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no, I am here as my own person. I can get you in touch though.¡±

    ¡°Oh? I assumed that you were close to your family despite your circumstances. Your style certainly matches his, although, he was always more direct.¡±

    ¡°You know my father?¡±

    ¡°We fought side by side in the first expedition,¡± the patriarch replied with a smile, ¡°and with Deborah, of course, back when parts of this island still steamed from the heat of magma. I know he is still raiding. I will be looking forward to his ascension to the next rank with great expectations. It cannot be too long now.¡±

    Nestra had no idea. A-rank raiders were still so few, at most a hundred individuals on the planet. She had no idea her dad was considered a strong contender to join their hallowed ranks soon.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let him know. I¡¯m sure he will be glad to hear from you,¡± Nestra said without much conviction.

    ¡°I hope so. You are a credit to him. It is a great shame that you are without a core, but perhaps we will find a way to correct this before you are gray of hair. After all, the rest of you works perfectly.¡±

    He chuckled, but Nestra didn¡¯t find this very funny. It would solve so many of her problems, including with her family¡­ and yet she would also feel like a sellout, joining the ranks of the callous and the oppressors. It was¡­ a weird feeling.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard there¡¯s research being done on the matter since some of the more dangerous worlds host monsters capable of inflicting core damage,¡± Nestra said without much conviction. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll see.¡±

    ¡°I certainly hope so. Extend my congratulations to your father. I would also like to get in touch with him, and your family, as you offered.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make it happen.¡±

    ¡°Good. We can all grow stronger through proper cooperation.¡±

    After a few polite platitudes, the patriarch left Nestra surprised and confused. Talking to her with respect was¡­ certainly a bold move. No wonder Manh was at odds with the patriarch''s decision. The older man was going against the elitist values they¡¯d promoted for decades. Was he trying to usher his entire enclave into a golden age of not being complete cunts?

    But then, why were his people fucking stealing from Threshold? That didn¡¯t sound like a very sensible strategy.

    Nestra shrugged. Maybe it was a faction thing. She¡¯d leave the sorting out to someone else.

    ¡°Everything ok?¡± Derek asked her.

    ¡°He¡¯s interested in making contact with my family. My parents are kind of a big deal.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ good, I suppose?¡±

    ¡°Better than a blood feud for sure.¡±

    A shiver crawled up Nestra¡¯s spine. Did people here even have blood feuds? They might.

    ***

    It felt good to be moving again, albeit in her human body. The Wellington suit cooled her while the group moved swiftly over a jungle trail, gleams leading the way with preternatural grace. Chandra Satya puffed by her side. Nestra cast the beautiful gleam a worried glance. She was clearly struggling.

    ¡°You ok there? Need help?¡± Nestra asked.

    ¡°How¡­ how can you carry all that gear on your back¡­ and not fall over.¡±

    ¡°Practice, and the suit has servos.¡±

    ¡°Damn¡­ I should have jogged more.¡±

    Chandra was the sort of D-class who only gets passively stronger from meditation. She was fit and would probably outdo most baselines on the planet, but she lacked the mana control required to properly infuse her body with mana. The pace set by the front gleams was intense. It was a miracle the two augs could follow.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be much longer now. I can carry one of your bags?¡± Nestra offered, but the sweaty negotiator refused with a shake of her head.

    ¡°The enclaves respect strength. I am no warrior, but I must still¡­ still look strong. Matter¡­ matter of image.¡±

    ¡°Alright. I got cold water if that helps.¡±

    ¡°Fuck yes.¡±

    Nestra allowed herself a smirk. It paid to be prepared! She nabbed herself a bite of chocolate energy bar as a treat when the path crested the incline they¡¯d been climbing all morning. A dense fog made visibility difficult. She could see a mist-covered valley extending in front of her. By the side, the raiders were talking over a warming pot of boiling water. It must have been the equivalent of a slow stroll for them. She removed her hood. The cries of distant birds heralded the coming of a great roar. It was quite far. None of the gleams reacted.

    She checked the safety of her gun just in case. One of the enclavers frowned at her, like she was insulting their ability to defend her or something. Well, maybe they were right. Nestra still wanted to be ready.

    Despite her misgivings, there were no surprise attacks from hidden monsters. Only maddened creatures from freshly breached portals would be suicidal enough to try anyway. Fifteen minutes later, the group climbed down the hill. Chandra sighed in relief.

    Nestra wanted to tell her not to be too happy since she¡¯d be climbing it back up in a couple of days but the poor woman looked so happy. There was no need to piss on her parade.

    After another hour, the sinuous trail led to a pit. To Nestra¡¯s surprise, it looked natural, with cliffs falling to an expanse completely devoid of trees. Meager patches of grass surrounded an empty spot where the permanent portal would soon come to life. There was a sort of tent structure planted at the side. It looked like the sort of temporary structure Threshold used for relief work. It wouldn¡¯t be much but there would be amenities. Interestingly, a patch of flowers extended from one of the sides like a well-tended garden. Patriarch Nguyen explained that it was his wife¡¯s pet project.

    ¡°Sometimes when I raid, she would wait for me here. She set up the garden so she would have something to do.¡±

    He looked at the colorful flowers with pride and fondness. Nestra made a note not to pick any while they waited.

    She and the two augs stood to the side while the two groups made one last gear check. A briefing followed, mostly aimed at Chandra and her aides. The portal popped to life right on time. The sweet radiation invigorated Nestra, though she took great care not to show it.

    ¡°Do not wander outside of the crater,¡± Patriarch Nguyen said as a last warning. ¡°There are traps meant for monsters. My sentries will protect you but do not take any unnecessary risks please.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Nestra watched them cross over with some more longing, until she remembered that she would infiltrate this den the very same night in her true form. She just had to be careful around the gleams. Giddy, Nestra entered the room. It took her exactly three seconds to figure out why the patriarch¡¯s wife ¡ª and shouldn¡¯t she be the matriarch? ¡ª had preferred to spend time outside. The place stank of plastic and it was hot enough for a slow baked Nestra.

    ¡°Riel,¡± she swore.

    ¡°I¡¯ll turn on the solar panel on the ceiling,¡± Weiwei laughed. ¡°Just hold on. This is a standard issue relief tent. They have air conditioning.¡±

    ¡°Technology be blessed.¡±

    ¡°You two get started on the machine inventory. I¡¯ll make this dump livable.¡±

    Nestra was only too happy to accept. She unzipped the flap leading to the garden first. They could have a look on their way. It looked gorgeous enough from afar! She breathed in the floral perfume with relish, but soon, something attracted her gaze. Derek, too, had stopped. the earth had been disturbed a few paces in front of them. Something pulsed there.

    ¡°Hey, I feel ma¡ª¡±

    A shock. Nestra was pushed to the side. A dull explosion. An angry whistle. A sting on her forehead, more a shock than true pain.

    She fell on her side. Suddenly, the world was a rich tapestry of colors, of mana. The jangled mess of smells turned into a precise mix with the sun-beaten dust as background, then the flowers, then just a tinge of human blood, soap, and fresh sweat. The weight on her chest, which had been overwhelming a moment before, now gave room to a very annoying lightweight thing with no right to touch her.

    ¡°Hsss.¡±

    Powerful muscles answered her call. A hand like a vice closed on the dazed aug¡¯s arm, encircling it almost entirely. That hand was gray.

    Oh, shit.

    Nestra¡¯s Skin tasted the metal of the augs and found it utterly uninteresting. The sheath of her claymore dug into her back.

    Oh, SHIT.

    Ok focus focus focus can¡¯t stay here like this need her human mask where is it where IS IT?

    There, in the dimensional space. Bleeding. A gash on its forehead. It was¡­ viable. Probably. She felt she could call it. She just wasn¡¯t sure it was a good idea. Screw it, no choice. Worst case scenario, she¡¯d just turn back and then make a run for it. With a barest effort of will, she reverted back to her human shape.

    Never had she regretted a decision so quickly and so completely.

    ¡°Oooooooooow. FUCK.¡±

    ¡°Blood detected? Nestra? Nestra, are you okay?¡±

    Blood fell on her left eye in thick rivulets. Her head rang like a cathedral bell bodied by a runaway train. She wanted to puke. And she wanted to lay there. She was going to lay there.

    ¡°Shit. Trap. Hold on, I¡¯ll get Weiwei and the first aid kit. Don¡¯t move!¡±

    She gave him a thumb up, not trusting that the first thing going through her lips wouldn¡¯t be her breakfast. Ow, that hurt. She resisted the urge to touch her forehead. Derek raced through the flap. Her mind swam but she was pretty sure he had to, errr, what was SoP? Check for foes? She was too stunned to remember. And then it hit her.

    She¡¯d died. Her human body had died, or at least it had been close enough that her psyche had been catapulted back into her true form. Probably before half her head got blown off. Shit, someone had killed her.

    Oh, they were going to regret it.

 Part 50

    The tarp at the top of the tent was kind of yellow. It was kind of old. Those tents were solid though. Or were they? She couldn¡¯t really remember.

    ¡°Retractors.¡±

    Nestra lifted her hand. It was kind of bloody, or rather, there was a layer of blood covering an entire side. It looked thin. Was she bleeding? Her arm didn¡¯t hurt. Only her head.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m bleeding.¡±

    ¡°That you are,¡± a male voice said.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t she be asleep?¡± a female one replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m not an anesthetist so this is safer. Cranial trauma. Calculating angles. Keep your eyes on the camera, Weiwei!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing out there, Derek. If they were coming after us¡­¡±

    ¡°Eyes on the camera.¡±

    Nestra¡¯s left eye was closed and she didn¡¯t feel like moving. Something was tugging on her forehead which was a bad sign because she couldn¡¯t feel anything there. She recognized the two people hovering around her. Derek and Weiwei, the expedition¡¯s augs. What were they doing here? Oh, right.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m hurt. And bleeding.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t be too bad though.¡±

    ¡°You have a slit in your skull, Nestra. I can see your brain matter.¡±

    ¡°Oh. That sounds bad.¡±

    ¡°Only if I zoom. We¡¯ll get you sorted. Ok, the simulations says no piece of her skull is loose so it should make things much easier. Get me a potion, we¡¯ll apply it locally.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it work like shit on baselines?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s pretty much a quirky. Just do it. It will work.¡±

    Nestra let them work. She was rather confused by the whole affair. There had been a trap, and she¡¯d gotten hurt. Shit, she should have kept her helmet on, dammit. There was more movement.

    ¡°So, how are things going?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You are miraculously alive, and I do mean it. Half a centimeter down and you might have not. I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not a neurosurgeon.¡±

    ¡°We can repair brain damage nowadays,¡± Weiwei mentioned.

    ¡°Sure, you and what operation theater?¡± Serek replied with a bit of snark.

    Nestra frowned.

    ¡°Wait, weren''t you hurt as well?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. My body armor blocked most of it.¡±

    ¡°Body armor?¡±

    Someone sponged the left side of her head free of blood, including the eye. She was still feeling woozy and a little lost, so she decided not to move too much. That sounded reasonable.

    ¡°Wait, what were we talking about?¡±

    ¡°We were saying you were miraculously alive after a mincer trap planted in our fucking garden activated on us. Thank fuck you pointed at it or I might have missed it. Oh, that reminds me, I need to run a diagnosis. Optics glitched for a second there. Ugh, can I afford to do it now?¡±

    Nestra carefully turned her head. Weiwei was on the side, holding a handgun with an oversized barrel. Derek had a full-on assault rifle and he was sitting in front of a console showing a series of screens, though he wasn¡¯t looking at them right now. His eye augs flashed in the dim light.

    ¡°If anything was going to come after us, it would have already done so,¡± Weiwei replied.

    ¡°You mean, anyone. Somebody wanted us dead. Or at least, one of us. They might just be considering finishing the job. I¡¯m keeping an eye out.¡±

    ¡°They have archers,¡± Nestra said. ¡°Gleam archers.¡±

    She considered explaining before changing her mind. Her thoughts were still a little jumbled. They¡¯d probably get it anyway.

    ¡°One more reason to keep an eye out. Weiwei, you watch the cameras while I run that diagnostics. We can¡¯t afford to take risks.¡±

    ¡°Should we build some sort of bombardment shelter? Pile furniture?¡± the woman asked.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t anything in here that will stop a gleam archer¡¯s charmed shot. Don¡¯t think about the worst case scenario. Just look and hope for the best.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright¡­¡±

    Something occurred to Nestra as she watched the aug ¡®pilot¡¯ mumbling to himself, his augs clicking from here.

    ¡°You¡¯re not just a pilot, are you?¡± she finally said.

    Derek smiled.

    ¡°He¡¯s not a pilot at all, though I guess he¡¯s a decent copilot,¡± Weiwei replied.

    ¡°Hey, I can press a few buttons and the thing will fly itself!¡±

    ¡°Barely,¡± Weiwei grumbled. ¡°He¡¯s good on the cannons though.¡±

    ¡°Are you here to keep an eye on us?¡± Nestra asked.

    ¡°On you? Fuck no. For you.¡±

    ¡°Are you Intelligence?¡±

    His smile was crooked and looked genuine, as far as she could tell.

    ¡°You understand that I won¡¯t reply to that question, right? In fact, it would be best if you forgot our little discussion. Focus on remembering spotting the trap instead. There is going to be a debrief¡­ and consequences.¡±

    ¡°Uh?¡±

    ¡°Attempted murder on a diplomatic envoy. That¡¯s not grand theft, that¡¯s an act of war. Shit¡¯s going to get real when the expedition returns.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ there will be war?¡±

    ¡°No, well, I don¡¯t think so, but old Nguyen is going to have to clean house¡­ and we will be requesting proof.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably Manh,¡± Nestra said.

    ¡°How do you reckon?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a nasty cunt.¡±

    There was a pause, the other two digesting her brilliant insight.

    ¡°You know, for being so short, that sentence was so convincing and makes so much sense that I¡¯m fully inclined to agree with you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a good detective,¡± Nestra insisted.

    It felt super important to say.

    ¡°So it would seem. And now, you should sleep.¡±

    ¡°Why are you here, though?¡±

    ¡°To keep our people alive against that kind of thing,¡± Derek replied curtly.

    Nestra considered it.

    ¡°I think I died. Very close to it.¡±

    She frowned. It was probably not a good idea to elaborate. They didn¡¯t know about her being an Aszhii and it would take far too long to explain. She wasn¡¯t feeling like it.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t move your face too much, you¡¯re pulling on the stitches,¡± Derek said with a tired voice.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°And yeah, sorry, I fucked up. I should have been more careful,¡± he said.

    ¡°Derek?¡± Weiwei softly asked.

    ¡°I was looking out, not down. She almost died. She was this close. I fucked up.¡±

    ¡°You could not have ¡ª¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter!¡± Derek interrupted, nearly shouting.

    Weiwei sighed.

    ¡°Sorry, I should not be raising my voice. I¡¯m stating the truth, though. It doesn¡¯t matter that it was absurd of them to trap the garden. They did. I didn¡¯t see it coming. She almost died, therefore, I failed. I should have checked the grounds around the encampment for recent movement. I can do it. Got a soil temperature module.¡±

    He tapped his temple.

    ¡°It won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Nestra said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t really in danger.¡±

    It felt important to let him know that. He wasn¡¯t at fault. Derek was nice. She didn¡¯t want to see him sad.

    ¡°Alright, Palladian. Time for you to catch a little shut eye,¡± he said.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°I need you fresh so you can take the middle spot as night guard. Both Weiwei and I need some sleep as well, okay?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right.¡±

    That made a lot of sense.

    ¡°I want my bed though.¡±

    ¡°Errrr.¡±

    Nestra stood up. There was indeed a bed in one of the sections of the tent. She found it. Weiwei helped her settle down.

    ¡°Should I remove my armor?¡± Nestra asked.

    ¡°Better keep it on, sweetie, just in case.¡±

    ¡°Well it does temperature regulation. And other stuff. I should have kept the helmet on¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll know for next time. Now, sleep, okay?¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    And she did.

    ***

    Nestra woke up with a jolt. Panic filled her mind. Her head felt fuzzy. Unsticking her tongue from her palate took way too much energy. She was feeling like shit. Despite the urge to act, she stayed lying on the cot, breathing hard.

    Any time.

    Any time now.

    Hmmm.

    Despite her expectations, pain remained conspicuously absent. She remembered she had a camera on one of her gloves to scout without being seen. Switching to her side, she took a picture.

    Fear paralyzed her, but it soon proved unwarranted. So ok, she was looking like shit, but more like, normal shit. A spectacular bruise had formed on her forehead where a thin line split it in half, vertically, from a bit above her eye to her hairline. It was bright red. She also had a bump. All in all, she¡¯d had much worse during some of her training sessions. The rest of her felt fine.

    She was alive. It was weird too, because Seth had told her the mask would fall when she received lethal damage. This wasn¡¯t lethal damage. It was near-lethal damage, certainly. Perhaps her mask was more fragile since it was that of a baseline. Or maybe her true form had instinctively judged that this wound was enough to kill her. It would have certainly sufficed in a primitive society with no access to any sort of medical help. It could also be because she was mostly human, and human Aszhii cared more about their masks. Well, enough assumptions. There was no way to test it anyway. Time to handle the real emergency.

    Nestra grabbed the glass of water left on her bedside table. It was half a liter of tepid water that tasted too much like stone. She emptied it in less than ten seconds.

    ¡®Shit, I could eat an entire neo-pig from snout to tail.¡±

    Nestra went to forage for food, feeling every bit the cave woman. Weiwei looked up from the monitors as soon as she appeared. Clint was asleep on the side with his hand gripping the handle of his rifle. At least the safety was on.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°You¡¯re already awake?¡±

    ¡°Hungry.¡±

    ¡°You Palladians are something else. I got emergency rations. The Nguyens also left us prepared meals in the fridge, recently made. We checked them for toxins. They¡¯re clean.¡±

    ¡°Talk about sending mixed messages,¡± Nestra grumbled.

    Weiwei laughed, her voice filled with relief. Nestra found plastic bowls filled with broth alongside tupperwares of fresh noodles, meatballs, coriander, and sprouts. She gave it a sniff. Pho. There was a microwave. While the broth warmed up, she devoured a nice Banh Mi sandwich which was made with local ingredients shoved in an honest-to-Riel sliced baguette. The next thirty minutes were spent demolishing the local food store. The good news was that many of these ingredients were mana-rich and quite tasty. By the time she was done, her second can of mango sago dessert was polished. Mango and coconut milk was such a nice combination.

    ¡°I feel freshly resurrected,¡± she announced.

    ¡°Wo de ma, Nestra, is there a portal in your stomach? Where is all the food going?¡±

    ¡°Blood reconstitution.¡±

    ¡°This has to be the weirdest quirk I¡¯ve ever heard about but okay. Hmm, anyway, I¡¯m no nurse but I think you need more than seven hours of sleep to fully recover.¡±

    Nestra checked the time. It was a bit past 9PM, which meant that they would stay locked in here for another couple of days if Derek decided it was safer. It was now clear he was outranking her in some way, and besides, whoever had failed with the trap might want to finish the job.

    Human Nestra was going to spend the night in recovery.

    Her Aszhii self had an appointment, one she wouldn¡¯t miss. She was certain the tent was close enough to the portal that she could slip in. The question was if she should patrol the surroundings or not after she was done with Fox Mask.

    Actually, she should ask herself if Fox Mask could have betrayed her? That would be a good question.

    It just didn¡¯t feel likely.

    Nestra shrugged. She would simply ask. That left her with six hours with nothing to do. She would employ her time by¡­ by¡­

    She yawned.

    By sleeping! Just set an alarm and go.

    ***

    Nestra turned on her bed and aimed her shotgun at the opening in one smooth movement. The flashlight lit up. It was Derek, with his hands up.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Nestra greeted, lowering her weapon.

    ¡°Damn, Palladian. I see you recover quickly.¡±

    ¡°You gave me a potion?¡±

    ¡°Yep, a Baihua Premium.¡±

    Nestra whistled. Those cost some money.

    ¡®The City is very much interested in keeping the members of this expedition alive.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t think they cared that much.¡±

    ¡°Oh, they don¡¯t care about you as a person. They would just very much like to end this little lesson without bloodshed, and if we die here, there will be a lot of it. Mayor Kim can¡¯t afford to look weak to an enclave only a couple months away from reelection.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that makes more sense.¡±

    He shrugged.

    ¡°Well that¡¯s it then. Sleep well. It doesn¡¯t look like anyone wants to try us again. See you tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Good night. And also thanks for jumping in front of me,¡± Nestra belatedly added.

    Derek smiled. It was a nice one, honest and full of relief.

    ¡°Technically I pushed you to the side¡­ and I was a bit late, but you¡¯re welcome, Nestra.¡±

    He closed the door. Nestra checked the time. It was 2AM.

    Maybe she ought to go there early.

    Fuck it, she¡¯d been stuck in this mask so long it was starting to itch. The short release when she¡¯d been forced out of her mask earlier only served to make it worse. She switched with a soft hiss of pleasure and felt for the portal¡¯s energies, They were there, diffuse but present. It was a strong world. She would really struggle to complete it herself. Maybe there would be time for some hunting. Nestra placed her hands in front of her, pushed, then she was through.

    ***

    This world was thick with mana. Nestra took a deep, liberating breath. It smelled of dust, of cold under a red sun that smoldered over the horizon, too distant to warm the soil. It also smelled of old blood, spilled not far from the entrance portal. The corpse of furry predators spread over a desert land peppered with thorny black plants. One of them looked like a mammoth, if mammoths had maws filled with jagged teeth. The cores had been harvested.

    In the distance, she beheld large, crystalline trees made of shards glued together. A dull trail of mana emerged from the copse. Smiling, she made her way there. A path curved around the trees, through bushes and ferns as dark as coal. A lone figure sat on a stone, her hand on the handle of a wicked estoc. They turned when they spotted Nestra.

    She stopped at a distance, then bowed politely. She appeared to be alone as far as Nestra could tell, and she had some pretty good senses. The fox mask was in place though it looked much worse for wear. This time, the mysterious fencer wore an unmarked red robe, loose enough that Nestra wasn¡¯t sure if the bumps were modest breasts or mere curves of the fabric. Their wavy black hair fell to their neck. The crimson light gave them a slightly ominous appearance.

    ¡°Hello, Fox Mask, or should I say T. Nguyen?¡± Nestra greeted with a chuckle.

    Slowly, they removed their mask, and Nestra found that she still had no idea about their gender. They still possessed an androgynous appearance caught between pretty and handsome, with a touch of exoticism brought by their mixed ethnicity, but the fragile pride of the archive¡¯s tournament picture had hardened into quiet despair. Black marks under their eyes spoke of sleepless nights, or a bone-deep fatigue that a night of sleep wouldn¡¯t cure.

    It felt like they were baring themselves, so Nestra returned the favor.

    ¡°What a curious transformation power¡­¡± was the answer. ¡°You know that those are rare?¡±

    Nestra shrugged, so Fox mask continued.

    ¡°I read that transformation powers reflect the person¡¯s beliefs and personality. Do you see yourself as a demon?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Nestra replied with a smile. ¡°A battle demon!¡±

    She picked up her claymore and waved it around a bit. That ought to illustrate her point well enough.

    Fox Mask paused, and it was difficult to tell if she was waiting for more, speechless, or merely just bone-wary.

    ¡°I was given the name Truong at birth.¡±

    ¡°I faced another Truong.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a fairly common name here,¡± they said with a dry voice. ¡°I chose the name Camille for myself. I am Camille Nguyen.¡±

    ¡°Camille?¡± Nestra asked. ¡°What does it mean?¡±

    Camille shifted their stance. Nestra didn¡¯t know why they were so defensive. It should be obvious she was just a big friendly demon who was only interested in battle, and thus, completely trustworthy. No shenanigans. Only glorious battle from Nestra, so long as the other didn¡¯t engage in shenanigans themselves or she could get weird.

    After a while, Nestra tilted her head, which led Camille to relent.

    ¡°Camille is a gender neutral first name of French origin. Like me.¡±

    ¡°One of your parents is French then?¡±

    ¡°My father. He joined the Sword King enclave as a blade master. He apparently had a strong interest in eastern sword styles. He was badly hurt in a spar, or so my mother said.¡±

    Camille looked away.

    ¡°He was so into fencing and monster killing that he forgot to play the political game. My mom said the wound came as a surprise to him, like he couldn¡¯t understand someone trying to hurt him while they were part of the same clan. He left soon after out of pure disgust, and a bit later, I was born. He doesn¡¯t know I exist. If he still lives, that is.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you didn¡¯t search for him?¡± Nestra asked, a little surprised.

    She had been curious about her own origins. If Seth wasn¡¯t secretive, she¡¯d be even more so.

    ¡°He is an exile. A pariah. I was forbidden from looking into his origins and all records have been erased anyway. By the time I got access to Threshold where I could learn more¡­ Mom wouldn¡¯t even tell me his name.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°... before she died.¡±

    ¡°...Oh. That must be horrible to be out here as an orphan. I couldn¡¯t imagine¡­¡±

    And now Nestra was sad just thinking about not having a family.

    ¡°Do you have¡­ any siblings? Half siblings, I mean,¡± she asked again.

    ¡°No. My mother could not marry again. No one would have her.¡±

    Camille glared at Nestra, as if daring her to comment.

    So she did.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, the more I hear about the Sword King enclave¡¯s culture, the less I like it.¡±

    Camille huffed. Nestra used the opening to ask a question that had been hounding her for a very long time in a desperate bid to change the subject.

    ¡°So, sorry if it¡¯s a bit insensitive but¡­ gotta ask. Are you a boy or a girl or something else?¡±

    A gale of cold wind blasted the portal world, carrying gritty sand under the blood-colored radiance of its distant sun. The crystalline trees shivered, and their branches gave a melodious song of chimes clinking together.

    ¡°Serious, you¡¯re asking me if I¡¯m a boy or a girl?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯d like to know if I have to refer to you as he, she, or they in my head. Right now there is an ambiguity, so, if you wouldn¡¯t mind¡­¡±

    Again, Camille looked guarded, as if expecting some sort of jab. When it was clear Nestra was entirely serious, their expression went from defiant to baffled, and then, to just tired.

    ¡°As most people in the enclave know, I am a intersex. I was born with male and female parts.¡±

    Nestra¡¯s glance dipped unconsciously.

    ¡°Yes, I also grew breasts,¡± Camille added rather coldly.

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°I am used to it. To answer your previous question, I prefer they, but since I have been¡­ assigned female at birth, I also find ¡®she¡¯ acceptable.¡±

    ¡°They it is. Is being intersex the reason why you were sent to Threshold to steal?¡± Nestra asked.

    Camille smirked. Nestra was glad to see a smile on this person¡¯s face, even if it was brittle as hell.

    ¡°Now what gave you that idea?¡± they asked.

    ¡°The Sword King enclave doesn¡¯t strike me as the kind of place that likes people who stand out. Even when they are supremely talented. Maybe,¡± Nestra added as an afterthought, ¡°especially people who are supremely talented.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for recognizing my talent. And¡­ I think it might be a series of circumstances.¡±

    Their gaze grew distant. They were now wide open, which Nestra took as a mark of trust, which in turn made her feel appreciated.

    ¡°I have given it a lot of thought over the years of isolation¡­ It might be because I am the patriarch¡¯s grandchild, talented yet unable to continue his dynasty since I cannot have children myself. Maybe it is this talent that makes me a challenge to any potential heir. Or perhaps it is because my father abandoned the enclave after being poorly treated, an uncomfortable reminder that we do not have to put up with that shit if we really don¡¯t want to. Or it could be my mother¡¯s death in a portal world, which shows weakness. Or perhaps it is merely sticking out while also having the mana control and skill necessary to infiltrate Threshold¡­ Or it could be all of those at the same time.¡±

    But then, Camille clammed up again.

    ¡°So they just exiled you? As a pariah?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    Camille hesitated, then they sort of gave up, their back arching as if under a great weight.

    ¡°Yeah. I guess I am. The Elders prefer when I¡¯m either raiding and stealing, and for raiding, I tend to do it alone. And in whatever portal happens to be available even if they do not help push my skills. That way they don¡¯t have to see me, I suppose.¡±

    They deflated a bit. Nestra felt bad for Camille. She¡¯d suffered through some difficult moments herself, but at least she¡¯d always had Aunt Claire, and later Stibs.

    ¡°You know, since you have access to Threshold, you could always pick a gender,¡± Nestra suggested. ¡°Up to you, of course, but between surgery and hormone therapy, you could absolutely lean towards one over the other. Just don¡¯t ask Shinran for help because he¡¯ll wave his hand and declare you¡¯re exactly how the world meant you to be.¡±

    ¡°But I am exactly how I was meant to be,¡± Camille objected, and Nestra could tell it was a sore topic. ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with my body or my appearance. It¡¯s the others who get annoyed because they can¡¯t put me in a box, and that¡¯s somehow inconvenient. And for an heir, who cares if it¡¯s my direct descendant? How about picking the best leader instead for a change? And when I reforge my body according to my own image at B-class, all of that nice work will be undone anyway because I am what I am and I¡¯m tired of making excuses.¡±

    Nestra shrugged.

    ¡°Sure. Whatever you prefer.¡±

    Camille glared like they expected Nestra to object or something. Nestra didn¡¯t really care.

    ¡°Why are you interested anyway? Surely, you are not attracted to me, right?¡± Camille asked after a while.

    ¡°What? No, I do not sex,¡± Nestra stated with confidence.

    ¡°You¡­ do not sex?¡± Camille repeated.

    ¡°I do not the sex. Tried it, it was nice but definitely not worth the hassle. Same for partners. My only love is for battle! The blade!¡± Nestra roared.

    Camille looked lost as hell, so Nestra decided to tone it down.

    ¡°Ok, no, I also love my family, my friends, and obviously good food. Oh, and cooking. And¡­ but you get the idea. My interest in you is blade related. You are an artist. A master of your craft. I¡¯m here because of that. Here, with no one looking, you can finally show me all those techniques you were holding back in the previous portal.¡±

    Camille chuckled. They grabbed the handle of their estoc, lifting it in a smooth gesture. It was still sheathed, though.

    ¡°Are you sure? last time, you had a bit of help. Here, though? It¡¯s just you and me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m stronger. I don¡¯t need anyone to beat your ass.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Camille finally drew, and so did Nestra. Finally. Finally!

    ¡°Yes!¡± she exclaimed.

    ¡°No hidden bullshit, right? No politics? Just you and me in a test of skill?¡±

    ¡°Just you and me in a test of skill. Let our blades talk. We can continue exchanging words after.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    Camille saluted.

    ¡°En garde.¡±

    With a scream of pure happiness, Nestra charged forward. She used momentum to close the distance with a lunge of power and speed, which was blocked by a series of transparent panes of mana. Nestra was pushed back. Meanwhile, Camille looked surprised by the shattered remnants of their defenses. In the moment that followed, both combatants smiled, and then; then both attacked.

    A whirlwind of precise strikes whistled through the empty air and shattered branches that fell in a glassy snow. It was the deadly dance of two masters on their path to perfection. Nestra had reach and power on her side, but Camille had experience and precision, plus the many panes they manifested all around them. There were so many tumbling blocks, improvised shields, and all around nuisances that prevented Nestra from moving freely though she could somewhat predict where they appeared thanks to her mana senses. Camille was good, but they weren¡¯t there yet. After Nestra smashed through yet another wall, something changed in Camille¡¯s demeanor. Their estoc flashed with enchantments. Resilience, as far as Nestra could tell.

    ¡°Water Dragon Dance.¡±

    Nestra stopped herself from laughing. Who the fuck announced their attacks before ¡ª

    ¡°Oh sh ¡ª¡±

    Parry, step back, parry, momentum away. Camille was a hurricane of strikes, each following Nestra where she was going. They were using those mana panels as springboards, Nestra realized. It was all she could do to stay ahead. So fast. Something bit into her leg. She felt pain on her forearm, but managed to push back yet another strike.

    Camille went low, gathered her strength. Only Nestra¡¯s muscle memory saved her.

    It was going to be a lunge.

    Immovable increased Nestra¡¯s defense, but Camille¡¯s blade still pierced through her left palm. She gathered her hand in a fist around the cruel blade, gritting her teeth against the pain.

    Nestra struck down with a roar. Her void-infused strike smashed through three walls and an improvised pauldron, biting into Camille¡¯s shoulder. The human disengaged to avoid the worst of it.

    Nestra was left with an estoc in her hand. Quite literally.

    ¡°Hey pick it u¡ª¡±

    Camille made a sign. Their mana flared, and the estoc flew into their waiting fingers. They smirked.

    ¡°Or you can cheat, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Sore loser. Show me that bolt of yours.¡±

    Nestra obliged. The dot connected with Camille¡¯s chest, then potential called for it to be connected. A black bolt exploded from Nestra¡¯s fingers. Thick layers of mana blocked the bulk of it. Though they couldn¡¯t block the wave of shadow that followed. Suddenly, it was the darkest of nights.

    ¡®What the ¡ª¡±

    Light blue mana dispersed Nestra spell, but her cleaving strikes still destroyed Camille¡¯s remaining defenses in a single blow, and Nestra kicked them while they were open. The low kick sent Camille tumbling on the ground.

    That was going to leave a nice bruise. Nevertheless, Camille just stood back up and went for Nestra, who let them attack so she could unleash a series of vicious counters. Camille was forced to slow down their attacks which gave Nestra the initiative again, but only shortly.

    ¡°Falling Arrow!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s lame,¡± Nestra commented between two blocks.

    The two of them demolished the copse before moving on to open ground. Their attacks dug grooves in the ground, sent shards of shattered stones flying through the air in a reverse hail. Their dance of death was unceasing movement, each one a mirror to the other.

    Only momentum and savvy bursts of shadow magic saved Nestra. At the apex of her assault, Camille pulled back for a finisher. Nestra used precision to strike at her opponent¡¯s elbow. She drew blood.

    Camille¡¯s strike sent her crashing on the ground with a deep pain in her ribs. One of them might be cracked. There was some blood as well.

    ¡°I held back, but that would have skewered you,¡± Camille said in the following moment of calm.

    ¡°Not with only one arm, it wouldn¡¯t have.¡±

    They smiled, in pain but happy.

    ¡°We should stop there since you¡¯re about to keel over from blood loss,¡± Camille began.

    ¡°And you from mana exhaustion. You need to work on your stamina.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure. Truce?¡±

    ¡°Truce. I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    Finally, after several days of imprisonment, Nestra was feeling refreshed.

    ***

    Nestra wanted to rest but hunger came first. As it turned out, Camille agreed.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten since this morning. Do you happen to have rations?¡±

    ¡°No. I only carry my cooking equipment. We could eat the local wildlife though.¡±

    Camille sighed heavily.

    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m desperate, so why not?¡±

    The pair quickly found a tusked creature hiding in a crystal tree thicket. It was absolutely no match for them. Nestra cut off something that looked like the tenderloin off its flank, then they found some semi-frozen water in a nearby pond.

    ¡°It¡¯s safe to drink,¡± Camille explained. ¡°We tested it. The crystal trees burn well too.¡±

    ¡°Marvelous,¡± Nestra replied.

    She was going to make a stew. Honestly, the meat looked too hard to be pleasantly edible right now. She boiled it first to remove the scum. While they waited, Camille guided her to a few edible tubers that would supplement Nestra¡¯s emergency reserves of mana-rich carrots and onions (two of each). Nestra used a flat piece of rock to prepare the vegetables.

    In the following moments of quiet, Nestra decided that she might as well get closer to her rival so they would have a long term, sustainable stabby friendship.

    ¡°So, things have been tough with your people?¡± she asked after they settled.

    Camille gave her a measuring look, but then her attention returned to Nestra¡¯s quick knife movements. It was like watching a puppy getting all excited before remembering they¡¯re supposed to growl. That, or maybe it was just natural that someone who¡¯d spent more than two decades keeping their distance from other people wouldn¡¯t magically open up in a single  evening. Either or.

    ¡°Before we get into this, can you tell me why you¡¯re here? Why you¡¯re really here?¡± they asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to fight you and eat food?¡± Nestra asked, confused before remembering there was a world outside of the portal.

    ¡°Oh, you mean the expedition? As far as I can tell, Threshold wants to trade for your steel and accountability for the thefts.¡±

    ¡°They know it was me?¡± Camille asked with some fear.

    ¡°Yes, and they know you¡¯re from the enclave. I expect some asset recovery will happen soonish. Are you going to warn your people?¡±

    ¡°Fuck no,¡± Camille replied.

    ¡°But it¡¯s all your hard work. Hard thievery. Whatever.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I want to protect my fellow Sword Kings, but I certainly wouldn¡¯t mind if some of them were taken down a notch or two.¡±

    ¡°Like Manh?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s certainly the worst of the lot. I saw him try to trap you in the combat pavilion. Giving that insane bitch Truong a thrashing was the highlight of my week.¡±

    ¡°I thought it would be our fight,¡± Nestra whispered, heartbroken.

    ¡°The highlight of my week at that time.¡±

    Nestra was relieved. Camille shook their head.

    ¡°Thank you for telling me the reason for your coming. I appreciate your trust. I promise not to abuse it, hmm, unless you plan to murder the people I care about, obviously. To answer your previous question, yes, things have been difficult at home. Grandfather is trying to usher the enclave into the future and he believes it will take Threshold¡¯s help to do so. He believes humanity should be united, and that our lives would be better with some machines to work the fields.¡±

    ¡°No shit,¡± Nestra grumbled.

    ¡°He means well!¡± Camille replied, suddenly defensive.

    They blushed with embarrassment. Their next words felt more hesitant than the rest, a sharp contrast to the confident warrior who had backed Nestra into a corner.

    ¡°He¡¯s trying. When he was younger, things got¡­ bad on the mainland. The Sword King enclave was meant to be a bastion of strength for humanity, and to a degree, it worked, okay? It worked for a long time. But ?ng grew older and he could see that only relying on physical strength was, errr, he said it was like going into a small corridor and realizing all the doors were closed. He wants more for us. For the younger generations. Not all of the members of the enclave agree. Many of them think we¡¯re betraying our principles. Tch! What principles? I¡¯m the most talented genius and people won¡¯t talk to me because I have breasts and a penis.¡±

    Nestra patted their shoulder.

    ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t be casually talking about genitals like this. And you¡¯re cooking too.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok. Did you know that when you eat urchin, you actually eat their genitals?¡±

    Nestra smiled. This had to be a great icebreaker. Camille looked amused therefore it must have worked on them.

    The meat was boiled by now. Nestra tossed the water, cleaned the pot, shredded the meat with her fingers, then set all the ingredients to simmer in a bit of clear water. She added some barley and closed the lid.

    ¡°Now what?¡± Camille asked.

    ¡°Now we wait for two hours!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re serious? Two hours?¡±

    ¡°We could wait longer. We have plenty of time to talk! Maybe fight again!¡±

    Camille sat on a rock. Nestra wondered if she should scavenge for more stuff while the soup bubbled. Maybe she should slice a steak out of the beast¡¯s neck? Poor Camille looked ravenous.

    ¡°By the way, Manh is the sort of person who would dare an assassination attempt against me, yes?¡±

    ¡°I doubt he would try. It would pretty much be a declaration of war.¡±

    ¡°Then who could have tried?¡±

    Nestra saw the moment Camille did a double take. She¡¯d forgotten to mention almost dying. Oops?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. What?¡±

    ¡°Someone set up a monster trap in the tent garden. It cracked my mortal form¡¯s skull open.¡±

    ¡°What the FUCK?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it was bad.¡±

    Camille stood in a panic. She walked to and fro, muttering curses in Vietnamese. Nestra got the feeling this was worse than just political maneuvering. Come to think of it, she was probably taking the attempt on her life rather too lightly.

    ¡°Fuck. FUCK! Why didn¡¯t you say so before?¡±

    ¡°Errr, sorry. Monsters and people trying to kill me have become such a normal occurrence¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t get it. Manh could be attempting a coup.¡±

    ¡°Against a B-class raider much more powerful than he is?¡± Nestra replied with her doubt on display.

    ¡°And that B-class raider is now in a portal for a couple of days, not to mention, if you¡¯d been assassinated, what would¡¯ve been Threshold¡¯s response?¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t need to be an expert diplomat to imagine the answer.

    ¡°It would involve gunships.¡±

    ¡°Thus forcing the enclave to unite against a foreign element. I''m telling you, this is bad. I still care about the enclave, despite everything. We need to stop a war.¡±

    ¡°We?¡± Nestra asked with a smile.

    ¡°Come on, police girl. Let¡¯s team up.¡±

 Part 51

    Nestra was excited. Not only was Camille a great adversary, but they were also cool as a person and now they were going to get adventures together! Not now, though, because it would be a bad time to get caught sneaking out. With the stew consumed and the leftovers properly packed (and labeled), Nestra slipped out of the world while Camille simply walked through the entrance portal. The aperture was in full view of the cabin, but Camille had a great disguise: they were simply not wearing their mask.

    It was kind of crazy how the mask became an identity and the lack thereof, anonymity. Actually, Crescent was much more famous than Nestra, even, so that was the same thing. With a last smile, Nestra walked through the tarp into her allocated bedroom to find that nothing had changed. It just smelled a bit like rank plastic but she¡¯d live with it. With her stomach full and a bit of blood loss, she easily fell asleep.

    The next morning, neither Weiwei nor Derek showed any sign that they¡¯d noticed her leaving. That almost annoyed her. Weren¡¯t people supposed to check on someone with a cranial trauma? To see if there was anything bad happening? Well, they weren¡¯t doctors so whatever. Maybe they¡¯d preferred to let her sleep.

    ¡°My fortune for fresh coffee,¡± Nestra announced.

    Derek looked up from their breakfast table. Those looked like military rations. Some Threshold-issued rations were pretty tasty.

    ¡°You look much better. Unfortunately, I would recommend against caffeine with a healing wound.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s almost fully healed!¡± Nestra protested.

    And indeed, the small mirror showed only an angry puffy red line where she once had a hole in her skull.

    ¡°Operative word: almost.¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Weiwei started.

    A yawn interrupted her. It lasted a solid three seconds.

    ¡°Maybe let her? I need some help.¡±

    ¡°Oh fine. In the meanwhile, have a seat. I was reviewing the footage of yesterday¡¯s vid. There is no doubt that the trap was well hidden¡­¡±

    ¡°Can I see?¡± Nestra asked, curious.

    ¡°Sending it to your visor.¡±

    The scene was a messy one, which turned out to be a blessing. Derek apparently cycled through various sights every time he entered or exited a place, and they¡¯d detected some temperature difference that had made him suspicious. He¡¯d jumped before the explosion. There was precious little to see because he¡¯d been looking away from her. Additionally, the glitches from her true form came with a flurry of angry red notifications and other distortions. It looked like she was in the clear. Fascinated, she kept watching him carry her in. He¡¯d looked down with worry. Half her face had been a pale, lost mask, and the rest had been covered in this blood. She got his fear now. It really looked like she was mortally wounded.

    A part of her looked on the following surgery with a certain fondness. Threshold¡¯s cavernous archives would henceforth and forever carry irrefutable proof that Nestra did, in fact, have a brain. Despite some passing evidence to the contrary. Arguably, Derek had had to zoom but whatever.

    She finished sipping her coffee while looking at the man awkwardly checking that her skull was properly fused. She¡¯d looked so calm it was kind of weird.

    Someone was still going to pay for this, of course, but for now, she was stuck until evening.

    By noon, Nestra was feeling cramped in the cabin with little to do and a constant need for low-attention vigilance. A pair of red-robed teens came to check on them for lunch, bringing stew they¡¯d made themselves. Nestra opened the door against Derek¡¯s advice. The enclavers recoiled when they saw she was hurt.

    ¡°Is¡­ everything alright?¡± the man asked while handing her a bowl.

    His English was hesitant but it was clear he was putting a lot of effort into it.

    ¡°Someone trapped the garden. I was hurt,¡± Nestra said.

    Then she gauged their reaction.

    The woman who¡¯d stayed a little bit behind out of embarrassment looked horrified. The guy went through several stages of grief and horror, the kind experienced by people who realize that their side just started something that might be a tad hard to finish.

    ¡°Ah, hm, it is, that is, I¡¯m sure, errr, perhaps I should¡­ I will let my mentor know.¡±

    Ah, the time-honored tradition of kicking stinkers up the chain of command. It reinforced Nestra¡¯s opinion that this might have been caused by a splinter element. She tossed two of her nicer chocolate bars to the enclavers as a gesture for the stew, then went back in.

    ¡°How can you be sure those are splinter elements,¡± Derek grumbled. ¡°Also, you really shouldn¡¯t be eating that stew.¡±

    ¡°It''s homemade chili. It¡¯s pretty good!¡±

    ¡°It could be poisoned.¡±

    ¡°I need the mana and nutrients. No, seriously, I really do.¡±

    Nestra moved her spoon around like a conductor¡¯s baton.

    ¡°It¡¯s a splinter element because we¡¯re still alive. If the enclavers wanted us dead, we¡¯d be dead, so it can¡¯t be all of them. The tool is also a trap that already blew up: a perfect tool for those who want to remain anonymous. And their anonymity was so important to them that they didn¡¯t come to finish the job. And they could have. An arrow, hell, even a knife throw would have been enough to finish us both. Now look.¡±

    Nestra pointed at the cameras. Enclavers were forming a protective barrier around the tent, looking outward. Whoever was responsible for their security knew there was going to be big trouble so at least they were acting more seriously now.

    ¡°Give me a second,¡± Derek said, before leaving to tell those who¡¯d approached the garden to fuck off.

    ¡°There might be more traps,¡± the man Nestra¡¯s talked to objected.

    ¡°It¡¯s a crime scene,¡± Derek retorted.

    ¡°Oh, like in the vids.¡±

    ¡°Yes, just so.¡±

    The conversation was cut short, mostly due to mutual mistrust between the two parties. This left the Thresholders in a rather awkward position until nightfall. Should they risk leaving the tent now? Nestra was getting an itchy soul, but Derek argued that her mental health would hold for another day until the expedition returned and the situation was resolved.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t we send a runner to Ilar and Watanabe?¡± Weiwei asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s too risky for the C-class folks here.¡±

    ¡°The portal world is not just dangerous, it¡¯s also fairly large,¡± Nestra added. ¡°By the time a messenger reaches them, they will have mostly closed the portal anyway. If one manages to reach them.¡±

    No matter how safe portals could be made, there were often stragglers, which was why raiders stayed with the resource-collecting gleams in large portal worlds. She wasn¡¯t sure Derek was right about a messenger not making things faster. She just wasn¡¯t willing to have someone risk their lives for her comfort.

    At least, now she could stick to her natural sleep schedule without it being weird. The other two just assumed she was recuperating.

    Also, that stew was pretty good.

    ***

    ¡°You know, police girl, sneaking around with shadow mana is less effective when you¡¯re singing the ¡®Spy Gleam¡¯ main theme out loud,¡± Fox Mask said tiredly.

    The mysterious gleam stood under the moonlight at the edge of the jungle, far from the semi-permanent cabins of their compatriots.

    ¡°First, call me Crescent when we¡¯re out in our gleamsonas,¡± Nestra corrected.

    ¡°I am reconsidering our cooperation.¡±

    ¡°And second, I just wanted to match your style.¡±

    Nestra shook her visor in front of Camille¡¯s face, or rather their very obvious Fox Mask which, upon closer observation, needed to be replaced. It was cracked and faded.

    On the visor was a short message sent to Nestra¡¯s visor via secured bluetooth. It was signed with a fox emoji.

    ¡°That¡¯s your call sign? Really?¡±

    ¡°You yourself called me Fox Mask. I thought it would be appropriate.¡±

    ¡°Alright. The Fox Mask opens the masquerade, repeat, the Fox Mask opens the masquerade, over, ksh.¡±

    ¡°For the love of¡­ you remember, Crescent, that we are here to stop a war?¡±

    ¡°I know! Isn¡¯t this exci ¡ª it¡¯s people you know whose lives are at risk, sorry,¡± Nestra said, though she didn¡¯t really mean it that much.

    She didn¡¯t really care about the enclavers. Her interest was for Fox Mask, their skill, their progress. Their delicious rivalry. That sweet, growing core she could harvest some time¡­ no, no. No eating friends. A rivalry required that her rival remained alive if she wanted to keep it going.

    But if she overtook Camille to the extent that the human could no longer match her prowess, shouldn¡¯t she kill them? Take their core for her own, so that a piece of that memory got carried with her forever? A long fight, a bitter race with only one winner at the end, one who would swallow the defeated to grow even stronger¡­

    Nestra licked her lips, then frowned. Her true form had conflicting feelings about the whole issue¡­ or perhaps her human side was refusing the Aszhii side its snack, preferring pack bonding instead. Very weird. Anyway, no eating Camille. It just wouldn¡¯t be right.

    Unless they were dying, of course. Independently of her.

    ¡°Are you¡­ hungry?¡± they asked.

    ¡°What? No. A little bit? I want to kill monsters but we¡¯re busy right now. Speaking of, how do we stop the coup? I hope you have a plan because enclave politics isn¡¯t exactly my specialty.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s easy,¡± Camille started with a cold mastermind kind of voice before toning it down. ¡°Well, not that easy. We need to expose Manh¡¯s duplicity to the Patriarch. I am sure Ong already suspects treachery. The fact he hasn¡¯t moved just means that Manh¡¯s position is endorsed by a significant portion of the Elder Council. No, what we need is to prove he broke their trust.¡±

    ¡°I assume he just doesn¡¯t go around leaving messages on unsecured channels.¡±

    ¡°No, our communication is almost always oral.¡±

    That¡¯s what Nestra figured.

    ¡°However, there is one channel where written evidence must be kept.¡±

    ¡°Money?¡±

    ¡°Why, yes, absolutely. Very astute,¡± Camille said, sounding pleasantly surprised.

    Nestra pointed a finger at herself.

    ¡°Police girl,¡± she said.

    ¡°Indeed. Well, as you might have surmised, the enclave has a¡­ secret warehouse.¡±

    ¡°Where you keep your stolen shit. We¡¯re looking for it.¡±

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    Camille grew distinctly uncomfortable behind their mask.

    ¡°As I said before, I expect a reckoning and I will not warn my people. There wouldn¡¯t be enough time for them to move all the goods anyway¡­ and I am not betraying them since you already know about the thefts¡­¡±

    It sounded like Camille was trying to convince themselves, Nestra thought.

    ¡°The warehouse containing the stolen goods lies below the compound.¡±

    ¡°Below? You have secret caves?¡±

    It would be kind of cool.

    ¡°Not secret caves,¡± Camille replied, testily. ¡°The Sword Kings have been digging for decades. There are facilities, dormitories, shelters, and warehouses below ground. Mostly, those facilities remain unused outside of emergencies because people like the sun, but the warehouses are the exception. Elders have their own vaults where they store the goods their families have accumulated over the years. The stolen goods warehouses are of no immediate interest to us. What matters is that Manh may have secured goods and artifacts to grant his followers.¡±

    ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t expect your folks to be materialistic.¡±

    ¡°You are thinking too highly of us.¡±

    ¡°I thought hatred and fear would do the trick ¡ª no need to add bribery on top of it,¡± Nestra continued.

    ¡°Nevermind,¡± Camille drily commented. ¡°And this is not to purchase help. If Mahn¡¯s attempt is to succeed, he needs two things: one, Ong needs to be busy, or in a portal, or, or¡­¡±

    Camille swallowed with difficulty.

    ¡°Or disabled. I do not see this succeeding, however. Second, Manh needs to take over the enclave by purging loyalists. For this, he needs people, and his people need an edge.¡±

    ¡°Artifacts?¡±

    ¡°Precisely. While I was¡­ shopping in Threshold¡­¡±

    The two stared at each other, with Nestra making it abundantly clear she didn¡¯t think much of Camille¡¯s habits.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you never stole anything because I wouldn¡¯t believe you,¡± Camille retorted.

    ¡°I did illegal raids,¡± Nestra said.

    And also breaking and entering. Sales of illegally acquired artifacts. Purchase of illegally acquired everything. Possession of unregistered weapons. Assassination, although they had it coming.

    ¡°But I never stole stuff,¡± she finished.

    Technically true.

    ¡°So let me guess, you also stole artifacts and tools that can be used to give Manh¡¯s faction an edge. Hypothetically.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and I haven¡¯t checked the warehouse, but I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if some of them were missing.¡±

    Nestra thought about it. That would be a good proof, she supposed. There was only one problem.

    ¡°We are not at the compound.¡±

    ¡°I know! I know, but according to planning the envoys are supposed to return there tomorrow for relaxation and discussions before heading out to the outskirts.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough. I can infiltrate the warehouse then.¡±

    ¡°I was thinking I was going to have to do it, and I was going to ask for your help.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a great infiltrator,¡± Nestra claimed. ¡°But I¡¯m not a thief like you so sure, let¡¯s do it together!¡±

    ¡°I am not¡­ oh, very well. I will get some plans and we can coordinate tomorrow. That is assuming all goes well. You were, after all, almost murdered.¡±

    ¡°Ilar will make a fuss for sure, because he wants reparations and concessions, but I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be a huge deal.¡±

    ***

    It was, in fact, a huge deal.

    ¡°This is absolutely unacceptable. Do I need to remind you that any attempt on a diplomat is an act of war? One of my people was a victim, not of violence, but of an assassination attempt!¡±

    Ilan was fuming. Both Thresholders and Sword Kings stood on either side of the closed portal in an awkward standoff. It would have been more impressive if Ilar had more than Watanabe to back him up as a B-class raider. By comparison, half a dozen Sword Kings stood at attention, their guards up. Exhaustion made the raiders a little tense. The patriarch himself bristled under the accusation, or perhaps it was him hating his lack of control. Nevertheless, he knew he was in a position of relative weakness.

    It was a credit to him that he managed to force a smile out.

    ¡°Perhaps we should first ascertain what happened before¡­ throwing around accusations.¡±

    ¡°Someone planted a monster-killing trap inside of my people¡¯s living space. There is little room for interpretation.¡±

    Ilar signaled. Derek brought a datasheet with the recorded event. Most of the Sword Kings gathered around the sheet, replaying the event over the next five minutes and passing it along to those who hadn¡¯t seen it yet. It was a testament to how seriously they were taking this that they played it at normal speed. Nestra¡¯s mom tended to watch vids accelerated  eight times because her mind had no issue processing it. It was hard to gauge with gleams, but as far as Nestra could tell, they were very annoyed and made no secret as to their feelings.

    The Patriarch assured Ilar he would look into the matter. The B-classers scattered while the Thresholders gathered together. Once again, a buzz at the edge of Nestra¡¯s hearing revealed the activation of a sound-muffling enchantment. This would be a private conversation.

    ¡°Agent Palladian, I¡¯ll be blunt. Is there anything more you¡¯d like to add that the enclavers might have¡­ missed?¡±

    What the fuck was he on about?

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Are there any specific actions you might have taken, or things you might have observed, that might have led to this specific incident, the discovery of which at a later time might embarrass me?¡±

    ¡°Are you asking if I fucked something up that led to the trap being activated? Something that would make us lose face after?¡±

    Ilar sighed heavily.

    ¡°Yes, Palladian, that is exactly what I¡¯m asking.¡±

    ¡°Nothing of the sort. We went to the tent as soon as you guys left. It was hot and stuffy inside so I left the place to check the garden with Derek. I felt mana from a specific spot while Derek perceived an abnormal cold spot.¡±

    ¡°It happens when soil was recently upturned,¡± Derek explained. ¡°The ¡ª¡±

    ¡°I am familiar with the process,¡± Ilar cut. ¡°I just needed confirmation.¡±

    ¡°It was ready for us before we even arrived,¡± Nestra explained.

    ¡°Yes, very well. Right.¡±

    Ilar massaged the bridge of his nose. He looked a little bit worse for wear with some scratches on his armor, a sign he¡¯d fought some of the monsters in person. Nestra wasn''t sure why since they had an army of B-class raiders with them ¡ª perhaps as a demonstration of force? In any case, he probably needed some rest.

    She thought it better to keep her thoughts to herself.

    Ilar rolled his shoulders, his gaze still on Nestra like she wasn¡¯t the one who¡¯d gotten her skull cracked open. He eventually turned to Nestra.

    ¡°What¡¯s the likelihood that this was an accident? That someone made a misguided attempt to keep mana rats off the Matriarch¡¯s precious rhododendrons?¡±

    ¡°None sir, the trap was deliberately set on the gravel path right next to the tent¡¯s entrance. Even if someone was stupid enough to trap a public spot without notifying visitors, they would have set it outside of the garden next to an obvious entry point in the barrier, or among the most vulnerable flowers¡­ even that would have destroyed them. No, this was meant to catch humans.¡±

    She shrugged.

    ¡°It would be hard to justify otherwise.¡±

    ¡°I see. Since the Patriarch appears to be willing to grant us justice for this attack, I will not order an immediate evacuation. We will return to the compound and reassess. Ah, it appears our hosts are¡­ bringing¡­ someone?¡±

    They were. It was an older red-robed man who looked both lost and terrified. He wore trapper¡¯s gear on his back. Nestra recognized the wire balls hanging from a bandolier as the payload used to slice her skin open.

    ¡°What, really?¡± she whispered.

    The Patriarch, his expression one of thunderous anger, stopped in front of the delegation, dragging the trapper to the front with casual violence. The old man rolled to his knees, expression caught in a mask of abject fear. He planted his face in the soil in a gesture of subservience.

    ¡°It appears my men have¡­ erred in their duty. This sentry admitted to planting the trap in a misguided attempt to catch a particularly cunning mana boar. He was out on duty once the news of your coming was announced. Despite being asked to check the perimeter for dangers, he failed to remember to disarm the trap.¡±

    ¡°I am so sorry!¡± The old man mewled with terror.

    Nestra¡¯s visor translated the Vietnamese babble. The man made all sorts of apologies, mostly to the enclave for marring its honor.

    ¡°There is only one sentence for those who cause grave harm through their own negligence,¡± the Patriarch said softly, and the words carried across the silent clearing like a death toll.

    They hung in the air. Nestra¡¯s breath hitched in her chest. She knew what this meant. Threshold¡¯s delegation also froze. Chandra made a gesture with her fingers Nestra didn¡¯t recognize.

    It was abundantly clear to Nestra that she was looking at a sacrificial lamb. The old man was going to take the fall for a plot that he could not have hatched, and everyone was going to watch. This was just life in the post-Incursion frontier. There was nothing to do.

    That annoyed her.

    The Patriarch unsheathed his saber, which he¡¯d kept on his back. It was massive, and made of a strange sort of crystal tone that told Nestra this was a portal-made artifact and probably quite powerful as well. Tears rolled down the trapper¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°My family,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°That fault is yours alone,¡± the patriarch replied, not unkindly.

    Oh, fuck it.

    ¡°If it¡¯s about reparations, I¡¯m fine with him just going to prison,¡± Nestra said.

    Her words cut through the heavy silence like a thunderbolt. All attention focused on her. She crossed her arms, daring anyone to comment. They knew it was a setup. At least, they must suspect. They were all going through a farce except the punch line was the death of a person. Yes, he was probably the one who¡¯d set up the trap, but he wasn¡¯t the mastermind. Nestra felt oddly annoyed by the circumstances.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t about you, it is about our laws,¡± the Patriarch chided, and the Elders nodded in approval. ¡°Just like all will come to defend one, the one must protect the whole, or pay for it.

    No one from the Threshold side came to her defense. The blade was raised. The trapper gave Nestra one last, unreadable glance. The blade fell. Fresh blood coated the basalt in a shiny coat of red.

    It was done.

    One of the Elders disappeared and a moment later, a group of red-robed guards descended into the cauldron with a stretcher and a body bag. Nestra stayed where she was while Ilar and the Patriarch discussed what would happen next in private. It was a very short discussion. As soon as it was finished, Ilar grabbed Nestra under his privacy spell again.

    ¡°You¡¯re acting a bit rashly, Palladian.¡±

    ¡°By objecting to an obvious pawn being sacrificed under our eyes?¡± she objected.

    ¡°This is a very delicate moment. We need to present a unified front. You knew you had no chance to save that man.¡±

    ¡°No, I didn''t know that. The Patriarch could have relented and allowed exile instead. He decided to go with the execution instead. Are you annoyed because I¡¯m making us look bad and undisciplined?¡±

    ¡°Lacking unity, certainly.¡±

    ¡°Fuck your unity Ilar. You gave us a grand speech about values before leaving but those went out the window ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare! I do not fight hopeless battles, but it doesn¡¯t mean that I approve of what they do.¡±

    ¡°If you only speak when you¡¯re sure of success, then you¡¯re not really fighting, Ilar. It¡¯s easy to be righteous when it¡¯s safe to do so¡­¡±

    Ilar breathed hard a couple of times. Unlike their previous disagreement, this one didn¡¯t end with mana-based bullying. Ilar had learned. His gleam eyes still bore into Nestra¡¯s own with barely contained rage. She returned it. She knew he was mostly pissed at himself.

    ¡°Perhaps it would be best if we took a short rest before continuing this discussion.¡±

    Nestra had already said all she had to say. Not that it mattered since everyone was apparently ok with just killing off people as good faith tokens. The raiders returned to the tent soon after so she used the opportunity to retreat to the garden. The light of dawn showed the flowers were fading, the mana sustaining them long since depleted. Fat flies buzzed over the thick puddle of her congealed blood. It smelled pretty bad.

    ¡°Fuck this place.¡±

    ***

    The mood was tense and somber on the way back. The trap issue had spoilt the mood. Nevertheless, Ilar and a selection of Elders kept discussing things at high speed far in front of Nestra, a sign the deal was still on. At the speed they were hammering out details, she assumed the collaboration would be extensive. She was sweaty and tired by the time they reached the compound mid-afternoon. This time, the constant attention from the enclavers made her feel more vulnerable. Maybe it was physical exhaustion, or perhaps it was the incident. In any case, her hand kept reaching for the safety on her shotgun.

    ¡°You should take a moment to refresh yourselves,¡± Ilar told the rest of the Thresholders. ¡°Our next meeting will start afterward. Cai, Clint, plot a course for tomorrow morning. I believe it would be best if you returned to the city afterward, for safety¡¯s sake. Your mission here is complete.¡±

    Ah, damn, that would make cooperating with Fox Mask very difficult. Nestra retreated to her room with the rest of the Thresholders, including the weaker gleams. To her surprise, there was someone in her room.

    She closed the door behind her.

    ¡°You¡¯re crazy,¡± she whispered. ¡°There are gleams with us! They could feel your presence!¡±

    Camille waved their hand. A transparent wall spread around the two of them.

    ¡°This should solve the sound problem. As for your users, besides the two leaders, they are terrible at mana perception,¡± Camille huffed behind their mask.

    ¡°Maybe, but our augs have some amazing senses and they have recordings as well.¡±

    ¡°I will be careful. Sadly, I came here because I carry unfortunate news. Ong¡­ the Patriarch, he did not believe me.¡±

    Nestra frowned.

    ¡°I thought you wanted us to gather proof first.¡±

    ¡°I know! I know. I wanted to tell him and bring proof later in case¡­ in case I was found out. He didn¡¯t believe me. He was quite angry.¡±

    ¡°Well assassination attempts have a way of souring negotiations.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t get it! It¡¯s my grandpa! He¡­ he was always there for me!¡± Camille screamed.

    ¡°Hey, hey, same side.¡±

    Riel, Nestra thought, Camille¡¯s so fucking touchy about their family. It¡¯s like they¡¯re a completely different person. Either they were this aloof burglar blade master who always kept cool, or they were an absolute train wreck. Maybe they were just emotionally stunted.

    ¡°Sorry. Police girl¡­ Crescent. Nestra. I don¡¯t understand. He must be suspicious, but I was brushed off so easily! He should know better! It¡¯s not because I¡­ I¡­¡±

    ¡°It sounds like your grandfather doubting you affected you a lot.¡±

    Silence. It was difficult to gauge Camille¡¯s reaction from behind their mask. There was a series of rapid-fire Vietnamese ending with a sentence, uttered in shaky English.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m telling this to you, a stranger.¡±

    ¡°Oi,¡± Nestra protested.

    That was rude. She removed her mask, assuming her true form. Two steps, and her index finger was shoved against Camille¡¯s sternum.

    ¡°We crossssed blades. You are my rival. Do not dare disrespect me.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you are right. I was being rude. Sorry.¡±

    Nestra tilted her head. Being in her true form always changed things. Her mind felt less cluttered, but also more impatient and direct. Less diplomatic. Well, she would still give it a try.

    ¡°My mom used to say that the wounded beast lashes out. That means you are hurt and so you express your anger in return. I am not your target.¡±

    ¡°Your mother sounds like a wise woman,¡± Camille replied, suddenly very accommodating.

    ¡°Do you really mean that, or are you trying to be nice as an apology?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Nestra shrugged.

    ¡°I suppose I will take it as an apology, and accept it.¡±

    She hesitated afterward. Camille was strangely vulnerable every time they opened up.

    ¡°Ok, let me be very direct. Do you have nobody else to open to? Because you¡¯re both sharing and then getting all angry about it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that! I just don¡¯t have anybody else right now! Before that, I had Nida!¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°She¡­ she died.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry. A raid?¡±

    ¡°No. Old age. Nida was¡­ my dog.¡±

    There was a heavy silence while Nestra hesitated on how to broach the subject. She immediately lost her patience.

    ¡°Camille.¡±

    ¡°What!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a fucking mess.¡±

    ¡°I know! Fuck you, I know. God¡­¡±

    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Nestra sat next to Camille who started sobbing softly through their mask. Nestra gently patted their shoulder. All of her dreams of a mighty rivalry were crumbling when faced with the fact Camille was even more isolated than Nestra had been. At least, Nestra had Aunt Claire, Stibs, and Mazingwe who¡¯d carried her through the Hard Times.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m here now though.¡±

    ¡°He always believed me,¡± Camille cried. ¡°Before. Why not now? Isn¡¯t it obvious that Manh is fighting against him? I¡¯m so tired. So tired of it all. Why can¡¯t they be nice for one fucking second?¡±

    ¡°Hey hey. We¡¯ll get through this, alright? We¡¯ll gather the evidence and they will see.¡±

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t need evidence to convince my family that¡­ ah, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    They deflated.

    ¡°I did so much for them, hoping for¡­ and nothing. Nothing.¡±

    Nestra waited for the moment to die down, then she very lightly punched Camille¡¯s arm.

    ¡°You are strong in many regards, and hurt in many others. That is fine. Hu¡­ raiders and family can disappoint, but the good news is, you can count on me! Under my benevolent leadership, we will stop the coup, and make your grandfather realize that you are worthy while his other scions are not.

    ¡°Are you not a police officer, and I a thief?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the perfect secret friendship. Come on, I bet I could get you immunity.¡±

    Camille laughed, though it was a bit brittle.

    ¡°As I said before, I¡¯m not ready to give up on the village yet. You¡¯re expected for dinner. You should probably go.¡±

    ¡°No, you go, I gotta take a bath.¡±

    ***

    An early dinner had been prepared for the return of the gleams, a more modest occasion than the previous ones. The round table had been reduced in numbers, and the decorations on the plain walls were only half as gaudy as before. The waiters brought dishes with subdued expressions, leaving as soon as they were able to. Only Elders were in attendance on the enclave¡¯s side this time. The tale of Nestra¡¯s near-death experience must have spread from the careful gazes and whispers that followed her everywhere. Before leaving, she¡¯d told Fox Mask they had only one chance at getting the data before she had to leave. The operation would be tonight. She was getting a little bit nervous.

    Since she was being ignored, Nestra joined up with Derek and Weiwei, discussing in low voices about the food since everything was being overheard. Watanabe approached her during the meal. He tapped on her wrist, then made a very peculiar gesture.

    It was MaxSec visual code for ¡®be ready¡¯. Nestra blinked. No, it was Threshold military standard code, so it made sense for him to know it. Be ready? Be ready for what?

    ¡°Ahem, if I could get your attention?¡± Ilar said in Vietnamese.

    A toast? Nestra watched as all eyes turned to him with various degrees of curiosity and annoyance. Ilar was breaking protocol by being the first to speak. Her visor did its best to translate his words even as he spoke them.

    ¡°As you may all know, we are close to reaching a functional agreement between our two cities. I would like to take a moment to thank all of you for your patience and efforts in this endeavor. Unfortunately, as you may have heard, we¡¯ve had a problem that endangers the agreement. I feel the need to clear the air.¡±

    Watanabe approached Ilar before handing him a wide-screen datasheet, the kind that could be unrolled. Ilar picked it up with a smile.

    ¡°I am talking, of course, about the twenty-six million credits worth of magical artifacts that you have stolen via an intermediary we know as Fox Mask.¡±

    The sheet displayed the person in question, a nice shot taken as Camille was grabbing some sort of measuring tool.

    ¡°And that you have either sold or are now still in possession of the stolen goods stored under our feet, specifically in Warehouse 3B.¡±

    In the stunned silence that followed, pictures of what Nestra assumed was the warehouse in question appeared on the sheet in quick succession. She noted that the same measuring tool stolen on the first picture appeared on the shelves of the warehouse. She turned to Derek, who winked.

    Pilot my ass, this guy was definitely Special Forces.

    ¡°I believe that before we come to an agreement, some¡­ reparations are in order. After all, Threshold wouldn¡¯t want our budding friendship to¡­ implode.¡±

    The threat hung in the air for a few moments, then the shouting began.

 Part 52

    Fear slapped Nestra like a cold napkin. What the absolute fuck was wrong with Ilar? Why did he have to kick the hornet¡¯s nest when Nestra was the equivalent of a jam-slathered toddler? For a moment, she fully expected the assembled Elders to pile on, or for Ilar to pull a carefully hidden Shinran out of his hat because why else? Gleams were arrogant. Enclave gleams were even more arrogant. Now Ilar had gone and pissed a whole bunch off. He and what army?

    Despite Nestra¡¯s expectations, violence didn¡¯t interrupt though the tension didn¡¯t let off. The Elders quickly returned to a sullen, tense silence thanks to their fast minds. Something complicated passed between Ilar and the Patriarch. Their dear host had this wounded look that spoke of betrayal, as if saying ¡®I opened my doors to you. How could you do this?¡¯. Ilar didn¡¯t relent. He vaguely shook the datasheet in a way that replied ¡®Promoted state-sponsored grand theft, got caught, and now you¡¯re being a bitch¡¯.

    Nestra turned to watch the augs. Weiwei looked just as baffled as Nestra, but Derek seemed confident. There was something she was missing. Muttering bloomed among the Elders. To Nestra¡¯s surprise, the aggressivity was aimed at each other. It appeared not everyone had been aware of the patriarch¡¯s activities. Now, those pristine fingers that had been left out of the pie eagerly pointed at the guilty parties. Her visor couldn¡¯t follow the machine-gun fast Vietnamese, but she was willing to bet there were a lot of accusations being thrown around right now. It looked like the situation was going to devolve into an all out brawl, until the patriarch¡¯s mana spread like a mantle over the assembly.

    For a moment, Nestra forgot how to breathe. The man¡¯s soft brown iris cracked, red light seeping into the world. It was like standing in front of a volcano. Fortunately, it subsided, and Nestra gasped for dear life.

    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Derek whispered by her side.

    Fuck indeed. The room was quiet now. With slow determination, Patriarch Nguyen addressed Ilar, in English.

    ¡°I assume you want to revisit the agreement.¡±

    ¡°The agreement itself is fine. We separately want reparations for the offense, and all stolen goods returned.¡±

    ¡°We have entered other agreements for some of those goods.¡±

    ¡°And we would be happy to contact your clients,¡± Ilar concluded.

    The patriarch took a deep breath. For the first time, Nestra found that he seemed apprehensive.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    Ilar removed something from his pocket. It looked like a mana crystal charged with strange energy, soft and warm, like sunlight in spring. The patriarch¡¯s eyes widened.

    These kinds of aspected crystals could be worth up to twenty times their pure equivalents. Nestra eyed the thing with greed. If she could just touch it in her true form¡­

    ¡®How do you¡­ nevermind.¡± the patriarch said.

    ¡°Surely you do not expect us to miss a repeating B-class world opening on our small Pacifica subcontinent?¡± Ilar pretended to ask.

    A repeating B-class world? There were only a dozen around Threshold. They could make or break a megacorporation.

    ¡°We want 50% team allocation.¡±

    Gasps echoed the outrageous proposal. If Nestra understood right, it was half of the wealth and progress gathered from a newly opened, stable world on enclave territory. It was worth a fortune.

    ¡°... In perpetuity,¡± Ilar concluded.

    This time, the shouting resumed. Again, Nestra simply couldn¡¯t believe the patriarch hadn¡¯t tossed them out on their asses. What was going on? Did Ilar have something on him?

    The patriarch remained silent while half the room whispered angrily, and the other looked like they¡¯d swallowed an entire shipment of lemons. Nestra checked for the exit out of habit knowing full well that if it came to it, she was absolutely done for. Even her true form couldn¡¯t stop experienced B-class raiders.To her continued surprise, however, the patriarch relented.

    ¡°Very well, but I want a written agreement signed by the mayor.¡±

    ¡°Agreed, but only after I get into the portal world to verify our readings.¡±

    Nestra¡¯s visor returned a flurry of protests from around half the council. Again, the patriarch¡¯s presence blanketed the area. He was clearly head and shoulders above the rest of his followers. It was enough to silence dissent, but not enough to eliminate it. She could see two sides forming around the room. She turned to Derek and made sign for evac, but he shook his head.

    She didn¡¯t share his confidence.

    ¡°Very well.¡±

    The patriarch encased the two of them in a privacy bubble. The Elders spread in small groups, some of them leaving the dining hall entirely. Nestra and the others were left standing awkwardly around, with Chandra furiously hissing at a sheepish Watanabe.

    ¡°We could not let you know, sorry,¡± the bald warrior apologized. ¡°It is not a matter of trust, it is a matter of operational security.¡±

    The elegant gleam had unkind words to say about that but, in the end, it was Ilar¡¯s operation. Nestra was left stabbing her spoon at the remains of her second mango sago, hoping they would be allowed to leave soon. Ilar separated from the patriarch to have a talk with his bodyguard. Nestra felt like a small child at a family event after two members of the family had exploded at each other.

    It was awkward as fuck. And boring. Nestra checked her visor to see a blinking message. It was from Camille.

    ¡®I heard a commotion. What is going on?¡¯

    ¡°Ilar just accused the patriarch of theft with photographic evidence of the warehouse. It looks like we need to hurry,¡± she typed.

    The answer was almost instantaneous.

    ¡°Has the patriarch replied?¡±

    ¡°He agreed to give Threshold access to a new high value portal. B-class.¡±

    ¡°Really? I thought it was just a rumor.¡±

    ¡°Apparently not.¡±

    ¡°Then we need to act tonight. Such turmoil will not go unnoticed.¡±

    Nestra sent an agreement in response. Yeah, it was bad. Camille had also sent a plan of the complex so Nestra went over it, checking her options. She was interrupted by Watanabe¡¯s return.

    ¡°After discussing it with Ilar, we have decided that I would stay with you for the sake of security while Ilar goes to the portal world with the patriarch.¡±

    ¡°Could you kindly explain what is going on?¡± Chandra angrily demanded. ¡°My reputation as a negotiator ¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ª was not a concern. The agreement you draw will be respected. This was about the theft.¡±

    ¡°I should have been informed you were going to pull a stunt!¡± she erupted.

    Nestra didn¡¯t expect the gleam to be so vehement. She was almost scary, with her iris blazing with fury and barely controlled mana. Almost, but not quite. Her outrage slammed into the wall of control that was Watanabe. It failed to make a dent.

    ¡°The city does not have to explain itself to you, Negotiator Chandra Satya,¡± Watanabe said, insisting on her title.

    The poor woman swallowed her pride. Watanabe¡¯s tone may have been kind, but even Nestra could see the writing on the wall. Chandra was in no hierarchical position to make demands of Watanabe.

    ¡°As I said, some of the Elders¡¯ reactions show a more fragmented council than we expected. As such, we have reassessed the risk of independent actions. I will be guaranteeing your security tonight and tomorrow morning. We will now return to our quarters in good order and stay there until departure. You are not to deviate from that plan. Your lives are at risk. Am I making myself perfectly clear?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Nestra replied before her cortex could even process it.

    Damn military force of habit. The augs showed the exact same reaction. It took a little bit longer for the diplomats to assent, but they did so without a fuss. They could probably feel it in the air, the tension, like a room full of fumes waiting for a spark.

    The walk to the guest quarters wasn¡¯t fun. There were no gray robes out late practicing their forms this time. The place was eerily quiet. Even the usual sounds of cooking and washing had disappeared. The windows were closed, the doors locked.

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t like this at all,¡± Nestra said.

    In MaxSec, they used to call this the range setup. It meant the place had been secured so her team could safely get shot at. She wished she¡¯d taken her guns. Nothing happened, though, at least, not right now.

    ¡°I will stay outside your rooms,¡± Watanabe said as they approached. ¡°I will ask you to sleep in your clothes with survival bags ready to go just in case. Leave the tailored suits behind.¡±

    ¡°Is it really that serious?¡± one of the negotiators asked with a worried voice.

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be, but if it does get serious, it will be too late for packing.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t need to be told twice. She changed into her Wellington on the spot, then picked up her Window Maker and the shotgun just in case. Packing was a matter of minutes with one emergency bag on one side and the nice bag on the other. She¡¯d be mad if she had to leave the nice bag behind. There was at least a thousand two hundred creds in dresses and makeup in that stuff. And her favorite cream. After that came the question of the expedition. She was, very obviously, under surveillance. Her plan to help Camille was totally compromised. Derek might have let her sleep and noticed nothing, but Watanabe would feel her change from behind the slim layer of wood that was her door. She was stuck here. Out of ideas, she offered to act as overwatch instead.

    ¡°Can you do it?¡± Camille asked. ¡°You can¡¯t even speak.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ping and send messages. It¡¯s better than nothing, right?¡± Nestra typed back.

    ¡°Okay. I need to move now. If Manh is going to move, he will do so soon.¡±

    Nestra had to agree. The pot was stirred and, more importantly, the patriarch was gone to a portal. It was weird he¡¯d agreed to do it now rather than wait, to be honest. Wait¡­

    ¡°If the patriarch is raiding, then who will stop the coup?¡±

    ¡°I can send proof to the council¡¯s loyalists. Although, some have already blocked me¡­¡±

    This wasn¡¯t looking good. Nestra checked her guns one last time. Maybe Manh didn¡¯t have enough followers yet¡­

    The next minutes were tense. Nestra followed Camille¡¯s progress first through their visor, which was hidden under the mask, then through the multiple cameras they placed on the walls. The common parts were mostly empty, with Camille easily hiding from red robes rushing to and fro. Nestra split her screen to follow the feeds from AI, the cameras and ping when she spotted people coming. It was clear Camille knew what they were doing when they bypassed several locked doors through the use of lockpicks.

    ¡°Absolutely criminal,¡± Nestra muttered to herself.

    Honestly it was kind of impressive. Nestra followed Camille¡¯s progress with bated breath. They were patient and very precise, a quality that showed in their style. Suddenly, Nestra started to see a lot of movement. Groups of red robes rushed throughout the corridors, baring unsheathed blades. Nestra pinged them.

    Camille stopped.

    ¡°We¡¯re too late,¡± they said. ¡°Nestra. Get out of here.¡±

    There were blurs on the feed. C or B-class people moving at full speed. Far too many to be a patrol.

    It was starting. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Shit. Nestra grabbed her shotgun. She heard the dry staccato of an automatic weapon discharge somewhere outside. Someone screamed, a female voice. The walls shook.

    Nestra froze. Protocol was to¡­ fuck protocol. She opened the door. There was blood on the ground, a splash of it on the concrete wall. Already. She leaned forward. To her left, blood on the floor. A red robed Elder clutching his chest, one arm cut. He was disabled. She turned right to see a fierce yet silent battle happening in the narrow corridor. Faster than her eyes could see, Watanabe was holding it against a small squad of heavily armed and armored Elders trying to overwhelm him but so far, the calm warrior deflected and blocked any attempt to go past him. The corridor itself was shaking under thunderous blows yet reforming almost at the same speed, and more strangely, the sounds were entirely muffled. Maybe some sort of enchantment? The next room was open. Nestra could see a large pool of blood and the extended hand of Weiwei, her pilot uniform drenched. A chill crawled down Nestra¡¯s spine.

    They needed out. Watanabe wasn¡¯t going to hold. This entire place was a death trap. They needed to take the gunship.

    A part of Nestra screamed that this was so fucking predictable and what the FUCK were people doing not listening to Camille or exercising basic common sense but she pushed it down because it was not helpful right now. On her visor, she sent Derek a request to get the ship up. Meanwhile, she sent another to the negotiators to come out. Derek overtook the chat to confirm that people had to follow Nestra. The doors timidly opened. Nestra aimed towards the free side of the corridor, for now mercifully empty. She moved forward so she could take point. Adrenaline flooded her veins. Her heart drummed against her ribs. This was so fucked up.

    Something got her attention. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was mana, or instincts, or just a random thought that made her look back at that crucial moment when Watanabe, too, looked back. Their gaze met in that brief instant. His was extremely calm. Then, a grievous wound bloomed on his arm but he was pushing the elders deeper along the indestructible corridor.

    Derek was cleared to join. He rushed forward, his face a pale mask, his hands covered in blood.

    ¡°Weiwei?¡± Nestra asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s gone. Go. Go!¡±

    Nestra ran. Behind her, Derek pushed the panicked diplomats out. She had to cut a way to the gunship. Had to. Nobody in the corridor, Nobody on the stairs, up, or down. Someone spotted her getting down, but they slammed their doors closed once they saw the business end of her shotgun. She waited by the door until Chandra Satya got right next to her, dark skin clammy and eyes haunted.

    Nestra was outside. There were red robes in the distance, three young fucks with their swords out. She moved forward.

    ¡°On the ground! Get on the fucking ground! Now!¡±

    They saw the gun. They hesitated. Two of them took a step back. Now if she could just¡­

    Five very loud clacks broke the silence and the kids fell, torsos ruined and organs on the ground. She turned, shocked.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a fucking police operation!¡± Derek spat. ¡°The priority is to get our people out!¡±

    Nestra gulped. She was in human form. The human form followed protocol. What was the protocol here, even? Fuck. She could see their faces now. They were so damn young.

    Nestra shook her head and refocused. This wasn¡¯t Threshold. She wasn¡¯t MaxSec anymore. This was the enclave, and the people outside were¡­ were¡­ Fuck. Was there a way to recognize those who were rebels? She wasn¡¯t a murderer.

    Well, at least she wasn¡¯t so casual about it.

    ¡°I had them,¡± she spat. ¡°They were falling back.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have the luxury of¡ª¡±

    ¡°Fuck you.¡±

    Nestra still raced towards the gunship on the only path they knew. It was too exposed, but they had no choice. Lights were turning up left and right. Sounds of fights spread throughout the compound. Five more minutes and the place might be crawling with hostiles. A brief public service announcement blared from a hidden sound system asking people to stay indoors. It was replaced by another one rambling about the time to rise against decrepit oppressors. After ten seconds of screams, it, too, fell silent. Explosions shook the training hall.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a coup. It¡¯s a fucking revolution,¡± Nestra complained.

    Up ahead, a group of red robes spotted them. They accelerated. Nestra stopped and aimed. Her first shot missed on purpose and splattered the first warriors with gravel. One of them threw a shield up. The others charged forward with mana abilities, roaring ¡®death to the freaks¡¯. Right.

    They were fast, but bullets were faster. Nestra moved forward on her feet and pushed the barrel down with a confident grip. Her shots were tight, precise. BOOM. The lead man fell. BOOM. The man who¡¯d jumped from behind his shield stumbled, a hole where his heart used to be. BOOM. One of the side runners collapsed among the fields. Derek¡¯s weapon wasn¡¯t as effective. He probably had steel bullets, which didn¡¯t penetrate mana-coated armor and defenses that well. Fortunately, the survivors hesitated, then fled. Nestra let them go. She moved forward. No time to hesitate.

    Chandra stopped and heaved. Vomit splashed on the cobblestones. Nestra turned with fear but it was just a reaction to the nearest corpse. The nearest corpse was a young woman, her hands gripping the gaping hole in her abdomen. Her dying expression was one of complete shock.

    ¡°Come on!¡± Nestra ordered.

    Chandra nodded, uncertain. They were running but they weren¡¯t going fast enough. Derek was shooting behind them now. They had picked up a tail. Those were smarter though. They were using ditches and low walls for cover. With a curse, Nestra pushed fresh shells in the loading port. She shot at an enterprising swordsman who tried to slice her bullet midair. It didn¡¯t work.

    These people were insane. She was going to get stabbed by anachronistic assholes. Nestra trotted, covering the front, covering the side, covering the back when Derek reloaded. They were almost at the stairs but there was movement ahead. Red robes fighting other red robes.

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    ¡°We hold here!¡± Derek said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    This place couldn¡¯t be defended. Worse, some of the red robes ahead were already coming their way! Nestra pointed and shot, hitting one in the leg. She fell and the others sought cover. Nestra heard a hum. She looked up to a dark shape blotting the stars. The gunship. Derek was controlling it remotely.

    Derek screamed in pain.

    Nestra turned. He had an arrow in the flank. In the distance, Nestra spotted a yellow robe returning to cover. A group of red robes were moving forward under the cover of a large earth shield. She drew her Window Maker and shot, the handcannon bucking painfully under her fingers. She heard a cry of pain, and another of rage.

    Truong was there. Her face was a mask of white hot fury. The angry woman lifted something over her head, then threw it in the middle of the group. Nestra didn¡¯t need to look to recognize what it was: Weiwei¡¯s severed head.

    The others looked. Derek faltered. The diplomats screamed. Above them, the gunship stopped its descent. Nestra shot at the yellow robe but missed. A second arrow hit Derek while on the other side, the other group of red robes rushed from cover to cover, closing in. The diplomats were in the middle of a full-blown panic. Nestra¡¯s hand searched for more shells in her belt, finding none.

    ¡°Go,¡± Derek told her as he reloaded. ¡°Go!¡±

    Options.

    No time to board the gunship before the Thresholders got overrun.

    No way to hold the position.

    No way up the slope.

    ¡°Through the fields!¡± Nestra roared. ¡°To the gate! Run! Run!¡±

    Nestra grabbed the diplomats one by one, sending them to the monumental gates which currently stood empty. She fired a few more times to keep the red robes at bay. Derek was trying to stand up and failing. The arrow must have hit something important. She took a step towards him. His face turned grim.

    ¡°No! Too heavy.¡±

    ¡°The gleams ¡ª¡±

    ¡°For Riel¡¯s sake, go! Before you catch an arrow!¡±

    The yellow robe had disappeared for now but Derek was going to bleed out, and then¡­

    She was going to lose another partner. And there was nothing she could do about it.

    Nestra turned and ran. She couldn¡¯t carry him and shoot and outrun the gleams. The dry retort of his gun covered her as she raced across the fields, after the gleams who¡¯d finally taken off with all their Riel-damned mana powers. She had one last glance back to see red robes closing in on Derek from all sides, then the gun fell silent. Truong¡¯s cry of triumph was strangely loud. Around the enclave, more battles erupted. One of the warehouses was blazing like a bonfire, bathing the fields in red light.

    More people were running after her. Two bullets in the hand cannon, four shells in the shotgun. They were still keeping their distances, knowing it was only a matter of time before she ran dry. Three shells. Two.

    One.

    [THRESHOLD CITY SYSTEM OVERRIDE, TRANSFERRING CONTROL OF TAF FIREHAWK 27-A]

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    Nestra jumped at the prompt popping up on her visor.

    [TRANSFER AUTHORIZED BY USER: CWO. DEREK CLINT]

    [COMBAT AI MISSION SET: EXTRACTION.]

    [PLEASE IDENTIFY FRIENDLIES]

    Nestra sprinted towards the gates because she knew what was coming. Behind her, she heard the shouts of the enclavers giving up on their cover now that she was legging it. Ahead, the diplomats managed to unbar the gates, slipping through out into the jungle. An overhead view filled one of her eyes. She looked at all the dots representing the Thresholders, then painted them green in the overlay.

    [PLEASE IDENTIFY PURSUERS]

    A prompt painted the red robes gaining on her. Shit, there were a lot of them.

    ¡°Hostiles! Hostiles!¡±

    [ACKNOWLEDGED.]

    [BEGINNING MISSION.]

    What could uncharitably be called a very loud fart broke the relative quiet of the sword fights, drowning the battle in noise. The ground under Nestra¡¯s feet trembled. Dirt and gravel showered her armor and stuck to her hair. She sneezed. Something wet landed at her feet. She didn¡¯t look too closely. The gate was right ahead. Her muscles strained from the exertion, her breathing harsh, painful. Her head felt a bit light.

    Nestra jumped through the small opening. The diplomats were out there, milling about, uncertain. Right. Gotta save the civvies.

    ¡°Set rendezvous point for pick up,¡± she said.

    ¡°What?¡± Chandra blurted.

    [ACKNOWLEDGED. LANDING LOCATION IDENTIFIED.]

    Nestra checked her map just as she covered the entrance behind her. It was at the top of the trail they¡¯d followed today, on a narrow resting point near a secondary warehouse. It might work.

    ¡°Ok, up the trail,¡± she told Chandra. ¡°To the open spot near the top.¡±

    ¡°Are you¡­ hurt?¡± Chandra asked with horror, looking down.

    Nestra followed her gaze to a large splash of blood on her leg. There were pieces of something mixed with the dirt. She pulled her armor¡¯s hood up and the overlay gave her confirmation that her status was all green.

    ¡°It¡®s not mine. Now go.¡±

    Perhaps it was fear, or just the numb tendency of scared people to follow those who looked like they knew what to do, but the diplomats climbed the trail with respectable speed. Nestra herself was struggling to keep up with her gear and the cumulated exhaustion. She had to look back every so often to check if they were being followed. About halfway up, she noticed a flash of yellow near a jungle tree. She had the armor replay the feed on her visor.

    They had a tail.

    A part of her wondered why she hadn¡¯t been shot yet. The Wellington armor was good but it couldn¡¯t stop a mana arrow. Maybe they wanted her alive? Maybe the gunship could flatten their location since they were following at a distance. Before she could find a way to command it, a burst of mana emerged from one of the peaks.

    A pulse of air mana expanded like a bubble. Pressure forced Nestra¡¯s eyes away, even at this distance. This was the work of a powerful B-class raider for sure. Shit was really, really going down there if they were tossing ultimate attacks like that!

    ¡°Oof!¡±

    Nestra fell, and so did the diplomats. An arc of pure white energy rushed up like a moon crescent, beautiful yet so very deadly. It tore through the air with a low, impossibly loud hum. Something exploded midair.

    [CRITICAL DAMAGE TO AFT PROPULSORS DETECTED.]

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    The gunship had been flying too low. Dammit. The Thresholders watched their escape plan spin in a trail of smoke before crashing out of sight.

    ¡°Keep going for now,¡± Nestra said. ¡°We need to lose them.¡±

    They climbed for another minute, but it was clear the diplomats were slowing down. Maybe they were tired. Maybe they didn¡¯t see a way out of this. Nestra wasn¡¯t exactly seeing one either. She just knew help would come, eventually. It wasn¡¯t going to arrive before the Elders did, though.

    [SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE ABORTED. RETRIEVAL TEAM ARRIVAL: IMMINENT]

    Nestra stopped in her tracks. The message was coming from the wreck. Gunships were hardy things so some of it must have survived the landing. The message though, it was weird¡­ Arrival imminent? Could it be? She switched the emergency frequency and saw that it still relayed to the gunship¡¯s network.

    ¡°Hello? Anyone?¡±

    No reply.

    ¡°Not so proud now that your precious technology has crashed and burnt, are you?¡± a female voice screamed in Vietnamese from behind.

    It was filled with rage and malice, and a promise of personal violence. Nestra slowed down. The diplomats stopped.

    ¡°Go to the wreck. Find it from the smoke. Help is on the way,¡± she told them.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Chandra objected.

    ¡°I need to hold her off. You go first. I don¡¯t intend to die here,¡± Nestra replied.

    The way Chandra almost broke down wasn¡¯t exactly a rousing endorsement of Nestra¡¯s chances. To be fair, the last two people who¡¯d held off foes were probably dead, so yeah. Chandra still gathered her team for one last push. They moved up, needled by desperate energy. It was a bit painful to see that they could move much faster when she wasn¡¯t holding them back.

    Time for round two.

    Nestra hid behind a rock. The approach to the trail seemed empty with the enclave plunged in chaos behind, but Nestra wasn¡¯t fooled, of course. Yellow robe and Truong were closing in. Maybe more people besides. She took a deep breath.

    True Nestra stirred beneath the surface.

    She couldn¡¯t be let out, though.

    Being caught here as an Aszhii would be a death sentence if an Elder noticed her. They would see her as a spy for the city at best, a monster at worst, and a priority target in both cases. On a fundamental level, her confusion and stress was receding now that it looked like the rest of the group was going to make it, or at least, she¡¯d given them good chances. Weiwei and Derek were dead though, and Watanabe¡¯s status was uncertain. What was left behind was anger. Anger at Ilar for pulling that stunt when he could have just been more sly ¡ª he didn¡¯t have to humiliate them so thoroughly to make a point if he didn¡¯t intend to fight them immediately afterward. Anger at Manh for being a disloyal gleam supremacist cunt. Anger at Derek for dying a hero¡¯s death like Shinoda before him. Anger at the patriarch for ignoring Camille¡¯s warnings. Anger at herself for being so weak, and a coward, for not telling Ilar about what she¡¯d learnt about the coup. She could have told him about an ¡®informant¡¯, maybe, or revealed her true form earlier to save Derek, but she didn¡¯t want to die, or to become an exile. Selfish.

    ¡°You dog-stupid bitch. I don¡¯t know how you cheated last time, but this time, I¡¯m going to kill you! I¡¯ll gut you like a fish!¡±

    Oh, and anger at Truong, of course. Quickly, she reloaded the Window Maker until she had four bullets. The shotgun only had the one shell left, sadly.

    ¡°Talking a lot of shit for someone who¡¯s hiding!¡± Nestra retorted.

    ¡°Can¡¯t wait to rip out your potato tongue, you fat whore.¡±

    Truong couldn¡¯t understand Nestra anyway since she didn¡¯t have a visor to translate. That meant it was probably a distraction. Fortunately, Wellington designed their armor sets precisely to survive stronger predators. Nestra activated her thermals, then side cameras. Nothing. There were sound options as well. She checked for footsteps and got a match to her left.

    No visual. Nestra gripped her shotgun and waited. Truong threw more insults her way, but she was behind thick cover. Nestra was going to get flanked for sure.

    A heat signature jumped from behind a tree. Nestra turned and felt something push her arm to the side, but she readjusted and shot. The yellow robe was another young woman with a confident smirk that immediately turned to shock. Blood splattered the trunk behind her. Nestra¡¯d gotten her dead center.

    The shotgun clicked empty. Nestra looked down to see an arrow skewering her left forearm. The shaft was red with her blood.

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    Truong jumped on her from the trail. Nestra jumped back and raised her shotgun at the very last moment. The fencer¡¯s overhead strike smashed it from her hands. A face, frozen in a rictus of triumphant hatred. Nestra pulled her Window Maker while pain made stars dance before her eyes. She managed to shoot once as she cleared the holster. By some miracle, Truong caught it with her blade.

    The blade exploded but so did Nestra¡¯s vision. She was sent up the air before heavily crashing down. A damage report showed she was¡­ okay. The armor had blocked most of the blow.

    Her hand fucking hurt though.

    Truong had kicked her.

    [TRAUMA DETECTED. INJECTING PAINKILLERS, STIMULANT]

    Nestra¡¯s vision cleared. A new energy rushed through her tired limbs like a thunderbolt. In the meantime, Truong had turned to the side with a sadistic chuckle.

    ¡°Mai, I got her!¡±

    The triumph was short-lived.

    ¡°Mai?¡±

    Nestra grabbed a rock. It was just there. Just as Truong noticed her standing up, Nestra threw it with all her strength and an animalistic roar. It caught the young woman under the nose. Blood spurted. Nestra stood and put all her weight on her left foot, swung, and caught Truong¡¯s knee in a devastating low kick. She collapsed like a puppet. Nestra was on her before she could recover, punching her face repeatedly with her right fist.

    ¡°You. Wanted. Your. Second. Round. Here. It. IS!¡±

    Truong managed to punch her a few times, but mana couldn¡¯t make up for leverage, or armor. Somehow, the beaten gleam still managed to raise a knee against Nestra¡¯s chest to push her away. Nestra was up on her feet in seconds. Even the pain in her arm felt like just a distant concern. Holding her broken nose, Truong fumbled around for her sword.

    Nestra socked her in the jaw with a very nice hook. The gleam fell like a sack and Nestra was on top of her again, punching down with her good arm. The armored glove fell once, twice, and Truong stopped struggling.

    Nestra remembered she had the emotional support knife in a sheath at her side. She placed the blade under Truong¡¯s throat. The girl was knocked out, unable to resist.

    ¡°Stop,¡± a voice said, softly.

    Camille kneeled by Nestra¡¯s side.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t like you.¡±

    ¡°Where were you?¡± Nestra growled.

    Clarity returned. The negotiators had long since disappeared, at least, and Truong wasn¡¯t going anywhere. Nestra knew she should be in pain but the sensation just wasn¡¯t there. Camille seemed fine though. Their mouth was moving.

    ¡°Searching. I found your compatriots and assumed you were with them, but I was wrong. I raced back as fast as I could. Nestra, I¡¯m sorry. Please let her live. She is also a victim.¡±

    ¡°She cut Weiwei¡¯s head. They¡¯ll heal her, then she will come after me again.¡±

    ¡°No. It will be over soon. We need to go now and wait for¡­ the end. She will get her comeuppance, but not like this. Not in an execution. She¡¯s not a danger to you. ¡±

    Nestra looked up to the mask. Camille¡¯s expression was unreadable. Nestra wanted to hiss. Who gave a shit about morals and protocol now? Bullshit!

    And then Camille¡¯s words hit the right part of her brain.

    ¡°What do you mean, the end?¡±

    ¡°I planted a bug in the main coms rooms in anticipation for tonight. Threshold gunships have been hovering at the edge of the enclave¡¯s airspace for the last two days.¡±

    Threshold gunships? Just two of them could stay hundreds of meters up and reduce the entire enclave to rubble.

    Huh.

    Talk about negotiations.

    ¡°Shit, is that why Ilar was so confident that the patriarch wouldn¡¯t fight?¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the time to wonder, police girl. We need to move. Manh will want hostages before they arrive to at least force some negotiations. His faction is almost in full control. We need to move or things will get very unpleasant for you.¡±

    Only then did Nestra realize Fox Mask¡¯s reason for coming.

    ¡°You are here to help me against the enclave.¡±

    ¡°Against Manh!¡± Camille protested. ¡°I will not allow this talentless fraud to harm you. He¡¯s already doing enough to harm the Sword Kings. We should¡­ hmm, maybe I should remove that arrow from your arm first?¡±

    ¡°Yes please.¡±

    Before Nestra could blink, Camille had cut two thirds of the arrow away. Nestra opened her mouth to tell Camille to slow down and screamed instead when the idiot unceremoniously pulled the shaft from her bleeding forearm.

    ¡°Ow ow ow hey!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s easier when it¡¯s faster. Do you have a potion?¡±

    Nestra was already imbibing it. Her armor had coagulation pens but she preferred her wounds closed rather than stable ¡ª thank you very much. She cast one last glance at Truong.

    Was she going soft by sparing the girl?

    ¡°Nestra, please.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Part 53

    They ran. The last dregs of the stimulant cocktail sloshing around Nestra¡¯s veins kept her going at a good pace, for now. She focused on keeping one foot in front of the other.

    ¡°We have to catch up with the others,¡± she said. ¡°I told them to go for the wreck.¡±

    ¡°It would be better if we do not try. You are slowing down, and they¡¯ll be safer if pursuers follow our trail instead..¡±

    Nestra could believe her. She was so tired now, and her mind couldn¡¯t stop wandering. Did Ilar really not know about the coup preparations? Did the patriarch? Should she have done anything more? Wait, she¡¯d already asked herself that, and found no answer. Maybe there was no answer.

    But what did she want to do now?

    ¡°I want no one else I care about to die,¡± she informed Camille.

    Fox Mask stopped and stared. They were past the incline now, and if they wanted to go to the crash site, they should have turned right a moment before.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re exhausted. I¡¯ll carry you.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Nestra asked, and then she was being princess-handled and moving at high speed.

    It was kinda nice.

    ¡°If you transform, can you fight?¡± they whispered.

    Nestra shrugged, realized Camille couldn¡¯t see it, and opted for a verbal answer instead.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s two separate things.¡±

    ¡°We are being followed. I know you care about your secret, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, I should change now.¡±

    ¡°No, wait! Wait. We can¡¯t have you fight. I will protect you. If the enclave finds out your secret, they will accuse you of being a spy. They will kill you, and any hope of reconciliation¡­ any hope of it¡­¡±

    Nestra had a solution and that solution was ¡®leave no witness¡¯, but she didn¡¯t think Camille would be very receptive. She had a look back towards the column of smoke rising over the nearest crest, visible behind the red glow of ongoing fires. It wasn¡¯t looking like reconciliation was going to be on the menu. She didn¡¯t voice that opinion either. By then, Camille was still princess-carrying Nestra over the trail like some prince and horse combo all at once, breathing hard from the continued effort since Nestra was in full armor. It made her feel all special and treasured, to be honest, though her happily ever after certainly involved a barbecue and a naval gun right now. Sadly, Camille wasn¡¯t broad enough for Nestra to be able to rest her head. Every harsh landing also sent a jolt through her arm which was progressively waking up. Even potions couldn¡¯t fully heal a skewered arm in a couple of minutes.

    There was a pulse of mana coming from behind. Camille stopped. They¡¯d been found.

    For a moment, Nestra wondered if Camille could defeat the pursuers. They were surely strong enough to defeat a group of C-class raiders. Why stop then? The answer came soon enough. Barring their way, wearing a tattered red robe over mail was Manh. He looked surprisingly calm for someone covered in the blood of his own people. The light of distant fires reflected strangely in the gleam of his own red iris. It gave him a devilish countenance that Nestra didn¡¯t like.

    ¡°Truong. You found her. Good,¡± he said, Nestra¡¯s visor translating him.

    ¡°I do not answer to that name anymore.¡±

    ¡°This is no time for personal drama,¡± Manh said, rolling his eyes. ¡°Now come. We need to prepare. They will be here soon.¡±

    He frowned.

    ¡°Why are you turned away from the enclave? The prisoners must be gathered in a bunker.¡±

    ¡°You are a fool, Manh. A fool, and a murderer.¡±

    His nostrils flared, yet to Nestra¡¯s surprise, he managed to keep his cool.

    ¡°I have blood on my hands, yes, and if you had opened your eyes like so many others, I wouldn¡¯t have had to shed so much of it. I warned all of you that Threshold would come to enslave us with pretty words and contracts and other ¡®commitments¡¯ and see what happened? Not one week here and we have signed away our metal in exchange for the promise of ¡®technology¡¯, the yoke that will enslave us all until we can¡¯t imagine living without it. Tonight, the patriarch was ready to give away half of our new repeating portal world as well, and this time for forgiveness. Forgiveness? As if Threshold didn¡¯t steal left and right.¡±

    We didn¡¯t though, Nestra thought.

    ¡°I warned everyone that we would be the prey to those megacorps, slaving away for crumbs that they can withdraw anytime we displease them. Fortunately, there were enough people left with a spine to mount this operation. Those who value strength, freedom, the ability to carry one¡¯s dream with their own hands..¡±

    ¡°I saw your vault, Manh. All this medical equipment I stole, is it what you promised your followers? Is that the ¡®strength and freedom¡¯ they crave?¡±

    ¡°Trades and mana stones are needed to buy the proper tools for every uprising. There are enclaves on this continent that need it more than we do.¡±

    ¡°Our children die of preventable diseases!¡±

    ¡°The weak perish so the strong may thrive. In Threshold, the cunning and treacherous borgs and dregs have taken power. They enslave the strong to guarantee their survival without them realizing it. I will not allow the same degeneracy to take root here. It is the natural order, Truong, whether you like it or not. However,¡±

    He lifted a hand, calming himself down. Camille was shaking.

    ¡°However, once we are free again, I will make sure our people receive proper medical care for their wounds. Right now, we need resources, but after that, all that you liberated will be used internally. I am not cruel. I, too, want everyone to have a chance to prove themselves.¡±

    ¡°Will they be proving themselves when the Threshold strike force arrives?¡± Camille spat. ¡°Will they also lay down their lives for the motherland while you hide?¡±

    ¡°I am no fool,¡± Manh replied. ¡°There will be no battle, only delaying actions. You have studied the history of our ancestors. It does not matter if the invaders are mongols, or French, or American, or Chinese, or monsters, or even Thresholders. We will disappear into the jungle and outlast them all. We will strike from hidden shelters at their harvesting teams and their transports. We will blow up their infirmaries, and cut the lives of the borgs and dregs who dare trespass on our lands to remind the degenerates that they can never be safe. Once uncle comes out of his portal, which shouldn¡¯t take long now, he will have no choice but to side with his family, because it will be too late to bargain with Threshold. If he cannot see the truth, I will remove every other path of his journey until he has no choice but to embrace it, no matter the cost.¡±

    ¡°That cost is always borne by others,¡± Camille retorted. ¡°It is no slavery to have medicine, or access to information that could save lives. It is no slavery to allow others to find another way to live and be happy.¡±

    ¡°You are a blade master. You know there is only one superior path in this new world we live in.¡±

    ¡°That is untrue. There are many paths making our lives better without having to shed blood, even for the awakened. I have seen it.¡±

    Manh flinched. Slowly, he took a step back. Nestra recognized it as a swordsman getting ready to draw. Camille was in danger.

    ¡°Then you have allowed the lesser ones to poison your mind. Don¡¯t do this, Truong. We¡¯re not sixteen anymore. I am in the third realm now. You cannot hope to defeat me. Stand aside.¡±

    Camille¡¯s shaking stopped.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Nestra looked up, not believing her eyes. Camille was going to kill themself for her.

    ¡°You should run, Nestra. I will hold him off.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that before,¡± Nestra said, standing up and brushing herself.

    ¡°Tell the freak to stop talking. Her value as a hostage will not diminish with a broken jaw.¡±

    ¡°Stop. You have gone too far. I do not recognize your authority anymore. When Ong returns, he will put a stop to this madness.¡±

    Manh scoffed.

    ¡°Your precious grandfather is a canny old man. You think he didn¡¯t see me plotting? I know he accessed my vault and turned some of my followers. The only reason he didn¡¯t act was because I was useful in channeling opposition while still being loyal to the enclave. He knew everything I was doing, he just didn¡¯t expect me to act so soon.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ but¡­ I warned him.¡±

    Manh laughed, and it wasn¡¯t a nice sound.

    ¡°Truong, for all of your skill and control, when it comes to people, you are so hopelessly stupid. Well, I am going to kill you. All that skill of yours will account to nothing because this new world is powered by mana, and I have much more of it than you do. The world has picked me to carry on the will of the Sword Kings, to conquer the portal worlds. Me, who represents what mankind needs to thrive. And I am going to kill you. Before that, though, I will indulge a little pleasure since you were always so eager to bring me down.¡±

    He smirked, his hand casually drawing his sword with a swift move.

    ¡°You see, Ong cares very much about the enclave and its reputation, more so than anything. That is why he sent you out of sight to be our thief so your presence wouldn¡¯t sully our hall. After all, you were the last trace of his mistake: allowing his niece to bed a foreigner who would then dump her and leave. It was the sort of disgrace that could only end with death. I wonder if he killed her in the portal world himself or he just had her team pull back so the monsters would do it instead.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Camille whispered.

    ¡°You thought a raider as strong as your mother could just die in such an easy world? No no no, your precious Ong was just erasing a mistake. I only wish he had the guts to finish the job, but I guess your talent stayed his hand. Hah, that expression¡­¡±

    A clang. Camille fell on their ass in the middle of the trail while Manh recoiled, surprised that he¡¯d been blocked. He glanced down at the sword that had parried his killing blow.

    ¡°Nice speech mate, but now I think we¡¯re gonna kill you with the power of friendship and that big fucking sword I got,¡± True Nestra hissed.

    ¡°You!¡±

    ¡°You are lying! You are lying!¡± Camille cried.

    They looked up, angular features twisted in grief, and rage.

    ¡°No. I am lying to myself.¡±

    ¡°C-rank,¡± Manh sighed. ¡°I do not know what you are but it will not help. I guess I can maim you for interrogation.¡±

    ¡°I have sacrificed so much for so long¡­¡± Camille continued to herself. ¡°So much for so long just to be used like this. How dare you? How fucking dare you?¡±

    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    Nestra was happy to see Camille finally replacing all that sadness with something else. She was also pretty satisfied with her boast. She was equally certain that Manh was going to wipe the floor with her, which was unfortunate. Her arms were still shaking from that one single blow.

    ¡°That¡¯s it. I am done. I am done being your pariah sacrificing my future and my principles for scraps of affection. I am not your dog. I am¡­ I was your family. Fuck.¡±

    They looked towards Nestra who was more than happy to let everyone talk since it meant she didn¡¯t have to get stabbed just yet.

    Also, Camille was obviously having a moment.

    ¡°If I can¡¯t get the love I hoped for then I guess I¡¯ll take loyalty from a stranger instead. We are finished, Manh, so I¡¯m going to say it now. You were always better at wagging your tongue than your blade. Fuck you.¡±

    Camille charged with the energy and fury of despair, Nestra close behind. Manh parried the first strikes with depressing ease while Nestra¡¯s brain went through all of her options with sort of panic that came with free falling from a plane with no parachute. This was a B-class raider, albeit a very weak one. They were experienced C-class. As a general rule, Three top-level D-class could hold off a beginner C-class, ten high C-class to a neophyte B-class, and fifty B-class to an A. Her chances were really, really fucking slim.

    So Nestra stabbed the fucker in the back. Well, tried to. Manh twisted on himself to smack her blade aside after she teleported. Camille struck at the same time. Manh was forced to dodge away with a tsk of annoyance. He was armored, yet still concerned? Wait. His skin wasn¡¯t altered yet. His skin wasn¡¯t altered yet! In order to reach B-class, one had to pick a part of their bodies to remake, then they remade more until their bodies were entirely reforged. It meant that his defenses must still be weak. Maybe they ¡ª

    Bonk.

    Nestra was slammed into the ground by a powerful thrust. By some miracle, she¡¯d still managed to block the blow but her hand shook with pain.

    ¡°Oof!¡±

    Ok, yeah, he¡¯d remade muscles.

    Fuck, this was going to be hard.

    ¡°Water Dragon Dance!¡±

    Camille¡¯s quick succession of strikes drove Manh away from the dirt road and into the deep cover of the forest. Nestra followed. Manh¡¯s face was serious, though he blocked every blow. Nestra used momentum to position herself on the other side of a tree, then struck with precision. Her blade smashed through in a shower of splinters, missing Manh entirely as she misjudged where he would be. It was still enough to force a reaction.

    ¡°Piss off.¡±

    A wall of magma balls expanded outward in a cloud right in front of her. She used immovable to protect her head. They hit her, painful yet not debilitating. They were fairly hot. Another rain came. She managed to use momentum before the third wave. Nestra recovered at a distance. She was mostly unharmed, her resistances having pulled their weight. Killing all those Obsidian Tails had finally paid off!

    Camille was hurt. It must have happened while she was distracted, so Nestra rushed back in. The two Sword Kings fought a battle that carved a path of destruction through the forest, each one dancing through the harsh terrain with ease. Manh was talented and precise but Camille was a virtuoso, capable of keeping up with their faster opponent by the careful use of mana walls to slow and use as platforms. Nestra played distraction by attacking Manh in the back and sides every time he tried something fancy. The jungle burned from his attempts at fending her off. Another precision strike from the side stopped one of his fancy named combos.

    ¡°You annoying TOAD! Rising Crane!¡±

    It was just a down to up strike.

    ¡°What is it with you fuckers and your silly names?¡±

    ¡°You DARE! Lava Blast!¡±

    ¡°You call this hot?¡±

    He was getting fairly worked up. The problem was, Nestra didn¡¯t see an out. He wasn¡¯t toying with them, exactly, but she could tell from the way he focused on Camille that he was trying to beat her through fencing alone. B-class raiders had monstrous mana reserves compared to her. He should be turning the entire valley into an ash bowl, yet he was holding back. He still had something to prove. Nestra wanted to use it, but how? Despite her best efforts, Camille was already bleeding from a few shallow wounds.

    ¡°Nestra! Take the lead!¡± Camille screamed.

    Huh?

    With only the barest hesitation, Nestra switched with Camille, going on the offensive instead. Manh turned his full attention to her. The pressure mounted. Manh used his overwhelming strength to try and smash her away.

    Compared to Sereth, he really wasn¡¯t much.

    ¡°How¡¯s that superior race working out for you?¡± Nestra mocked.

    She countered, her style much more vicious and unpredictable than Camille¡¯s. Manh cursed every time they engaged in a contest of strength and he failed to crush her. Strong bastard though. Nestra was forced to attack viciously just so he wouldn¡¯t start one of those strange techniques. She used momentum to close in, and precision to push him away. Her intuition made up for the lack of familiarity with his style¡­ and then, Camille returned to help. They had swallowed a potion and were looking much better.

    A mana panel blocked Manh¡¯s elbow and Nestra¡¯s precision strike hit him in the ribs. Nestra heard the clang of armor. Had to be good armor because it failed to penetrate. Much.

    Manh struck the ground. Lava erupted from under Nestra¡¯s feet, forcing her to jump back. When she looked up, Manh was staring at his blood smeared over his fingers. He was struck with disbelief. Nestra attacked, but it only made him more angry.

    And now, he was taking her seriously.

    ¡°Unicorn Rush!¡±

    Pain. Immovable had not sufficed. Something bit into her flank, deflected at the last moment by Camille¡¯s blade. Riel dammit, that hurt. Nestra charged immediately while Manh frowned, perhaps surprised. She was a tough girl. She wasn¡¯t going to fall from something named after a damn unicorn.

    This time, Camille was prepared. While Nestra took the lead as a storm of powerful attacks and teleportations, Camille hit with precise techniques and a flurry of panels to hinder Manh. They landed several blows but unlike Nestra, they failed to penetrate Manh¡¯s armor. He let the blows glance off, apparently no longer worried.

    ¡°Be ready,¡± Camille whispered, in Japanese this time.

    Manh frowned. Nestra could see his confusion. Maybe he didn¡¯t speak the language at all? It was such a common sentence in Threshold vids that everyone home knew it.

    ¡°Anathema.¡±

    Camille¡¯s next technique incorporated Nestra¡¯s movement. It was a seamless mix of enclave and Threshold and Palladian-exclusive moves. Nestra resisted the urge to say ¡®hey that¡¯s mine!¡¯

    ¡°What? You DARE!¡± Manh roared.

    Camille¡¯s final strike caught him in the cheek. He moved back, bleeding. It was an opening. Nestra filled herself with electricity and rushed at blinding speed. Her next strike was barely parried but Manh was off balance. She unleashed the electric charge at point blank rage. He screamed in pain. It was a nice sound. Nestra aimed for his head but he was currently protecting it, so she aimed for the chest instead. The dot of potential found his heart. The bolt landed true.

    His armor exploded. It was good, but not that good. Blood fell from the hole in thick rivulets. He screamed in pain. The scream turned into a roar of rage. Heat slammed Nestra like a wall. Camille screamed. Nestra grabbed her shorter friend to protect them. It didn¡¯t stop, neither the scream nor the heat. Mana droplets rained down on Nestra who started running away. Around them, the jungle burned. A mountain of fire emerged from the ground, under the floating form of a furious Manh bathed in fire.

    ¡°He¡¯s going to use a secret ability,¡± Camille warned.

    ¡°Can we stop him?¡±

    ¡°Can you fly?¡±

    A fire dragon was dancing in the air above their heads. Yeah, nah, that wasn¡¯t good at all. Nestra needed a solution.

    ¡°Wait, do you feel that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Feel what?¡±

    ¡°Here¡­ a portal!¡±

    It was a small, temporary one and probably high D-class only, but it was there. Nestra raced while Manh screamed insults in Vietnamese. She threw Camille at the portal and slipped in just as the spell reached a crescendo. Immediately, the temperature dropped to a more comfortable level.

    She wasn¡¯t sure, but her space sense shivered from what must have been the impact. So close yet so far. Nestra looked around as she caught her breath. This was also a jungle world, but here the trees were blue and made out of some crystalline structure. A primate covered in blue gems screamed in the distance.

    Camille was kneeling, breathing hard and applying some sort of healing paste to open burns. Her infiltration set was half melted. Nestra checked her own Skin. The symbiote was sipping on her blood, but otherwise unharmed.

    ¡°Is¡­ is there a plan?¡±

    Nestra smeared some of her blood on a nearby rock. Her wound was already closed.

    ¡°Maybe? Let¡¯s just try and stab him anyway.¡±

    The truth was that she had used both  aces up her sleeve to get that wound in, hoping it would be enough but¡­ damn B-class and their resilience! Now they would have to improvise.

    A shape moved through the world¡¯s entrance portal. Nestra aimed her bolt and released it immediately, catching Manh in the left hand. He screamed in pain as soon as he was through.

    ¡°You fight like a coward!¡± he screamed in English.

    Nestra shrugged.

    ¡°And you fight like an idiot.¡±

    Manh rushed her, this time. Scattered pieces of crystal trees peppered Nestra but she grinned. He was trying to beat her with technique, but also his superior physique. It wasn¡¯t working because she was an Aszhii and it was making him so mad. She dodged to the side, then used momentum to get out of the way of a powerful thrust. A well-positioned barrier slowed the next blow, then Camille caught him in another weird technique that seemed to infuriate him to no end. Nestra noticed he was still bleeding.

    Void mana was a bitch.

    ¡°Oof.¡±

    A horizontal attack slammed her against a rock, killing a monkey thing as it was attacking her. She immediately jumped back to her feet for a vicious counter. At this point, she and Camille had reached a good level of cooperation. When Nestra had the lead, she pressed Manh with powerful, precise attacks that he was struggling to block. When Camille had the lead, their mixed technique upset and angered him. It wasn¡¯t enough. The trio ravaged the world, leaving only minced monsters and crushed trees in their wake, but Camille was tiring and Manh was not. Compared to them, he had endless mana and stamina to draw on.

    ¡°This is how it ends,¡± he finally said. ¡°The spy and the traitor, together, dying to their betters. All your skills and your tricks don¡¯t matter. In the end, only power does. We will leave you behind on our ascension with all the other weaklings.¡±

    Next to Nestra, Camille paled.

    ¡°Any last word?¡± he smirked.

    ¡°Behind you,¡± Nestra said with false alarm.

    Manh¡¯s face was an expression of condescending pity.

    And then, Sashimi bit his leg. Blood sprayed on the ground. He screamed in agony, but Nestra was already on him. A last bolt finally hit his face, leaving it a red ruin. Camille¡¯s blade caught him under the armpit. He kneeled. Nestra used momentum to slip behind.

    Her strike decapitated him cleanly.

    Power filled her. It was enormous and so incredibly tasty. She¡¯d gotten help and not been taken seriously but it was a B-class raider. A sphere above. She kneeled over the bleeding corpse to peel the armor off like shell off the meat of a crustacean. That core. That sweet, sweet core.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Nestra refrained from hissing. This was her¡­ well.

    No.

    It was their prey.

    ¡°I want his core.¡±

    Camille looked down at the body, her thoughts carefully hidden.

    ¡°As trophy?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ feel like the type. Promise you won¡¯t ever sell it.¡±

    ¡°You have my solemn word,¡± Nestra replied, excitement bubbling beneath the surface.

    She carefully picked the gore-drenched red core, pocketing it for later when she would be alone. She felt giddy at her victory, but the hunt wasn¡¯t over just yet. There was the small matter of a revolution.

    ¡°We need to get out of here,¡± she said.

    Camille cast a last glance at Sashimi hovering carefully out of range of their blade.

    ¡°Can you explain this? Some sort of summon? I thought you had transformation mana.¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s a package deal,¡± Nestra lied through her teeth. ¡°Sashimi is her own creature though. I don¡¯t truly control her.¡±

    Camille shook their head. The lack of reaction made Nestra a little worried, but the fact the blade master¡¯s entire universe had collapsed was probably their biggest concern right now.

    ***

    Nestra recovered for all of one minute before deciding that Chandra Satya and her diplomats were still her charges, and maybe it would be nice to make sure they were saved. She pulled a shell-shocked Camille out of the portal world while conspicuously leaving Manh¡¯s body in range of a very hungry squall.

    The first thing Nestra did was try to contact Chandra. Unfortunately, the gunship¡¯s com system was down and her visor didn¡¯t connect with anything. She didn¡¯t even know if her fellow enclavers were alright.

    ¡°Hmm, we could find the wreck,¡± Nestra mentioned.

    ¡°As strange as it sounds, I think we should get back to the enclave,¡± Camille replied with a shaky voice.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it what we were trying to avoid?¡± Nestra asked.

    ¡°Threshold¡¯s gunships should be here soon. I think this will mark the end of the conflict anyway, and also, I need to pack my belongings.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re coming back with us?¡± Nestra asked, interested.

    ¡°No. Well, yes, but by my own means. There is nothing left for me there.¡±

    ¡°Right. You should contact me. I can help set you up as a masked gleam! We¡¯ll partner up. Hell, you could even crash on my sofa and have some slow-cooking stew if you have nowhere to go..¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Camille grumbled, then after a while, ¡°Thank you. Sorry I just need a moment. I think¡­ I need a moment.¡±

    Nestra nodded. Poor Camille didn¡¯t even get a Kero Nut to cope with those drastic changes. Better give them some time. The pair soon left without words to return to the enclave where all would end, one way or another.

    ***

    The Sword Kings¡¯ mountain was calmer. Embers still smoldered behind the walls. From the outside, Nestra could see the high walls topped by the Sword Kings¡¯ most important buildings. Camille and Nestra crossed the wall at a slow pace. A tense expectation made the air heavy under rumbling thick clouds. No one stopped them. No one was even looking in their direction. As they approached, they saw the deserted farmlands and facilities populated by small squads of colored robes brandishing blades, but the center of attention remained the smoking ruins of the training hall. Lit with lanterns and floodlights, a circle of rebel Elders stood there next to the bound form of Watanabe. So he was still alive. Chandra and the others weren¡¯t here, a sign they might have successfully escaped.

    Nestra wasn¡¯t sure what they were still doing out there. It had been more than fifteen minutes since the entire thing had started, possibly more, so holding position here was just asking for grid coordinate deletion by a fleet of gunships or worse. Perhaps they were counting on the presence of a hostage to stop that. Actually, they were probably right because there wasn¡¯t a single sign of Threshold¡¯s presence. Nothing. Nada. No gunships, no explosions, no squads of army gleams in high-tech armor. Hidden in the shadows, Nestra whispered to Camille.

    ¡°Hmm, see anyone?¡±

    ¡°No. But¡­¡±

    And then Nestra felt it too. A presence. She looked up above, under the cloud layer to find a single figure drifting down as if floating. It was a woman with gray hair dressed in a black bodysuit. Metal floated around her in a constellation of spiked balls, chains, blades, and esoteric shape that seemed to change as she watched. Nestra¡¯s mouth fell open.

    ¡°Riel. I thought she wasn¡¯t fighting.¡±

    Ragnhild Lindstrom¡¯s aura blanketed the entire city. It was massive, oppressive, and felt like having a metal blade pushed against one¡¯s tongue. Nestra couldn¡¯t speak. A cold chill traveled up her spine, even in her Aszhii form. She remembered the feeling of facing the old woman in a duel all those months ago, like it was a chained beast using a toothpick to test the limits of a pup. Nestra didn¡¯t feel that exhilarating joy of pushing herself to the limit, this time. No, this time, the beast was unchained.

    There was only one reason for someone like her to come in person.

    ¡°You are here to fight Threshold,¡± she said. ¡°We do not Fight. We are the City that Guards the Gate. We do not Fight.¡±

    Nestra dragged Camille to cover, the fencer barely protesting. They could feel it coming as well. The squads of rebels were also scattering, answering the call of their animalistic brains. Only the Elders still stood, though Nestra couldn¡¯t tell if it was pride or stupidity. Or both. Her instincts were telling her to run but she was too curious. This was, after all, a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience. This power, radiating from the human shape¡­ intoxicating. Nestra gripped a nearby stone, cracking the rock. She wanted to see. She needed to see. One of the Elders made to speak but his voice was drowned by Ragnhild¡¯s sheer presence. Almost there. Almost there.

    ¡°We will recover our children,¡± she said.

    Watanabe¡¯s metal restraints were undone, and his unconscious form rose through the air. The Elders who tried to interfere were pushed away by debris.

    ¡°Your consent is not required. We do not Fight. Not with you. I will show why.¡±

    Contact. The pressure rose to such an overwhelming level that Nestra had to kneel. A torrent of mana smashed through everything, the wind pushing tools and trees aside with the speed of a hurricane. Despite the flying debris, Nestra couldn¡¯t look away from the flickering presence above her. Ragnhild extended her arms. Metal wires emerged from nothingness around her, encasing her entire body into the form of a werewolf and it grew, grew, until it looked like it would blot out the stars. Nestra forced herself to breathe. For an instant, the world quieted, and a voice emerged from the titanic steel beast.

    ¡°Jag ?r vargen som slukar solen.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t need her visor to understand. The meaning pierced her mind like the strike of a whip.

    ¡°I am the Wolf that devours the Sun.¡±

    Ragnarok landed on her feet, cracking the earth beneath it. In a gesture so fast Nestra only saw as an afterimage, she struck with a clawed hand. Wires tore the ground open, peeled buildings off the ground, turned every bit of greenery on its path to splinters. House-sized boulders held to fragments of walls by crumbling masonry flew off at dazzling speed. The subsequent ¡®crack¡¯ was deafening.

    It took twenty seconds for enough dust to settle so that Nestra could see again. The pressure returned to ¡®tickled Shinran¡¯ levels of suffocating. From the training hall, surrounding buildings, even the stairs that led them or the Elders that guarded it, there was nothing left. Only naked rock and the occasional piece of broken electric line. Nestra breathed deep.

    Yes.

    Yes, Threshold now had two A-rank monsters. Yes, this was power, power to look forward to. One day, she¡¯d do the same, only even more powerful! Yes! Such an amazing show. Truly, humans had such delicious potential.

    Nestra¡¯s ecstatic joy melted when the wolf¡¯s galvanized gaze turned to her. The shimmering mask of living metal didn¡¯t look to please, and neither did the accusatory finger. A voice rang directly in Nestra¡¯s head.

    ¡°You. My office.¡±

    ¡°Oh shit.¡±

 Part 54

    To add insult to injury, human Nestra now had to wait until Ragnarok¡¯s office was built before she could even get summoned there. Camille stuck around since they had no choice with an A-class on a short fuse around. It took quite some time for a shuttle to land on the central field carrying supplies and emergency tents, the biggest of which was used to triage and heal critically injured enclavers. Nestra had never witnessed such bullshit.

    At least people gave her a wide berth. A willowy military medic had just briefly come to check if she was hurt, gave her a regen patch for her bruised arm, and then left for people who actually needed her. Except for that, no one had dared approach either her or Camille. They were just hanging around at the edge of the human equivalent of a kicked anthill.

    As far as Nestra could see, Threshold was really helping both loyalists and rebels, though the latter were confined to a secluded area under solid guard. Ilar and the Patriarch landed sometime after 3AM, likely recalled from the portal world they were exploring. Ragnarok had a fast talk with the local leader by which Nestra meant that they gave up all pretense of humanity to talk at accelerated speed, like part of a video moving on fast forward. As for Ilar, he was immediately arrested. His gaze found Nestra as guards carried him to the nearest gunship. They were filled with guilt.

    She was left with a choice. Was she angry with Ilar?

    Well, maybe a little bit. He¡¯d let pride or some other emotion get the better of him. His priority should have been safety, not dick measurement. Because of his decision, Weiwei and Derek had died. He hadn¡¯t meant for it to happen though.

    Nestra was feeling ambivalent. It wasn¡¯t fully his fault. Manh was to blame for the massacre, first and foremost, so she gave him the most sober of nods. He closed his eyes. Was it relief? She had no idea.

    ¡°I would have expected you to be angrier,¡± Camille noted.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess I¡¯m really tired? I don¡¯t feel negative emotions towards him. He wasn¡¯t the one who killed my friends.¡±

    ¡°You were certainly angry against Truong.¡±

    ¡°Who did kill my friends because she was a sore loser. Anyway, I¡¯m going to catch some shut eye.¡±

    The cocktail of painkillers had long since faded, and it was now clear the hostilities had ceased through the expedient means of A-class Ex Machina, so there wasn¡¯t going to be a fight after all. Nestra zipped up her suit, grabbed a backpack as a pillow, and then she was gone in seconds.

    ***

    Nestra stood inside of her dream palace, in the planetarium room where spheres corresponding to her abilities revolved in a planetary dance. Her feet hovered over a small lake, its waters blue and crystalline. The edges of the small lake stopped at some distance. The waters were not so deep that she couldn¡¯t see a colorless bottom yet. This was the content of her core, an ocean to mirror the sky above.

    Well ok, maybe in a hundred years. But the vision was there! Her reserves had improved massively since she¡¯d started on the path of C-class, though she was still far from done. She wasn¡¯t sure how they compared with human ones though. She felt like she had too much to work with, but that was perhaps simply because her magic lagged behind. Humans were also forced to channel mana in different body parts at all times. As far as she understood, this was more of an unconscious thing for her. Truly, Aszhii would be a threat to all of creation if they weren¡¯t as goofy as Sereth appeared to be.

    With a spark of will, Nestra approached the spheres. Power and Celerity were first, then Resilience, Awareness, and Mind Speed. The magical spheres lagged behind, as usual. She felt like she had enough power to form one more connection.

    Right now, she had enough utility as far as she was concerned. Intuition helped with tracking and reaction. Momentum and Passe-muraille gave her all the mobility she needed on top of the electricity spell. Precision was great for specific enemies with tiny weak points. Immovable was a solid defensive tool in the rare cases where she needed to tank something. No, what she¡¯d lacked against Manh was a¡­ a finisher. Something to inflict massive amounts of damage that wasn¡¯t her bolt spell.

    She bound mana power and mana control with a tentative link. Images of a power surge filled her mind, strong yet unreliable and exhausting. That was good, perhaps what she needed, but she wasn¡¯t a mage, at least nor primarily. No, what she needed was, well, more oomph to her bonks.

    Nestra linked Power and mana power, the two most offensive abilities she had. The idea of a charged strike filled her mind with the promise of a devastating finisher, but at a cost.

    Arcane strike.

    ¡°Looks like I¡¯m going to need Shinran¡¯s help. This is going to take a lot of practice.¡±

    ***

    Ragnarok entered the room at a brisk pace. Her presence bubbled inconsistently in Nestra¡¯s sense, sometimes a physical weight on her shoulders, and sometimes barely a whisper. The newly minted A-class raider looked tired. She was also holding two steaming paper cups of good size from which the enticing smell of arabica emerged like an enticing promise.

    ¡°Here. Flat white, no sugar.¡±

    The A-class placed the cup in front of Nestra. She grabbed it. She took a sip. Angels descended from the dimension of earthly pleasure to deposit their sweetest nectar on her taste buds.

    ¡°Aaaah,¡± she said.

    Ragnarok sat down as well.

    ¡°And apology accepted,¡± Nestra added as an afterthought.

    After all, Ragnarok had called her out with absolutely no proof of mischief and indeed, Nestra had been beyond reproach: no one had caught her.

    ¡°You know,¡± the old woman replied with narrowed eyes, ¡°I think your file is wrong. You do not really suffer from poor social skills, at least not uniformly. You are one third oblivious to a maddening degree, one third aggressively perceptive, with the last third being that you don¡¯t give a fuck.¡±

    ¡°Oooh yeah, the ¡®authority¡¯ thing,¡± Nestra said.

    ¡°See, this is what I mean. I get less lip from some B-ranks than from you.¡±

    She huffed, though it was almost close to a chuckle.

    ¡°It appears I have misjudged you. To my defense, you always seem to be at the center of some disaster.¡±

    ¡°Who sends me there half the time?¡± Nestra asked in a very rhetorical manner.

    ¡°A fair point. In any case, Mrs Satya and her team commended you on your incredible composure. I would go so far as to say they remained free and alive in no small part thanks to your efforts. Officers Clint and Cai¡¯s sacrifices will not be forgotten, of course. So¡­ well done. Amazing job.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°I must ask, however. Did anyone see your transformed self?¡±

    ¡°No, and nobody saw me turn back. I retreated into the jungle to do so. The only witness of my tr¡­ transformed self is dead. Camille ¡ª that is, Fox Mask ¡ª they saw, but they¡¯ll keep it secret. We killed Manh together.¡±

    ¡°You did what? You killed Manh?¡±

    Nestra froze.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°In a portal world. Camille and I.¡±

    ¡°You and Fox Mask took down a B-rank by yourselves?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Well, there was also Sashimi but she didn¡¯t count. She was more of a fire-and-forget-Nestra-based ordinance with a stomach and an attitude.

    ¡°Dammit. I¡¯ll call back the search teams. We thought he had escaped and was planning some guerilla operation!¡±

    The A-class left in a storm. Nestra used the opportunity to sip more flat white. Unfortunately, Ragnarok was back almost immediately.

    ¡°You should have led with that,¡± she reproached.

    Nestra shrugged. It was so much like the army to tell her to shut up unless spoken to and then blame her when she did. Ragnarok remained strangely thoughtful.

    ¡°A very impressive performance, yes. Hmm. I think we can move forward with¡­ but that will come later. I will make sure you are sent back to the city ASAP. You can expect an interview from Special Affairs that I cannot reasonably block. Beyond that, rest and raid. I will make sure you have priority access to whatever portals we control. Oh, you will probably have the one debrief but after that, I will keep the agents off your back.¡±

    ¡°Will they be hostile?¡±

    ¡°This operation was a disaster due to the loss of life, so yes.¡±

    ¡°What happens now? With the enclave, I mean. I also suggested Fox Mask to join the city as a masked gleam in the future. It wouldn¡¯t be good for them to stay and they were sort of forced into a life of crime anyway.¡±

    Ragnarok glared, though it didn¡¯t last very long.

    ¡°Did they accept?¡±

    ¡°They were certainly thinking about it. Their relationship with their clan has been¡­ complicated as of late.¡±

    ¡°You know what, this is an excellent idea. After she¡¯s faced justice, of course. They have proven their capabilities, after all. I shall talk to them. I assume you¡¯re willing to sponsor them? As for your question, we are now at peace after what the media will describe as the enclave¡¯s internal turmoil, which has now been resolved to our satisfaction. Now, we will close the deal arranged by Ilar with a few modifications.¡±

    While sending him to the Red House in disgrace, Nestra thought.

    ¡°including a special enrolment program for students who wish to learn other raider disciplines than the blade. We will be prioritizing girls.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Why?¡±

    ¡°Because of your recommendations,¡± Rangarok said with a pointed glance. ¡°Because you demonstrated that abuse complaints were either shot down or not filed to begin with. Oh, but that is not all. We will also offer reconstructive surgery services at very favorable rates, payable by raiding around Threshold for those who cannot afford it. Again, all thanks to your observations.¡±

    Rangarok allowed herself a cat-like smile.

    ¡°You¡¯re just going to poach underused talents, aren¡¯t you?¡± Nestra asked.

    ¡°You need to accept that Threshold can be generous and serve its own purposes at the same time, young Palladian. Threshold lost precious people in this adventure, and I¡¯m afraid dear Ilar¡¯s career will be on hold for a decade after he¡¯s promptly exonerated ¡ª that should happen shortly after the elections. Fortunately, the Sword Kings will be part of our sphere of influence beyond the walls, as well as provide us with a permanent raiding base and supplier for a few of the new continent¡¯s more exotic resources. All in all, a great gain at a relatively minor cost.¡±

    She raised a hand to deflect Nestra¡¯s condemnations.

    ¡°I know, human life is sacred. But if I have to spend Threshold¡¯s blood then I will get all I can out of it. And by Riel, we just did. Off you go now. You deserve rest.¡±

    Nestra left the tent, only to find the negotiation team along with Chandra Satya standing at the exit. They¡¯d changed and showered at some point of the night which made her irrationally jealous. The smile and nods were nice though. It made Nestra¡¯s shriveled black heart all warm and mushy.

    ¡°Hey, you guys are alright,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yes, thanks to you. We were picked up near the gunship¡¯s wreck! Poor Donovan stepped on a wasp nest but otherwise we¡¯re all in one piece. You saved us!¡±

    Donovan, whose face had doubled in volume, gave her a pained smile.

    ¡°We were just here to say thank you,¡± the negotiator concluded.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Several others nodded. A tall man slapped her on the shoulder in a very awkward way.

    ¡°Never seen someone so calm in my life. It really helped me stay grounded despite¡­¡±

    He faltered.

    ¡°Hey I get it. I¡¯m just glad it¡¯s all over now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± another said, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to be back. I need a drink.¡±

    ¡°Several,¡± a third added. ¡°Tea, preferably.¡±

    Nestra made some small talk before leaving. This was one of the prizes, honestly. To get people safe, or at least, as safe as she could make them in this place. She basked in that precious light when she said bye to Fox Mask who was going to get their own golden parachute to Threshold if Ragnarok was to be believed. The trip back was quick: she was repatriated in an empty shuttle that had brought supplies there. They would land at the Threshold airport, the military one, south of the city. She hadn¡¯t been there in ten years.

    Her visor beeped as soon as they were close enough to get a signal. The top message left after a long series of beeps came from Helena.

    ¡®Holy shit Nes you absolutely popped off. You¡¯re so wired! Wow!¡¯

    ¡®What?¡¯ she immediately texted back.

    In response, Helena sent her a short video, an extract from one of the city¡¯s more popular news networks. An anchorman with more work done than the average house spoke confidently to the camera.

    ¡®... enclave where a government delegation was caught in a succession crisis, causing the death of two pilots. The rest of the delegation was only saved by the heroic intervention of their legal expert, an ex-MaxSec agent by the name of Clytemnestra Palladian, who managed to extract them from the compound by force. Representative Sun has questioned the circumstances that led to such a disaster ..¡¯

    A grainy footage of Nestra firing her shotgun on someone out of sight moved on a loop to the right of the screen. She was looking pretty badass, she had to admit. The focused expression and good posture made her look confident and not half stressed to death. She was surprised the footage had escaped censorship, to be fair. The city tended to keep things under wrap until they¡¯d finished all they wanted to do.

    ¡®You¡¯re famous!¡¯ Helena added.

    But all Nestra could feel was dread, a deep fear that lodged itself in her stomach like a ball of ice. A few seconds later, as if driven by fate itself, she received a call.

    There was no escape.

    ¡°Hi Mom.¡±

    ¡°Clytemnestra Palladian, where the hell are you?¡±

    ¡°On a shuttle heading to the airport where I¡¯ll land in a couple of minutes.¡±

    ¡°Right. Don¡¯t move.¡±

    Nestra sighed. Not like there would be much of a choice.

    ¡°Look,¡± her mother belatedly added, ¡°I know you can take care of yourself. I just don¡¯t know why you leave on diplomatic missions, and then I check the news and what do I see? My daughter fending off gleams with a goddamn shotgun? Can you explain?¡±

    ¡°Well. It was unexpected. Took me by surprise to be sure.¡±

    ¡°How surprised were you if you brought your shotgun with you on a diplomatic mission? I was with you when you purchased it, remember? Was it also part of your attribution, miss legal expert? If someone had told me my daughter who can¡¯t remember to close the damn bathroom door would be the authority on any sort of rules, I would have strangled them. After laughing myself prone. This is such an obvious cover that I don¡¯t know how you can even say this to my metaphorical face. And showing off your sword skills was also part of the legal work? Good form, however. Your father is very proud.¡±

    ¡°What, you guys saw the demo?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I assume it was better footage than you blowing people¡¯s brains out, so we got to see that one on the news. As I said, your father is very proud and so am I for saving all those people. And you¡¯re right, we must trust you to fight, just like we do. But we would also appreciate some foresight so I don¡¯t spit my damn coffee all over the table again? Please? Where are you now?¡±

    ¡°Still up in the air heading to the airport.¡±

    ¡°Right. See you soon.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t need radar to know a flying object had just taken off from Threshold¡¯s residential area. Someone was going to get a speeding ticket.

    She just hoped they wouldn¡¯t hug her too tight because her ribs were still tender from Truong¡¯s kick.

    ***

    Nestra drummed her fingers on the table. Ragnarok had warned her that she would be interrogated, but it was now past 2PM and she¡¯d only eaten an energy bar in the past 18 hours so her patience was running thin.

    ¡°Can you again, in your own words, describe the way you disabled the two gleams?¡± the Special Affair gleam asked in a motherly tone that didn¡¯t match her youthful air. Seriously, the woman was younger than Nestra.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have the footage? I think I sent you the footage. Five minutes ago, as a matter of fact.¡±

    ¡°We are asking you.¡±

    ¡°I already told you twice and it should match the footage.¡±

    ¡°Agent Palladian, we ¡ª¡±

    The small room shook ever so slightly. The old school datasheet in front of the gleam slid towards Nestra by a few centimeters, as did a few other loose metal items in the room. It suddenly grew cold. Nestra could see frozen dendrites crawl over the ceiling like grasping fingers. The gleams also felt the long, suffering mana sigh coming from outside the door.

    A few seconds later, one of her superiors entered the room with clear displeasure.

    ¡°Not done yet?¡± she asked in a very cavalier fashion.

    ¡°I was just checking a few last details with Agent Palladian here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it can wait, hm?¡± the superior asked, red eyes flashing dangerously. ¡°Miss Palladian, you are free to go.¡±

    Nestra happily left the pair behind. Once again, she was saved by her ¡®guanxi¡¯, her network of acquaintances. Meanwhile, the junior interrogator was going to get a lesson on prioritization and political awareness. A part of Nestra felt disgusted that one could get into trouble for doing their job properly. On the other hand, interrogating the heroine of the day as if she were a suspect was the sort of inept use of working time that needed to be addressed sooner rather than later. Common sense ought to prevail over protocol.

    Also she was hungry.

    Nestra returned to the waiting room to see her mom, dad, and Helena sprawled over the bench in the same way a pride of lions lazed on the savannah, with hooded eyes that told everyone they were full for now but could go for an extra. Sadly, Ulysses wasn¡¯t here, which wasn¡¯t a surprise. Aunt Claire wasn¡¯t either. She was probably raiding somewhere.

    Nestra sighed. Straight out of the frying pan and into the napalm.

    ***

    Nestra¡¯s family let her go home late in the afternoon. She immediately turned around to drive to the Emporium, the gleam marketplace. It was good to visit its cavernous arena filled with visiting gleams of all levels of power and affluence. She saw a nervous young awakened inspect staves with someone who appeared to be his mother, and her heart felt a prick of nostalgia for what could have been¡ªall those special moments she¡¯d missed out on. She approached the counter, only for one of the attendants to greet her in person. He had the perfect butler composure and the cold blue eyes of an ice user.

    ¡°Hello, Miss Crescent. Welcome to the Emporium. Will you be requiring a new blade?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°We have one prepared for you made of Black Steel, an unusually resilient material normally reserved for B-class armor. General Lindstrom authorized the use of restricted materials for this case.¡±

    The man left, soon returning with a case, muscles bulging under the impeccable suit. Nestra opened it with relish. Swords were much lighter than most people realized, except this one apparently.

    ¡°Balanced according to your preferences and¡­ adjusted size.¡±

    He gave her a long look. She didn¡¯t react. Size changes were pretty standard for transformation powers. Most of the time related to the user¡¯s mana reserves.

    ¡°We also have an assortment of powerful yet useless armor sets that could be of interest to you. Artifacts of good value.¡±

    The Skin was growing a bit more discerning lately so shitty apprentice-made artifacts of cheap steel leaking mana like a drunkard leaked piss wasn¡¯t cutting it anymore.

    ¡°Tell me,¡± she suggested.

    ¡°A suit recovered from a sunken ruin by divers: C-class. Made of awakened olivine. Very durable. It allows its wearer to breathe in the abyss despite the pressure.¡±

    ¡°That sounds rather useful.¡±

    ¡°Provided the user has gills.¡±

    ¡®Much less useful then.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. We also have an extremely heavy full plate armor that can stop heat as high as 800 degrees, including fire mana spells. It is suitable for people no taller than 140 centimeters.¡±

    Those were clearly designed for other species. Nestra wondered if this was a glitch of the portal network, or maybe a leak? She hoped she had nothing to do with it.

    Actually if it was someone¡¯s fault, it was definitely Sereth¡¯s. Fucker kept punching holes in reality.

    ¡°I mean. A strong child?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. There is also a dearth of users affected by dwarfism, so I¡¯m afraid we have a very limited demand. I also have a heavy gauntlet that heals people it hits. It also weighs over five hundred kilograms. The gauntlet must be slammed on the wounded person for the regeneration to take effect. I¡¯m told the punch is fully felt by the victim, that is, the patient, sorry.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t healers keep it as a deterrent?¡±

    Mazingwe would probably love to have it in his office as alternative treatment for the most annoying of his Aszhii clients. As a matter of fact, she should probably take it now before he learned of its existence.

    ¡°Sold. Anything else?¡±

    ¡°I have horse armor, or centaur armor but it makes little difference, a leather cape of invisibility that only works in complete darkness, and an explosive bone shield that explodes on both sides. The grand total will be three hundred and twenty thousand credits.¡±

    Nestra would cry if she could. That would wipe her out. On the other hand, she could earn that much again in less than two months of serious raiding now that she was C-class. And besides, money wasn¡¯t good when you were dead.

    ¡°Oh alright then.¡±

    The man smiled before packing all of her stuff. She isolated herself in a separate room for safe consumption. An atrocious violation of the laws of the universe later, the Skin assimilated her latest findings. She had a close look at how it was growing.

    She had shoes now, and even an integrated mask if she asked for it. The skin was thicker than most bodygloves now, with a rather thin chest plate, bracers, and greaves. Bony extensions protected her neck while a diaphanous cape floated behind her shoulders like a fancy shawl. It would only deploy properly if she tried to hide. The garment was dark and crossed with geometric lines on her limbs where the armor remained thin. It still looked like she was wearing really thick socks rather than proper shoes. It was still fine though.

    Now she only had to become obscenely rich and all her armor issues would be solved.

    ***

    ¡°Hello Crescent.¡±

    Nestra sat up instinctively from her comfy sofa. Ragnarok had to be the busiest woman on the planet right now, so the fact she took the time to talk was significant.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Right to business if you don¡¯t mind. I have a promising young prospect by the name of Andre Iorescu freshly landed from the Bucharest enclave who has been missing his appointment. Unfortunately, the appointment was a court summons and the cause is that young Iorescu sent a driver to the hospital after causing a hovercraft accident.¡±

    ¡°Very daring.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Now, Mr. Iorescu has a bright future ahead of him if and only if he understands that we take the rule of law very seriously here. He is currently holed up in the VIP section of the Sling.¡±

    ¡°Oh, fancy.¡±

    Everyone knew of the Sling. It wasn¡¯t as popular as it used to be back when she was a teenager because new and more ¡®wired¡¯ places had opened since then, but it remained a pillar of Threshold¡¯s nightlife. Getting admitted to the Sling on sight was a sure sign that someone had made it. It was also considered neutral ground, a sacred law few dared to breach.

    ¡°I need you to go there and retrieve him. I will have a car ready, should you accept.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I need to clarify a few things.¡±

    ¡°Mr Iorescu is a very proud, top level C-class boulder at the ripe age of 23. He will not be armed but he might have followers. Let me be absolutely clear. You are not to kill him, and you are not to maim him, however you are allowed to use violence. His psychological profile shows he had an extremely rough childhood and might see Threshold¡¯s authorities as weak as a result. I want him to be ¡ª what is it the younglings say these days? ¡ª ah yes. Wire checked. My people will make sure he awaits my return in a cell. Again, do not kill him and do not maim him.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°Your diction has improved, by the way.¡±

    Nestra blinked. It was true that she hadn¡¯t hissed at people for some time now.

    ¡°Getting used to this form.¡±

    ¡°Good. Now please go fetch me my raider. Payment as usual.¡±

    It would be the perfect opportunity to test her Skin in public.

    ¡°On my way. Oh wait.¡±

    ¡®Yes?¡±

    ¡°Will they let me in?¡±

    Ragnarok didn¡¯t reply. She chuckled, then hung up.

    ***

    It was past 11PM. Even the most ambitious of office drones were out, and the night was pleasantly cool. Nestra rode down the ramp to the nondescript warehouse that hid the Sling, its secrecy ruined by parking spots filled with high-end cars. It didn¡¯t really matter that much. The Sling was a victim of its success. It was a legendary spot featured in more than a dozen gleam vids as the hip place young up and coming raiders visited to mingle and relax after bloody expeditions.

    Nestra slowed down her nice motorcycle before the entrance and the queue of hopefuls who might see the insides of this exclusive venue. A gleam valet strode to her with a smile that did little to hide his concern. She waited until he was close enough.

    ¡°Welcome to the Sling, Crescent. May I ask, are you here for business or pleasure?¡±

    Ah so she was famous. Nay, infamous.

    ¡°Business,¡± she replied. ¡°Iorescu.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    The valet fidgeted. Nestra had the law on her side. Being Ragnarok¡¯s attack dog meant that people naturally assumed she was there on the old monster¡¯s behalf. Most of the time, they were right. She was basically telling them to pick a side between a rowdy upstart and the planet¡¯s newest A-rank who also happened to be on the side of law.

    She was confident about their answer.

    The valet checked his visor for around three seconds. The verdict fell according to Nestra¡¯s predictions.

    ¡°VIP section. Second floor. Please do try to keep damage to a minimum?¡±

    She clicked a key and the front and right side of her motorcycle opened, revealing the hilt of Nestra¡¯s new claymore. She grabbed the hilt.

    ¡°No promises.¡±

    She placed it on her back while the bike left to park itself. Far behind, a police truck drove down the ramp. Mr Iorescu¡¯s carriage, she presumed.

    She was let in by a bouncer only slightly shorter than she was.

    The warehouse gates opened into a quiet antechamber, not unlike an airlock. Once the front doors opened, she was hit by a wall of sounds, smells, and leaking mana. The bass-heavy song made her eardrums shake with every beat. It was a powerful, compelling call to dance. Dancing was nice. It had been a very long time since she had last danced just for the hell of it. Unfortunately, it also smelled of sweat, perfume, and arousal. The heady cocktail woke her up from her hesitation. She was here to hunt.

    Nestra strode by a cloakroom that doubled as an armory, apparently. A hauntingly beautiful aug with cat-like implants made a gesture to stop her, but then she touched her visor and let her through. The music doubled as soon as she stepped down from a platform and into the mass of bodies.

    Gleams danced with a grace and speed that no baseline could match, and that was doubly true for well-trained raiders who made up the majority of the people there. Their eyes shone on the vast floor to mirror the strobe lights above them in blues and yellows and greens and more exotic hues besides. Their mana leaked with every frantic pulse. This wasn¡¯t a place for socializing, but one to forget, a celebration of life done with full abandon, from people whose life always hung by a thread. Some people were making out here or against a wall. There was a lot of flesh to be seen. Bare arms. Bare midriffs. Sometimes, questing fingers disappeared down garments.

    Nestra parted this living mesh of predators like a sea. They felt or saw her, and they stood aside, their gazes curious and hazy, but not afraid. Never afraid. They were here for a little fun, she suspected. Sex would do, but so would a little scrap, so long as it provided a good show. She wasn¡¯t sure but she thought some of them recognized her.

    She had expected it from valets and bouncers because it was their job to recognize people. It was weird seeing nods and glares from people she¡¯d never even met.

    Two C-class bouncers stood aside to let her through the VIP stairs. She took her time climbing them, enjoying the vibrant mess she was leaving behind. Humanity had taken a hit these past fifty years but they were clearly not out.

    The second floor was designed for drinks, whispers, and showing off. Large seats designed to accommodate couples gathered around glass tables loaded with liquor, flutes, and snifters. It was a study in crystals catching the lights above, reflecting it in liquids, and in eyes, and then fading away in the ever-present dark. Raiders lounged there with the languor of those whose bellies and wallets were equally full. Many of them were C-class. The cream of the crop at their age. Enthroned in the middle with beautiful raiders on either side was Iorescu himself. He was a short man with small piercing eyes against a tall brow. Powerfully built, he emanated a trickle of brown mana. The file marked him as a strong bruiser while his companions were a mage and a markswoman, respectively.  It made Nestra want to test them. It also filled her with a strange sense of exhilaration. She was an Aszhii wearing the disguise equivalent of a fake mustache, yet none of those hunters around recognized the alien facing them. They didn¡¯t know. If they did, they would kill her. Or at least, they would try. But they didn¡¯t, and so she was practically screaming her otherness in their face, and their only reaction was to reach for another shot of rum.

    The dozen or so raiders at the central table tensed as she approached. One by one, they adjusted their postures. Nestra wasn¡¯t too concerned.

    She stopped in front of Iorescu who purposely ignored her. In one swift movement, she leaned forward and slapped a glass from his hand as he was going to take a sip.

    She had his attention now. He was still smiling but his rage bubbled at the public disrespect. Nestra was fine with it. She wasn¡¯t here to negotiate, this time. She reached for her back sheath and picked up a folded piece of paper from there. Threshold could be old school when it came to law.

    She unfolded it under the rapt attention of the gleams.

    ¡°This is a summons to a court of law in which you stand accused of a variety of crimes. You are already late. You will be coming with me, one way or another. I¡¯m giving you ten seconds to decide.¡±

    Nestra stood back to her full height. Behind her, a drunken reveler broke the silence.

    ¡°Come on lady, chill.¡±

    He was the only one to make the attempt. Iorescu waited, an amused smile on his face while she counted down in her head. He raised his hands at the very last moment.

    ¡°Alright, alright.¡±

    He slowly stood. Nestra wasn¡¯t duped. He was going to choose violence. She could feel it.

    And he did.

    Iorescu kicked the glass table her way. She kicked it back almost at the same time. It broke on the bruiser¡¯s sturdy frame, showering his two companions with broken shards. Music thrummed dangerously in the background while Iorescu threw a punch. Nestra did as well, at the same time. His blow glanced off her shoulder. Hers slammed in his jaw. It was incredibly hard for a C-class, and might have broken the hand of an unprepared fighter. Not Nestra, however. The hook landed with a nasty crack that made him stumble. She¡¯d really put her hips into it.

    She punched him again with all of her power. The first strike had left him blinking but standing. The second made him kneel. The third was an uppercut that broke through the reinforcement to smash him down into the couch. She grabbed him by the collar as he sputtered ¡®Ce Naiba!¡¯, which she assumed was Romanian, and also a curse. She grabbed him before he could recover and punched him in the gut, hard. He threw up some very expensive gleam liquor on the glass-strewn floor.

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± someone said.

    The raiders were standing now, but none were intervening. Even his two companions sullenly watched from afar. She grabbed Iorescu by the neck, had one last look around.

    No one made any move to stop her.

    Crossing the dance floor again felt like a coronation. The gleams didn¡¯t even stop dancing, but they gave her space as she walked across it at a sedate pace, a dazed Iorescu firmly held in her grip. The bouncers opened the gates to let her through. Outside, the queue of people waiting for answers gasped when she appeared. She heard the click of unmuted visors taking pictures and videos.

    The police truck was waiting, alongside a pair of D-rank officers who took possession of the neutralized raider. Nestra left without a word. She moved towards her bike which was parked at a short distance.

    There was a man waiting for her. He was a tall anglo with an honest face and the shiny golden eyes of a light user, reminding Nestra of Mazingwe.

    ¡°Hey Crescent. Sorry to come to you unannounced. I¡¯m Dr. Daniels with the Center for Magical Studies.¡±

    An American? She resisted the urge to frown. What the fuck was he doing here?

    ¡°Look, I¡¯ll be direct. We¡¯re very much interested in transformation powers. Would you be interested in knowing more?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely the fuck not,¡± Nestra replied.

    She jumped on her ride, slotted her blade, then drove away.

 Part 55

    Nestra¡¯s parry flowed into a slice, then a thrust immediately after. Her footwork was a blur, each step preparing the next in a chain of mighty blows. She was on edge. A counter would come any time.

    Shinran¡¯s training facility had an uncanny ability to give her exactly what she asked for, and then make her regret every last second of it. The foe facing her was the defensive duelist she¡¯d asked, yes, and he was technically C-rank yes, but he must have been some genius who¡¯d undergone hellish training because by Riel she couldn¡¯t crack the fucker¡¯s guard open. Not without opening herself to a counter.

    The creature was some sort of scaled bastard who gave off a ¡®wise turtle mentor¡¯ vibe that was starting to piss her off. He (presumably) fought with a huge cleaver he moved conservatively, but also had a quirk of physiology that allowed him to block with bone ridges protruding from his shoulders. She was far more dexterous and yet every attack was blocked. Sometimes, he would counter with a massive blow that had propelled her backwards the first time.

    This was the training world. It was here to challenge her every time.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± she told the illusion. ¡°I need to manage the Aszhii hubris anyway. I totally want to be humiliated on occasion.¡±

    Another series of strikes. She narrowed her range of motions. Most of the time, her stupid strength allowed her to destabilize her foes but here the fucking turtle dude might as well have been made of condensed lead so fuck it. Speed it was.

    Using Precision, she attacked around the creature¡¯s throat. It changed its guard slightly to offset her attacks.

    ¡°It reminds me that I am not¡­¡±

    She bluffed high and struck low, severing a finger. The creature flinched.

    ¡°... the best¡­¡±

    It countered. This time, she had been expecting it. She moved into the blow, letting the blade whistle past her. Her own counter slammed into the creature¡¯s face, just below a dark eye. Dark blood gushed from the wound.

    ¡°... yet.¡±

    Recoil. The creature tried to push her away with a side blow. She blocked the first strike, then jumped over the next. A brown layer of mana suddenly covered her target. She assumed it was another defensive tool for when he needed a moment to recover. Unfortunately for him, she had just the answer.

    Nestra slowed down. it was still taking her too long to call upon it in combat, so she needed an opening. That opening had come. Her mana saturated her blade, not just a sheath but an unstable potential begging to be unleashed. Nestra struck down.

    Both spells exploded on impact. Her blade cleaved the turtle in a cataclysmic strike, cutting it in half.

    ¡°Hah!¡±

    The world faded to gray nothingness around her. No energy came to fill her core. The battle was over though, and she¡¯d won. Again.

    It was a shame arcane strike needed so much of a wind up, at least for now. It was also unfortunate that all C-class warriors were told to interrupt or get out of the way of obviously telegraphed attacks. That was ok though, she¡¯d just learnt the skill. And she¡¯d been a gleam for a few months only. And she was already C-class.

    Patience, Nestra, patience.

    ¡°But I want to kill stuff harder,¡± she groaned to herself.

    That was why training in Shinran¡¯s world was important. Nestra was still in the early stages of C-class with plenty of opportunities for progress and improved resistances, and she could already take on a B-class with some help. It made her feel superior and that was a deadly sin. Hubris was just too dangerous for her. She felt it cloud her judgment, like a couple of weeks before when she had dragged that punk newcomer by the neck. It whispered to her she was invincible, or rather, that she ought to aim for bigger prey, for better hunts. It wanted her to push herself to her limit, but it was a trap. It also made her want to rush in, to show her superiority by doing stupid shit like fighting with only one hand. This wasn¡¯t the human way, or the MacSec way rather. A good hunt meant a successful one. A successful hunt meant preparation, thought, not a brazen display of ego. Hubris was not her friend.

    It was just a damn shame it made her feel so damn good when she indulged in it.

    The training world directed her to the exit using that passive aggressive notification system it used to remind her she was a parasitic gnat tolerated because Shinran had ordered so. The weird monk was nowhere to be found in the deserted lobby. She wondered where he went when he wasn¡¯t training.

    This place had many secrets.

    Nestra approached a wall, only for something to scan her in a very obvious way. She suspected advanced, technologically inclined civilizations may have a way to track Aszhii intruders by searching for anomalies. The facility was clearly one such place. Sometimes, she felt like whatever governed this derelict was intelligent, somehow.

    Nestra quietly went to one of the side corridors. Usually, Shinran came from there. She stopped when she heard a distant hiss. A quarter of a second later, Shinran stood in front of her.

    He looked embarrassed.

    ¡°Hah, you¡¯re here, haha. Good. Shall we head back?¡±

    ¡°Yeees?¡± Nestra replied, frowning.

    He was already gone by the time she finished talking. It was, she found, both unsurprising and disappointing that he would smell strongly of arousal. If one had master access to all manners of simulations then she should have obviously expected him to be a bit of a pig about it. The curious thing was that he went to a remote part of the facility to do so. Maybe there was a special sex room or something? Was it normal? Maybe?

    She shrugged. It wasn¡¯t her business how he used his time. Maybe he really needed it to offset his celibate life back on earth? Whatever.

    Nestra lost interest. She took the portal back and ran away from Shinran¡¯s home, refusing his polite offer for tea. Her car wasn¡¯t parked far. She got in, but as soon as she turned back to her human form, her visor blared in alarm.

    Message from her mom. Highest priority and it only said ¡®call me back ASAP¡¯. With dread settling in her stomach, she made the call. Her mom picked up instantly.

    ¡°Nestra, don¡¯t be too alarmed, ok?¡±

    No one had died yet. Huge relief.

    ¡°But Aunt Claire was stuck in a portal while it closed.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Her beacon activated, ok? She¡¯s safe. Well, no, but she¡¯s alive, alright?¡±

    ¡°What? Aunt Claire? Aunt Claire?¡±

    No, not her. It couldn¡¯t be.

    Raiders died every day. That was a fact of life. Some others were also caught in collapsing worlds if they didn¡¯t reach the exit portal in time. It was much more common in larger, higher-level portals due to a combination of size and complexity. Some guardian battles required someone to stay behind to block reinforcements. Some even had several guardians. It was a bit of a mess, and so it wasn¡¯t fairly unusual for someone to be left behind.

    In the vast majority of the time, the person ended up dumped on earth at some distance from the portal, usually in a rather similar biome. There was little research on the subject given the lack of ways to gather data, but Nestra suspected that portal worlds were entangled with two different realities: her native one and the ¡®invading¡¯ one. When the world collapsed, foreign components were either dumped in either one of the realities. Most of the time, it was earth, but sometimes it was the other. Claire had been lucky this time.

    Actually, the other reality might have been the lucky one. A mobile, offensive B-class with an attitude and a strong desire to return home didn¡¯t sound like a good thing. Anyway, Aunt Clecle was fine and somewhere on earth.

    Yeah, she was going to be ok.

    Breathe. Everything would be fine. She was just lossssssss..

    ¡°HSSSSSSS.¡±

    ¡°Nestra? I¡¯m getting weird glitches.¡±

    Nestra pulled her true self back, changing to her human form. It wasn¡¯t like her to lose control like that. Aunt Clecle wouldn¡¯t be rescued by some idiot rushing in. Nestra put the roadster on autopilot to home first. She needed to pack.

    ¡°Sorry I was under a tunnel. Anyway, I assume we¡¯re going to get her back? Where¡¯s the rescue signal coming from?¡±

    ¡°Your father and I discussed your involvement.¡±

    ¡°I will literally stinger your plane out of the sky.¡±

    ¡°And decided that you knew how to take care of yourself and that it would be much wiser for us to keep you near in case you took a plane on your own.¡±

    ¡°Very wise.¡±

    ¡°The good news is that the beacon is in Asia. The bad news is that it¡¯s in China.¡±

    Nestra held back a curse. They needed a plane, which was pretty much expected. They would also need diplomacy. That tended to be more complicated.

    ¡°Have you contacted the city yet?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re hammering out the details with the town. They are very keen on recovering lost raiders, so we¡¯ll get help there. The team said Claire stayed behind to collect a specific core. I have no idea why this little idiot¡­ uggh. Anyway, we know the biome is supposed to be a mountainous forest.¡±

    ¡°Super helpful.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. Oh, wait a moment, I got a double call.¡±

    Nestra sat back, resisting the urge to play with the wheel. Should she contact Ragnarok? Yeah of course, at least so the old hound would know Nestra would be out of town. She sent a quick message on her raider phone. The reply was instantaneous.

    ¡°I know. I assume you will go with them. Our best people are on the case. Rest assured that despite my annoyance at Claire, I will do everything in my power to get her home in one piece.¡±

    That was reassuring. In Nestra¡¯s mind, ¡®everything possible¡¯ meant the Threshold air force would drop Ragnarok herself on top of the area until Clecle was back home safe. Unfortunately, her boss was now considered a strategic asset, so that made unannounced visits paramount to a declaration of war. Unfortunately for Nestra, both of Threshold¡¯s A-rank were of the opinion that things ought to be done according to the rule of law.

    Nestra¡¯s visor beeped again. It was her mom.

    ¡°Nestra, we¡¯re meeting at home in 90 minutes. Can you be there?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll swing by my place to grab some clothes and sundries. Meet you in 90.¡±

    ***

    The receiving room had turned into an improvised headquarters. Clecle¡¯s team was here alongside the Palladians. Nestra and Ulysses had ignored each other since the start, preferring to watch the army gleam set up. He was a short, unassuming anglo with short brown hair¡ªthe kind of guy even Nestra wouldn¡¯t have paid attention to in the street. Even his eyes were gray and indistinct, shining just enough to show what he was.

    ¡°Thanks for having me,¡± he soon began. ¡°My name is Major Winslow, with Threshold¡¯s Recovery division.¡±

    A spook. Nestra should have guessed.

    ¡°I will be acting as liaison for the Threshold government. Our primary goal is to bring Claire home without an international disaster. Due to past experiences, we have decided that clans would always be included in the rescue efforts but I want you to keep in mind that we can withdraw our support if you abuse it. We¡¯re here to help. We¡¯re not here to let you start a war.¡±

    Pretty bold. As far as Nestra could tell, he was probably a C-class raider capable of hiding his aura. It was like a doberman telling an entire lion pride to behave. Her dad nodded though. He was also a stickler for order. Up to a point.

    ¡°Good. Now here is what we know. The beacon¡¯s location was sent to us by a relay set in the Shanghai Fortress. It was faint, but we got a location to¡­. here.¡±

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    A map opened on Nestra¡¯s visor, showing a red dot near the south-western most province of China, at the border with Laos and Myanmar. It looked like the place was pretty high up. She checked the elevation. Over 3000 meters.

    Yeah that might affect her. Threshold was almost at sea-level.

    ¡°This region is officially named Shangri-La. Although nominally under Chinese control, it¡¯s a remote region sporting few portals and a single enclave. None of the portals are higher than C-rank. The beacon moved there at a slow speed matching that of a motorized vehicle, then, twelve minutes later, the signal was switched off.¡±

    There were a few gasps, including Nestra¡¯s own. Her heart was trying to escape her ribs.

    ¡°I want to insist that right until the beacon switched off, Claire¡¯s vitals were stable. Concerning, but stable.¡±

    ¡°So someone deliberately turned it off?¡± her father asked.

    His voice was dangerously low. He was quiet, tense. It made her want to behave.

    ¡°It would appear so. We are clearing an emergency flight with the Chinese government as we speak. We will most likely be joined by a representative who will¡­ coordinate our efforts.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll keep an eye on us, you mean,¡± Mom grumbled.

    ¡°Yes, of course, because you are a clan with several renowned B-class raiders. I expect your full cooperation in this matter. I expect the flight to be tomorrow at dawn. Your team must consist of eight people max. Gear is fifty kilograms per person, max.¡±

    Dad cleared his throat.

    ¡°Unless the weight is somehow mitigated. Be sure to have your passport with you. We will take care of the rest.¡±

    He nodded, then he was gone. Nestra felt a shimmer of strange mana that reminded her of darkness, but not quite.

    ¡°I¡¯m going,¡± she told the room.

    ¡°Deborah, Ulysses, Clytemnestra, myself. That¡¯s four,¡± her father said in a tight voice.

    Nestra felt the urge to go clean up the room.

    The door banged open. Helena was there, holding an axe. It looked sturdier than the ones she¡¯d started with.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming or there is no house when you return.¡±

    ¡°Helena¡­¡± her mom whispered.

    ¡°We were barely older when we started,¡± dad said.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°She can come. We will protect her, if needed. That¡¯s five. Who else?¡±

    A discussion began, weighing the pros and cons. Nestra noticed that there were a few raiders she didn¡¯t know, possibly from the Century guild who were House Palladian¡¯s current partners.

    Nestra retreated to the entrance for a quick call. She returned five minutes later with an offer.

    ¡°May I suggest a drone expert?¡± she said, interrupting the unintelligible babble of B-class assholes talking at full speed.

    ¡°We already have enough scouting abilities,¡± her dad said.

    ¡°Can you run real time translations? Can you listen to a conversation in a house two kilometers away? Can you see in infrared?¡±

    Her dad hesitated for all of one second.

    ¡°If the report is to be believed, we already have enough power. Alright. We will find someone.¡±

    ¡°I already got someone. Stibbs, my old teammate. She¡¯ll have the drones ready in two hours.¡±

    Her dad mulled the offer.

    ¡°She¡¯s your responsibility then. Vassily, will you come as well?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± the veteran replied.

    Vassily was high C-class, on the verge of ascending. His nature alignment and calm persona made him a perfect support caster despite his large size. Sanae was next, a loner pyromancer who brought ranged firepower to the team. Those were two of the House¡¯s most respected retainers.

    A part of Nestra reminded her that she would be taking Vadanak¡¯s spot. The offensive fencer would have been more useful for the rescue but¡­ maybe not. Maybe they needed some diversity.

    It didn¡¯t matter. She was going.

    Nestra left the room for one last call. Gorge picked up after the second ring.

    ¡°Palladian, it¡¯s been a while. Any reason why you¡¯d call so late?¡±

    ¡°I need an anti-materiel rifle and I need it tonight.¡±

    There was a short silence, then Gorge replied, and he sounded quite amazed.

    ¡°You know what I like about you, Palladian? You may be batshit but you¡¯re never boring. Now stop pretending you¡¯re some sort of vid action character spewing lame one liners and give me a proper report. Now.¡±

    ***

    Nestra woke up with a jolt. She brushed tiredness away from her eyes and resisted the urge to swear. The interior of the small jet felt stuffy and crowded with the number of people present, not to mention her gear. Carrying all her gear through multiple security checkpoints had been a major pain, as tired as she¡¯d been. Now she smelled faintly of sweat, and that embarrassed her. If she could smell it then the B-class could as well. Also, she wanted to pee.

    The B-class themselves lounged in the private jet seats like statues, lost in meditation, perhaps. Sanae was watching something on her visor. They all wore the bodysuits they¡¯d keep under their armor, all fancy custom jobs that made them look like old school superheroes.

    Except for her little sister who wore travel clothes.

    Helena smiled at Nestra. She returned that smile ¡ª the girl looked a bit worried. As for Stibbs, she was sleeping at the back of the plane. Nestra was pretty sure it was her first time flying. She didn¡¯t look like she was enjoying it.

    Nestra managed to clean up in the plane¡¯s lavatories. She¡¯d been up until 4AM practicing with her new rifle in a private range near the walls. As for how Gorge had managed to access the place, she still wasn¡¯t sure. Helena welcomed her back by pouring coffee from a mug with religious care.

    ¡°I said, only one cup,¡± their mom warned from the front.

    ¡°It¡¯s for Nestra!¡± Helena replied with outrage. ¡°I heard you the first time, ok?¡±

    ¡°Alright, sweetie. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm. Okay, sorry as well,¡± the teenager replied, her anger deflating.

    She just returned to worry. Nestra wanted to hold her sister and tell her they¡¯d find Clecle and bring her home but the girl would never believe her. Their parents had too many funny stories about people who hadn¡¯t made it, who remained stiff smiles captured by cameras, memories, people who¡¯d once been champions of humanity alongside her parents. And now, they were dead. There were no heroes here, no forces of fate that would save Clecle. She could already be gone.

    But Nestra knew how to distract someone.

    ¡°Do you know what a spotter is?¡±

    ¡°Is it some sort of cricket player role?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m shitting you Nestra, of course I know what a spotter is. I know you brought a rifle. I saw it on the X-ray.¡±

    ¡°Right, so mom and dad said you had to play it safe and behind with me, but that doesn¡¯t mean we will be useless.¡±

    ¡°You are not useless,¡± her father said from the front. ¡°Knowing you are here puts our heart at ease.¡±

    He sounded very serious about it too.

    ¡°Alright. We can be more than just glorified mascots,¡± Nestra amended.

    She sipped her coffee while a few teasing chuckles were aimed at her dad. To his credit, he turned from his seat to give them both a smile.

    ¡°So the role of a spotter is to find targets, give me info on the wind and whatnot, and also tell me if I hit the target. Now, I¡¯m not a sniper so we won¡¯t engage at ranges where it becomes important to know the coriolis effect, but I¡¯ll still need quick eyes to find targets and for that, you¡¯ll need this.¡±

    Nestra brought up a special telescope, a gift from Gorge. It was a simplified version of what the army used, and basically was meant for hunting but that was ok.

    ¡°Very nice, Nes. Not like we¡¯ll need it with drones and B-classes in the air.¡±

    ¡°You never know when other people will be busy doing important stuff so pay attention. Here is how you operate it¡­¡±

    It took only a moment from Helena to go from nervous wreck under a layer of humor to fully focused. Nestra managed to distract her sister for a good twenty minutes, then Stibbs woke up, only to be officially named the team¡¯s flanker. A good-natured Stibbs did a short presentation on what she could do and how. After that, Major Winslow dragged her to the back for a private conversation. Nestra was left stewing on her own anxiety. There was no more news on Clecle.

    Why was she taking so many risks? Nestra remembered a time when the woman purposely opted out of raids so she could go surfing. What could be worth risking her life over like this, again and again? She was B-class. As far as she understood, raiders at her level didn¡¯t really age, so there was no rush. This time, Nestra would get the truth out of her. This was getting ridiculous. Ridiculous!

    ¡°Have an orange,¡± a soft, deep voice said.

    It was Vassily. Nestra took the orange with gratitude, relieved by the diversion. The raider¡¯s massive mitt rested on her shoulder for a little while. Nestra didn¡¯t mind. She¡¯d known Vassily since they were pretty much children.

    Nestra sat back with her orange. Maybe she should just try and take another nap.

    ***

    The plane landed in Hongqiao airport without fanfare. From the air, it looked partly abandoned with entire buildings overgrown. Nestra wondered what it would have looked like in the golden ages of civil aviation, before scarcity and flying monsters struck.

    A stern woman in uniform welcomed them. Her black hair was pulled back in a tight bun. With the crimson eyes of a fire user, she had a sort of devilish appearance, not that of the playful temptress but the twisted bureaucrat. A good twenty armed soldiers accompanied her, though they were not in battle gear. As far as Nestra understood, it was less an actual security force and more a reminder the Palladian clan was here by grace of a bilateral agreement, and that grace could be withdrawn at any time. She made a beeline for Major Winslow, who was the first to disembark, though she waited until everyone had stepped down to talk.

    ¡°Hello, and welcome to Shanghai. I am Captain Tian. I will be your liaison for this rescue operation.¡±

    Her voice was crisp and her English only had the slightest of accents. She frowned, surveying the mass of killers arrayed in front of her. Her eyes widened ever so slightly when she found Nestra.

    Yep, still a freak.

    A light drizzle fell from the gray sky above. The captain waved at the terminal entrance.

    ¡°We will talk on the way.¡±

    Nestra followed the group as they moved on. She couldn''t really follow what was being said too well on account of her baseline hearing. Apparently, they were taking another plane to the local provincial capital. Nestra wasn¡¯t surprised. Shanghai was only two thirds of the way to their destination.

    What followed was a long list of rules and regulations the Palladians would have to follow. The short version was that they had to let Tian talk first and they were not allowed to use force unless specifically attacked.

    The group waited in a decrepit room for the cargo plane to get final approval. They were fed reheated meal sets and tea. The meal sucked ass, but at least it was hot and healthy.

    ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± she asked Major Winslow as he helped himself to some bananas (she pocketed one),

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    He did something and the mana around her grew hazy. The sounds outside of the room became distorted. Nestra frowned.

    ¡°Smoke user. No, steam?¡±

    ¡°That is not a question,¡± Winslow replied with a smile.

    He looked like some sort of middle school teacher playing a minor prank. It was uncanny.

    ¡°Ok, so why are we assigned only a C-class person to monitor us? Seems a bit light-handed.¡±

    ¡°October is a busy season for local gleams. Monsters load up on calories before winter, which makes them very aggressive. Especially the portal break ones. Shanghai isn¡¯t like Threshold. The density of portals is much lower and they don¡¯t have large walls outside of the very center, so they take a more proactive approach to hunting. Tian is with us because that is all they are willing to spare right now. We are low priority. Well, we were.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I may have¡­ omitted a few details from my report. Like the weapons we were bringing or the exact number of B-ranks.¡±

    He smiled.

    ¡°Not that I don¡¯t trust our Chinese partners, of course.¡±

    He totally didn¡¯t trust them.

    ¡°But wildlife rescue and hostage rescue are completely different things.¡±

    ¡°You think my aunt is being held hostage?¡±

    ¡°For ransom, yes, most likely. This is a typical money-making scheme for isolated enclaves. Your aunt must be weak and wounded from the portal dump ¡ª all those we recover are. She¡¯s a very valuable and vulnerable individual right now.¡±

    Nestra kind of hoped he was right because it meant Aunt Claire was alive.

    Winslow had a few more things to say about coordinating their efforts. Essentially, the rescue team was composed of two groups: the Palladian raiders on one side, and Nestra Helena Stibbs on the other. Nestra¡¯s job was going to be to keep an eye out while the juggernauts went to town. Well, Winslow hadn¡¯t phrased it that way but she knew what was what.

    Tian called for people to depart a few minutes later. Nestra eyed her gear.

    Why did it have to be so damn heavy?

    To her immense surprise, Ulysses detached from the group. He grabbed the rifle case ¡ª the heaviest one. His gunmetal eyes shone in the dim light. His expression was unreadable.

    ¡°Truce?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Truce?¡± she repeated, a bit hesitant.

    ¡°Yeah. I mean, you came. I¡¯ve got to respect that.¡±

    His eyes narrowed as a warning that he still didn¡¯t trust her, but Nestra would accept whatever she could get. And that case was really damn heavy.

    They boarded the plane ten minutes later. It was an ancient military transport plane and so it was awfully uncomfortable, but every second counted and so she couldn¡¯t complain.  Nestra¡¯s ass was starting to hurt from all of the sitting though.

    She slept some more, lulled by the low drone of the antique turbines.

    ***

    The bus rambled alongside the mountain road. There was some traffic there, mostly diesel trucks loaded with mining equipment. A vertiginous cliff led to a river far below to Nestra¡¯s right. Triangular flags attached to strings shook in the wind Nestra could feel from the half-open windows. It was a bit dark here, but that wasn¡¯t the problem. Her breathing was faster than usual. Her lungs were grasping for oxygen.

    She wouldn¡¯t get the time to adapt either. Judging from Stibbs¡¯ pale face, the drone operator was struggling as well.

    ¡°What the hell, I¡¯m out of breath just existing,¡± she complained.

    ¡°Have courage. At least it¡¯s not too hot,¡± Nestra replied, as someone who had a long experience of things getting worse.

    Tension was ramping up again for Nestra. Wasn¡¯t Clecle supposed to be awake by now? There wasn¡¯t anyone capable of holding her down, if the local enclaves really had only C-class gleams. Was she really badly hurt?

    Had someone killed her? They could have decided not to risk anything and killed her for her core. They could be harvesting it as¡­ oh Riel. No, don¡¯t think about it. Nestra breathed deeply, aware of the B-class combatants sharing her small bus. They were disturbingly unmoving but sometimes, she thought she could feel an undercurrent of mana waiting like stale air around her. Like the world was holding its breath. It made her shiver.

    She leaned towards a window, catching a breath of cold air. Stibbs grabbed her hand.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re worried,¡± Stibbs said, ¡°but I need you to focus on the operation. We¡¯re almost there.¡±

    The bus was going pretty fast, but not fast enough. Nestra knew her mom was dying to grab Captain Tian by the neck so she could fly them to their destination. It still took an hour of meandering swings through a tight mountain road to finalize their approach. Steep cliffs and deep ravines became narrower still. The constant wind shook the tall trees clinging to the mountainside. If this were a walled spot, Nestra could have relaxed and enjoyed the view, but this was the wilderness. There could be monsters anywhere. Her mind knew she was safe but her instincts screamed that this wasn¡¯t right, that you never knew when a breach would occur. They really had to have a low concentration of portals and some decent patrolling for this to work. It made her a little pissed, somehow.

    The bus stopped near a bend in the road.

    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Tian said. ¡°I will ask for a little¡­¡±

    Nestra was among the last to stand up.

    ¡°... restraint.¡±

    The B-class were already halfway through their armor, except for Dad who just called it upon him. The pieces of his titanic plate armor just flew to him as if they were made of paper, encasing him in shiny gray. The last rivets fused together while Nestra was still putting on her Wellington. No one minded that she was in her underwear. These were raiders. Sometimes, they even showered together.

    Helena was the last to be ready. She needed help putting on her training armor. Nestra picked her weapon last. It was a Touhou Compact, one of the smallest AMRs on the market. It chambered 20mm rounds and was mostly designed to take down D-class beasts from very, very far away. Or armored cars sometimes. Nestra wasn¡¯t much of a long distance shooter but that was fine. There was an integrated visor that would help her with calculations if it really came to that. She clicked the barrel on the bulky receiver and slotted a magazine of five general purpose bullets. They would punch through two walls clean.

    When Nestra stood up, Winslow and Tian now waited in front of a group consisting of three B-class raiders, two C-class raiders, one D-class spotter, one sniper, and one drone operator. It was a force sufficient to take over a small city, guilds included, and that was without the Aszhii ace. Dad was now over two and a half meters tall with a giant hammer on his back. Mom hovered in a coat of ice while Ulysses looked like some broody prince charming with a long sword ¡ª the asshole. Nestra looked at his left glove where the threads he used would be stored.

    Vassily was wearing armor and a shield, but no visible weapons. Sanae was so unassuming in her black robes, one might have thought she was a dark user.

    Meanwhile, Nestra and company were the quiet operative type. It was a nice mix. Winslow smiled faintly. As for Tian, she looked like she¡¯d opened her lunch box only to find a cobra inside.

    ¡°I must insist that you let me talk,¡± she finally said, and to her credit she was standing her ground.

    ¡°So go and talk,¡± Dad replied with a flat voice.

    Tian turned, albeit reluctantly. They moved past the bend to find a small village, built vertically over terraced rice paddies. Pastures dotted in cow droppings extended past that, then it was a tiny forest and more mountains. Black, hairy pigs ran to and fro, without supervision. The village sported some rudimentary walls more designed to slow down than stop, though there was a guard tower manned by someone currently rolling a cigarette as far as Nestra could tell. The raiders moved at what must have felt like a slow walk to them but was actually closer to a jog. Nestra immediately ran out of breath.

    ¡°What the hell,¡± Helena rasped. ¡°There is no air here or what?¡±

    Nestra just focused on breathing. The guard finally spotted them. He rang a small bell with some hesitation, twice, which Nestra assumed was for visitors. The sound was discordant and a bit ridiculous.

    The gates opened because Nestra¡¯s dad pointed and there were metal parts in them. A villager in hot brown garb froze on the way to a nearby lever. Not literally, of course. Nestra¡¯s mom was still calm.

    It took less than thirty seconds for a baseline village leader to come and Nestra had to admit his colorful hat was pretty cool. Alongside were a gleam woman with silvery eyes, low C-class and pretty old, and one of the largest, fluffiest dogs Nestra had ever seen. She wasn¡¯t in any mood to admire it, however. By then, Stibbs was already half-lidded and quiet, a sign her drones were in the air.

    Tian opened with a quick staccato of Mandarin. The leader answered with abject terror. And guilt.

    ¡°How can we humbly help you?¡± the guy asked.

    ¡°Yesterday at 3 in the afternoon,¡± Tian started in a dry voice.

    Nestra ignored her. Stibbs was just sending her a video feed of the inner courtyard behind the largest house. A large sheet had been hung to dry and on it were very obvious stretches of dry blood. Nestra¡¯s belly turned to ice.

    ¡°Chemical composition matches blood,¡± Stibbs messaged.

    ¡°DNA?¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t get a match if this went through hot water. Not with the gear I have.¡±

    It was enough. The patterns clearly matched a heavily wounded body. She started to walk.

    ¡°And¡­ where are you going?¡± Tian asked, harshly.

    ¡°They know exactly why we¡¯re here. They reek of guilt.¡±

    The dogs barked but Nestra ignored it and the woman held it back. Everyone followed her to the backyard. Nestra studied the couple¡¯s reactions in the drone feedback. They knew. They knew they were fucked.

    ¡°She was covered using this,¡± Nestra said, pointing at the sheet limply moving in the wind.

    ¡°Enough bullshit,¡± her dad said.

    His mask pulled back to reveal grim features, the kind that preceded violence.

    Tian turned to the couple with fury.

    ¡°You are lying to me,¡± she barked in Mandarin.

    ¡°They will kill us if we talk,¡± the man whispered.

    It was a very, very stupid thing to assume the Palladians wouldn¡¯t. Nestra saw the exact moment her dad went cold. His head slowly swiveled to the still barking dog.

    ¡°Enough,¡± the silver-eyed woman said.

    The village leader stood dejected. He didn¡¯t move while she talked.

    ¡°There is a gang deeper in the valleys. We told them. They took her.¡±

    ¡°Was she still alive?¡± Nestra¡¯s mom asked in a clipped Mandarin.

    ¡°Yes, yes! She was moving. Moaning. We gave her water. She was in a bad way, but she was not dying. Men came and took her.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°Shangri-La. There is a market there.¡±

    ¡°A market?¡±

    ¡°A slave market. Soon.¡±

    The sheet froze solid.

 Part 56

    There were no immediate bloodbaths, thankfully. Nestra¡¯s mom would have probably fried the villagers where they stood if she were alone, but this was a diplomatic mission and so they let Tian handle it, and would probably keep doing it so long as things moved forward at a sufficient pace. Nestra hoped they would.

    The first thing Tian did was gather and interrogate the villagers in a separate shed. She returned ten minutes later with a detailed map of where they would find the market, courtesy of a driver who¡¯d been there once to deliver pu¡¯er tea discs (Nestra was going to see if she could grab a few). By the time the interrogation was over, Tian was livid. She threatened the villagers, then melted the only local antenna with some angry fire spell to prevent them from using their phones. Nestra was willing to bet the whole village would be gone by the time the cops came for a ¡®follow up¡¯.

    ¡°Can we head there directly?¡± dad asked with a voice that wasn¡¯t asking an actual question.

    ¡°Yes. By car it ¡ª¡±

    ¡°No car. We will run there. I will carry Mrs. Stibbons. Debbie dear, if you would take Nestra? Ulysses will take Helena.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s getting heavier by the year,¡± Ulysses complained, though he was smiling.

    She gave him the finger.

    ¡°Wear proper armor and you¡¯ll get proper muscles.¡±

    ¡°We are in agreement then?¡± dad pretend-asked again.

    ¡°I can carry you if you need assistance,¡± Vassily offered Tian.

    She was clearly not interested. Nestra was grabbed and princess carried without a chance to protest, then she was in the air accelerating so quickly that it made her teeth click.

    Up and down the hills they went, guided by Winslow who somehow had a great sense of direction. Nestra would have enjoyed the landscape of tall hills and lush valleys, alternating with plains of brown grass were it not for the great discomfort she was in. Her mom was doing her best, but she was still an adult carrying another adult of similar size, with little neck protection and a lot of gear digging into Nestra¡¯s back. At that speed, it only took a bit over an hour to reach the city but it certainly felt like more. It didn¡¯t help that her mom was tense and quiet the whole time.

    There were a few pulverized corpses of monsters along the way. Dad was venting.

    Nestra was more than happy when they finally landed at the edge of a picturesque walled town overlooking a lake of placid water, its old tiled roof glowing in the afternoon sun. She was out of breath just standing up again. A part of her wanted to draw oxygen supply from her suit, but something told her she was going to need it later.

    ¡°We need to learn where they are, exactly. One of the city¡¯s officials ought to know. This,¡± Tian said, pointing at a curved roof building standing in the center, ¡°is the town hall.¡±

    ¡°How about asking those guys?¡± Winslow suggested.

    He pointed at a couple of foreigners standing around a nice car near a wall gate. They were busy talking and drinking, shaded under a few trees near what appeared to be some sort of restaurant. The fact there were structures right outside the walls was something Nestra still had difficulty accepting. If this were Threshold, that place would be a nest in under a week. This just felt so unsafe.

    ¡°Yes, good thinking,¡± Tian said, crimson eyes zeroing on Winslow with increasing suspicion.

    The demure man just looked harmless and goofy though, so her anger didn¡¯t last.

    The two of them were gone a minute later. The rest of the team took the opportunity to munch on energy bars. Nestra made herself some instant coffee. It had been a very long thirty-six hours with no signs of slowing down. She couldn¡¯t afford to be sleepy.

    The two scouts returned some time later. The foreigners were conspicuously gone though their car was properly parked, and no cries of alarm emerged from the restaurant. Winslow confirmed they were in the right spot. As for Tian, she left to talk with someone on a huge phone with a long antenna, the kind that could probably connect to a wifi network on the moon. Her rapid-fire mandarin was so hasty that even Nestra¡¯s visor struggled to translate it. There sure were a lot of requests being made though. After a while, she seemed to calm down as she listened to an answer. She was back in control by the time they hung up.

    ¡°Your attention please,¡± she says, and Winslow stood by her side with the smile of a fat cat who just caught a really stupid mouse.

    The Palladians gathered around. They recognized the briefing voice.

    It sort of annoyed Nestra that it worked on her too. It was like a pavlovian response to the promise of imminent, state-approved violence.

    ¡°Our interrogation has borne fruit. We have learned where your relative and quite a few other people are being held. The slave market will take place in the next valley north of the city, on the site of an abandoned five stars resort. There is only one access road from here, but the resort has a helipad and a road to a makeshift airport. The ¡®buyers¡¯ will be coming from there.¡±

    Her nostrils flared with anger.

    ¡°I can only assume that they are using the fall monster purge as a cover for this¡­ this violation of the borders and territorial integrity of our nation!¡±

    No reaction from the crowd.

    ¡°My nation,¡± Tian amended. ¡°The market was moved forward to accommodate the discovery of a¡­ a special prize. I assume it is Claire.¡±

    The temperature dropped a few degrees. Mom breathed deep a couple of times.

    ¡°The bad news is that I will not get reinforcements within the next six hours. The monster purge means that most of our raiders are engaged. For obvious reasons, I cannot trust local law enforcement ¡ª they cannot be unaware of what is going on here.  I am unwilling to wait until slaves are sold and then taken out of the territory, as I am sure you are.¡±

    ¡°Correct,¡± mom hissed.

    Tian nodded.

    ¡°As such, I propose that we¡­ intervene. I was granted discretionary powers for this operation. That means two things. First a squadron of fighters is on its way here. They will cover our evac. Second, I am authorized to temporarily draft you into the PLA, with your consent of course. That would mean that you¡¯d be legally authorized to use lethal force within our borders. Preemptively. You would be considered mercenaries for the length of the operation. I hope this is acceptable.¡±

    The titan that was her dad moved forward with loud thuds that made Nestra¡¯s body vibrate. He leaned forward.

    ¡°Lady. You have a deal.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d swear allegiance to the ghost of Christmas past if I get to save my sister.¡±

    ¡°This would dishonor my ancestors,¡± Sanae said, ¡°However I don¡¯t give a shit.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s fucking go already,¡± Helena added.

    ¡°Language,¡± Mom said, but Helena just shrugged.

    ¡°Before we begin, there are two short details I need to clear. First of all, you must be paid a hiring bonus by law. The pay shall be¡­¡±

    Tian checked her visors, then her pockets.

    ¡°Two hundred and seventeen kuai and five chocolate bars.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re rich,¡± Vassily said. ¡°and well fed.¡±

    ¡°And second, you need to swear allegiance. I, uh, I need to translate it.¡±

    Winslow stood forward, smile growing with every passing minute.

    ¡°Solemnly swear to follow the chain of command, rescue the hostages, and neutralize everyone else.¡±

    Tian glared, then she shrugged.

    ¡°Well, that works.¡±

    ¡°The Threshold government approves of this agreement. House Palladian, if you would?¡±

    ¡°Follow the boss, save the goodies, kill the baddies aye!¡± Helena summarized.

    Others followed suit with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Nestra wondered if she could nab one of the chocolate bars right away.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Winslow said. ¡°Let¡¯s get a good look at the prison.¡±

    The group moved quietly up steep stone cliffs, hiding among the branches of dry pines. Mom and Winslow took point while Stibbs¡¯ drones provided overwatch. They stopped near a ridge with a full view over the valley.

    Nestra had to give it to the people who¡¯d built the resort, they sure knew how to pick their spot. The main road traveled straight through lush low trees to a checkpoint that might have been the hotel¡¯s lobby at some point, but was now fortified with machine gun emplacements and steel barriers. The mix of ramshackle fortifications and old but elegant tiled roofs was one of the marks of early post-incursion years. Low gleams and auged soldiers patrolled the outer edge.

    Past that, an inner lake fringed by old trees shimmered at the foot of a tall pagoda, its dilapidated red floors taken straight from a history book. Rows of villas then stretched left and right along dry canals. Only half of them had been renovated. The rest had crumbled past guard towers and a hastily built concrete wall. Further roads led deeper into the valley, one to a visible helipad and the other out of sight, presumably to the airport. There were a lot of soldiers and gleams present, as well as quite a few luxury cars parked at the security checkpoints. Well dressed men and women strutted around near the lake, mingling and soaking up the afternoon sunlight.

    Behind that, far in the far distance, were white mountains. They were gorgeous and majestic, backlighting the entire resort to offer a breathtaking view worthy of some high-budget vid¡¯s intro shot.

    Nestra had watched people skiing before. She wondered if it was possible to do it there, also.

    The Thresholders surveyed the land in silence. Stibbs was the first to talk.

    ¡°Visors on please.¡±

    The raiders complied. A map of the compound as seen from above appeared with red circles and signs where the important bits were. Nestra was familiar with the symbols Stibbs was using, but she explained them anyway in case the raiders weren¡¯t.

    ¡°There are security checkpoints here, here, here, and there.¡±

    Basically all approaches were covered, though the wall was not.

    ¡°I spotted security cameras in key locations and around the walls. There may be more. The barracks and motor pool are there¡­¡±

    Nestra noticed the symbols for APCs next to two heavily armored vehicles. Those would clear the sky of D-class fliers and helicopters pretty quickly. They would also instantly kill Nestra if they got to fire on her. They looked old though. Like incursion old. She still didn¡¯t think her rifle was up to the task.

    ¡°They have a radar system.¡±

    The camera zoomed on a parked van hidden behind one of the villas. Rotating antennas were visible from up high.

    ¡°Have you been spotted?¡± Tian asked.

    ¡°Nope. I¡¯m using Threshold state-of-the-art stealth drones. They¡¯re too small to get caught by those antiquities. Your fighter planes are probably safe as well.¡±

    ¡°It still needs to go,¡± Tian said.

    ¡°Yes. There is also a large relay drone here.¡±

    She pointed at the sky above the compound. It took some time for Nestra to find the small black dot hovering on a background of fluffy white clouds.

    ¡°Part of their com systems. The com center is probably in the villa next to the van, given the size of the antenna. There is an additional relay in the checkpoint leading to the airport¡­ there.¡±

    ¡°If we destroy them it might hinder their communications,¡¯ Tian said.

    ¡°I can do the checkpoint relay,¡± Nestra said. ¡°And take care of the drone too.¡±

    She patted her rifle.

    ¡°There is the matter of the prisoners. They need to be extracted first.¡±

    ¡°I have a suggestion,¡± Winslow said.

    Tian wasn¡¯t even trying to look suspicious anymore. It was absolutely clear Winslow was some sort of spook and he was only keeping up the charade as a matter of principle. The rest of the Palladians had long recognized the wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing, and so they gave him their undivided attention.

    ¡°I will infiltrate the compound through a lightly defended section of the outer wall on the western side, locate the prisoners, and then mark them on our map. The Palladians will provide a distraction through a frontal attack along the main city road. I will use this opportunity to free people and get them on the way.¡±

    ¡°We will use the distraction,¡± Tian said.

    She didn¡¯t look like she was going to back off. It was Deborah who spoke next, however.Stolen novel; please report.

    ¡°There are six hostile B-rank raiders in this valley and the next.¡±

    This time, even Winslow paled.

    ¡°We will proceed as follows. The girls will take position here.¡±

    She pointed at a small, easily defensible incline with an access path that couldn¡¯t be seen from the compound.

    ¡°Stibbs will identify all cameras on the western section of the wall. Winslow will close it with Tian as support. Winslow will mark all cages and possible cages. Once this is done or you are at risk of being caught, send a signal. The main squad will attack straight north towards the main checkpoint and take it, then engage the B-class revelers near the pagoda. At the same time, the support team will take out the drone, the far antenna, and any reinforcement they can see. The main squad will then provide cover while Winslow and Tian start evacuation, with Vassily healing the wounded as needed.¡±

    ¡°Tak.¡±

    ¡°Once we are sure we have everyone, we will retreat towards the south west, opposite to the makeshift airport. Your birds can flatten the place once we¡¯re gone. Helicopters might be nice considering we¡¯ll have people in need of care.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Tian said.

    She blinked. Nestra¡¯s mom didn¡¯t.

    Sometimes it was easy to forget that the peppy woman was a ninety year old veteran of the incursion.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll ask for them.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    ***

    Nestra checked the base through her visor, cycling between several filters. Helena dutifully did the same by her side while Stibbs was hidden farther down, busy handling her drones.

    The hill had been trapped. Thankfully, Nestra and Stibbs had both spotted them and avoided causing any issues, but the incident was enough to shake Helena and remind her this was serious. The traps were more designed to kill dokkaebi than people but a spike planted in a sternum via pneumatic release was bound to make anyone¡¯s day miserable. The base itself was a hive of activity. The outside shell of thugs and disreputable mercenaries protected an inner core made of elegantly dressed, masked merchants sipping bubbly from Champagne flutes. Like a layer of shit over a more expensive core of still shit, but painted gold. She checked the rifle¡¯s software one last time, the way Gorge had shown her. Everything was working fine.

    ¡°Look,¡± Helena whispered.

    A white limo was approaching from the unseen airport. Nestra¡¯s mana perception wasn¡¯t all that good in human form, but even she could tell there was someone powerful in there. Not A-class powerful, thankfully. There were a couple of assholes among their ranks but they couldn¡¯t move around so easily, and they wouldn¡¯t come here anyway. People went to them.

    That still made the seventh hostile B-class raider around. Nestra had to swallow with some difficulty. Seven against three and some support. Not good odds. It wouldn¡¯t stop her parents though.

    She was starting to wonder if this was the day her identity was discovered. If any of the B-class broke through, she would have to choose between secrecy and the survival of her family and Stibbs. She knew exactly what she would pick.

    Nestra understood why her parents had brought Helena. It was supposed to be a simple rescue operation, and Helena was notoriously hard to handle to the point she might have just bought a plane ticket to Shanghai herself if someone had tried to stop her. Now that it was international crime raiding stuff, her parents were certainly regretting their decision. It was still too late to change course now.

    Or maybe they just thought they were the same age when the very first portals began to appear.

    It didn¡¯t matter. Aunt Clecle was down here somewhere. They were not leaving without her.

    ¡°In position,¡± Winslow whispered on the public channel.

    Nestra watched a suspicious patch of grass shake along the southern road, the one leading back to Shangri-La city. Vassily was pushing it a bit. From the lack of guard reactions, he was doing a fine job though.

    Stibbs updated the map with the first of the prisoner¡¯s locations. It looked like there were two main prisons hidden between villas, both of them buried which would help limit the chances of collateral damage. Winslow sent a picture of a male slave being dragged, dazed, out of a ground gate. He was wearing a toga of all things. She wondered if the captive gleams were sedated or if it was some exotic affinity at work. Sedating gleams was always a gamble.

    Those guys had balls to be trafficking gleams. They must be really confident in their B-classes. Nestra really, really hoped they were wrong.

    ¡°Winslow, be advised that a B-class is moving in your direction,¡± Dad quickly said.

    ¡°I know. I think I tripped something going into the prison. The guards are alerted.¡±

    ¡°Call it.¡±

    ¡°Stand down. I need to be sure.¡±

    They were talking so fast Nestra had trouble following them. Winslow sent a series of pictures showing cells, locked tight. He was moving fast as well. Helena used her spotter visor to send her a picture of a tall man with long hair and city clothes covered in chains, as in, actually layers of some chains in a dark material that didn¡¯t look like metal. He was talking with guards on the way to the prison. His gaze was black like coal though not the same liquid darkness Helena had. A B-class raider, and clearly muscle. Winslow was on a timer.

    ¡°Winslow?¡± Mom asked.

    ¡°I need to make sure. Hold on, I think I got it.¡±

    He sent one last picture. It was taken through a barred window and shown a bandage-covered figure resting on a bed, her brown hair matted. A scarred white arm was barely visible but the pattern was immediately familiar.

    ¡°It¡¯s her,¡± mom whispered.

    ¡°Right. Assault squad status?¡±

    ¡°Ready. Standing by,¡± Dad replied.

    ¡°Diversion please,¡± Winslow said.

    Dad¡¯s voice was suddenly much louder.

    ¡°Light them up.¡±

    The valley was a peaceful, scenic spot with partying folks, smoking sentries. Another limo traveled up the southern road. Another drove up the road from the helipad at a placid pace.

    The limo snapped in half with a ghastly clunk. It compressed to the size of a yoga ball, occupants included. The ball impacted the main checkpoint like a cannon shot. Every machine gun, every piece of furniture containing metal, every car, every barrier flew like they¡¯d been struck by a hurricane. The main radar station exploded in a wave of fire, as did a sentry tower to the west. Battle erupted near the ravaged checkpoint in an orgy of unleashed fury. Body parts flew alongside the debris.

    Nestra perceived all of this as she pressed the trigger.

    THOOM.

    The rifle was so loud, it echoed through the valley in an expanding wave.

    The main relay drone exploded.

    ¡°It¡¯s scrap,¡± Helena said. ¡°Antenna next.¡±

    ¡°Adjusting sights.¡±

    A real sniper at a real distance would have paid more attention to the wind and coriolis and a bunch of stuff the rifle¡¯s software solved for Nestra. She merely had to adjust the reticle.

    ¡°Ready.¡±

    THOOM.

    ¡°Woo! It¡¯s gone!¡±

    ¡°Target status,¡± Nestra curtly said.

    ¡°Shit sorry. It¡¯s gone.¡±

    Nestra aimed to the right. The center of the base was now in total chaos. Growing plants spread to the pond which was striated with actinic arcs, corpses floating near the surface. It seemed to be Palladians on the left near the prison, and slavers on the right near the ruin of the com center. Everything moved too fast for her to see so she had no idea how things were going, but at least the prisons were on their side of the battlefield. It also meant it was pointless for her to fire at anything there since it was a B-class battlefield. She was just supposed to cover the approach.

    ¡°Bravo four,¡± Helena said.

    Nestra aimed towards the airport road.

    ¡°Contact.¡±

    ¡°Technical, coming from the airport. Three gleams at the back.¡±

    It was over a kilometer and a half away but closing fast. Good call.

    ¡°I see it. Adjusting.¡±

    Nestra let the soft adjust the sight. She lined it up.

    THOOM.

    A shower of debris and blood. Ok, Gorge hadn¡¯t been fucking with her. That thing could kill vehicles.

    ¡°Target destroyed. Alpha six.¡±

    ¡°Contact.¡±

    ¡°Near that guard house. They¡¯re deploying something.¡±

    Nestra turned sharply right. It was very close to the helipad. A group of augs were taking and assembling something from a case. It looked big and complicated. It also looked automatic which was going to be a pain for the C-classes.

    ¡°Got it. Adjusting.¡±

    Better get the hardware. The augs didn¡¯t count.

    THOOM.

    The thing exploded before it could deploy, showering the augs with debris. They ran for cover. The battlefield had changed again with the slavers pushed back to the edge of the field. Somehow, her people were winning and winning hard. The APCs were burning wrecks, courtesy of Sanae. There was now a hole through the western wall, to Nestra¡¯s left. An old truck was driving through it, probably taken by Tian.

    ¡°I got company in the back!¡± Stibbs said.

    A group of three guards were approaching the hill at a dead sprint, coming from behind. Shit gear and shit augs, Nestra judged.

    ¡°Helena, with me.¡±

    ¡°Doyouneedhelpdarling?¡± her mom asked on the coms.

    ¡°Should be fine.¡±

    ¡°I got APCs coming from the airport too, aiming towards us,¡± Stibbs added.

    Well this position was cooked. Four shots was all they¡¯d get. Nestra dragged Helena to a copse of trees to the side. There had been a trap there.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait here.¡±

    The guards were visible now: two auged riflemen and one shield-bearing gleam without affinities. They were vaguely aiming towards the top of the hill to Nestra and Helena¡¯s left. Amateurs.

    ¡°Let them get closer,¡± she whispered to Helena.

    ¡°I get the gleam,¡± her sister whispered.

    The guards vaguely spread out. Nestra leaned from behind a tree and calmly lined a shot with her window maker.

    The first aug fell with a hole in his chest. The second was dead before he could fully turn.

    Helena was on the gleam in a moment.

    It would be inexact to say Helena didn¡¯t have a sense of strategy. It was just that she also had an axe, a strength affinity, and a mana type so aggressively destructive it even messed with her body. The onus of stopping said axe was firmly on her opponent. This one failed spectacularly.

    ¡°Clear,¡± she said.

    Stibbs climbed down the hill. She was already out of breath. Her eyes found the axe murder victim.

    ¡°Seriously? Nestra, what have you taught her?¡±

    Helena hissed playfully. The sound was eerily close to an Aszhii taunt. Nestra gave her a warning look.

    ¡°Not in public.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Ok you two,¡± Stibbs said. ¡°Tian and Winslow are heading this way. They got her.¡±

    Excitement and relief filled Nestra¡¯s heart. Winslow appeared a moment later, bleeding from a scalp wound. He had a familiar shape in his arms. The truck roared not far behind. It was Clecle. She was in a bad shape with more scabs than clean skin under her medical shift. Some of the flesh was missing under the bandages, and she was short a few fingers but that was nothing to a B-class. Winslow had a first aid kit in his backpack. He applied some spray to his scalp wound while handing Nestra an injector.

    ¡°Alright, shove this in her chest. I need to get back to Tian.¡±

    A reanimator of sorts. Nestra thought Winslow was stupid to leave a baseline to puncture a gleam, but the needle somehow went in Clecle without issue. It had to be some sort of advanced stuff.

    Clecle gasped, bolting upright. Her arm clamped on Nestra¡¯s. It hurt through the armor.

    ¡°Ow ow ow ow ow HEY!¡± Nestra complained.

    Clecle¡¯s gaze zeroed on her. It was a bit frantic. Also, her right eye couldn¡¯t fully open.

    ¡°Nestra? Where am I? Where is this?¡±

    ¡°You got portal dumped. We¡¯re rescuing you from a slave camp in the ass end of China.¡±

    ¡°Slavers? They dare? Where¡¯s my damn spear?¡±

    The two sisters tried to pull their aunt down with reasonable arguments such as ¡®you¡¯re barely alive¡¯, but it still took a few seconds before Clecle would calm down. Meanwhile, Stibbs¡¯ horrified glare went from one of the relatives to the other. It was like she was having a revelation.

    ¡°What?¡± Nestra complained.

    ¡°It¡¯s genetic. And hereditary.¡±

    ¡°Shit where¡¯s the core? I need to get it back,¡± Claire yelled.

    ¡°You need to calm down,¡± Nestra objected.

    They fought some more, until Winslow talked in Nestra¡¯s earpiece.

    ¡°Please inform Claire that I have her gear in the truck.¡±

    Of course the nitwit went for the truck. Nestra gave up. It arrived soon after anyway, an ancient diesel thing that stank to high heaven. There were dazed and sleepy people at the back, all looking completely lost. A great many were gleams, but there were also conventionally attractive people of various ethnicities. Some wore the togas Nestra had seen, others wore prison uniforms and a couple were naked. Tian was at the wheel and she didn¡¯t look happy.

    Something thrummed to Nestra¡¯s right, coming from the top of the hill. Looks like something was firing at where she used to be.

    ¡°Nestra!¡± her mom¡¯s voice came, panicked.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Oh thank God. You¡¯ve moved?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We need to keep going though.¡±

    ¡°The assault squad can withdraw. We have secured the prisoners and need cover,¡± Tian said, voice tense.

    ¡°Sanae is dealing with the armored cars. Don¡¯t worry¡­ we¡¯re almost done on our end.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    But mom didn¡¯t reply. Instead, Stibbs'' feed showed the gleam battle petered out.

    The resort was devastated. There wasn¡¯t a building left, and everything was on fire, thick smoke climbing high. Ulysses stood near the half-dried pond, holding a woman in rich garb and a mask at the end of the threads he held in his left hand. Her body sometimes shook from the static. There were fried bodies impaled on ice spikes like ghastly decorations anywhere that wasn¡¯t actively burning. Thick trees that were not here before showed where Vassily had taken position. Only one duel was still ongoing: her father against the chain user.

    They were mostly moving too fast for Nestra to perceive but sometimes they slowed down enough that she could catch glimpses of the guard¡¯s long black chain wrapped around her dad¡¯s hammer¡¯s shaft. He was an obsidian user, a rare and powerful affinity. Clearly his plan had been to disarm and crush dad and clearly, it wasn¡¯t working well. Nestra was surprised. They were supposed to be super good against hard targets.

    Actually, all of her folks looked alive and well. A few of the enemy B-classes were apparently fleeing towards the airport, but she couldn¡¯t see the others. It had been¡­ surprisingly one-sided.

    It took only a few more seconds for the battle to draw to a close. The chain user was left on his knees, or what was left of them rather. Her father had slowed down enough that they could talk. He was sharing his feed. Maybe the slavers still had people or cameras on the battle.

    He was doing it on purpose.

    ¡°You have no idea who you¡¯re messing with,¡± the guard said in heavily accented English.

    Dad just stood there like a metal titan, his armor covered in gore but otherwise inviolate. The background was a hell of fire, metal, thorn growths, and peoplecicles bleeding carmine droplets, but frozen in time. Only his eyes were visible: gray, and without mercy. His voice didn¡¯t carry any either.

    ¡°We don¡¯t care. We are here to tell whoever thought they could enslave one of us¡­ that House Palladian sends their regards.¡±

    His hammer crushed the man¡¯s skull. The headless body fell to the side in a pool of blood.

    Helena made some ¡®woah¡¯ noise, which made Nestra a little concerned. It took only a few more seconds for the assault squad to regroup with the truck. Claire disappeared under shameless hugs and shoulder pats. It was done, or so it seemed. Nestra wasn¡¯t so sure. Her Aszhii self clamored to be let out to make sure, to track and kill anything the humans might have overlooked. She felt blinded and hobbled in this form.

    ¡°The heli will pick us up in Shangri-La since it appears the battle is¡­ over?¡± Tian added.

    She didn¡¯t sound so certain. Nestra wasn¡¯t either, but that was probably just paranoia and alien instincts. No one stopped them as they retreated down the south road, the only one still intact and free of cars after her dad had given the limo the trash compactor treatment. Most of the gleams plus Nestra went on foot while Stibbs joined the wounded with her drones ¡ª she just wasn¡¯t in any state to run without some more oxygen.

    Nestra had to wait for her mom to unglue herself from Aunt Claire before she could climb into the back to sit next to the woman. Clecle was already hard at work scarfing down raider food and taking sips of some sort of potion. She was healing remarkably fast, probably because her wounds were caused by ripping through space and not the mana-infused attacks of powerful monsters. She still looked like a mess and it made Nestra¡¯s chest tight.

    ¡°Ok, so tell me. What¡¯s so important about this core?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s got the perfect mix of electricity and ice, to the second decimal! I got it from a humanoid enemy too, as requested. It¡¯s absolutely perfect.¡±

    ¡°As requested by whom? Perfect for what?¡± Nestra insisted.

    She was getting pissed off.

    ¡°Look, it¡¯s big news. Really big news. I wanted to save it as a surprise but I guess I need to tell you now. I was very busy because¡­ I have found a way to repair your core! I needed some research done and a compatible core and¡­ it¡¯s all complete now! We¡¯re flying to Zurich, Nes!¡±

    She was ecstatic.

    ¡°So you were raiding so hard for that? Getting wounded on repeat and everything? For months?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Nestra slapped her aunt. Hard too. Stupefied, Claire didn¡¯t even try to stop her.

    The truck fell silent.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a gleam nearly as much as I want my aunt alive. Alive, you hear? You fucking idiot.¡±

    Claire¡¯s joy sobered up. She slowly pulled Nestra into a hug. Nestra allowed it, resting her head on the raider¡¯s strong shoulders.

    ¡°Ok. I¡¯m sorry. I was just¡­ very worried for a long time.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t die for me?¡±

    ¡°Ok, I promise.¡±

    They stayed quiet for a while.

    ¡°It¡¯s still very ¡®cool aunt¡¯ of me though.¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

 Part 57

    Nobody bothered the truck as it slowly made its way to Shangri-La, to Nestra¡¯s complete lack of surprise. Vassily was keeping an eye on the freed slaves who were still high on something, while Aunt Clecle kept chugging various medicines, half wrapped up in blankets. Nestra¡¯s paranoid nature kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. It didn¡¯t. The universe was vexing her by being on her side.

    Between the relative calm  and with Aunt Claire within arm¡¯s reach, Nestra finally allowed herself to calm down, at least a little. The adrenaline fading from her system made her tired. At least she wasn¡¯t hurt this time.

    It also gave her time to think.

    A gleam, huh. She¡¯d waited for so long for that, and she¡¯d also found her path. The true form. Having a proper gleam mask now would be¡­

    It would be really fucking nice. But also it was so late in her life compared to everyone else. She would be hopelessly behind. She would also finally, finally be in the race.

    There was no doubt that she would accept, of course. There was no question, not after the efforts aunt Clecle had gone through. The only thing that could stop her would be Sereth warning her it would lead to her discovery. If the operation failed, then that would be it, but what if it succeeded? Would she become like some of the people she despised? What would Stibbs think? What would it change about her life? Fuck, so many things to consider.

    But she wanted, she really, really wanted it, because it meant her parents might love her again. Wait no, not like that, more¡­ they would know how to show that love. How to treat her like their daughter with normal gleam bonding moments: the training, the first raids.

    She wanted that.

    She wanted that so bad. Please, let it be that it wasn¡¯t some sort of mistake. Or a scam. Let her have her hope.

    Her hopeful reverie stopped alongside the truck. In front of them, the walled city of Shangri-La was a buzz of activity. Not one, but three helicopters were visible in its skies with one clearly being a military transport disgorging auged soldiers on top of the town hall. Nestra frowned as she jumped down from the truck.

    ¡°What the fuck? Are they invading?¡±

    ¡°In a manner of¡ª¡±

    ¡°Gah!¡± Nestra screamed when Winslow appeared next to her.

    ¡°In a manner of speaking,¡± Winslow finished with a congenial smile.

    He was back to being the kindly middle school student beloved by everyone. His face was, at least. The rest was still a blood-stained combat suit.

    ¡°Don¡¯t scare me like that.¡±

    ¡°Miss Palladian, I was standing right here.¡±

    ¡°You were hiding,¡± she reproached. ¡°Steam and a minor in shadows for sure.¡±

    Winslow appeared surprised, but the expression was so brief it might have been Nestra¡¯s imagination.

    ¡°As I was saying, there is no way for the auction to have occurred without local help. There are few things a government dislikes more than citizens fearing criminals more than them, but officials bribed by foreign agents is fairly high on that list. I¡¯m afraid the hammer is coming down, and it¡¯s coming down hard.¡±

    ¡°Is it bad for us?¡±

    ¡°I would hope not, not after we helped them.¡±

    He didn¡¯t seem too concerned though it was hard to read a spook. Here was a man who seemed to know what was going on though, and Nestra had questions.

    ¡°Look, can I ask you something? I¡¯m still a bit worried.¡±

    ¡°If I can answer, I will,¡± he replied with a knowing smile.

    ¡°Ok, so didn¡¯t the battle strike you as a bit too easy?¡±

    Amusement and pity warred on the spook¡¯s face. It pissed her off a little.

    ¡°Miss Palladian. I will merely say this: Threshold stands at the forefront of the raiding world. The Palladians stand at the forefront of Threshold. There is a reason why your house received immediate and unconditional support in the recovery of your aunt, and it is not just kindness on our part.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not one of Threshold¡¯s top families,¡± Nestra said.

    She knew this was true. House Palladian was mid-sized and unaffiliated. They were no heavy hitters. Well, not the heaviest hitters around in any case.

    Winslow was not amused. He looked like an impatient educator now.

    ¡°Miss Palladian, your criteria for what constitutes ¡®the top¡¯ are far too restrictive to accurately represent reality. Perhaps living with  them as a family has skewed your perception of reality. While you were obviously concerned, I am telling you, I was not.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    Winslow closed the conversation with assurances that Nestra could relax and that she was safe now. And indeed, nothing bad happened. In fact, nothing happened at all. The truck stopped in an open plaza filled with temporary tents and crawling with soldiers. An army of paramedics took charge of the rescued captives with terrifying efficiency. The only catch happened with Ulysses¡¯ catch, so to speak. The woman he¡¯d captured was still sullenly following him.

    ¡°We will be taking custody of her,¡± Tian said, backed by a group of augs.

    She was wearing heavy manacles of a make Nestra didn¡¯t recognize. She wasn¡¯t familiar with gleam restraints. She just knew there were several kinds and MaxSec used a mana-resistant basic model for the kind of gleams she might have faced.

    ¡°That¡¯s Seraphine Velion. There is a price on her head in Threshold. She was my upperclasswoman!¡±

    ¡°And now she is a captive here.¡±

    ¡°My captive,¡± Ulysses elaborated.

    Things grew tense, with the Palladians giving them their attention. At a distance, augs stopped what they were doing to see if things would escalate.

    ¡°There is no extradition agreement between our nations,¡± Tian said, very calmly.

    ¡°That is correct, young master Palladian,¡± Winslow said, moving to the front. ¡°I¡¯m afraid our agreement does not cover Miss Velion here, and so I will respectfully ask you to surrender her to their custody.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± the woman said in a broken voice. ¡°You can¡¯t do that. Do you know what they do to their gleams? Wait!¡±

    Winslow replied in his ever-calm voice.

    ¡°Rest assured that your status and condition will be reported to the Threshold authority. We will be negotiating on your behalf for your safe return, of course.¡±

    Seraphine was on the verge of a panic attack. Nestra didn¡¯t feel much sympathy for a slaver.

    ¡°Please! Help.¡±

    ¡°We will provide assistance, of course,¡± Winslow said, and his gaze was quite cold. ¡°But you understand that your¡­ choice of profession, or the fact you escaped Threshold to avoid a prison sentence for murder will not work in your favor. Goodbye for now.¡±

    They dragged her away. Tian returned a moment later, much more confident than before.

    ¡°Right. Regretfully, I cannot guarantee you a return before tomorrow morning. In the meanwhile, I have taken the liberty to reserve you a suite in the town¡¯s best hotel. It is normally reserved for government officials.¡±

    ¡°I could kill for a shower!¡± Aunt Clecle exclaimed.

    Many eyes turned to her.

    ¡°Metaphorically of course. You guys need to chill.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s all chill! Do they have hot spring things here?¡± Helena asked.

    Tian escorted them to the hotel herself. The few guests present were being sent out by armed guards and the staff was utterly terrified so they had stellar service. Nestra made sure to ask for her chocolate bar payment from Tian who delivered it with a half smile. She also assured them that the service would be free for the night so Clecle rushed to the baths with a bottle of Japanese Umeshu, a very sweet plum liquor. The women caught up to her in the secluded place though Nestra was loath to leave her gear behind. It didn¡¯t feel safe.

    Aunt Clecle was showering and already lathered. The water at her feet was brown.

    ¡°Damn. That¡¯s a lot of scars,¡± Nestra remarked.

    On her mom too. Most of the scars were fading or faded, some on the verge of disappearing because B-rankers had full control over their bodies, but still, the fact they even had those spoke of gruesome wounds inflicted with mana-charged attacks or spells. Attempts to kill that had failed but not by much. It made Nestra worried for them.

    ¡°Speak for yourself young lady. Why do you even have stab wounds?¡± her mom asked.

    ¡°I got stabbed.¡±

    Nestra shrugged.

    ¡°Hey, hey, I¡¯m cool as well!¡± Helena said.

    She pointed at one of her only scars. It was on her leg where a fae warrior had landed a successful hit the first time she and Nestra had raided together ¡ª the one when Sashimi had proven she could be useful.

    Terror gripped Nestra¡¯s heart.

    ¡°How did you get this? The school didn¡¯t notify us.¡±

    ¡°I, uh, I was testing my coating.¡±

    They didn¡¯t buy it.

    ¡°With a knife¡­¡± Helena finished miserably.

    The four women stood in a circle with Deborah Palladian made ready to deliver her judgment.

    ¡°I wanna drink,¡± Aunt Claire said.

    ¡°Oh very well, but Helena, we will be discussing experimentation later. This is clearly self-harm¡­ if you¡¯re telling me the truth. Don¡¯t do that again.¡±

    ¡°Sorry mom.¡±

    ¡°Come on. This is a happy reunion!¡± Aunt Clecle said, flying to the rescue.

    ¡°Oh you¡¯re right. Forget about it honey. Let¡¯s just have a good time.¡±

    ¡°Cool! Can I get some of that booze as well?¡±

    ¡°In your wildest dreams, perhaps.¡±

    ¡°I was in a battle! I deserve it, no?¡±

    ¡°You are mercifully unharmed and so will your liver remain,¡± Mom concluded and there would be no argument.

    ¡°Into the bath, the lot of you. You stink!¡± Clecle joked.

    They didn¡¯t jump into the bath. As Helena reminded them, the proper etiquette was to shower first. Sanae joined them soon though she went to a side room ¡ª she was very much a loner. Splashing sounds on the other side of a separation wall indicated that the menfolk were soaking as well. At least all entrances were covered, Nestra thought.

    Nestra used the relaxed mood to ask the same thing she¡¯d asked Winslow.

    ¡°So¡­ Didn¡¯t it feel a bit too easy?¡± she asked her mom.

    Deborah Palladian opened a lazy eye. She was reclining against the stone wall of one of the hotter baths.

    ¡°You were severely outnumbered,¡± Nestra insisted. ¡°Three B-class to seven. I know you are strong. Those are still long odds.¡±

    ¡°Darling, you are treating our opponents like a team while in reality they did not trust each other one bit. They were more interested in saving their skins than in cooperating to take us down. That¡¯s one. Two, we have excellent teamwork forged over the years facing countless monsters as well as other teams: humanoid monsters but also humans.¡±

    ¡°You mean, like practice bouts?¡±

    ¡°That and¡­ let¡¯s just say the world was not a good place after Riel saved us all. Three, and I think you need to remember¡­ we¡¯re first gens, Nestra. We survived hell.¡±

    ¡°We really did,¡± Aunt Clecle added from her corner.

    ¡°We¡¯re really, really hard to kill. You need to trust in us a little more, right?¡±

    Nestra nodded. She wasn¡¯t really convinced in her heart because she was just scared, but intellectually she could accept that her family was dangerous. It was just hard to reconcile this knowledge with her love for them. Or at least, it was difficult to do it while everyone was having a good time.

    ¡°Nestra. We got her. She¡¯s safe. You need to wind down now.¡±

    ¡°I know, I just¡­ this is our first time outside and my first time rescuing¡­ sorry, helping with the rescue of a member of my family.¡±

    Her mom put a hand over Nestra¡¯s shoulder and drew her in for a side hug. She felt very solid.

    ¡°This is a trauma response, darling. You¡¯re hypervigilant. We are safe. You will successfully become a gleam. Trust me.¡±

    Nestra took a deep breath. A very deep breath.

    ¡°Ok, ok.¡±

    She did her best to relax. It worked a bit.

    ¡°Did you know Aunt Claire was raiding for me?¡±

    ¡°No. She refused to tell me why she was working so hard,¡± mom replied.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to tell anyone in case it didn¡¯t work,¡± Clecle said with the bottle in her hand. ¡°Damn that thing is too sweet. Anyway it will work. We¡¯re sure of it.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Nestra said. ¡°Okay.¡±

    Exhaustion finally caught up to her. She yawned, completely worn out.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Have a short nap on the bench, darling. We¡¯ll wake you up for dinner.¡±

    And since they knew what was good for them, they actually did.

    ***

    ¡°It¡¯s our greatest pleasure to offer you this commendation, as well as a well-deserved promotion to Senior agent,¡± the government official told Nestra with a thousand-megawatts smile that was probably whitened every five business days.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Nestra eloquently replied.

    She was sitting in the ¡®debrief room¡¯ after a safe flight home. She was expecting some sort of sterile interrogation room out of sheer habit since that¡¯s where she tended to end up, but this one was nice with actual coffee offered and everything. What a nice change. It still didn¡¯t explain what the fuck were they talking about. Was Ragnarok pulling strings? Was it her nepo superpowers at work again?

    The official was a sleek Pinoy in a navy suit. He had an assistant with him, a plain anglo woman in a pink ensemble who exuded confidence and the HR label.

    ¡°Surprised?¡± the man said. ¡°As for us, this is a happy occurrence. At least, I prefer it very much to firing people.¡±

    He chuckled. Nestra was a bit hesitant in her response.

    ¡°I¡¯m just used to having disciplinary hearings and the likes. People tell me I have a problem with authority.¡±

    ¡°Well, none of those accusations have stuck¡­ or they might not have been particularly egregious.¡±

    He nodded to the HR woman. She swiped her datasheet with some amusement.

    ¡°Perhaps you spent too much time in MaxSec. Between the two of us, closing departments tend to be a bit toxic. Nevertheless, your track record speaks for itself. One of the youngest accepted candidates, the only female CQC expert ever to be granted accreditation. One hundred and twenty-eight combat operations with a close to perfect success rate. You have arrested users!¡±

    ¡°Not many¡­¡± Nestra mumbled.

    Honestly only Jason Wong had been a trained fighter. The rest hadn¡¯t offered much resistance since they correctly guessed they¡¯d have a better chance in court.

    ¡°You have received stellar commendations from your superiors Lieutenant Camus and MacMillan.¡±

    ¡°Gorge gave me a compliment?¡±

    ¡°Rock solid and lethally competent, is what he said.¡±

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    Nestra leaned back into her chair.

    Well, Gorge and her were buddies now but the report must have been written shortly before MaxSec was liquidated ¡ª right before they went into business together. It was a surprise. He truly was the most soft-hearted cunt she¡¯d ever come across.

    ¡°You are credited for single-handedly stopping two squads of gangers, both heavily augmented, saving the life of Officer Shinoda ¡ª may God rest his soul. You took down Cleaver who was considered a high D-class threat with no specialized gear.¡±

    ¡°Technically it was done by Valerian of House Nephrite.¡±

    ¡°Who mentioned sneaking behind the heavily wounded aug to deliver the coup-de-grace. Both Valerian Nephrite and Shinoda Yuuji-san also heaped praises upon you. You were instrumental in recovering and deciphering data that led to the uncovering of a massive criminal conspiracy, the arrest of ringleader Jenkins, and the fining of Gidung for a total of 780 million credits at the end. You received stellar accolades from Officer Baatar and freshly promoted Financial Crimes Captain Kim for the lead role on the arrest of Captain Ito in a landmark case that also led to the imprisonment of Mrs. Shinoda, a major political figure of the opposition. During the Sword King fiasco, you successfully prevented the death or capture of the diplomatic corps in a daring escape through gleam territory ¡ª I saw the footage. You are a machine, Miss Palladian. And I mean this as a compliment.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. Wow, Kim got promoted! I need to congratulate her.¡±

    ¡°Then you can congratulate each other. There are also redacted elements concerning a serial killer case and, I would wager, the recruitment of a very valuable user given the department involved and Ragnhild Lindstrom¡¯s personal stamp. You may have a problem with authority, Miss Palladian, but it certainly doesn¡¯t have problems with you. The commendation is for the Threshold¡¯s Order of Merit, with Valor. Recipients of this distinguished award get easy access to specific career paths I assume will be of little interest to you, however it also lifts restrictions to special high-government-only facilities such as recreation centers and¡­ restaurants. I was informed you might be interested.¡±

    ¡°What kind of restaurant?¡± Nestra asked, stomach waking up with a gurgle.

    ¡°I will send you a list. You get a raise as well.¡±

    Nestra was earning almost three and a half thousand credits a month after tax. It wasn¡¯t massive but it would have been pretty nice. Enough to buy a house with an okay mortgage and live comfortably. It showed how human Nestra and Aszhii Nestra just didn¡¯t live on the same planet either. A single C-class raid could earn her forty thousand credits in mined raw materials and monster parts, and that was without cores or rewards. She could do a C-class raid every night if she really wanted to ¡ª and had access to the portals.

    It was simply insane.

    Nestra pushed those thoughts back. Her life was good for now. No need to think about something she couldn¡¯t solve.

    ***

    There were two parties upon the Palladian¡¯s triumphant if secretive return. The first was a family one, and Nestra was super happy to attend after Aunt Claire was discharged from the hospital. The city had cleared everything for them. It was a pleasant evening, with a lot of gleam games of address and quite a bit of booze. Nobody mentioned Nestra going to Zurich. Maybe they didn¡¯t want to jinx it.

    Ulysses sort of ignored her most of the evening in a quiet but not exactly subtle way. It was Nestra who sought him this time. She wanted to know if there was a chance for a truce no matter how obnoxious he was.

    ¡°So, any chance you¡¯ll stop the quiet game if I become a gleam?¡± she asked after they isolated themselves near a balcony.

    ¡°I don¡¯t despise you because you were a drab, though it didn¡¯t help. I despise you because you cut off and left. You¡¯re not a complete reject though. I can tell you worked hard, and kept working hard, but now you¡¯re just back because circumstances pushed you, not because you¡¯re any better of a person. And now you are going to leech off mom and Helena to catch up. I don¡¯t trust you. You were all high and mighty for our entire childhood until you fell and now it¡¯s just you returning to your normal self out of everyone else¡¯s expense. I know even dad is glad so I won¡¯t fuck with you but don¡¯t think I¡¯ve forgotten. You keep to your side, I keep to mine, we stay courteous and that¡¯s it¡­ unless you do a dick move, of course. In which case, the gloves come off. And remember, I¡¯m at the top now.¡±

    ¡°At least you¡¯re consistent,¡± Nestra replied.

    Ulysses turned away without replying. Nestra shrugged. She decided here and there to give up on the asshole. He would be someone she tolerated from now on and there was no need for her to make any efforts.

    Nestra returned to the group. She had fun for the rest of the evening, but decided to go home early. She had another party the next day.

    ***

    ¡°To us!¡±

    One thing about those private government restaurants: the food was absolutely amazing. Nestra¡¯s glass clinked against Kim¡¯s who looked really much better recently. The usually stuffy official was wearing a lovely hanbok, a traditional dress that really suited her nicely. Valerian was here as well as Mazingwe and a lot of Nestra¡¯s work friends, including her old superior Camus. Even Seth had come as Stibbs¡¯ plus one. It was a nice party to celebrate the double promotion.

    ¡°I can never thank you enough for sending my previous boss to the slammer,¡± Kim drawled.

    ¡°By the way, what happened to no longer dedicating your life to your career?¡±

    ¡°It appears the Threshold dating scene for my age bracket is dreadful, so I¡¯m taking a short break. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll find Mr. Perfect. Someone who will not pale when I mention being a high level law enforcement agent specialized in finance.¡±

    ¡°Maybe just date someone very poor so they don¡¯t do tax evasion.¡±

    ¡°I will take this under advisement. In the meantime, let¡¯s mingle.¡±

    Everyone seemed to be having a good time. Nestra used this opportunity to thank the tall and muscular Camus ¡ª who was now a philosophy professor of all things ¡ª and Gorge for their nice ratings.

    ¡°I only yelled at you to keep you in line, Palladian,¡± Camus assured her.

    ¡°I prefer to call you a twat to your face,¡± Gorge added. ¡°It¡¯s more sporting. I save the ass licking for the bureaucracy.¡±

    ¡°Well thanks for that.¡±

    Only Valerian looked a bit upset. When Nestra pressed him, he readily opened up.

    ¡°Just some trouble with my family. They really don¡¯t approve of some of the new spells I¡¯ve submitted to the archives. We can discuss when we raid next.¡±

    Nestra assured him it would happen after a short break. He was doing ok after all, thankfully, but she¡¯d have to keep an eye on him.

    ***

    ¡°It was amazing. I didn¡¯t know my family was so strong!¡± Nestra told Sereth.

    She took a sip of weird mocktail. It was fruity but not too sweet, and also loaded with mana. Sereth was experimenting with different cuisines recently, eager to explore human tastes. Right now he was in a Bulgarian phase, and Nestra was eating white balls that tasted powerfully of cucumber, yogurt, and dill. Sereth was grilling a lot of meat as well.

    It was just really nice to go to his place for food and conversation. She had to admit that it was no wonder Stibbs had fallen for him considering she didn¡¯t know he was a Kero Nut thief.

    ¡°I was there,¡± Sereth mentioned.

    ¡°You were?¡±

    ¡°With Stibbs and you present? Of course. I was interested to see that your world is so far from being united. Back on my plane, the Celestial Throne dominates all continents.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    ¡°And I should keep quiet as I am not supposed to share this knowledge with you just yet. Did you ask to see me because you wanted to talk about the surgery?¡±

    ¡°Yes. A core, for me¡­ I was hoping you could tell me I can go.¡±

    ¡°Yes I can ¡®greenlight¡¯ it,¡± Sereth said, translating the expression into Aszhii like he was savoring a rare dish. ¡°Core wounds become more frequent once raiders are resilient enough to survive them. I know little about healing myself, only that it should work on you. Just do not change shape during the process, obviously.¡±

    ¡°What if¡­ what if my body eats it?¡±

    ¡°Your human body cannot eat a core, and your Aszhii self no longer starves. In fact, your training should make the process easier. I am guessing they are trying for a core transplant.¡±

    ¡°It sounds that way.¡±

    ¡°They will ¡®liquify¡¯ it, then implant it into you. It means the physical core will disappear and its content will reform in your mind palace. Since it¡¯s a B-class core, a lot of the material will be lost, but it also means that your newly awakened core will be as strong as it should have been if you hadn¡¯t cannibalized it. It¡¯s not a risky operation for a D-class. It¡¯s just that normally, D-class users would not have survived the loss of their core.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    ¡°It will be fine, Nestra. You are going to make it.¡±

    ***

    So flying to Zurich wasn¡¯t apparently as easy as showing up at the airport. First, the ticket cost fifteen thousand credits and she would have to wait for three days because that was the only time there was a plane actually going there. Second, Nestra needed an emergency passport made which was only possible because she was connected. Third, that emergency passport needed a visa, and then an additional validation because Threshold had classified her as a D-class equivalent threat ¡ª thank you very much you fuckers. That was a lot of headache, but at least it wouldn¡¯t last very long. In order to relax, Nestra shipped her Crescent ass to the Beacon for another assignment so she could vent by turning monsters to fine paste.

    Alas, Rangarok trapped her in the most vicious way possible.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be sssserious,¡± Nestra said in her seat in the old woman¡¯s office.

    Anger was making her hissy.

    Remarkably little had changed after Ragnhild Lindstrom¡¯s ascension to A-rank. She was still fulfilling the same role, and only raiding very occasionally. It appeared she still needed some time to stabilize her new powers. Nestra felt her presence all the time though, in ways that she didn¡¯t with Shinran. It just went to show the amount of control that fake monk had.

    ¡°Dr. Daniels petitioned the government for help. He has considerable pull among the American leadership, especially when it comes to research. A lot of cooperations between our universities could suffer if he is brushed off too aggressively.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit. I¡¯m not interested in research being conducted on myself!¡±

    ¡°There is no shame in being a transformation power gleam, Crescent,¡± Ranghild said.

    ¡°I know this. Do they?¡±

    Ragnarok conceded the point with a tilt of her head.

    ¡°Crescent, North America has a much higher incidence of transformation power than we do. This trend has come with its own set of complications. Transformation users tend to be¡­ more unstable. There are regular cases of loss of control. It¡¯s a serious issue.¡±

    ¡°For them.¡±

    ¡°For all of us,¡± Ragnarok connected. ¡°We are all humans trying to decipher a new world, with new rules. It has taken hundreds of thousands of years for homo sapiens to build the kind of civilization we lost during the Incursion, and even that was imperfect. It has only been sixty years since then. We need keys of understanding, and if you can help them out, I will ask that you at least talk to them in an interview.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not like the other transformers. They are close to regular or imaginary animals.¡±

    ¡°For all we know they are real in¡­ portals,¡± Ragnarok said.

    Nestra noticed the strange delay. Ragnarok probably believed there were other worlds out there, which was a common opinion. Why the hesitation?

    Bah it didn¡¯t matter right now.

    ¡°And yes, you¡¯re a demon. The only humanoid one we know of. That is why your insight into your own power could be uniquely valuable.¡±

    ¡°How do they even know I¡¯m a transformation gleam, by the way? I never appeared without a mask.¡±

    ¡°Crescent, your eyes are completely black, sclera included. Of course you are transforming to some degree.¡±

    ¡°Gah. I¡¯m stupid.¡±

    ¡°No, since you have never removed your mask and should never do so in public.¡±

    Nestra needed to keep track of who knew what with a list. Here were the people who knew she was an Aszhii: Sereth, Helena, Stibbs, Mazingwe, Shinran. Here were the people who knew she could change shape: Camille, Ragnarok, Valerian, Gorge, and his spawn. Here were the people who didn¡¯t know shit: the rest of the planet. The rest of the planet didn¡¯t know shit.

    Nestra amended that opinion. Her family was on that list. It wasn¡¯t nice to them to say they didn¡¯t know shit.

    ¡°You will at least hear Dr. Daniels out. I notified him you were coming. He is in another room nearby so neither of you will have to wait long. Crescent, I can technically order you to attend the meeting, not as a masked user but as a citizen of Threshold. I will ask instead. Just hear him out. You might be helping people.¡±

    Nestra sighed. She wouldn¡¯t help people because she wasn¡¯t a transformation gleam. Any data they¡¯d get from her would taint the pool, so to speak.

    ¡°I can help him out. As an outlier, I¡¯m just not sure how much help I can be.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. As an additional incentive, remember that I am helping your trip to Zurich by accelerating everything I can. Does it relate to the fact you can¡¯t access your core while untransformed?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Nestra said. ¡°I should be able to use mana in human form afterward.¡±

    ¡°At C-class level?¡±

    ¡°Probably not at first,¡±

    ¡°It might protect your secret identity then. As for the interview, I know it¡¯s unpleasant but I¡¯ll ask that you do it for me as a gesture of gratitude, if you won¡¯t do it for mankind.¡±

    ¡°Ah, stop it. I¡¯m already convinced.¡±

    Nestra stood up. She had resigned herself to her fate.

    ¡°Oh, one last thing,¡± she said, grabbing her backpack. ¡°I got you a gift to congratulate you on your ascension¡­ since I wasn¡¯t invited to the party.¡±

    She gave Ragnarok a bag of round pale biscuits with red, jam-filled ¡®A¡¯ carved in the middle.

    ¡°I used a robot to help with the letters. The flour is mana rich but I couldn¡¯t get mana raspberry jam, sorry.¡±

    Ragnarok picked the bag with great speed but also a surprisingly gentle touch. She soon had one between two wizened fingers.

    ¡°Halongrottor cookies. Homemade then?¡±

    ¡°As I said I also used my cooking robot,¡± Nestra said.

    ¡°Most people offered me rare metal ingots, which was also nice of course. Thank you dear. It was very thoughtful of you. I believe I will have some coffee now. Off you go, though. My secretary will guide you.¡±

    Nestra left with a smile. Truly, food was almost always a good offering.

    ***

    ¡°Thank you for agreeing to see me,¡± Dr. Daniels said with a kind voice.

    He was tall but also muscular now that he was only wearing a simple shirt. His neat brown hair and golden eyes of a light user gave him some sort of corporate messiah feel she couldn¡¯t trust. He was also B-class and a strong one too. That was a concern, because it was clear he had no qualms about pulling strings. He had her cornered both socially and physically.

    She felt trapped.

    There was another male anglo gleam with short brown hair next to him, slightly more meek in appearance. He was C-class despite having no affinities locked which hinted at an older civilian. Perhaps a researcher. He had not introduced himself yet, and would not meet her eyes.

    Nestra didn¡¯t reply because she hadn¡¯t agreed. She had complied. To her, there was a difference.

    ¡°I am Dr. Daniels, still with the Center of Magical Studies based in Austin. This is Dr. Nichols. We are experts in transformation powers ¡ªas far as the term ¡®expert¡¯ can even be applied. I appreciate that you didn¡¯t initially want to talk to us and I wanted to thank you for agreeing anyway. We have crossed the ocean to see you, haha.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t reply. She found it much easier to remain quiet as an Aszhii anyway. Maybe they weren¡¯t that big on talking, as a species.

    Nah Sereth was a complete blabbermouth.

    Maybe she should play nice. Ragnarok had asked and Nestra owed the old woman some help. She was a good person.

    ¡°Yesss?¡±

    ¡°Right. Let¡¯s not waste anymore of your time. We have a few questions if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Nestra gestured that they may ask.

    ¡°Your power is very unusual. Many transformations lead to bipedal hybrids but you are the first and so far only pure, fully humanoid one. That makes you an interesting reference, a halfway point should we say. Are you familiar with transformation powers? Beyond your own.¡±

    ¡°Not really. Basic research only.¡±

    ¡°Right. The first transformation is usually considered an extremely traumatic event by most participants. How would you describe your own?¡±

    ¡°Not very painful. Scary and confusing.¡±

    ¡°I see. And if I may ask, was there any collateral damage?¡±

    ¡°Damage?¡±

    ¡°For the first transformation. Most losses and damage normally occur during and immediately after the first transformation while the user¡¯s control is at the lowest.¡±

    He smiled a bit more.

    ¡°Users will be confused, we understand. In pain. It leads to poor judgment, a perfectly normal reaction of course.¡±

    ¡°No damage. I was home.¡±

    ¡°I see, I see. So you didn¡¯t leave your home during the first transformation?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Did you perhaps have any memory lapse? Moment where the world felt unreal or that the transformation was happening to someone else? Unexplained movements through the house while you didn¡¯t remember how you got there?¡±

    ¡°No. I was conscious. Afraid and confused but conscious.¡±

    ¡°I see. Have you felt instincts that you would qualify as inhuman while in your transformed shape? Something that you wouldn¡¯t do normally?¡±

    ¡°Eeh¡­ Raw meat.¡±

    ¡°Eating raw meat?¡± Daniels asked with sudden interest.

    Nichols shivered. His terror was so obvious Nestra could smell it. He was perspiring heavily as well.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°What sort of meat?¡±

    ¡°Monster.¡±

    ¡°Monster meat?¡±

    ¡°Yes. With tabasco.¡±

    ¡°With tabasco¡­¡± Daniels whispered, seemingly confused.

    ¡°Have you had any desire for human flesh?¡± Nichols asked with undisguised horror.

    ¡°What the fuck is that sort of question?¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Daniels said. ¡°What my colleague wanted to know is if some of your instincts push you to favor one particular kind of meat.¡±

    ¡°No. Variety. And not just protein. I mentioned raw meat because I normally dislike it. Upsets my stomach.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t like where this was going. Those people¡­ were they really researchers? What the hell were they researching? Those questions were so loaded.

    ¡°Changing topics,¡± Daniels continued. ¡°What do demons evoke for you?¡±

    That caught Nestra off guard.

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°As you might know, transformation powers stem from a strong familiarity with mysticism, an obsession with mythology, or shamanic traditions. Most of those who transform were already intimately familiar with what we call a localized Jungian archetype, the local interpretation of a myth like the werewolf or the jaguar warrior. Hmmm.¡±

    He drank a bit of coffee. He was carefully handling the flow of the conversation in a way that made Nestra suspicious.

    Maybe he was just good at conducting interviews. Was she growing paranoid again? She resisted the urge to fidget. She could always jump back through the wall but light users were stupidly fast¡­

    ¡°So I was wondering if you had any ideas about what a demon is, according to any mythology? It is present in Japanese Shinto faith as Oni, or Chinese tradition as Mo. There is also the Christian faith, naturally¡­¡±

    He waited for her reaction.

    Honestly, Nestra was stumped. Her parents had been so uncomfortable about faith growing up that their awkward ¡®well of course you can believe whatever you want sweetie¡¯ just led to a general sense of disinterest. That wasn¡¯t what the two assholes wanted to hear, though. If she were really a human gleam, then she absolutely had to be familiar with demons to take the guise of one.

    Nestra picked one of her favorite childhood cartoons, a twenty-years old story about angels coming to help a post-incursion mankind by binding with random children. In retrospect it had been a sort of coping story for kids who felt powerless in a hostile world.

    ¡°Hmm. Cartoons actually. I really liked Neressa from ¡®Light as a Feather¡¯.¡±

    She¡¯d been an ambiguous devil character who frequently helped the good side. She also used a sword and didn¡¯t take shit from anybody. Definitely a good role model for Nestra.

    ¡°I see. A cartoon character. I see, I see.¡±

    They didn¡¯t look like they were buying it.

    ¡°Do the urges you feel while transformed also impact your human form?¡±

    Another loaded question. One that implied urges to begin with.

    ¡°No strong urge while transformed. Better battle instincts though.¡±

    ¡°Do you ever feel a compulsion to, shall we say, transgress? Demons are often seen as creatures that oppose the laws of heaven, the status quo and fatherly authority. They are rebels, at least in the Christian tradition.¡±

    Nestra shrugged. Those guys were just weird. What sort of question was that? Were they not interested in her powers or some such? It felt like being interrogated by an expert who was trying to build a case against her mental health.

    ¡°Not really, no. It¡¯s about freedom and hunting monsters.¡±

    ¡°No urge to commit crimes for example?¡±

    Nestra shook her head.

    ¡°Yet you were registered for the first time as C-class. Unless you were C-class to begin with, that means you were illegally raiding for an extended period of time, right?¡±

    ¡°That was a conscious decision to get the best anonymity protection as a masked gleam,¡± Nestra deadpanned. ¡°And I was punished for it.¡±

    ¡°You made a conscious decision to break the law?¡±

    ¡°Yes. To avoid situations such as this one, but you would also know about my civilian identity,¡± Nestra finished.

    ¡°I see, I see.¡±

    Nichols was furiously writing something on a freshly pulled datasheet. Nestra had a bad feeling about this.

    ¡°Tell me, how do you interpret the notion of sin?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t answer theological questionssss,¡± Nestra said, losing patience.

    ¡°Please, it is important for our research. Indulge us?¡±

    Nestra considered her options.

    Fuck it, they weren¡¯t going to advance the cause of science with her anyway.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps we should return to it later¡­ or not at all! Our purpose is not to make you uncomfortable,¡± Daniels continued with his trademarked winning smile. ¡°Would you mind talking about your monster hunting experience?¡±

    It was a raider¡¯s favorite topic, at least before the first big losses. Nestra wasn¡¯t having it though.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think your line of questioning aligns with any research I¡¯d like to be a part of. I am leaving.¡±

    ¡°No please, we could also just listen to your experience. It¡¯s valuable data.¡±

    ¡°No thanks.¡±

    ¡°Alright, one last thing before you leave. Your superior gave us authorization to get a few samples¡­¡±

    Nichols grabbed a black bag from next to his seat, revealing syringes.

    Hell no.

    ¡°No one can give that authorization but me. No.¡±

    ¡°Please, this is important.¡±

    Nestra was done. She stood up, and so did Daniels. His mana flared.

    His jaw locked in a sign of anger she¡¯d seen before, as a cop. She turned to the side, offering her left flank. Void mana pooled in her hand.

    Their eyes met.

    Daniels relaxed so fast it was uncanny. He gave her one last smile.

    ¡°Regrettable, but I understand. Thank you for your help so far. Goodbye, Miss Crescent.¡±

    Nestra left the room without turning her back. What the fuck had Ragnarok unleashed upon her. A ten minute dive in depths of the internet brought her an answer, and she sent Ragnarok a furious reply.

    ¡°You set me up with fundamentalists! Daniels works for a lobby that seeks to regulate transformation gleams. He wants to create ghettos!¡±

    The answer was instant.

    ¡°Yes? I assumed you followed transformation-related news? What I said about him being influential was correct. I assumed you knew and that was why you were reluctant to talk to him.¡±

    Fuck, it was Nestra¡¯s problem for not working on her cover more a bit more.

    ¡°I don¡¯t follow international news,¡± she sent back.

    ¡°That is not my problem. Your passport has been delivered to your house. You¡¯re flying tomorrow. Good luck.¡±

    So it was happening, and quickly too. She chased Daniels from her mind for now. He couldn¡¯t do anything to her that she couldn¡¯t agree to.

    She was going to become a gleam.

    If everything went well.

 Part 58

    The fateful day had come. Nestra¡¯s plane was set to depart at 2PM but for some inane reason, the private company in charge of transport insisted that she came at 10, which meant catching the tail end of rush hour. Not only that, but the small airport¡¯s admin staff spent most of the time triple checking that her passport and visa were in order. Maybe it had something to do with last minute calls or maybe it was standard fare. She¡¯d never traveled to Europe before so she couldn¡¯t be sure. That left her with too much time hanging around a lightly populated terminal watching rich Thresholders board reinforced airliners to destinations unknown.

    Contrary to the old airliners she¡¯d seen in pre-Incursion vids, modern planes were sleeker, faster, and sharper to accommodate exotic platings and countermeasures. The planes were unarmed but they did have tools to survive, the most prominent of which was speed. Watching those majestic beasts take off was an inspiring reminder of mankind¡¯s resilience that awed Nestra for all of five minutes before boredom set in. An early lunch occupied another half an hour and then it was time to reply to texts and doomscroll the latest news. All of her family (except Ulysses) had sent her supportive texts. Some of the senior members of the House had also sent their encouragement. She replied to all of them and also to Stibbs and even Doctor Mazingwe with promises that yes she¡¯d set an appointment as soon as she was back. Valerian remained a cause for concern. He was definitely not feeling too chuffed about his family breathing down on his neck, but as he¡¯d said, he wasn¡¯t in any sort of danger so Nestra accepted that it would be something for when she came back.

    Aunt Claire found her bored to tears at 1:30, not too long before the boarding time would begin.

    ¡°Where were you? I thought you might miss the flight!¡± Nestra reproached.

    ¡°What do you mean, darling? I¡¯m well in advance this time. I could even fly out and grab you new shoes and still make it.¡±

    Aunt Claire was wearing a colorful designer dress ensemble that remained sensible yet still caught the gaze, especially with her bare scarred shoulders. By contrast, Nestra was wearing a tank top with thick trousers while her deep green coat was rolled over her cabin luggage. It was much colder in Switzerland at the edge of October.

    ¡°You have boots?¡± Claire exclaimed.

    ¡°Yeah? It might rain in Zurich.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry. If it looks like I might walk in a puddle I might just¡­ hover. You¡¯re here early darling. Nervous?¡±

    It turned out that only Nestra had to go through all those hurdles. Not only was Aunt Claire in the clear by default, she was a kind of VIP in Switzerland. She had a permanent investor resident permit that meant she was, for custom¡¯s purposes, a citizen of the Canton of Zurich.

    ¡°You?¡± Nestra asked, shocked to her core. ¡°A member in good standing of Society? An investor?¡±

    ¡°I know, I know. It looks like I¡¯ve joined the Great Capital. But to my defense, I had no choice if I wanted to move science forward. It¡¯s the kind of world we live in.¡±

    She brushed a fake tear from her eye.

    ¡°If it¡¯s any comfort I¡¯m still working so that means I¡¯m not a rent seeker.¡±

    ¡°Riel forbid.¡±

    Nestra remained mostly quiet until they were called to the boarding gate. The queue was fairly small and made of equal part corpo exec augs and admin gleams. As far as Nestra could tell, Aunt Claire was the only true raider. The rest might have dallied at some point though. A dusky-skinned young man did a double take when he spotted Aunt Claire, his expression one of sudden terror.

    ¡°An acquaintance?¡± Nestra whispered.

    Aunt Claire replied with the loud kind of voice that showed exactly how little of a shit she gave.

    ¡°I attended a factory protest against his family due to appalling work conditions. When his father showed up, he called them all sheep and claimed he was a wolf that would teach them their place by force if necessary so I beat the crap out of him. Don¡¯t worry though, I don¡¯t punch down. The kid¡¯s safe.¡±

    Nestra nodded wisely. There were a lot of people convinced that ¡®Might makes Right¡¯ who¡¯d changed their tune after meeting Claire. Turns out that it¡¯s a less desirable system when you¡¯re at the short end of it. Despite her misgivings, the two of them boarded the plane without police intervention of any kind. Inside, Nestra found luxury she would have never expected from her previous experience with military transports.

    Cream seats, sleek lines, ample room, the plane was a sanctum of quiet luxury, dark and intimate while windows let in a filtered light. Nestra almost felt like an intruder sitting her pleb ass on the upholstery. At least she wasn¡¯t sweating. A flute of bubbly popped up from a recess. She took a sip. It was pretty nice.

    ¡°There are crackers in the other box. You can ask for refills as well,¡± Aunt Claire said without looking.

    They waited for technical checkups as well as a slow trickle of late arrivals. There were no more than thirty seats here but it looked like they would be mostly filled. Nestra squirmed a bit. She was feeling curious.

    ¡°So¡­ can I ask?¡±

    Aunt Claire looked up from her paper book. She was so old school in many ways.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to ask why. You know why.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m your top two favorite niece?¡±

    Aunt Claire chuckled.

    ¡°You jest, but I may have more nieces back in the old country. You know your mother and I come from the United States?¡±

    ¡°Barely since you never talk about it.¡±

    ¡°Right. Anyway, I did it because I love you and I didn¡¯t want to watch you suffer those cravings until you died and then Debbie and I would have had to bury you. It¡¯s not right for a parent to bury their child, Nestra. I hope you never have to do it.¡±

    She frowned, lost in memories. Nestra remained quiet until Claire shook her head.

    ¡°But let¡¯s not dwell on that, especially since it looks like you¡¯re all going to be raiders¡­ as to how, it started with an internet research. So, there have been core wounds in the past decades but very few of them, and many slowly healed over time so it was just considered a debilitating injury that nothing could be done about. But I did find an article from the University of Zurich from a couple years before about the possibility of¡­ core melds. They call it that. Essentially, damaged cores are like cracked marbles if I simplify it very, very much. The cracks will be reabsorbed over time while the mind must heal as well. I read reports about the feeling of the cracked core. They made it sound like it was an intensely traumatic experience. The idea Doctor Fehr had was to extract the pure mana essence from a similar core to be used as a, hmm, mortar I guess? Or scar tissue. The essence would be liquefied and captured by an extremely complex process involving several types of mana, then reinjected in the damaged core. While it would not heal the gleam right away because it¡¯s not their mana yet, it would bypass the longest part of the recovery process. Like¡­ just having surgery and then immediately going to reeducation without having to wait for everything to fuse back together.¡±

    ¡°You mean like broken bones?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that. So, the thing is, it was a bit of a fringe thing when I asked five years ago, with Doctor Fehr struggling to get funding. So I asked him if it could be used on you and he was hesitant because, well, he can¡¯t grow a core from nothing. I did get him your medical files with your mom¡¯s approval and he said it looked like your core was just missing, not that it had never existed.¡±

    Aunt Claire hesitated.

    ¡°Sorry maybe I should have asked you but I didn''t want to give you false hope.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok. You had access to them before anyway so it¡¯s not like it was a new thing.¡±

    ¡°Right. So Doctor Fehr said it should work provided we got a core with an almost perfect mix for you. The thing is, for most B-classes, they have a large amount of mana available so there is time to balance the mix but with your mix variables must be under a level that¡­aaaaand that¡¯s technical details you don¡¯t need to know.¡±

    The discussion was interrupted briefly while the plane moved, then promptly took off. Nestra was pushed against the back of her seat by the acceleration. No wonder the nice steward had asked her to return the flute of bubbly. It just kept going for a long time too. That plane was really, really fast. Faster than a gunship by orders of magnitude.

    ¡°So anyway, I offered to fund his initial research and testing into the liquefaction process. It was a very long and costly endeavor. We actually created a company with me as the director to get it started, hence why I got the resident permit. Since then, Doctor Fehr published his findings and we got a lot of coverage in the high gleam world. You¡¯ll actually be the sixth surgery. All of the others were mostly successful.¡±

    ¡°Mostly?¡±

    ¡°Not all cores were fully repaired, though all of them got vastly improved. It doesn¡¯t matter for you since your missing core will be tiny and immaterial so it should be remade without issues. Anyway, things have turned out pretty well and your old aunt is helping a lot of high gleams with her capitalistic project.¡±

    ¡°Ok I¡¯m actually very impressed. Not to mention grateful of course. By the way, when does the plane stop accelerating?¡± Nestra asked.

    Aunt Claire pointed outside with a very pleased grin.

    The blue of the earth turned darker, and Nestra¡¯s mind was captured until all she could see was the vast expanse of sky turn to night blue, an Ombr¨¦ going from the sea to the horizon, and then to the limit of the atmosphere. Nestra drank the sight and the darkness with a strange longing. It felt so¡­ peaceful here.

    She gripped her seat with sudden alarm. She¡¯d been on the verge of losing her mask without realizing it. A moment later, her concerns were washed away when the disturbing feeling of her bladder going up distracted her. Blonde hair puffed around her head. She turned to a purely happy Claire, her wild brown mop even wilder now.

    ¡°I¡¯ll never get tired of it,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to the lavatories,¡± Nestra said, but really she just wanted to be free.

    ¡°You know you can just move around the cabin, no need for excuses. Heck, you can just go grab a snack in the back. Try it!¡±

    Nestra felt so liberated without gravity. She grabbed the edge of her seat to move herself forward, cruising through the air like¡­ actually was this how Sashimi always felt? This was so nice! She twirled nicely through the air until she was upside down though was it really upside down? There were no such directions in space.

    She horsed around at the back of the plane next to a stewardess who was doing her very best to ignore her. Nestra was granted two extra bags of snacks which she pocketed with a thank you, then back to her seat it was fifteen minutes later since they were going to leave the no-gravity part of the flight. She tried to get the jump on Aunt Claire by crawling up the ceiling like a blonde xenomorph but it didn¡¯t work on the B-class.

    ¡°Is this really your first time in near space?¡± Claire asked, visibly confused.

    ¡°I think so?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re remarkably gifted when it comes to moving here, you know? I expected I¡¯d have to nab you from the air. Not that it¡¯s the kind of skill that¡¯s useful in a resume but¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just fun,¡± Nestra said.

    Might be an Aszhii thing. Unfortunately, the plane started its descent and Nestra had to get her seatbelt on. It had only been half an hour since the start of the trip. It would take more time accelerating and decelerating than just crossing most of the distance between the two cities.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    Stress returned with gravity. Nestra had one bag of snacks and then it was the reentry, the bottom of the plane shining beautifully through the reinforced windows. First came clouds, thick and fluffy, and then mountains. The light of the early morning shone on them at an angle that cast long shadows over the land.

    Nestra sighed with pleasure. Those were not the volcanic protuberances of the Threshold continent, but actual old mountains bearing the bones of the earth. They were absolutely titanic, green, and topped with snow. She¡¯d never touched natural earth snow before.

    It was kind of nice to see there were still so many exciting places to see that wouldn¡¯t have her go through a portal.

    After the mountains came fields, long square ones now dull from the harvest, but still a pre-Incursion vista at first before she could spot the damage. Several of the fields were burnt beyond recognition, or crossed by the scars of large battles. There were no isolated villages either, only moving convoys around large machines she could see as the plane went lower. The plane crossed tall walls and landed immediately after.

    Nestra was still watching the distant low town topped with the pointy roofs of old churches right before they disappeared behind a forest. The inside of the city fortress was heavily forested.

    ¡°Don¡¯t they miss portals?¡± Nestra wondered.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°How can they keep this much area under control?¡±

    ¡°There are fewer portals and a lot of hikers. The area around the lake is a bit of a cold zone but the fields are rife with monsters and breaches. Switzerland doesn¡¯t have guilds per se. They use different squadrons of dragoons who receive rewards on performance to¡­ keep the gleams motivated.¡±

    There was resignation in her voice, but after a while, she shrugged.

    ¡°I suppose I¡¯m the same since I just use a ton of money to do what I want. In any case, the dragoons and citizen vigilance keeps the city protected. It¡¯s in the fields that the hunting happens. Ah, we¡¯re almost at the terminal.¡±

    Nestra¡¯s trip through customs was fast and efficient. The dour border guard just asked her why she was here and nodded along when she replied it was for a medical procedure. Aunt Claire didn¡¯t even have to do anything. She just beeped her way through the security gate with her fancy residence permit. It was absolutely insane seeing her as a respectable member of any society. Fuck, she was even courteous with the police people. Was it like¡­ a vacation from being an unmanageable hellion? Did she just appreciate being proper as a novelty?

    ¡°How come you¡¯re acting so much unlike yourself?¡± Nestra whispered, full of fear at this surprising twist.

    ¡°Well for one the canton of Zurich is a vibrant democracy not being slowly cornered by a bunch of dickless corpo vultures circling an entrenched cynical politician. I find the contrast refreshing. And second, they have the world¡¯s best chocolate ice cream in that place I like and I¡¯ll be damned if I allow myself to get banned.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    Nestra picked up her luggage, then they had a nice early breakfast at an airport lounge after purchasing a telecom plan for Nestra.

    ¡°Twelve credits for a cappuccino?¡± Nestra grumbled. ¡°What the fuck?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a Swiss airport darling. Just be grateful you didn¡¯t try the steak.¡±

    Unwilling to trade her liver for a sirloin, Nestra followed her aunt to the nearby train station. The sky outside was gray and sad, and her visor confirmed it was only 8:30 AM local time. The weather was cold and damp, but not in the oppressive ocean-side manner of Threshold. It was more drafty too. Sometimes, a puff of wind brought an enticing smell.

    ¡°Sweet chestnuts,¡± Claire said with a smile. ¡°We¡¯ll get you some later.¡±

    It was a brief antigrav taxi trip to the train station. Zurich was old in the way Nestra had difficulties processing. Some of the brutalist architecture of the post-Incursion year had survived alongside sleeker, more modern designs but there were also buildings that were centuries old. Centuries! And they were still standing, with like, stones and everything. It was also incredibly clean in a way that made Nestra envious.

    The train station itself was a huge hangar behind a stone facade, a remnant of a happier past when trains had been far more numerous. Only two lanes were still in use, so the place felt remarkably empty. The train itself was just a tube. It wasn¡¯t fortified in the slightest! It was fairly short too, only seven cars long.

    It would travel through a very, very, very long narrow tunnel. That was why they couldn¡¯t grow portals, or at least not for long.

    ¡°Were those dug by machines?¡± Nestra wondered as they waited

    ¡°Machines backed by earth mana powers. Not like mine though. Mine are exciting powers.¡±

    Nestra frowned.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Well to dig those they used boring powers.¡±

    Nestra groaned. Aunt Claire leaned forward until her stupid face was fingers away from Nestra¡¯s own like some sort of bargain bin supervillain.

    ¡°Boring powers, Nestra.¡±

    ¡°Just let me be a gleam so I can sock you in the jaw.¡±

    The train was another fancy thing Nestra didn¡¯t want to check the price tag of. They even had a pretty decent restaurant for what would be tea time for her. The other passengers wore clothes in a fashion Nestra didn¡¯t recognize. Mostly, they kept to themselves. There were no raiders in the lot either.

    The trip was fairly short and entirely underground. Nestra emerged from the train craving sunlight. Her internal clock said it should be near late afternoon by now but the sun was high above when they emerged from the Jungfraujoch Station.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    She was on another planet.

    Well, not really, but it felt that way overlooking a glacier, a massive peak a short distance. There was only snow around, and she finally got some use out of her heavy coat. Half-buried structures dotted the landscape.

    ¡°Research labs and army folks used this place shortly after the Incursion,¡± Aunt Claire explained over the howling wind. ¡°Now it¡¯s great for secluded projects and discerning customers. Over there,¡± Aunt Claire said.

    She grabbed Nestra and flew them all the way to a distant building, ignoring the available jetskis. It gave Nestra action vid evil lair vibes she was actually enjoying, a good distraction. It only lasted until they went through a safety gate half-buried in ice.

    Time to face the music.

    *******

    Nestra walked into the facility with the sort of low stress that came by shutting down your brain before a big exam. She would be terrified if she ever stopped to think for a moment, but she didn¡¯t, and so the stress was running after her, gnawing at her heart yet failing to overwhelm her. The facility was not just clean, it was spotless, all in white colors and sleek lines that were one hundred percent futuristic. She didn¡¯t get the chance to ask Aunt Claire if she¡¯d been part of the design team though, because there was a brown-haired water gleam strutting towards them with a smile.

    ¡°Mrs. Reid. Welcome.¡±

    Nestra missed a step.

    She knew what her mom and Aunt Claire¡¯s last names were, of course. She was just so unused to hearing them that having Aunt Claire called ¡®Mrs Reid¡¯ gave her whiplash. In Threshold the etiquette was to call her just Claire, or Claire of House Palladian, or Claire Palladian for administrative purposes.

    ¡°Mrs. Liburdi,¡± Aunt Claire replied without missing a step. ¡°Is everything ready?¡±

    ¡°Naturally ma¡¯am. We were just waiting for you. If you would give me the core for processing?¡±

    Aunt Claire picked a small black box from her bag, clicking it open with a careful thumb. The core was large and blue, with the occasional yellow arc playing over its surface. It was pretty big as well.

    Hidden, the Aszhii part of her wanted to eat it. It looked delicious.

    ¡°Thank you. I will take it from here. Doctor Fehr is waiting for you in the operation theater. Everything is ready.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Nestra nervously chuckled as they walked through tastefully decorated corridors that vaguely smelled of jasmine. ¡°No queues?¡±

    Seriously, this place was more like a luxury spa than a hospital.

    ¡°This is a high end therapy place for gleams, Nestra dear. And I own it. Of course we won¡¯t wait.¡±

    After knocking, they entered a spacious room with a secluded changing spot and an array of testing machines. A tall white gleam waited in impeccable white scrubs. A heavy visor hung from his neck, so heavy that it had to be the equivalent of an aug suite. He also had a black sleeve which she recognized as a tactile interface. His eyes were the same pale blue as Camille¡¯s. She could feel he was C-class but it took her so long to detect his mana that she thought there might be an issue. His control was amazing for someone who was clearly not a raider.

    He was also kind of ugly with a forehead so prominent it felt like it was over half of his head. The thin layer of brown hair at the top like grass growing at the summit of a hill didn¡¯t help with the evil genius vibes he had going.

    ¡°Doctor Fehr,¡± Claire greeted with familiarity.

    ¡°Director Reid. Welcome.¡±

    His voice was cold and polite, though there was a respect in the way he inclined his head that really changed how Nestra thought about Claire.

    ¡°Director¡­¡± she repeated, testing the word against a lifetime of preconceived ideas.

    ¡°Your aunt owns this facility at a ratio of 83%, to be precise, thanks to a repeated wave of investments,¡± Doctor Fehr explained.

    ¡°Cost me a fortune but I¡¯ve never been really good with money,¡± Aunt Claire joked.

    Doctor Fehr smiled thinly. Again, it felt genuine and respectful.

    ¡°Despite your aunt¡¯s self-deprecating humor, I can assure you that the facility is doing very well. We are four operations away from recouping all of our costs.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Nestra said. ¡°Isn¡¯t it like¡­ several million credits?¡± she asked.

    Aunt Claire made ¡®no¡¯ gestures but her apparent minion didn¡¯t comply.

    ¡°What is 1.5 million francs when it saves twenty years of painful recovery? Most B-rank raiders generate that wealth in six months or less, even without pushing themselves. I must credit your aunt for trusting in me, after all, and also for coming up with the air-based isolation process necessary to safely transfer the liquified essence to the core. We have named the spell after her.¡±

    ¡°Oh, stop it you. Now I¡¯m sounding respectable.¡±

    ¡°Damn, Clecle, I owe you big time,¡± Nestra admitted again.

    ¡°You do. Now enough flattery!¡±

    "Nat¨¹rlich, Direktor. Young Palladian, please come here for the last test. Just a formality.¡±

    Nestra placed her hands on two panels of a nearby machine. She received a mana jolt and heard a beep. A screen appeared, revealing very low values. Everything was close to zero.

    ¡°Hmmm. Is that bad?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. This machine is calibrated for B-rank raiders, yet it is also quite precise. I am merely confirming what Doctor Mazingwe measured back in your home city with our own equipment. Everything happens to be in order. Now, please get changed over there. Leave your underwear behind as well, if you please.¡±

    There was a small bed and a white pajama and short slip in the secluded spot. Nestra wriggled into those as fast as she could. It made her feel vulnerable. Outside, the gleams waited patiently. Aunt Claire had folded arms, which was an unusual sign of nervousness. Next, Doctor Fehr had Nestra stand in a sort of tube linked to a bulbous robot that made her feel like she was about to be microwaved.

    ¡°I can confirm damage and scarring in the spot where your core ought to be.¡±

    ¡°Was she attacked?¡± Aunt Claire asked, suddenly concerned.

    ¡°I am unable to say, but it must have happened a very long time ago. Now, if you would proceed to the surgery room?¡±

    That was it. Nestra was left to step into a mostly empty room under a bright light. A large white bed occupied the center. The walls were gray and high. Meanwhile, the entire ceiling was taken by a large machine split in several parts. It was whirring when she arrived. Mana flooded it, coming from above.

    Doctor Fehr¡¯s voice came from a microphone. He and Aunt Claire were looking down from a window from a sort of control room. It gave Nestra intense high school flashbacks. The setting was disturbingly like the one where she¡¯d learned she was missing a core. Her heartbeat accelerated. Panic filled her chest.

    ¡°You¡¯re doing fine, sweetie,¡± Aunt Claire said.

    ¡°I apologize for the dry setup Miss Palladian. Unfortunately, this is still an experimental treatment and we do not understand everything yet, thus the seeming overabundance of precautions. We will remain here so as to not interfere with the mana transfer.¡±

    The doors closed. Nestra took a deep breath. Then several more deep breaths.

    ¡°If you could comfortably lie down on the bed, I believe the team¡­ Yes, they are almost done. We are about to begin. Now, when I tell you, I would like you to reach for your mind palace as you were trained to do. If you cannot do so quickly, do not be alarmed. There is no rush. A robot will inject you with a drug that will assist you in this endeavor.¡±

    Nestra didn''t react when a robotic arm lowered itself, then jabbed a needle in her arm. It was very quick and precise and she barely felt a sting. A deep sensation of dissociation suddenly overcame her, like she was looking at herself from afar and not really recognizing her own body.

    ¡°You may enter your mind palace at your convenience.¡±

    It was incredibly easy to do so, even more so than when she was dreaming. The palace was the same as always, an empty hall around a pedestal where the core should be, then a door to the left leading to the planetarium of skills and two to the right leading the the resistances and false core rooms, respectively.

    ¡°I am there.¡±

    ¡°Immersion confirmed. That was very fast. Well done. Now we will slowly inject the liquid essence. You should feel a presence or intrusion. What I need you to do is to accept and guide it to the spot where you believe your core must be. Can you do this for me?¡±

    ¡°I will do my best.¡±

    ¡°Core processed. Beginning phase 3. Miss Palladian, you should feel it¡­ now.¡±

    And she did. There was something pulsing, pushing above her. It was a lance of pure energy that could destroy her, but it was also perfectly contained. Like lightning in a bottle. She felt that dangerous mix fall over her, but it was searching blindly as well. She felt like she could draw it in. She hesitantly reached for the tip.

    ¡°Response detected. You¡¯re doing fantastic, young Palladian. Now guide it¡­ that¡¯s right.¡±

    The tip lowered towards her until she could see it inside of the mind palace. Again, Nestra felt there was no way she could touch this without exploding and yet it somehow obeyed her command. Finally, she could see it. It was blue and yellow and moving incredibly fast inside the tightly controlled shape of an arrow. A last look around confirmed that all the doors to her Aszhii self were shut tight. Satisfied, she pushed it down.

    On the bed, she felt her body spasm.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Aunt Claire demanded.

    ¡°Slight overload since the base core value is zero. This is expected,¡± Doctor Fehr said. ¡°Look, the transfer is beginning.¡±

    And it was. Where her core was to be, the arrow was now undoing itself, spreading in the spherical space like a hose suddenly opened. The tip was gone now, but a wily tube connected the core spot to the outside. It was jumping around with little control. Nestra tried to grab it to keep it calm but it was difficult, again, as if she were trying to hold something several times her size. She felt something strange in her chest at the same time, like a warmth, like a phantom pain disappearing she¡¯d never even known was there to begin with. She took deep breaths. It was an amazing sensation. Moreover, the mana actually stayed in the right spot instead of leaking towards the planetarium. It was working!

    ¡°Transfer in progress¡­ you are doing fantastic young Palladian. Keep doing what you are doing. You absolutely must not stop.¡±

    Nestra wouldn¡¯t have stopped if Riel had returned from the beyond to beg her with teary eyes. It felt absolutely amazing. The energy kept coming in. She wanted more. Before it felt like too much but now it was too little, too slow. She needed more.

    ¡°Can go faster,¡± she mumbled, brain addled by the sensation.

    ¡°Let us play it nice and slow, young Palladian. I assure you that you will get more than you can handle. Careful, mana precipitation imminent. Young Palladian, you might feel a sort of contraction¡­¡±

    The mana in her core pulsed and collapsed on itself in a way that made her panic to death for one brief moment, but instead of an explosion, there was now a quickly rotating sphere where her core ought to be. It was blue and yellow and one of the most beautiful things she¡¯d ever beheld. It was still so fragile though, so she resisted the urge to pull on it. It kept moving on itself while the mana still dispersed around it. Nestra guided more of it until an accretion disk formed over the slowly growing center. Her core was drinking the mana at intense speed.

    ¡°Precipitation¡­ confirmed. Beginning phase four. Miss Palladian, we will now attempt to regrow your core to what it should have been at awakening.¡±

    Nestra barely listened. She was too busy pushing more energy in. She already had a core. Now she was using a trick to safely regrow it not just to basic awakening but to match years of worth of adult level growth. It just kept drinking greedily so she just kept going. The core was as large as a basketball compared to her at first, a sign it was really underfed, but then it was a yoga ball. It kept growing more and more slowly but still, it was growing.

    ¡°Can keep going,¡± she said.

    ¡°Go on sweetie. There¡¯s no way you use all of the core essence anyway. Just take as much as you can,¡± Claire said.

    She sounded so happy. Nestra just kept pushing, again, and again, and again. As time went by though, the draw on the energy arrow faltered. It was going out of control. Her core simply wasn¡¯t drawing that much energy anymore. it wasn¡¯t that hungry. That pissed Nestra off.

    ¡°Take more, dammit!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to slow down the intake now, young Palladian. Keep going as best you can,¡± Doctor Fehr continued.

    Nestra pulled more but she was losing control. She could feel that the space her core could occupy was almost filled now, and it was rotating at a sluggish pace. The tube of power feeding into it was as lively as it had always been but there was simply no space for it to pour into, and it had decreased in size as well. Soon, there was merely a thin line Nestra did her best to keep attached.

    ¡°Incremental progress now. You can keep going, young Palladian.¡±

    But Nestra failed. The thread slipped between her fingers, disappearing up in a spark of unspent mana.

    Her core was here. It was a human core, intimate yet so foreign and surprising. A comforting warmth spread through her chest and then, her entire circuit. Everywhere there had been dull pain and then numbness, now there was plenitude. She felt intensely complete. Whole. For a moment, she basked in the scene of the quiet core revolving in the now illuminated room. It was D-class for sure, though far too big for someone who had just awakened. And it was hers. It was her essence, revived at last.

    Nestra opened her eyes. She sat down while the voice of Doctor Fehr quietly concluded from above.

    ¡°Operation successful. Core at 98% maximum capacity. The rest will regenerate by itself.¡±

    Aunt Claire burst into the room. She grabbed Nestra by the shoulder, tears dripping on her cheeks. Her smile was so pure it was almost intimidating. The raider grabbed something from her bag: a mirror. She presented it to Nestra who checked her face.

    The gray of her iris was gone. Instead, there was a cold azure band coursed by yellow bolts.

    ¡°Well I¡¯m a gleam now.¡±

    Aunt Claire hugged her and Nestra allowed herself a sigh of happiness.

 Part 59: Find out.

    Nestra pulled mana from her brand new, fully human, fully functional and ¡®definitely here and not a figment of her imagination¡¯ core. It was¡­ difficult. Her experience pulling void mana helped, of course, but the human thing was different. This core was nebulous and immaterial like her true one used to be, a potential more than a real generator. It made the process slow and deliberate.

    First, she had to select one type out of two, which was already a headache because she¡¯d awoken both at once. Her core pulsed, ready to fulfill its function but unfamiliar yet ¡ª like having a new limb. It was all functional but she just had to manually think about every step. Focusing, she went for it.

    Electricity was wild and fast ¡ª almost as fast as void. It was the thunderous path of least resistance, a tension released, a balance restored, and the destruction of everything in its path. It was also, on a more abstract level, speed and energy. She could understand it because the fake core imitated it well. By comparison, ice was slower though not that slow. It was weirdly mixed with something liquid ¡ª somehow, and pretty quiet otherwise. Like it had to act on something whereas electricity existed by itself. On an abstract level, it was still and very insidious. Her mom had mentioned something like that¡­

    Nestra grabbed for ice this time. Slowly, she coaxed the power out of the core and into her circuit, first through her chest and along her arm, and then to her palm. The mana dispersed harmlessly outward from her open hand.

    She opened her eyes. The bowl of water in front of her froze over, white tendrils visibly expanding from the center. She rubbed her fingers. Nothing. It wasn¡¯t even cold. Another quirk of using one¡¯s own mana.

    ¡°Remarkable.¡±

    Nestra turned to Doctor Fehr, who tapped on a datapad with insane dexterity and speed. The datapad had to be a custom job to accept that kind of input.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Nestra asked.

    Aunt Claire was nearby, looking at the bowl with a smile that hadn¡¯t left her lips for the past half an hour.

    ¡°You are certainly the most powerful awakened I have ever come across by any metrics. If you were not struggling to draw mana, I would have believed that you lost your core while you were a user. Your two affinities are not just unlocked ¡ª you can draw on both of them. Your mana reserves are half as large as that of the average newly ascended C-class. All of your physical abilities indicate that you already unconsciously draw from your mana to enhance your body. You cannot use localized focus yet, however, which is consistent with the awakened. As you mentioned, the experience of a full circuit ¡®quirkie¡¯ must be a factor. Intriguing.¡±

    He tilted his head, considering her file. The localized focus was yet another human thing that her Aszhii self ignored completely. Humans passively reinforced, then altered their body with mana infusion. It was a slow process that took many months of meditation and also the reason why you could shoot a B-class in the head with a large rifle and only mildly inconvenience them. Humans could also overload part or all of their bodies with mana for temporary yet powerful boosts. It was particularly important for defensive frontliners. Her Aszhii self couldn¡¯t do that. To be precise, she didn¡¯t need it. Only very specific techniques like the thunder charge could push her further. Ashzii just seemed stupidly strong. Riel, she didn¡¯t think the lizard people who had invaded the world towards the end of the Incursion could compare. Reports indicated they¡¯d been slightly stronger than humans though much less versatile. The more she thought about it and the more she was thinking that the Aszhii were a menace. It was lucky that, from her understanding, most of them were more interested in cool hunts than in enslaving entire planets.

    Anyway, localized focus. She couldn¡¯t do it yet. It required too much concentration.

    ¡°We will not test meditation and retention as those would require a portal and a monster ¡ª respectively. I think those are not needed, however. Our purpose is achieved. Your usual practitioner can take it from here for the more advanced testing. You are a user, Miss Palladian. Congratulations.¡±

    Despite being already aware of the fact, just getting it mentioned again filled her heart with joy. Finally. Finally! Her core pulsed, brimming with¡­ well no, more like lightly fizzling with energy. But it was hers! Her human mana!

    ¡°Thanks. And thank you, Clecle!¡±

    ¡°Oh you¡¯re welcome sweetie. Debbie is going to be so happy. And Hector, of course. I can¡¯t wait to get back.¡±

    ¡°And you can if you wish,¡± Doctor Fehr said. ¡°Our facilities are at your disposal if you would prefer to rest first, of course.¡±

    Aunt Claire shook her head.

    ¡°I think I¡¯d rather have us sleep in Zurich where the internet is significantly more stable, and also where we can party! It¡¯s such a bummer that the next plane home is in three days¡­ The rest of the family will have to wait. I would rather not try to fly over half the planet myself. Shall we go?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Nestra replied, still not fully daring to believe things had gone without a hitch.

    There were some warm farewells before they left. It was not obviously evident since the doctor and the rest of the staff acted with the sort of professionalism reserved for important investors, but even she could tell they were immensely proud of their success. Nestra followed her aunt out of the hospital and into the cold air with one immediate difference: pulling ice mana made her resistant to the low temperatures. Just that was enough to provoke another surge of joy. Aha! Now snow had no more power over her!

    The second difference happened when she came across the auged train staff: they lowered their eyes when she went by.

    It was subtle but she could tell the difference while they waited for the day¡¯s last train back. The janitors, the employees, even auged soldiers back from a day¡¯s work: they all averted their gaze after the most cursory of inspections. Before, they¡¯d just exchange a polite nod or the likes if their eyes met. Now, they never did. She was both more visible and not to be looked at.

    It was a little weird. Still not enough to ruin her mood, however. Aunt Claire had bought first class tickets next to the restaurant car, and Nestra had some of the most memorable coffees of her existence. It wasn¡¯t good mind you, just memorable. Her first gleam espresso.

    ¡°I¡¯m booking a hotel and a dinner,¡± Aunt Claire said with a massive smile. ¡°Give me a moment. I think your parents will want to call you soon as well but the wifi in here is shit so let¡¯s wait until we¡¯re settled.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing.¡±

    ¡°Send them messages though!¡±

    Nestra took a selfie, which she sent to all of the people who might be interested.

    Ding. Dingdingdingdingding.

    Nestra had to mute her notifications. She switched from one chat to another at full speed, replying to everyone as she could. Her mom tried to call but it didn¡¯t connect, just as Aunt Claire had predicted. She and Dad were ecstatic. Helena couldn¡¯t be contained. Mazingwe replied with a booking time for her first assessment. Stibbs teased her a bit about being a class traitor, her words. Only Sereth didn¡¯t reply, so Nestra just imagined he was out on a raid. There was so much for her to plan, to look forward to. Register. Train. She¡¯d be the oldest awakened in history, technically, and put in the same classes as teenagers and how would that even work? Mom would teach her ice and electricity. Maybe Helena and she could raid together with Helena taking the lead and helping her, this time. She was immersed in a fluffy bubble of happiness, warm and cozy and ignorant of the many travelers moving up and down the carriage. Which is why she didn¡¯t understand when she suddenly had Claire¡¯s waist right in front of her face.

    Nestra looked up. Claire had her hand clamped on a scared commuter¡¯s wrist, a sphere of mana firmly gathered around their locked limbs.

    The commuter was a young woman wearing a surgical mask, which wasn¡¯t unusual for travelers who wanted to avoid sickness or were sick themselves. As far as Nestra could tell she was a baseline, though it was hard to be sure under the unremarkable clothes she was wearing. There was a piece of small gray luggage behind her.

    With a quick gesture, Claire opened a window. The roar of the wind and wheels reverberating in the tunnel drowned every conversation. The sphere of mana turned into a blob, escaping through the opening like a transparent slug. In a smooth motion, Aunt Claire pulled the mask down and the sleeve back. The traveler was wearing a rebreather and a strange contraption on her forearm.

    ¡°What¡¯s that gas you released, and why are you wearing a rebreather?¡±

    The woman replied in what sounded like German. Nestra activated her translator software but only caught ¡®let me go¡¯.

    The woman¡¯s eyes frantically turned towards the front of the train. At first, Nestra had no idea what was going on, but soon she felt one, then two bursts of mana. The train shook with an impact that made the lights flicker.

    ¡°Wait. She tried to poison us?¡± Nestra exclaimed.

    She couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. They were being attacked? Here? Now?

    Aunt Claire slapped the woman unconscious, then her answer was drowned by screams.

    ***

    The straight plunge from cloud nine to survival mode was a long and vertiginous fall, very unique in the way it froze her heart after a noticeable delay. It took a solid second for Nestra to accept that no, this was not a joke, no, she was still a gleam, but yes, she was in great danger. It was happening. It was real. Real and so weird. How dare the world throw her a curveball like this? She thought it was on her side today! What a complete betrayal. She had barely stood before Aunt Claire gripped her by the shoulders.

    ¡°B-class threats. Nestra, go to the back.¡±

    People were standing by now. The noises of deflagration came from the front carriages, as did waves of powerful mana. Meanwhile, the people around her were caught between panic and shock. She had to take control before chaos ensued. She had to help. Nestra took her best cop voice as she stood with a confidence she wasn¡¯t feeling.

    ¡°Right. Please leave your seats and calmly follow me!¡±

    Aunt Claire was already gone. Nestra¡¯s visor suggested a translation.

    ¡°Bitte kommen Sie mit mir!¡±

    Spewing more German that would have made Goethe turn in his grave, Nestra herded civilians towards the restaurant wagon which was mostly empty. The train was noticeably slowing down now though thankfully no one had smashed the breaks. People were muttering and crying but they remained incredibly disciplined. Nestra gave orders for a total of twenty seconds before a tall man in uniform stopped her with a polite, heavily accented request.

    ¡°Thank you. We will take it from here.¡±

    And they did. Soldiers in uniform had the rest of the passengers sit down on the ground with barriers emerging from the ground. The passengers strapped themselves with emergency seatbelts facing backward. Nestra was honestly impressed, but panic resumed when people rushed in from the back. Nestra heard gunshots coming from there. A pincer attack? With gleams and poison gas and guns? That was major for a terrorist attack and it was happening in Switzerland. Switzerland! Nestra¡¯s mind reeled from how bizarre it was.

    The restaurant wagon was getting crowded. A gray-haired aug woman took over by directing the soldiers to the back to give more room for the civilians. Nestra stood by the door, watching all of this unfold and wondering what she ought to do.

    ¡°You, gleam girl. Hello? Gleam girl?¡±

    It took her a few times before realizing someone was talking to her.

    ¡°Hmm? Yes, sorry?¡±

    ¡°Can you fight?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. With guns.¡±

    ¡°You go back with the others. Hold the line. Reinforcements soon.¡±

    A fierce battle was still raging towards the front of the train. Aunt Claire¡¯s specific earth and air mana was easily recognizable against two opponents, signs that the contest was fierce. Nestra was worried but she was also super busy. The next carriage was number eight out of fifteen, if her memory served, and it was empty except for soldiers, two of whom had rifles. She wasn¡¯t sure where they¡¯d found them and she didn¡¯t dare ask for one. There was another gleam too, a young man with the red eyes of a fire user. He was high D-class, short, and very muscular.

    ¡°You. Raider?¡± he asked in poor English.

    ¡°Sorry, no. Police,¡± she said, pointing at herself.

    He looked disappointed.

    ¡°Kom with me, ja? Back. There.¡±

    Nestra had a bad feeling about it, but she had always been about protecting people and that wasn¡¯t going to change today. And besides, there was always the trump card. Who was shooting, anyway? She couldn¡¯t sense any mana. What was going on?

    Fuck, why now?

    What rotten timing.

    Nestra followed the gleam. The soldiers didn¡¯t even consider letting her have the gun which was kind of¡­ ok they couldn¡¯t know she was clear to use one but surely?

    And then it hit her. She wasn¡¯t a cop, not even a foreign cop to them. She was a gleam. Gleams didn¡¯t use firearms. It was just a common fact of life. So they didn¡¯t even think to offer. She pointed at the gun, asking for it in German.

    The soldier shook his head. He looked baffled that she would even ask. The fire gleam was already moving.

    She swore under her breath. There were more gunshots. Spaced. Several shooters and she didn¡¯t like the rhythm. It was coming from two cars away. The dragoon confidently opened the door even though he wasn¡¯t wearing armor, and Nestra followed him to a deserted car cluttered with discarded bags. They were close now.

    ¡°Ready?¡± the guy asked.

    ¡°I have no weapons,¡± Nestra replied.

    ¡°I burn. You cover my back, ja?¡±

    It was a shit idea but¡­ the door banged open and a middle-aged woman fell, tears in her eyes. She quietly choked on her blood in the following seconds. Nestra could see the entry wounds on her back. There was no saving what was left.

    The gleam moved in. Guns roared, at least two. Automatic. He blocked many with a red rotating shield that turned the projectiles to slag and must have been draining his mana in seconds. He dodged left for cover and cut the shield.

    Nestra swore. She jumped after him, pushing him down while the deafening sounds of detonation made her ears ring in the enclosed space. Her eyes caught at least three enemies, two masked guys with guns and an insanely large guy in armor. She was too late. By the time she pulled him to the side, he¡¯d been hit three times and was barely conscious. She hit the deck.

    Those were battle rifles. Train seats, even stacked, couldn¡¯t hope to offer cover. Now what? Was it time?

    To her surprise, someone yelled and the gunfire stopped.

    ¡°Ah, I believe I just spotted Miss Palladian. So kind of you to come to us. Now if you walk slowly out with your hands in the air, I will not have to kneecap you.¡±

    Nestra checked on the gleam. As far as she could tell he was cauterizing his bullet wounds so as to not bleed out which was badass but could also have entirely been avoided by remembering what ¡®cover¡¯ really means. He was clearly out of it, though.

    She was also unarmed and it might just be better if she could get closer, at least to get a good look. And she was curious. They knew her? Were they here for her? Wait, the gas attack, it was targeting them specifically?

    ¡°Do we know each other?¡± Nestra asked, completely stunned.

    She stood. There were four people total. Two were masked riflemen, clearly tense. One was clad in a small construction walker with powered claws so she had no idea what they might be. The last one was a gleam with dark eyes that might have passed for a baseline, the only one with his face uncovered. He was a pretty average pale white guy with a young scion sort of vibe. He was also smiling. The fact he had no mask told her he was planning on killing her.

    The man huffed like she¡¯d told a good joke.

    ¡°No, but it does not matter.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    She could not place his accent. Nordic, maybe.

    ¡°Here is what we are going to do. You will get down on your knees while I film a certain video following which I will execute you. Is there anybody left alive in this car?¡±

    He looked around like he was searching for the best tomato in a pile.

    ¡°This woman is merely unconscious. And there is the would be savior, of course. A dragoon without his blade. You will do as I say and I promise you that they will live. Resist, and you will die anyway, but I will kill them as well.¡±

    ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡±

    ¡°On your knees. Mr Black, are you recording?¡±

    ¡°Ja.¡±

    Nestra obeyed just so she could buy a few precious seconds. Maybe Aunt Claire was on the way? No, she was still fighting.

    Not good.

    ¡°Very well.¡±

    He approached her.

    ¡°Hello dear Palladians. Four days ago, you sent us a message. This message was very rude and angered a lot of very important people. You then returned to the safety of Threshold. Of course, no place is truly safe, but then you did not even consider staying there either. A shame.¡±

    His tone was conversational.

    ¡°So we are going to kill Claire Reid and Clytemnestra Palladian. Why? Because we do not like uppity idiots disturbing our business. We will also do so because it¡¯s costly, pointless, and we like messages too. We are going to kill her because we can and there is nothing you can do to stop us.¡±

    That was it? That. Was. It? The slave auction? Those guys had come here and slaughtered travelers just because they were pissed off at her family shutting down that insult to humanity? And also they were targeting her because she was the easiest one to take down? This was so unbelievably shitty, so petty and cowardly that her first reaction was disbelief. Anger was a close second though and it was going strong. Electricity arced between her fingers, answering her instinctive call. Those cunts. Those absolute wastes of oxygen.

    ¡°Not that you would know but in our business, what I am doing is called a death mark,¡± the gleam said, looking at the camera.

    Nestra grabbed the gun. Her reflexes were fast enough that she managed to push the barrel away from her forehead, though the other gleam¡¯s grip was quite strong. She wasn¡¯t quite sure what level he was but definitely C-class, at the very least. He didn¡¯t fight her, but his gaze traveled to the bleeding gleam.

    ¡°Tsk tsk,¡± he tutted with disapproval.

    The other two had their guns leveled at her chest.

    That was checkmate. Nestra had no choice. Her previous decisions might have led to this moment. It didn¡¯t matter. What mattered was the options she had now. There was only one.

    It made succumbing to the burning fury exploding in her chest that much more pleasant. No need to question her decision. That option had been taken away by her opponents. Now she wasn¡¯t a victim of her own anger.

    She was going to ride it all the way down.

    ¡°In our business, we have a term for what you¡¯re doing as well,¡± she very calmly stated.

    The gleam looked at her, really looked her in the eyes. There was the beginning of a frown that was coming far, far too late.

    ¡°We call you onboard entertainment. HSSSSSS!¡±

    ¡°What the f¡ª?¡±

    ***

    It was because the hitman was very, very good at staying alive that he didn¡¯t try to stand and fight. He ran the instant reality warped, and the fresh and untrained gleam disappeared in favor of a titan of gray skin with eyes like two pools of deepest night. It is also why he didn¡¯t die like Mr Red and Mr Blue, in a shower of blood, gutted by hands covered in void claws. He ran back while the monster peeled back Mr Black¡¯s shell like a lobster, crushing the computer with a ghastly crack. When he raced past the door, he had learned several important things.

    One, the creature was Nestra Palladian, changed. Their faces were the same. Not immediately useful.

    Two, the creature was in control because it had gone out of its way to destroy the walker¡¯s hard drive. Mr Black couldn¡¯t have had the time to send the video as he was taking it, unfortunately.

    Three, the creature was C-class and monstrously powerful. He himself was C-class as well. It wouldn¡¯t matter. He could not hope to prevail against that fucking juggernaut.

    The fourth thing he learned while still sprinting: the creature could warp through walls. He ducked, half instincts, half luck. The thing grabbed a titanic blade from a sheath on her back and sliced as he ducked to the side. The weapon tore through the top of seven seats in a wide arc, sending plastic clutter clattering against his body. Had to get out. From their entry point in the back maybe. Use the stolen tunnel inspection vehicle to escape.

    She was in front of him. Five: she could teleport. What the fuck? He struck with a hidden dagger out of desperation. He needed space.

    She grabbed his wrist. His bones cracked when she slammed him through glass. The train windows. It was very noisy here. She threw him forward.

    Wind in his clothes. She¡¯d aimed for a concrete support beam. The man put his hands in front of him, even the broken one, to soften the blow.

    It didn¡¯t help.

    ***

    Nestra rushed towards the front of the train in her human form. She was holding the wounded dragoon and hoping he wasn¡¯t internally bleeding or something. She made it to the empty wagon before the door burst open and Aunt Claire¡¯s face was only a few centimeters away from her face.

    ¡°Nestra! You¡¯re alright!¡±

    She was gone again. There were no marks on her clothes and she didn¡¯t smell like blood so Claire had managed to fend her opponents off it seemed. Unfortunately, the face reappeared an instant later and it was¡­ perplexed to say the least.

    Nestra tried to move past, but the kind Aunt was suddenly unyielding and there was something unpleasant on her face that reminded Nestra of the last thirty seconds of calm before her mom would raise her voice.

    ¡°Wounded first,¡± Nestra insisted.

    The dragoon was gone, but Aunt Claire was still here.

    ¡°This is not the sort of damage that you could have inflicted. Not to mention it was caused by mana similar to what Helena has. Explanation. Now.¡±

    That was it, again. A continued series of decisions that had led Nestra to this moment. At least she could tell herself that she¡¯d probably saved two people: the fire gleam who would have gone alone, and the survivor the enemy gleam had mentioned.

    Time to face the music.

    ¡°I have a secret but I can¡¯t tell you here where we might be recorded. Please. It¡¯s important,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m obviously blocking all sounds,¡± Claire replied, clearly irritated.

    ¡°Not here, please?¡±

    Two heartbeats, then the top of the train peeled open, then Nestra was traveling through a tunnel upwards that hadn¡¯t existed a moment ago, then she was out in the Swiss night in a snow-covered vale, flying through a breath-stealing cold. Nestra managed to pull some ice mana with some difficulty to make the experience slightly less horrendous. The inside of the train had been rather mild.

    ¡°Fffffuck.¡±

    Aunt Claire unceremoniously dropped her by a large slab of granite emerging from a pile of crystalline snow.

    ¡°Alright. Tell me now,¡± she ordered in a voice that scared Nestra a bit.

    The howling wind forced her to scream her answer. It didn¡¯t make things easier.

    ¡°I have another form. A gleam¡ª¡±

    ¡°Bullshit, I know your file by heart. You can¡¯t be a transformation gleam without a core. You didn¡¯t have a core, so you couldn¡¯t turn. If you were a transformation gleam, you would have turned during your awakening as well. Stop wasting my time.¡±

    Nestra tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

    She was scared. She was so scared. Now, at this point, there was no real way to avoid it. It was both a relief and a deep fear.

    ¡°I do have a different form¡­ but it¡¯s not because I¡¯m a transformation gleam. There is no easy way to say this so I¡¯ll just tell you. I¡¯m not human, sorry.¡±

    Nestra took what might be her last breath, but of course Aunt Claire wouldn¡¯t instantly kill her. Words poured out of Nestra in an uncontrolled torrent.

    ¡°I only found out recently obviously. I didn¡¯t want to hide anything but obviously it¡¯s not something I want to share and I was really worried but ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Nestra what the fuck are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯m an alien. Or a monster, I guess. This is my human form, the one I was born as. I have another one, the true form.¡±

    Claire opened her mouth a few times, but then her next words came flat and emotionless.

    ¡°Show me.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a request.

    Nestra took one last shaky breath.

    ¡°Alright. Here goes.¡±

    The mask fell. Pain came immediately afterward. Nestra was slammed against the slab, throat compressed, arms melting into rock so saturated with Claire¡¯s power that she felt it interfere with her wall jump, though she didn¡¯t make an attempt. She was now looking into amber eyes brushed by a tornado, mouth a thin line. There was none of Claire¡¯s usual mirth here, none of her love. There was just the cold focus of someone who had been killing the enemies of mankind for the past sixty years, one corpse at a time, and kept doing it because she was very good at it. Nestra wasn¡¯t facing her Aunt. She was facing Claire Reid, an elite B-class raider of Threshold. The power in her fingers was oppressive to a level that drowned Nestra¡¯s mind, constricting her windpipe and her hope. Nestra didn¡¯t even want to free herself. Even the instincts that normally drove her to fight like hell were quiet under the avalanche of emotions collapsing on her. A malignant idea slithered in her mind.

    This. This was how most Aszhii whelps die. By forgetting a cuckoo¡¯s mother¡¯s love was a lie. When the cheated family found out, there were no miracles. Just¡­ a balance.

    ¡°One wrong move, one mana pull, and you die,¡± the slayer said.

    ¡°I know,¡± Nestra rasped. ¡°Fuck!¡±

    The fingers moved, but only for Nestra to gulp enough air not to panic too much. She belatedly realized she was gripping Claire¡¯s arms while her legs danced in the air. Claire was shorter but the stone under Nestra¡¯s feet had simply fallen away, taking a layer of ice with it. An ice her Aszhii self couldn¡¯t feel or control, so at least she knew her human affinities had not transferred over. At least not yet.

    ¡®What are you?¡± Claire asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s me! I told you, it¡¯s me. I was like this from birth, ok? Well, not exactly. I didn¡¯t know I had an extra shape. It only popped up shortly after the District Fifteen battle. The first one where I lost my squad.¡±

    ¡°How many of you are there? Who else knows?¡±

    ¡°As far as I understand I¡¯m the only one. Believe it or not but Shinran knows.¡±

    ¡°How did you end up here?¡±

    ¡°Ok, so the males of my species, errr, can take the shape of male people from other races. One of them took dad¡¯s shape and¡­¡±

    Nestra couldn¡¯t bear to finish that sentence. Fortunately, Claire did it for her.

    ¡°Your¡­ gene donor was an alien? And he pulled a Zeus on us?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Essentially. That.¡±

    Claire blinked several times as she processed this information. her eyes roamed over Nestra¡¯s face, either looking for signs of deception or taking in her appearance.

    ¡°How do you even know all this?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t tell you.¡±

    The pressure increased more but Nestra shook her head. This was very unplanned and Sereth had variable rules on who could know things. She couldn¡¯t have Aunt Claire suffer.

    ¡°I really, really, really can¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m telling you all the truth I have but some stuff I don¡¯t know.¡±

    The pressure released again. Maybe a more experienced interrogator would have pulled on that thread until the end but Claire was obviously in shock, and more curious than anything else.

    ¡°You¡¯re claiming you¡¯ve always been like this?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t replace a human Nestra if that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking. It¡¯s always been me from the start.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s my favorite hover race driver?¡± Claire asked.

    ¡°You hate hover racing,¡± Nestra spat.

    Claire released her so Nestra fell heavily at her feet. She rubbed her throat, irrationally annoyed that Claire would be forceful even though she knew her aunt would be justified in killing her there and then.

    ¡°But I¡¯d say you hate Roland Jing the least since he makes other people crash,¡± Nestra added, still pissed.

    ¡°I never said that.¡±

    ¡°You totally did. You also suggested they should add spikes to their repulsors.¡±

    Claire tilted her head to the side. Nestra hammered the nail home.

    ¡°You said they should joust and wear cosplay.¡±

    ¡°Alright. When¡¯s my birthday?¡±

    ¡°August the 18th and it would be nice if you could actually be in Threshold when it happens.¡±

    ¡°I told you I was sorry I was late.¡±

    ¡°I made a cake and everything. I had a reservation.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright. It¡¯s been three years. Jeez.¡±

    ¡°And for the record you got a mole on your lower left buttcheek. There. I¡¯m the person you¡¯ve always known. Satisfied? Now are you killing me for being an alien or what? I would very much like to know before total emotional collapse, thanks in advance.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. Even if¡­ even if it¡¯s all true, you obviously aren¡¯t the guilty party here. And it sounds like you¡¯re my Nestra. I just¡­¡±

    Claire shook her head as she took a few steps back. Her anger went from cold to hot. At least it wasn¡¯t murderous anymore.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me before? Why didn''t you tell us, your family?¡± Aunt Claire asked.

    The hurt and disappointment in her voice was palpable. Nestra could have cared in other circumstances.

    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± she hissed. ¡°Did I miss the part where I was almost dead? You¡¯re the cool aunt and you almost killed me! You move you die kind of deal? You pinned me to the wall like a fucking butterfly! Hello?¡±

    Aunt Claire had this expression of parental disappointment as she opened her mouth to reply, but then Nestra¡¯s words registered and she revealed an emotion that cut like a knife, yet answered Nestra¡¯s dark prayer: guilt. Nestra¡¯s wounded love pounced on it.

    ¡°Yeah great fucking idea let me just tell the other paranoid first gen gleams that I¡¯m an alien with no concrete proof that I didn¡¯t eat and replace myself, the original daughter. After this grand and pleasant revelation, I will proceed to explain to mom that I¡¯m the product of a secret rape and then to dad that he¡¯s not my real father. I can see no way this can ever go wrong.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright, let me think,¡± Claire conceded.

    ¡°What is there to think?¡± Nestra screamed. ¡°You could resurrect fucking Socrates and he wouldn¡¯t find a way to argue it wasn¡¯t anything but a horrible violation. I was horrified and disgusted and I¡¯m the full beneficiary of this grand farce. Oh, wait, I forgot to tell you the part where my species¡¯ children change the reproductive organs of their mothers so they can never have children normally again, so it is because of me that Helena has a weird affinity and health problems.¡±

    ¡°Fuck, Helena. She should be told as well¡­¡± Aunt Claire whispered.

    ¡°I already told her. She thought it was wired,¡± Nestra said, calming down a bit.

    Fuck, she didn¡¯t remember that Aszhii could cry, but apparently this shape maintained functional tear ducts, and they kind were ticklish right now. She sniffed and held it back.

    Aunt Claire didn¡¯t comment. She was lost in thought. For the second time in a row, Nestra felt compelled to fill the silence.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to help her, partly by, errr, raiding with her.¡±

    ¡°Illegally?¡± Claire asked, zeroing on the revelation.

    ¡°Well, not anymore. I actually do legal raids and I can bring apprentices with me. Helena is cleared to raid by her school. She might have just¡­ kinda omitted a few details during her application. Only D-class worlds I swear!¡±

    ¡°How do you even raid looking like this?¡±

    Claire was more curious than anything else at this point.

    ¡°I wear a mask. Duh.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute¡­ you¡¯re Crescent! I heard about you. I was a bit curious too.¡±

    Claire¡¯s voice immediately switched to scolding relative.

    ¡°How dare you drag your sister into a portal without our consent?¡±

    ¡°Oh get off it. I¡¯m a freakishly strong C-rank raider. I only allow her to get a little hurt.¡±

    ¡°So that recent scar on her leg was your doing?¡± Claire said, frowning mightily.

    The silly exaggeration dissipated much of the tension. They were at the scolding part. It was a significant step up from the execution part.

    ¡°Look, she needs to learn. I swear she was never in danger. You should see her fight too. She¡¯s like a lumberjack going to work, just cutting down stuff with brutal efficiency. Just like that. Swing swing. No class, all results.¡±

    ¡°Oh I¡¯ll get to see her work with her parents¡¯ approval. No more secret raids, you absolute menaces. I should ground you two for a month and I¡¯m the rebel.¡±

    Claire caught a smile before it could fully bloom. She sat down heavily on the ground.

    ¡°So¡­ your core?¡±

    ¡°The human one? Cannibalized by the true form so it could survive earth¡¯s low mana concentration.¡±

    ¡°So you were, in a way, attacked.¡±

    ¡°No, it was unconsciously self-inflicted.¡±

    Aunt Claire looked outward. She was checking their surroundings.

    ¡°How do you know all of this?¡± she eventually asked.

    ¡°I already told you I can¡¯t tell you and I beg, beg you not to push me on it. I am absolutely serious. This is a matter of life and death. Please don¡¯t ask me.¡±

    ¡°Are you being threatened?¡±

    ¡°What? No, it¡¯s just for safety and secrecy. Please!¡±

    ¡°Right. Right. Fine.¡±

    Claire sort of deflated there. Nestra looked around at the seemingly peaceful mountains. It was such a nice view too, and it was such an important moment. She could have died here. The sobering realization gave her a sense of distance, like she was hot and cold, afraid and detached.

    ¡°Ok,¡± Claire said after a while. ¡°Well this is certainly a moment. I, errr, I believe you. It¡¯s just¡­¡±

    ¡°A lot to take in? Yeah, can¡¯t blame you there.¡±

    Claire fell silent again. Night had fully fallen by now, but light from distant stars pierced through the clouds to reveal enough colors to tinge the black and white vista with touches of deep blues and green. The cold wind fluffed Nestra¡¯s hair. She touched the snow, realizing she was on one of the peaks she¡¯d wanted to climb back in the plane, two life-changing events before. The natural beauty of the region hadn¡¯t even registered when she¡¯d gone to the clinic because of the stress. Now though, she was in that deep emotional valley after a narrowly dodged catastrophe. Every sight was a striking one.

    Nestra stole a glance towards her aunt. She was rubbing her chin.

    ¡°How does it work with clothes?¡± she asked.

    ¡°So each body is in a sort of dimensional pocket and they swap alongside everything they have on them including weapons. I might even be able to use it as a sort of storage space after it grows further.¡±

    ¡°Huh. That would be so damn convenient during raids. We usually just have to select what we want to take with us if it¡¯s a high level one. I know space nerds are working on storage rings like in the books.¡±

    ¡°Aunt Claire.¡±

    ¡°Hm. What?¡±

    ¡°Not that I want to pressure you or anything but we were just in a major terrorist attack with plenty of civilian fatalities.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I wish I could have saved more of them¡­ but I was very concerned. At first. Those assassin gleams ain¡¯t shit.¡±

    ¡°Right, but my point is, we ran away.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°We ran away from the site of a major terrorist attack,¡± Nestra insisted.

    ¡°Oh. Ooooooooh yeah that might look bad.¡±

    ¡°I think we need to either find the police pronto or, ya know, fly back to Threshold burning villages on the way, pursued by a team of plucky police rookies.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah ok no need for sarcasm. I am so very sorry I ever doubted you were the same person, alright?¡±

    ¡°Cheers mate.¡±

    And so they returned to the train tunnel, which took longer than expected because Aunt Claire had kinda forgotten where they¡¯d come from. The train wasn¡¯t there, naturally, but they did come across a patrol of dragoons by following the tracks, Nestra having changed back to her human form. To her immense and continued surprise, they weren¡¯t arrested on the spot. It turned out that there were plenty of witnesses to both of them helping so they were resolutely on the good guys side. Nestra did explain that they were targeted since she expected law enforcement might find out anyway, even though there had been no witnesses to that specific conversation. None that were still alive anyway. She got the feeling Claire might have been asked about the weird mana marks but it was bad etiquette to inquire about a powerful raider¡¯s secret techniques, and even more so when they¡¯d just saved several dozen citizens at a risk to themselves, and even more so when said raider had torn apart several B-class attackers with no weapon and no armor.

    She got the feeling some of the dragoons were not happy about them though.

    ¡°Did you suspect there might be assassins after you?¡± a B-class in white armor asked her back in Zurich, in a rather comfy interrogation room.

    It was well past midnight by now and Nestra was working on caffeine and leftover excitement. The Zurich office for the dragoons was on the Uetliberg ¡ª which sounded cool but was actually just a small hill. It would have been a very pleasant spot were it not for the whole ¡®I have been arrested yet again¡¯ thing.

    Seriously Nestra had spent more time in an interrogation chair than the average career criminal by now.

    ¡°No sorry it didn¡¯t even remotely register. We were really just here for the medical procedure. Which succeeded!¡±

    The guy hadn¡¯t taken his dragoon hamlet off which she found particularly a little concerning. It was really like a high-tech knight helm, quaint unless it was glaring at her. The interrogator was also very tall in a way that made true Nestra want to come out and play to see what sort of pleasant reaction she could get from the overconfident fucker.

    ¡°I can tell, since you are now an unregistered user on the canton¡¯s territory. A brief exchange with your hierarchy also revealed a peculiar specificity: you are apparently considered a D-class threat back home?¡±

    ¡°Ah, errrr, hmmm. Fuck.¡±

    The dragoon chuckled. Nestra wasn¡¯t sure if it was good or bad.

    ¡°By the way, the guy those augs neutralized? Your colleague? Is he ok?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°He took a few bullets.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes. He made it. You carried him, yes? Obviously he will be disciplined for rushing ahead like an idiot instead of following protocol. Hmmm.¡±

    He made a show of checking the time.

    ¡°That is quite enough bothering you for tonight. I apologize for holding you for so long but we had to double check a few things. I will ask that you do not leave Zurich during the next few days for your own safety, although your Aunt has declined high protection. I will have one of our cars drive you back, Fraulein.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Unfortunately, Nestra¡¯s special day ended with her crashing on her hotel bed.

    ***

    ¡°We¡¯re so happy for you, but obviously very worried as well,¡± mom said at the ass crack of dawn.

    ¡°I should have been there,¡± her dad said, obviously anxious.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok. It was just very unexpected. We will be extra careful and I will be there soon, promise,¡± Nestra replied.

    Her mom grew teary-eyed watching her. Nestra approached the camera so it could zoom on her brand new irises.

    ¡°One of us! One of us!¡± her mom exulted.

    ¡°Aaaah I supposed your mom can have her minion while I teach Ulysses,¡± Dad joked. ¡°She was getting desperate with no one to inherit her evil freezing ways.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry love, she can always electrocute people by blade contact. You¡¯ll get your share too!¡±

    Nestra smiled when Helena entered the room in a whirlwind of exclamations and comments, still in her uniform. It was early afternoon in Threshold so she was probably missing classes if her parents¡¯ half-hearted complaints were any indication.

    A pang of guilt made her joy brittle. Ulysses was not here. He was not here because he thought she was a parasite, and fuck, he was right. They were already planning how they could best help her. Would they still do it if they knew she was a fraud? A parasite, in a way? Would they still love her?

    Aunt Claire was acting silly but she was still¡­ cooler than yesterday. It hurt. More than Nestra was willing to admit. After a couple of minutes, Nestra hung up.

    ¡°Are you alright darling? Were you wounded? I didn¡¯t check,¡± Aunt Claire said, coffee cooling on the table.

    They were in the hotel¡¯s lobby. It was luxurious as hell and the buffet was grandiose, to the extent Nestra was on her third plate. Actually, maybe she could gain weight again here. Had to be a little careful.

    She poked a half-finished pastry.

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s just¡­ what happened yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m being vigilant. Fuck those guys; we¡¯re going to visit Zurich and enjoy it.¡±

    ¡°Not the assassination attempt. The discussion.¡±

    Claire didn¡¯t even mark a pause.

    ¡°Yeah, sorry, I was caught off guard.¡±

    But she was still cool, Nestra thought.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°No it¡¯s nothing. Obviously it would take time for you to accept¡­¡±

    ¡°I already accepted, darling. Even if I¡¯ll have many more questions once we¡¯re back home. I''m just keeping track of our surroundings and preparing for sniper attacks. Just in case. There is a fucker with a rifle in the opposite building but he¡¯s wearing a police uniform I just want to throw a stone at him anyway. What, you thought I was angry? It¡¯s just difficult to be ready for anything but I kind of even want them to try. I can¡¯t believe they baited me and it worked. So pissed at myself, in retrospect. I believe you by the way.¡±

    She was talking very fast. It was barely understandable.

    ¡°Err. More like you did not trust me?¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s you, Nestra. And despite what you¡¯re thinking, you really are your parent¡¯s kid. Face. Mannerisms. Annoying tendency to steal my kills. I hope one day you¡¯ll extend the same trust to them that you extended to me. Why is my coffee cold?¡±

    ¡°It was served fifteen minutes ago.¡±

    ¡°Dammit. Love you, Nes. My little xenoniece.¡±

    ¡°Hush! It¡¯s a secret!¡±

    ¡°No but seriously I¡¯m, like, going to be in history books one day. Maybe I could flash my tits at the mayor for posterity? Could you imagine? Aunt of the first human-alien offspring showing off the ladies at a town hall meeting, 2078, colorized. I¡¯ll be famous forever.¡±

    ¡°Nooooo!¡±

 Part 60 On Boarding

    The tourist guide said that the church had been built in the thirteenth century. That made it, well, close to a millennium old which was absolutely crazy to Nestra. People at that time didn¡¯t even have electricity! They believed in magic! Then science had come and said magic wasn¡¯t real, and then magic had returned and said ¡®no u¡¯.

    That was the extent of what she remembered from her formal education. Threshold¡¯s history program was really focused on Incursion years and less on ancient European stuff. The Grossmunster with its stained glass windows gave her vertigo. There wasn¡¯t anything on the Threshold continent that came close, not even the continent itself. It was older than Sereth. Positively ancient.

    It wasn¡¯t even that big. Two square towers with cupolas at the top. A thick, squarish body. Beige stone that looked like it might crumble any time in the unforgiving light of Zurich¡¯s early morning. Long ago, it must have been awe-inspiring by itself. She remembered visiting the Beacon for the first time when she was six. She¡¯d looked up and the building just kept on, and on, seemingly ad infinitum to her child mind. It had been more than a place. It had been an experience. She assumed it was the same here.

    Nestra had gotten in just to see if she would burst into flames. She hadn¡¯t. It made her think about God though. Back in Threshold, most pre-Incursion religions had some presence though she¡¯d never been interested. Even the Riel swear words were more a matter of respect and tradition than anything else. No one really worshiped him.

    Nestra moved away from the church and closer to one of the two nearby bridges overlooking the Limmat river. The streets were sunny and pleasant, with a light wind. Late workers hurried back and forth in earthy-colored coats. The mood was surprisingly relaxed here, in the older part of town. It gave a strange melancholic mood of what the world might have been without the monsters.

    As before, people avoided her as soon as they met her eyes. Nestra moved closer to Aunt Claire who was leaning over a railing, her dress moving in the wind. Her scars and complete lack of care for the lowish temperatures marked her as a raider so no one bothered her.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to have a look inside?¡±

    ¡°I like churches but I¡¯ve got a problem with the owner,¡± Claire replied without turning.

    Ooooh, an opening. Maybe Claire was vulnerable to surprise questions.

    ¡°Actually, I wanted to ask. What¡¯s with it? Can you tell me now that I¡¯m almost twenty-six?¡±

    ¡°Ask your mom.¡±

    ¡°Ughhhhh.¡±

    Claire sighed. She was wearing sunglasses which was more a stylistic effect than anything else. She took a bite of her fresh falafel and then chewed at accelerated speed in a way that made Nestra wince. She always preferred to slow down to eat.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say, there is a reason why your mom and I were in Australia with your dad when the Incursion began in earnest. You know we come from the United States, originally?¡±

    ¡°Well yeah although I had to forcefully extract that piece of information out of mom.¡±

    ¡°Our parents were very religious. I left home as soon as I could and I returned for Debbie when I heard she was going to get married. Love-bombed by an alcoholic asshole.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean? What about my grandparents? Did they agree?¡±

    ¡°Love-bombing is when someone smothers you with affection and gifts without any sort of respect for your boundaries. You¡¯re expected to accept their genuine adoration since clearly they love you so much and surely you can give up your studies for their happiness, and surely you can spend time with him and not your buddies because you two are so precious. They¡¯ll trap you in a marriage you can¡¯t leave because you have no degree, no friends, and no job options, and then things go downhill from there.¡±

    Claire shook her head.

    ¡°Well not you, you, Nestra, but many young women like your mom who wanted to be a nurse and were almost convinced to drop out. I heard about the fiance from common friends and drove back to the ¡®Big Friendly¡¯ for two days to offer her a way out. And she took it.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a big friendly?¡± Nestra asked.

    She discovered a new Claire she hadn¡¯t known before. That one was broody and sad, her face hard with distant memories.

    ¡°A city. It¡¯s gone now ¡ª didn¡¯t survive the Incursion. Look, your grandparents cut ties the moment we defied them. They had the rest of the family shun us for embarrassing them, literally blocked us on every social media all in the name of ¡®God¡¯ so, you know, do what you want. You can convert if you really want to. Personally, I can¡¯t hear a bell or see a cross without having a conniption.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough, I was just curious. Since you know. It¡¯s also my family.¡±

    ¡°Trust me you¡¯re better off without them. Shall we?¡±

    Nestra gladly took the way out.

    ¡°Yep!¡±

    They walked along the river towards Lake Zurich alongside the large river. A promenade lined with old houses gave an uninterrupted view of the placid waters. White swans landed in the distance. Were it not for automated towers lining the quay, it would have been peaceful.

    ¡°Damn, are they not scared?¡±

    ¡°Nestra, every time you see a new undefended spot, you make the exact same comment.¡±

    ¡°Sorry sorry sorry sorry.¡±

    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s me. Sorry. Thinking about the past made me a little cranky, is all. I shouldn¡¯t be taking it out on you. I¡¯m old enough to know better. Hey, isn¡¯t that a hot chocolate stand?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re changing the topic!¡±

    Claire had the grace to look embarrassed.

    ¡°Alright, I accept your distracting peace offering in the name of hot chocolate,¡± Nestra conceded.

    It was some really good chocolate too. Nestra and Claire sat down on a bench overlooking the lake, keeping quiet for now. The view of the other shore wearing the colors of autumn was fantastic. A bit later, they were politely accosted by a group of three raiders in civilian clothes, all C-class and quite strong, with the patches of local squadrons on their leather vests. They were all white dudes. There were so many white people over here. It gave Nestra vertigo.

    Claire engaged in small talk, allowing them to stick around. The guys were happy to practice their English, which was excellent yet heavily accented. Claire had an easy-going way that made people comfortable when she was chill. Nestra wondered if the guys were flirting, but she¡¯d never find out. One of them had his visor. He checked it with a frown.

    ¡°Herrgott. Guys. Allfather¡¯s dead.¡±

    Nestra wasn¡¯t the only one to gasp.

    ¡°What?¡± Claire said.

    Nestra pulled her own visor. Threshold already had headlines announcing the breaking news. It was apparently true, confirmed by the Nordic united military. Allfather was dead.

    He was the third A-class gleam to die in history.

    The little meeting broke up while everyone focused on the news. Claire suggested heading back to the hotel for a while. They wouldn¡¯t get to visit what they wanted, but Nestra knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy it anyway.

    ¡°Did you fight alongside him?¡± Nestra asked Claire as she carried her back ¡ª she¡¯d updated her flight license.

    ¡°We were on the same battlefields but not in the same spot. Allfather is, no was, well¡­¡±

    She only hesitated a moment.

    ¡°A fucking war criminal. If it were up to me, he¡¯d have been executed.¡±

    Nestra nodded. The strongest raiders were not always the most well adjusted individuals, and the horrors and chaos of the Incursion hadn¡¯t improved things. There were some, like Allfather or Cherny, who¡¯d been monsters all along. They were kept in check by other A-ranks, alive, because humanity didn¡¯t have the luxury to kill or risk its most powerful defenders.

    Or at least that¡¯s what her ethics professor had said. He hadn¡¯t looked very happy about it.

    They retreated to the top floor lounge for drinks. Nestra used her visor to catch the latest news.

    ¡°They say it was multiple B-portal breaches. Would that even be enough?¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound right,¡± Claire replied. ¡°Not at all. Even if the portal guardians were perfectly coordinated, which is unheard of, Allfather was air and cold. He could just fly away in a storm. There are no A-rank portals in Scandinavia.¡±

    ¡°You mean, there are no A rank portals at all. For now? Right?¡± Nestra asked.

    Claire waved her hand.

    ¡°We can¡¯t check the bottom of the ocean so I¡¯m not sure myself. Anyway, Allfather had flight and his entourage, of course. I guess I¡¯ll just wait for the nuttiest conspiracy theories.¡±

    The news didn¡¯t ruin the last day of the trip, but it was certainly a distraction that even eclipsed the train assault news. Despite that, Nestra and Claire still enjoyed their last day of visits with constant, quiet questions from Claire about what Xenonestra was capable of.

    ¡°The tremendous Extra-TeNestrial,¡± Claire whispered.

    ¡°For Riel¡¯s sake please spare me your abominable puns.¡±

    Despite the first attempts at a joke, Claire¡¯s mood grew more somber as Nestra¡¯s explanations continued.

    ¡°That speed of progress and the raw power¡­ very impressive. And very concerning. We almost lost against the lizard fuckers, and they were mana starved. If the species you belong to decides we¡¯re tasty¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not,¡± Nestra assured her.

    Claire had a very, very, very weird look on her face.

    ¡°Look, someone attacked me and I bit them, alright? I promised I didn¡¯t swallow.¡±

    ¡°Jesus H Christ in a bread basket, Nestra.¡±

    ¡°Teeth are a weapon and I shall not apologize.¡±

    ¡°Well. Huh. I guess. Anyway, I still hope they don¡¯t attack us because I don¡¯t know how we can stop them.¡±

    Nestra held back the fact that humans were tasty, not in their flesh but in their cores and adaptability. It was¡­ an issue. Sereth had mentioned she would go to their home plane at some point. It might be a good thing for her to convince those fine Aszhii that Earth was better left alone, at least for a while. She guessed she¡¯d see later.

    The next morning, they went through Swiss customs without a hitch. Nestra wasn¡¯t sure if it was their gleam status, normalcy, or the local authorities were just happy to see the back of them. The same dragoon who had debriefed her was waiting by the boarding gate.

    ¡°I am just here to inform you that we checked the plane for explosives.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± both Palladians replied at the same time.

    The flight back was mercifully uneventful. Nestra had another twenty minutes of joy floating around though she would have liked it much better as an Aszhii. The plane landed in the late afternoon in Threshold. As soon as she stepped off, she felt the higher mana, the heat, the humidity, and the distant smell of chili. Ah, home.

    ¡°Welcome back,¡± the customs officer told her with a bubbly smile.

    The short woman took far longer to handle her entry than Nestra expected. A queue was forming behind her.

    ¡°Hmm, is everything alright?¡±

    ¡°Well your ID says you¡¯re a baseline, but you¡¯re clearly not¡­¡±

    ¡°Ooooh.¡±

    Fuck.

    ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry, we were informed of the medical procedure. You¡¯ll be through in no time, I just need to fill in a form. Be sure to apply for the user examination within three days, of course.¡±

    ¡°Yep. I already have an appointment.¡±

    ¡°All done. Have a great day!¡±

    Nesta picked up her luggage with Claire. She was through a gate a little later and then she was bodily grabbed and carried away by her mom.

    ***

    ¡°Yooooo!¡± Helena exulted. ¡°I¡¯m your senior now, and you know what that means? It means I¡¯ll take you on a raid and you gotta listen to me. I¡¯ll be the wise mentor!¡±

    ¡°She has to pass the raider accreditation first,¡± her mother argued. ¡°And spell training. No daughter of mine will walk around with her abilities unlocked and no idea on how to use them.¡±

    ¡°I can teach her! I know how my abilities work,¡± Helena replied with a knowing smile.

    Mom rolled her eyes, though she was smiling. Helena¡¯s approach to magic was just ¡®it¡¯s one more muscle¡¯ really, and both their dad and Ulysses used instinctive mana shaping to move their steel around. Only Mom had a more ¡®mage¡¯ approach to her mana.

    ¡°I am secretly a musclehead too,¡± Nestra informed her mother.

    ¡°You don¡¯t say? Well, I¡¯m sorry to tell you but ice is a complex affinity that requires an understanding of magical theory to be properly used. Electricity is¡­ well, it¡¯s both, but I¡¯m afraid you will have to follow a hybrid path, daughter of mine.¡±

    ¡°Noooooo.¡±

    ¡°If it is any comfort, you will be zipping around the battlefield in ice armor in no time at all.¡±

    ¡°You can be a very fast swordsman like your brother,¡± her dad said from the car¡¯s front seat.

    There was an awkward silence. As always, dad meant well but couldn¡¯t read the room. Ulysses hadn¡¯t been here to pick her up at the airport. It looked like there would be no peace here.

    ¡°Well I can always spar with you,¡± Nestra said to save the mood.

    Except it reminded her again that she¡¯d be taking the time and resources of her family just like he had accused her off. It was normal for a child but she was no longer a child and, more importantly, she wasn¡¯t his child. It made her feel guilty. Was he her dad? She saw him that way because he had raised her. Wouldn¡¯t that be more important?

    Would he share her belief, though?

    Nestra shook her head. She¡¯d tell them one day. One day for sure.

    ***

    ¡°Congratulations, Nestra!¡±

    Vassily was moved to tears. The big lug grabbed her in a bear hug before setting her down with some advice. The party was in full swing by now. Not just house Palladian but also the Century Guild and other, more distant allies had come to offer their congratulations for the return of the prodigal princess. The Palladian estate was filled with revelers socializing, most of them strong raiders. Nestra had elected to wear a pretty tame dress and not much jewelry, thus deflecting most of the attention to Aunt Claire who accepted it with good grace. Nestra felt she was the lucky recipient here, not the person who¡¯d actually gotten shit done. Several B-class heavyweights from other houses had engaged her in a deep discussion about core damage that occurred, as usual with them, at accelerated speed that gave Nestra whiplash.

    ¡°Remember to always take a support mage with you to cover your back. Strikers like you need a safe place to slow down,¡± Vassily added after a delay.

    ¡°I have ice! I will be my own support!¡±

    ¡°Ugh not this again. Little Nestra. You must bring friends! Life is better with friends around.¡±

    ¡°Of course I will!¡±

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    Friends like Stibbs and Valerian, and even Gorge had shown up though they had left soon after.

    ¡°Too many users. I feel like an old monkey at ballet class,¡± the old fucker had said. ¡°Call me later if you need to offload some loot.¡±

    Nestra went from room to room thanking people and being the public figure she¡¯d always been trained to be. It was very strange finding that role again ten years after the fact, like it had all been a very bad dream. She ended up in the balcony with Helena right before the cake which would mark the party¡¯s official end. She leaned on the balcony, arms bared to the colder temperature of a late October. A small pulse of ice mana was enough to protect her from its bite.

    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Helena asked, slightly worried.

    ¡°Well, we just did the party that should have taken place right after I got accepted in that prestigious prep school, only ten years later. You¡¯re much taller now, of course.¡±

    ¡°Not to mention wise and elegant.¡±

    ¡°And in dire need of deodorant, yes, so it¡¯s just like I pictured it would be besides those we lost. The big change is that I¡¯m twenty-five and scarred and I just, well, not wasted, but definitely didn¡¯t spend this decade the way I expected to. And I can¡¯t forget it.¡±

    She turned to Helena. There was something coalescing in her mind that she had to articulate. It felt important.

    ¡°I can¡¯t forget everything I¡¯ve seen or done. I remember the baseline gleam divide from the other side. Like we¡¯re a special class of people because mana has decided that some of us are worthy and others are not. It¡¯s not fair and it doesn¡¯t reflect the quality of a person. I¡¯m not going to join the VIP club and pretend those years didn¡¯t happen. I want to help the people who can¡¯t defend themselves just like I¡¯ve always had but as a gleam. And I don¡¯t mean just raiding. Raiding is useful, sure, but it also makes us stronger and richer. It needs to be something that costs me or it¡¯s all wind in the air. ¡±

    ¡°So, Special Affairs?¡±

    ¡°No. Well, yes, probably, but that¡¯s work. I was thinking more¡­ you know how breaches are quickly addressed but unprofitable portals are not? There are often incidents and victims, and it¡¯s always in the poorest areas?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! They¡¯re talking about it in the mayoral elections. Guilds are often waiting until the last moment to hand them over to junior members. Sometimes, it¡¯s not done properly.¡±

    ¡°Yeah so I was thinking, I could raid normal locations with a team and so on, but those D-class shitholes are often left unaddressed. I could do some volunteer work. Hunt the dokkaebi and tiny portals that no one wants to deal with because the reward isn¡¯t worth the effort.¡±

    ¡°Hey, that sounds fun! I¡¯ll join you. You need a chaperone.¡±

    ¡°Helena¡­¡±

    ¡°No I¡¯m serious you legally can¡¯t raid alone at the beginning. I can take an early exam and go with you. Besides, what do we risk with our¡­ secret third member.¡±

    She made swimming and teeth snapping gestures.

    ¡°I actually don¡¯t know if she can track me down while I¡¯m in human form.¡±

    ¡°She never manifests on earth?¡±

    ¡°No, I think there¡¯s too little mana.¡±

    ¡°Well, alright then. Count me in! What should we call ourselves?¡±

    ¡°The Little People League?¡± Nestra joked.

    ¡°I mean. Sure. First get your accreditation and then we¡¯ll get to it.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Congratulations! Oooh!¡±

    There was a camera. There were smiling people, the happiness not reaching their eyes, but that was ok. It was an event. It was all young Nestra had hoped for and, even if it was too late, current Nestra was still happy. She gracefully accepted the knife and cut through the cake so it could be shared. It was a good one with meringue and a chocolate filling that melted on the tongue instead of those horrible decorative sponge shits they presented at every office party ¡ª at her request of course. As the slices were distributed, she received her gifts. Some people just gave her money which was always helpful. Sanae got her a gift card for a high end gleam store that specialized in yukata. There were healing salves given by a laughing group of older gleams saying everyone always needed more, and the Century Guild gifted her a perfectly balanced sword that was enchanted to channel electricity and ice. For a D-class weapon, it was high-end. Not like, unique or anything, but more for a top-tier raider than a newbie like her.

    ¡°Wow. Thanks. Can¡¯t wait to test it!¡± she told An Ren, the guild leader.

    The calm woman gave her a nod.

    ¡°You must have been looking for this for a long time. Remember, however, not to hurry for this is how many of us fall. Shortcuts. Overconfidence. You are as vulnerable as we all were when we started.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful. I don¡¯t need more scars.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. I am glad that you regained your strength. Your father told me about you. You never stopped fighting monsters. Now, at least, you will fight on equal footing. Will you be using firearms as well? My guild and I have been entertaining the idea.¡±

    ¡°As a backup. Bullets are still incredibly costly.¡±

    ¡°Let me know how it goes. Ah, but I believe your family has prepared the main event.¡±

    The climax came in the form of a large crate. Nestra recognized it immediately.

    ¡°Bellerophon armor?¡± she asked, amazed.

    Now that, that was amazing. Appreciative whispers crossed the main room, with even the more powerful gleams nodding knowingly.

    ¡°We are not worried about your offensive abilities, darling,¡± her mom said as she unpacked the crate, recognizing the Greek warrior on a winged horse stamp on the austere casing. She opened it with trepidation. There it was, one of the very best custom armor makers in the city. Shit, even Shinran sometimes used their creations.

    ¡°Hot damn.¡±

    The armor set had a European knight aesthetic but with clear magical ornaments in the silvery runes coursing its metal frame, with very thin mesh replacing the mail. The helmet came with a full visor that would be compatible with standard systems including drone support. There were straps for various modular storage spaces like chest pouches which the mages often used, though strikers like her usually forewent it as it obstructed their movements. It looked simple, but appearances were deceptive. This could tank rifle rounds all day.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    ¡°We had it prepared ten years ago,¡± her father said, his fingers hovering above the set. ¡°I had it adjusted for your new size. Listen, I suppose you have heard it many times before but I will tell you the same thing I have told all my children before they started raiding: do not. Hurry. Do not half-ass it. Fight every battle like it could be your last.¡±

    Nestra felt a shiver of anxiety crawl up her spine. It was the old Aszhii hubris warning all over again and, just from dad instead of Sereth this time. Things were different now though. There were even more people who depended on her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to waste everyone¡¯s efforts. You can trust me on this.¡±

    ¡°We just don¡¯t want you to be hurt.¡±

    ¡°Well.. I¡¯ll get hurt¡­ but I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t try the armor immediately because it wasn¡¯t designed to go over a dress, but she did in her room at 1 AM long after the party was over. She had to go to the bathroom to check herself in the mirror.

    ¡°Damn, I look good.¡±

    ¡°Come down!¡± her dad yelled from the living room because, of course, he¡¯d heard her.

    The after-party consisted of slow forms performed on the garden lawn, then very mild spars with her dad which meant that she was trying her damned best to skewer him and he was trying his best to move as slowly as a D-class. He won. To her surprise, Ulysses showed up with his own training sword.

    There was an awkward moment when the two siblings took each other¡¯s measure. Ulysses had a scowl on his face but he was also more contemplative than usual.

    ¡°Look,¡± he finally said. ¡°Congrats, I guess. Now let¡¯s make sure you don¡¯t die. Dad, if you could watch us?¡±

    He was¡­ much better than she remembered. He was also very academic in the way he fought, but with a vicious edge that had to take trained people off guard. If he were an Aszhii, the Scorful Crescent would have suited him as well but in a slightly different manner than for her: less aggressive, more deceptive. His predatory laugh would have been a haughty one.

    Helena was denied her axe moment for having drunk ti-punch from a glass even though she was expressly told not to. As to why she believed she could get away with it, Nestra had no idea. The only thing that she was certain of was that there was a new truce with Ulysses, but in the end, he was still an ass.

    ***

    Nestra stepped out of her car with some trepidation. Some, but not a lot. She shouldered her stupidly heavy gear with ease thanks to basic D-class strength, then followed a father and son pair to one of the Beacon¡¯s countless elevators. It delivered her to a large lobby, well-decorated and spacious between several counters. It wasn¡¯t very crowded. A QR code on a nearby panel offered an augmented reality visor option for those people who were really nervous and needed their hands held. Nestra tried it anyway. It clearly labeled each step she had to take in order to be properly registered.

    She went to queue behind the father-son pair. The kid was barely fifteen with hunched shoulders. He didn¡¯t look very athletic. He would also sometimes cast worried glances at his father. He was so fresh, his eyes flickered rather than kept the steady glow locked gleams always had. Her mana perception told her his dad was a baseline before he turned to her. It had been steadily improving over the past few days.

    She winked at the concerned parent.

    ¡°You guys will be fine.¡±

    They were both mixed blood, half white and half either Chinese or Korean she¡¯d say. He hesitated before checking her side and finding it empty.

    ¡°I¡¯m something of a very late bloomer,¡± she explained. ¡°So yeah, I¡¯m here to register myself.¡±

    ¡°Is your family gleams?¡± the teen asked. ¡°Sorry, I mean, users.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re gleams, yes. So I know what to expect.¡±

    She noticed he was looking at her massive backpack.

    ¡°My gear¡¯s in here. I¡¯ll be taking the accreditation at the same time since I¡¯m already trained.¡±

    ¡°We were considering the path to follow,¡± the father said. ¡°Jun here mentioned doing his service.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s always good to learn how to defend yourself,¡± Nestra said. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t join the military or a guild afterward. And besides, you still have a few years ahead of you. There¡¯s plenty of resources on the government website to help you decide what would suit you best. You can also ask your advisor, when you get one.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, there are advisors. In gleam schools¡­¡±

    His eyes grew distant.

    ¡°Is taking the accreditation the same day¡­ normal?¡± his dad hazarded.

    ¡°No, but as I said, I¡¯m a very, very late bloomer. I assume you had a spontaneous awakening, Jun?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± the teen replied. ¡°Mom and Dad are, well.¡±

    ¡°Baselines,¡± her dad finished.

    He sounded a bit wistful, but then Nestra realized it was concern when he patted his kid¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°You¡¯ll receive plenty of help then, don¡¯t worry. Guild kids like me usually get awakened when we¡¯re your age since it takes little effort to do so, then we¡¯re trained by our parents or guardians and take the accreditation exam so we can bypass the military and get straight to raiding. Not all of us do, of course.¡±

    ¡°Ah, thank you for telling us,¡± the father very respectfully said.

    It was their turn next which ended the conversation. Even between gleams, the difference between dynasties like her own and folks like Jun who had grown up in a baseline family was massive. She had received training and teachings since she was six. They had plans for baseline lives that had all gone out the window the moment their kid awakened. They knew almost nothing, had no network, no points of contact. If the government didn¡¯t pick up the slack, it would just turn into a rabid competition for the attention of powerful gleams like in the most merciless city fortresses. As it was, Jun would be accompanied every step of the way by Threshold¡¯s comprehensive education system. Those unconnected gleams who wanted to become raiders ended up doing their military service, which would train them well but also allow the city to recruit for its army and police. That was how they got loyal and powerful gleams.

    Nestra¡¯s turn came soon afterward. Jun and his father waved goodbye as they were invited to a separate room where the mother of all infodumps awaited them.

    ¡°Hmm, sorry miss, but the registration window for foreigners is over there,¡± a bashful intern told Nestra.

    ¡°Ah no, I¡¯m actually a local. It¡¯s complicated. I have an appointment.¡±

    She produced her ID and after a moment of confusion, the younger man updated it. She was officially a Threshold mana user. Nestra forfeited the orientation so she could go to the accreditation directly. It was in the same spot, so she followed a long corridor to a waiting room until she was called.

    The mood was entirely different here. All the gleams were guild scions with raider training, all at Helena¡¯s age or older and all eager to prove themselves. Nestra got a few suspicious glares when she entered the theoretical exam with the rest of them. A couple even failed to move out of her way.

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± the proctor asked.

    ¡°Sir?¡± a young man who¡¯d already unlocked a fire affinity asked.

    ¡°I said, is there a problem?¡±

    The firespark relented though he still gave Nestra a curious and rather unfriendly glance. The way was cleared. Nestra sat down at the table. There was a tactile keyboard and special glasses so that only she could see what she would write. All very old school but Threshold wanted to show how serious they were about their damn regulations. Nestra sat down and finished the thing in record time.

    The proctor raised an eyebrow when she stood after less than twenty minutes of testing, including the optional essay. She knew all the rules very well anyway. After all, she¡¯d been enforcing them for quite a few years now.

    Five minutes later, and as she was recovering her gear, she was informed she¡¯d passed. All of the examinees were then led to a large section of the Beacon reserved for physical tests. It was almost a mirror of the facility where she¡¯d gone to become a masked gleam. This time, there was an actual changing room.

    Everyone here had to bring their own gear for the accreditation exam. Everyone would also carry it through the various tests, so there was a question of encumbrance and exhaustion as well. Nestra changed in the female locker with younger girls who made no secret of looking at her scars. By the time most of them were done, Nestra was still fastening pieces of armor.

    ¡°Riel, is that a Bellerophon?¡± a short Chinese mage asked.

    Nestra nodded.

    ¡°Yep, gift from the family.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wired. Wish mine were as generous. Are you from a big family?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, Palladian,¡± Nestra replied to be polite.

    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re fencers,¡± a stocky Malay with a rapier replied. She was putting her hijab back on which was also taking time. ¡°And that¡¯s a custom blade as well.¡±

    ¡°Oh ok.¡±

    ¡°Come on,¡± Nestra said. ¡°Time¡¯s wasting.¡±

    They were among the last to leave and Nestra had the best, most expensive gear by far. The blond firespark from earlier shook his head. Nestra was getting vaguely annoyed from the attention but also from the fact she only had herself to blame. She could have picked some more basic gear. It just wouldn¡¯t have been the kit she intended to raid in.

    ¡°She¡¯s got designer armor. How¡¯s that fair?¡± the firespark asked.

    The attention turned to her. An examiner was nearby, talking to a tech next to the various machines they would be using but he didn¡¯t intervene though he had to have heard. Nestra guessed she was supposed to handle it herself.

    ¡°Monsters don¡¯t care about fairness. Either you can pass with what you have, or you can¡¯t.¡±

    She shrugged.

    ¡°Not like, you know, we aren¡¯t all some of the most privileged people on the planet, hmm?¡±

    The firespark didn¡¯t have the time to reply before the examiner came. The official gleam was a lanky man with a perpetual grin and the sparkly iris of a buzzer.

    ¡°Right. My name¡¯s Baek and you may call me Baek-Nim. We¡¯ll be testing you for a variety of abilities culminating in the real life test.¡±

    That meant facing a monster under controlled conditions.

    ¡°You young folks are lucky. We got a few nice specimens this time, fresh from the farm.¡±

    He smirked. None of the late teens were scared, except a few support mages though the examiners almost always made them face dokkaebi and not the most dangerous ones either. It was understood that not everyone would have the same role. It was also understood that you went into portals to kill shit or get killed in return.

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s start. Miss Ang, Mister Baker, Mister Cai, you¡¯re on.¡±

    The test was exactly what she expected: some stamina, some speed, some reflexes which consisted in dodging tennis balls and gave Nestra Mazingwe-related PTSD. She aced everything without difficulty even accounting for the heavy armor, and for good reason. She was already physically a low-to-mid D-class. She was simply much stronger and much more experienced than anybody else taking the test.

    Of course, if any twenty-five year old raider came here they¡¯d probably blow her out of the water but that was besides the point. At least, her results made the stares stop. Finally, the group progressively reached the end of the track. There was an open arena with a transparent barrier and a couple of stones, well lit by several lamps. A steel locked gate awaited at the other end. This was it. The nervous tension among the examinees reached a paroxysm. Nestra could see it in the shifty eyes and tense shoulders.

    Interestingly, her Aszhii self was entirely quiet. The children were just that, children. They were not a danger and therefore, they were not valid prey. Anyone attacking them would be fair game though.

    So far, all the students had made it. No one showed up who wasn¡¯t ready, and the physical aptitude test was generous so long as one could at least survive in a portal world. The first person to be tested was an archer who was to face a group of trash spiders. She managed to shoot several down before finishing the last two with a short sword, making it with minor scratches.

    The test continued, everyone applauding with every success. Only one person failed which forced Baek to intervene: a dagger wielder with obvious coating difficulties. His blade simply didn¡¯t break through the skin of the mana monkey he was trying to kill. It was a bit pitiful. He had to be carried out in a stretcher after suffering several body blows.

    By then, the area had quite a bit of blood and body fluids littering the sand. Nestra was next.

    ¡°Miss Palladian, lucky you! You get one of the better ones,¡± the examiner warned.

    He was still smiling, but Nestra appreciated the warning nonetheless.

    ¡°Thank you, Baek-Nim.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what you can do.¡±

    Nestra walked through the secure door onto the sand. It was a bit colder than the bright light made it look. In front of her, the steel gate opened, and a cage let out a neosaur.

    The bipedal lizard was earth-born because it didn''t immediately rush her with uncontrollable rage. It wouldn¡¯t matter. She was familiar with their patterns, having slain several in both human and Aszhii form. This one was alone and spotted so it would charge her and jump at the last moment. She adopted a falcon guard, the blade held high above her head, and approached. At the same time, she drew electric mana from her core. The vivid energy answered with wild enthusiasm. Her short practice was paying off.

    Her blade welcomed the fake electricity until it buzzed above her, coursed by silvery arcs. She hadn¡¯t stopped moving. The neosaur took one good look at her.

    It retreated back into its cage.

    Nestra paused. From the depth of its tiny home, the neosaur glared at her with vicious yellow eyes.

    ¡°Ehm. Maybe another one?¡± she suggested, her guard still up. ¡°Or you could spur it out?¡±

    Baek shook his head.

    ¡°That would not be very sporting.¡±

    The other students moaned their disappointment. Nestra had to admit, she was all hyped up for a fight and this was a bit of a let down.

    ¡°Miss Palladian. How about a friendly spar instead?¡± Baek offered.

    The class held its breath. Nestra judged Baek was C-class, but at the very beginning of it. That made it more dangerous than anything else because it meant he wasn¡¯t so strong he could perfectly control the encounter. Nevertheless, she would never dream of refusing.

    ¡°Of course. Step right in,¡± she invited.

    Whispers erupted in the class, most of whom had already passed since ¡®P¡¯ was pretty low in the alphabetic order. Baek grabbed a training stick. He was not wearing any armor. That tickled Nestra a bit.

    ¡°Much obliged,¡± he replied, mockingly.

    Nestra made sure her helmet was secure. Damn staff had range on their side, like spear users. Annoying. She changed to a one-handed fencer¡¯s posture. A breath, and the electricity in her sword faded. She called upon ice mana instead.

    Ice mana was¡­ more abstract, Slower. Almost languid in the way it crawled up from the hilt and towards the tip. Baek didn¡¯t flinch but he stopped smiling. Coating with electricity would have been useless against a buzzer like him, but ice? Ice was stillness. It was insidious. It always reached its target, eventually.

    ¡°Begin,¡± Baek said.

    Nestra moved in on light feet. Her first lunge aimed for the man¡¯s unprotected fingers instead of his body, but he¡¯d expected it and he pulled his hand back, striking at the same time. Nestra deflected without difficulty. He wasn¡¯t using all of his strength. Yet. She pressed on, expecting him to toy with her if she let him take the initiative. She would tire long before he did.

    Baek kept his distance despite Nestra closing in. She had to side run to keep up with him, watching her distance all the time. She managed her breath and movement as they played cat and mouse, quick jab for quick jab. He was fast and his technique was flawless so it was going to be difficult, but she had a secret weapon: the coating. She kept it well fed. Hell, she had the reserves for it. Coating was cheap.

    It was when the cold bit his fingers that Baek realized something was wrong. Lack of experience in dueling, maybe. Ice users were on the rare side of things. Once he noticed that his weapon was slowly turning into an icicle, he went on the offense. Nestra switched guard to Chudan-no-kamae, simply holding her blade in front of her with both hands, sword tip aimed at her opponent. He moved in and used his sword like a dual blade, which was a bit quaint. Her guard was perfect to counter each blow and threaten a beheading or two. The ice just kept creeping up the staff with patient hunger and Baek¡¯s breath was fogging by now. He accelerated to C-class speed until Nestra was outmatched. Uncaring, she delivered a powerful blow.

    His staff ripped against her shoulder guard, failing to do anything but pushing her away while he danced aside. She followed through. She kept pushing ice mana out and she felt something click. There was now a continuous white fog around her as she kept blocking increasingly stronger attacks.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Baek said. ¡°Time to push you a little more.¡±

    Electricity crackled along the staff but it failed to break the ice apart. Still, Nestra almost flinched when she turned aside to accept the next blow she failed to stop.

    The Bellerophon drank the mana like it was a potion.

    Nestra countered. Baek¡¯s blows were slower now, but they were freaking powerful. She met them as she could by deflecting most of the power aside with her blade. He finally aimed for her helmet with one final charge. She¡¯d been expecting it. Charging forward, Nestra leaned into the attack which slid against her jaw. She grabbed the staff with her left hand and blocked it against her shoulder. With her right hand, she struck down.

    Her sword¡¯s hilt crashed against the brittle staff as Baek was pulling it back. It exploded into shards, just as Baek pointed at her with both fingers.

    The posture was disturbingly familiar. Faster than she could really think, she planted her sword on the ground just as Baek yelled a warning.

    ¡®Watch out!¡±

    Thunder roared. A bolt smashed against her handle, traveling down the blade and her armguard before dispersing harmlessly in the ground below. The Bellerophon smoked a bit, but it was undamaged, and Nestra was unharmed. She barely felt a little nip.

    Nestra stood and twirled her blade like she wasn¡¯t a sweaty mess under all that metal.

    ¡°Not bad. Not bad at all,¡± Baek admitted.

    He saluted. Nestra returned it. The other examinees applauded or banged the floor with their feet. There were murmurs of approval.

    ¡°The Zero Aura was perhaps a little overkill, hmmm? Anyway, I can see why you were requested for a special physical examination now,¡± Baek said with a smile that, this time, was genuine.

    Zero Aura? Nestra would have to ask her mom later. The physical examination was more concerning.

    ¡°What do you mean, Baek-Nim?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no one told you? You¡¯re scheduled for a solo-raider license. I can tell you that you already passed with flying colors so you can just go there straight away.¡±

    ¡°Wait, I didn¡¯t request anything.¡±

    ¡°Your examiner is waiting. Off you go now. It¡¯s two rooms away, no need to get changed.¡±

    She hesitated but Baek urged her on. Nestra was torn between reaching for her visor or going to see what this was about. She was in friendly territory but at the same time, she¡¯d been caught with her pants down less than a week before. In the end, she decided to go just because Rangarok was literally one building away, but she still prepared an SOS message on her visor just in case.

    There was a fully empty combat room ready for her. To be precise, it wasn¡¯t exactly empty. There was one person present. Standing as tall as her Aszhii self, he was wearing an antique set of golden armor as old as the Incursion itself, pretty much a relic. His sun-like eyes surveyed her as she entered.

    ¡°Ah, Miss Palladian. Good day to you. I took the liberty to¡­ reschedule our examination.¡±

    ¡°Doctor Mazingwe? Hmm, good day as well. What are you doing here?¡±

    His voice was deep and slow. It was obvious he was enjoying himself.

    ¡°There are many new metrics to measure now that you have two user bodies. There is also the matter that we were never able to properly benchmark your¡­ special capabilities within the limited space of my office, a much delayed necessity. I believe this place will do nicely. After all, it was built to withstand quite a bit of punishment.¡±

    ¡°Errr.¡±

    Behind her, the door and observation windows closed shut with a ¡®clonk¡¯ of finality, like the last bell of a requiem. A burning spear appeared in Mazingwe¡¯s hand. It blazed like the morning light.

    ¡°Can we talk about this?¡±

    ¡°No, Miss Palladian, we may not. What do you fencers like to say? Ah, yes. En garde.¡±

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    ***

    Later that day with some bruises and two new licenses

    Sereth was in one of his more chill moods. Lounging on his pillow pile, he was every bit the languid Aszhii prince Stibbs probably liked, far from his goofy, human-fascinated self. Like that he almost seemed respectable.

    ¡°Mazingwe put me through hell,¡± Nestra complained.

    She looked around for food. There was none, which was very uncharacteristic of his house.

    ¡°There is stew in the crock pot but it¡¯s going to take a few more hours before it¡¯s ready. There¡¯s nothing fresh because I was out. Sorry. You can always bake a frozen pastry.¡±

    ¡°You were out? Wait, were you looking after me? Aw.¡±

    ¡°It is my job. A job that you are making considerably harder through your own actions.¡±

    He took a bite of a large core, savoring it. Nestra watched how the teeth cleaved through the surface to release their gooey innards even though decades of scientific studies had proven mana cores absolutely didn¡¯t work that way. Aszhii physiology didn¡¯t care.

    Nestra¡¯s neurons slowly connected the dots as the last of the blue and gray core disappeared into the Earth¡¯s apex predator¡¯s gullet.

    ¡°Wait¡­ wait.¡±

    He waited, impassive.

    ¡°You killed Allfather.¡±

    Sereth¡¯s voice remained flat. He was very annoyed.

    ¡°I did. I am given some liberties in how I look after you. Since bombs and walker attacks are, well, technology-related, I believe they are within my purview to stop. Allfather had a reputation of extreme pettiness that would make it difficult for me to manage, and after you revealed your nature to yet another person¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Nestra replied, ¡°Allfather was behind the train attack?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and also, naturally, the main beneficiary of the slave auction. You do need to find out whose toes you have stepped on before they step back, but you didn¡¯t even try.

    He was suddenly standing in front of her with his index finger aimed straight at her core.

    ¡°I am starting to think you need a full war party to protect your ¡®secret identity¡¯. So I decided to shorten the list of those who might hasten the process.¡±

    He made it clear what he thought about the entire situation.

    ¡°Carelessness. You were lost in happiness and allowed yourself to be caught.¡±

    His ears drooped. All the pretend hostility dropped from his posture, and he sat back, sighing heavily.

    ¡°This is your first life, little Nezhra. You are supposed to take your time building the memories that will carry your soul through the later parts of your existence. You may not die here, but you will be chased once they learn of your identity. And then I will have to run with you. And abandon Stibbs and this planet. Every mistake you make is bringing us closer to that point.¡±

    ¡°I apologize.¡±

    He sighed again. She wasn¡¯t sure what emotion he was conveying this time. Maybe wistful.

    ¡°You are still so very young. I am being harsh. Those were extraordinary circumstances.¡±

    He waved away in a human gesture he performed with the grace of a ballet dancer. ¡°You are forgiven, I am merely telling you to be careful if you want to savor your youth. I assume you have questions, otherwise?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If I kill a monster as a human gleam, do I get an Aszhii power up?¡±

    ¡°We prefer to call it a trophy, and yes.¡±

    ¡°Neat.¡±

    ¡°You must still capture and use the mana to make your mask stronger. As for Aszhii mana reserves, they shall not improve if they are not fed by the death of slain foes, thus slowing down your progress.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok, it just means I can raid twice as much!¡±

    Sereth nodded. He understood perfectly.

 Part 61: Point Defense.

    ¡°So this is the pit.¡±

    Nestra looked around with curiosity. The Palladian clan often mentioned this repeating portal world as a cakewalk assignment, one that was both lucrative and easy, considering their power. It was a very strong D-class one, and it had the peculiarity of being circular with the exit portal in the middle. The path started up, right under a cliff of jagged rocks under a sky of perpetual yellow clouds. It led down in a clockwise path, sometimes over barren rock, sometimes over patches of deep white sand and down to a central arena, also covered in sand. The place smelled vaguely of sulfur. It was also the second most intense mana concentration human Nestra had ever felt (after the regrettable hide-under-an-ant-corpse incident).

    Mom was waiting for her near the entrance. Neat piles of bleeding carcasses littered the path, stacked two Nestras high. The creature looked like a mix between giant moles and antlions with an exoskeleton and very prominent front teeth. They were only valuable as feed since they apparently tasted rather terrible. The mana-infused sand was the portal¡¯s treasure. It was stripped-mined every session, then used in fancy glass-making and luxury construction. Nestra frowned.

    ¡°Did you leave me any?¡±

    ¡°I told you we would go over the basics and we will go over the basics, my young daughter,¡± Mom replied with some annoyance.

    Despite the ease of the portal, she was still wearing her mage robes.

    ¡°Not so young now¡­¡± Nestra grumbled.

    ¡°Young in the way of the portal worlds,¡± Mom insisted. ¡°We will take it slow. Or are you going back on your promise to be careful?¡±

    ¡°Nope, and I would not have tried without you present,¡± Nestra shamelessly lied.

    ¡°Good, good. Now, to begin with, we will meditate.¡±

    Nestra had a quick look down the sand arena where the tougher enemies and the guardian awaited. The mana concentration would be higher there. Killing an enemy would also load her core with mana which would make the process so much easier¡­

    The landscape was replaced by a pair of very blue eyes crossed by electric arcs.

    ¡°I¡¯m going! I¡¯m going!¡± Nestra said, throwing her hands up in the air.

    She sat her armored ass on a nearby rock and adopted a lotus position. With her eyes closed, she focused on her core and mana channels.

    The outer pressure was pushing against her skin. Higher gleams could draw mana in but at her level, being in a saturated environment was enough. Slowly, she allowed the mana into her, then slowly drew it into her core to feed it. Since she had no practice with it, it felt like pushing dense smoke into a hole with a bad fan.

    Her Aszhii self had no need for such zen nonsense. She killed, she absorbed, and then she moved on. Humans really had it rough. They had to consciously work at it. The horror!

    ¡°It seems to be working,¡± A voice said near her ear.

    It was close enough to tickle.

    ¡°Ngah! Too close! You¡¯re the one who told me to meditate properly!¡±

    ¡°Hmmm. You have the hang of it. You¡¯ll need more practice before I can introduce advanced breathing routines, Nestra, so let¡¯s switch to spellcasting. Our time together is precious.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Mom went to stand in the middle of the path. She put her hands on her hips. This brought back unfortunate memories of being caught raiding the cookie cache.

    ¡°What do you remember of structured magic?¡±

    ¡°You use the alphabet of symbols called ¡®keys¡¯ found in the ¡®Grande Biblioteca¡¯ portal world in Rome ¨C Ow!¡±

    A stone hand clanged against Nestra¡¯s chest piece. She didn¡¯t feel more than a light push but it was more a matter of principle.

    ¡°Not ¡®you¡¯, ¡®we¡¯. You will learn them again, and then we will proceed with the simple spell that will be the basis of your fighting style. Do you remember how to cast a spell?¡±

    ¡°Arrange the keys in my head and think very hard about the outcome?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Yes, it¡¯s like¡­ programming but also like music.¡±

    Nestra remained impassive.

    ¡°I already told you this, didn¡¯t I?¡± Mom asked.

    ¡°First thing you said when I turned six.¡±

    ¡°Well, to be fair, it was some time ago. Now, some clans or guilds favor large, complex spells and for large-scale raids and battles, it¡¯s better. Same with people who use exotic mana types and prefer custom spells. We Palladians specialize in small squad, speed, control, and versatility so for us the faster, the cleaner, the better. Alright?¡±

    ¡°Short and sweet, got it.¡±

    ¡°You want a small catalog of versatile spells you can cast in your sleep, not giant ice pillars that smash down from the heavens two minutes after the battle has ended.¡±

    ¡°What about the, err, zero aura?¡±

    Mom frowned a bit, her head turning to the side.

    ¡°Where did you hear that?¡±

    ¡°The examiner for my license. We had a spar and I accidentally used it on him.¡±

    ¡°Show me,¡± Mom demanded.

    Nestra focused again. She grabbed her ice mana and pushed it outwards and against her skin. At first, nothing happened, but then the temperature dropped, and her breath fogged in the air even though she couldn¡¯t feel the cold herself.

    ¡°Interesting. A bit too focused on the upper body but I suppose it¡¯s to be expected,¡± her mom commented like she¡¯d been dressing a salmon and not violating the laws of thermodynamics through strength of will.

    ¡°This is a skill, the raw, shaped use of mana preferred by strikers and tanks and the like. The fact you managed it yourself is very encouraging. Zero Aura is a Polaris guild term, that¡¯s why I was curious. It slows molecular motion around you. At higher potency, water particles will freeze in the air, creating rather deadly white fog. It will linger but by the same logic, it will stay behind so on a moving battlefield, it won¡¯t be useful. Shockwaves and wind can disperse it as well.¡±

    ¡°Aw.¡±

    ¡°It remains a very powerful tool against slow and massive opponents,¡± Mom amended. ¡°I am not trying to discourage you; I am merely reminding you of the limits of certain techniques so you know which one will work well and which one should be left for another day. Knowing when to use a technique is just as important as knowing how to use the technique. Perhaps even more.¡±

    ¡°So it can grow stronger?¡±

    Mom chuckled.

    ¡°Of course, silly child. It is called the ¡®Zero¡¯ aura because the goal is to bring it as close as possible to the absolute zero, the full cessation of any motion. Final entropy. But maybe we¡¯ll start with a basic armor spell. The ice armor spell is a staple of close-range mages and ice-aligned fighters. Do you remember why it¡¯s good?¡±

    ¡°It has high flux during casting but low flux while holding which makes it efficient and resilient. It also freezes whatever hits it.¡±

    ¡°Very good. There is a third advantage but it¡¯s more on the conceptual level and you might need some time before pulling it off. Contact with ice that you are actively channeling can slow and weaken most enemies. It¡¯s useful for long fights.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°The runes are ¡®cover¡¯, ¡®self¡¯, and ¡®protect¡¯. Do you remember them?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not.¡±

    The Grande Biblioteca symbols looked a bit like keys designed by a neurotic artist. Most of the time they were represented vertically with the handle on top, though their positions in enchantments depended on function. They had commonalities that made remembering them a little easier. For example: lava resembled stone, fire and heat, but stone and heat had little in common. The keys for actions, nouns, and adjectives have similarities in the ¡®handles¡¯. It could be worse but it was still an alien system and a massive pain in the ass to learn. What her mom didn¡¯t know was that Nestra had already started to study this in Shinran¡¯s secret training base. The base liked to build proper basics though, so Nestra had just learnt to recognize more complex patterns instead of practicing them herself. Nestra actually remembered the keys but she didn¡¯t want to let her mom know.

    ¡°Like this.¡±

    Frozen patterns appeared on the ground in front of Nestra. Mom¡¯s control was impressive.

    ¡°Try it.¡±

    Nestra did. After bringing forth ice mana, she formed the patterns in her mind which was easy considering they were written right in front of her. Magic formed a tiny cloud around her with ¡®cover¡¯, then with ¡®self¡¯, it drew closer to her body with the speed of a sullen kindergartner. At ¡®protect¡¯, the mana became incredibly sluggish as it crystallized to protect her. Nestra almost lost control of the spell when her armor guided its energies over it like, absorbing them in prepared spots. She heard creaks, and felt cool.

    When Nestra opened her eyes, her armor was a dirty off white with a craggy appearance, except, it wasn¡¯t her armor, but a protective layer above. Mom¡¯s armor was blueish and pristine like a fairy tale dress while Nestra¡¯s was pitted and jagged. There were even nubs that sharpened into short spikes. The spell remained at the back of her head, active and feeding off her.

    ¡°Good,¡± Mom said. ¡°Low flux constructs like this one can be dropped and picked again if it hasn¡¯t been too long. That means even if you get distracted and lose the spell, so long as its manifestation hasn¡¯t melted or taken too much damage, you can reconnect with it. It will allow you to continuously repair it. Try it now.¡±

    Nestra did as Mom asked. It was easy because she wasn¡¯t fighting and the armor itself was intact. It almost wanted to reconnect. When Nestra reached for it, the spell jumped into her consciousness. She fed it more mana and the air around her grew white and hazy.

    ¡°That is enough,¡± Mom said. ¡°You barely have enough reserves right now. Even a basic spell such as this one will tax you. We will spend the rest of the session meditating here.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be faster to kill something together?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll get your chance to kill monsters, larger raid daughter, but the creatures here are very dangerous for D-class. Let¡¯s get you started with something less dangerous.¡±

    Nestra frowned.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°Is Helena ¡®smaller daughter¡¯ then?¡±

    ¡°I used to call her scrawny but apparently it makes teenagers insecure.¡±

    ¡°That it does.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been one for sixty years so my memory is a little hazy. Enough delays. On your butt, close your eyes, and drink that mana.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be faster with ice mana?¡±

    ¡°Shut up and meditate.¡±

    ***

    Helena and Nestra reached the window where a tired low-level government employee waited. He was a short Asian man, quite overweight though his uniform was too large and his skin sallow, like he¡¯d recently lost weight.

    ¡°Hello! We¡¯re here to register a class-D guild,¡± Nestra said, taking the initiative.

    ¡°Welcome, and hello to you too. Have you done the online registration part?¡±

    They had. Some of the more sensitive administrative tasks in Threshold required someone showing up in person. Such was the case for minor guilds because of the tax breaks they¡¯d be getting. It was just too easy to cheat. The man briefly checked their ID before confirming their scope and other things. Really, it was just a formality.

    ¡°I am a bit unclear as to what you mean when in the portal world selection preferences where you said: ¡®the worst¡¯,¡± he asked.

    The two sisters looked at each other.

    ¡°Just that. The purpose of the Little People League is to take on the jobs people don¡¯t want to do because they¡¯re risky and pay little, before the incidents start happening. So yeah, send us the bad ones,¡± Nestra summarized.

    ¡°We can find the good ones on our own time thanks to our family¡¯s guild,¡± Helena added.

    The man nodded before making a long note. He then took a longing look at an empty chocolate box on his desk before shaking his head and taking a big gulp of water instead.

    ¡°Right. So there are bad portals we do struggle to find people for. Do you prefer seaside or forest side?¡±

    ¡°Forest side,¡± Nestra replied.

    ¡°There¡¯s also a few wandering monsters rumors, mostly dokkaebi from the damage but we get some plausible eye witness accounts. Would you be interested as well?¡±

    ¡°No wild goose chases,¡± Nestra said, but Helena had a different idea.

    ¡°Sure, send them if they look promising. Come on, Nes. You got a cool roadster! What¡¯s the point if we can¡¯t drive?¡±

    Nestra considered the situation. She was here to help.

    ¡°Fair enough.¡±

    ¡°One last thing. Do you have a banner for the guild?¡±

    ¡°We do,¡± Helena said, beaming with pride.

    She transferred a small image to the official. Nestra opened it as well.

    It was a cartoonish and decidedly cute version of Sashimi showing her teeth, the ¡®secret member¡¯ of the League.

    ¡°Everything¡¯s in order,¡± the employee eventually said. ¡°Congratulations! Pending final approval, your first raid will be within three days. For the first raid and a random few afterward, a city user will accompany you to make sure there aren¡¯t any mishaps. This is compulsory because you are both very junior. As a reminder, Helena Palladian may not raid without a guardian before she obtains her certification.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get it in a couple of days!¡±

    The two exited the Beacon soon afterward. Helena was a buzz of enthusiasm. It looked like she¡¯d even manage to interest a few of her school friends.

    ¡°I have this other ice user, and a blaster mage I work well with who said they might be into it. We can all have pizza afterward! Oh, oh, and a weekly cash prize for those who pulled the shittiest assignments. Hey, you think I can put this on my resume?¡±

    ¡°After we get a few missions under our belts? Absolutely.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Another selling point! I¡¯m going to lure so many of the naive fuckers.¡±

    Nestra just hoped there wouldn¡¯t be too many sewer missions.

    ***

    Nestra lounged on her Aszhii pillow pile, checking her messages. The Little People League¡¯s registration had been accepted. Their first raid would be two days from now in an infamously low paying area of the city ¡ª just like they¡¯d asked. Another message was from Special Affairs confirming her indefinite leave (without pay) while she underwent retraining in a private setting. Nestra could have gotten full benefits if she had joined the army for her service but that just meant spending weeks going over stuff she knew very well. Also, she didn¡¯t like people. Or having to hide her true form for months. Or getting orders from weaker people than her. Or getting orders in general. And the food was notoriously shit.

    It would be fine. The raids would pay for themselves. Even the bad ones. At one per day she could hope for eighteen grand a month! And those were just the human raids. After living so much of her life making baseline wages, gleam pay was a life changer. Insane difference if one didn¡¯t mind the risk of dying.

    Valerian had replied to her offer to join the League. He was actually ok with it, but he was also asking her to accompany him to an important family event for the next day.

    ¡°It¡¯s very important,¡± he said. ¡°Can you be at the arcology¡¯s entrance at 1PM?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Nestra replied. ¡°I''ll be there.¡±

    She¡¯d just have to move one of her training sessions but that sounded very important anyway. Making a note, she frowned when her motion sensor picked up movement.

    She was at the security console a moment later. A hooded figure was approaching her house at a fast if awkward pace. He was carrying a small metal case that was suspicious as hell. Something about his fearful demeanor felt familiar.

    ¡°What the¡ª¡±

    Nestra¡¯s door exploded inward. She raced towards her sword rack at a dead sprint. Someone appeared in front of her. Golden eyes. White, futuristic armor she recognized as US-made. She used momentum to move past but the light user was simply too fast for her. She was grabbed by the neck, slammed down on the rug. He pushed her arm into a lock, painfully high against her back. She hissed. Fucking light users were so damn fast that they countered her perfectly. And she recognized that one.

    ¡°Hurry,¡± Doctor Daniels told his assistant.

    The fearful man rushed towards Nestra, opening the case which contained an array of testing equipment.

    ¡°We wanted to keep it above ground, demon girl, but you leave us no choice. The salvation of the human race trumps any other concern,¡± the white-armored asshole said.

    ¡°You¡¯re fucking insane,¡± she hissed. ¡°Diplomatic immunity won¡¯t cover this one.¡±

    His response was fast and full of fervor.

    ¡°You and all the impure mana-touched are so self-centered that you forget that humans are capable of something called sacrifice, altruism, enduring for the greater good. Even if we are caught before we can fly out, I will make sure the sample analysis is sent out before we are captured. You are the end of the line, the natural conclusion of all the so-called transformation powers and we will prove it, prove that you lot are the path to damnation. You are only the first of your kind.¡±

    Well, he wasn¡¯t entirely wrong there.

    ¡°Overestimating your abilities a bit,¡± Nestra huffed while the assistant tried to pull back the Skin which had formed under her lounger wear. He wasn¡¯t having any success.

    ¡°Just draw from her hand,¡± Daniels barked.

    From her position against the ground, she could see the needle of a very large syringe. She couldn¡¯t use passe-muraille right now since she was being held. Momentum didn¡¯t work if she wasn¡¯t moving at all. If this hadn¡¯t been her home she¡¯d have been in trouble.

    ¡°You should be pleased that our research will show the path to salvation for us all, but I suppose notions like this are foreign to you, demon girl. I see you¡¯re calm. You may think reinforcements will come in time which means you activated some sort of alarm. Maybe they will, but it will not help you. I am strong. Thresholders think they have the best raiders on the planet and perhaps you do, but you¡¯re scattered, fragmented. You do not understand unity or a common purpose. Your city is a Babel of arrogance and selfishness. If I have to be left behind for Nichols to fly off, I will.¡±

    The doctor had successfully drawn her blood and he was now grabbing some material.

    ¡°You sure love the sound of your own voice.¡±

    ¡°Is that all you have to say?¡± he replied with manic amusement.

    Right. Nestra had what she wanted. Those two were lone wolves and they intended to leave the city by plane this very night. She wouldn¡¯t get more than that.

    ¡°No, there is something more. Sea Wiz,¡± Nestra replied.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m finally getting a proper read on her,¡± the assistant exclaimed.

    ¡°See what?¡± Daniels asked with a chuckle.

    ¡°See-wiz¡±

    ¡°DEFENSE SYSTEMS ACTIVE.¡±

    ¡°What the¡ª¡±

    The loudest fart imaginable would have deafened Nestra were it not for her sensory resistances. As it was, her wall of suspended rhododendrons, coat hanger, and the actual brick wall behind it were torn to shreds while she did her best to remain very, very still. A shower of debris ranging from pulverized bricks to mortar filled the room all around her. It barely lasted for a second but it left the front of Nestra¡¯s warehouse den poked like cheese, with lights blinking weakly in the dusty air. Even with her monstrous resistances, she still felt like she¡¯d been ran over by a pack of buffalos just from the air displacement.

    ¡°INTRUDERS NEUTRALIZED.¡±

    ¡°Ow. Thanks. Deactivate.¡±

    ¡°ACKNOWLEDGED.¡±

    Nestra sat up. Her arms were still firmly held by gloved hands but the grappling position was much less effective now that they were no longer attached to a torso. She brushed herself, then looked around. The naval cannon had shed its tarp which hadn¡¯t survived the blast. Its muzzle shone red. It was also, Nestra thought, the most glorious piece of fucking gear she¡¯d ever witnessed.

    ¡°You beautiful bastard you,¡± she whispered adoringly in Aszhii.

    As for the intruders, the diagnosis was easy.

    ¡°Chunky salsa. Ew.¡±

    It was going to cost her a fucking fortune to get them off her rug. Shit, the naval cannon at point blank range was capable of taking down a B-class gleam! A good reminder never to underestimate dozens of 20mm tungsten rounds traveling at above one kilometer per second.

    Then she realized she¡¯d just pasted two gleams on a diplomatic passport.

    ¡°Ugh, this is going to be such a pain.¡±

    With a last sigh of annoyance, she grabbed her secured phone and dialed a number. To her surprise, the call was picked up immediately.

    ¡°Lindstrom speaking. This better be urgent.¡±

    ¡°The two American assholes who wanted samples of me, remember? They smashed through my front door to get them.¡±

    ¡°Dammit, I¡¯m on my way. They¡¯re gonna regret it!¡±

    ¡°Ah, that is to say, my home defense system disposed of them.¡±

    There was a very, very long silence, which was even more telling because A-class gleams could think really fast.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re dead.¡±

    ¡°Dead, dead? Even the B-rank one? Are you sure? They can withstand a lot of punishment.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll need a spatula to scrape him off my floor.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t understand what Rangarok said next but she decided that Swedish was such a beautiful language.

    ***

    ¡°We¡¯re going to need to take the naval gun away,¡± Ragnhild said in a vaguely annoyed voice.

    The technicians worked quietly. They¡¯d been very loud and unprofessional about the crime scene first until Aszhii Nestra had hissed at one from under her mask. A fucking loser was getting close to her kitchen which was spotless, and therefore didn¡¯t need to be messed with. Same for her weapons rack and her bed.

    On the diplomatic level, the situation was so complex that Shinran had shown up. Nestra wasn¡¯t in trouble. There was a recording of her front door being smashed in by a white-armored blur and said white armor on the corpse of dearly departed Doctor Daniels. There was a recording of the hooded form of his assistant getting in with a case, and the body of said assistant inside, with the case open. Though damaged, many measuring instruments were instantly recognizable. The fact they¡¯d wanted samples and been refused was fully recorded in Threshold¡¯s systems with emails they¡¯d sent themselves. The final touch was that Daniels and his goon were not alive to present their version of the event. If anything, the rest of the American diplomats in Threshold were in hot water. Oh, they wouldn¡¯t be expelled or anything, but Threshold would make its annoyance known. Nestra¡¯s status as victim was pure as snow which wouldn¡¯t help with the CIWS situation.

    ¡°What do you mean, take it away?¡± Nestra asked, scandalized.

    The techs froze before picking up the pace. Shinran held his peace. He probably didn¡¯t want to interfere with Ragnarok while she was pretending to dispense justice, the tyrannical wench.

    ¡°This is a ship weapon, Crescent, albeit an antique one. Why do you even have this here?¡±

    ¡°Home protection.¡±

    ¡°That is not a home protection system!¡± Ragnarok replied, her voice rising.

    ¡°It protected my house and therefore it¡¯s a house protection system!¡±

    ¡°The bullets blew through three warehouses, Crescent. Someone could have gotten hurt!¡±

    ¡°I would have gotten hurt without it. No one ever visits those warehouses. Look, anything that can disable me can¡¯t be brought down with tasers so obviously I¡¯d need something with a bit of an oomph, no?¡±

    ¡°Crescent, I don¡¯t know how you got this thing to begin with¡ª¡±

    ¡°Perfectly legally,¡± Nestra insisted.

    ¡°But this is military grade equipment that shouldn¡¯t be in the hands of an individual!¡±

    ¡°By that logic you¡¯re an individual! I¡¯m a C-class gleam with enemies, and they tried to harvest my fucking blood, dammit! That gun is the only thing that protected me!¡±

    Ragnarok took a deep, calming breath.

    ¡°You can¡¯t keep something that blasts holes through an entire city block and that¡¯s final.¡±

    Nestra was about to explode, but she grew cold instead. Crossing her arms, she replied as calmly as she could.

    ¡°Very well.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to replace it with something even worse, are you not?¡±

    ¡°My life is at risk. I will protect myself, one way or another.¡±

    ¡°How about moving to a government-protected facility?¡±

    ¡°You can kiss my gray ass.¡±

    Ragnarok¡¯s eyes narrowed. The entire staff of techs froze where they were.

    ¡°Crescent, you¡¯re out of line.¡±

    ¡°That is to say I kindly decline your ¡®generous¡¯ offer. I¡¯m perfectly fine where I am with the level of protection I currently have, and I don¡¯t need any help. I just need you to finish and leave so I can start with the repairs.¡±

    Ragnarok glared, but Nestra had righteous anger on her side. It was at that moment that Shinran took a step forward.

    ¡°Perhaps Crescent can keep it if she reinforces her walls with enchantments and promises to use ammunition that does not punch through several meters of concrete¡­¡±

    ¡°I can do that,¡± Nestra agreed with a nod.

    ¡°There. And she is right, she does need to protect herself, but more importantly, she needs to be able to protect her identity.¡±

    The two A-class shared a glance. Ragnarok wanted Nestra hidden because she was her scalpel, and possibly the only person who could one day equal Shinran in pure bullshit power. Shinran wanted her hidden because she was an Aszhii whose big brother could raze the city to the ground. Hell, as far as she knew, he still didn¡¯t know her civilian identity even though it would be as easy as checking whose name the warehouse was under. Either way, Nestra had what she wanted. She retired to the pillow pile while the techs packed up. She sent a few messages but her first call was to Gorge.

    ¡°Hey,¡± she said as a way of greeting.

    ¡°What¡¯s up? You almost always message.¡±

    ¡°Some twats crashed my place. Do you know someone who can do brick wall repair?¡±

    ¡°How bad is it?¡±

    ¡°The naval cannon fired. Front wall is Swiss cheese.¡±

    Gorge whistled.

    ¡°Yeah I know a guy. Gonna take a week though, and twenty thousand creds give or take?¡±

    ¡°Can they reinforce it with mana?¡±

    Gorge sighed. It wasn¡¯t a good sign.

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna need some Touhei contractors and it¡¯s gonna cost you a hundred thousand for the basic package.¡±

    ¡°Fuck it. I¡¯ll call them. I¡¯m not moving. This is my den, hssssss.¡±

    This was going to put her in debt. Nothing too bad but she¡¯d been running on low reserves to feed the Skin. It didn¡¯t really make sense for her to invest when she was always one blunder away from having to leave the city. Or indeed, mankind.

    ¡°One last thing. I need a shipment of alternative ammo for the cannon. High-explosive incendiary.¡±

    ¡°Nestra, are you getting door-to-door missionary kaiju?¡±

    ¡°They told me I needed something that doesn¡¯t go through too many walls so that¡¯s what I¡¯m getting.¡±

    ¡°Yeah because the walls will be blown to pieces, and also, on fire?¡±

    ¡°My word is my bond. I still have the license anyway. Let¡¯s say, five hundred rounds?¡±

    ¡°You are insane. Seven creds a round. I¡¯m giving you a discount because of the volume, so thirty-two hundred total.¡±

    ¡°Much appreciated. See you later.¡±

    Her next call was to Stibbs. Her explanation was direct and to the point so she could indulge in gloating before the inevitable return call from a certain message.

    ¡°And they thought they could just barge in and steal my vital fluids for their nefarious research, but little did they know, I was prepared! People always underestimate Clytemnestra Palladian, and then I either send them to prison or I have to power wash them off my curtains!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have curtains.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a figure of speech, Stibbs. Bear with me! Anyway, one more foe to bite the dust thanks to my cunning and wondrous foresight. Oh, shit, she¡¯s calling.¡±

    ¡°I was about to say, I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re still at your home.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t last. Ugh.¡±

    Nestra stood up to grab her luggage as she picked up on her visor.

    ¡°Clytemnestra Palladian,¡± a sweet voice said.

    ¡°Hi mom.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by burglars? And why are they dead?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    ¡°Less than a week after a train terrorist attack and you¡¯re under assault in your own home? What is wrong with this city! I have sent the car. You will pack, and you will return IMMEDIATELY¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah¡­¡±

 Part 62: Raiders of the Lost Meal

    Nestra was faced with a small problem of logistics which happened to illustrate her large issue of leading a double life. The truth was, she was a bit of a musclehead and not prone to deception on a long term basis. It meant that her separation of life between Crescent and Nestra was getting paper thin, and it was a miracle it hadn¡¯t broken already. Actually, no, it would have broken if it weren¡¯t backed by Threshold¡¯s two A-class gleams and a grumpy brother.

    Nevertheless, she had to be more serious. The two Americans had followed her home after placing a tracer on her motorcycle. The audacity! She¡¯d purchased an ECM suite from Gorge to remedy that, but the fact remained that she¡¯d been careless. It was too easy for someone obstinate enough to find out her secret identity because Sereth was right. She was being careless.

    For now, the culprits were dead, the techs quiet, her house sealed, and the A-class complicit. The list of people who knew part of the truth was long but still manageable. It was now up to her to keep it that way. Which led to the current issue.

    ¡°I must simply come with you,¡± her mom insisted.

    ¡°And I must simply refuse. My friend asked me to come alone at a difficult time, and I will do as he asks.¡±

    Valerian had specifically asked her to come ¡®masked¡¯ via her secret phone. She knew what he meant.

    ¡°At least let me drive you there. In your nice roadster?¡±

    ¡°No mom, sorry, I¡¯m going alone.¡±

    ¡°You just told me it¡¯s somewhere in the BaiHe arcology. Why won¡¯t you let me accompany you since I already know where you¡¯re going.¡±

    ¡°I did it so you would know I¡¯d be safe. It¡¯s very important for me to be there for him,¡± Nestra said.

    Her mom was clearly worried for her. Dad came and placed his hand on mom¡¯s shoulder. On her seat in the kitchen, Helena pretended not to see.

    ¡°She¡¯s an adult, love.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know. Fine. But promise me that you will be careful.¡±

    ¡°You have my word. I swear those were just thieves and they¡¯re dead, mom.¡±

    Well, she hoped it would be the end of it anyway.

    ¡°Go then,¡± Mom finished with a dramatic wave of her hand, her other arm reaching to her forehead as she pretended to faint in dad¡¯s waiting arms.

    ¡°Oh, woe, woe is me!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m out,¡± Nestra declared before any more silliness could occur.

    She drove her roadster to the nearest ramp and prepared her plan. There was a visitor parking in the arcology, but it felt too risky. Someone really thorough could check the camera footage for who went out of their cars or something. Instead, she picked one of those semi-deserted malls at the arcology¡¯s periphery, the kind of place where students and other young employees could hang out without risks of coming across their superiors. Parking there wouldn¡¯t be costly and security was intentionally lax. When she arrived, she found a parking space in a camera¡¯s blind spot, not too far from an automated car-cleaning service. It was then a simple matter to passe-muraille down to the lowest basement, landing on top of a parked SUV. She made sure to blur her presence as much as possible before finding the stairs up.

    ¡°I am not here. I am not here. I am not here.¡±

    It was fun dodging the few customers hurriedly running errands at this hour. She was pretty sure no one had seen her when she reached street level, though she still wall jumped into a car mechanic before striding confidently into the open.

    A drone brazenly scanned her on the way to one of the arcology¡¯s less used entrances. She presented her ID to an aug woman in tight security uniform, the kind that was elegant but would also stop a rifle bullet. BaiHe loved that shit.

    ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, Crescent-xiaojie. Only authorized personnel may carry a weapon inside of the arcology.¡±

    Nestra could have hidden her sword in her spatial pocket. Oh well. She watched the guard respectfully open a box for her to leave her stuff in. She was issued a chit and a bow before moving further in. Valerian sent her a map to the meeting point instead of picking her up in person, which was a little strange considering she was here in advance. The path led her through the beautiful grounds towards the central hub. Nestra felt strange when she actually approached the thing. She was no longer in BaiHe¡¯s pleasant outer shell, the carefully curated world design to advertise the megacorp¡¯s aesthetic and bioengineering ethos. This was the marrow. It was reserved for employees, yet when she approached the gate with her ID, she was let through. The innards of the arcology were more austere but just as elegant, with the safety elements and janitor closets cleverly hidden behind wall panels. People were giving her a lot of attention now, especially the white-clad security personnel. They didn¡¯t have Touhei¡¯s heavy exo armor gear but she was still reminded, by looking at their fancy rifles, that this was a megacorp. It had an army. It was practically a state in itself.

    Deeper she went. Every security checkpoint she assumed would finally stop her let her through without issue. She took an elevator up, the trip lasting a full minute. Up there, titanic trees and walkways merged into the illusion of a village while beyond the reinforced glass, gentle afternoon light shone on the distant kaiju wall. There was a management office nearby. Those were the living quarters of BaiHe¡¯s elite.

    It was mostly deserted at the time, but a couple of mothers pushing old-fashioned strollers stopped when she appeared. Nestra approached the railing so as to not alarm them. Valerian appeared a few seconds later anyway.

    She did a double take.

    ¡°Hey. You look stronger.¡±

    And he did. Valerian had never been a pushover but now it looked like he¡¯d picked up bodybuilding. His large shoulders struggled against the seams of his uniform. There were deep pockets under his eyes though, and his facial features showed a degree of wariness that were unusual on a gleam.

    ¡°It also looks like you aged ten years,¡± Nestra remarked.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Right. What the hell happened while I was gone?¡±

    Valerian struggled. His hesitation turned to melancholy. A service drone carrying luggage stopped by his side.

    ¡°Errr, Valerian?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving the arcology.¡±

    He chuckled. It was not a nice sound.

    ¡°Do you happen to know how one can rent a spot? I appear to be¡­ homeless for now. And I am willing to admit I¡¯ve lived a sheltered life.¡±

    ¡°Sure. There are apps. Mind explaining?¡±

    ¡°Not now. I don¡¯t want to have to explain things in two sessions, if that¡¯s ok. After we¡¯re gone, alright? I have a meeting I¡¯d like you to attend first.¡±

    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to say or do anything beyond showing up. In fact, it would be best if you didn¡¯t say anything.¡±

    Nestra kept quiet. Valerian passed his hand over his face as if trying to wipe away months of exhaustion.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m being an ass, sorry.¡±

    ¡°Hey it would be hypocritical of me to criticize you when you¡¯re obviously in distress. I was in distress for a long time. I¡¯ll be there, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. Sorry, I just¡­ really don¡¯t want to speak right now. You¡¯ll get it when the meeting starts. As I said, I¡¯m leaving so don¡¯t interrupt.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Nestra waited while enjoying the view. At some point, Valerian moved them to a small restaurant on the same level that served homemade salads. It was really nice, though they didn¡¯t have a privacy booth so it made it inconvenient to eat with her physical mask on. The atmosphere grew heavier as time went on. At one thirty PM, her sullen companion led them both down towards the core. This time, Nestra was stopped by heavy security. They had gleams with them, and not lightweight either.

    ¡°She¡¯s my witness,¡± Valerian stated with a kind of cold composure she wasn¡¯t familiar with. ¡°She was cleared and approved by the system. Let us through.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a C-class threat, and a strong one as well.¡±

    ¡°Unless you have reasonable grounds to deny us entry as you question central, sergeant, I suggest you stand down. We are expected.¡±

    The armored gleam clearly didn¡¯t like it. He was C-class, like her, but one of the retired old raiders that could punch above their weight class. The way he kept her on his heavily armored left side showed he was aware of exactly how dangerous she could be. Nestra found that flattering. She liked hard-boiled combatants like him. They were always so full of tricks.

    He still let them through but she could tell he would be making calls for the next five minutes.

    Valerian was tense as they approached the administrative wing of the BaiHe arcology. They took another elevator before stopping in a waiting room that smelled of stale coffee. Gone was the quiet elegance that qualified the megacorp. This place had been designed to be sterile on purpose, a cold design to instill discomfort instead of harmony on its visitors. A female aug in a very expensive suit entered the room before they could even settle down. It was probably for the best.

    ¡°Valerian. They¡¯re all here if you want to go now.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Elise. We¡¯ll do that.¡±

    ¡°Good luck,¡± she said with sympathy breaking through her professional mask.

    Valerian didn¡¯t reply. Even his attempt at a smile died on his lips. Nestra felt stress bleeding through their friendship. She¡¯d been in enough disciplinary hearings to know when things were Bad.

    The aug interposed herself between Nestra and Valerian as she was going to follow him. She quickly made a sign for head cutting, and a bad wince.

    Nestra nodded. Things were, indeed, ¡®Bad¡¯ bad.

    Valerian walked to a large set of double doors. He knocked, then entered without waiting for a reply. There were seven people in the otherwise deserted courtroom, whispers stopping when Valerian crossed the threshold. It was suspicious how close they were to an official Threshold facility. The fact those megacorp assholes usurped every sovereign tool at their disposal from an army to a justice system tickled Nestra the wrong way. Nevertheless, she went to stand on the right on the defendant¡¯s bench. Valerian didn¡¯t sit. He walked straight to the central pulpit.

    One against seven. The image couldn¡¯t have been more clear.

    The jury ¡ª Nestra guessed ¡ª was composed of a few people who shared Valerian¡¯s angelic features but also Chinese people and another anglo. It was a rather diverse bunch in terms of age and gender, with the only thing in common being the high status of the white uniforms worn around. Three of the juries looked livid while the rest ranged from bored to vaguely annoyed. Unsurprisingly, those who looked personally offended were clearly Valerian¡¯s relatives. It wouldn¡¯t have been so obvious if they didn¡¯t all share the chiseled, perfect model appearance of the accused, the kind that a regular application of life mana could create. All of them were gleams, of course.

    ¡°Unrepentant until the end,¡± the lead man said.

    He looked to be on the younger end, though that didn¡¯t mean much with gleams. He was a rather strong B-class, though healers like him tended not to learn how to kill.

    ¡°Get on with it,¡± Valerian replied in a tired voice.

    ¡°Very well. You are summoned here to be held in contempt for your refusal to comply with the recommendation of the Board of Directors. I believe we can get on with the disciplinary part of the meeting, unless you are denying the charges?¡±

    ¡°I admit to not following your¡­ ¡®recommendations¡¯,¡± Valerian said, voice heavy with dark amusement.

    It was weird to see him with a bite like that. He was always so polite in public.

    ¡°And why did you bring this witness mentioned here then?¡± the judge asked with some suspicion.

    ¡°Moral support.¡±

    The judge was speechless. He turned to a nearby woman who was a respectable C-class and thus probably important. She was more on the sad end of anger. Other judges reacted, some with amusement, others with offense. They were very open about their emotions, which meant they were playing a game of face.

    ¡°Is this true?¡± the judge asked Nestra.

    She shrugged.

    ¡°I suppose.¡±

    ¡°You suppose?¡±

    ¡°Aye.¡±

    ¡°Master Nepthrite,¡± an old Chinese gleam asked. ¡°If you could proceed¡­¡±

    He was old as in, he must have been old when the Incursion hit. That placed him in the same age category as Ragnarok and from his contained annoyance, he shared her short fuse as well.

    ¡°Very well. To the matter at hand then. You have been repeatedly warned against pursuing alternate uses of life mana, up to and including nerve attacks, stroke spells, instant osteosarcoma¡­¡±

    The list went on. It was long and a little gruesome. Nestra had no idea what some of those spells meant but even the old Chinese master seemed impressed.

    ¡°... toxin generation, and general sepsis. Have I forgotten anything?¡± the man continued, his voice very judgmental.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Accelerated hormonal alteration for the purpose of myogenesis,¡± Valerian helpfully suggested.

    There were a few gasps. Nestra frowned, until Valerian turned to her and tapped his large biceps. Ah, he was using his powers to get swole quickly. Nestra approved. It was cool if anything else.

    ¡°We specifically forbid alteration of the self!¡± the judge screamed.

    ¡°Is that another rule you just made up?¡± Valerian politely asked.

    The room erupted in discussion. Nestra didn¡¯t catch most of it as only a few people were speaking in English and there were a lot of dirty words like ¡®deontology¡¯ thrown around.

    ¡°We have given you every chance to stop going against our code of conduct. The Nephrite stand for the sanctity of life and the hippocratic oath, for a healing magic devoid of evil or assault so that mana users from every corner of the city may come for help without fear of manipulation or threat. By your actions, you are staining a reputation we have spent decades building. Do you realize this?¡±

    ¡°We already had this discussion, uncle. My answer is the same: people come to us because we¡¯re the best, they expect to get fucked over and you¡¯re full of shit.¡±

    ¡°We will have respect in this room, young Valerian,¡± the Chinese man chided, though not unkindly.

    ¡°Look, let¡¯s just get this over with. Do the thing, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Do you have no respect for your elders?¡±

    ¡°Respect,¡± Valerian hissed, ¡°goes both ways. My values and opinions have been completely disregarded here so I don¡¯t see why I should give back any sort of attention. You want my respect? Then listen. I do not want to be just a healer, I want to be a combat life mage. Experimenting with life magic isn¡¯t just a matter of practicality, it¡¯s a matter of survival. There are so many more ways we can contribute to training and the battlefield but some of you are so obsessed with your image that you think it¡¯s worth all of our futures, because others are experimenting, and one day we¡¯ll enter a battlefield with enemy mages capable of casting that osteosarcoma some of you guys were smiling at on the spines of our tanks, and then nobody will be smiling anymore, because we¡¯ll never have researched countermeasures. And all for what? This image of the life mages of BaiHe being kind and harmless lambs lasts only until the bill for our services arrives in the mail. I know what people think about us because, unlike some of us, I¡¯ve left the operation theater and, you know, actually talked to people. That pure image? It doesn¡¯t exist. It¡¯s all, psshh.¡±

    He waved his hands.

    ¡°It¡¯s all a myth that only exists between your delusional ears.¡±

    The judge was standing. He took a step forward, anger on full display.

    ¡°You will watch your FUCKING mou¡ª¡±

    And then, he froze.

    Nestra realized she was standing too. There was a lot of attention on her right now.

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep thingsssss civil,¡± she hissed.

    ¡°There is nothing you can do to me that would stick,¡± the B-class calmly stated.

    Huh. What a concept.

    ¡°Soundssss like a lot of fun,¡± she replied with a hidden smile.

    ¡°You are here as witness, officially, and support, unofficially,¡± the Chinese gleam warned her. ¡°Please do not force us to expel you.¡±

    Nestra sat down because he was right. She was impossibly outclassed here. The satisfaction of checking the uncle¡¯s aggression would have to suffice for today. She was here to help Valerian through difficult times, not to test void mana¡¯s nerve damage potential on his relatives.

    ¡°Moving on,¡± the judge said. ¡°You will voluntarily leave BaiHe in its entirety, you will have your medical license revoked, and you will leave the city or we will be taking measures.¡±

    Damn.

    ¡°Not a chance. Fire me properly,¡± Valerian replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

    Tensions rose in the way the panel exchanged glances, gazing or avoiding gazes in a quiet symphony of unspoken statements. Nestra wasn¡¯t sure but she thought the opinions might be divided.

    ¡°You fire me properly, I get the normal benefits, and for the license, you can take the BaiHe specialization but the Threshold medical license is mine and it stays mine. If you have a problem with that, issue a complaint to the city¡¯s Ethics Committee. I¡¯m sure they could use a good laugh.¡±

    ¡°You believe for a second that they will allow a person who causes cancer with a touch to practice medicine?¡±

    ¡°It might come as a shock but some of those doctors also strangle monsters to death with plants. So yea, I believe I¡¯ll be fine. But as I said, go ahead, but that license is mine. And one last thing ¡ª Elder Zhao, I apologize in advance ¡ª as for leaving Threshold you can shove it all the way up your a¡ª¡±

    ¡°I believe that is enough,¡± the elder said.

    Valerian¡¯s uncle might have been the judge but everyone stopped when Elder Zhao spoke.

    ¡°Young Valerian, this is a lonely path you have chosen.¡±

    ¡°No. I picked a path. You decided it would be lonely,¡± Valerian replied. ¡°Don¡¯t try gaslighting me. You¡¯ve decided life mana should only be used in that narrow capacity you tolerate, not I. So don¡¯t try pushing that decision on me.¡±

    The elder sighed. He waved a stained hand. Nestra¡¯s nose picked up the scent of medicine and chemicals.

    ¡°As you wish then. We¡­ officially dismiss you from the corporation without prejudice.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± the judge rebelled. ¡°He disobeyed!¡±

    ¡°Show me where I broke my contract,¡± Valerian replied.

    ¡°You refused to stop your experiments!¡±

    ¡°My free time is my own. And if you think I broke any law or stained the image of the company, I assume you¡¯re ready to prove it in court?¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± the elder barked.

    Both Nephrite fell silent.

    ¡°Without prejudice. You may have the final say in what rules your clan follows, Aeslin, but you do not speak for BaiHe. Young Valerian, we will not oppose you so long as you respect our intellectual property and you do not misrepresent yourself as part of the company. Am I being clear?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Valerian replied.

    ¡°Then go.¡±

    Valerian turned and left, Nestra close behind. They didn¡¯t speak until they had made the long trek out of the arcology and towards a moving truck Valerian had very optimistically rented for only a day.

    ¡°What now?¡± he mumbled to himself.

    ¡°Now you download the EZMove app and we find you a place to stay because my couch is currently out of service.¡±

    ¡°Dammit.¡±

    ***

    Finding an apartment to rent was coming very late in Valerian¡¯s planned departure, but somehow, he made it work. Nestra almost expected his first applications to be denied. That was without taking into account the fact he was a handsome gleam from a known family, with a spotless bank record, and a useful affinity. Nestra¡¯s first application for a car loan had been refused three times because her job was too risky! Life wasn¡¯t fair sometimes. At least it benefited someone who really needed a hand this time.

    ¡°I¡¯d ask how you¡¯re feeling but I think I know the answer,¡± Nestra said as the rental truck huffed its way off a ramp.

    ¡°Instead I¡¯ll ask if you want to rant about it?¡±

    ¡°Not much to say. We reached a breaking point because neither of us would back down and I was a bit prideful, but even then it wouldn¡¯t have changed my decision, only how, shall we say, diplomatic I would have been about communicating it. Fuck Aeslin.¡±

    ¡°You want to raid more then?¡±

    ¡°With you, if possible. It¡¯s already fairly well known at this stage that working with me will burn all bridges with BaiHe, so I kind of need Crescent.¡±

    ¡°You can also raid with Nestra. D-class worlds are still a good place for you to try your more experimental stuff.

    It was an easy pick for Nestra. It cost her nothing to bring Valerian into the C-class world she raided while him joining the Little People League also made sense because it was a non-profit association more than a real guild. It would be seen as a way for him to build up a good reputation.

    ¡°I know. Alright. You should go raid, Crescent. I¡¯ll be fine moving my stuff around. I can also use a moment of solitude, no insults intended.¡±

    ¡°None taken,¡± Nestra replied.

    He dropped her off at a street corner which left Nestra with the annoying task of driving all the way back to the arcology to pick up her car.

    ***

    Takashi wasn¡¯t a hobo by choice. He was a hobo because the megacorps conspired to hide his medication because they feared his power, but he¡¯d show them one day. Not now, probably next week. Currently, he was warming a can of artichokes on a barrel fire for a late lunch. The fire was not too hot in this season, and the artichokes were nice nutrition with some good fibers to help with bowel movements. He was also looking at a car approaching the cluttered intersection and could hardly believe his eyes.

    First, the car was bright pink. How could something be this bright pink? Second, the car was expensive and unarmored, so the person driving it had to be a complete moron. This was District Twenty-Eight. The car was going to be stripped then shipped to Jakarta in a dozen containers before the end of the week.

    ¡°Look at that. A Gidung Crane roadster limited edition,¡± Tin man said as he arrived. ¡°Zero to a hundred in under eight seconds. Integrated AI suite with security options. Titanium finish. The dream¡­¡±

    The two exchanged a complicated handshake. Takashi found a wrapped candy between his fingers once this was done, which he pocketed for later.

    ¡°Andrew,¡± he greeted.

    ¡°Takashi. Good afternoon. Nice car. I¡¯m surprised to see it here.¡±

    Against all odds, the car stopped and two women stepped out. One was slightly taller, with an ice princess persona and the expensive armor to match. The other was more playful with shoulder-length, straight dark hair and darker eyes. And an axe. Pretty large one too. They were, obviously, gleams.

    ¡°Here for the portals then,¡± tin man said with a nod.

    ¡°You know something I don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Only that there¡¯s a new temporary one a block away. They¡¯re both near the water treatment plant so I can¡¯t imagine anyone willingly going there.¡±

    The two gleams checked their gear one more time before walking into an empty arc. Takashi knew it led to the inner court where the local permanent portal was. He liked to watch the blue radiance from afar the day it opened which was every thirty-six days after getting closed, give or take. He felt it soothing even if only death came from there. It was a reminder that a large world existed beyond the street he lived in, and even if he couldn¡¯t reach it, humanity could. Also, Junpei was scared of going there so it was safe.

    ¡°Artichokes are done,¡± Tin man said.

    Because he was a good neighbor, Takashi shared the vegetables with his guest. In return, Tin man offered two packs of ketchup and a few sticks of instant coffee he¡¯d nabbed from some fast food joint¡¯s trash bin. They ate in companionable silence. The sounds of footsteps echoed in the arc while they shared a grilled generic brand waffle for dessert. Takashi warmed some water for their coffee.

    The women returned, unharmed.

    ¡°That was fast. Really fast. Less then fifteen minutes,¡± Takashi remarked.

    ¡°Is it?¡±

    ¡°The portal world is low D-class but it¡¯s a swamp filled with ambush creatures. Amphibians, apparently. Raiders normally take it slow.¡±

    Not just quickly, the two women were carrying strings of severed frog legs strapped together, well, if frogs were the size of large dogs. Predictably, the women¡¯s nice armor sets were stained to the knees but no higher.

    ¡°They must be pretty good. Most interns return completely drenched,¡± Takashi said admiringly.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    The two opened the roadster back where, against all expectations again, there was a giant cooler. Their loot found its place in its waiting maw. The women then proceeded to another street without a break. He heard the black-armored girl talk about recruitment and, for some reason, shark management. Maybe it was some sort of raider lingo the vids didn¡¯t cover. He liked gleam vids. Sometimes, Mother Hen played them on her back wall.

    Just as they were gone though, Junpei showed up with his idiot friend. Takashi¡¯s hand instinctively reached for his pepper spray but the idiot only had eyes for the car. He checked the door which was obviously closed.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you, ¡± Tin man said. ¡°Abunai, ne?¡±

    ¡°Urusai. Shut the fuck up, both of you. And if you rat me out¡­¡±

    The threat was left unfinished. Tin man shook his head. He was smiling a bit so Takashi looked on with attention. Tin man knew his cars.

    Junpei grabbed some kind of thingamajig from a bag. He placed some sort of plug on the door and then there was a beep. The car¡¯s alarm started immediately.

    ¡°Damn thing!¡±

    ¡°Last chance!¡± Tin man yelled with clear amusement.

    The torrent of insults coming from Junpei was particularly vile. Takashi thought Junpei was being really stupid. He didn¡¯t know much about cars but surely this was a gleam vehicle and they¡¯d be harder to jack in than pizza delivery drones, right? After a good minute of the alarm roaring, Junpei persisted in attempting to break into the vehicle. What a moron.

    ¡°Threshold Police Department. You are under arrest for attempted auto theft,¡± a robotic voice came from above.¡±

    Tin man shook his head. Police drones.

    ¡°It¡¯s a top Gidung car. Of course they have an uplink,¡± Tin man commented.

    Predictably, Junpei tried to run ¡ª he should have led with that and he would have remained free. Predictably, he and his friend were electrocuted. A van picked them up less than five minutes later. Some beat cop made a token attempt to ask him questions so Takashi tossed some random comments about Mayor Kim being controlled by sapient mushrooms and that was it, he was dismissed. Even if Junpei was an asshole, it was not enough to force Takashi to help the pigs. They probably had the car footage anyway.

    Tin man stayed, which was unusual. He was curious as well.

    The two women returned in sixteen minutes. It meant they¡¯d cleared the one-time portal in less than fourteen. They were beasts.

    ¡°Hot damn,¡± Tin man whispered.

    This time they were carrying what looked like giant flowers in a plastic bag. They were smelling really rank too. The black-haired girl was looking a little green around the gills. As for the ice princess, her helmet had a mask.

    ¡°Huuuh fuck. Do we have to do that every time?¡± the black-haired one asked.

    ¡°Nah, that one was a one-off,¡± the ice princess replied in a much more casual tone than what Takashi would have expected.

    ¡°Alright Helena, you got it worse so you get the free pizza this week.¡±

    ¡°I need to buy a rebreather or something.¡±

    ¡°That would be wise.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going to get changed. I saw a spot near the repeating portal that would work. You?¡±

    The ice princess didn¡¯t reply, but a wave of cold made the barrel fire shiver. Tin man shook a bit. He didn¡¯t like the cold at all¡ªbad memories. The scum on the ice princess¡¯ foot froze. She stomped her heavy boots, once, twice, and all the dirty water fell as shards of black crystal on the asphalt. Fucking nifty, that was.

    ¡°This is bullshit,¡± the younger one complained.

    Takashi was inclined to agree. It was bullshit, but it was also gleam bullshit and the black-haired girl was a gleam. Was there some sort of bullshit gradation among Threshold¡¯s most privileged? That decided it though. There was no way someone with that gear was there for money reasons.

    ¡°Hey, ladies! Hey!¡± Takashi said.

    Tin man looked at him like he¡¯d lost his mind but Takashi lived around there and, well, he was curious. Normally, they only got unmotivated pairs of government-mandated raiders clearing things at the very last moment. This was too new.

    ¡°Yeah man what¡¯s up?¡± the younger one replied.

    Even the ice princess was paying attention to him. He felt vindicated.

    ¡°You¡¯re getting punished or something?¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯re the Little People League! We take shit assignments no one else will take as a way to give back to the city.¡±

    That was new.

    ¡°You, err, you¡¯re looking to get into politics?¡±

    The two girls exchanged a look. Now that Takashi was looking, it was clear they were related.

    ¡°Fuck the hell no,¡± the younger one said.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather stab myself in the knee,¡± her sister added.

    ¡°Oh, well, thanks, Little People League. By the way, a pair of assholes tried to jack your ride. You¡¯ll get a notification from the popo. I just wanted to give you a heads up.¡±

    ¡°They got nabbed?¡± Ice princess asked.

    ¡°Bagged and tagged. The van just left,¡± Takashi explained.

    ¡°Right. Thanks for letting us know. Hey, you want a frog leg?¡±

    A mana frog leg?

    ¡°A mana frog leg?¡± Takashi asked, brain going into overdrive.

    ¡°Yeah we got a few too many for ourselves, I think. You¡¯ll need to be careful peeling the skin off.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Mother Hen can do that. She used to be a cook. Yes please,¡± Takashi said.

    The women gave him the meat, then they left. What a great day.

    ¡°Come on,¡± he told Tin man. ¡°Let¡¯s go feast.¡±

    ***

    ¡°What the fuck is going on here?¡±

    The expletive came from the portal world¡¯s entry point, scaring a few nearby workers. The D-class harvesters wisely decided that they had some harvesting to do somewhere else.

    Nestra sighed. She had been sure she¡¯d get her twenty minutes of calm as Crescent since people tended to ignore her anyway.

    ¡°You. Get the fuck out,¡± the female voice said, suddenly closer.

    Nestra felt a wave of nature mana accompany the threat. C-class, decent if a little undisciplined. With a sigh, Nestra removed her meat skewers from their fire. It was already hard enough to find mammal meat around Threshold, and then also meat that didn¡¯t come from a predator because those tended to be stringy, but now even that small miracle was getting messed up. She set the half-cooked skewers aside and prayed to whatever Ashzii god might be listening that cutting the process midway wouldn¡¯t ruin the meal.

    She turned to the newcomer. This world was lush and verdant, like many others around the city, but the vegetation stretched over porous red rock that made navigation treacherous. The woman now approaching with thunder in her green eyes fit right in with an armor seemingly made of wood. Thorny growths spontaneously popped from her pauldrons while whips made of vines shivered with each of her steps. It looked pretty cool. Made Nestra want to fight her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me ask again,¡± she repeated from behind a half-closed helmet.

    Instead of replying, Nestra checked the entrance portal. Only one person had followed, a guild guy in a neat piece of armor with a nasty bow. He had rare electricity mana. The two of them working together had to be something to behold: she would control and he would snipe. Nice synergy. No one else though, and the archer was clearly reluctant to approach. He looked like he wanted to hold his boss back but didn¡¯t dare.

    Nestra finally turned to nature lady, real name Emily Narinrak and guild master for the Green Grasp.

    ¡°You must have missed the people in suits at the entrance,¡± she told her. ¡°Your portal license is suspended pending investigation.¡±

    ¡°Who decides that? What the fuck?¡±

    She really was hot-blooded.

    ¡°The government did, and you are trespassing. I believe the nice people in suits warned you?¡±

    Nestra tutted while the woman seethed under her helmet. The archer took a few tentative steps forward.

    ¡°What the fuck is this about?¡± the woman growled. ¡°I paid the taxes and everything.¡±

    Nestra gave her skewers one last forlorn look. It was fine, she still had plenty of meat left. She could try at home later, after she killed the guardian. The monsters here had some pretty cool resistances to acid anyway.

    Now, should she antagonize the lady for a good fight?

    It would be kind of a dick move, but¡­ so tempting. Ah well. She¡¯d give her a chance.

    ¡°As I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been told, the mineral yield of this world has been in free fall for the past few months. It made the city wonder if perhaps some of the ore might have been¡­ mislaid.¡±

    This world¡¯s obvious bounty was a plentiful harvest of bulbous fruit that tasted a bit like banana. She¡¯d tried some. It was ok but maybe thirty percent seeds so not exactly convenient. As usual, Threshold had taken a look at the world as an industrial superpower, not as a foraging civilization.

    ¡°You got no proof or I¡¯d be under arrest, and besides why do you care? I¡¯m the one losing money here, week after fucking week. I barely have enough to pay everyone plus the license¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care but the city does, and the city does because Touhei does, and Touhei does because of the bauxite.¡±

    Another D-class worker approached with a heavy bag of red rocks over his shoulder. There had been a steady stream of such rocks being carried away, and the distant sound of jackhammers shook the jungle. Bauxite was the primary ore for aluminum, a material heavily used in the defense industry¡­ and mana-infused aluminum was not valuable in the monetary sense. It was a strategic resource.

    ¡°So the city will take care of this cycle and if we find that the output was, in fact, stable, you will lose the license. Simple as that.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s doing the raiding?¡± the woman asked.

    ¡°I am. Now I¡¯ve answered your questions as a courtesy. Be advised you¡¯ll be fined three thousand creds for trespassing just as you''ve been warned not to do. And now, fuck off, or I¡¯ll make you,¡± Nestra finished.

    The archer winced. Under the helmet, the eyes narrowed. That pride. Ah, so brittle.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try, bi¡ª¡±

    Nestra kicked the woman in the chest. The power of the blow cut her breath as she took off, but Narinrak was no pushover. The vegetation around Nestra¡¯s feet mutated at blinding speed, growing spines and thorns glistening with translucent liquid. Poison. Interesting. Nestra stepped forward before they could wrap around her limbs.

    She was curious to know if it could penetrate her skin through her armor but not that curious. She raced after the airborne woman right before she crashed into a tree, except, it didn¡¯t happen. The tree opened to receive her like a cozy chest. Nestra slammed into them both. The tree exploded in a shower of splinters.

    ¡°Ooof.¡±

    For the second time, Narinrak¡¯s lungs took the brunt of the hit. Her back smashed against a red wall. Twin whips snaked towards Nestra who dodged low. One of them left a searing line down her back, but it wouldn¡¯t be enough. She closed in and gave the poor spellsword a devastating cross. The stone cracked.

    Nestra grabbed the mage by the whips before she could recover, used them as ropes and then smashed her opponent against a nearby rock. Newly grown spikes tried to pierce her fingers. They failed.

    The whips detached from Narinrak¡¯s gauntlet to protect her from yet another slam. The woman rolled to her feet though she was wobbly. Nestra tossed the whips aside.

    ¡°So if it¡¯s on the thorns it¡¯s poison, not venom, right? Even if it technically stings you?¡± she asked in a conversational tone.

    Narinrak couldn¡¯t reply because Nestra¡¯d almost caved her ribs in twice by now. To her surprise, the archer rushed towards his boss. He was pretty fast too.

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.¡±

    She tried to push him away, but he grabbed her by the collar.

    ¡°Enough with the bullshit. You¡¯re going to get arrested and for what? She¡¯s playing with you.¡±

    A wave of doubt clouded her eyes. He was right though. She was playing with the poor mage. To be fair, a nature hybrid fighter was a great matchup for Nestra.

    ¡°I can take her,¡± Narinrak insisted.

    ¡®You absolutely cannot. She¡¯s toying with you. Stop it.¡±

    The guild master sulked in silence. The archer used that opportunity to hammer the point home.

    ¡°I told you about the quotas. I warned you.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Narinrak hissed.

    She coughed a bit.

    ¡°I know¡­¡±

    ¡°You are Crescent, right?¡± the archer asked.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m famous?¡±

    ¡°Infamous¡­ In any case, I think you may want to find her brother before he leaves the territory. I think I know where that ore went.¡±

    Detective Nestra had cracked the case once again.

 Part 63: Raider biz

    BEEP BEEP BEEP.

    Nestra slammed the alarm and sat up blearily. It was still dark as a shadowbeast¡¯s asshole outside yet she had to stand up to a new day. Accursed drive to get stronger. Accursed time limit before someone inevitably discovered her secrets, despite Sereth preventing the Americans and Allfather from spilling what they¡¯d learned. Accursed capitalism! Never had she worked harder in her entire life. It had come to the point where she was forced to stay and sleep in human shape!

    Nestra made her way to the bathroom for her morning ablutions. Her Aszhii self might be more powerful overall, but it was also lazy and a bit more simple in the way it approached everything. She had experimented a bit and she was sure of it now: her brain wasn¡¯t the same when she was transformed. In order to keep to a strict discipline, it was much easier to stay human more often.

    After she was done brushing her teeth came time for stretching. Nestra turned on all the lights and put on some music so she wouldn¡¯t feel so goddamn exhausted. It was December by now, and even the temperate Threshold had turned frigid with people having to wear thick coats. Coats! While you could bake an egg on the pavement in July! At least it justified hot chocolate. As she finished stretching, Nestra focused her mind on the promise of the sweet drink with her breakfast.

    Training her body had become necessary because it had started to change again. While her baseline self had remained untouched after she awakened, her ability to grow had unlocked with her newly rebuilt core. Now she was forced to train so she could be the strong girl she¡¯d always been meant to become. She took care of that next in the gym side of the den, first with muscle training for the anaerobic part of her routine, then aerobic via sword forms and cardio. Nothing like doing burpees in full plate to make one regret the life decisions that led to this point. Nevertheless, it was necessary. After a shower, she was ready to go.

    Nestra¡¯s morning continued at the Palladian corporate building. Today, her mom would be teaching her but sometimes it was Dad with the fencing. When they were all raiding, she would practice with other members of the house or by herself. The plan for this afternoon was to join the Little People League for more raids, then at six she¡¯d be back to her den and then it was Aszhii Nestra¡¯s turn to come out and play.

    At least when one form was active, the other one rested.

    The Palladian¡¯s corporate building was not at the manor, which was mostly used for social stuff. Situated not too far from the Beacon, the building was a modest-sized one they shared with another gleam group ¡ª those tended to rotate but for now it was the allied Century Guild. She greeted the receptionist before taking the elevator to the third floor which served as a training and practice spot. It was specifically reinforced to fill this role for D-rank members. Her mom was already waiting for her, deep in discussion with a Century Guild officer. They talked at high gleam speed so Nestra didn¡¯t pay much attention. Her mom was done soon anyway.

    ¡°Today, we will keep practicing the spikes. Again.¡±

    Nestra nodded. Her mom gave her a long, considering look.

    ¡°Honestly, you are much more patient and disciplined than I expected. I always thought that we would be butting heads over everything since you are a blade junkie like your father, but it appears I was wrong.¡±

    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m almost twenty-six.¡±

    ¡°Ah, fair enough.¡±

    ¡°Not to mention, I may give the impression I¡¯m just a muscle head but what I like is killing monsters. So long as I¡¯m learning something that will help that, I¡¯m all excited!¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, yes. Good motivation for a raider.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t wait to freeze the fuckers off.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s start over.¡±

    It was in moments like these that being taught by a B-class through the power of nepotism showed all its potential. Ice was a derivative of water, as far as elements were concerned. Except, ice was really ¡®cold¡¯, not a physical state of water. People just called it ice by simplification. It was one of those weird times when physics took a backseat to let symbolism at the forefront. Understanding one''s affinity required both, as Shinran¡¯s facility had confirmed. On the physical level, heat was atomic energy derived from movement while water was two hydrogen atoms strapped to an oxygen one. They had little in common, but Nestra had stood under the rain and she could tell how water and cold were related. The same was true for, she assumed, a great many species, so water and cold were related. That gave ice users like herself a very basic command of water. Not enough to use them in any offensive capacity, but well enough for shortcuts, like it was the case with spikes.

    Spikes were just glorified icicles thrown at an opponent, but there were several tricks to them. One, they exploded, spreading cold through the air and through the enemy¡¯s bloodstream if they connected. Two, there was a way to manifest them with much greater ease than just forming ice in mid-air using one¡¯s mana, which was very difficult and time consuming.

    Except if one used supercooling.

    Supercooled water was below freezing temperature yet still liquid. It could be achieved by cooling pure water in a way that didn¡¯t allow it to crystallize. A mere shake would then snap it into ice. It was much easier to form the icicle out of water which could even be partially pulled from ambient humidity, than it was to manifest relatively low flux ice out of nowhere¡­ but one had to get it right.

    All it took was a patient master showing the student exactly how to get it by feel. Nestra¡¯s own master called her honey and sometimes made her smoothies after practice. All those poor sods doing their military service? Yeah, they were fucked. As usual, Nestra just accepted the favoritism with the understanding that if she didn¡¯t learn, then it was lost anyway. The point was to be useful to society in general through her own efforts.

    ¡°Right. You¡¯re almost there!¡±

    Nestra manifested the water at the limit of what an ice mage could manage, cold enough to answer to her mana, yet still liquid. She focused her mind on smoothing the quickly forming spear, nuclei of ice popping as they formed so the water couldn¡¯t crystallize. Once she was done, all it took was to relax until the spear turned to ice with a crisp ¡®crack¡¯. Then she launched it.

    Her projectile lacked the purity and beauty that her mom¡¯s own possessed, but it still shattered against the target in a shower of shards, a wave of cold washing over the two women. In the distance, a Century Guild archer grumbled as he reached for his hoodie.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know why we even get heating in this place,¡± he jokingly told them.

    Mom winked, and the man¡¯s bottle of coke turned into an ice block.

    ¡°Aw, come on!¡±

    ¡°Mom, no bullying our allies.¡±

    Mom harrumphed, but they returned to practice. Nestra was almost at the point when she could use it in battle, though her icicles were ugly, misshapen and looked like mutant carrots (her mom¡¯s words). They stopped once Nestra was completely drained of mana. It took a while with her already large reserves and the slow pace of training.

    ¡°Right. As you know, ice mages perform best in a long fight once they¡¯ve had the time to cool their surroundings. As such, most of us fight defensively.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve already had this talk.¡±

    ¡°Hush, foolish child. It¡¯s called establishing a context. Now, I¡¯ve had time to research powerful offensive gleam fencers with an ice and electricity affinity and I have come to the conclusion¡­ that they do not exist.¡±

    Nestra blinked.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±

    ¡°After perusing all sorts of archives, I¡¯ve noticed that there are no raiders with your exact profile. Ice and electricity are already on the rare side of things, so the mix of both is exceedingly uncommon. In fact, most of my research returned intelligence reports on, well, me. Out of the dozen or so raiders with our exact mix operating at C-level or above, none of them used an offensive sword technique. The only one who used close quarter techniques relied on a sort of short-range electric discharge using ice as a conductor and it looks fairly underwhelming, let me tell you.¡±

    ¡°So like a discount Ulysses?¡±

    ¡°Except Ulysses is fast and he actually knows how to wield a blade. Otherwise¡­ yeah. So it is my regret and honor to inform you that you will have to develop your own combat techniques yourself.¡±

    Nestra made a face. Maybe Sereth would have pointers. Humanity had had mana access for all of sixty years. His civilization was thousands of years old. Surely he had some famous badass hero she could use as an inspiration?

    ¡°Meh, I can just zip around the battlefield, stabbing monsters in the nads while leaving a frozen wasteland in my steps.¡±

    ¡°Great plan, honey, but I was hoping for something more specific. Well, in any case, I have something for you.¡±

    With a look of pity mixed with amusement, her mom patted her shoulder. Her fingers clamped on Nestra¡¯s pauldron like a vise. Nestra would have had better luck freeing herself from a hydraulic press.

    ¡°It is high time for you to take your responsibilities as an heir to our house with all the powers that entail, starting with official events.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ NO!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to Beacon this afternoon to bid on the unique D-class portal that just opened near our manor.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re using me to run errands!¡±

    ¡°Those errands are an important part of house operations. It is imperative for you to learn the biz.¡±

    ¡°Can I go in armor?¡±

    ¡°Designer dresses only. You¡¯ve got three now, so don¡¯t be an ass. Also, you get to show your shapely calves. Speaking of which, I heard there¡¯s a blond bad boy you haven¡¯t introduced yet?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that, mom. Valerian is just a friend.¡±

    ¡°But I want grandbabies¡­¡±

    ¡°Better bet on Ulysses then. I thought he had a fiancee?¡±

    ¡°Gleam marriages are a long affair, but yes it¡¯s moving well. It¡¯s you I¡¯m concerned about. I know you don¡¯t like intimacies, but perhaps you would like a family at some point anyway.¡±

    Nestra didn¡¯t have the heart, or courage, to tell her mom she would be gone at B-class.

    ¡°Look, mom, I was going to raid with the Little People League.¡±

    ¡°Nothing is stopping you from doing that. The auction starts at 2PM. You have time to get there, buy the rights, and raid after. And even grab a latte on the way. Off you go now.¡±

    ¡°Mooooom.¡±

    ¡°If you want to raid more than just bottom D-class cesspit that earn 400 creds a pop ¡ª and trust me you¡¯ll want variety at some point ¡ª then I sincerely advise you to bid well. The D-class portal is for Helena and you, and also out of principle since it¡¯s pretty much in our backyard. Now go and make me proud.¡±

    Mom¡¯s voice showed she would tolerate no refusal. And also, she was right.

    ¡°Fine¡­¡±

    ***

    Nestra parked into yet another section of the Beacon¡¯s labyrinthine heights, near the upper middle this time. The chilly winter wind blew through this section since it was open to the air, but she still left her car in a designer dress that left her arms bare. A simple pulse of ice mana was enough to turn it into a refreshing breeze. A short elevator trip delivered her to the half-empty lobby of the Auction center.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    Like most public facilities in the Beacon, it had been designed in anticipation for a bright and populous future, and while it had not arrived yet, the ever-increasing percentage of gleams in the population only went to show the founders¡¯ foresight. Nestra strode in, attracting a lot of attention with her bared scars and general lack of winter clothes, though no one would meet her eyes. A single glance was enough to categorize the idle groups into three.

    The first group was made of people in nice, if somewhat neutral business suits: the low gleams. Those stared around with hounded eyes or clumped up in large numbers, exchanging contact information with one tap of their visors. They made up the majority of the small guilds or those who¡¯d just graduated from military service, and the line between them and corpo drones was thin indeed.

    The wild cards were the second group: mostly raiders who¡¯d made audacious fashion choices to solidify a brand. There was one fire and metal guy in a Hawaiian shirt talking up a jade lady wearing a shockingly green dress under a heavy shawl of similar color. To be honest it kind of made her look like a giant pistacchio sorbet. Maybe her core would taste¡ª

    Nestra shook her head and banned Aszhii Nestra¡¯s intrusive thoughts. It had been two days since she¡¯d last raided as her true self and she was reaching her limits.

    The third kind were the scions. They strode around with confidence and power. Nestra, as one of them, was the weakest one present. All the others were at the very least at C-class level, and many had an escort of one or two people in suits.

    Her little social commentary over, Nestra used her visor to direct her towards the proper window. Forcing auctioneers to show up in person was a conscious and deliberate choice on the part of Threshold¡¯s monolithic administration, just like Nestra had to register in person after awakening. The purpose of the awakening thing was to make sure newly minted gleams could receive guidance and protection. For the auction, though, she wasn¡¯t sure. Maybe it related to confrontation.

    The civil servant behind the correct window confirmed her identity in seconds. She was directed towards a backroom where the auction itself would take place. Even though Threshold forced her presence here, efficiency was still the name of the game so it took less than a minute from walking through the doors for Nestra to find a comfortable meeting room decorated with leather seats. They even had a table on the side with a coffee machine, water bottles, and free snacks. She had a crispy palm heart. It was pretty nice.

    She was still munching when another person entered the room. It was the lady in lime dress, her eyes the peculiar pale green of a rare jade affinity. Jade was one of those mana types with the lowest flows, making them exceedingly slow to cast but coming with nearly unmatched defensive potential. She was young, with short black hair and some mixed white and Asian ancestry. Nestra nodded, but the woman only returned a rather rude tilt of the head in return.

    And there was the confrontation Nestra expected. If a portal was claimed by no guild, the city would assign raiders before it could pop. If it were claimed by only one guild, a default tax of 30% on the value of all extracted material would be imposed. If several guilds lay their claims then the guild with the best offer would usually be offered the deal though the judge had discretionary powers to make a final decision, depending on factors such as guild capabilities, risks, and other parameters. Auction judges were among the most monitored individuals in the entire city, and the merest infraction would send them straight to the Red House, yet it was still a coveted position. After all, very few jobs allowed light augs such decisional powers over unruly gleams.

    Also Nestra¡¯d heard the pay was nothing to sneeze at.

    Two suited gleams without affinities yet joined shortly after. They gave Nestra and the green woman a look of surprise and dismay before huddling together on the other side of the room, leaving Nestra to sit nonchalantly in her leather throne like some cheap vid¡¯s mid boss. She noticed the lady in green had eschewed the shawl when she sat down. The temperature was a rather chill fifteen degrees celsius so people wouldn¡¯t have to get out of their heavy clothes. It was perfectly fine for Nestra, of course, but she could tell the young jade woman was slightly uncomfortable.

    Because she was a bit of a dick, Nestra cycled the barest hint of ice mana, cooling the room even more. It took all her self-control not to smile. Sure, the poor suited folks had to huddle around their piping hot coffee to pay for Nestra¡¯s pettiness, but it was a sacrifice she was willing to make.

    ¡°Wooh. Leng si le.¡±

    A short, rotund man with a jovial appearance barged in, wearing an old design of blue suits that were the informal uniform of high level civil servants, Several cranial augs were camouflaged under skin-tone colored patches. Thick white hair pointed up from his scalp. He exuded energy as he strode towards the pulpit at the front of the room.

    The suited gleams made to stand, and so did Nestra since she didn¡¯t want to tickle the judge. Green dress didn¡¯t stand but she smirked when she saw Nestra do it.

    ¡°Aiya, sit down young one. It¡¯s fine. Right!¡±

    Without lifting a finger, he brought the ancient screen to life. The usual blue glow of a portal emerged from a side road on the left, the captured color failing to render the sublime radiance of the real thing. On the right were readings, as well as AI-generated calculations and prognostics based on the surroundings and the intensity of the portal. It was, as her mom had said, a high D-grade world with unknown potential.

    ¡°Hello everyone, my name is Mo Peng, auction judge for the city. I assume you have all read the brief so I will be brief. We have confirmed that this will be a non repeating portal world with over 90% confidence from the energy fluctuations, so the auction can now begin. I understand we have representatives from the Jade Consortium, House Palladian, and two private individuals. Is that correct?¡±

    Nestra nodded, as did the others apparently since Mo Peng continued.

    ¡°Right. I will be hearing the proposal from Mr. Cheng first?¡±

    ¡°Ah, hmm.¡±

    Poor Mr Cheng was clearly ill at ease. His offer was bog standard though pretty good. The only problem was that he didn¡¯t have a team that could confidently handle a high D-class world with unknown enemies. That was the issue with non repeating worlds: raiders had to go in blind.

    ¡°Duly noted. Miss Lee?¡±

    ¡°I wish to withdraw from this auction,¡± the young woman stated.

    Mo Peng nodded in understanding. With two obviously connected gleams in the game, she was at such a disadvantage that it wasn¡¯t worth competing. Cheng had known it too but he¡¯d chosen to go with the motion instead. Apparently, Lee didn¡¯t give a shit.

    ¡°Very well. You may depart if you wish. A good day to you,¡± the judge said with a nod.

    Lee didn¡¯t look happy, but she was one person possibly with a team of similar low gleams and Nestra was a scion. For unknown portals, the city would almost always favor stronger gleams to avoid accidental deaths. People like Lee and Cheng would need to sharpen their claws on less difficult tasks.

    ¡°I will have the representative of the Jade Consortium speak next. You are?¡±

    ¡°Eunhye Jade. The Consortium offers a team of four D-class users with proven abilities, within a three days time. We will be contracting the harvesting team if it turns out there is a need for one. Additionally, the consortium will consent to take 50% of the final profit.¡±

    Mo Peng fell silent. Meanwhile, Nestra¡¯s heart jumped in her chest.

    This was a declaration of war.

    By unspoken agreement, the highest guilds went as far as taxation were concerned was 30%, exceptionally 35% if other factors were asked in compensation. It was the default rate for non-auctioned portals as well. It meant giving a third of what the portal earned as tax to the state, which was already enormous. The guilds complied because those who tried to raise hell always received a very polite visit from Shinran. Anyway, 30% was the limit, and then there could be other sorts of compromises.50% with a team of four meant that D-class gleams would be risking their lives for pocket change. It was only done to take a portal away from someone at any price. It was a resolutely hostile gesture.

    Who was this girl, even? Mom hadn¡¯t warned Nestra at all. What the hell was going on here¡­

    With a shake of her head, Nestra shook off her shock. This was ridiculous. Meanwhile, Mo Peng remained unmoving in the way people with eye augs did when they were reading something. The assault team¡¯s profile, probably.

    ¡°And House Palladian?¡±

    ¡°House Palladian would take 70%, and send a team of three people: two D-class and one C-class.¡±

    Nestra felt more than saw Jade¡¯s head swivel in shock. A C-class expert for a D-class world was an overkill.

    ¡°A C-class?¡±

    ¡°A high C-class, Dimitriy. He is a nature support mage of great power.¡±

    ¡°You would dedicate an expert to such a low world?¡±

    ¡°The portal is right next to our home. It is a matter of safety and pride,¡± Nestra stated, though Mo Peng knew it, of course. But sometimes one had to state the obvious to play the game. That was politics for ya, Nestra thought.

    ¡°And when would this expedition take place?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°The Jade Consortium can raid tonight,¡± Eunhye interrupted.

    Mo Peng turned back to Nestra, waiting for her answer.

    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± Nestra restated. ¡°I already have a commitment for this afternoon and would prefer to rest and prepare adequately for a potentially dangerous raid.¡±

    Mo Peng made a show of checking some notes on a datasheet. It was a courtesy to let them know he wasn¡¯t ignoring them.

    ¡°Hmmm. Does it relate to your work as a member of¡­ the Little People League?¡±

    ¡°That is correct, sir.¡±

    ¡°You appear to raid fairly weak locations.¡±

    A huff of contempt tickled Nestra¡¯s ears. Some raiders only picked the weakest raids to get by on a day to day basis. They were looked down upon as they should be. Being mixed with those bottom feeders was a terrible insult.

    ¡°We take the jobs no one wants, sir. That¡¯s the whole purpose of the league.¡±

    ¡°Hm, yes. Will you be raiding with members?¡±

    ¡°Well, I will be raiding with my sister, who is also part of the league, but we will be acting as part of House Palladian and will be joined by a member of House Palladian for this specific raid.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I see. I agree that a dangerous raid should require an evening of preparation with the latest data we can give you¡­¡±

    Mo Peng¡¯s eyes traveled sideways to Eunhye. She was looking like she knew things were not going well. Nestra didn¡¯t know if it was the obvious lack of regard for safety, or the blatant undercut that did it, but she was pretty sure she¡¯d just gotten the portal.

    ¡°I believe House Palladian will be given the chance to clean their own backyard.¡±

    Jade was fuming by then. She excused herself, which Mo Peng allowed with a thin smile. Cheng also used the opportunity to leave. He was clearly regretting not following Lee¡¯s earlier example.

    ¡°Before you leave, Miss Palladian. A word?¡± the judge ¡®suggested¡¯.

    Nestra approached, which was clearly what he expected. She knew some really dumb young D-class liked to play it loose with judges, which proved that potent mana didn¡¯t make someone smart. Since she wasn¡¯t completely stupid, she displayed the appropriate amount of deference.

    ¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°This room is excessively cold. Have you perhaps been circulating mana a little bit¡­ carelessly?¡±

    His gaze was intense and Nestra felt, instinctively, that this was the same sort of tactic prosecutors used on witnesses: he knew exactly the answer to the question he was asking. She was going to get an earful if she dared lie. There was also nothing preventing the judge from changing his mind if relevant new information happened to reach him.

    ¡°It might have happened that Miss Jade proved a bit abrasive in her manners, and seeing she also declined to wear winter clothes, it might also have occurred that that I might have been less cautious than I should have been to¡­ cool down her aggression.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    He smiled.

    ¡°It might also occur that the Beacon and its public facilities are not a battlefield for dick measuring contests, and it might also occur that she is nineteen and you¡¯re not. And finally, it might also occur that you will not do this again. Am I being perfectly clear?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Nestra allowed.

    Yeah¡­ She was supposed to be more grown up, and that pettiness of hers couldn¡¯t solely be blamed on her true self whispering that jade mana was surely tasty. Nestra should try to match her outer, aloof appearance a little more. At the very least it would be badass.

    ¡°Good. You are doing a great job with the Little People League initiative. I hope you can persevere in this noble endeavor, Miss Palladian.¡±

    He patted her shoulder, once. It was a friendly gesture. Probably.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°You be careful tomorrow.¡±

    And with that, he left the room probably off to another auction. The entire interaction had only lasted a few minutes. Nestra used the deserted room to send a quick message.

    ¡°Mother. I have acquired the PORTAL. However, it appears we have a blood feud with something called the Jade Consortium? Que? Respectfully, larger daughter.¡±

    The answer was almost instantaneous.

    ¡°So they made a move? The Jade Consortium is one of the proxies used by our rivals to slow down our expansion. Our cooperation with the Century Guild is proving very profitable, so people come sniffing. Worry not your muscle brain and go raid safely alongside my smaller daughter. Both of you be safe.¡±

    Accursed politics. Now, Nestra was all important and everything so she couldn¡¯t be sheltered from its raid-delaying tendrils. She had learned her lessons though, so she made sure to remember to check the politics later with her dad. She wouldn¡¯t be caught unaware out of laziness.

    ***

    Her mom was right. The confrontation notwithstanding, Nestra had the time to grab a coffee at a local franchise before heading to the next Little People League meeting back at the Palladian estate. Helena was here alongside two of her recently recruited classmates: a Chinese girl called Miu Miu and Albert, one of possibly five black and Asian mixed bloods in the entire city. The girl was a very short air mage whose support was vital in the stinkiest worlds while Albert used a rare fire and mana affinity to shoot fire bolts with dual wands. They were both very good for their age, Nestra believed.

    ¡°Hey, Helena¡¯s sister. Nice sparkle,¡± Albert greeted.

    Nestra could only assume he was referring to her dress.

    ¡°I thought it was scales?¡± she asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s oldspeak, damn. Are you sure you¡¯re not secretly thirty-five?¡±

    Nestra lifted her hands to her heart, mortally wounded.

    ¡°Gah. Helena! I¡¯m being bullied!¡±

    ¡°Cut her some slack. She was a cop,¡± Helena said as she munched on a ball of chips.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that, like, way worse?¡± Miu Miu remarked.

    ¡°Alright, enough seditious comments. I will not be harassed in my own home.¡±

    Nestra shelved the ¡®sparkle¡¯ slang knowledge to embarrass her sister at a later time before turning on the screen in the living room and uploaded two files, opening one after the other.

    ¡°Right. Valerian is doing ER shifts in District Fifteen until Friday so it¡¯s just us. First is a standard raid in the tunnels of a sulfur mine.¡±

    The three teenagers groaned.

    ¡°Hey don¡¯t be like that. The raid is actually lucrative with a basic recovery team. The final payoff should be around twenty-thousand creds split in two, deliverable in five days after final assessment.¡±

    Albert shook his head though Miu Miu gave it some consideration.

    ¡°Nah, forget it. I¡¯m not being paid enough to smell like rotten eggs for the next two weeks. What¡¯s the other one?¡±

    ¡°A bit special, but we got a report about disappeared pets in Seventeen. A crazy cat lady, and I quote the file here, says her darlings have been disappearing. She¡¯s been very distressed. It could be the sign of a breached ambush monster being patient.¡±

    ¡°That sounds important,¡± Miu Miu said. ¡°Why does nobody want to handle it? Left to grow and the thing will be catching children next.¡±

    Nestra wasn¡¯t sure how to put it diplomatically. In the end, she decided to go for blunt.

    ¡°This is a picture of the request maker.¡±

    The trio of younglings stared aghast at a disheveled, wide-eyed train wreck of a woman who had made the deposition.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Due to the perceived unreliability of the witness, the local precinct has decided to direct their efforts elsewhere.¡±

    Nestra wouldn¡¯t have trusted that lady with a plastic spoon, much less with the highly sensitive task of being a witness. As a cop, she knew people couldn¡¯t be trusted, but at the same time she was profiling the poor sod and the Little People League didn¡¯t exist for efficiency. It was here to help.

    ¡°Look, the cats she¡¯s feeding roam a bit but not that much and all three disappearances have occurred every five days, so far.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s been keeping track?¡± Albert asked.

    ¡°So she claims. I think it¡¯s worth checking out. I need two of us to go see her for questioning, following which the team will select the best spots to place thirty Gidung-approved dokkaebi cameras.¡±

    ¡°You bought stuff from Gidung?¡± Helena asked with disbelief. ¡°After they tried to off you?¡±

    ¡°Gidung isn¡¯t a person. It¡¯s a legal entity. It doesn¡¯t have a will. The bastard who tried to zero me is in prison and his hierarchy gave me my precious pink Alda roadster as blood price for the offense, which I accepted. Those Gidung babies are the best in market at what they do for the cost. They cost me fifteen hundred creds so make them count.¡±

    Miu Miu whistled.

    ¡°That¡¯s like¡­ three of our raids.¡±

    ¡°They can be reused, so you¡¯ll also be collecting them back. Who wants to go?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Albert said. ¡°I studied site security. Might as well put it to good use.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go as well,¡± Helena said, a little quickly.

    My, my. Helena was blushing now.

    ¡°Miu? How would you like some sulfur smell in your hair?¡± Nestra asked.

    ¡°Ugh. Well, I have a new bubble enchantment I¡¯d like to practice. And Professor Soren said my blades could use some work. Can you cover me?¡±

    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll give you some nice angles so you get proper shots in. And the pizza¡¯s ours.¡±

    ¡°Come on. We¡¯ll be smelling cat piss?¡± Albert suggested, but Nestra wasn¡¯t going to budge.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have vaguely unpleasant eau de chat pisse and we get dangerously high sulfur dioxide concentrations. The pizza is ours.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t argue.¡±

    Miu Miu and Albert were ready to go so they retreated to the entrance, but Nestra was stopped by Helena.

    ¡°Listen, while we were waiting, I got a weird mail from the government on the League¡¯s contact address. It asked for your attention specifically.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Nestra made a detour towards her bedroom to quickly check it, even though people were waiting for her. It might have been urgent. The first thing she noticed was that the mail came from Special Affairs, but it wasn¡¯t addressed to her as an agent. Instead, she was contacted as a founder of the guild for the purpose of¡­ being a guarantor and moral witness?

    ¡°What?¡±

    Nestra kept reading. The Little People League was kindly asked to offer ¡®work¡¯ to a criminal performing community service, though she could refuse. Nestra wasn¡¯t sure why they¡¯d picked them considering organizations had to be vetted before they could even perform that sort of task, yet she finally understood the trick once she reached the name of the criminal at the bottom of the page.

    It was Camille Nguyen.

    ¡°My rival. My nemesis!¡± Nestra cooed.

    She would answer later with a yes, of course. She already had Valerian in her pocket as a support and frontliner. With Camille and Helena around, she could basically build a team made entirely out of close quarter bullies. It was going to be glorious!

 Part 64: A Gleam of the Worlds

    Nestra checked her helmet status. The air was technically breathable if one thought tear gas was an acceptable fragrance. By her side, Miu¡¯s head was encased in a transparent bubble that made her look like a vintage cosmonaut. She slowed down as the tunnel she was in widened into a vast cavern.

    The black volcanic rock of this world was covered in thick yellow slabs of sulfur. Surprisingly, half of the cave was submerged under a shallow layer of water, and plumes of yellow gas bubbled out of numerous pools with vulgar gurgles. The temperature would have been suffocating were it not for the Bellerophon armor¡¯s current ice coating. Nestra¡¯s mana reserves were massive for a mid D-class, and she was putting those to good use.

    ¡°Think there are more of them here?¡± Miu bleated.

    She didn¡¯t like giant, slime-covered worms. Go figure.

    ¡°I know there are more. Stand back. Let me get their attention.¡±

    Nestra confidently stepped towards the water. It was close to boiling temperature and would flash-cook any baseline on contact, but she was a gleam. An ice gleam. She had this.

    Nestra looked up before beginning. Through the cracks of the ceiling, she could see glimpses of a shockingly blue sky, not unlike Earth¡¯s own.

    Right. Enough of this. Wordlessly, Nestra activated her Zero Aura. It was getting faster and easier every time.

    Water particles turned to floating ice around her. A wind pushed the toxic fumes away, dispersing them and clearing sight. Fingers of ice crept from the edges of the pools towards the center with quickening hunger. Nestra adopted a low guard. She¡¯d been using that one very often recently.

    Something jumped at her. It was part worm, and part disgusting mass of aberrant flesh encased in stone and slime, an abomination that wouldn¡¯t have been out of place in some pre-Incursion horror flick. Nestra changed her guard with a tsk of annoyance.

    Miu¡¯s air blade collided with the thing¡¯s body with a wet smack. Whitish blood sprayed Nestra¡¯s armor, including the helmet, but that wasn¡¯t something that would make someone of her experience panic. She sliced where she expected the worm¡¯s head to be. Her electricity-infused strike bit deep, and then it bit through. The creature¡¯s lifeless body collided with her chest. She pivoted to the side to push it away without losing her balance. A quick flash of ice mana crystallized the goop, then she brushed it away with her free hand.

    ¡°Left!¡± Miu screamed.

    Nestra went low and struck sideways. Her blade smashed another horror down with an electric discharge. It was enough to prevent it from grabbing her with the weird grabby things emerging from the rock body. She plunged her infused blade in the fallen beast¡¯s neck then pulled, tearing it apart. It hissed in agony.

    Miu¡¯s next air blade hit another attacker but it was still half submerged and it returned to the sulfuric muck. Nestra huffed. Couldn¡¯t have that. She moved to the next pond and plunged her blade where the creature had submerged itself. More electricity crackled on the surface until something screeched and thrashed some distance away. It was in the middle of one of the hottest pools and Nestra could barely see it through the yellow fog, even with her Zero Aura moving the air around.

    Well, why not. Focusing, she lifted a hand. There was some cold water at her feet. Pull it up, supercool it, shape it.

    Throw.

    With a sound like shattering glass, the horror was impaled, shards scoring deep gashes in its hybrid body. Pale ichor gushed into the water, disappearing under the sickly mist.

    ¡°That should be all of them, right?¡±

    ¡°Miu¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, I know. Sorry.¡±

    Nestra shook her head. The girl was trying her best. She also didn¡¯t have to come here.

    ¡°Nice air blades by the way,¡± Nestra added to soften the blow.

    ¡°I know! I landed them all!¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to circle the pool. According to the report, it should be the last one before the Guardian. We can retrace our steps afterward.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    In order to harvest the maximum amount of resources from a portal world, one had to employ harvesters. Those were trained gleams who preferred resource extraction to fighting but could still hold their own, just in case. Nothing prevented gleams from dragging machinery inside of a portal world, but they had to be able to carry it in themselves, and then they had to carry the harvested material out themselves as well. It was a well paid job though obviously raiders made more. One thing though, the raiders responsible for their safety had to make absolutely sure there was no danger or there would be severe penalties in case of attacks. Nestra moved throughout the cave and blasted pools with electricity until she was sure nothing alive remained. Only then did she join Miu on the shore so they could return to the entrance portal.

    The other thing was that, in order to harvest, one had to keep the final guardian alive or the portal would destabilized and close before it could be fully harvested. Nestra would need to return later and finish the job. That was fine though. They had four days and she¡¯d already emptied the world of foes.

    ¡°So, you said ten thousand credits per person?¡± Miu Miu asked.

    ¡°Estimated, yeah. After tax and the harvester fee. Could be as low as eight.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still pretty good considering you did most of the work¡­¡±

    Nestra patted Miu¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Hey you would have made the raid tolerable with an air bubble if I didn¡¯t already have my fancy nepo armor. Don¡¯t sell yourself short. Those air blades were also clean as hell. Those two creatures you hit were pretty much disabled.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re doing fantastic and remember, this is volunteer work. We¡¯re fighting the good fight.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. Yeah. That makes it wired by default, right?¡±

    ¡°And it will also get us pizza.¡±

    Miu paused as they reached another, smaller cavern. Two corpses bled on the shore of shallow pools. The short air mage used the opportunity to refresh her protective spell.

    ¡°So, sulfur is expensive?¡±

    ¡°Infused sulfur is, eh. It¡¯s meh. As far as I understand, we sell to an independent farmers collective. They transform it into fertilizer for mana-rich wheat and potatoes.¡±

    The thought of mana-rich fresh bread made her salivate. Aszhii Nestra stirred in her dimensional pocket. She was getting restless. It was like an itch at the back of human Nestra¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Not the best,¡± she continued, ¡°but there¡¯s entire slabs here so it¡¯s easy to extract it. And it¡¯s very pure as well.¡±

    ¡°I see. Oh, we¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    Nestra¡¯s phone rang the moment she was out, eliciting a curious glance from Miu Miu. Nobody used phones anymore, except fossils and people with secrets. It was clear which category Miu believed Nestra belonged to.

    There was one missed call as well as a single message from Ragnarok. It read: call me ASAP. Nestra didn¡¯t hesitate.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Are you near portal U-297?¡±

    ¡°We just cleared ¡ª ¡°

    ¡°I need Crescent to do me a favor. In a hurry.¡±

    ¡°Explain,¡± Nestra replied, all business.

    ¡°I¡¯m sending you coordinates. Are you familiar with the Three Widows?¡±

    Nestra was because her parents had mentioned it several times.

    ¡°It¡¯s a filter portal, a hope killer. One of the most dangerous repeating portals around.¡±

    They were called hope killers because they took down ascending C-class gleams, the new generations to join Threshold¡¯s prestigious B-class elites. There were a few like this around Threshold with famous Guardians. The Three Widows were infamous but there was also Old Stonehead who was subtly dangerous on account of how fast the portal repeated, the Chasm Dragon, and Steve. Fucking Steve.

    ¡°Yes. A junior team from Tiger Den entered it half an hour ago. Their sentinel near the gate had just come to report an emergency when I called you. You¡¯re very close to the site. Can you go help?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m on my way.¡±

    ¡°Sending you the coordinates. Watch out for the widows.¡±

    ¡°No wukkas.¡±

    Finally.

    A good fucking raid.

    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Miu asked. ¡°I couldn¡¯t hear the conversation, it was so weird.¡±

    ¡°The phone probably has some confidentiality thing. Anyway, I need to go. Can you call a taxi? Sorry. It¡¯s urgent.¡±

    ¡°I mean, yeah, but what about killing the Guardian? What about the pizza?¡±

    ¡°It can wait until tomorrow. I should be done within an hour. If I¡¯m not, then eat without me.¡±

    What would Nestra not sacrifice for the city? She ought to get a medal or something.

    ***

    Nestra was forced to park her roadster a few streets away, under a ramp, before jumping over roofs as Crescent. The roadster was still under her human identity. She approached the portal with great strides, grabbing for her ID as a man in a suit rushed her.

    ¡°Miss Crescent? Are you the rescue team?¡±

    Huh.

    ¡°Did Ragnarok warn you?¡±

    ¡°No, but I could not think of any other reasons. The sentinel has gone to reinforce the assault team but we¡¯ve lost contact. I have an additional bag of emergency supplies. Please note the infused epinephrine at the top?¡±

    Wow. Nestra knew this was made by BaiHe and cost over fifty thousand creds a pop. She grabbed it quickly.

    ¡°Last we heard the team tank had gone into cardiac arrest. They should have a shot but it won¡¯t be enough. Epinephrine first, anti-venom last.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    ¡°And Miss Crescent? Watch out for those stingers.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    She plunged into the portal world.

    The quiet of the street was replaced by the loud croaks and calls of the jungle. Wet heat invaded Nestra¡¯s lungs, chasing the cold air of Threshold¡¯s late fall. A wall of green blocked her view. The ambient mana embraced her body, making her shiver with pleasure. This was a hunting ground. A rich, fun hunting ground.

    Ah, but business first. The trail followed by the raiding team was easily found slightly to her right because someone had chopped up a hole in the dense layer of leaves. This world was technically a mangrove, but the raiders were meant to follow a dense layer of intertwined branches spreading treacherously across the canopy. Half of those branches were rotten, crumbling as soon as one lay foot on it. Nestra found out the only time she tried to take a shortcut.

    ¡°Ah. FUCK! Hssss!¡±

    At least she had momentum. Forced by time, she rushed after the raiding team without stopping to sample the ambush carnivorous lianas, the giant insects, or even some sort of chameleon creature that looked like it would be palatable. It was easy to spot the tracks left by the human team here, between ropes and the processed carcasses of large monsters. In her mad dash, Nestra spotted a dead tiger hybrid thing she wished she could have killed herself. All of those were missing their cores. The monsters here were all strong enough to have one.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    It took her only five minutes to reach the husk of a dead tree, its rotten trunk covered in mold. It smelled terrible here and she could hear a distant buzz. Those were certainly the widows. Looking down, she found them.

    The Guardians of this world were an infamous trio of garishly colored birds with thin, sharp beaks sometimes referred to as stingers. Their feathers shone brightly as they moved around at speed that made them look like they were teleporting sometimes, and an agility that allowed them to dodge in any direction. They were basically murderous hummingbirds on steroids with a thin beak that could pierce enchanted steel to deliver a potent venom, magic that immobilized their prey, and good teamwork. For a C-class world, they were hell, and yet the Tiger Den team had still managed to tarnish their vivid plumages. One of the birds had its beak severed. Another hovered with difficulty, blood staining its wings in multiple places. As for the last one, it was intact except for a spear shaft broken against its flank which was, predictably, weakening it. All three patrolled around an earthen dome as large as a house. She could feel traces of various mana seeping through the cracks, probably where the team had taken refuge. Against larger opponents, such defenses would have been useless, but as much as the birds were a lethal threat, they were just not designed to dig. Smart. Nestra just hoped she was on time.

    Right.

    Need to clear the air a bit on her way down. Her gaze went to the barely flight-capable widow, but the one with the severed beak was hovering closer to her. That was too tempting. She clad herself in shadows and nudged her Skin. With a sleepy groan, the world¡¯s most eldritch garment stretched itself, giving her neck a vaporous cape that enhanced her stealth. The shadows coalesced into a hazy cloak. Nestra wasn¡¯t a dot of black on a green background. She was just¡­ not there. As she crept closer, she kept being not there, just an unremarkable¡­

    Benign¡­

    Almost there¡­

    Barely worth a glance, that¡¯s right.

    Just¡­ a little¡­

    APEX PREDATOR.

    ¡°HSSSS!¡±

    The widow swerved away but Nestra followed with momentum, then precision guided a vicious upward strike. The void-infused blade cleaved through the entire beast on a single blow, showering the dome with entrails and broken feathers. Something tugged at her mid air, slowing her fall. She twisted on itself. One wounded widow was using some weird mana to maintain her mid air while its ally dove. She pointed two fingers at the clipped wings of the controller. Between its wounds and the spell it was casting, its mobility had collapsed. Her dot of potential energy connected with its neck, though she¡¯d aimed for the chest. No matter. The bolt went off.

    With an ominous clack, the second widow exploded. Nestra used momentum to twist again. Her blade hit a mana-infused beak and she found herself repelled against all odds. The blow was so powerful it propelled her against the dome. She felt her awareness and mana power improve on the spot. She really needed to raid stronger worlds, urgh!

    The dome was just under her. Actually, that was perfect.

    Nestra landed on the shaped stone. One of the sides didn¡¯t have mana coursing through it, possibly the gate or an escape path. She used passe-muraille to get in before the last widow could make a second run. Her massive form slipped through the wall, only to be received by a cacophony of cries.

    ¡°What the ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Intruder!¡±

    ¡°Riel!¡±

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    ¡°Woah woah woah,¡± Nestra said, raising her hands.

    Something slammed against her biceps, pushing her away slightly. It hurt.

    Sudden silence spread throughout the crowded protection. Nestra realized she had a large arrow planted in arm, although the mana in that thing was flickering so it had barely penetrated.

    Under the raiding team¡¯s horrified gaze, the arrow simply fell, its head stained with oxidizing blood. It was red when Nestra snapped the head then made it disappear in her dimensional pocket. She barely gave the archer who¡¯d shot her a glance. It was a woman, her brow feverish and eyes hazy from poison. She¡¯d been the one to score a nice hit on the lone surviving widow.

    ¡°Right. First things first, mana epinephrine.¡±

    ¡°Here!¡± a powerful C-class said.

    He was clearly a support mage wearing the uniform of the Tiger Den guild: white battle robes with black accessories. A life and stone alignment if she had to guess. She handed him the box. He stopped whatever healing he¡¯d been doing to stab the fallen tank in the exposed chest, between scabbed wounds.

    The poor patient took a deep, gasping breath but he fell unconscious right away again.

    ¡°Been pumping oxygen in his bloodstream for the past two minutes. You were fast.¡±

    ¡°I was raiding nearby,¡± Nestra explained. ¡°Antivenoms?¡±

    ¡°You have more? Excellent. Young Dolores first, please.¡±

    Nestra helped the archer inject the antidote. She thanked her with a slurred voice.

    ¡°I appreciate it. I really dooooo. Sorry for shooting you in the arm.¡±

    ¡°No ¡®arm¡¯ done,¡± Nestra said to lighten the mood.

    ¡°Wow I must be really high cuz it¡¯s kind of funny.¡±

    Nestra finished her round of the squad, all good C-class and all still alive by some miracle. The sentinel mage must have been really good at their job.

    ¡°How¡¯s the situation outside?¡± he asked once everyone was more or less stabilized. Nestra wasn¡¯t sure, but they must have spent around three hundred thousand creds in emergency shots within the past ten minutes. At least they were insured.

    ¡°I killed two of the widows.¡±

    She got quiet looks of surprise. Nestra tilted her head to the side, curious.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t manage to finish them off. They were on their last legs.¡±

    ¡°Everything went wrong,¡± a swordswoman complained. ¡°We are meant to focus on one at a time but¡­ everything went wrong. They move too erratically. And they cover each other.¡±

    The raiders cursed and argued in a mix of Thai and Filipino Nestra couldn¡¯t follow without her visor. Right. She was wasting time. Time better used on pizza.

    ¡°Are you ready for me to kill the last widow, or do you need more time?¡± Nestra asked.

    The support mage looked at her like she was stupid.

    ¡°We¡¯re not harvesting more cores. We need to leave immediately so Klahan here can receive help.¡±

    She returned his gaze.

    ¡°Just checking if he can be transported right now, or if you need more time.¡±

    ¡°I apologize for the assumption. Please, Miss¡­ Crescent?¡±

    Wow, Nestra was semi-famous.

    ¡°Accepted. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±

    Nestra slipped through the nearest wall. She charged herself with electricity at the same time.

    It was very bright outside.

    The last widow dive bombed her at maximum speed. Nestra feinted, forcing the beast to adjust and also because the energy just made her want to move, move, move now, now, now! She unleashed a hail of thunderbolts;. The spell was enough to mess with the widow¡¯s limbs. It faltered. She rushed in to deliver the final blow and it¡­ parried it. With its beak. Light covered the appendage. It could infuse its own beak. Nestra watched the creature pull out. She used momentum to close the distance, even as it flew away as fast as it could. She kicked its side.

    That was where the arrow was still planted in its flank. The blow, backed by precision, was almost clean, The shaft went deep but snapped at the same time. Red blood sprayed from the grievous wound. Charging one last time, the widow closed the distance, using the pull spell despite the fact it would slow it down. Nestra used immovable to negate the effect.

    ¡°Come on.¡±

    Blade up, blade down. The widow exploded. A core popped to the side.

    Nestra pocketed it since it was right there, just as a wave of power filled her. She was well on her way to B-class, abilities wise by now. It made her want to face the widows at full power¡­

    ¡°The portal is opening!¡±

    The Tiger Dens moved out of their shelters at good speed although their fencer did grab the material on the prize altar. Nestra followed at a leisurely pace. As soon as she was back on the other side, she sent Ragnarok a message. The answer was almost instantaneous.

    ¡°That was fast. Thanks. Payment wired.¡±

    Nestra checked the money. Fifty thousand creds for the emergency service, an absolute smash. This really went to show the difference in power between gleams. One could make four hundred creds in a shithole portal for two hours or work, or one could get paid the yearly salary of an office worker for ten minutes of emergency rescue. Or one could be paid one hundred and twenty creds a day monitoring drones in a warehouse for nine hours.

    Or one could heat dumpster food on a barrel fire.

    She sighed. That was half of the contractor fee to turn her warehouse into a bunker. At this speed she¡¯d be done even sooner than expected. Gotta protect the precious naval cannon.

    ¡°Hey, Crescent.¡±

    Nestra turned. It was the sentinel mage, the one tasked with keeping an eye on the team. Half of the raiders were being loaded into hover ambulances with the first one already on its way out ¡ª presumably with the tank. The mage seemed tired but otherwise much more chill than he¡¯d been before.

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s safe now?¡± Nestra asked.

    As an Aszhii she didn¡¯t really care in her heart, but on an intellectual level, she knew the safety of raiders was important.

    ¡°Thanks to you. It was a bit touch and go. Your reputation for¡­ efficiency is well deserved. I am happy that you were around.¡±

    ¡°So you heard about me?¡±

    ¡°Yes. One of your clips went viral?¡±

    That was news to Nestra. Surely Helena would have mentioned it?

    ¡°Well, not viral, but we oldheads certainly had a good laugh.¡±

    The mage took out a datasheet and pulled a famous video host website. A short search later, Nestra was looking at a twenty seconds clip of her dragging a protesting guild recruiter out of the job fair she¡¯d bounced for. The way she casually tossed that asshole off the stairway into the nearby fountain was highlighted with cute sounds and silly visual effects.

    ¡°He had it coming. He was trying to have his recruit sign ¡®secondary contracts¡¯ to bypass the AI¡¯s monitoring on unfair proposals. Absolute weasel of a man.¡±

    ¡°Oh I expected that much. Airborne justice is one of my favorites. Anyway, I had never seen anyone beat the widows that fast before.¡±

    ¡°They were almost dead,¡± Nestra grumbled. ¡°Wish I could fight them at full strength.¡±

    The Tiger Den guy gave her a long look.

    ¡°You know, we were going to have a senior team take care of it next week for our last rotation before the world goes for open bidding again. I can make a request to get you on the roster if you want a rematch.¡±

    ¡°Yessss. Absolutely. Here¡¯s my number.¡±

    ¡°A secrecy phone, huh? I guess it comes with the mask status. Very well, I¡¯ll let you know.¡±

    Fuck yeah. Networking!

    ***

    Nestra had her car¡¯s AI drive her back home while she meditated in human form. Meditation after a raid was the best way to reliably improve one¡¯s core in humans. Ashzii didn¡¯t have to do that which was blatantly unfair but then, Aszhii were blatantly unfair to the fucking marrow. And so were gleams. So there. The pizza was cold and Albert had left by the time she arrived. Helena was there though, watching vids on the couch. She was pungent.

    Nestra sighed. It was time for her to act as the big sister.

    ¡°So, how did it go?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Oh, we talked to the cat woman. She was marginally less batshit than the photo made it seem. She has a shelter for wild cats ¡ª do you know that some of them are awakening? I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I, uh, I think I read an article about it a while ago. It¡¯s slow, right?¡±

    ¡°Right. Humans are adapting the fastest, somehow. Apparently scientists are not sure why because there is no correlation between intellect and animal awakening rate. Anyway! We placed those cameras and Albert cooked up some program to monitor suspicious movement using the city AI¡¯s framework as support. Apparently it¡¯s a monthly subscription fee. Nothing weird so far. He said he¡¯d text me if something came up.¡±

    Helena blushed at this moment. It was absolutely obvious because she was so damn pale and now her ears were the color of tulips.

    ¡°Look,¡± Nestra said, ¡°you did more than just place the cameras, right? And something else went up, right?¡±

    ¡°Dammit. The asexual woman is making innuendos.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to make it awkward, sister dear¡­¡±

    ¡°Ok, we made out. Like, a lot.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I just wanted to give you a heads up since the adults are raiding. I mean, the older adults. Yeah, you smell like arousal.¡±

    ¡°... oh.¡±

    It was awkward as fuck but it had to be done.

    ¡°I was spared this but if you want to avoid heavy looks and veiled questions¡­ Look, mom and dad are nice but, you know, just be aware they can tell.¡±

    Helena slapped her forehead. She was embarrassed as hell, and even if embarrassing Helena was pretty much Nestra¡¯s sworn duty, she still felt bad about it.

    ¡°Life¡¯s hell for gleam teens. Riel.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought it would be better if I warned you, you know.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. Shower time, I guess. What about you?¡±

    ¡°I still need to return to the sulfur portal to finish off the Guardian. I¡¯m busy tomorrow so I thought I¡¯d get it out of the way.¡±

    ¡°I thought you insisted we go two by two for safety¡¯s sake?¡±

    ¡°For your safeties,¡± Nestra explained. ¡°You guys are still school kids. I¡¯m an adult, and I have my secret weapon.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah. Well, I¡¯m not going. My nose has had enough for today.¡±

    So did Nestra¡¯s but she wisely decided to keep it to herself.

    ***

    The guardian turned out to be a larger version of the worm/fleshballs/mudballs hybrids and since it wasn¡¯t very mobile, Nestra just turned it into an icicle-ravaged ice cube before moving it for the decapitation. The final reward turned out to be a small slab of lapis-lazuli, a pleasant surprise that would sell well with the city¡¯s makeup industry. It was apparently a rare reward for this repeating world. She meditated more on her way home. By that time, it was already past ten and human Nestra was completely beat.

    Aszhii Nestra still raided until 4 AM in a low C-class world. It was a more dangerous version of the fae wars with a plethora of low level spellcasters that kept spamming attack spells. They improved her mana regen, which tended to lag behind. She still felt like she needed something more dangerous to really progress, but the most challenging worlds were locked behind contracts or were guild properties. She needed options, or she needed crime. Her shadow manipulation was steadily improving. Maybe it was time to put it to good use¡­

    Or maybe she could raid outside of the walls. That would be interesting.

    ***

    It was a dangerous hellscape hidden behind cavernous walls, a world with its own rules, where prey didn¡¯t exist yet predators abounded. It was one of the most dangerous locations of Threshold where fortunes had been made and lost, hearts had been broken, and mercy was but an amusing concept. Nestra should never have come here, yet duty pushed her forward in the frigid temperatures anyway. Girding her loins and her courage she boldly stepped forward into the bowels of the beast while promising herself a nice slice of eighteen months old comte cheese on toasted full bread with a glass of Pinot Gris on the side later to make up for the ignominy.

    ¡°Good evening, and welcome to the Guild Association charity gala! May I see your invitation?¡±

    Nestra sent the polite aug her virtual ticket. Her parents were raiding with aunt Claire while Ulysses had some kind of private evening with his girlfriend so it fell to her, the eldest daughter, to defend the honor of the family. The fucking fuckers had to have planned it on purpose Riel dammit.

    ¡°Enjoy your evening, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The gala would take place in the titanic receiving room of the Town Hall, the only part of the Trinity she almost never visited. While the Beacon focused on gleam affairs and the Guardian housed the city¡¯s military, the Town Hall was the den of the government and, as one of its lower cogs, Nestra had never been invited. This was the mayor¡¯s seat, where that great apparatus kept the industry running, the trade flourishing, and guilds from getting out of hand. Her steps carried her up marble stairs and past elected officials, celebrities, and guild representatives to the monumental gates of Threshold¡¯s beating heart. It looked really nice and she couldn¡¯t miss the sealed domes of concealed turrets on the ceiling. Inside, she was directed to her table by a fussy man with an impressive hairstyle and the ability to make visitors feel like they were a pushy friend they¡¯d always known or something. Nestra retreated behind her freshly forged Ice Princess persona. Since she looked cold, had power, and muscles, and also because she was conventionally attractive, then it was fitting to remain quiet and pretend she entertained profound thoughts. The alternative was to stuff her face with canapes while avoiding eye contact. As tempting as it was, she was here as a Palladian. She would not let her parents down out of spite. Or hunger.

    A massive gathering of tables awaited in front of a large platform covered by a thick red curtain, the only gaudy concession to a building that otherwise favored Art Deco. The representative of the Century Guild greeted Nestra warmly as she arrived on her own, a favor she returned. There were a few other distantly aligned guilds sitting nearby, so Nestra found herself greeting old family friends who seemed genuinely pleased to see her here.

    ¡°Ah, your parents were so worried, little one. It makes me pleased to see you here all grown up. And with such good mana control right after your awakening! I am eager to see how you will progress.¡±

    Nestra smiled and nodded. Those old men and women hidden under the timeless appearance of C-class gleams formed the social fabric that held the city together, oiling the hinges of bureaucracy, diplomacy, and trade so the raiders could focus on killing. She had a surprisingly pleasant time getting acquainted with House Palladian¡¯s network of acquaintances ¡ª perhaps because they kept praising her, until a sudden cry made her raise her head.

    ¡°Nes? It really is you!¡±

    Nestra found herself nose to nose with a tall, lanky woman with pale skin and very dark irises. She recognized an extremely rare obsidian affinity from the sharp and unyielding mana. The woman was high D-class but her aura was too smooth and fragile to be one of a raider. There was nothing familiar about her.

    ¡°Hmm, sorry I can¡¯t place you.¡±

    The woman was trailed by a slightly shorter man with broad shoulders and a worried look. Even being a gleam, he had a receding hairline of thin dark hair. Like his partner, he was not a raider. Her own ice reacted with his water by attempting to freeze it which forced Nestra to consciously hold herself back.

    ¡°I¡¯m Sysy!¡± the tall woman said excitedly.

    Nestra blinked. She gasped, her mind dragged to a sudden trip down memory lane.

    ¡°Wait Sylvia? You¡¯re all grown up!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, yes! You too. Obviously.¡±

    She blushed, readjusting long brown hair. Her dress was nice but not too nice. Similarly, the man¡¯s suit lacked the high end polish of custom works.

    ¡°It has been a very long time. How are you holding up?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Larry and I are on the cusp of some major improvements with high tensile strength¡­ but that¡¯s not important, haha. We¡¯re researchers with the Threshold branch of Aegis Inc. And you, I¡¯d heard from Luna that you¡¯d recovered! She follows raider news. I don¡¯t. Ah, but I always wanted to say¡­ I¡¯m so sorry I didn¡¯t reach out after you dropped out of school, and after we were such good friends in the preparatory class too. I betrayed your trust.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Nestra replied as she remembered all those severed friendships in the wake of the disastrous discovery. ¡°I don¡¯t think I was ready to face any of you. It was a¡­ difficult moment. We were all teenagers.¡±

    ¡°Still, I can¡¯t help but feel like I let you down.¡±

    ¡°No you did not, Sylvie,¡± Nestra said with confidence. ¡°There is nothing you could have said to regrow my core. By the way, this is¡­¡±

    The man gave her a friendly nod though he stayed a step behind his partner in a display of low confidence.

    ¡°Larry, my husband. Don¡¯t be shy!¡±

    ¡°Good evening.¡±

    ¡°Larry and I have been married for three years. Oh, we have a little one at home but we left her with her grandma so we could finally have a night out. We must sound so boring, haha.¡±

    Nestra considered her old friend¡¯s words.

    A year before, Nestra had been waiting to see if her body gave out or if a monster finally killed her as she fought off chronic mana starvation with the stoic strength of despair.

    ¡°Actually it sounds like you have your shit together, pardon the expression.¡±

    It apparently meant a lot to them.

    ¡°So you are a raider now, right?¡± Larry asked, to which Nestra nodded.

    She was more or less sticking to her icy persona but with her friends in front of her, she allowed a slight smile to express her pleasure. It was weird meeting Sylvie after so long. It felt a bit like reconnecting with the lost years.

    ¡°Oh you HAVE to come with us one floor up. They have those dueling arenas with novelty plastic weapons for people to fight!¡±

    More like a spot for rivals to politely beat the shit out of each other without spilled blood.

    ¡°Sure. Come find me after all the talking.¡±

    ¡°Will do! Oh, it¡¯s starting already?¡±

    The light was dimming, the stage was opening. It was time for all the bigwigs to make speeches in preparation for the impending mayoral vote. Nestra reached for the cocktail menu.

    It was going to be a long night.

 Part 65: Ambitions

    War, technology, ethics, religions, all those had experienced deep changes as mankind dodged out of the way of extinction, but politics sure as fuck had stayed the same. Nestra turned half her brain off while politicians on either side of Threshold¡¯s complicated spectrum rehashed the same sophistries and half-truths their ilk had done for centuries. Members of the ruling party defended their results in preparation for the imminent vote while the opposition called for change. Both sides were polite, witty, but also obviously biased in the way they fundamentally couldn¡¯t give the other side any real recognition, nor admit to any failure on their own part.

    At least they were witty.

    Since the politicians knew their audience well, the speeches lasted only half an hour total during which an ample supply of mana-infused alcohol was distributed. Since her parents had already authorized the transfer, Nestra didn¡¯t have to participate in the round of donations for a charity working on rehabilitating places like District Fifteen before they could turn into District Fifteen. An entr¨¦e was provided, then the guests were invited to go out and mingle. Nestra eyed the canape tables with a terrible longing, but Sylvie had invited her for a friendly spar and Nestra would never back from a proper challenge.

    The second floor was a large open space seeded with monumental supporting pillars, still respecting the building¡¯s Art Deco influence but the furnishings did not. Temporary arenas covered the center while refreshments and an ¡®armory¡¯ occupied the entire back. The weapons themselves were gaudy foam weapons, most of them oversized. Nestra had to hold back a tired chuckle when she spotted large zweihanders painted to resemble old-school pens. There were fish maces and halberds that were just sticks tipped with an open hand. The humorous shapes were on purpose. Although it was still early, a firespark in a crimson cocktail dress was thwarting three freshly awakened scions with elegance. The largest arena was clearly for team events, though it stood empty for now. Nestra followed Sylvie to a master of ceremony dressed in cartoonishly bright renaissance clothes, as in, with a massive feathered hat and plastic cuirass. He addressed them as they approached.

    ¡°Have you come to test your mettle in glorious combat?¡± he roared.

    ¡°We have,¡± Sylvie replied with no less emphasis.

    The man quickly walked them through the process before heading out to handle further new arrivals. Nestra¡¯s group had to register to reserve an arena, a process she guessed also allowed the organizers to verify in advance if two contestants happen to really want to kill each other. Next was the weapon selection. They were all free of use and there were far too many for the contestants so there was a lot of choice. Nestra almost went for an axe until Sylvie intervened.

    ¡°Noooo I want to watch the blade boss at work!¡±

    ¡°How dare you unleash that old nickname upon me by surprise?¡± Nestra complained, but she relented. All three of them went to an empty square. All of those were high and surrounded by ropes for safety. Nestra showed off a little by clearing a pillar in a single jump, landing lightly on the arena.

    ¡°Woooh,¡± Sylvie obliged.

    Her husband gave Nestra an awkward nod of recognition. Nestra felt it was up to her to open up a bit, so she aimed her sword at them and declared in her coldest voice.

    ¡°I challenge you¡­ to a triel.¡±

    ¡°That is not a word. Anyway, I¡¯m going first!¡±

    Sylvie had picked a needle thin fencing foil which, incidentally, had been made to look like an umbrella. She was atrociously bad with it. Nestra gently pushed and teased her a bit though she only poked her twice in five minutes. Eventually, Sylvie screamed.

    ¡°Husband! Help!¡±

    Larry was a much better combatant than his wife, though that wasn¡¯t saying much. He was clearly training regularly. His style was very rigid and close to what was usually taught during service to people who would not be expected to become raiders: more defensive and aimed for survival. He was very solid for a civilian but obviously several classes under her in terms of ability. As a game, she guided the fight so he acted as the anchor for his wife¡¯s more reckless attacks while Nestra circled them. She added flourishes and stylistic movements that were popular in pre-Incursion choreographed fencing, as in, they were useless in actual combat but otherwise looked spectacular. The fight was vicious and with few breaks. The two were clearly having a ton of fun.

    By then, they¡¯d gathered a following. Nestra¡¯s performance was not the fastest or flashiest one around but it was clear she was trying to make it look good, and raiders who knew their shit could tell. Her two friends went down after a while since Larry was starting to sweat and that was usually a sign to slow down when wearing formal wear. Nestra was challenged as she left the arena. The culprit was a dusky fellow with brown mana and a comically oversized judge gavel. She accepted after a short discussion.

    ¡°Not the place I expected to be networking but I¡¯ll take it,¡± Nestra told Sylvie.

    ¡°Uh, actually, I think he¡¯s flirting with you.¡±

    Nestra replayed the entire conversation in her mind.

    ¡°Oh. Well. Let me at least give him face.¡±

    ¡°You have fun Nes, we¡¯ll have a bit of wine.¡±

    The unknown gleam proved to be an expert combatant with an ¡®in your face¡¯ style that matched Nestra¡¯s own. She stabbed him many times but he did land a few blows, mostly due to the difference in styles: he was clearly used to wearing heavy armor and assumed her strike would not have penetrated. She was pretty sure it would have, but they¡¯d never know for sure in that arena. They stopped after a while so Nestra could have a drink. Mostly, it was just an excuse to take a break. She did get a nice virtual business card on her visor.

    ¡°Ah, you must be one of old Hector¡¯s children!¡± an old raider told her with some excitement. He was a B-class, definitely someone important.

    Nestra ended up talking quite a bit, as well as exchanging more contact information with peers and old powerhouses. She was surprised to find out a few people had heard of the Little People League. What wasn¡¯t surprising was that a few people already did charity raiding though the formula varied. A White Shield striker told her he gave all the profits of one in seven worlds, which was fairly generous considering he was a strong C-class. She was finally challenged again by a warm, familiar voice.

    ¡°Miss Palladian. I am very pleased to see you in good health.¡±

    Nestra had orbited towards the weapons rack to drop off her sword. She turned towards the tall and smiling form of Doctor Mazingwe. He was smiling with a little tilt to his mouth he only showed shortly before throwing knives at her.

    ¡°Doctor. Glad to see you too.¡±

    ¡°I was thinking about a brief test of your motor skills. My dear. Will you entertain my request?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure about this, old man?¡± she replied mockingly.

    Mazinwge¡¯s smile remained the same but his hand, which had gone for a spear, suddenly grabbed a large hammer instead.

    Nestra sighed.

    ***

    Mazingwe proved much more gentle than she would have expected, though he did smash her face once. Even without actively using mana, C-class and B-class gleams simply thought and reacted faster by default, and that was before battle senses and experience came into play. He easily maneuvered around her but she could tell, from experience, that he was focusing on spacing. Spacing was absolutely fundamental for spear wielders and Mazingwe was a master at it, probably on par with her dad. It was hard to say which would win when they were both so much better than her on a physical level. He kindly excused himself after the brief lesson.

    ¡°May I have the next dance?¡± a voice saide from below.

    It was the firespark she¡¯d spotted earlier. Nestra used this moment to study her surroundings. There was now a large group of people watching her, most of them guild officers. Younger scions preferred their own duels. She noticed, far in the corner, a man in a green robe standing next to the familiar figure of Eunhye Jade, the woman who had tried to undercut their bidding. The man had a sharp and cruel composure, and the people around him acted as a disk of followers over the black hole of his strength. B-class, and not a pushover. The red woman was C-class and didn¡¯t seem aware of the attention. Nestra invited her in with a nod.

    The red woman jumped over the ropes with incandescent grace where Nestra had preferred cold elegance. She immediately pulled out a curved sword, the same size as Nestra¡¯s. Hers was designed as a banana.

    ¡°En garde!¡±

    They fought. The C-class gleam was amazing, all telegraphed, gracious strikes that came with twirls of the dress and a generous timing to parry or block. Nestra replied in kind. To her opponent¡¯s superior reflexes, she offered fast series of predictable strikes that came in obvious patterns but would appear, to a less trained eye, as ceaseless barrages of attacks. The dance between them turned into a grandiose show for the entertainment of those who watched. It was because the woman was so skilled that Nestra could indulge. The simulated battle lasted for a long time, with dramatic reversals such as the red lady jumping on a rope for a dramatic plunge after Nestra pretended to be knocked down by a mighty slash. A bit tired, she was ready to call for a break when her opponent offered a very obvious opening that she gladly took. The red woman dramatically collapsed into the rope before sliding on the ground under a thunderous applause. Nestra was only too happy to help her opponent up.

    At this point, she had to channel mana just to keep herself cool or she¡¯d been a sweaty mess. They shook hands when an announcer informed the guests that the dinner would be served shortly, which meant trickling back down to the tables.

    ¡°Amazing performance. How come I¡¯ve never seen you before?¡± the woman asked with the flush smile of the genuinely happy.

    ¡°I was coreless but I got better.¡±

    ¡°What? Wait¡­ I remember reading the news a couple of weeks ago. So it was you! Riel am I glad they fixed you up. It would have been a terrible waste otherwise. My name¡¯s Christina Zhen with Gidung Guild.¡±

    She must be one of Hong Wang¡¯s old allies. Nestra fixed her smile when she saw the woman¡¯s own collapse.

    ¡°Oh hey I¡¯ve heard of you.¡±

    ¡°I can imagine.¡±

    There was a lot of subtext in that simple sentence. Nestra didn¡¯t raise the topic again, preferring questions about fencing styles. Satisfied, the two of them exchanged contact information before bidding each other farewell. There were a lot of people making their way down. Even with gleam speed, it was a slow process. A brief message exchange with Sylvie confirmed they were already downstairs.

    It was nice to see her again after all this time, Nestra thought, and then she realized that against all odds, she was having fun. And that was surprising. Surprising, and also a trap.

    Gleam life was very much the cozy, golden prison she¡¯d never expected from the outside. In here, it was warm. You got to shake hands with Important People, discuss things with lifelong acquaintances, all within the exquisite walls of the city¡¯s landmarks. The food was made by chefs. Although she wouldn¡¯t indulge for training reasons, the alcohol was mana rich, and its fragrance, pleasant. Stylish clothes, beautiful people, expensive augmentations and mighty gleams marked the elite of post-Incursion mankind on display. Nestra could, right now, slam the door over her old life and only keep the best bits and she would never, ever have to return to Fifteen and all her old haunts. She could forget the cravings and the blood dripping from her chest after being betrayed by Bard, the sight of Shinoda¡¯s lifeless body. She could forget the homeless cut to pieces in the underground, the scent of spicy cloned meat skewers, the raucous calls of the underground markets. She could live her entire life in portal worlds and fancy places, carried between each by an AI-driven taxi and she would never. Need. To remember..

    Scary how easy it could be. The raider world was designed like this: apex of human power and wealth on one end, gruesome bloodbaths on the other, and in the middle? Politics. Politics, and unresolved trauma. The rest of the city could rule itself on the side.

    That made the Little People League that much more important to Nestra. It was the definitive proof that she wasn¡¯t anesthetized quite yet.

    She was one of the last to return to their seats. A salmon poke had already been served as an appetizer. Nestra helped herself to some water before turning her attention back to the platform where a man was announcing the arrival of the mayor himself. He had probably been in the cocktail lounge on the third floor. Too important for Nestra¡¯s status just yet.

    It was weird seeing Mayor Kim in the flesh. He was pretty much a staple of the city by that point, a gray-haired, stunningly handsome man who had climbed the ranks of the budding Union Party more than twenty years before, leading it to a landslide victory. He had ruled ever since then. His augs were minimal and mostly mind related, like Stibbs, but there were rumors he had access to the best anti-aging treatments money couldn''t buy. Nestra watched him move with winning confidence as he greeted various people on his way to the center of the stage. He had this indefatigable, savvy vibe that proved he drew energy from being around people rather than being exhausted by it, a concept that was entirely alien to Nestra. She also expected more delay when he climbed on the podium, but she was wrong.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, my friends and constituents. Thank you so much for your presence and generosity tonight. Your contributions will help change the lives of the people in the outer districts thanks to our Second Chance program, a necessity in these times of great change. You can expect a full report of the spendings and results within the next quarter. And now for the piece de resistance. I know your ears are filled and your stomachs are empty so I shall be brief¡­¡±

    There were a few polite chuckles. Nestra smiled. She was all for shortening speeches to hasten food.

    ¡°It is my greatest pleasure and privilege to make a special announcement tonight. As some of you may know, we have collaborated closely with the Universities of Dallas and MIT in recent months. I can now tell you that this project has borne fruit.¡±

    Nestra nodded to herself. She was glad that pasting two of their representatives on her carpet hadn¡¯t harmed the city¡¯s diplomacy too much. Hey, maybe it even helped!

    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°Starting next month, work will begin on Threshold¡¯s very own¡­ space program!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Nestra blurted.

    ***

    It would have been extremely embarrassing were it not for all the B-class people commenting at high speed before her lips could even move. Looks of shock and confusion spread across the massive room. A space program? Those were only reserved to nations that had survived the Incursion, and then only for military and telecom purposes. Everyone had an idea of the cost of such projects. It was either vanity, in which case announcing this right before the election was suicidal, or the mayor had a plan and this was a nice stunt. The old fox didn¡¯t disappoint.

    ¡°Within the next two years, we shall send our very own manatech satellites skyward to help monitor the Pacific Ocean. I would like to salute Doctors Usanagi and Park for spearheading this ambitious plan alongside Dallas¡¯ own Firmament of the Sky Guild. The ultimate goal will be to deploy a string of surveillance spots alongside the old sea trade routes, one capable of remote mana-perception thanks to revolutionary new advances in detection technology. Yes, space used to be ours and it is high time to reclaim it, but we also once tamed the sea and its placid surface will be sailed again. Threshold will lead the efforts. This I promise you.¡±

    Nestra¡¯s mind processed what he¡¯d just said. Right now, container shipping didn¡¯t exist across oceans because it was simply too dangerous. Even the ships sent to the Manila or Osaka fortresses were expensive, heavily defended leviathans. If Mayor Kim was confident he could reopen sea trade routes, and if the technology to do so belonged to Threshold and Threshold alone, the political and economical benefits of trade monopoly between two continents would be tremendous. Threshold was already powerful for a single city state. That would turn it into a superpower. Within ten to twenty years. Assuming everything worked. And assuming the megacorps invested in infrastructure and ship building.

    Meh, that last part would happen. They were all too greedy.

    ¡°We will begin the significant task of developing this program by clearing more open land. As such, I will now also announce the city¡¯s first territorial expansion since its inception. The coast alongside Bleak Cove and Highway 3 will be cleared. I will be counting on your assistance for this titanic endeavor. That¡¯s it, folks! I know you¡¯re all eager to learn more, but  I will not be taking any questions right now. Or else the food will grow cold! We will issue an official notice in¡­ twenty minutes, or so. My office and I will be holding relevant meetings over the next few days, so hang tight, details are coming. And now, bon appetit!¡±

    The crowd went wild. As for Nestra, she left early with most junior guild members. This was out of her league.

    ***

    Nestra drove her roadster to the Palladian compound the next morning, this time on full autopilot. The news stations were in a complete uproar after yesterday¡¯s surprise reveal. Apparently, it wasn¡¯t even that secret but the government had fingers in so many pies that it was difficult to find which would be impactful from the sheer volume. As expected, the opposition accused the ruling party of a pre-election publicity stunt on the taxpayer¡¯s dime. The Union Party had prepared a trap: they had the receipts to show that the opposition had blocked them every step of the way, so really they only had themselves to blame.

    Nestra shook her head. Threshold was nominally a democracy. Riel, even gleams and baseline votes counted the same. In reality though, most people, including Nestra, were too interested in keeping the corpos at bay by empowering a stable government instead. Talented individuals naturally gravitated towards the party in power while the disgruntled and the rebels ¡ª and they were quite a few ¡ª joined the opposition. This led to them being more against the ruling party than having a cohesive platform.

    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re going for another round¡­¡±

    She opened a random popular video. It showed a heated exchange on a morning talk show. The first to talk was a portly man in a suit with a strangely earnest expression.

    ¡°The cost alone represents over four billion credits. Four billion credits, and should the project be delayed, or should it fail, then this is money we will never get back. This level of commitment should never have been taken without the express approval of the public. It should have been one of the main stakes of this election. Instead, Mayor Kim is using taxpayer funds for the most expensive advertisement ever done, saddling the next administration with the costs¡­ and the risks!¡±

    A scholar in a white suit replied. He didn¡¯t have the other man¡¯s stage presence, but his calm and measured tone helped carry his message.

    ¡°First, Mayor Kim was elected on a program to improve international trade: this is the culmination of this program. Second, the cost is high, but the benefits are even higher. My colleagues and I have extreme confidence in the project''s success. Third, all this spending will be directly invested in Threshold¡¯s industry and infrastructure. It is not frivolous spending, as you seem to imply, but a major investment that will be used for other purposes. The satellites we will manufacture shall be used to monitor kaiju and tide activities over the entirety of Asia, perhaps even farther.¡±

    Nestra nodded. She could see the scholar¡¯s point. Even the few satellites Threshold was using right now were antique technology launched with the help of the Shenzhen fortress. People would pay a lot of money for advanced warning. Or recon data. It would be a major asset for mankind. She checked the comments to gauge the public reaction. That was a naive mistake as it took only seven replies for the first ¡®kill yourself¡¯ to appear. Instead of going on, Nestra pulled the city communique. Apparently, there was going to be some sort of bidding war for the clearing offer. She kept reading until the gravel under her car¡¯s tires announced that she had arrived at her family home. She made a beeline for the kitchen where her people would normally be. Most of the family was raiding though. That left exactly two people sitting and eating.

    One of them was a completely exhausted Helena nursing a cup of coffee.

    ¡°Really?¡± Nestra asked. ¡°Mom and Dad are gone for two days and you¡¯re taking stimulants?¡±

    ¡°Not you tooooo. It¡¯s decaf, alright? DECAF!¡±

    ¡°Still has caffeine in it,¡± Nestra reproached.

    ¡°I¡¯m sixteen! And a gleam!¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell your sister why you need those stimulants with your¡­ busy schedule?¡± the second person asked with an unctuous voice and ice in his false smile.

    Ulysses had all the warmth of a dozing cobra.

    Helena groaned.

    ¡°Our dear sister has binged her favorite romance until 3AM,¡± he explained.

    ¡°On a school night?¡± Nestra replied, scandalized.

    ¡°Riel dammit I regret it, alright? I was just so caught up.¡±

    ¡°That is not wired at all, young lady,¡± Nestra said.

    ¡°Very limp,¡± Ulysses added for the tag team knockout.

    ¡°AUGH!¡±

    Helena downed what was left of her java before leaving in a huff. Nestra noticed she grimaced from the bitter taste. She¡¯d taken it black, too proud to go for a latte or something.

    Nestra turned to Ulysses. Her brother was looking at her with a look of¡­ consideration. It was very weird.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re in the gleam tabloids.¡±

    He shook a datasheet under her nose. It showed one of those embarrassing newspage focused on raider and actor gossip. The headline was pretty catchy.

    ¡°Redeemed heiress displays her fencing skills at the Guild Association charity ball!¡±

    A short looped video showed the highlights of Nestra¡¯s fights with Mazingwe and the red dress lady. They finally showed a particularly spectacular flourish she¡¯d inflicted upon her friend Sylvie and her husband.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you followed that trash,¡± Nestra remarked.

    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t. We have a monitoring AI notify us every time a member of the family¡¯s brought up in the rags. Anyway, you are making us look good. Lia¡¯s family is changing our marriage contract to our advantage in recognition of the fact we¡¯re not an evolutionary dead end after all.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    He shrugged.

    ¡°Just telling it like it is. Anyway, well done. Now save the gala debrief for the return of our august genitors. I assume you¡¯ve read the communique?¡±

    ¡°I, uh, I wasn¡¯t done.¡±

    He paused for a moment. His next sentence came in a very neutral tone.

    ¡°You¡¯re a scion of House Palladian now. You need to prioritize the information that is relevant to our interests. City envoys will meet with medium sized guilds this afternoon at the Beacon. In the absence of our parents, and since Helena is sixteen and going to school, you will accompany me.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to make a bid then?¡±

    Ulysses crossed and uncrossed his fingers, searching for words again. Nestra wasn¡¯t sure if he was hostile and trying to tune it down, or he genuinely thought she was a complete dumbass. It was hard to tell.

    ¡°The city¡¯s not paying money for the clearing. And it¡¯s going to be a difficult operation.¡±

    ¡°How will it be difficult?¡±

    ¡°High portal concentration and unmanaged breaches means we¡¯re almost at tide levels of monster population, not to mention, this many active teams will attract a lot of attention. The surface area is also pretty large. We¡¯re talking about fifty square kilometers.¡±

    ¡°What? Really?¡±

    ¡°Since the city is not paying us money per square kilometer, Nestra, then it doesn¡¯t matter that they ask for a larger region. The goal is to protect the workers by removing anything within smelling distance, aye?¡±

    ¡°And the reward?¡±

    ¡°Can you guess?¡± Ulysses asked with some impatience.

    ¡°Portal rights around the new section?¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°Precisely. In and around, as you said. We¡¯re talking maybe one, one and a half billion credits worth of spoils per year.¡±

    That was just raid harvest estimates. Processing the materials would bring another layer of value.

    ¡°The guilds are going to tear each other apart over the contracts.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re the guilds,¡± Ulysses reminded her.

    He sighed. Nestra wasn¡¯t willing to engage because it looked to her like he was making an effort to be cordial.

    ¡°We need to make an offer. It won¡¯t be much and the competition is going to be stiff but it¡¯s an all hands on deck situation. You probably won¡¯t be participating, unfortunately. Your cadre is still too fresh.¡±

    ¡°My¡­ cadre?¡±

    ¡°The Little People League? Valerian, Helena¡¯s classmates? One convict you just signed on without consulting us?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not a cadre. They¡¯re my mates.¡±

    ¡°And how, exactly, do you think the house¡¯s old guard came to be? They¡¯re not just staying for the good pay.¡±

    Nestra frowned. It bothered her on some fundamental level but she wasn¡¯t sure how to articulate it.

    ¡°Talented raiders gather other talented raiders to form teams that will carry them to the height of B-class. So it has always been, so it will always be. You don¡¯t just fight side by side because they¡¯re good. You do it because you trust them, because they are, as you mentioned, your ¡®mates¡¯. Now enough of this. I need to assess what resources we have available.¡±

    ¡°Nes! Nestra!¡± a cry came from upstairs.

    It was uncanny how Ulysses¡¯ gunmetal eyes followed Helena through the walls by hearing alone. He still wasn¡¯t as good as the parents at pretending to be a normal human.

    ¡°We got a hit on the cameras! The crazy cat lady case!¡±

    ¡°And with this, I bid you a good day. Be ready by 1PM,¡± Ulysses said before disappearing.

    ¡°I gotta go to school. Can¡¯t miss the math test. Can you handle it? Gah, I wish I could come with you.¡± Helena said with great excitement.

    ¡°I¡¯ll record it. So what sort of monster is this?¡±

    Nestra checked the footage.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ***

    Caleb was a man with a plan. With drive. Threshold was a rich and giving whore to those who knew how to please her. Even starting from the bottom. It was just a question of time and effort. He was willing to do what the weak and meek couldn¡¯t, and so he would rise. It was the truth of the city. It was the truth of the world. Even if he had to get his hands dirty.

    He checked his silenced rifle one last time. It was a shitty printed thing but it was enough. The dumpster smelled of piss. That, too, was an ordeal he would overcome. The most ambitious people had gone through worse on their path to success. He would kill this cat, and the next, until the crazy bitch went up and left, and then he¡¯d buy her out on the cheap. Fuck, he was probably doing her and the entire city a favor. Earth animals were awakening, the news had said. It was just a question of time before the cats grew feral. He was saving the woman though she¡¯d never know it.

    Ten minutes passed. Caleb patiently kept his eyes forward. The cats always, always came this way. One of them would, in any case. God, he hoped the woman would crack before he had to kill off the entire herd. Another five minutes passed while he did breathing exercises. Patience, patience. All great men had patience.

    Movement. He rested the gun on the dumpster. One of the cats was trotting towards him. He adjusted his sight. The cat might jump up at any time and for how cheap it was, the gun was precise, with little recoil. Distance wasn¡¯t an issue. He aimed his sight. It was a white cat, aesthetically pleasing in a plush sort of way. Shame to see it go to waste since some families apparently paid up to 500 creds for the critter, but that was business. Costs of opportunities and all that.

    Once the man was satisfied, he pulled the trigger. The sharp whip sound reverberated throughout the alley, which was normal given the ratty silencer he was using, The ping was not.

    The cat jumped, startled. It looked unharmed.

    There was a long blade in front of his barrel, coming at an angle in front of the gun¡¯s muzzle. Perplexed, Caleb looked up, and up, to a blonde head popping up from the nearest roof. An arm held the sword that had deflected the bullet. It was a major feat of strength that proved the person was a gleam, if the irises hadn¡¯t told him already. Blue with sparks so ice and probably electricity. He¡¯d trained to recognize those.

    ¡°Yes?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Why are you shooting a cat?¡±

    A chill crawled up his back. That wasn¡¯t planned. Not planned at all.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what ¡ª¡±

    ¡°You shot at the cat. Answer me.¡±

    No time to hesitate.

    ¡°Pest control.¡±

    ¡°You consider cats a pest?¡±

    ¡°Of course they are. Threshold actively combats wild animals!.¡±

    ¡°Nope. Threshold only treats wild dogs as pests. There is no reward for cats because they are very rare.¡±

    That wasn¡¯t going the way he¡¯d hoped. The notion of turning his gun against her to avoid witnesses didn¡¯t last long. This was a gleam with awakened affinities, and that meant she was probably dangerously strong.

    ¡°You must know you¡¯re shooting a pet.¡±

    ¡°How would I?¡± he retorted.

    ¡°All of Mavis¡¯ cats have collars. So you must have known.¡±

    She was trying to trick him.

    ¡°No they don¡¯t. You lie. And now, unless you intend to do something illegal, I am going to leave.¡±

    ¡°You are not leaving.¡±

    She tapped her visor.

    ¡°I just needed a record of you admitting you know who Mavis is, and that you are familiar with her cats. Much obliged, by the way.¡±

    She jumped down. She was wearing everyday clothes far too light for the winter weather, which made her detached, icy tone that much more unnerving. She was smaller than him but he was not confident about his chances. His fingers tightened around the gun. Why was he being harassed like that? Fucking gleams with their control over every damn thing.

    The woman grabbed something in her jeans pocket. It was a police ID. His eyes widened.

    ¡°You are under arrest on suspicion of animal cruelty and property damage, the first of which is a felony. You have the right to legal advice¡­¡±

    The woman listed his rights just like in the damn vids. The man couldn¡¯t believe his eyes, even when she forcefully removed the gun from his shaking fingers. With gloved hands. The next moment, he was in manacles.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that! The badge says Special Affairs! It means you are going after users!¡±

    But she didn¡¯t listen. Only after she was dutifully done listing the rights did she answer his protests.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what branch I belong to, or even if I¡¯m currently active. You were caught red-handed, on camera. You¡¯re coming with me. Will you resist?¡±

    The man assessed his chances. He was sure he could explain the situation. Going to prison just because of cats was a ridiculous prospect. Actually, he was sure a good lawyer would get him out. It was far too late to attempt force anyway.

    ¡°I will comply.¡±

    Something in the cold woman¡¯s mouth expressed disappointment.

    ***

    Nestra appreciated the reminder that not all monsters came from portals. It felt a little unfair that she would be harassed at her home by people calling her a demon while her worst sins were illegal raiding, tax evasion, and gluttony. In the meantime, psychopaths like this guy got a free pass to murder pets. Utter bullshit. She checked the time. It was barely 9:30.

    That was going to be another long day.